Social work theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Social work theory - Essay Example 2). There are several models and theories about the cause of substance abuse and dependence used to provide an explanation of addiction. These models have strong implications on the interventions that practitioners implement. An explanation that addiction/alcoholism is a consequence of an individual’s personal choice is adhered to by proponents of the moral model. The view that indulgence in alcohol and substance abuse is a personal choice makes it justifiable for an individual to be punished. Another perspective views addiction/alcoholism is related to the parent’s excessive neglect during childhood. This type of explanation is characteristic of the socio-cultural and psychological models of addiction. Several studies reveal that people who become addicts have underlying psychological disorders and these interact with certain socio-cultural factors to cause further exacerbation of substance abuse. . In the well-being paradigm, â€Å"substance abuse is viewed as reflecting an underlying, intra-psychological deficiency† (Maton et al., 1992, p. 81). These psychological problems cause emotional pain and relief from pain is readily offered by alcohol and drug use. On the other hand, the disease concept of substance abuse postulates that addiction is a primary disease and not secondary or corollary to another condition. â€Å"Perhaps the greatest advantage to the articulation that addiction is a disease has been to remove the moral stigma attached to chemical dependency and to replace it with an emphasis on treatment of an illness† (Fisher et al, 1997, p. 45). However, a major criticism of this model is the notion that it relieves the substance abuser from taking responsibility of his/her behavior. It paints a picture of the alcoholic or addict as powerless and a passive victim in the drinking/ drug use behavior. To their defense, proponents of the

Shackled Women - Short Essay Essay Example for Free

Shackled Women Short Essay Essay In western cultures, women consider themselves equal to men while in some other parts of the world such as Africa and Asia, women are subjected to violence, sexual abuses, and exploitation by men that considered them as their legal or sexual property. Because tradition and religion play a crucial role in the life of the people of these regions, women are forced to live according to their culture in order for them to fit in the society. From murdered husbands in India, inhuman Islamic laws in Pakistan, to genital mutilation practice in Africa, these unjustifiable acts are virtually impossible to explain because they all go against the moral principles and values of a civilized society. When a parent deliberately killed his daughter without having remorse because of financial reasons, the first thing that comes into ordinary people’s mind is sorrow and grief. Because dowry is paid by the bride’s family in India, cruel and selfish husbands killed their second daughter in order to avoid paying a second expensive dowry. Dowry in India can account for more than 50% of a household income. (Journeyman Pictures LTD, January 2001). For that reason, fathers murdered their female child. Even if a second female child makes it trough childhood, she may still have a marriage on the rocks if her dowry is not enough to satisfy her in-laws. It is very shocking and disturbing to know that these fathers are still doing it without impunity. The most outrageous of all is that the government of India is aware of these killings and does not take drastic measures to stop it. Because it is culturally right in India to do so, women can not oppose it to the risk of being physic ally abuse by their husbands.

Wife vs. Daughter in Only Daughter by Sandra Cisneros and Why I Want a

What is a Wife? What is a Daughter? Are they the same, or are they different? A wife supports a husband, but a daughter could also have the same position could she not? A daughter could marry and become a wife, and still be a daughter. Than again, a wife could be an only child, and a wife could have no father. A wife compares to a daughter in many ways, and differs in many different ways as well. All in all, it?s quite possible that all women, go through at least one of these titles, at one point in there lives. In the short story ?Why I want a wife? by Judy Brady, she goes into detail what being a wife is like. The tedious details of day to day activities, the strain and hard work of being a ?good wife?, and the unappreciated service a wife must perform to be accepted by her husband. This story made me feel like, the author felt a little surprised of what she actually does from day to day being a wife, perhaps a little bit bitter toward those who do not notice her action. That brings me to another short story, ?Only Daughter? by Sandra Cisneros. This story is of a Dau...

Fast Food Popularity

Fast food is a huge growth in our country. Fast food restaurants are constantly trying to increase their popularity growth by lowering prices and getting faster food service technology. With this said there is a huge competition between fast food restaurants all around increasing there popularity. There are many key factors to the reasons why popularity of fast food keeps on growing. It is believed that price may be a contributing factor to the increase in popularity of fast food. However, laziness is the main cause.Fast food restaurants can make a whole meal in just minutes unlike making food at home. The time it takes us to buy and cook food, fast food restaurants can make a large group of people food. People these days are becoming lazier because of the amount of inventions people are making and the way everything is becoming less complicated. What makes people lazy, when going to a fast food restaurant instead of cooking, is that they will drive to get there food then wait for it to be cooked and then drive home and eat it.That shows how they are just too lazy to get up and cook their own food. The technology fast food providers are coming out with is making them faster and faster which is also increasing the amount of popularity of each restaurant. The time it takes to get our food is a big factor in the growth of that restaurant. Fast Food restaurants are located almost everywhere you drive in the United States and more. With fast food restaurants pretty much everywhere, it makes them even more popular.There is a bigger selection of fast food restaurants then there are stores to buy food at. Almost every road we drive on has advertisement of a fast food restaurant on a sign. Even television has many advertisements that grab children’s attention as well as others. There are approximately 65 different types of fast food restaurants internationally. That is not including all the Mexican, pizza, ice-cream and so on. With this number of restaurants to c hoose from it makes people have an easy choice of where to go.The price we pay to make food at home don’t compare to a one dollar burger at a Fast Food restaurant. Cheap food is a great way to getting the popularity of a restaurant to grow. People don’t like spending a lot of money on food so they have the choice of a dollar menu at most fast food restaurants. Some people don’t make as much money as others which makes them decide to go the cheap way out by buying fast food instead of having to pay more to get a homemade dinner. Although the meal may not be as healthy as a homemade meal, the price pays off in their mind.Some days we just are too busy to be able to cook so the first thing that comes to mind is Fast Food. People who are lazy sitting at home don’t feel like getting up or doing anything, so they just call a fast food place to deliver food straight to their door. Some people even don’t have the time to make their own lunch in the morning so they just get in there car and go through a drive through. When sitting at home and watching television, people don’t feel like cooking and just go grab something to eat at a fast food restaurant instead.

Health Care Email Essay

Thinking back a hundred years ago the history of health care has evolved and has become one of the most demanding fields to work in. The ultimate goal of health care is to treat, prevent or to intervene for those who are ill. Technology is also a major evolution that is now a vital role in the health care system. It allows patients to become more involved with their healthcare. They can follow up on test results, make appointments, and contact their doctors with the progression of technology. Not only has technology evolved but medication is another area that has improved the lives of many, back a hundred years ago the various medication was not available. The future has so much in store for those in the health care field. There are many interesting areas of the health care field. The one thing that interests me most is how disease treatment has changed the path to healing. The idea of medicine has change the look on life of healing and living. Medicine has change the ways we care for our customer know as our patient. In the earlier centuries, epidemics like cholera and smallpox were a widespread across countries; now those diseases are rarely heard of. With the research and implementation of new medicines most of the diseases that were killing thousands of people are now nonexistent. Nurses are the care takers in the health care field. With nurses patients receive one on one care, in many areas of the health care field. Nursing comes from the heart and spirit and truly from within. Healthcare was my number one choice field to work in. After working in a nursing home for many years showed me the reward for caring for others. I have learned many lessons in the healthcare field both positive and negative. . There are many resources and information on the history of health care in the U.S Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Public Health Services. These are only a few of the resources were information on the  history of health can be found. There are many aspect and field to go into, but you have to know which area of expertise or group and how they all tie into the health care.

Mexican Immigration essays

Mexican Immigration essays Since September11th our nations immigration awareness has heightened to a degree not seen since WWII. The citizens of America now look at every immigrant, whether legal or illegal like a suspect. Weve cracked down on the countries outside of the North American continent, but what about Mexico? In this paper, Ill take a look on my plan for Mexico. On how we can reduce the number of Mexicans coming into America, and increase their morale at the same time. Ive seen such articles as Bush Hopes to Mend Mexico Ties (USA Today, January 12th, 2004) or Employers praise Bushs guest workers plan (USA Today, January 8th, 2004) however I have yet to see anything actually being done. A plan is a plan, not an action. Make it an action. And if these so called plans have been put into motion, why not report it to the people. If the people of America believe immigrants coming up from Mexico in such large numbers are hurting us, why not inform the people that something is trying to be done about it. Which brings me to another item of debate, if we can go into Iraq and liberate their people, why cant we go into Mexico and help the people? The people of Mexico do not need a complete government renovation like Iraq did. They just need someone to bluntly tell them that this way isnt working. Just helping industries is not the answer. You have to help the actual people. Mexico has several natural resources such as petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, and timber. And doesnt the world need more of those resources? I believe we do. We should work with the Mexican government to come up with some plans and actions that we can take to put some life back into the people. Currently the Mexican government is working on boosting their economy, by welcoming privatized industries; however, progress is going extremely slow. If America were to invest s...

Portrayal of Reality in Great Gatsby essays

Portrayal of Reality in Great Gatsby essays Mr. Gordan, an esteemed English teacher, once said "Literature is Life". I had not been able to grasp the reality of those words until I read The Great Gatsby . After reading The Great Gatsby, I understand that literature is written through inspiration from our daily lives. In this novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald portrays the themes of morality and life versus illusion. Through his excellent writing techniques, Fitzgerald reduces most of the characters of the novel as seemingly obsessed with material possessions, petty, and selfish. Theses characterizations are portrayed because of the realness of human nature. Fitzgerald uses contrasting morals and values of the characters to show the true disparity in human nature. Nicks characteristics are completely incompatible with Toms. Since Nick has a strong foundation and is honest, he is thus very faithful. His faithfulness and loyalty is apparent when he attends and organizes Gatsbys funeral. On the other hand, Tom is unfaithful and dishonest. He is dishonest with Daisy and Myrtle. He also shows his unfaithfulness when he is not present at the birth of his daughter. In addition, Fitzgerald also uses Tom and Gatsby to show the sentimental disparity. Gatsby is a dreamer and a romantic man, who by following his dreams, went from rags to riches. He is proud of the fact that he has been able to accumulate his wealth independently, despite the fact that it is hinted that much of his money was earned illegally. Tom, on the other hand, is a realist and a straightforward man. He does not dream, as Gatsby does; he merely acts on his instincts. He has not earned his great wealth: he has inherited it. In spite of the fact, that all of the main characters in The Great Gatsby have very different personalities; they are however all affected by money. Some characters, like Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, have money, and are very expressive with it. Other characters, such as Myrtle, lust ...

ACT in 7th Grade

Should You Start Prepping for the SAT/ACT in 7th Grade SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you a middle schooler starting to think about the SAT or ACT? While 7th grade is early to start prepping, a lot of students canbenefit from prep by reinforcing their content knowledge and developing good study skills. Academically gifted students, furthermore, might take the SAT or ACT to qualify for talent competitions and special programs. Let's consider how test prep could help you as a7th grader, reasons you might take the test, and how it lines up with your middle school classes. First, why do students take the SAT/ACT? Reasons to Prep and Take the SAT/ACT in 7th Grade The main reason students take the SAT/ACT is, of course, to apply and get into college. While 7th grade is yearsaway from college applications, students may still benefit from sitting for the test and gaining insight into the experience. Continuous early exposure to the test will help students master the content and strategies they need to perform well. Apart from their academic goals, somestudents might take the SAT or ACT to qualify for talent competitions and programs. Let's consider both of these compelling reasons to prep for the SAT/ACT in 7th grade in more detail below. To Get Ready for College Taking the SAT or ACT is a requirement for most 4-year colleges in the United States. Considering how competitive admissions are year after year, you can really boost your application with a strong SAT or ACT score. A lot of strategy and training are key for scoring well on these tests, so almost all students who want to achieve their target scores both prep for the test and take it more than once. Once you've learned the secrets and tricks of the SAT and ACT, it stops seeming like such a difficult and unreachable test. Actually, with enough prep most students could become experts and even master the test. If putting in the time and effort to really get to know the SAT or ACT inside and out appeals to you, then you could definitely benefitfrom starting early as a 7th grader. Prep doesn't have to mean signing up for and taking the test, as you can improve a great deal through taking practice tests, analyzing your results, and practicing under timed conditions.At the same time, early exposure to the test can be valuable experience, both for getting yourself ready and getting accustomed to the experience.Taking an official test will definitely be in your plans if you're competing to get into programs for talented and gifted students. For Talent Competitions and Programs There are some programs for academically gifted students that require the SAT or ACT as part of their applications. These programs include the following: Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS) at the University of Iowa Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University Joseph Baldwin Academy (JBA) at Truman State University Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS) at Northwestern University Talent Identification Program (TIP) at Duke University If you're taking the SAT or ACT to get into one of these programs, you'll probably sign up using one of their entrance forms as a form of identification.Youmight be surprised that some of the material on the SAT/ACT lines up with content you'vealready learned in yourclasses. Other concepts will likely be new and require your attention and focus to learn. Either way,it's important that you devote time and energy to prepping if you want to achieve qualifying scores. So what exactly is tested on the SAT and ACT, and how much of these tests line up with what you're learning in school? Content You Need to Know for the SAT/ACT (and May Not Have Learned Yet) The SAT has three major sections: Math, Reading, and Writing. The ACT, on the other hand, has four sections: Math, Reading (like the SAT's Critical Reading), English (equivalent to the SAT's Writing), and Science. As a 7th grader, you probably have already developed some of the skills and learned some of the concepts that will appear on these two tests. However, don't panic if you don't know what "plethora" meansor have yet to learn the properties of right triangles. These tests are meant to demonstrate high schoolers' college readiness, not middle schoolers'. If you're taking the tests for talent competitions, you should study on your own, as well as think about tutoring so you can really grasp these new concepts. Let's briefly review what's in each section so you can have a sense of what you already know and what skills and knowledge you would need to acquire. First, what's covered in the SAT and ACT math sections? SAT and ACT Math The math section of the SAT covers number and operations, algebra, geometry, and probability and statistics. Almost all the formulas you need to know are provided on the test, though you should still take time to learn them. There's not a lot of time in the math section, so you don't want to waste time flipping through the booklet and consulting formulas that you would be better off having memorized. The ACT math section is similar, but it goes one step more advanced than the SAT by including some trigonometry.If you're in 7th grade, chances are you haven't had too much exposure to geometry or trigonometry yet! If you're studying for a talent competition or want to get a headstart on 8th grade and high school, you could try to tackle one new concept every few weeks. SAT Questions of the Day and ACT Questions of the Day are helpful for gradually trying practice problems, identifying what you know, and figuring out what you still need to learn. You can try official practice tests, online sample questions, books, and/or customized prep programs like PrepScholar's online test prep. While the math covers concrete concepts that you need to learn and practice, the Critical Reading section of the SAT and Reading section of the ACT test skills that are a little more difficult to quantify. SAT and ACT Reading Both the SAT Reading and ACT Reading sections ask you to read passages and answer questions about their content, purpose, vocabulary, and details. These questions may incorporate literary terms like theme, tone, style, symbolism, and metaphor. Most 7th gradershave the raw skills of reading comprehension that they can apply to these sections. Through reading widely and taking the time to really comprehend what you're reading and back up your analysis with evidence from the text, you can improve your reading skills and vocabulary more and more. This takes time, dedication, and hopefully a genuine interest in what you're reading. By approaching these passages and any readings with an open and inquisitive mindset, you can actually retain and understand the words better. A nice consequence of this enhanced understanding would be answering comprehension questions with ever greater accuracy. Just like with the math sections, taking the time to prep for a few hours every few weeks can help you improve your reading comprehension both on the SAT/ACT and in your English classes in school. You can reinforce what you're learning in school, apply it to these tests, and improve your academic skills overall. On a similar note, you can reinforce your understanding of grammar and writing in the context of the SAT/ACT by prepping for the SAT Writing or ACT English sections. Yum! Reading for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. SAT Writing and ACT English Like with your reading skills, you can improve your writing skills (and grasp of English grammar) through practice. The SAT Writing and ACT English sections ask you about grammar and syntax. Studying the most commonly tested rules is very helpful here. Like with the math concepts, you could try to tackle a new rule every few weeks and reinforce it with practice questions. This studying will also help your abilities to express yourself through writing in your English and other classes in school. In terms of the essay, both the SAT and ACT ask you to write a persuasive essay and support your opinion with examples.If you've encountered the 5-paragraph essay structure, then you have a sense of what you need to produce on these tests. SAT and ACT scorers reward structure, so practicing this structure in class and on practice tests will help you improve your score here. Finally, the ACT is unique in that it has a science section. What scientific concepts are tested on the ACT? ACT Science The science section on the ACT is actually less about recall of specific facts and figures, and more about your ability to apply scientific skills to interpret data, read graphs and charts, and understand passages. In this way, it's almost more like the Reading section thananything else. You will develop skills in lab classes that will help you on the science section. It includes some biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space sciences, but does not require you to have advanced knowledge in any of these realms. This article covers the only actual scientific knowledge you need to have to take the ACT science. The rest is about having skills of comprehension and interpretation, which you can continue to develop in school and with targeted and effective test prep. Above is just a brief overview of the content that comes up on the sections of the SAT and ACT, along with where they intersect and where they differ. You can check out the links above fora much more in-depth breakdown of what's on each of these sections. Familiarizing yourself with the tests will further help you figure out what you already know and what you need to learn to do well on the SAT/ACTand over the coming years of school. So if you are planning to prep in 7th grade, what exactly should be your plan of action? Plan of Action for 7th Grade If you're taking the SAT/ACT to compete for talent competitions, you'll be best served by putting in at least 40 hours of test prep or so. Even more would be helpful for really getting a handle on the test, but you don't want prep time to detract from your schoolwork and any other activities. You might devote 2 to 3 hours a week to prepping for the tests, starting 5 or 6 months before your test date. As mentioned above, you can use official practice questions for the SAT and ACT, answer Questions of the Day, study from books, ortry PrepScholar's customized online test prep program. You definitely want to use official SAT and ACT practice questions, as questions from the testmakers themselvesare the gold standard when it comes tostudying. To make your prep most effective, you might start out by reviewing the content and figuring out what you already know and what you need to learn. If you approach this with a mindset open to learning new concepts and skills, then you'll be much better off than if you're worrying about not knowingenough. As I said above, the SAT/ACT are tests for high schoolers. You can certainly prep and learn new concepts, but bepatient with yourself- there are some areas that you probably haven't studied yet in school. If you're not taking the SAT/ACT for talent competitions and just want to get a headstart on studying and learning, you might dedicate an hour to test prep every one or two weeks. This gradual studying could really add up over time and allow you to develop expertise on the tests. You could even completetaking the SAT or ACT well before the typical test-taking schedule of junior year and have this part of your college application finishedearly. Prepping for the SAT/ACT, and even taking the tests in 7th grade, can give you continued early exposure that will help you achieve high scores. It could also help you develop habits of discipline, effort, and organization. You might get a headstart on yourclasses, as well as a competitive edge when you eventually apply to college. If you take the time to prep for the SAT/ACT in 7th grade, then you'll be well ahead of the curve. What's Next? You might take the SAT or ACT in 7th grade as a launching point and improve your scores from there. So what's a good SAT and ACT score for 7th graders? Read about what makes a good 7th grade score here. If 7th grade feels too early to think about the SAT/ACT, what about 8th grade? This article discussesthe reasons why you might start prepping in 8th grade. The best practice for the SAT and ACT uses official sample questions. Download free official SAT and ACT practice tests here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

The Laws of Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Laws of Nature - Essay Example These laws form the backbone of the moral structure of the society hence can supersede any law made by man. Â  Natural laws are also referred to as the laws of nature. They are universal since they were there before the existence of human beings, hence, determined by nature. Classically, natural laws refer to using construct reasoning in analyzing the nature of human either personal or social to deduce any rules that are binding on moral behavior from it. Natural laws and positive laws are laws put into the construct in a certain society, state or political community. Natural laws can be put forth to criticize decisions of the judiciary on whether the law states, but not in criticizing the best interpretation of the law itself. Â  Even though, many times, natural laws are always confused with common laws but the two are different and distinct. Natural law is a view that a given set of values or rights is universally cognizant by virtues of human nature or human reasoning and by that inherent. On the other hand, common laws are the legal tradition where certain human values and rights are cognizable legally by virtue of articulation or judicial recognition. The theories of natural laws have however exercised a great influence on the English common laws development and have been featuring the philosophies of Thomas Aquinas, Richard hooker, Thomas Hobbes among other philosophers4. Â  Classical natural law - There are indeed some valid standard and truth of human rights and conducts in philosophy as stated by Plato. In his writing, Plato found out that by nature, naturally, both the selfish and the strong should prevail over those who are weak and weaken themselves by care for other people or promises or responsibilities.

AFA in news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AFA in news - Essay Example The other Wes however is not so lucky and surrounded himself with addicts, sunk deeper and deeper into drug trade, fathered many children and finally ends up behind bars. The story somehow connects to slavery since we are told of poor black neighborhoods which could have resulted due to the enslavement of the ancestors of the black community. Thus Blacks’ economic standards are usually lower than those of other races because they lack a firm and solid economic foundation, due to prolonged slavery of their forefathers. As I read the story, I could not help imagining how a person’s determination can elevate one beyond his/her current circumstances and improve one’s chance at living a better and morally upright life. The main problem portrayed in the story is that of drugs, crime and negative influences in one’s life. Thus the problem of crime and drugs is well highlighted and can be attributed to the kind that the other Wes Moore lived. A possible solution to this is educating such neighborhoods on the dangers of drug and crime involvement as well as making sure that youths have got enough role models and institutions to kee p them off the

Strategic management study case analysis of AvtoVAZ Essay

Strategic management study case analysis of AvtoVAZ - Essay Example The internal strength and weaknesses of AvtoVAZ including the best ways on how these weaknesses can be converted into strength will also be tackled. Considering the given situation of AvtoVAZ, it is advisable for the company to enter into merger and acquisitions. This strategy will enable the company to meet all the needed requirements such as: having a sufficient fund for a total restructuring, competent leaders and individuals assigned to run the business, and having a group of engineering and car designing experts within the business organization among others within the shortest possible time. In order to prevent losing control over the company, it is very crucial for the company owner to pay close attention to the negotiations of the merger plan. A win-win negotiation with the chosen partner should push through. AvtoVAZ or Volzhsky Automobilny Zavod (VAZ) was established back in 1966. The Russian government used to have a strong hold over AvtoVAZ since it was a state-owned company. For some time, the Russian government imposed strict rule that the local citizens could only purchase cars made by AvtoVAZ to protect its sales and profitability. After AvtoVAZ upgraded its technology in early 1990s, the company began to increase its prices. This made the Russians to switch over the use of imported cars. The company started to lose its market share to imported cars. Four years later, the Russian government decided to privatize the company. Since then, the Russian government withdrew its support to AvtoVAZ. In fact, high taxes made the company experience financial difficulties as early as in mid-1990s. Over the succeeding years, the market share of AvtoVAZ slides down from 90% to 60% in 2004. (Shlyornin, 2004) The tight competition in the Russian car market is expected to become stronger due to the entrants of foreign automobile manufacturers such as General Motors, BMW, Kia motors, France’s Renault, and Japan’s

Shipping Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Shipping Management - Essay Example It has been proved, that old management techniques in shipping have been working fir short-term profits only; it has also become evident that socially 'responsible' shipping business causes higher revenues and better positive results for both the stock markets and the general company performance. New management framework has also been formed with the additional pressure of environmental issues, which always carried a tint of social knowledge. All these factors have challenged shipping management to re-negotiate their position in the social environment and in the society as a whole. CSR is essentially about companies moving beyond a base of legal compliance to integrating socially responsible behaviour into their core values, in recognition of the sound business benefits in doing so. Since businesses and the challenges they face differ widely, government interventions need to be carefully considered, well-designed and targeted to achieve their objective. (___) The PD Ports Company located in Hartlepool (UK) is the company which can be seen as the bright example of the organization having actively applied the principles of the CSR through changing legislation and environments. It is noted in the striving for further strengthening and promoting its CSR activities. It has been engaged into many CSR activities, and it should be said that CSR in the UK has become one of the principal governmental priorities. It is stated, that 'we recognize that there is no 'one size fits all' approach to CSR, and that companies need to consider the nature of their business and its key impacts in developing their CSR practice'. (http://www.csr.gov.uk/raisingawareness.shtml) This is why for the shipping companies the implementation of CSR carries certain peculiarities. Government works for the for making the companies aware of the available CSR practices and encourages businesses to improve their performance; this may be considered to be one of the essential ch anges in the general implementation of the CSR principles through the shipping companies. As for PD Ports, the company also takes active part in the promotion and support of the CSR principles through the following activities: the philosophy 'safety first' is the top priority for the company management; the company is prepared to invest into both Capital and people; the company has its main focus on the customers, and looks for additional profitability through this customer focus; the company shows full commitment to the equal opportunities for employees; what is essential, is that the company actively works for the promotion of the environmental interests, as well as for their protection. (http://www.thpal.co.uk/corporate/core_values.asp) 'While various conventions and regulations imposed minimum standards for the operation of shipping companies, the control mechanisms were not always efficient in their mission. However, quality in shipping is not a matter of the shipowners only. Quality has a price and, as with all other goods and services, this price is determined by demand and supply. Neither shipowners nor regulation alone can force or command this price if quality is not demanded by the users of the shipping service by the manufacturers, traders, freight forwarders

Divorce in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Divorce in America - Essay Example There are seven factors identified as the reasons for divorce based on the study done by Mafauzy, director of faculty of health in Malaysia. According to him the following is the reason for divorce; failure by husbands and wives in discharging their responsibilities, low grounding in religion, interference by third parties, differences in culture, sexual problems, money and careers. A recent study by the Creighton University Center for Marriage and Family concludes that the biggest obstacle in the marriage life is the time, sex and money. The study found that debt brought into marriage, the couples' financial situation, balancing job and family, and frequency of sexual relations were of greatest concern to those ages 29 and under. The female or male may have their freedom from the marriage but the biggest impact will be on the children of the couple. Each year over 1 million children suffer the divorce of their parents. Those children who witnessed the divorce of their parent before they turn 18 usually carry the effect up to their adulthood and even affect the future generation. Some of the damaging effects include the following: Families with children that were not poor before the divorce see their income drop as much as 50 percent. Almost 50 percent of the parents with children that are going through a divorce move into poverty after the divorce. Institutions, go Religious worship, which has been linked to better health, longer marriages, and better family life, drops after the parents divorce. Conclusion Institutions, government and every individual should be aware in the effects of divorce in children. The people or couple should understand the core principles of marriage before getting into it. That principle is that marriage is the best environment in which to raise healthy, happy children who can achieve their potential and that the family is the most important institution for social well being. If the family is the building block of society, then marriage is the foundation of the family. If this foundation is growing weaker, then the society will not be as strong as it used to be. Reference: 1. Patrick, F. and Rector, R. , "The Effects of Divorce on America, June 5,

Battles of history, Strategist Thinking, Agree or not Essay

Battles of history, Strategist Thinking, Agree or not - Essay Example One of Britain’s immediate aims was to prevent the French navy from being captured by the German. This gave rise to Operation Catapult on July 3, 1940. A British naval force based in Gibraltar went to Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, to assist the remaining French navy that had fled. The French crews were offered a choice to sail to Britain at once, to join them in the battle against Germany, where the British would offer them the necessary supplies.2 This way, it would give them (the French) a chance to move their ships somewhere secure or scamper their fleet. All the choices were turned down by the French, hence the British had no alternative but to fire and destroy the French, thus killing over 1,200 of them. Thus, Sun Tzu advocated for creation of an illusion of choices while indirectly directing your opponent to your most preferred option where you lay in ambush.3 Anthony Adamthwaite, The Making of the Second World War (New York: Routledge, 1992), 30. Kenneth Brody, The Avoidable War: Pierre Laval and the Politics of Reality, 1935–1936 (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers, 1999), 20. Donald Busky, Communism in History and Theory: Asia, Africa, and the Americas (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2002), 23. Another crucial battle faced by the British was the channel battle. During this operation, Sea lion was the German code name for its strategy in taking over the United Kingdom. This begun with a series of bomb attacks against British ships in the English Channel, in early July 1940, and the first attack was on July 10. This was despite Hitler making a speech on July 19 advocating for peace with Britain, which was a tactic to buy time. British ships in the Channel incurred heavy damage, but they were able to conserve pilots and planes since there was an oncoming battle. This strategy can be seen in Sun Tzu as art of deception which involves concealing your intentions while calculating your surprise attack. A good general never commits his whole arsenal in battle. Then, Hitler began large bombing raids on air bases and military command posts in southern England early in August 1940. This strategy was aimed at breaking Britain’s will. On August 13, nicknamed â€Å"Eagle Day† by the Germans, Germany deployed over 1,400 bombers and fighters across the English Channel. This whole effort only yielded a damage of thirteen British fighters while losing more than three times the number of theirs. The Germans tried to employ the tactic of ‘Attack at full force to completely destroy and demoralize your enemy†, but apparently, the British were ahead of them as they employed the tactic of ‘let your enemies exhaust their strength.’ Hitler directed the Luftwaffe to attack major British cities like London in early September 1940. The attacks which started on September 7 went on into May the following year. During this Second World War, there was a constant bombing of the United Kingdom by Germany, po pularly known as the â€Å"Blitz,† which took place Between 7 September 1940 and 16 May 1941. Major attacks which involved more than 100 tonnes of explosives were dropped targeting 16 British cities: the capital, London, being attacked 71 times. Others like Birmingham, Liverpool and Plymouth were attacked 8 times, Bristol 6, Glasgow 5, Southampton 4 and Portsmouth 3. There were also large raids targeting other smaller cities eight in number. Luftwaffe bombed London for 57 nights in a row. Over one million houses in London were destroyed

Divorce in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Divorce in America - Essay Example There are seven factors identified as the reasons for divorce based on the study done by Mafauzy, director of faculty of health in Malaysia. According to him the following is the reason for divorce; failure by husbands and wives in discharging their responsibilities, low grounding in religion, interference by third parties, differences in culture, sexual problems, money and careers. A recent study by the Creighton University Center for Marriage and Family concludes that the biggest obstacle in the marriage life is the time, sex and money. The study found that debt brought into marriage, the couples' financial situation, balancing job and family, and frequency of sexual relations were of greatest concern to those ages 29 and under. The female or male may have their freedom from the marriage but the biggest impact will be on the children of the couple. Each year over 1 million children suffer the divorce of their parents. Those children who witnessed the divorce of their parent before they turn 18 usually carry the effect up to their adulthood and even affect the future generation. Some of the damaging effects include the following: Families with children that were not poor before the divorce see their income drop as much as 50 percent. Almost 50 percent of the parents with children that are going through a divorce move into poverty after the divorce. Institutions, go Religious worship, which has been linked to better health, longer marriages, and better family life, drops after the parents divorce. Conclusion Institutions, government and every individual should be aware in the effects of divorce in children. The people or couple should understand the core principles of marriage before getting into it. That principle is that marriage is the best environment in which to raise healthy, happy children who can achieve their potential and that the family is the most important institution for social well being. If the family is the building block of society, then marriage is the foundation of the family. If this foundation is growing weaker, then the society will not be as strong as it used to be. Reference: 1. Patrick, F. and Rector, R. , "The Effects of Divorce on America, June 5,

Legal advice to BGE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal advice to BGE - Assignment Example In its bid to raise capital in 1818, the company was enlisted in the public stock market. The company transformed into a corporation in 1906, and its mission is to achieve customer satisfaction by providing high quality energy services and products. From 1960 to 1980, the company experienced numerous growths and the climax was in 1967 when it built the first nuclear generating plant in Baltimore. In 1983, due to losses in its business operations, BGE sought diversification of its business initiatives but was rejected by the Maryland council since local laws did not allow such ventures (Dubinsky and Morgenstern, 1982). In 1989, the company’s nuclear power plant was shut down and it faced numerous fines deteriorating its financial capabilities. In 1992, with the passing of the Energy Federal Act, which allowed competition in the wholesale power market by retention of retail business, the company was able to reinvent itself (Williams, 1984). It responded by looking for a strategi c partner for the purposes of improving its profits. In 1995, the company formed a joint venture with Potomac Electric Power Company, and they engaged in reduction of staff and job overlapping. This was aimed at saving approximately a billion dollars. The merger was called off in December 1997 due to disagreements on cost sharing and regulatory laws of the District of Columbia (Moscardini & Betacourt, 1990). In 1998, the company made organizational changes and split its management into three distinct parts, namely unregulated subsidiaries department, utility operations department and power generation department. Currently, BGE has undertaken to improve the productivity of its services by rolling out the smart grid initiative. The smart grid initiative will allow clients to regulate their energy use with the money they are willing to spend and starting this year, the company will install two million smart meters and its devices in Maryland. After the installation, the company plans t o establish an online device that will enable customers to view their energy usage patterns and costs. The tool will give tips on effective consumption of energy, and outline a comparison on the neighbor’s energy usage pattern. This is called the green button technology. Clients will be able to view and download information of a similar manner concerning customers of other energy companies (Carvallo & Cooper, 2011). In rolling out this service, laws regulating the administration of the initiative must be put into consideration. At the federal level, the administrative law relevant to this initiative is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In initiating the smart grid technique, BGE will face numerous costs, and ways and measures of reducing risks associated with implementation of this act needs to be looked at. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is an example of an administrative law that the company can invoke to minimize the risks associated with the initiative (Keyhani, 2011). The law allows compensation by the federal government to American companies suffering losses due to initiating policies meant to benefit its citizens. In Maryland, the most relevant aspects of administrative laws is the EmPOWER Maryland Efficiency Energy Act which regulates energy consumption and peak demands. It is the duty of energy companies in Maryland

Girls Education Essay Example for Free

Girls Education Essay It is one the basic necessities to be educated for human, as world is full of competition, where one needs certain amount of skills to survive and be a threat to others. Education gives an insight to the person to differentiate between good and bad. Both men and women are part of our society so we need education for the females as well as for the males. In India despite of all the plans measures, initiatives and tall claims by the government and various voluntary organizations, a vast majority of the girls are yet illiterate in India. During the last four decades since independence, many schools and colleges are founded for girls. Education of girls is one of the basic features of the government plans. The female education is important for the society as mothers are the first teachers of the children. They are the first teachers of the future citizens of the country. It is being increasingly recognized that educated wives and mothers are an asset to a nation. Educated girls are working in banks, private firms, hospitals and government offices and supporting their families as well as contributing to the development of the country. Educated girls have an honored position in society. They have secured their rights from the reluctant men but all this is confined chiefly to the urban areas. Indians are conservative by nature. So, their blind faith and age old superstition stood against the female education. In rural areas most of the people are still against girls education. So much needs to be done yet. Special legislation should be enacted to deal with parents who neglect the education of their daughters. There are many villages where schools for girls do not exist. Every village must have a girl schools, or if that is not possible owing to lack of funds, parents should be persuaded to admit their daughters to the schools providing co-education. In recent years situation has improved considerably. People have felt the virtue of female education. Now in India we find women professors, lady doctors, lady scientists, lady politicians and lady ministers. Girls should be educated in the interest of our national progress. India is now optimistic in the field of female education. We had the female philosophers like Gargi, in the Vedic age. We had Mirabai, Ahalyabi and Laxmibai in the days of history. They were all learned. Hence, we had a great tradition during the days of our degeneration. Now, we have revived. So, we will certainly revive the female education in India.

Mike F. Doyle House Representative of PE :: essays research papers

Michael F. Doyle is a House Representative in Pennsylvania. Doyle represents the 14 district which includes the city of Pittsburg and most of Allegheny County. Doyle is now serving his fifth term in congress. Doyle’s top priority is to create jobs, preserve social security and Medicare, provide better public education, meet the needs of senior citizens, establish long-term energy strategy, and to promote a better climate for the high-tech community. Doyle was born on august 5, 1953 in Pittsburg PA. Mike Doyle has a wife, Susan Doyle and 4 children, whose ages are 18, 14, 12, and 5. Doyle was first elected to office November 8, 1994 to the Democratic party. The last time Doyle was elected was November 2, 2004. Doyle went to B.S. Community Development and Penn State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Development in 1975. Doyle is licensed in life, accident, health, property, and casualty insurance. In July, 2004 Doyle had called for a legislation to prevent massive power blackouts like the one that hit the northeast this past year. In August 14, 2003, a massive power outage affected more than 50 million people in eight different stats, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada. Many households were without power for several days. This blackout began in Ohio, where three transmission lines short-circuited. An investigation found that the energy company that owned those power lines was in violation of at least four North Electric Reliability Council operating standards. Doyle introduced almost a year ago a legislation that would establish a national Electric Reliability Organization to enforce power reliability standards across the country. If an organization was to be established it Amer Gov/Easter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Chris Zane Mike F. Doyle House of Rep of PA  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12/23/04 would go a long way towards improving the reliability of the power grid and reduce the likelihood of a future blackout. Doyle’s plan was named H.R. 3004 and was introduced on September 23, 2003. Unfortunately, H.R. 3004 has been stalled for months, and the House leadership has suddenly refused to consider it. In October, 2004 Doyle announced that he is working to promise that Congress passes a legislation to improve the supply of flu vaccine before the supply runs out later this year. Doyle has asked that he be added as a cosponsor of the Flu Protection Act. The legislation would offer tax credit for the expansion of flu vaccine production facilities, and would offer a government buy-back guarantee for the vaccine makers who end up with extra flu vaccine doses at the end of the flu season.

Grandmother as Head of Household in Katherine Anne Porters The Old Order :: Free Essays

Grandmother as Head of Household in Katherine Anne Porter's The Old Order In her short story, "The Old Order", Katherine Anne Porter's creation of Miss Sophia Jane--The Grandmother-- illustrates the embodiment of patriarchal power within a matriarchal figure. What intrigues me is Porter's reversal of personality traits between the Grandmother and her husband. Porter's depiction of the Grandmother paints her as the undisputed head of house-- she "wears the pants" beneath the many layers of lacy petticoats and heavy skirts. The contrast between the Grandmother and her husband strike me as a reversal of typical gender-assigned personality traits. The Grandmother is "altogether just, humane, proud, and simple", in and of itself, I would attach these traits to a masculine man (not just any man!) (20). In contrast, the terms Porter uses to describe the Grandmother's husband, in and of themselves, are gendered, "hysterical" traits: "lack of aim, failure to act at crises, a philosophic detachment from practical affairs" (21). In the marriage of these antithetical personalities, Porter illuminates the problems faced by a headstrong women stifled by her gender-defined role in life. Atypically, the Grandmother was the head of the household, undeniably the dominant figure-- for virtually everything. Her husband "disliked and feared her deadly willfulness, her certainty that her feelings were not only right, but beyond criticism", and in doing so he loathed the traits that normally sit with a male head of house (21). In doling out her authority, the Grandmother may have been perceived as unwavering, but "her own doubts and hesitations she concealed . . . as a matter of duty" (11). There was no "female" emotionality behind the Grandmother's actions, what was rational was right; the Grandmother's husband took care of any illogical thinking and foolhardy ventures. The Grandmother was undeniably "before her time". While she embodied the persona of a patriarch, she was unable to fully assume her role-- and I'm not talking the male sexual role.

Dante and Machiavelli

Dante and Machiavelli define opposite sides of the Renaissance in several ways. Certainly the former believes that God will reveal all and call people to account for their behavior, while the latter gives every sign of believing in no God and supposing that scrupulous behavior only makes one a target for ruthless exploitation. This difference in the two could be expressed in terms of religious faith—but they could also be said to have differing views of human nature. Try to get to the heart of the distinction. Why is Machiavelli’s sense of right and wrong so opposed to Dante’s? Written two hundred years apart, The Inferno by Dante and The Prince by Machiavelli both contain examples of society during the late middle ages and also the beginning of the Renaissance. While not contemporaries, both men held similar cynical views towards human nature, but opposing views on social structure. Dante believed that those with power were all destined to become corrupt while Machiavelli wrote that authority is necessary in order to maintain structure within the population. The Inferno, written as the first of three movements of The Divine Comedy, tells of one man’s journey into Hell with the help of Roman poet Virgil. As the two men journey through the nine circles of hell, Dante, or the Pilgrim, sees the souls of men and women and either feels pity or hatred, but most of all feels a sense of vengeance. In Dante’s hell, the punishment fits the crime. The lustful are forced to walk naked beside those of the opposite sex, the slothful are forced to reside at the bottom of the river Styx, and the soothsayers are forced to perpetually look back by having their necks twisted around. The Inferno is essentially a social commentary, exposing society’s true evils. In the eighth circle, simple fraud, were the simonists; those priests, popes, and bishops who, instead of revealing the glory of God, used their power to gain monetary wealth and fame. Their punishment is being buried head first, the soles of their feet on fire. The Pilgrim sees Pope Nicholas III who asks him if he is Boniface, â€Å"Is that you here already upright? † By including these popes in hell, Dante made clear his views on the leadership of the church and believed that the church had no control or right to control secular and civil matters. Dante also shows which sins he sees as the worst of sins, putting betrayers in the lowest circle of hell. Dante mploys some common sense while discussing hell, putting obvious sinners in the lower circles and prone to harsher punishments, but he also puts the not-so obvious sinners in hell. Even though one may think he is doing the right thing, all motives are evaluated upon judgment and even a trace of selfishness or greed may threaten one’s chance in heaven. This is why Dante’s hell is rife with politicians and leaders. Although they may have the community’s best interests at heart, politicians become obsessed with fame and glory, often forgetting that they are representatives of the people. In The Prince, Machiavelli explains what a good and successful prince should be like. He advocates a strong, cutthroat authority figure and encourages the winning of power by any means necessary. The main theme in The Prince is that mob rule is dangerous, for people know only what is good for themselves and not what is good for the whole. The common people, in Machiavelli’s view, â€Å"are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours†. He believes that these commoners should be ruled absolutely, yet compassionately, in order to suppress any challenge to ruling power. The only founded political dissent should come from the nobles and even then, all should be done so as not to fester thoughts of revolution. While it seems as though Machiavelli was a power-hungry despot, The Prince was merely a reaction to what he saw as a necessary evil. Machiavelli was actually a strong supporter of the republic in which the people, the very people he describes as being uneducated and self-centered in his book, ruled over themselves. In The Prince, he does give the common people credit, saying that, if a prince upsets them, they can take severe and dangerous action. â€Å"[The] best fortress that exists is to avoid being hated by the people† (XX, 70). Machiavelli understood that no matter how much power a prince may have, he is always at the risk of losing it whether it be at the hands of the people or the hands of another prince. Also, because he was first a supporter of republic, he understood the need for certain â€Å"checks† to be put in place to safeguard against revolution and lack of popular support. Machiavelli argues that, unless a prince’s subjects hate him, they will love him and follow him through any trouble that may beset the principality. In general, Machiavelli believes that a leader should be a true leader and rally the people behind his cause, even if that means killing off dissenters for the good of the whole. Although, upon first reading, The Prince seems to tell the tale of dictatorship and totalitarianism, it is much closer to modern democracy than some would like to believe and still is applicable to modern governments. Representing two different ages and two (supposedly) different world views, The Inferno and The Prince are quite similar in that both see humanity as somewhat of an evil and ungrateful status. They differ, however, by their view of what should be done about the human condition. Dante believed that what is done in this life will be punished accordingly in the next life, and there is little to be done, for even the unbelievers are subject to God’s will by being trapped in limbo. Machiavelli, on the other hand, didn’t believe in the afterlife and so thought that life should be lived here on earth and sin will be forgiven at death. This way, men can be free to strive for and obtain that which makes them happy, for the pious are buried just like the unbelievers. Ironically, The Prince is more optimistic than The Inferno, for Machiavelli stresses that, despite actions done on earth, all will be forgotten, for sin dies with the body.

Diminishing American Pride Essay

The book Zeitoun basically talks about a Syrian American family’s experience in the time of Hurricane Katrina. It was mainly divided into two story lines, one of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, the main character, a Syrian American contractor; and one of Kathy, his wife, a white woman converted Muslim. Zeitoun had an extraordinary life, also an extraordinary experience in the time of Hurricane Katrina. He was a successful well-known businessman in local area. When everyone else was fleeing their hometown before Katrina came, Zeitoun chose to stay to protect his house and business. Later then when the city was flooded, he travelled around with his small canoe, delivering help and resources. However, he was wrong arrested as a looting suspect then and was sent into jail. He was treated as a terrorist and taken away the right of fair trial, forced to confine in a maximum security prison for a crime he didn’t commit. At the end, Zeitoun was released and able to unite with his family again, but he was not compensated in any ways for his misfortune. As this book describes, everything in the time of Hurricane Katrina had gone crazy, including the American criminal justice system. The main objection of this book is to criticize racism phenomenon in America and the rotten criminal justice system. Racism is a main subject in this book. It was first mentioned in this book in Kathy’s story line about her past life experience. â€Å"Years earlier, Kathy and her mother had gone to the DMV together to have Kathy’s license renewed. Kathy was wearing her hijab, and had already received a healthy number of suspicious looks from DMV customers and staff by the time she sat down to have her picture taken. The employee behind the camera did not disguise her contempt. ‘Take that thing off,’ the woman said. † (Zeitoun page 58) From the mentioning of these kinds of past experience seemed irrelevant to Hurricane Katrina, we can see the author’s desire to insert the topic of racism into this book. Kathy’s case shrinks small comparing to Zeitoun’s case in his arrest. â€Å"‘You guys are al Qaeda,’ the soldier said. Todd laughed derisively, but Zeitoun was startled. He could not have heard right. Zeitoun had long feared this day would come. Each of the few times he had been pulled over for a traffic violation, he knew the possibility existed that he would be harassed, misunderstood, suspected of shadowy dealing that might bloom in the imagination of any given police officer. After 9/11, he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had run amok, that the introduction of the idea of ‘sleeper cells’- groups of would-be terrorists living in the U. S. and waiting, for years or decades, to strike- meant that everyone at their mosque, or the entire mosque itself, might be waiting for instructions from their presumed leaders in the hills of Afghanistan or Pakistan. (Zeitoun page 212) It didn’t surprise me at all that Zeitoun have those thoughts that might seem over-worried in some people’s eyes.. Indeed, another author Maysan Haydar had mentioned similar thoughts in her essay â€Å"Veiled Intentions: Don’t Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering. † â€Å"Now some people hold their breath a bit longer, assuming I’m a fundamentalist or wondering if I’m there to cause them harm. I sense people studying me on the trains, reading the cover of the book in my hand and trying to gauge if I am one of ‘us’ or one of ‘them’. I grapple with the frustration that I can’t reassure everyone individually that my goals have everything to do with social justice and nothing to do with holy war. But I have seen suspicious fade in the eyes of the pregnant woman to whom I’ve given my subway seat or the Hasidic man whose elbow I’ve taken to help him up the stairs. † (Haydar pg 406) I feel very sorry for Haydar and Zeitoun’s experiences. Muslim people are always feared to be presumed as terrorist. American frightened by the traumatic event of 9-11 developed a stereotype against people from Middle East. The fear of being attack also again drove American crazy on national security. However, for whatever reason, racism has put upon so much harm on people we discriminate against. Muslim people like Zeitoun, hard working and honest people, are forced to live under the fear of being prosecuted for his race someday, taken away from his family, locked up in somewhere nobody would know he’s died or not. Those fears have made them coward under a lowly skin, live like second-class citizens. â€Å"In the weeks after the attacks on the Twin Towers, Kathy saw very few Muslim women in public. She was certain they were hiding, leaving home only when necessary. In Late September, she was in Walgreens when she finally saw a woman in a hijab. She ran to her. ‘Salaam alaikum! ’ she said, taking the woman’s hands. The woman, a doctor studying at Tulane, had been feeling the same way, like an exile in her own country, and they laughed at how delirious they were to see each other. † (Zeitoun page 46) Indeed, as part of international society, American allowed people to be exiled from their own country. In Edward Said’s essay, â€Å"States†, he escribed how they, Palestinian people was exiled from their own country and forced to scatter around the world, be denied of personal identity everywhere. †Some Israeli settlers on the West Bank say: ‘The Palestinians can stay here, with no rights, as resident aliens. ’ Other Israelis are less kind. † (Said pg 546) â€Å"The fact is that today I can neither return to the places of my youth, nor voyage freely in the countries and places that mean the most to me, nor feel safe from arrest or violence even in the countries I used to frequent but whose governments and policies have changed radically in recent times. (Said pg 547) In a documentary I have watched, in some cases, if a Palestinian wants to travel from points to points, they have to go through checkpoints set up by local military. They would be asked to show their prove of identity and relevant documents which sources were mostly denied. Nobody tell them what to do then, no laws protect them, some of them can’t even go to hospitals and schools like every other human being in the course that they don’t have a legal identity. We as adults, teach our kids not to bully in school, that it’s wrong to do so. In contrast, as a human, we allow our country, ourselves to bully on people with a different skin tone. Isn’t this hilarious? Another main subject posted in this book is the criminal justice system in America. Zeitoun was initially arrested in his house, then taken to the bus station, naked searched and put in jail. Throughout the whole process, he had never been told of his charges, no phone calls granted, no one had ever given him a chance to defend himself or to find a lawyer. He was treated as terrorist. In the course of his Middle-Eastern accent, everything about him seemed suspicious to the guards. He was kept in inhumane confinement, was given pork for food despite his religion. He had a deep wound in his feet but was never treated nor given any medical attention. There were basically no laws in effect, Zeitoun was treated as if he wasn’t an American citizen anymore, constitutions and laws don’t protect him. â€Å"Watching the evidence on the table mount, Zeitoun’s shoulders slackened. Most municipal systems were not functioning. There were no lawyers in the station, no judges. They would not talk their way out of this. The police and soldiers in the room were too worked up, and the evidence was too intriguing. (Zeitoun 215) But the most disappointing fact about this is what t I found out later in the book, that all of this happened to Zeitoun was not special cases happened once or twice, it was somehow permitted. â€Å"But knowing that Zeitoun’s ordeal was caused instead by systemic ignorance and malfunction- and perhaps long-festering paranoia on the part of the National Guard and whatever other agencies were involved-was unsettling. It said, quite clearly, that this wasn’t a case of a bad apple or two in the barrel. The barrel itself was rotten. (Zeitoun 307) This is totally different from what I learnt from my administration of justice class. The whole process is wrong. How could an innocent person be justified this way? Not even a phone call allowed. It is nothing better than abduction. Who gave government the right to treat people like this? I guess under the name of National Security, there’s nothing government can’t do, all laws and constitutions could be undermined. James Bamford, author of essay â€Å"Wired† pointed out the same point, says in his essay, â€Å"’They violated the Constitution setting it up. He says bluntly. â€Å"But they d idn’t care. They were going to do it anyway, and they were going to crucify anyone who stood in the way. ’† â€Å"Basically all rules were thrown out the window, and they would use any excuse to justify a waiver to spy on Americans. † (Wired pg 0843,, 084) National Security, initially served the principle of protecting Americans has become a tool to against Americans. â€Å"The NSA has turned its surveillance apparatus on the US and its citizens. It has established listening posts throughout the nation to collect and sift through billions of email messages and phone calls, whether they originate within the country or overseas. It has created a supercomputer of almost unimaginable speed to look for patterns and unscramble codes. Finally, the agency has begun building a place to store all the trillions of words and thoughts and whispers captured in its electronic net. † (Wired pg 81) Isn’t it scary to know our government has already gone this far for â€Å"National Security†? Anyone is a target of NSA. But who is more prone to be checked on? I believe this could be linked again to the topic of racism. Look back to Zeitoun and his fellows’ arrest; I believe they would never have been presumed as terrorists, despite the same context and evidence, if all four of them are white. The book Zeitoun serves more than a journalism. Dave Egger cleverly brought out these two important topics to us through the book. Could we still call our country States of freedom and equality after learning all these previously unknown facts? It’s time for people to stand up to protect the prides of America, fix our criminal justice system, drive racism into history and look forward to a better, true States of freedom and equality.

Microsoft Bank Branch of the Future

A Microsoft Banking and Capital Markets White Paper The bank branch of the future 2 The bank branch of the future ContentsRedefining the role of branches 4 > Case study: Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs 8 > Article: The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels 10 Recognition — selling to a market of one 12 > Case study: CRM at Wintrust Financial and Fiserv 14 > Case study: Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions 15 Engagement — creating memorable touch points 16 > Case study: Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy 18 > Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada 21 > Case study: Streamlining communications at Fidelity 22 Origination — developing new business opportunities 23 > Case study: Predictive analytics at U. S.Bancorp with Portrait Software 25 > Prof ile: Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign 26 > Case study: Incentives at Bank of the West and Varicent 27 Service — taking customers to the next level 28 > Case study: Next-generation self-service at BBVA with NCR 30 > Case study: Espirito Santo creates a better banking experience with CRM and a 360 degree, integrated view of the customer 31 Innovation — developing new products and services with customers 32 > Case study: Social computing at NewsGator and CME Federal Credit Union 34 Bringing it all together — technologies of channel integration 35 > Article: Creating a consistent customer experience through channel synchronization 36 Having a vision for the future 39 > Profile: Helping customers succeed with ARGO 40 Realizing the branch of the future 41 Microsoft partners appearing in this paper 42 Microsoft in Financial Services Financial services is a major industry for Microsoft ® Corporation. Our commitment to the indus try comprises client-dedicated accounts teams, and technology and industry specialists. Our solution areas embrace almost every facet of the industry, including client experience, governance, risk and compliance, payments, and operating capabilities. The U. S.Financial Services industry group led by Ben Narey is responsible for developing financial services solutions combining Microsoft capabilities with those of our partners, for our U. S. -based banking clients. This is one in a series of thought leadership papers designed to share insight into leading industry issues and help our clients realize their vision of the future. www. microsoft. com/financialservices The bank branch of the future 3 A message to our customers and partners After a significant period of expansion, banks are finding current market conditions tough to say the least. Putting customers first is the right response, and the branch is the place to do that. But the role of branches is changing dramatically. Transa ctions are moving to the Internet, so customers may have fewer reasons to visit branches.In addition, new technologies, such as social networking and personal financial management (PFM) tools, are transforming the relationship with customers, forcing banks to develop new ways to create the right customer experience while empowering customers and giving them more control. If branch visits are less frequent, they must become more valuable and more interesting. The days of existing and potential customers walking into branches and not being recognized or effectively engaged are over. A new era of personalized financial services is forcing banks to sell to a market of one. This means understanding customer needs and addressing them appropriately. This also means moving from a reactive sales model to a proactive one, where customer needs can be anticipated in advance.Thanks to changes in technology, customer expectations of the experience they should receive when they visit the branch ar e rising all the time. But just filling branches with new technology isn’t the answer. There needs to be a plan in place and one developed with customers in mind. The customer should be at the center of the branch operation. The branch of the future is an engaging, interactive and fun environment. It should also be a lower cost one. There is opportunity for a dramatic improvement in branch performance. This means streamlining processes, eliminating paper, and improving front and back-office integration. Branch staff are being asked to play a different role. Branch personnel need constant training to do this.The technology of the branch of the future exists to empower tellers, financial advisors and service representatives to serve customers more effectively, moving from a reactive to a proactive engagement model. Microsoft Corporation has a strong commitment to the branch of the future. Directly and through our partners, we work with financial institutions around the world to develop their own path to improved performance. Many of those solutions are outlined in this white paper. We hope you find this a useful contribution to your future plans and the longer term direction of our industry. Yours truly, Ben Narey Director, U. S. Financial Services Colleen Healy General Manager, U. S. Financial Services 4 The bank branch of the future Redefining the role of branches T A dizzying period of change echnology is changing at a blurring rate.It is at once more social, connected, mobile and continuous. We are seeing game-changing advances in many areas from user interfaces to Internet TV. It’s not just transactions that are moving to the Internet but conversations and relationships as well. In this new world, banks are engaging with customers in very different ways. For some banks, branches are emerging as the new, technology-enabled centerpiece in the relationship with customers — a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking in the branch of the future. Banks face other challenges. Revenues are stalling, margins are under pressure and costs remain high. For many, technology remains fragmented.As banks invest more in customer technologies, they must also reduce costs and improve margins, achieve more with less, and at the same time comply with new regulation. In this constantly shifting story, there are many moving parts, and they must all come together to wow customers without confusing them. The branch of the future is an exercise in innovation that must be competitive, game-changing and ultimately profitable. It must be part of a broader strategic focus that considers all channels, not just the branch itself. It will involve not just a vision, but an ecosystem of partners that can deliver it. Microsoft ® expands its reach by working closely with partners to deliver many of our capabilities, and many of them are included here.In this paper, we lay out a process that a bank cou ld follow in developing its branch of the future story. As steps in that story we include case studies and solutions that we believe are leading edge. We realize that every bank’s journey will be different because each bank will need to develop its own unique approach to the branch of the future. Branches are emerging as a place where channels and technology converge to create a new era of personalized banking. The new alternative channel? Many banks consider the branch to be their primary customer relationship channel. But do customers feel the same way? Today roughly 90 percent of daily transactions take place electronically.Checks may be phased out in most developed economies in the next few years. Branch traffic is on the decline. Are branches the new alternative channel? Does that mean branches are finished? Not necessarily. Bank customers still seem to have a strong affinity to branches even though they may visit them less. But it does mean the role of the branch must c hange and be less dependent on transactions. What should this new role be? To answer that question we must have a better understanding of what customers really want. The bank branch of the future 5 And that boils down to at least three things. Firstly, they want more control over their finances.One of the consequences of the financial crisis is a feeling of greater insecurity and a decline in trust in financial institutions. Thanks to the growth in technology and the disclosures surrounding the financial crisis, bank customers often know more about their banks than banks do about their customers. Secondly, consumers want more choices and are less willing to put all their financial eggs in one basket. They are more willing to change banking relationships and are less loyal to their existing providers. Thirdly, they want a better experience. Banks often measure their performance with customers based on service satisfaction, but service is only part of the equation.The ability to acces s banking services at any time from any location, transparency in fees and simpler contracts, and access to quality, impartial advice all sum up to a new value exchange between banks and customers that may define the next phase of banking. Technology is playing a huge part in transforming the banking experience. Smartphones and slates (tablets) are giving consumers greater mobility. Cloud computing gives all of us easier access to more computing power. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications and natural user interfaces enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. So what is the transformation in the role of the branch that needs to take place? Snacks, lunches and fine dining experiences Perhaps the experience of other industries might provide us with some clues.Financial services provider Fiserv has equated interaction through banking channels to â€Å"snacking,† â€Å"lunching† and â€Å"fine dining† (see artic le on page 10). As our lives become busier, long, lingering meals become more rare. Snacking has become a way of life, often at our desks rather than at restaurants. So restaurants must work harder for our business. But there are many restaurants to choose from. How do they compete for our attention? Every good restaurant needs its own brand. Often fine food is not enough. It may need a theme or an image. It might be the country of the cuisine. It might be a constantly changing menu. It might be the ability to have snacks, lunch and fine dining in the same location.From the services, to the cutlery and the plates to the interior to the food itself, all these elements may combine to create a unique customer experience. In the case of banking, customers have a choice of channels and therefore experiences. But if most of the channels are mainly about transactions or â€Å"snacking,† then they are likely to prefer fast food to fine dining. For the branch to be attractive, it has to have something else on the menu. Game-changing developments in the technology of communications enable new ways for banks and their customers to engage with each other. 6 The bank branch of the future The branch — where all channels can convergeToday bank channels are like those in the first diagram in Figure 1: independent channels that are mainly about â€Å"snacking. † In this model, it is easy to see how the branch becomes less important as â€Å"snacking† channels grow. But some customers may prefer to research online and get advice in the branch. Their financial journey may involve a combination of visits to different channels at different times, perhaps even for the same service — beginning a journey in one channel and completing it in another. In this way, channels reinforce each other rather than compete with each other for customers’ attention. The new model of bank channels is more like the second diagram in Figure 1. Channels are no longer siloed but mutually reinforcing.Instead of playing a diminishing role, the branch can begin to play a more influential one. But the branch is the one channel where all channels can converge. Like the airline or the restaurant that offers a choice of customer experiences, snacking, lunching and fine dining can all take place in the same location. As a result the branch becomes an easier place to conduct all our banking business rather than the least attractive of all. FIGURE 1 Transforming the role of branches BANKING TODAY BANKING TOMORROW MOBILE MOBILE BROWSER CHANNEL USAGE CHANNEL USAGE BROWSER CALL CENTER CALL CENTER BRANCH BRANCH INDEPENDENT CHANNELS WITH FRAGMENTED IMPACTINTEGRATED CHANNELS AND GROWING INFLUENCE The bank branch of the future 7 Dimensions of branch transformation Microsoft ® believes there are at least five dimensions of branch transformation that can lead to a significant increase in customer experience and financial performance. > Branch design â€⠀ balancing networking with privacy, access and convenience > Talent — more focus on advice and expertise and less on transactions > Channels — integrated and mutually supportive > Innovation — customer driven, building on experiences and solutions > Brand — unique and customer driven In each of these dimensions, technology has a major role to play.But the real challenge is to empower each dimension so that they operate together to enhance the customer experience, improve revenues and reduce costs. A fragmented approach will simply increase costs, confuse customers and reduce financial performance. Effective branch transformation demands an enterprise-wide blueprint. A project to build nextgeneration ATMs needs to take into consideration the opportunity to empower and integrate other channels. A project to introduce digital signage should consider not only the customer experience, but the ability to improve staff performance as well. The introduction of digital signatures and automated account opening should consider the implications for document management and records keeping.We are not just transforming branches but creating a completely new retail banking business and operating model to deliver a higher standard of customer experience. A continuous process of performance improvement Branch activities should involve a continuous process of performance improvement based on an in-depth understanding of customer needs with the goal of deepening customer relationships. > Recognition — selling to a market of one > Engagement — creating memorable touch points > Origination — developing new business opportunities INNOVATION FIGURE 2 A continuous process of performance improvement RECOGNITION ENGAGEMENT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT gt; Service — taking customers to the next level > Innovation — developing new products and services with customers Ideally, almost all these activities should be capable of taking place at any part of the branch, whether at an ATM, in a teller line, at a teller booth, or in discussions with a service advisor or a banker. But if executed effectively, one step will lead to another, creating a positive loop of continued performance improvement. (See Figure 2. ) SERVICE ORIGINATION 8 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Nascent Digital — understanding customer needs It’s easy to spend money on technology. But it is more important to understand what customers really want from their branch before embarking on an ambitious program of investment.The whole point of investing in branches is to improve the relationship with customers. So why not begin by understanding what customers really want? Nascent Digital (www. nascentdigital. com) is one of the market leaders in the field of combining market research with the design and development of technology. As a result, Nascent is able to create rich and relevant connections with customers from business applications to educational and entertaining experiences. Having previously deployed experiences on multiple mobile and touchscreen platforms such as iOS, Nascent has eased into working with the cutting-edge Windows Phone 7 and Slate devices.Nascent Labs’ mobile platform enables it to quickly develop game-changing Windows Phone and Slate applications connected to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. It has also played a major role in the development of Microsoft Surface technology. Bank customers seek digital experiences that are unique and engaging. To that end, Nascent’s unique design-led approach employs research, in-depth experience design and early rapid prototyping. These methods enable insights into how to realize the best possible digital customer experience. Nascent has partnered with Microsoft ® to envision the possibilities for Slate computing in the branch of the future. The design process and resulting prototype yielded insights into mul tiple new possibilities for customer interaction, relationship building, and ustomer-associate collaboration on everything from day-to-day banking to financial planning and advisory. Building on Windows Phone 7 Metro design language, Nascent was able to create a single digital interface that unifies the customer mobile experience with a collaborative sales experience in the branch. By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire. The bank branch of the future 9 Nascent begins by compiling and distilling existing research to form a basis for further inquiry. Industry best practices, existing published research and open access data are evaluated to focus their primary research.Focus groups and discussions led by expert coordinators are directed to reveal a deeper insight into the ideal digital experience for the user base. Once the research phase is complete, the experience design process be gins to output a series of visual representations that can be easily transformed into a rapid prototype. Early prototyping enables innovation by bringing vivid experiences to life quickly for early user testing. (See Figure 3. ) By understanding customer needs upfront, banks can ensure their technology investments truly provide customers with the experience they desire, and thus are successful in empowering their branches with new technology.By reconciling customer needs with the bank’s own strategic direction the bank is more likely to develop a business model that works. It may take more time to get it right first time, but in the long run it is a quicker and much more effective path to innovation. FIGURE 3 The Microsoft Nascent discovery process UNDERSTANDING THE CUSTOMER CONCEPT DESIGN VISUAL DESIGN CONCEPT TESTING > Secondary market research > Primary market research > Industry best practices > Brainstorming > Wireframes > Context design > Information architecture > Appl ied cognition > Concepts > Brand expectations > Game-changing experiences > Matched audiences > Usability testing > Final design blueprint 10The bank branch of the future ARTICLE The Fiserv perspective — information convergence, interaction specialization and the importance of integrated channels The way financial institutions deliver services across banking channels is being profoundly impacted by two significant shifts. First, there is a demand for â€Å"information convergence† across channels. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and expect to be able to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. Second, there is a significant degree of â€Å"interaction specialization† taking place within each channel.This interaction specialization is driven by the unique properties of each channel, which determine the primary activities conducted through the channel. Consumer s have different habits and preferences about which channels they use to accomplish different financial tasks. For day-to-day needs, consumers generally prefer self-service via digital channels — mobile and online – respectively, the fastest growing channels. Fiserv characterizes interaction via the mobile channel as â€Å"snacking. † From a financial services perspective snacking encompasses frequent interactions that take less than 60 seconds. This includes tasks such as checking balances, receiving alerts and paying bills.One Fiserv financial institution client sees an average of 26 logins to mobile banking per user, per month — proof of their desire to consume financial services information in quick, frequent servings via the mobile channel. The bank branch of the future 11 The snacking analogy can be extended to the online channel and to the branch as well. The online channel serves up the financial equivalent of a square meal. Consumers go online wh en more browsing and a slightly deeper level of engagement is required. This includes tasks such as comparing products, managing budgets and setting up preferences. These types of activities usually occur on a weekly or monthly basis.The branch is for fine dining, those special occasions where more personal service and in-depth interaction is required. This includes advisory services and overall relationship management, encompassing critical decisions that require consultation and typically occur infrequently. As a leading global provider of digital channel solutions for financial institutions, Fiserv perceives that the shifts toward information convergence and interaction specialization will create challenges for financial institutions. Delivering consistent information across channels will require back-end integration and real-time functionalities that are often not in place today.This will be further compounded by device proliferation, the rise of tablet computing and the blurrin g of lines between social media as an interaction platform and a transaction platform. In addition, interaction specialization will require that financial institutions tailor services for specific channels. This will most impact services delivered via the mobile device, as financial institutions will be expected to support â€Å"mobileonly† services such as remote deposit capture for checks, location-based offers and contactless payments via near-field communications (NFC) technologies. Beyond self-service, the mobile device is also likely to become a banking platform for different types of interactions.In this context, financial institutions are under attack from nontraditional players — such as mobile operators and consumer brands like Apple — that would like to gain access to both customer information and transaction revenue. Financial institutions have much to consider when it comes to effectively serving consumers. An integrated channel strategy that incorp orates the unique attributes of mobile solutions as part of an overall approach is a winning strategy. Consumers expect information about transactions completed via one channel to be readily accessible via another, and to initiate a transaction in one channel and complete it in another. 12 The bank branch of the future Recognition — selling to a market of one T 84404893YHQAM235-4747343 ougher markets demand deeper, more profitable customer relationships.The need for banks to treat each customer as unique is more important. New technologies such as digital marketing and predictive analytics are making it easier to sell to a market of one. Personal recognition When customers come into the branch it helps to recognize who they are and make that information available to key members of the branch. An RFID tag can be part of that process. Embedded in a debit or credit card, it can identify customers as soon as they enter a branch. Through access to a customer relationship managemen t system (CRM), bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story.But potential customers also visit branches, sometimes just by chance. These are opportunities that need to be captured. Applications that allow branch staff to identify customers from personal IDs such as driver’s licenses or Green Cards, identify their credit history and then immediately direct them to a service opportunity, can replace paper-based processes that could take days, weeks or even months to complete, if at all. But technology is changing the concept of â€Å"branch† from a physical to a virtual concept. Valerie King Through access to a CRM system, bank staff can have complete access to relationship details to understand the next step in the customer story. Digital marketingDigital marketing is not just a technology, it is also a channel. In fact, it is many channels and embraces every aspect of digital media including TV, the Inte rnet, mobile phones and social media, and even older technologies such as radio. Whenever we click on a Web site, we create digital breadcrumbs that leave behind clues about our interests and preferences. They provide important intelligence about our real needs that marketing departments can respond to. Recognizing a customer through his or her digital identity gives a bank the opportunity for new customer touch points, more targeted campaigns and services more closely aligned to customer needs.Thanks to this approach one financial institution in the U. K. generates more revenue through inbound marketing than through any other channel. Social networking Social media generates conversations about brands and customer experiences that banks can follow. Airline companies in particular have been successful in using social networks as a customer service tool, allowing them to respond proactively to individual issues and concerns. The bank branch of the future 13 Some social networking sit es — Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and Facebook Places — allow members to share their locations with other members. This can provide promotional opportunities for businesses.For example, each time someone checks in to a Hard Rock Cafe in the United States using Facebook Places, Hard Rock International donates a dollar to WhyHunger, a charity fighting global poverty and hunger. The offer lasted through December 2010 — an innovative way of gaining customers and promoting Hard Rock’s commitment to philanthropy. Social networking is not just about customers. It’s about staff as well. Enterprise social networking is a vital collaboration tool that enables bank talent to share knowledge and expertise across the bank. By its very nature, a branch is a decentralized part of the bank, but for many customers it is their most important interface with the bank.Keeping branch staff up-to-date with the latest products, services and regulations and making them feel an essential part of a much bigger organization is essential for their morale and their ability to serve customers effectively. Social CRM To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. Branches have been successful at integrating into physical communities, but less successful in penetrating virtual ones. Microsoft’s CRM system comes with a social networking accelerator that allows branch offers to follow the customer chatter about service needs, reactions to products and feelings about the bank generally. Having a panoramic view of customers clearly creates a competitive advantage.Microsoft Dynamics CRM, together with Microsoft partner Customer Effective, creates an advanced CRM solution leveraging Customer Effective’s expertise in implementation and data integration. Why do so many CRM systems fail to meet expectations? Because they are often stand-alone implementations and are not an integrated part of a complete customer relationship management solution linking customers, services, channels and systems to create a higher level of customer experience. To be successful, branches must be part of communities — and communities can be both physical and virtual. 14 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY CRM at Wintrust Financial and FiservWintrust Financial, a Chicago-based financial holding company with more than $14 billion in assets, is implementing EnActâ„ ¢, its relationship sales management solution for financial institutions. EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use. Using the EnAct solution from Fiserv, Wintrust Financial’s bankers will now have a holistic view of client relationships with access to sales productivity tools to execute local outreach programs, track relationship management and prospecting activities , and monitor opportunity pipelines.EnAct leverages Microsoft Dynamics CRM and is designed to serve the distinct needs of banks’ primary lines of business — Retail, Commercial and Wealth — enabling Wintrust Financial to deploy a single, banking-ready CRM solution enterprise-wide. In implementing EnAct, Wintrust aims to better support collaboration across its organization, enabling referrals between divisions and facilitating team-based management of high-value relationships that span multiple business lines. â€Å"We empower our community banks to manage their clients and their markets locally, but we also want to leverage our combined scale and use the most advanced tools to serve our customers and grow our business,† said Tom Ormseth, senior vice president, Wintrust Financial. As part of our expansion program, we identified the need for an enterprise customer relationship management solution and we chose EnAct because it provides us with specialized ban king functionality on a versatile technology platform. We felt Fiserv was the right partner for us because they understood our business and had the experience and know-how to help us succeed. † Wintrust Financial recognized that lack of user adoption is a common pitfall of CRM projects, so deep integration with Outlook was considered an important benefit of EnAct. Outlook is integral to bankers’ workday at Wintrust; it’s where they manage their time, contacts, tasks and email communication with clients and colleagues.EnAct is built on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so it is delivered as an extension of Outlook and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office applications, making it intuitive and easy to use and encouraging end-user adoption. â€Å"By expanding its relationship with Fiserv, Wintrust joins a growing family of banks that are using EnAct to help execute their growth strategies,† said David Dervish, managing principal, Customer Value Enhancement, Fiser v. Wintrust Financial began its initial rollout of EnAct to a pilot group of more than 200 commercial bankers in December 2010 and is continuing implementation to a total of 1,400 users across 15 community banks as well as its various wealth management and specialized financial services divisions.To complement EnAct, Wintrust Financial also licensed Aperioâ„ ¢ Campaign Management and Aperio Customer Analytics. These solutions will help Wintrust analyze customer needs, identify opportunities and better manage centralized marketing campaigns that support local business development initiatives. The bank branch of the future 15 CASE STUDY Customer-centric at the core — First Citizens National Bank and Harland Financial Solutions After 15 years of fighting for market share in its Mason City, Iowa, home market, First Citizens National Bank (FCNB) was at a crossroads. â€Å"We grew by mining market share from the larger players,† explains Gregg Maakestad, FCNB’s SVP and CIO. To maintain our head-to-head competitive status we needed to challenge and exceed their capabilities. † But by 2009 FCNB’s item processing and marketing customer information file (MCIF) solutions had become inadequate. Rather than install point-solutions, FCNB, a subsidiary of First Citizens Financial Corp. ($1. 1 billion in total assets), determined that a core systems modernization would provide capabilities beyond just meeting current needs, Maakestad relates. A long-time user of the Phoenix System from Lake Mary, Fla. -based Harland Financial Solutions, FCNB nonetheless conducted due diligence in early 2009. â€Å"With every contract cycle we look at all options,† notes Maakestad. Because Harland is an open-systems vendor that shares all its database tables, we learned the strategic value of leveraging database tables,† he adds. â€Å"Therefore, we evaluate vendors’ willingness to share tables as a significant selection criterion. â₠¬  In fact, using the tables has become a critical best practice at FCNB. â€Å"We use the tables to supplement vendor-supplied reporting and modeling,† Maakestad explains. â€Å"For example, when Reg E [governing electronic fund transfers] was updated, †¦ we calculated the impact on our organization’s revenue immediately. And we’re doing the same now for the Durbin Amendment [regarding debit card fees]. † According to Maakestad, Harland’s latest platform, the Microsoft .NET-enabled PhoenixEFE Core, was the best solution for FCNB, leading to a late-2009 migration. â€Å"Beyond our existing hardware, PhoenixEFE only required setting up two production [IBM] XM servers and two for disaster recovery,† Maakestad reports. â€Å"There were no showstoppers in the new core system — just some minor items [that Harland is improving]. † During 2010 FCNB added Harland’s ActiveView Item Processing solution and the vendor’ s business intelligence tool, Touche Analyzer. And early this year the bank also integrated Touche Messenger, which draws intelligence from Analyzer for targeted multichannel marketing communications. The results have been impressive. PhoenixEFE has been key to achieving our current efficiency ratio of 47. 5 percent,† says Maakestad. †In addition, our item processing is simpler and our read rates have improved 15 percent. Also, the Touche solutions will be vital to moving our services per household from the current 3. 493 to our 2011 goal of 3. 516. † The new platform also enabled FCNB to replace multiple daily ATM and debit card batch processes with near-real-time transactions. And, over the next couple of years, the modern core will allow the bank to add more online and mobile products to its existing offerings. â€Å"As new opportunities mature, we’ll jump into them with both feet,† Maakestad says. In short, our new core platform has made us more c ustomer-centric and more efficient, positioning us for future growth. † CUSTOMER 16 The bank branch of the future Engagement — creating memorable touch points C Microsoft Surface offers an eyecatching way of bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate. apturing customers’ attention inside or outside the branch is easier with memorable touch points. Distinctive interactive walls, compelling messaging and outstanding presentations all contribute to a better customer experience. Cool toys, personalized advice and cross-channel integration are all essential tools for capturing the customer’s attention.But they all have to work together and be targeted at customers who are likely to respond to them. Surface technology Exploring financial options with an advisor or with your partner? Or just browsing? Microsoft Surface offers an eye-catching way of shopping for services, bringing people together to connect, learn and decide. It changes the way people collaborate and connect. Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch — supporting more than 50 simultaneous inputs. This experience comes to life in the new 40-inch Surface that can be used as a table, on the wall, or embedded in other fixtures or furniture. What-if scenarios are a lot more fun when you are working with Surface. But Surface can be more than just an eye-catcher.It can be a complete distribution channel in its own right, allowing customers another opportunity for self-service banking — snacking in the branch or browsing the menu while waiting for a table for some private dining advice. Interactive walls While customers wait in teller lines, wait for a financial advisor or just wander through branches, interactive walls can provide engaging interactions and compelling messaging for the financial shopper. Browsing for a car loan or a mortgage? Explore your options on an interactive wall. By touching it you can get the latest rates, explore financing options and do your homework before making a financial decision.Digital signage Wondering what the markets are doing? Curious about news and events in the community? Intrigued by a message from the chairman? Digital signage is a term used to describe the display of up-to-the-minute information on electronic devices such as plasma screens, LCD panels and projectors. Suppose it’s raining outside and there are more customers inside the branch and you want to change your electronic messaging to talk about new products and services. Managing the metadata in your digital signage system gives you that flexibility. The bank branch of the future 17 What if branches are serving Spanish-speaking customers in one location and English-speaking in another?Digital signage tools provide the flexibility to communicate different messaging to different markets. Digital signage can be used wherever there is a need to communicate to individuals or large groups of people. Wherever there is static signage, there is potential to replace it with digital signage. (See Figure 4. ) Founded in 1991, Omnivex originally supplied software to financial trading floors to post buy/sell positions on large LED wallboards and drive financial tickers. Trading floors were quick to adopt large plasma displays to monitor television news reports. Omnivex recognized that these displays could also be used to help traders clearly spot market trends and developed applications to display data graphically.Building on its foundation of a data-driven system, the company moved into the broader digital signage market, where its software could be used to display real-time information to facilitate decision-making by delivering targeted content to specific audiences. Financial institutions quickly adopted this medium within the retail banking industry, and we now see digital signage installations appearing more and more frequently in bank branches to communicate with custome rs and employees. Due to its data-driven approach, Omnivex digital signage software can deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time, helping to increase the effectiveness of communications. In branches, new products and services, promotional campaigns, market data, corporate communications and training materials can be delivered instantly, easily and memorably.In addition, digital signage can improve the customer experience by reducing perceived wait times, while entertaining and informing customers. Today, Omnivex software is used by many financial institutions around the world to power their digital signage networks. FIGURE 4 Microsoft partner Omnivex and digital signage 18 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Digital signage at Reflect Systems and Best Buy Banks have often been influenced by the success of retailers. Microsoft partner Reflect Systems is a leading, national full-service provider of in-store digital media solutions including digital signag e, interactive applications and assisted shopping features, mobile messaging, and in-store music.Reflect worked with Best Buy and its partners to deploy a solution that fit its vision for enabling networked digital media in all its stores, while adhering to business policies and preferred technology standards. Best Buy needed to improve the shopper experience with relevant and timely media content, showcase products and services with brand partners, and capture revenue opportunities available by leveraging the platform as a new digital media network that connects with loyal Best Buy shoppers. After methodical lab testing and pilot programs, Reflect employed ReflectView, its industry-proven scalable software solution, to meet the challenge of managing and distributing large amounts of digital media across Best Buy’s complex network of more than 1,100 locations across the United States.Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, R eflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store — at any given time, in any specific region — from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. Today, Best Buy has increased its in-store digital media footprint to include television and computer displays in the electronics department, checkout aisles and music via in-store audio systems. Best Buy has a fast-paced business environment that requires a dynamic approach to supporting new in-store initiatives. Reflect continuously strives to provide a platform approach for in-store media, and maintains a partner-focused solution set that provides choice, performance and measured results.Through its flexible content management, programming, distribution and monitoring features, ReflectView allowed Best Buy to control the specific message played in each store from a centralized system requiring minimal operational management. The bank branch of the future 19 FIGURE 5 Financia l benchmarking with Bundle Next-generation banking Next-generation ATMs, line busting, interactive walls and smartphone channels all converge together in a unique customer experience that targets customers from Gen Y to baby boomers. A common user interface is key to a compelling customer experience that recognizes the branch as a focal point in building enduring customer relationships. The technology of Kinect can provide in-branch entertainment as well as more engaging customer interactions replacing transactions with conversations.Personal financial management tools Technology has made it easier for customers to do research and resolve issues online. Branches are a perfect place for that research to take place. If the customer is already in a branch and wants to do some research or use automated tools to perform financial calculations, budgeting and planning, resources should be available for independent and banker-assisted research and planning. Options to consider include the f ollowing: > A dedicated bank of PCs for independent research > Interactive walls to explore financial options > Surface technology to explore different products and solutions Bundle is an example of a personal financial management tool eveloped by Citi, Morningstar and Microsoft, which allows consumers to compare how others spend their money. (See Figure 5. ) FIGURE 6 At Banco do Brasil, a customer explores financial options through an interactive wall. 20 The bank branch of the future Private, face-to-face advice Have tablets replaced desktops or have they just empowered them? By deploying both, branches have more options for face-to-face advice. It can vary from line busting to a confidential meeting with a private banking client. Technology may be needed to support those discussions, accept deposits, sign documents or review financial plans. Tablet technology can play an important role, and there are many providers to choose from.Companies like Motion Computing, HP and ExoPC offe r slate models in addition to the iPad. Motion Computing, in particular, specializes in manufacturing tablets designed for the needs of individual industries. (See Figure 7. ) FIGURE 7 Customized industry devices from Motion Computing Windows slates combine the ability to consume information and present it to clients with the full production capabilities of a PC. They are also secure and interoperable with other technologies. Incorporating your tablet solution into a complete branch experience demands the ability to interact with other devices, applications and systems. Bankers and financial advisors don’t just meet clients in the bank. They may also visit them in the home.The concept of a mobile sales force attached to the branch is not a new one. But for such a team to be effective it will need to be empowered by technology. Mobile technology can be used for customer presentations, the review of different products and services and the completion of documentation. (See Figur e 8. ) FIGURE 8 A selection of Windows slates (in order of appearance, the Asus E121, Motion’s CL900, the HP 500, the ExoPC and the Fujitsu-STYLISTIC Q550 Slate PC) The bank branch of the future 21 Customer use scenarios: Microsoft Surface at Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Canada Barclays has opened a new flagship branch at Piccadilly Circus in London.The bank describes the project as â€Å"the first ‘brand concept’ branch in the UK,† covering 8,000 square feet of retail space over three floors. With the opening of the branch, Barclays became the first bank in Europe to pilot Microsoft Surface. Infusion was engaged to create a Surface program that allows users to â€Å"grab† digital content with their hands and navigate information about Barclays’ Premier banking offering with simple gestures and touches. Royal Bank of Canada has partnered with Microsoft to provide customers with an interactive banking experience through Surface. The impleme ntation of Surface creates a fun and interactive way for RBC to inform its customers about their financial services.RBC found that giving customers a way to learn about their financial goals through interactive applications, such as Infusion’s application for Surface, is a great way to ease customers into initiating conversations about complicated financial topics. Client communications When was the last time any of us wrote or received a letter? The way we communicate is undergoing profound transformation. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. In this new chapter of communications there are risks and rewards implying profound changes in the way we develop, share and exchange information, even the way we work and play. The rewards are clear — richer and more frequent client conversations, better research, more informed insight, more accurate presentations.But the risks can be great as well. The in formation we create can be instantly shared through flash drives and across the Internet. Clients, markets and regulators are holding us more accountable for what we say and how we say it. The one-off presentations produced in local offices that differ across the firm should become a distant memory particularly since even small differences in client communications can have regulatory implications, dilute brands and confuse clients and markets. The world is changing at a dizzying rate. Client communications must be timely to add value, but with current technology it can also be too costly and time consuming to develop frequently.A 100-page pitch book for a key client meeting may require data and content from many sites, sources and databases, much of it captured manually. What if the process could be automated, branding managed centrally and compliance built into the process in advance? Microsoft’s partner Xinnovation has the solution — the ability to produce automated presentations within minutes that are compliant with regulations and firmwide brand management standards. Whether we communicate through laptops, slates or smartphones, electronic communication is becoming pervasive. 22 The bank branch of the future CASE STUDY Streamlining client communications at Fidelity Xinnovation streamlined Fidelity’s 22-day data intensive, increasingly complex investment review process into just a few simple hours.Quite impressive when you consider these specialized, targeted presentations can run up to 100 pages chock full of dynamic charts and graphs, which draw from backend data systems. (See Figure 9. ) Fidelity turned to Xinnovation and its Web-based, Microsoft ®-standard XiDocs document automation platform. XiDocs includes easy-to-use features that enable rapid development of solutions. XiDocs features include content management, configurable assembly and publishing of highly customized Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and PDF documents, data-driven Excel charts and graphs, enterprise content, and workflow — all living natively inside Microsoft Office SharePoint Server.It gets better — Fidelity and Xinnovation implemented a direct XML connection with Fidelity’s print and fulfill vendor to maximize workflow capabilities. And if that is not enough smart for one day, Xinnovation’s technology enables Fidelity to provide its reports through its client portal and extend a â€Å"greener† process. FIGURE 9 Automated document generation with Xinnovation The bank branch of the future 23 Origination — developing new business opportunities O ne of the toughest challenges banks face today is origination. This is particularly true in a low-growth environment. So it is important that banks have a clear understanding of where their opportunities lie.Most banks have a marketplace that can be split into three parts: > Customer enthusiasts — customers who are enthusiastic about their relationship w ith the bank and want to expand it > Customers on the fence — customers who are indifferent to their relationship with the bank but could be swayed one way or another > Dissatisfied customers — customers who are about to leave and are waiting for the right opportunity to move on. Against this mix there are further segmentation opportunities. The challenge is to find the right marketing and distribution mix for each customer segment. For example, Bank of America identified the mass affluent as a â€Å"must-win† strategic market.The bank worked with Merrill Lynch to target services to a specific part of its target — the mass affluent — which it defined as customers with investable balances of about $200,000 or more, but not superwealthy. The bank reasoned this group of customers were occasional investors rather than active traders and so offered them 10 free trades a year to boost their loyalty and deepen their relationship. Where does the branch fit in to this mix? Should it be the preserve of a few customers, or is there a way for it to play a role across all sectors of the market? One way of approaching this is to think of the branch as a networking opportunity, emphasizing its social rather than its transaction role.Targeting families, small businesses, emerging entrepreneurs or local clubs and associations reinforces the role of the branch as a focal point for the community. Financial seminars targeted at local entrepreneurs, pension advice for boomers, and financial services for college students are examples of programs that bring traffic to the branch and reinforce its role as a critical part of the local economy. With branch traffic up, the next step is to make it easier to open accounts, browse new services or get financial advice. Increasing self-service facilities — not just ATMs, but interactive walls and Surface devices as well — within the branch is one way of achieving this. But technology doesnâ₠¬â„¢t have to exclude the human element.Enabling bank staff to assist customers through video links on next-generation ATMs and other self-service channels reinforces the relationship between banker and customer rather than excluding it. 24 The bank branch of the future Some of the tools to consider include the following: > Targeting customers through predictive analytics — Reaching out to customers can be costly for several reasons. Along with more traditional campaign costs, companies often fail to take into consideration any negative impacts that a campaign may have in terms of driving customers away or driving customers to consider alternative offers. Predictive analytics plays a critical role in minimizing negative campaign responses and ensuring that campaigns are targeted and effective.This also includes maximizing opportunities for cross sell and retention in the key instances when customers are engaging via inbound channels. Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive customer value in the long term. Whether customers are online, talking to a call center or in the branch, it is important to have a clear picture of who those customers are, and what particular offer, be it cross sell or retention, is best to present them at that moment. One insurance company found that by optimizing customer nteractions in this manner it was able to sell more through inbound channels than through all other channels combined. > Managing customers’ time when they are in the branch — By enabling branch staff to reduce queuing at teller counters they can also engage with customers and explore other service opportunities. A handheld computer device can accelerate deposits, account inquiries, transfers and other simple transactions. Line busting can turn unproductive wait times into business opportunities. S cheduling and calendaring linked to digital signage solutions can manage appointments with branch staff and expectations with customers who might otherwise be unclear when they would be seen. gt; Making it easier to access new services through paperless banking — If a customer wants to open a new account or obtain a new line of credit but has to wait for the paperwork to be completed, that just adds time and cost to the onboarding process and delays revenue realization. It can also frustrate customers and cause them to look elsewhere to meet their needs. Years of paper-based processes may need to be revisited to improve customer experience, improve margins and increase security. > Marketing through self-service transactions — Originations should be possible within the branch through any channel, whether through a bank of PCs, through next- generation ATMs, or call centers accessed from within the branch. Surface devices and interactive walls can be both a source of inf ormation and origination channels.Self-service channels are mainly for existing customers, but it should be just as easy for new customers to become activated through them as well. > Banker-assisted originations — Often completed through paper documents, the origination process can involve several stages, and many documents — account opening forms, signature cards, loan agreements — but if converted Gathering a single view of your customers across all touch points is a critical step in understanding your customers’ needs, and delivering the best possible customer experience to drive value in the long term. The bank branch of the future 25 into electronic form can be completed quickly and easily but still securely while the customer remains in the branch.This shortens the origination process considerably. The problem is how to accomplish this in a secure way. The growth in eSignature technology and supporting regulation (the ESIGN Act and UETA) makes this a much easier option for many banks. > Tellers as relationship managers — Probably the one personal contact the bank customer has the most frequent engagement with is the bank teller. Yet this is the one interaction we want to get over with as quickly as possible. A friendly interaction with a teller can play an important part in origination. But for that to happen the role of tellers within the branch must change and they must be managed very differently as a resource.The first challenge is to manage traffic within the branch to reduce the pressure of a short and pressured interaction. Secondly, tellers’ productivity has to be improved by giving them access to technology that enables them to process transactions more easily. Finally, tellers should know who their customers are, reinforcing the importance of the personal connection. Branch recognition technologies and access to CRM systems can help tellers play a pivotal role in strengthening customer relationships. CA SE STUDY Predictive analytics at U. S. Bancorp with Portrait Software Pitney Bowes Business Insight (PBBI) is a Microsoft Gold partner that leads the pack in the field of predictive analytics. The Consumer Direct division of U. S. Bank, a subsidiary of U. S.Bancorp, found that its traditional marketing campaigns were not delivering the returns they once were, and was failing to target customers with the most relevant message. After two successful trials, U. S. Bank implemented PBBI’s Portrait Uplift solution and has since achieved significant gains — a 300 percent lift — in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. U. S. Bank is just one of several customers in different industries that have found PBBI’s Portrait suite of analytics solutions to be of immense value. Selling to a market of one is a challenge across all industries, financial services in particular. U. S. Bank has achieved significant gains in incremental revenue together with reduced costs through lower mailing volumes. 26 The bank branch of the futurePROFILE Secure paperless banking with digital signature from Topaz and AssureSign We are all familiar with digital signature in the retail environment, even in insurance. A number of leading banks have begun to adopt the process, but in financial services the technology of digital signature is still in its infancy. Whether we are opening a bank or brokerage account or applying for a loan there is usually a lot of paper involved. But paper takes time to process, must be stored and can easily be lost. Plus we need a more reliable way to ensure documents have been signed and stored as securely as possible. Is it time for a fresh approach? Many businesses around the world are saving money by replacing paper processes with electronic signature and document solutions. In the U. S. the ESIGN Act gives electronic signatures the same legal significance as paper signatures, provided the customer consents to the process. Various forms of eSignature exist from a simple click to sign to robust biometric signatures written on electronic signature pads that record the precise shape and sequence of the signature, its strokes and direction of loops, and detailed timing of each part of the signature used in the signing process. Another form of electronic signature that does not incorporate biometrics — the digital signature — uses asymmetric cryptography to ensure documents can be protected once they are signed and any changes related back to the original signer.The technology of eSignature and digital signatures is now available across multiple devices and can be deployed locally or at an enterprise level. Mainly deployed in the public sector and in the retail, healthcare and insurance industries, this technology has already been adopted by a number of leading banks to improve the speed and security of banking document processes. Such efficiencies are leading the ch arge in enabling bank branches to become paperless. AssureSign (www. assuresign. com) and Topaz Systems (www. topazsystems. com) are leaders in the field of electronic signature and document management. FIGURE 10 Topaz eSignature software technology can be deployed across the Web and directly with its biometric electronic signature pads. Biometric signatureAssureSign is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or on-premise electronic signature solution that allows signers to execute documents via web portal interactions, captures the â€Å"act of signing,† email invitation or in-branch scenarios. AssureSign easily integrates with existing not an image of a signature banking and financial services applications to provide a paperless document execution process. AssureSign can also work alongside Topaz solutions to bridge the gap between in-house and external web-based signing requirements in a FIGURE 11 A biometric signature using AssureSign single platform. AssureSign solutions offer a variety of front-end signer authentication options as well as Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESign Act) and Uniform Electronic Transactions ACT (UETA) compliant signing processes.Topaz Systems offers a broad array of electronic signature pads for use in teller- and nonteller-related transactions, along with bundled software, authentication and server tools, and plug-ins. Topaz solutions provide the capability for corporations to deploy their technology across any Web-based service and on any device, whether tailor-made or generic. Topaz signature pads are available in color and monochrome versions, wireless versions for use in drive-up teller environments, and pads that capture simultaneous electronic and paper signatures up to full legal clipboard size. (See Figures 10 and 11. ) The bank branch of the future 27 CASE STUDYIncentives at Bank of the West and Varicent If branch staff are to play a different role in the branch of the future, the question tha t arises is whether they should be compensated differently. To meet this challenge, Bank of the West chose Varicent SPM to manage incentive compensation and sales performance throughout the organization. Varicent’s SPM solution was chosen by Bank of the West because of its ability to provide a single system for all compensation plan management that easily integrates with all other existing systems within the bank. Varicent is an industry leader in providing incentive compensation (ICM) and sales performance management (SPM) solutions.Bank of the West, based in San Francisco, offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services and operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. â€Å"Varicent’s solution will provide us with the unique ability to more effectively analyze important compensation and sales performance metrics. We will also use Varicent to improve the accu racy of our forecasts and to create effective sales incentive models that can drive the right behavior and maximize our future performance,† said Donald Duggan, senior executive vice president and CIO at Bank of the West.Varicent’s approach offers a lower total cost of ownership than alternative solutions and in-depth sales analytics to help understand performance, allowing for accurate forecasting and modeling of future plans. Streamlined administrative processes include the managing an