Saturday, August 31, 2019

Healing Hospital: a Daring Paradigm Essay

Healthcare providers need to reach people on a personal level. The concept of the healing hospital paradigm research reveals that specific design changes in healthcare environments can reduce patient stress and alleviate the consequences of that stress. These changes can also help reduce medical errors and hospital-acquired infections, while improving staff morale and efficiency (Kreitzer, 2011). This paper will identify the concepts of a healing hospital, advances in technology, the physical design of the hospital and culture which promote a holistic approach to patient care. Physical Environment The healing environment goes beyond just the basic construction materials that make up the hospital. An actual healing environment is constructed to help patients and families cope with the stresses of illness, and are free from overhead paging, in-room intercoms, loud machines or noise at the nurse’s station (Eberst, 2008). Hospitals need to be free from physical disturbances which can cause stress for the patient and their family. Many hospitals are under constant construction. The loud noise of this construction can inhibit healing. Healthcare providers need to be sensitive to this and be patient advocates to ensure that the construction noises are at times when the patient is not in a resting state. They can coordinate construction times during optimal patient awake times. This will allow patients with adequate rest periods to promote healing. Patients need internal transformation to completely heal. Human aura is an expression of what is taking place within the mind, the soul, and the spirit of the individual. When considering this the color of the environment plays a big part of the healing environment. The use of chromotherapy, color healing, is essential when considering a healing environment. Green is considered the universal color for healing (Stefanidakis, 2001). Using colors appropriately in the hospital environment can encourage emotional responses to enhance healing. If the incorrect colors are utilized the patient may present with symptoms of irritability instead of peacefulness or cheerfulness which could inhibit healing. Furthermore, the hospitals interior plays a major role in the healing process. Spirituality will be promoted if the interior reflects the hint of a religious atmosphere such as exercising specific religious artifacts spirituality will be promoted. Hospitals can also incorporate unrestricted visiting, decorative fountains, fireplaces, skylights and healing gardens to help provide a relaxing environment which decreases stress for their customer population. Technology Technology can help provide an overall healing environment. Medical advances in medicine and diagnostic procedures help provide treatment for the physical illness. Historically physicians treat physical illnesses, psychiatrists treat mental illnesses and hospital chaplains deal with spiritual issues. Many times the physicial treatment of illness is the main focus of hospital staff. However, technology can also provide a way of better communication between staff and physicians with the use of cell phones. Wireless monitoring systems and alarm silence mechanisms can provide a quieter, calmer environment with less patient stress which promotes a healing environment. Although technology helps promote the healing of physical illness patient satisfaction can be improved when a holistic approach is taken. The healing hospital incorporates technology and holistic patient care to provide body, mind and spiritual healing (Chapman, 2007). Spiritual Healing Spirituality is the search to know our true selves and discovering the real nature of consciousness (Russell, 2006). Many times healthcare providers think of patients based on their diagnosis. This thought process depersonalizes the patient. This can lead to care that is not holistic. Healing hospitals promote staff education and administrative support to provide patients with holistic care. If staff members enter patient rooms in a calm and unhurried manner the patient perceives this as a loving environment (Chapman, 2007). This approach to each patient encounter allows the staff to address all of the patient needs. In this situation patients will open up to the staff so that all patient needs are identified. The staff can then recognize these needs and utilize all available resources to aid the patient in the healing process. Spirituality plays a major role in the patient’s ability to cope with stress and illness (Ashcraft, Anthony ; Mancuso, 2010). Biblical Passage In times of illness people turn to their faith and pray for help. The bible states â€Å"The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness† (Psalm 41:3, New International Version). This reinforces the healing the concept of the healing hospital and the power of prayer. Prayer is one of the most helpful ways of inspiring hope in our patients and families. This passage reinforces the belief that spirituality is essential in the healing process. As healthcare providers we must be sensitive to our patient’s spirituality and incorporate this in our patient care. This is a paramount of the healing hospital paradigm. Incorporating spiritual healing provides holistic care that is essential in the restoration of health. Culture The concept of the healing hospital is gaining the attention of healthcare professionals when they consider holistic care. It is essential that hospital administrators as well as the staff embrace this concept to achieve holistic patient care. If everyone is not on the same page, holistic care cannot be achieved. Many times administrators are dollar focused. In this process they lose site of the aspect of holistic care. Many hospitals struggle financially and in a knee-jerk reaction jobs are eliminated. This often results in fewer nurses with larger patient loads. It also results in increased work demands of other employees. Cutting corners to save dollars affects all aspects of patient care. Patients often feel like a number or diagnosis and the personal aspect is lost. Patients’ emotional and spiritual needs are not met. How can hospital employees produce a healing atmosphere and provide holistic care to their patients with these obstacles? Holistic care can only be achieved in a loving, caring environment (Chapman, 2007). This atmosphere will produce better patient satisfaction scores and enhanced revenue for success. This also provides employee satisfaction which promotes better patient care. These concepts go hand in hand. The healing hospital implements processes based on subjective theories as well as scientific evidence based practices to promote all aspects of healing. Conclusion The healing hospital paradigm concept encompasses an all-inclusive treatment to meet patients’ needs for complete restoration. The components of this theory are a culture of loving care, a healing environment and technology with a combined work design.

Impact of Mobiles on Youth Essay

Globalization has many aspects. It contains important discursive aspects in the form of ideologically charged narratives that put before the public a particular agenda of topics for discussion, question to ask and claims to make. The whole world is accepting and adopting the ways towards the advancement of technology. The youth is playing a vital role in this rapid pace. The strong and mighty cultures are toppling the frail ones. Unfortunately the countries like Pakistan, India and Bangladesh have strong cultural values, norms and customs that are easily fettered by the western cultural onslaught. Our youth is concentrating on some bad choices. In this global village, firstly our youth was allured to divert their attention towards the internet. They have changed a lot by the usage of internet. A few of them have inclined for knowledge, information, awareness and exposure but the majority of them appear to have misused the internet. To some extent, people were done up and vexed with internet but due to the ensconsment of cellular technology all gaps have been bridged for the destruction of youth. The telecommunication companies in our country have been inclined towards introducing new and attractive packages for youth like Mobilink (ladies first, happy hours), Warid (zem series), Ufone (public demand, prepay life panch ka pandra, u circle) Telenor (talkshawk Aone, djuice) and Zong’s life package. The question arises why these companies are introducing these packages without the social mobilization to check the mindset of the youth. Are they trying to facilitate the common man or only youth? I think except on very urgent occasions ordinarily no one would like to talk after midnight. All necessary and normal interactions can be dealt with during daytime but the companies offer the packages that start after end of family or business communication. My feeling is that these packages are more likely to spoil and ravage our youth than to do anything else. In our youth segment the majority is student community that is spell bounded by these packages. They are losing the essence of their profession/studies. They are derailing and deviating themselves. They are getting away from their goals, destinies and motives. Their minds are becoming stagnant and static. Creativity and innovation is blocked by the consistent telephonic conversations spread over the whole of night. They are losing their interest towards the interactions and sociality. Alienation is increasing within small community or groups of people. In one room four roommates are strangers to one another. They never try to tie up the relation because they don’t have a pinch of time. By talking whole night with opposite sex, they are getting psychologically weak and pressured. There are many other physical distortions also arising due to spending the precious time which is needed compulsory rest, relaxation, relief and mental health. Due to spending whole nights the absenteeism is skyrocketing in every profession. They are going far and far away from the hold of families. They tell lies and have false communication with their parents. They are betraying the decisions, trust and expectations of their parents. They are traveling towards the lone parent family system in which one is not accountable to anyone and he is the only decision maker. Such kind of behavior is leading towards the social fragmentation and terrible decline of moral values in which respect is core one. They are crossing the restraints and limitations, very essential for the well integrated society. Due to the bogus projection of the companies their effectiveness and determination is diminishing if we put a furtive glimpse on the chart of protests and rallies conducted against the negative policies, the ratio of youth’ contribution is at minor level and seems vanished because they have engrossed in making affairs and spending their potential and energy to locate the suitable packages. Their mental approach is revolving around sexual satisfaction. Other emotions and sentiments are pushed oblivion, there are forgetting that there are so many matters that need their kind attention. They have obsessed devoid of manners and healthy attitude to other requisites and needs. It is obliterating the mental capacity and concentration of the youth like plague. There is a critical and pathetic state prevailing over the sky of our nation. The whole nation is passing through the chaos, disturbance and mental incapacitation. We are not realizing that what is worth of our youth? That’s why we ourselves are paving the way for our youth towards the devastation and shoving them into fire. The mobile companies have every right to work out innovative packages offering greater value of money to their customers. But they should not making profits by compromising on the interests of the young generation.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Alcoholism and Domestic Violence

Alcoholism, also known as alcohol dependence, is unfortunately a widespread ailment which spans people of all age groups and socioeconomic levels. The health risks of this disease, and alcoholism is a disease, are as widespread as the individuals who contract it. In addition to these health risks, alcoholism is also an influencing factor in another problem plaguing societies, domestic violence. Thus, alcohol and anger create a sometimes fatal combination.Alcoholism is a disease which can be described by degree. Alcohol dependence describes individuals who have developed a â€Å"maladaptive pattern† of alcohol consumption which is characterized by a developing alcohol tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, or hangovers, and the inability to stop drinking. It doesn’t stop there People with alcohol dependence may progress to alcohol abuse which can significantly interfere with their social lives, their work or their interpersonal relationships.In addition, this abuse can also cau se a host of related issues including â€Å"major depression, dysthymia, mania, hypomania, panic disorder, phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, personality disorders, any drug use disorder,schizophrenia, and suicide† (Cargiulo 2007). According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), drinking up to 14 drinks in a week for men or seven drinks per week as a woman could indicate alcohol dependence. In addition, the NIAAA estimates that up to nearly 18 million Americans could be considered alcoholics (Lauer 2006).Despite the many mental and physiological problems that are associated with alcoholism, some of the most frightening are the health problems associated with the brain. Evidence exists that shows the damage that alcohol consumption does to the brain. Brain imaging studies have revealed that people with alcoholism have significant differences in parts of their brains than those without alcoholism. The brain volume is reduced in alcoholics as wel l as the blood flow to the brain.The reduced blood flow has been linked to a lowering of inhibitions and memory, impaired cognitive function in general and even damage to the corpus callosum (Cargiulo 2007). These problems can lead to long term brain damage. Lesions in the brain form in those with long term patterns of alcohol abuse. This can translate into Korsakoff’s disease which is characterized by motor impairment and thinking impairments which can affect a person’s ability to care for himself. In the end, the individual may have to be cared for institutionally.Alcohol affects the neurotransmitters in the brain. As the disease progresses to chronic status, the brain cells begin to adapt to the alcohol that seems to reside permanently in the brain. As a result, the brain becomes reliant on the alcohol to work. If alcohol is removed, the symptoms of withdrawal take longer and longer to subside. Ultimately, the brain tissue will rebel, in a way, and the withdrawal sy mptoms can be severe, even fatal. Once the cells in the brain die, they cannot be regenerated (Shoemaker 2003). These effects seem to affect males to a greater degree than females.This fact can be explained by differences in drinking patters, choice of alcoholic drinks, rate of alcohol metabolism and the protective effects of hormones such as estrogen (de Bruin, 2005) As such, alcohol dependency and abuse is three times more prominent in men as it is in women even though evidence suggests that for both genders, the numbers are underreported (Cargiulo 2007). As if the physical effects on the body were not bad enough, the behaviors of individuals who are addicted to alcohol are also quite dangerous.The drinkers find themselves to be less inhibited and more willing to engage in risky behaviors. Many of these behaviors can be characterized as aggressive and violent. One of the worst that researchers find among alcoholics is domestic violence or intimate partner violence (IPV). The Acade my of Domestic Violence has defined domestic violence as â€Å"a deliberate pattern of abusive tactics used by one partner in an intimate relationship to obtain and maintain power and control over the other person† which includes physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and economic abuses (Niolon 2004)The types of domestic violence have been organized by Dr. Richard Niolon (2004). He identifies one type as common couple violence which occurs in one or two isolated incidences over the course of the couples’ relationship. Though painful at the time, this type is not usually seen as a recurring pattern of abuse and control. The second type is identified by Niolon (2004) as intimate terrorism in which violence is used as a means of manipulation and control relatively regularly.Mutual violent control occurs more often when both the male and the female fight each other, and dysphoric-borderline violence is indicative of a dependent, emotional fragile individual who resort s to violence as a last resort. This type of violence often occurs when the abused person in the relationship snaps and lashes out violently against the other partner or when a new set of circumstances radically increases the frustration levels of one of the partners in the relationship, and he or she lashes out as a result of this new situation (Niolon 2004).These stages of violence typically follow a predictable cycle. The first stage of this cycle is a calm period in which tension slowly builds. Minor incidents may occur in this stage which can continue for various periods of time. The second stage is the one in which the abuser seems to explode and actually engage in the violence. Outside parties may have to intervene to stop the onslaught. The third states is called the honeymoon stage because the abuser will show distinct remorse for his actions, apologize profusely, and even shower the abused with gifts and affection, even promises.Unfortunately, the abused is likely to forgi ve the abuser at this point. (Niolon 2004). Risk factors for IPV include lower educational levels, lower income and/or employment levels, and, of course, alcohol misuse (Jeyaseelan, 2004). Sadly, alcohol and IPV often do go hand in hand. Not surprising, the most common locations for IPV to occur is in the home and at bars. According to interviews with abused wives, men were much more likely to have been drinking during the attacks than not.When the abusive husbands were interviewed, they reported to have had at least six drinks before the onset of the violence (Quigley and Leonard, 2004/2005). Thus the concurrence of alcoholism and IPV is shown. When drinking, a dangerous combination of increased aggression and reduced inhibition lead to these batterings. Many studies support this problem, which again seems to afflict more men than women. Quigley and Leonard (2004/2005) recount a study by Kaufman, Kantor and Straus in 1990 which found that the husbands heavy drinking was associated with husband on wife violence.Further studies show that a husband who drinks early in marriage is more prone to IPV later in marriage, and husbands who drink heavily before marriage are more likely to be violent toward their wives in the very first year of marriage (Quigley and Leonard, 2004/2005). In addition, these authors cite Caetano in noting that there are racial differences involved in IPC. They note that â€Å"nineteen percent of European American husbands and 24 percent of Hispanic husbands who drank at least five drinks a week committed IPV, as opposed to 40 percent of African American husbands who drank† (Quigley and Leonard, 2004/2005).This has harrowing implications for women of all races, particularly African American women. Galvani (2004) gives several possible reasons why this may be true. Physiological theories argue that ethanol, the drug in alcohol increase aggression biologically. A theory known as Disinhibition Theory notes the earlier link between alcoho l and cognitive function, specifically the portion of the brain mentioned above that regulates levels if inhibition. The Deviance Disavowal theory argues that the abusers use alcohol as a reason for their behavior and consciously drinks so that they can blame the alcohol for their actions.Social Learning theories explain that people will act in a way based on their experiences around others. Therefore, parents and societal expectations can lead to alcoholic abuse and abusive behaviors (Galvani, 2004). Both alcoholism and IPV are scourges upon society, creating physical and mental damage. When these are combined, their effects are even stronger and more widespread. With hope, individuals who find themselves in these situations will soon seek help to avoid permanent tragedy. References Cargiulo, T. (2007).Understanding the health impact of alcohol dependence. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 64: S1-S17 De Bruin, EA. (2005) Does alcohol intake relate to brain volume loss? The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory & Application 24 (7): 5-6 Galvani, S. (2004). Responsible disinhibition: Alcohol, men and violence to women. Addiction Research & Theory 12 (4): 357-371 Jeyaseelan, L et al. (2004). World studies of abuse in the family environment – risk factors for physical intimate partner violence.Injury Control & Safety Promotion 11 (2): 117-124. Lauer, CS. (2006). When drinking turns serious. Modern Healthcare 36 (16): 22 Niolan, R. (2004). Types and Cycles of Domestic Violence. Retrieved 1 May 207 from http://www. psychpage. com/learning/index. html Quigley, BM & Leonard, KE. (2004/2005). Alcohol Use and Violence Among Young Adults. Alcohol Research & Health 28 (4): 191-194 Shoemaker, W. (2003). Alcohol’s Effects on the Brain. Nutritional Health Review: The Consumer’s Medical Journal 88: 3-8 .

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Making the Most of the Doha Opportunity Assignment

Making the Most of the Doha Opportunity - Assignment Example The purpose of this term paper is to distinguish out the Indian Economy, while studying the special aspects, along with the trade and ventures between Canada and India. The second part of the paper as discussed above is about the prospects of the Indian market for the promotion of tumble dryers and in this context, the civilizing and community needs of the society and their impacts are researched. Further, a marketing strategy after analyzing the needs and barriers that are imposed by the Indian market are studied, a marketing plan is suggested to promote the product. Indo-Canadian trade - History and Recent initiatives During the modern period, India has turned out to be one of the most influential economies around the globe and is set to become an emerging power for centuries to come. The political arena contained by the Indian subcontinent has become stable to a big amount thus serving the country to footstep towards a contemporary culture, with the Indian market escalating at an incredible rate. Ever since India has emerged as a developing nation, it has taken help from a number of countries to expand its market which also incorporated Canada to an immense level. In spite of a number of strategic differences between the two countries, India has been offered continuous financial aid by Canada. During the late seventies, both the countries had strained relationships, however with the start of the early nineties, as India was set to become an influential player in the world economy, the situation got eased up. The growing trend of the Indian market was soon realized by Canada and the two countries stepped forward to bring about some major reforms in their market strategies with each other. Canada became mindful of the call for expanding its roots within Asia and recognized that India was the most favorable place which could offer vast markets for Canadian products. With the start of the later nineties, Canada initiated the progress to recuperate the two-sided associations amid the two nations. Since then there have been a number of reciprocated visits at the political level since thus moving forward the trade growth.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Expression of Cyclical-Universal Understanding Inherent in the Essay

The Expression of Cyclical-Universal Understanding Inherent in the Mlamadhyamakikrik by Ngrjuna - Essay Example The philosophers who ascribe to this position do so without having real proof: certainly in many cases it seems to be true that the same thing will always happen in identical conditions, say, a sound will always travel at the speed of sound through a certain medium. On the other hand, there are documented limitations to this understanding: in quantum mechanics, scientists can have exactly the same circumstances, and only predict a probability of results. They argue this away by indicating that there was probably something different in the circumstances that cannot be effectively observed, but the bottom line is that this philosophy inherently rests on an unproven assumption, without which it cannot stand. It is thus always interesting to analyze the fundamental premises on which a major work of thought is based. Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakikarik, the foundational text of â€Å"Middle Way† Buddhism, demonstrates all the hallmarks of the best Buddhist thinking: a unique com bination of logic and spirituality, a peace with subjectivity and so on. But it, like every work of philosophy, rests on an un-provable premise, without which its arguments largely fail. IN the case of Mulamadhyamakikarik, one such fundamental premise is that the universe is cyclical in nature. ... If a thing is non-existent, how could it have a condition? / if a thing is already existent, what would a condition do?† (Nagarjuna 1.6). This is essentially a play on the idea of conditional existence: obviously everything has a conditional existence (a bird would not exist if its mother did not lay an egg, for instance), and yet that conditional existence implies the possibility of the non-existence of the thing, which obviously cannot be, because the thing is. Similarly, the condition of a non-extant thing’s existence is obviously of no importance, as the thing does not exist. He then uses this comfort in comparing the conditionality of existent and non-existent things to describe how the conditionality of existence essentially negates a thing having its own essence, separate from another thing – so everything can exist, but everything that exists is essentially the same (Nagarjuna). This philosophy thus earns the name â€Å"The Middle Way† because it fo rges a practical middle road between the two extremes of Buddhist thought: that everything exists, or that nothing does. Nagarjuna’s argument that nothing has its own separate, distinct essence serves as the central argument of this work. But this essential argument rests fundamentally on the idea of a cyclical universe, something inherent to all Buddhist thinking. Nagarjuna expresses this Buddhist idea of the infinity in the opening lines of his text: â€Å"Neither from itself, nor from another, / Nor from both, / nor without a cause, / does anything whatever, anywhere arise† (Nagarjuna 1.1). This demonstrates the idea of the infinite being a circle, as opposed to an expanse as imagined in Western thought. That is, obviously things are – or at

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Isaac’s Storm, by Erik Larson Research Paper

Isaac’s Storm, by Erik Larson - Research Paper Example (Isaacs Storm Erik Larson Book Review.). Symbolizing the storm, Mr. Larson quite clearly suggests his thesis as confluence of human error; arrogance and politics were the root causes that made the way for such a catastrophe. The writer, Thurston Hatcher rightly comments about the book that it is not a disaster book on the other hand it is a cautionary tale about an era in which great technological progress created a flawed sense of invincibility. One of the main points that Larson wants to boost through his work is that technological hubris will always place us in trouble with nature. Thurston Hatcher further comments that human beings are much concerned about the complacency that new tools can bring but at the same time he fails to give the deserving attention to the disaster that may happen one day. (Hatcher, 2000). In Isaac’s Storm Erik Larson tells the story of Galveston, its people and the hurricane that devastated them with the help of an effective blending of science and history. In narrating the whole episod e the author keeps the tempo rising in pace with the wind and waves. The personal account presented in this work attributes a realistic touch and promotes the reader’s credibility. The only fault that one could find is a lack of photographs because on a number of occasions Larson refers to old black and white photographs that he had seen during his research for this book, but he forgets to share these with his audience. Considering all these factors this is a great work worthy to be

Monday, August 26, 2019

Power, Desire, Difference Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Power, Desire, Difference - Essay Example The specific psychical concerns of the symbolic may have been played down in some feminist writing, political issues have been played down (and deeply confused with psychical ones) in recent critiques of essentialism. The thing is, the challenge to Lacan is often read as, or reduced to, the challenge to patriarchal structures of language and phallogocentrism, which of course in part it is. Lacan's theory also covers the psychical organization, the argument that the symbolic is the condition of sanity; it is not purely about the patriarchal order of language (Chodorow: 1998:167). It should become evident that this facet of Lacan's theory has also received attention in French difference feminisms, especially from Irigaray. Moreover, it is only when this aspect of Lacan's theory is taken into account that the British feminist defence of him makes any sense. The symbolic's patriarchal nature relies on the interlocking functions of the symbolic father, and the notorious phallus. Lacan says the symbolic father intervenes in the imaginary ties between mother and child (Withford: 1986). For Lacan the actual father matters infinitely less than his structural, symbolic position as an intervening third party. In the imagination, the father's place is similar to the occupied by language, in that language intervenes in the imaginary dyad as the symbolic words that rupture the threads of phantasy that hold lack at bay and the illusion of union in place. To borrow the vocabulary of mainstream psychoanalysis for a moment, this intervention is critical to the process of psychical differentiation, to the subject's differentiating itself from others; and this is one reason why sanity relies on the symbolic (Withford:1988). How changing the sex of either the intervening third party or the primary care-giver, or the actual father's social spot, would af fect the process of differentiation is another matter; but real changes in either parenting models or the social position of women and men must have consequences for the symbolic. The phallus is the mark of need, and diversity in general and sexual difference in particular. As the mark of need, it pertains to the fact that the subject is not complete unto itself. It is here that the symbolic father and phallus connect; the former breaks up the illusion of unity, the latter represent that break (Withford: 1986:7). As the mark of difference in general, the phallus is allied with the logos, with the principle that the identification of difference is the condition of logic and language alike. That is to say, thinking as such requires difference. This brings to a critical Lacanian claim that sexual difference is the crucial one in being able to speak, thus think; and, mutatis mutandis, that speaking is critical to sexual difference. The visual recognition of sexual difference is a channel connecting the heterogeneous experience of the feeling, sensing body to something that is strange to it: the differential structure of language; in turn, that language allows it n ame the difference. In short, Irigaray, like Mitchell, may have a clinical issue in mind: the idea that the phallus is represented by the penis implies, according

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Challenges to the pharmaceutical industry's blockbuster-driven Essay

Challenges to the pharmaceutical industry's blockbuster-driven business model, and the effectiveness of GlaxoSmithKline's strate - Essay Example The model is mostly used in entertainment and pharmaceutical industry because they can afford to invest a considerable amount in their projects where the development, costs and risks related to the projects are higher and the returns on these projects tend to be higher too. The companies have to make sure that after the huge investment in the projects for marketing and development of new drugs is made, a considerable amount of control should be exercised on the revenue and profit streams. However, presently the blockbuster model which is proposed for the pharmaceutical industry has helped several companies to develop medicinal drugs that are worth trillions of dollars and has also led to the loss of exclusivity of several drugs. The actual cost of researching on a new drug is worth $1.7 billion and that is valued to be more than 55 percent of the increase in the average commercialization cost, which is expected to take down the investment returns in the past few years (Nisen, 2013). There are high hopes for the blockbuster model which is based on current investment returns, forecast, and successful commercial performance. The blockbuster model is expected to deliver actually 5 percent returns on investment which is significantly much lower than the industry rate risk and adjusted cost of capital (Nisen, 2013). This signifies that only one of six drugs is likely to deliver high returns above cost of capital which is an unattractive proposal for the required investors. The outcome of the establishment of the blockbuster model was as follows: Decreasing Research & Development Productivity- Compared to the thirteen medical products which were successful during the tenure of 1995 to 2000, during the tenure of 2009 to 2011, only eight medicinal drugs were found to be successful (Nisen, 2013). Increasing cost of commercialization: It has been observed that the actual cost of commercialization has been much higher than the expected cost estimated by the analysts. Monit oring Payment: The growing challenges and the rising price pressure on the cost of development have limited the total revenue from the average drug. Shorter Exclusivity Payments: The creation of the FDA approval and the MCO coverage is quite a time consuming process and has led to the loss of exclusivity of several medicinal drugs. This suggests that several medical drugs are under patent protection risk (Nisen, 2013). Enactments: Enactments like, The Affordable Care Act, has made the process of developing drugs extremely difficult because of the stringent rules associated with the act. These strict laws associated with the act have made it difficult for the pharmaceutical companies as the failed medicinal drugs which are developed by these companies are not reimbursed by their insurance firms. In most of the industries, there are several winning strategic business models which are prevalent. Blockbuster model helps in the improvement of the existing systems and processes within the systems and also, lays special emphasis on the utilization of the company investment in a systematic way for the creation of franchises for medical products. The creation of franchise system would help to achieve global sales of more than $ 1 billion (Nisen, 2013). In the past few years, the blockbuster business model could not solve factors that are responsible for the research and development activities, cost of commercialization and shorter exclusivity gaps of medicines. The model has failed to

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Oil and Gas Extraction Accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oil and Gas Extraction Accident - Essay Example Moreover, numerous permits have been granted for assessment of mineral resources in the territorial waters allowing energy companies and international fisheries to move their activities into increasingly deeper waters. However, such activities increase the possibilities of accidents and disasters that can cause far-reaching impacts on sea ecosystems (Hsing,  Fu,  Larcom,  Berlet,  Shank,  2013). Thus, on April 2010 in the northern Gulf of Mexico, there emerged an accident that released four million barrels of oil from Deepwater Horizon drilling rig to the Gulf of Mexico through the next month of the same year. While oil on the surface was removed by different cleanup operations, over thirty percent of the hydrocarbons were drowned in deep-sea plumes. As a result, the Deepwater Horizon blowout actually caused two incidents. First, the oil spill on surface influenced the deepwater plume with chronic subsurface effects and second, mid-water plankton and a variety of mid-water species, as well as the shores to which the oil spill came, were seriously damaged (Montagna PA, Baguley JG, Cooksey C, Hartwell I, Hyde LJ, et al. (2013). On April 20, 2010, the crew of the Deepwater Horizon was preparing to temporary abandon BP’s â€Å"Macondo† discovery. The well had reached a depth. The final string of production had been put in the hole and cemented in place. Mud had been lost to the reservoir while drilling the bottom portion of the well. It is difficult to create a good cement seal between the casing and the formation and it is impossible to provide the efficiency of the cement seal without running a cement- bond log. The cement contained a nitrogen additive to make it lighter.   Gas from the reservoir may have further diluted the viscosity of the cement. The workers waited  for the cement to dry  he crew began displacing the drilling mud in the wellbore and riser with sea water.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels Essay

Company Analysis - Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels - Essay Example The Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, is considered as one of the most important production units of the organization. The production process developed in the particular unit is analyzed in this paper. Emphasis is given on the potentials of the Group to reduce this unit’s costs without affecting the Group’s performance or the quality of the products involved. At the same time, the unit’s logistic process is reviewed focusing on the fact that the various parts of the firm’s cars are coming from different places in Europe and are assembled in Brussels to be then sold all around the world. 2. Production process in Volkswagen Group in Forest, Brussels 2.1 Description of the process In order to understand the performance of the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels it would be necessary to present primarily the key characteristics of the production unit involved. Then, the production process should be analytically described, as all of its phases. Finally, the phases of the process that are of key value for its success, meaning the cost management techniques and the quality management techniques as used in the specific production unit, should be further analyzed, followed by suggestions as of their potential update or alteration for supporting the increase of the Group’s performance. Volkswagen Group incorporates a high range of brands (see Figure 1, Appendix). This means that the terms of operation of the Group’s production units internationally need to be carefully reviewed, so that delays or failures in regard to the quality of the products (cars) are avoided. In Figure 2 (Appendix) the monthly deliveries of the Group are presented. It is made clear that the orders of customers in... This essay focuses on the examination and the analysis provided by the researcher, on the topic of the production process of a well-known corporation - the Volkswagen Group. The researcher of the essay discusses the processes that are employed in the Group’s production unit in Forest, Brussels. These processes are reviewed and evaluated emphasizing on the effectiveness of unit’s quality and cost management. The essay aims to show that the production processes used by the Volkswagen Group organization are well organized despite the fact that the logistics management of the organization is quite challenging, since the parts of cars are sent to the firm’s unit in Brussels by various places across Europe and have to be assembled so that the finished product is promoted to the European market. It is concluded by the researcher that the firm’s production unit in Forest, Brussels, meets most requirements of a successful production unit. Still, certain changes are required so that the performance of the unit to be standardized in the long term. The evaluation of the effectiveness of a production process is quite important for estimating the current and future potentials of the organization involved. The review of the production process in Volkswagen’s production plant in Brussels has revealed the strengths of the specific process. It is also assumed that the firm’s performance in the global market, as reflected in its financial statements is highly related to the high performance of the production plant in Brussels.

MHE512 - Disaster Relief Module 1 - SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MHE512 - Disaster Relief Module 1 - SLP - Essay Example (Atkins et al 2008) Political: Philippines has a fairly established democratic political system comprising of the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The chief executive is the President with departments governed by Cabinet secretaries. Since the year 2000 when the former president Joseph Estrada was impeached and removed from office, the country has suffered from several coups from the military and yearly impeachment of President Arroyo. She replaced Estrada after the ‘bloodless revolution’ and was later officially declared as the winner of the 2004 Presidential elections. (Benson, 2005) Muslims in the south fought for autonomy starting in the 1960s and pockets of resistance are still present even though peace agreements have been made. Several of these groups, most notably the Abu Sayyaf, are resorting to terrorist kidnapping activities of foreigners. The Communist Party which is currently in political asylum in The Netherlands still maintains a revolutionary army in the country. They are still operating within the mountainous areas. (CNDR/USAID, 2000) Economic: Agriculture is the major source of income but it has suffered from low productivity, insufficient infrastructure support and low economies of scale. Industrial production is now taking centre stage as electronics comprise two-thirds of export products. A Texas instruments operating in Baguio, one of its major cities, produces 100% of all the chips used in Nokia and 80% of those used in Ericsson. Toshiba laptops were also produced in Santa Rosa but the plant has been converted to produce HDD. The outsourcing industry is also growing as major U.S. call centers take advantage of the English-speaking proficient population. (Atkins et al, 2008) The country has also seen a large majority of its workforce going in other countries for employment and has led to the Overseas Filipino Workers Remittances economy. Typical destinations include the Middle East, China, Canada,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Leadership Essay Example for Free

Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Leadership Essay Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is one of the world’s wealthiest investor and businessman. He has been able to gain connection in politics through entrepreneurship and international investments as an entrepreneur. He is a citizen of Lebanon and a member of the royal family, House of Saudi, in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Though not a member of the executive charged with ruling, he usually gets involved in politics of Lebanon for instance in the case of President Emile Lahoud against claims assassinating Lebanese billionaire Rafik Hariri and usually criticizes both local and international political issues in the media. He has so far been unsuccessful in his efforts to lead the Lebanese Sunni community. During Alwaleed’s early ages, his Father Prince Talal Abd al-Aziz, a known activist and modernizer, actively engaged in matters concerning the political issues that existed in the traditional governing system in Saudi Arabia in the early 1960s. He opposed Modern pan-Arabism that was led by the then leader of the United Arab Repulic, Jamal Gamal Abdel Nasser, which resulted to the suspension of his passport. He was forced to seek exile in Egypt. During this period, Alwaleed lived with his mother, Princess Muna al-Sulh who was the daughter of Riyadh al- Sulh, the first Prime Minister of the Independent Lebanon. In his early education, he attended elementary and middle schools in Beirut and returned to Lebanon in 1973 to attend King Abdul Aziz Military Academy to gain more discipline skills. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business administration from Menlo College California in 1979 and later enrolled for a masters Degree in Political Science from Syracuse University (Khan 2005). He rose to international fame in the early 1990s by purchasing a substantial amount of Citicorp shares when then firm was undergoing financial difficulties. He is an established investor and owns a chain of investments worldwide in the major industries such as banking, building and construction companies, telecommunications, broadcasting and media, entertainment, hospitality and involvement in charitable activities across many regions of the world. He also owns a lot of luxurious assets (Khan 2005). According to Machiavelli (2005) leadership qualities must be practical and not ideological in their application. In chapter 15 of The Prince, that leadership quality should be determined through consideration of personality traits, character and how a person conducts himself. A successful ruler must know when, where and in what way an upright person will act when confronted with different situations. Alwaleed has been able to demonstrate all these leadership qualities which are evident in the different criteria’s he employed in his investment activities throughout his life. He invested in shares of America’s Citicorp at the time when every investor was pulling out their capital from the firm and at a time when it neared its collapse due to bankruptcy, a decision that elicited mixed reactions across the world. Machiavelli talks of qualities that a leader must posses on those things which politicians or Princes must do that might either be praised or blamed in the end. He clearly differentiates the two categories in which a leader must apply specific ideologies. Machiavelli identifies the world that we live in as a kind of world of forms and which contains imperfect alternatives that are required in the world of ideas. Alwaleed seemed to recognize the world of ideas and did things that other people in the world of forms thought that they were impossible to happen. Upon his return after completion of his Master’s degree, he invested in the banking sector by purchasing shares in the United Saudi Commercial Bank. This move enabled the bank to gain enormous returns in terms of market value and also enabled the Bank to merge with Saudi Cairo Bank. His fortunes increased immensely through these risky but strategic business ventures. These elicited admirations from financial strategists across Asia and other parts of the world. Economic observers in the Saudi Kingdom and from other parts of the globe recognized his efforts and Alwaleed was thus chosen by the King as an advisor on economic matters. This enabled him improve on his unique strategic approaches to expansion of his business empire (Khan 2005). Â  Alwaleed’s character has been influenced through his grand father King Abd al-Aziz and the first prime minister of independent Lebanon who were all honest, upright and generous in their actions. They got a lot of respect and loyalty from the entire kingdom. All these characters can be displayed through his successful ventures and the ways in which he related to the people. His sudden amassment of wealth in a short period of time has led certain institutions to question the source of his wealth. According to the Economist online, Alwaleed is suspected to be a front man of other investors in the Saudi Arabian kingdom. All his sources of income are questioned and an account of his possible worth is calculated and the conclusion is that the source of his wealth is unquestionable because his business could not be in a position to accumulate such volume of wealth in a short period of time. Machiavelli’s leadership principle requires that a leader must engage in activities that may seem inappropriate, eliciting malicious interests and those that will require him to commit unethical ethics so long as it leads him to obtain success and power. What matters is the end result, the means doesn’t apply. Alwaleed was able to achieve success and power irrespective of the means he employed to achieve his success. His experience from the risky venture has enabled him to acquire riches and build business empires in addition to gaining international respect and recognition through investing in long-term projects (Machiavelli 17). Machiavelli on chapter 13 and 14 in the Online Literature Library the character of a Prince on matters concerning mercenaries and armies is discussed. They should be loyal to the ruler in fighting for the battle. In chapter 14, Machiavelli advises the prince to focus on the war and avoid other issues that pertains military matters. He should gain knowledge to enable him to maintain power stronghold throughout the battle. Prince Alwaleed was prepared in military matters after having attended King Abdul Aziz Military Academy and was prepared to lead incase he found his chance to the throne. He was therefore armed to be safe lest he is threatened by opposing forces to his power. This enabled him to gain trust from the King and thus he found a position in the cabinet and became the Kings Economic advisor. Bridging the East and Western Worlds Alwaleed fame is recognized internationally through his involvement in bridging the Arab world and the Western worlds. He has been involved in Islamic studies programs across Universities in the United States and other parts of the Globe. According to Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University, prince Alwaleed is committed to the fostering the importance of peace and tolerance. They assert that the best way to achieve this is through the bridging of the understanding between the East and the West. He is also committed in making the world a better place. He is the champion representative of UNESCO and also supports charities for children. Â  He engages in cultural activities aimed at promoting mutual understanding. The prince also has funded an educational centre at Georgetown University that aims at improving understanding between Islamic and Christian religions. Other initiatives include cross cultural educational institutions in Europe, Africa and the Middle-East. This shows a connection with the qualities of a leader cited by Machiavelli. On generosity and miserliness, a leader is supposed to spend excess amounts of his fortune on things that will improve or heighten his publicity but by doing so keep in mind the consequences that might befall him in the event that his fortune dwindles (Machiavelli 14). Chapter 18 tells the things that a politician must do which concerns his faith. Alwaleed has been able to extend his religion to the western world through funding foundations that touch on his Islamic religion. In this chapter Machiavelli asserts that private morality should prevail over public life and in order to be successful, praise must come from other human beings even if it means doing things are wrong in different perspectives. Rulers must therefore be generous in utilizing their wealth and appear tough on running their businesses even if it means using cruelty. He has stood strong on his word of Bridging the east and west and has stood strong in his faith.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Impact Of Maybank Online Banking Information Technology Essay

The Impact Of Maybank Online Banking Information Technology Essay Computing and IT in the workplace is one of the vital modules that must be deeply studied due to its widely importance which effect on organizations development and behaviour. In this report we will provides an explanation about Online Banking system in Maybank. And we will review what the functionality, advantages and disadvantages, and the impact of Maybank Online Banking system. In addition, we will discuss the similarities and differences of Maybank Online Banking system with Internet and The World Wide Web, Security Issues, and Real-Time-Systems with a recommendations and solutions for future enhancement. Introduction As mentioned on (maybank2u.com.my, 2010) Malayan Banking Berhad or Maybank was incorporated in Malaysia on 31 May 1960 and commenced operations on 12 September 1960. On 17 February 1962, Maybank was listed on the then Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (today Bursa Malaysia). Maybank is today among the top companies by market capitalisation on Bursa Malaysia. Maybank is Malaysias largest financial services group with total assets exceeding RM330 billion. The Group has an extensive global network of 1,750 offices in 14 countries namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Bahrain, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.   The Group offers a comprehensive range of financial services and products ranging from commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, cards issuance, offshore banking, leasing and hire purchase, insurance, factoring, trustee services, asset management, stock broking, nominee services, venture capital and Internet banking. Today, the Maybank Group has over 39,000 employees who serve over 16 million customers worldwide, with 9.5 million customers in Malaysia alone. Maybank has been consistently ranked among Malaysias most valuable brands. It is also ranked first among Malaysian banks by Brand Finance in its Global 500 survey and 118th among the top 1,000 banks in the world by The Banker Magazine. A Legacy of Growth and Leadership Maybank is the largest bancasssurance player in the region and its internet banking enjoys over 50% of market share in Malaysia. Its Islamic banking arm, Maybank Islamic Berhad, is No 1 in the Asia Pacific region today and among the worlds top 15 Islamic banks. The Groups Insurance Business under the Etiqa brand is among the top in the industry offering Life and General conventional insurance as well as Family and General Takaful plans. Investment Banking Group, spearheaded by Maybank Investment Bank, one of the leading investment banks in Malaysia, offers a comprehensive range of investment solutions, from corporate finance to debt capital markets, equity markets to research and strategic advisory. Maybank has received numerous awards as testimony to its leadership and innovation in product offerings and services. The Groups foundation of strength, consistent record of profitability and strong balance sheet is testament to its resilience in all economic cycles. Corporate Responsibility The Group has over the years placed a priority on being a responsible corporate citizen through various activities, initiatives and programmes, with the primary objective of making a difference in the community, environment and human capital development. As a responsible organisation, we embrace industry best practices in corporate governance by promoting a culture of excellence, transparency, integrity and accountability in our daily operations. Celebrating 50 years in 2010 This year, Maybank celebrates its 50th anniversary. Functionality of maybank Online Banking MayBank online system allows people to perform Banking activities. It provides a fast and convenient way of performing common banking transactions on the Internet. If you have a computer with Internet access, a web browser, youll be able to do your banking from the comforts of home, office or virtually anywhere else in the world. Maybank ATM/credit card holder has to apply before he can get to Maybank internet banking system online for the first time only. Here, more details on how to apply as mentioned on (maybank2u.com.my, 2010): Go to the nearest Maybank ATM. Enter you Maybank ATM/credit card. From the main menu, Choose Maybank2u Services. Choose Maybank2u Application. Enter your own 6-digit Maybank2u.com PIN. Repeat the same PIN again to confirm. Then, Maybank ATM/credit card holder has to complete registration by: Go to www.maybank2u.com. Click on Login. Click on Login for new users. Read the Terms and Conditions, then click on the Accept button. Enter the ATM/credit card number that you used to apply for your Maybank2u.com in the Access Number field. Enter the 6-digit Maybank2u.com PIN that you have selected and click on Activate. Enter your preferred username and password for all future access. Now, Applying and registration has been completed. And the Maybank ATM/credit card holder can access his account easily by: Go to www.maybank2u.com. Click on login. Enter your username and password that you select before. By accessing Maybank online system user can banking online and performs his/her banking activities remotely. The system provides a lot of functions which make the banking Processes easier for the users. Here more details on what user can do through the system. Accounts Banking: Allow users to view and manage their accounts, make payments, and transfer funds. Bill Payment: allow users to pay their bills from almost 600 payee corporations available, pay their Maybankard credit card bill, pay their income tax to LHDN, make DMP Payment, and pay their American Express charge card bills. Transfers: allow users to transfer funds between their own accounts, to another persons Maybank account, to a local account or to an account overseas. Fixed Deposits: allow users to view their existing fixed deposit account details, make an online placement or upliftment. Rewards Points: allow users to check their TreatsPoints or their American Express rewards. Investment: Allow users to trade using Online Stocks, make an EPF payment or manage their EPF accounts, apply for eShare or manage their CDS accounts, choose a fund allocation, view a Maybank Investment portfolio report, register their ASNB Account and make Additional Purchases, view their FCA account details, and view their GSPA account details. Insurance: Allow users to purchase and renew their insurance policy or purchase. Loans: Allow users to view and manage their personal, home, and car loans. Mobile Banking: Allow users to sign up for Mobile Financial Services (mobile banking account), register their number and change their Service Provider. Personal Details: Allow users to change their login password, update customer contact information, view their personal details and update their profile. Buy Online: Allow users to top up their mobile prepaid, buy prepaid mobile and MYeCASH PIN, reload or buy their IDD/STD card and internet prepaid. Maybank @ SG: Allow users to access their Maybank Singapore account. Bills Statements: Allow users to view their bank trading statement, bills and credit card statements, loans statement, and their debit and credit banking advices and notices. Advantages of MayBank Online Banking Pay a bill: Electronic bill payment service allows a depositor to send money from his or her online account to a creditor or merchant, for example to a public utility or a department store. There is no need to stand in a long line on a weekend morning to handle your transactions.   Transfer funds: With online banking, you can make money transfer between your own accounts, or send money to a third party account. All you need is recipient/payee information and enough funds in your account. Quite often, the operations are performed in real time   View automatically updated spending report: All your purchases are sorted into familiar categories automatically to save, no expenses to enter. It is easy to see where your money goes. Track your payment history: Online banking gives you an opportunity to search your payments by transaction type, date, description or amount. When did you last pay Company X? When did you buy your computer? To whom did you make your most recent payment? Your bank knows the answers.   Schedule payments in advance: Most banks offer customers the ability to schedule a payment on a specified date. Once the amount is entered and the payee is checked off, the funds are automatically deducted from your online bank account.   Take advantage of online brokerage: Internet banking lets you invest online. You can place and confirm trades 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most banks provide a wide range of money market instruments from various issuers. Change contact details:   You can log in to your online account and change contact information (e-mail address, telephone number, password, etc.). It is more secure than to send this information by e-mail. Get alerts: This service allows you to receive timely e-mail messages from your bank about any critical changes related to your Internet accounts. For example, you can get alerts when you make a withdrawal or change your contact information. Disadvantages of MayBank Online Banking Security: Yes, online banking is generally secure, but it certainly isnt always secure. Identity theft is running rampant, and banks are by no means immune. And once your information is compromised, it can take months or even years to correct the damage, not to mention possibly costing you thousands of dollars, as well. Some online banks are more stable than others. Not all online setups are an extension of a brick-and-mortar bank. Some operate completely in cyberspace, without the benefit of an branch that you can actually visit if need be. With no way to physically check out the operation, you must be sure to thoroughly do your homework about the banks background before giving them any of your money Learning curve: Customer service can be below the quality that youre used to. Some people simply take comfort in being able to talk to another human being face-to-face if they experience a problem. Although most major banks employ a dedicated customer service department specifically for online users, going through the dreaded telephone menu can still be quite irritating to many. Again, some are considerably better (or worse) than others. Slow processing: From the moment you entered a financial transaction with your bank via the computer.   Usually the bank will require you to submit certain documents like an identification card, signature and the like.   Not only will the bank online require you to submit documents but also to provide special power of attorney in cases where you want to do transactions together with your spouse.   A concrete example is when you want to manage all your wealth and resources together as a couple and you wish to view it online.   Certain technical procedures regarding online banking may be taxing too and complicated. As a result, not all online transactions are immediate. Online banking is subject to the same business-day parameters as traditional banking. Therefore, printing out and keeping receipts is still very important, even when banking online. The Impact of MayBank Online Banking: The Online Banking services in Maybank have profound changes during the last decade. The most obvious change has been the large number of bank mergers, which have increased both the average size of banks and the area over which they operate. Other changes may also prove dramatic but are at this point just getting under way the growth of Internet banking and the combination of banking with other financial services, such as insurance and securities underwriting. The implications of these changes for the profitability and safety of banks have been widely discussed, but what do they mean for local economies? Some analysts argue that the changes will benefit most communities by increasing the publics access to financial services and making it easier for banks to continue lending during regional economic downturns. Others argue that the changes will end up hurting many communities, especially smaller ones, because the large organizations created by mergers will be uninterested in serving small customers and will siphon off funds from smaller markets to lend in big cities. To shed light on the debate, this article focuses on the two groups that are most likely to be affected by the transformation of banking. Consumers and small businesses. Before the recent changes, surveys consistently found that these two groups relied heavily on local banks for their credit and payments needs. It stands to reason, therefore, that they would also be the groups most affected by any changes in local banking practices resulting from consolidation, Internet banking, or financial integration. A further reason for focusing on small businesses is that these enterprises play an especially important role in the economic performance of smaller communities the communities where there has been the greatest concern about the possible adverse effects of the transformation in banking. The article concludes that the recent changes in banking are likely to benefit consumers and small businesses in most communities, as long as they remain free to choose between small and large banks for their banking services. The first section of the article reviews the three major Changes in the banking system consolidation, Internet banking, and financial integration. The next two sections argue that these changes are likely to benefit both consumers and small businesses, provided small banks are available to fill any gaps in service or credit to smaller customers. The last section concludes that small banks face a major but not insurmountable obstacle in continuing to fill this role-the increased difficulty of obtaining funds. THE IMPACT OF THE ONLINE BANKING ON CONSUMERS: Consumers have traditionally relied on nearby banks and branches for many of their banking services. The transformation of online banking in Maybank now under way will hurt consumers by raising the price or reducing the quality of these services. Or the changes benefit consumers by expanding the array of services will offered by banks and allowing consumers to go outside the local market for banking services. It was once thought that the main benefit to consumers of online banking would be lower fees for banking services or higher rates on deposits. According to this view, the cost to banks of online transactions would be much lower than the cost of traditional transactions through a normal branch. As a result, consumers would be charged lower fees or Paid higher deposit rates if they banked online instead of going to a branch office. Proponents of this view pointed to the example of online brokers, who charge investors much less for trading stocks than either discount brokers or traditional full-commission brokers (Marks). THE IMPACT OF ONLINE BANKING ON SMALL BUSSINESS: Like consumers, small businesses have traditionally obtained most of their banking services from nearby banks and branches. Will the transformation of banking hurt small businesses by shifting ownership of these banking offices to large, distant organizations uninterested in dealing with small customers? Or will it help small businesses by making banking and other financial services cheaper and more convenient. As noted earlier, mergers have significantly increased the share of banking resources controlled by large, widely dispersed organizations. Some observers worry that this change in the banking system will end up reducing the total supply of credit to small businesses. These observers acknowledge that some of the businesses that are denied credit as a result of bank mergers may be bad risks that should not have received loans in the first place. They argue, however, that mergers will also reduce the supply of credit to many good risks, hurting the local economy. As in the case of consumers, the main benefit of online banking in Maybank to small businesses is likely to be greater convenience. For several years, large businesses have enjoyed electronic access to their banks through private computer networks. Internet banking in Maybank is now extending that access to smaller businesses. Some bank web sites allow small business customers to view their balances in real time, transfer money between accounts, and originate wire transfers. A smaller number of bank web sites also offer cash management services and payroll services. Industry observers predict that more banks will offer such services over time because small businesses are among their most profitable customers. Large banks have shown particular interest in this area, apparently viewing online banking as a way to lure small business customers away from smaller banks Internet and World Wide Web Maybank File Transfer and the Internet: The internet is a worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of computers and it plays the main role in Maybank transaction system especially online banking, because all the transaction is done by Internet and without the internet there is no online banking. Maybank has become very popular in a world of electronic debits and transfers and other banking activity that, until recently, you would have to have made a trip to the bank to do. All aspects of modern society has benefited from online banking because of the convenience that the internet offers. Internet banks have to make themselves attractive to potential customers. They do this by offering high-yield checking accounts. Internet banks have the comfort of doing so because they do not have the same overhead cost as normal banks. Internet banks are much cheaper to operate than traditional banks, so Internet banks can pass the savings on to their customers. Once they have secured your business, Internet banks offer yo u other services. You will be able to complete your checking, savings, credit cards, mortgages, investments, bill payments and much more from the comfort of your own living room. Maybank has developed a product package designed to provide simple and secure file exchange between the bank and its customers through any of three (3) delivery channels: Web, Desktop Connection or Secure FTP. But in todays networked world of the internet, the browser and e-mail are the ubiquitous software tools used for information exchange. These tools do not adequately support secure file transfer of anything but small files while the ability to track and audit file movement is limited. With M-Secure File Transfer OBS, banks can transmit and receive data automatically without scripts or manual intervention using the web, OBS Desktop Connection Client or Secure FTP. Online Messenger will regularly check for files to be delivered to clients or sent to the bank from designated folders on the customers PC. Customers only have to place a file in the designated send folder and the file will be automatically transmitted to the bank. No complicated FTP processes, no modems, no scripts. Da ta Delivery is secure, using a strong encryption algorithm blowfish with a 448-bit key. Each user has a unique User ID and Password that must be changed every 30 days. E-Commerce E-commerce is business transaction that occurs over the internet and online banking system in Maybank makes it easier, for instance, all these business and transactions can be done and paid at home if you use Maybank online banking. Without the online banking, e-commerce would be difficult and we will have to do these businesses by ourselves because once you want to buy something from the internet youll have to transfer the money and that means going to the bank and do all the transactions and that costs us time, effort and money. Communications: One type of internet banking that Maybank has is Communicative and this type of Internet banking system allows some interaction between the banks systems and the customer. The interaction may be limited to electronic mail, account inquiry, loan applications, or static file updates (name and address changes). Because these servers may have a path to the banks internal networks, the risk is higher with this configuration than with informational systems. Recommendations: Here are some recommendations for Maybank in order to achieve a better online banking: Probably the first thing to think about with online banking would be the convenience. I suggest for Maybank to give us the access to the online banking anytime of the day by improving their online system, because sometimes I have to transfer money for emergency but when I try to access my online banking I found it suspended and thats causes a lot of troubles. Compare the online banking services in Maybank with other banks in order to offer the best services to the customers. Train all the employees on questions customers will ask about online banking in order to make them get a clear idea about it, because some people till now are still afraid of online banking and dont use it. I also suggest for Maybank to make advertisements about this point. As a conclusion, online banking is a part of Internet and all the transactions system occurs by the internet. Like the internet, online banking has his own services and those services such as transfer money which cant be done without the internet and thats one the common things between them. I suggest for Maybank to improve the convenience system and train all the employees to make people get a clear idea about online banking. Security Issues Similarities/ Secure Websites: A secure website is a website using encryption and authentication standards to protect the confidentiality of web transactions. Digital certificates: Digital certificate is a form of electronic credentials for the Internet. Digital certificate is issued by a trusted third party to establish the identity of the ID holder. The third party who issues certificates is known as a Certification Authority (CA). Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol from Verisign Certificate Authority. SSL is a secure way of transferring information between two computers on the Internet using encryption. Strong end to end encryption is also adopted within the banks computer networks and resources. To ensure data confidentiality and integrity, all information transmitted over the Internet is encrypted using the 128-bit (maybank2u.com.my, 2010). Maybank2u.com is WebTrust certified. This certifies our compliance with leading international security standards and Best Practices, as well as our commitment to maintaining a secure environment. WebTrust is an independent corporation that monitors and tests our facilities to assure that we maintain the highest and most current standards in Internet information security and exchange (maybank2u.com.my, 2010). As mentioned on (info.ssl.com, 2006) There are two ways to make sure that Maybank2u.com.my is a secure website: 1) Check the web page URL Normally, when browsing the web, the URLs (web page addresses) begin with the letters http.   However, over a secure connection the address displayed should begin with https note the s at the end. 2) Check for the Lock icon There is a de facto standard among web browsers to display a lock icon somewhere in the window of the browser (NOT in the web page display area!)   For example, Microsoft Internet Explorer displays the lock icon in the lower-right of the browser window: As another example, Mozillas FireFox Web Browser displays the lock icon in the lower-left corner. -Backup: Making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. Backup procedure A backup procedure represents the way you back up your files.   Any backup procedure starts with a concept of a data repository. The backup data needs to be stored and organized. Therefore, its important to establish your backup procedure before choosing the backup solution that is right for you. Different backup procedure has different advantages. Maybank has its own backup procedure performing as follow: Day of Week Weekly Full Backup with Daily Differential Backup Weekly Full Backup with Daily Incremental Backup Sunday A full backup is performed. A full backup is performed. Monday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Sunday. Tuesday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Monday. Wednesday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Tuesday. Thursday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Wednesday. Friday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Thursday. Saturday A differential backup contains all changes since Sunday. An incremental backup contains changes since Friday. Differences/ -Sensitive username and Password to access bank account online To prevent unauthorised access to our online financial services, every customer is required to select a username and an alphanumeric password, which provides access to their financial information. The username must be between 6 to 16 characters and the alphanumeric password between 8 to 12 characters. The password must include both alphabets and numbers but you may also use special characters (e.g. * $) except spaces (maybank2u.com.my, 2010). -Phishing: Phishing is a high-tech scam that uses spam or pop-up messages to attempt to deceive you into disclosing your credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, and / other sensitive information.Phishing is the term coined by hackers who imitate legitimate companies in e-mails to entice people to share passwords or credit card numbers. Report on phishing: Maybank made a hotline which you can contact and report about phishing and avoid being a victim of it. To protect yourself from being a victim of email or SMS Phisihng! If you receive suspicious messages, contact immediately at 03-5891 4744. Real-Time-Systems My bank technology system is functional now, but as a feasibility demonstration, not a supported product. Its ability to transfer funds between its internal micro acounts and external accounts via the Automated Clearing House is turned off. The name, my bank, is a place holder for an eventual company name. Many online banking customers reuse their banking login credentials to access other websites, putting themselves at risk of account hijacking and online banking fraud, according to a study by Trusteer Inc. MY BANK-based online security vendor found that 73% of bank customers use their Internet banking password to access non-financial and less secure websites. Forty-seven percent use both their online banking user ID and password on other websites. The practice puts online banking customers at risk because criminals are using a variety of methods including database hacks, brute forcing and phishing to harvest login credentials from non-financial websites, such as social networking sites and Web-based email services, according to Trusteer. Thieves can then test the credentials on financial-services sites to hijack accounts and commit online banking fraud. Money Trouble in MY BANK A series of upsets could spell trouble for my banks virtual economy Theres a long line of avatars waiting to use the automatic-teller machines for Ginko Financial, a virtual bank in the online game Second Life. For more than a week, account holders have been demanding their money back in what some folks are calling a bank run. Set off by high interest rates and a recent ban on in-game gambling, the bank run could ultimately have a major effect on the games economy. The theft of approximately $12,000 from the My bank World Stock Exchange doesnt help matters either. My bank, is an online world where players can buy and sell all kinds of goods and services. The games economy is based on fictional currency, called Linden dollars. But those dollars do have real-world value: players can buy or sell Linden dollars at a rate of about L$270 to $1 on the Lindex market. My banks website even boasts that thousands of residents are making part or all of their real life income from their My bank businesses. Now the entire My bank economywhich could affect more than 8.5 million playersis in trouble. Although financial institutions in My bank are careful to define themselves as games, some My bank banks offer more than 100 percent annual interesta tempting rate when combined with the possibility of turning Lindens into U.S. dollars via the Lindex. Right along with the promise of turning virtual currency into real-life riches are problems with how some Second Life financial institutions are run, says Robert Bloomfield, an economist at Cornell University who makes a serious hobby of studying My banks economy. The average person who goes to a [real-world] bank isnt aware that theres a large regulatory body keeping track of the reserves the bank has, he says. But banks in Second Life, which Bloomfield compares with the Wild West, are mysterious and unregulated. Ginko Financials CEO, Andre Sanchez, of Sao Paolo, Brazil, has refused to release records of Ginkos investments or financial history, and he has not revealed a clear plan for returning peoples money NOW THER IS 3 Reasons Not to Use Online Bank Accounts * Customer Service with Online Bank Accounts One reason to avoid online banks is that you may run into bad customer service. With a brick-and-mortar bank, youll likely have some familiarity with the staff. At a small credit union, the staff might know you well. Why does this matter? Its easier to get good service if you know the staff and they know you. You can pick and choose who you deal with. However, if your online bank account offers any phone service, you have to take your chances with the 1-800 Lottery. You might get somebody helpful and knowledgeable, or you might not. * Online Bank Accounts and Speed of Clearing The internet is supposed to make things faster. However, you might have to wait a long time for checks to clear. You certainly cant ask for a cashiers check if youre in the middle of a crisis and you need settled money yesterday. Likewise, deposits to your online

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The History Of Mahindra And Mahindra

The History Of Mahindra And Mahindra K. C. Mahindra is the person who established Mahindra and Mahindra when he visited United States of America as Chairman of the India Supply Mission. When he met Barney Roos who invented general purpose vehicle or Jeep who was the inspiration for K. C. Mahindra. K. C. Mahindra Brothers joined with Ghulam Mohammed. And Mahindra Mohammed was set up as franchise for assembling jeeps from Willys, USA on October 2nd, 1945.After Two years Mahindra Mohammed changed its name to Mahindra Mahindra. Mahindra Mahindra grown in size and stature and it also occupied a premier position in all key sectors of economy. Mahindra Mahindra group is engaged in an ambitious and prolonged penetration into the global arena. DIFFERENT VEHICLES IN MAHINDRA MAHINDRA: FIG a: Indias first Prime Minister.   FIG b: Mahindra Scorpio A passenger in the past FIG c: The electric car of Mahindra and FIG d: Mahindra tractor. its name is Mahindra REVA. FIG e: Mahindra Jeeps are used FIG f: Two wheeler model in Mahindra Mahindra for daily transport in Agra. and its name is Mahindra Flyte. The company encapsulated its ambition, spirit and inspiration from golden words of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   But I have promises to keep,   And miles to go before I sleep,   And miles to go before I sleep. The golden words are translated into many more milestones to be set up before it rest. Today, It has evolved into a premium SUV(Sport Utility Vehicle) and MUV(Multi Utility Vehicle) with a large number of cars in the Indian car market. Today in the Indian car market we can see three types of Mahindra cars they are Mahindra Bolero, Mahindra Maxx, Mahindra Scorpio. In the present scenario Mahindra Mahindra total turnover is of about 6 billion dollars. Organization analysis: Mission/Vision Goals and Objectives Strategy followed Vision: Indians are second in the world in manufacturing automobiles. The founders of our nation and our company passionately believed by us. We will prove them right by believing in ourselves and by making MM Ltd. known worldwide for the quality of its product and services. And its new innovations. The important goal of Mahindra Mahindra is to provide highly technological innovative product and services . E-business Initiatives and by out sourcing of technology Products that redefined the market By 2015 Mahindra Mahindra wants to enter almost all continents in the world. Joint ventures, acquisition and merger with different players in other countries Foreign competition. Mission of Anand Mahindra: We dont have a group-wide mission statement. Our core purpose is what makes all of us want to get up and come to work in the morning. Mr. Mahindra awards: Rajiv Gandhi Award 2004 for outstanding contribution in business field. From President of French Republic as Knight of the Order of Merit. In the year 2005 from Auto Monitor as Person of the year. From American India Foundation 2005 Leadership Award for his, and the Mahindra Mahindra group for its commitment to CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility). CNBC Asia Business Leader Award for the year 2006. Business Man of the year 2007 from Business India. Business Leader of the year 2009 by Economic Times. Miles stones of Mahindra Mahindra: In 1948 Mahindra Mahindra LTD associated with UK for Steel trading business. In 1957 Mahindra Owen established- a joint venture with Rubery Owen Company LTD, UK. In 1969 the Company entered the world market which exports utility vehicles and spare parts. In 1975 Mahindra Engines developed an diesel engine for its vehicles. In 1982 the Mahindra brand tractors were launched. In 1986 Tech Mahindra (formerly known as Mahindra British Telecom) is established. In 1994 Mahindra group created 6 Strategic Business Units they are: Automotive or Automobiles, Trading, Farm Equipment, Infrastructure, Financial Services, Information Technology(earlier it is Telecom and Software) and Systech(earlier it is MSAT). In 1999 Mahindra group launched a 3-wheeler vehicle which is environmental friendly, a battery-operated. In the year 2007 Mahindra group focused on health and the environment. It launched Mahindra Hariyali, which aims to add 1 million trees to Indias green cover and it also launched Lifeline Express. In the year 2007 Tech Mahindra LTD launched Tech Mahindra Foundation on June 13th 2007. These are the some of the milestones of Mahindra Mahindra groups. FOUR Is of Mahindra Mahindra: The four Is: INNOVATIONS. INFRASTRUCTURE. INVESTIMENT. INSTITUTIONS. INNOVATIONS: Mahindra Mahindra is one of the top industry in India. The director of the Mahindra Mahindra Anand Mahindra put innovation is the core of its growth strategy. The radical innovation is successful in managing the balance between the structured processes and the creation of an environment. According to this MM group: Innovation should start with the insight about customer, which the Mahindra Mahindra group found by going to fields and observing the lives of farmers. And this group found that the tractors were used for personal use. The Mahindra Mahindra group encourages the experiments. The new inventions should add value to companys bottom line that is nothing but profit. The important point is that great products should have great design. Thus Mahindra Mahindra took this initiative and made the culture of innovation. INFRASTRUCTURE: The Mahindra Mahindra infrastructure is a JV between Mahindra Group and International Finance Corporation. It works close association with global companies to bring world class technologies and practices. It mainly focus on ownership, development and management of infrastructure projects. It is becoming the leading infrastructure developer in the country. INSTITUTIONS: The Mahindra Mahindra group is placed in all sectors like Telecommunications and it is named as Tech Mahindra. Software, Mahindra Mahindra came to software field after buying Satyam company and it is named as Mahindra Satyam Mahindra Mahindra also has its recognition in the Infrastructure and it is named as Mahindra Infrastructure Developers. In this it also have holiday resorts it named as Mahindra Holidays and Resort LTD (MHRIL) Mahindra Mahindra is one of the top industry in India for automobiles and it is the starting point of Mahindra Mahindra company. Mahindra Mahindra also involved in financial sector and its name is Mahindra Mahindra Financial Service LTD. Mahindra Mahindra Group also have Mahindra Special Services which was established in 2001 as a separate division in Mahindra Mahindra. Mahindra Mahindra also have Mahindra Defence Systems which oversees the requirement of Indias Defence and Security forces. INVESTIMENTS: Mahindra Mahindra group have shares in many companies. Presently Mahindra Mahindra Group want to acquire Ssangyong and expand its business in international market. But on other hand, its investors are quite suspicious regarding the investment. In the past Mahindra Mahindra Group made many Joint Ventures and acquisitions and it has forayed into different sectors of automobiles like light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles. It also ambitious to acquire two wheelers also. PESTEL ANALYSIS ON MAHINDRA MAHINDRA: Many factors in the environment that affect the organization are: Tax changes. Trade barriers. Government policy changes. New laws. Demographic change. These are the some of the macro changes. Thus to analyze these factors we categorize them using PESTEL analysis. The PESTEL analysis includes Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Ecological, Legal factors. Political Factors: This is a Government policy which includes what are the goods and services does a Government want, to what extent the government can subsidize firms and its priorities in political decisions and business support. The factors related to Mahindra Mahindra group: For Mahindra tractor industry the Government laid stress on mechanism of agriculture to boost food grain production. Change in Taxation policy. Regaining Agricultural dynamism is the key goal in eleventh Five year plan. ECONOMICAL FACTORS: The Economical factors which includes taxation change, inflation, interest rates, economic growth and exchange rates. The factors related to Mahindra Mahindra group: Cost of tractors in India are more cheaper when compared to other countries. 95% of tractors are on credit based. For agriculture inputs Less interest rate charged by the banks. Social Factors: As the population increases the demand on goods get increased. Thus there will be demand for firm products and industry. As there is increase in awareness in farmers there is a need technology and thus there is a requirement of tractors and farmers can buy tractors on credit bases. To meet the farmers demand the mechanized operations are preferred to eliminate delay, also labor shortage. The other main important thing which Mahindra Mahindra do for its long-term sustainability is CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility). Mahindra Mahindra group spend Rs. 1.3 crore it is head donation in its annual report. Its activities include K. C. Mahindra Education Trust which provides education at various levels. There is another program for helping unprivileged girl child at the Mahindra foundation it is Nanhi. This are the main things which are done by Mahindra Mahindra group for its long-term sustainability. The Mahindra Mahindra also have its own foundation as Mahindra Foundation which was set up with a specific objective that to provide medical relief to poor people. The Mahindra foundation always very responsive to any major disasters whether it has been taken as tsunami or the Gujarat earthquake, it provided support either by financially or by sending vehicles, supplying manpower or material. Technological Factors: Increase in new Technology can create new products and process which can reduce the cost, improve the quality, lead to innovation and also reduce the life cycle of the product. This technology will benefit consumers as well as organizations. The factors related to Mahindra Mahindra group: Continuous technological innovation. Continuous improvement in technology will reduce use of Renewable energy development. Ecological Factors: It include weather and climate change. The major climate changes occurring due to Acid rain, Green-house effect, Global warming thus it is becoming significant for the firms. Thus because of this impact environmentally friendly products and processes have more demand and also creating business opportunities. The factors related to Mahindra Mahindra group: Global Warming. Mahindra group is trying to release electric cars to reduce the pollution and also reduce the usage of renewable goods. Legal Factors: Legal factors are related to legal environment. In recent years the developing countries changed the Legal factors which affected the firms in other countries due to globalization. The legal factors related to Mahindra Mahindra group: Agricultural policy Collaboration with government which shapes policy issues. SWOT ANALYSIS: SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) of Mahindra Mahindra group Strengths of Mahindra Mahindra group: Mahindra Mahindra is one of the top players in the world in terms of number of tractors sold. This itself shows that Mahindra Mahindra market share is the biggest strength of the company. It also have highest domestic share. The some other strengths of Mahindra Mahindra group: Product portfolio of Mahindra Mahindra got extended from 20hp to 30hp. There is government support for Mahindra Mahindra Group.A Availability of technically skilled people from JTC (Jiangling Tractor Company). For its next stage of expansion Mahindra Mahindra have a strategy. It not only focus on new products, it also have a programme of intensive management development to establish its leader for future. The major strength of Mahindra Mahindra is it have ability to introduce new products and process in to the market and also can generate sales for those new products. Weakness of Mahindra Mahindra group: The production is non-competitive because of high interest costs and overheads. Infrastructure of this group is Bottle neck. The companys passenger cars are based upon 3rd and 4th generation platform. In this group there is lack of efficiency for new plant layout. Another weakness of Mahindra Mahindra is multi franchise. In Mahindra Mahindra there is no effective dealership. The MM is mainly dependent on rural sector, the rural sector mainly depends on monsoon. Thus if there is bad monsoon for two consecutive years which leads to adverse impact on demand for tractors. Opportunities of Mahindra Mahindra group: Rural demand is increased. Income level is increasing. Ban for overloading of commercial vehicles. With the support of local partners there is an easy entry to Chinese market. The Mahindra Mahindra will be more competitive in Chinese market if they provided after sales service. To get more demand the Mahindra Mahindra group should export Chinese range tractors to India and Indian range tractors to China. Mahindra also entered in to software field after buying satyam and renamed it as Mahindra Satyam. Threats of Mahindra Mahindra group: Input cost got increased. Competition also increasing. The most important threat of Mahindra Mahindra is legal consideration. In China the Banking facilities are undeveloped. The MM also involved in different fields like holidays, telecom industry, financial services and resort etc. Which should have good subsidiaries from time to time if these are unmanageable this will divert the companys attention from its business which leads to destruction of shareholders value. Mahindra Mahindra will face more competition if the foreign players enter in to the tractor segment because these foreign players are technically more competitive when compared to MM. CONCULSION: Thus according to research on Mahindra Mahindra Group it shows that the company uses the Strategic Key points in the external environment for long-term sustainability and sustained success. It is the one which encourages the new ideas and also have plan to sale the new product in the market. This company is the one which try to develop new products for consumers. Mahindra Mahindra company is also socially responsible it give 1.3 crore only from its annual report for helping poor and unprivileged girls. Which shows that the company not only think about its profits but also feel the responsible about our country India. It is that which also do international trading with other countries. It also have a clear vision and goal which shows the dedication of the company. The mission itself says that it is not thinking about profits but it want develop ourselves. Mahindra and Mahindra tries to develop the new products which do not harm the environment and save the renewable reso urces example MAHINDRA REVA which is an electric car. According to research it shows that Mahindra Mahindra is one company which is respected and trusted by consumers and it is the top industry in INDIA. .

Monday, August 19, 2019

Deceitful Clytemnestra of Euripides Electra Essay -- Euripides Electr

Deceitful Clytemnestra of Euripides' Electra Agamemnon returns from Troy, a victorious general, bringing home spoils, riches and fame. He is murdered on the same day as he returns. Clytemnestra, his adulterous wife, has laid in wait for her husband's homecoming and kills him whilst he is being bathed after his long journey. During the Agamemnon, large proportions of the Queen's words are justifications for her action, which is very much concerned with the sacrifice of Iphigenia to the gods, in order for the fleet to set sail for Troy. Aegisthus, the new husband of the Queen Clytemnestra, and partner in the conspiracy to murder the war hero, had reasons, which stemmed from the dispute between the Houses of Atreus and Thyestes. Was the murder justified retribution for a callous and dispassionate murder of an innocent girl, as well as the fate demanded by the family curse? Or was the death of Agamemnon an unjust action by the traitorous woman Clytemnestra and her lover carried out in aspirations of his wealth and power?   If we take the former of the arguments as the correct one, then the sacrifice of Iphigenia must be considered. For this, the only sources we have are those of the Chorus' songs and the highly biased accounts by Clytemnestra, who has been left to stew on her hatred for over ten years. The account given by the Chorus is full of pathos and pity "gentle curving lips...gag her hard...her glance...wounding every murderer" (235-239). They remember with sorrow, a flashback to her innocent life, and recount how she once "sang to Saving Zeus - transfixed with joy" 245. Emphasis is very much on the purity of the girl and how she did not deserve to die. However, no reference is made by the Chorus that it was Agamemnon's... ...ght have been a sponge. It is ironic I suppose that Agamemnon, lord of men was brought down by the one thing that neither of the two sons of Atreus were able to control - Women. Works Cited Adkins, A.W.H., Merit and Responsibility. A Study in Greek Values, London: Oxford University Press, 1960. Euripides. Electra. Trans. Philip Vellacott. Medea and Other Plays. Baltimore: Penguin Classics, 1963. 105-152, 201-204. Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Birth of Tragedy. Trans. Clifton Fadiman. New York: Dover   Publications, 1995. Perseus Encyclopedia. Revised 1999. Tufts University. <www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia?entry=Euripides>. Powell, Anton, ed.   Euripides, Women, and Sexuality.   New York: Routledge, 1990. March, Jennifer.   Euripides the Mysogynist?   Euripides, Women, and Sexuality.   Ed. Anton Powell.   New York: Routledge, 1990.