“Only A Pawn In Their Game” – Dylan and The 60s

This past September 11th marked the fiftieth-anniversary of the release of Bob Dylan’s 1962 eponymous album, Bob Dylan. Fittingly, Dylan marked the occasion with the release of his thirty-fifth studio album, Tempest, an album Rolling Stone Magazine recently gave five stars, calling it â€Å"one of his weirdest albums’, and adding, â€Å"It may also be the single darkest record in Dylan’s catalog†. Tempest, rather than being an exception to the trend, is a continuation of the creative resurgence that Dylan has experienced over the past decade, proving that even though he’s now one of rock music’s elder statesmen, his advancing age has not urned him into a mere nostalgia act, but rather has served to cement his legacy as a true musical icon. Despite his prolific touring schedule and studio output, the period that is still most often associated with Bob Dylan is the early 1960s, specifically his involvement with the Civil Rights movement and hi s influence on the popular culture of American society. Louis Masur says that, â€Å"it was what Dylan sang, said, did and represented for a few years in the 1960s that continues to draw the public’s attention and ignite the imaginations of new generations of listeners†. In a three- ear period, Dylan went from being an unknown singer/guitar player to full on protest anthem composer. As a descendant of Jewish race, Dylan was also able to sympathize with visible minorities in ways that others were not able to. He wrote some of the most influential music of the time and would to turn his back on it all, only to reinvent himself. Masur summarizes it perfectly, saying â€Å"Dylan embodied two revolutions within three years, two seismic cultural shifts. Before they ended, and ever since, writers have inquired into the meaning of Bob Dylan†. Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman, the son of Jewish American parents, n Hibbing, Minnesota. His father and uncles owned an electrical store and one of Dylan’s first jobs was helping his father collect on late payments or repossess equipment in situations where payment was long overdue. Growing up in Mid- western America and being Jewish in a town that, as he put it, â€Å"had a certain prejudice against Jews,† left him feeling very isolated and misunderstood. An old high school flame, Echo Star Helstrom explained, â€Å"the other kids, they wanted to throw stones at anybody different. And Bob was different. He didn’t fit in. Not in Hibbing†. In order to cope with the growing feelings of isolation, Dylan turned to music and learned to play to play the guitar that he found in the home his father had bought. He would stay up late at night, listening to a radio station transmitted from Shreveport, and it was on that station that he first heard the music of Hank Williams, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. These artists left Dylan with a desire for more as he â€Å"absorbed not only these sounds but the promises of independence, individuality, and freedom that (their) music seemed to carry†. In an interview with Jeff Rosen that acts as the backbone or Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary, No Direction Home, Dylan, reflecting on the popular music of the time said, â€Å"nobody liked country or rock and roll, rhythm and blues. That kind of music wasn’t what was happening up there. The music that was popular was ‘How Much Is That Doggy In The Window? ’. But that wasn’t our reality, our reality was bleak to begin with, our reality was fear†. The 1950s were a tense time, and the young Dylan found that rock and roll was a good outlet to work through and express what youth were feeling. He formed a few band throughout high school, and his stated goal in his senior yearbook was â€Å"to join Little Richard†. In a voice over scene in No Direction Home, one of Dylan’s high school teacher tells a story about having to pull the curtain because the principal didn’t feel that â€Å"Robert’s piano playing was appropriate for the audience†. Though Bob’s first love was rock-and-roll, he would soon become infatuated with folk music. Folk music’s foundations were laid in the early part of the twentieth century by the International Workers of the World, or the IWW. The first members of the IWW penned songs as part of the effort to establish workers equality and rights, and would sing protest songs while marching in demonstrations. However, during the Red Scare following WWI, state and federal authorities raided the IWW offices and shut down the organization. Folk music was rescued in large part thanks to Woody Guthrie, a poor farmers son who left home at sixteen to discover his homeland. Working odd jobs, Guthrie made it through the Depression and eventually became a radio personality in Los Angeles, reading radical news of KFVD. Within two years, he was living in New York making regular contributions to Communist publications, and went on to join the Navy during the Second World War. Upon returning to the US, Guthrie settled into New York City and wrote ountless songs, including â€Å"This Land Is Your Land†, â€Å"Tom Joad† and â€Å"Pastures of Plenty†, all songs with strong socialist sentiments. â€Å"This Land Is Your Land† was actually written as a Marxist retort to â€Å"God Bless America†, and became an alternative national anthem to the New Left. When asked, about what type of songs he sang and why, Guthrie responded: â€Å"I sing the songs of the people that do all of the little jobs and the mean and dirty hard work in the world and of their wants and their hopes and their plans for a decent life†. His sentiment was expressed clearly on his instrument: â€Å"This Machine Kills Fascists†. Guthrie soon met Pete Seeger, a fellow folk musician who had formed a musician’s union, and they began to travel the nation on an informal tour. With other musicians, they formed a leftist group called the Almanac Singers. They â€Å"promoted union organizing, racial justice, and other causes with their topical songs†, and in the late 40s, they evolved into the Weavers. Things changed in the early 1950s. The Weavers were enjoying a period of great success with the song â€Å"Good Night, Irene†, moving two million copies, making it the best selling record since the end of WWII. Unfortunately, it wasn’t made to last. Guthrie and Seeger were both blacklisted by the studios and recording industry for their outspoken socialist views and communist sympathizing, and were eventually reduced from national stardom to playing small bars on the outskirts of cities. Things began to improve following the 1954 senate censure of Joe McCarthy, and there was a renewed interest in folk music. , beginning in the San Francisco Bay area. The Kingston Trio were instrumental in the resurgence of folk music. Formed in 1957 by three college students, the Kingston Trio proved that folk music, f marketed and sold properly, could be commercialized, and had the potential to be very profitable. In June of 1958, the Trio released ‘Tom Dooley’, an â€Å"unlikely pop/country hit† that sold over three million copies. The group was prolific in their recording, at one point having four albums in the Top 10, simultaneously. Between 1958 and 1966, the Trio would relea se 22 albums, 13 of which ended up in the Top 10. Though criticized for â€Å"watering down† folk songs to make them commercially popular, and standing on the sidelines through the most political and contentious period of American history to date, the group deserves credit for elping to pave the way for the general acceptance of the older folkies, as well as helping to clearing a path for newcomers like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. In a 2007 interview, Trio member Nick Reynolds told The Huffington Post that the members of the group were â€Å"big fans of the Weavers†, and acknowledge that the Weavers experience had shown them that they were best to take another direction. Reynolds was quoted as saying, â€Å"We decided that if we wanted to have our songs played on the airwaves, we'd better stay in the middle of the road politically. We'd just got out of school. We didn't want to get blacklisted† When asked if the Weavers ad warned the Trio to avoid controversy, he simply said: â€Å"They didn't have to†. In t he fall of 1959, Dylan relocated to Minneapolis and enrolled in the University of Minnesota, though he rarely attended class. It was during this time that the Kinston Trio were beginning to have great success, and there emerged a changing perspective amongst the youth of America. The area surrounding the University had a bohemian element to it, and it inspired Dylan to sell his electric equipment and buy an acoustic guitar. This turn from rock and roll to folk music was significant, as it provided Dylan with an outlet to perform in small coffee shops and o meet like-minded people, a relatively new phenomenon for the outsider Dylan. Minneapolis was also where Zimmerman adopted the name ‘Bob Dylan’ when asked how he wanted to be presented on the bill at his first performance. It was around this time that he was introduced to the music of Woody Guthrie and was given a copy of Woody’s autobiography, Bound For Glory. Dylan described his initial take on Guthrie in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, saying, â€Å"The songs themselves had the infinite sweep of humanity in them †¦ [He] was the true voice of the American spirit. I said to myself I was going to be Guthrie's reatest disciple†. Dylan related to Woody’s stories about the people down on their luck and no doubt correlated his experience as a repo-man, even if just subconsciously. Guthrie’s importance was immediately clear to large number of people, and Mike Marquees has said â€Å"He was authentic because he came from and sang for the oppressed†. However, as previously stated, â€Å"Woody was an unabashed political partisan, a self-styled â€Å"full blooded Marxican† and enthusiastic class warrior†, which wasn’t a great career move in the McCarthy era. Dylan was so impressed with Guthrie that he decided to try to adopt his traits nd personality. He began wearing a corduroy hat, jeans and work shirt, imitating his Woody’s okie accent and imitating a tick he had, not conscious of the fact that he was actually imitating the symptoms of Huntington’s disease. In Guthrie’s music, Dylan found a mix of individualism and populism, humour and rage, and a general sense of the possibility of self-creation. Marquee says, â€Å"Guthrie offered an identity that was more genuinely Dylan’s own than the one his so ciety had saddled him with†. After dropping out of University, Dylan headed east to New York, having heard that Guthrie was in a hospital, on his deathbed. Shortly after arriving in New York, Dylan made the pilgrimage to see his dying idol, playing a few songs for him while there. The visits would continue for some time, but Dylan was about to explode onto the scene. Playing in small bars in Greenwich Village proved to be a great experience for the young Dylan. Only 20 at the time of arriving in New York, he was able to create quite an impression almost immediately. He played regular gigs at the Cafe Wha? and would occasionally work as a session musician for Columbia. John Hammond, a record produced for Columbia Records, happened to be watching a recording ession that Dylan was part of, and recognized his talent immediately. Before discovering Dylan, Hammond’s most notable signing was Billie Holliday, the singer of â€Å"Strange Fruit†. Released in 1939, â€Å"Strange Fruit† was a song about racial injustice and lynch mobs in the American south, which at the time was very heavy subject material. However, the song wa s a great success and helped to draw attention from the north to the injustices of the south. It also showed that Hammond wasn’t afraid to support controversial artists with opinions, given his support of the desegregation of the music industry. Dylan himself has described Hammond as â€Å"no bull-shitter. There were maybe a thousand kings in the world an he was one of them†. Dylan released his first album in 1962, produced by John Hammond. The record only had two original compositions, but that’s what the folk scene was like at the time. The album flopped, only selling about 5000 copies, and Dylan was soon being referred to as â€Å"Hammond’s folly†. Undeterred, Dylan soon sought out a manager, and found Albert Grossman. In Chronicles, Dylan describes his first impression of Grossman: â€Å"He looked like Sydney Greenstreet from the film The Maltese Falcon, had an enormous presence, always dressed in a conventional suit and tie, and he sat at his corner table. Usually when he talked, his voice was loud like the booming of war drums. He didn't talk so much as growl†. Grossman was also the man responsible for forming Peter, Paul and Mary. They were a truly manufactured form of music, where Grossman had gone so far as to change Paul’s name from Noel to Paul in order to achieve that wholesome, Bible feel. Through Grossman, Peter Paul and Mary were able to record Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind, achieving a #2 hit just behind the Beatles ‘Help! , and marking Dylan as an expert songwriter for the new movement that was emerging. Dave Van Rock, a contemporary of Dylan’s from his village days, told Mike Marquees that the folk revival could be described as â€Å"part and parcel of the big left turn middle-class college students were making†¦ So we owe it all to Rosa Parks†, or more s pecifically, the sit-in movement that had begun with four college students in North Carolina. The movement began to gain traction as it spread to other cities, and a few weeks after the North Carolina sit-ins, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was formed. The SNCC committed itself to destroying Jim Crow through nonviolent means and action, and adopted many folk songs as â€Å"freedom songs†. The SNCC had a sister group in CORE, or, the Congress of Racial Equality. Founded in 1942, the group had practically collapsed in the McCarthy era, but was finding renew strength and interest by both whites and blacks that wanted to take an active role in social change. One of the members was Bob Dylan’s girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Rotolo booked the then unknown Dylan for a CORE gig, and wanting new material to play, he wrote â€Å"The Death of Emmitt Till†. Murdered in 1955 for llegedly making lewd comments to a shop owner’s wife, Till was only 14 years old. After being missing for a few days, his body was recovered from a river, weighed down by a cotton gin secured to his neck with razor wire. The men who were eventually charged were acquitted on all charges and the case remained unsolved. Till’s mother insisted t hat the photos of her son’s body be run in the paper to show exactly how ugly the racism of the south was, that they would kill and mame a child. Though Dylan quickly derided the song as â€Å"bullshit† and never released it, it was a pivotal moment in his songwriting career. Dylan was born the same year as Till, as was Muhammad Ali, who often said that Till’s murder was a defining moment in his own racial consciousness. Dylan’s political affiliations reached their peak on August 28, 1963, when he performed alongside Peter Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Odetta at the March on Washington. Peter Yarrow of Peter Paul and Mary said that the March on Washington â€Å"was not only a moment of extreme hopefulness, it was a moment of the confirmation of the possibility of that hope becoming a reality. That was the moment of recognition of what people could do to change history†. Everyone but Dylan took part in singing Blowin’ In The Wind, and then he stepped up to perform two songs unfamiliar to the audience. Seemingly unable or unwilling to express himself in anyway but song, Dylan didn’t speak, he began playing ‘When The Ship Comes In’. Singing about how â€Å"the sun will respect/every face on the deck†, Dylan shared his â€Å"jaunty vision of inclusive, unqualified liberation, unfolding as ‘the whole wide world is watching’†. The â€Å"ship† he sings of is likely a metaphor for what was being called â€Å"The Movement†. With the biblical phrasing and the egalitarian imagery, the song had a lot in common with the â€Å"Dream† speech that Martin Luther King Jr would give later that day. Dylan, though obviously not African American, was Jewish, and so the message of inclusion in both the song and the speech extend to the persecutions that the Jewish people had suffered in America as well. His second song had been inspired by the assassination of Medger Evers, an organizer for the NAACP in Jackson, Mississippi. Evers had been shot only a few months previous, on June 12, 1963, only a few hours after President Kennedy announced plans to seek new civil rights legislation. A war hero, Evers had been involved with the Emmitt Till case, and had been an instrumental figure in the NAACP. Using rap-like rhythm, Dylan sings a song simple in form but deep in content. He doesn’t condemn the assassin, but rather, he condemns the political system that encourages the behavior of the poor uneducated masses. The song was titled â€Å"Only A Pawn In Their Game†, and it has been described as a â€Å"searing class analysis of the southern skin privilege† in America. The song begin by retelling how the man shot Evers from behind a bush, and sings â€Å"But he can’t be blamed, he’s only a pawn in their game†. The next verse, Dylan cuts directly to his point; â€Å"A South politician preaches to the poor white man â€Å"You got more than blacks, don't complain You're better than them, you been born with white skin† they explain,† Dylan attempted to demonstrate the politics of racial division in song form, on a day when everyone else was focusing on unity. The song’s core message was about the persistence of racism, and â€Å"the central weight of white-skin privilege† in the American political system. Dylan doesn’t hold the individual responsible, he holds the state responsible, and the political system that pits poor whites against poor blacks. This was the ultimate finger-pointing song. Not long after, Dylan released his 3rd album, The Times They Are A-Changin’, but he had already become isillusioned with The Movement. No sooner had he been appointed the musical conscience and spokesman of a generation than he rebelled against in. Echoing his own song lyrics showing that he, like the â€Å"sons and the daughters† in Times They Are A-Changin’, was also â€Å"beyond your command† . When President Kennedy was shot in November 1963, it affected Dylan more than he would admit. The entire country was in shock, and less than a month after the shooting on Friday December 13, The Emergency Civil Liberties Committee presented Dylan with the Thomas Paine award for his work with the civil rights movement. Dylan, still only 22 at the time, was very nervous and became fairly intoxicated. When he got up to accept the award, he didn’t make much of an effort to mask his contempt for the people there: â€Å"I haven't got any guitar, I can talk though. I want to thank you for the Tom Paine award in behalf everybody that went down to Cuba. First of all because they're all young and it's took me a long time to get young and now I consider myself young. And I'm proud of it. I'm proud that I'm young. And I only wish that all you people who are sitting out here today or tonight weren't here and I could see all kinds of faces with hair on their head – nd everything like that, everything leading to youngness, celebrating the anniversary when we overthrew the House Un-American Activities just yesterday, – Because you people should be at the beach†¦.. There's no black and white, left and right to me anymore; there's only up and down and down is very close to the ground. And I'm trying to go up without thinking about anything trivial such as politics. † Essentially, the speech served as his declaration of independence from politics. Dylan’s assertion that he now considered himself â€Å"young† was further emphasized the following June when he released Another Side Of Bob Dylan. The songs on the album were a different variety than that of his previous material, especially the song ‘My Back Pages’, with its refrain of â€Å"I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now†. This song served to boil-down his drunken babbling at the ECLC to a beautiful piece of art that explained his position in a way that people would understand. In March of 1965, Dylan released his fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home. It wasn’t a complete departure from what he had been doing, with the album content split 50/50 between acoustic and electric arrangements, but it was a clear indication f where he was going with the music. The defining moment came when he played the Newport Folk Festival in July of that year, in what would later be referred to as â€Å"the most written about performance in the history of rock†. Dylan wanted to play electric instruments and asked members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band to play with him. Together, they played three, ‘Maggie’s Farm’ off of Bringing It All Back Home, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’, which had just been released, and an unreleased version of ‘It Takes a Lot Too Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry’. There was a large amount of booing, and the performance was a clear eparture from his previous two appearances at the festival, when he performed acoustic songs with Joan Baez. The irony though, was that in not wanting Dylan to change as an artist, they were actually acting like the Establishment that they were hoping to change. Their reaction to his evolution and change in direction was a desire to maintain the status quo, and was actually is counterintuitive to the emerging counterculture. Over the next year, Dylan would go on to make Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde, each with fully electric arrangements. Throughout his fifty-year career, Dylan has proven countless times that he’s apable of reinvention. After starting out as a rock and roller, he turned to folk and protest music. When that lost it’s appeal, he went back to rock music, and by the end of the sixties he had invented folk-rock and country-rock with his albums John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline, respectively. His turn away from politics and the New Left movement set the precedent for the selfish behavior that would dominate late sixties and early seventies culture, and he came to be recognized as a symbol for what was, and largely still is, considered â€Å"cool†. The guy is so â€Å"cool† in act, that when President Obama presented him with The Presidential Medal Of Freedom earlier this year, saying that â€Å"There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music,† and that the â€Å"unique gravel-y power of his voice helped redefine not just what music sounded like, but the message it carried and how it made people feel†, Dylan accepted the medal wearing aviator sunglasses. The significance of the President being a young black man from Chicago, wh ere protesters chanted Dylan’s line â€Å"The Whole World Is Watching! † during the 1968 riots outside the democratic national convention should not be overlooked. Dylan’s work throughout the early 60s created a legacy for the rest of the musicians and bands that would come out of the decade. Bruce Springsteen, an artist also signed by John Hammond and who was called â€Å"The New Bob Dylan† when he released his first album, inducted Dylan into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, saying that while â€Å"Elvis freed our bodies, Bob Dylan freed our minds†. Springsteen also spoke for the countless band and groups that Dylan inspired, saying: â€Å"without Bob, the Beatles wouldn’t have made Sgt. Pepper’s, the Beach Boys wouldn’t have made Pet Sounds, the Sex Pistols ouldn’t have made ‘God Save The Queen’, U2 wouldn’t have done ‘Pride In The Name Of Love’, Marvin Gaye wouldn’t have done ‘What’s Goin’ On? ’, the Count Five would not have done ‘Psychotic Reaction’, and Grandmaster Flash might not have done ‘The Messageâ €™ † Springsteen outlines the influence that Dylan has had a wide scope of genres, but the defining characteristic that these bands have in common is that they were all willing to produce songs on touchy subjects in new, bold interesting ways. Dylan inspired these artists to look at what society was offering, and to say â€Å"here’s something better†.

Learning †teacher Essay

Good afternoon everyone, today I am going to talk about education. Education has many affects but how does education affects our lives. Education affects people by opening them up to new ideas, thus broadening their thinking. As for example, A degree can also broaden opportunities in the job market. Sometimes education can change what you believe, if you find new truth and need to fit it into your worldview. As long as a person is careful to actually examine the information that is presented, and not just blindly accept anything from any source, education usually improves lives and minds and offers us more opportunities and possibilities. The education for society can be different, due to the fact that various types of education and learning methods and assumptions affect me and others in many different ways. An important key role in our life by far is education, because so far it has given me a different perspective of life. A well-known Greek Philosopher named Plato once said that the direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life. He literally means the type of education we chose to follow or have leads to us becoming that. So far in my journey of life it has opened and shown my eyes to a lot to see in this world. Education has given me the chance to learn and discover new things around me; in addition it has taught me to believe about life. Education has made me who I am today, and will have a huge impact in my future to come, because it will determine how I will live. It has given me a picture and sense on what I can achieve and do in life. My education started at a very young age, just like most people start theirs. My first mentors and teachers were not from elementary school, but they were my own people that raised me from home. The education I received to this day has made me a better decision maker about life’s big questions. Nelson Mandela best said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. What Nelson Mandela is trying to mean is that education is the answer to move forward in life. I totally agree with Mandela on that.

Bank Muscat is the chief financial services giver situated in Coursework

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Executive vs. Non-executive Pay - Research Paper Example Average pay is made from chief executives to the low ranking managers. In the other hand, non-executive pay is a payment done due to management of department or regions where executive works in smaller companies (Martocchio, 2011). The companies which provide non executive pay do not comprise any governing body or board. Compensation is one of the disparity that grows in this line of executives as they are paid differently but performing the little task as compared to the employees. Management differences and organization plan in an organization determines employees payments. Chief executives in some companies tend to do a lot of work than others and earning more (Martocchio, 2011). Executives determine the success of failure of an organization because since they plan for every task undertaken including the payment. Good management is determined by the level of knowledge and experience with the

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Leadership Behavioral Analysis. Evaluation of the Research Methodology - Essay Example The study entailed statistical as well as qualitative surveys conducted on a sample of project managers. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used to analyze how the managers used situational leadership in project management. Johnson, Onwuegbuzie and Turner (2007) consider Concurrent Triangulation Mixed Method Design as appropriate research method since it enables the researcher to collect qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously. Moreover, the researcher is able to use qualitative data in validating the quantitative data resulting in reliable findings (Driscoll, Appiah-Yeboah, Salib, & Rupert, 2007). Appropriateness of the Data Collection and Analysis Methods Used For the Study The research study used both qualitative and quantitative research methodology (hybrid) and what the author refers as Concurrent Triangulation Mixed Methods Design. This entailed more than two methods in collection and analysis of data. Although qualitative and quantitative research methodo logies are considered different in terms of epistemology and ontology, they ensure completeness and validness in data collection and analysis. ... Blending qualitative and quantitative data collection technique is advantageous since results obtained using one of the methods can be triangulated using the other method. By using quantitative techniques, the researcher was able to obtain data that was used to test the research hypotheses. The data collected through qualitative techniques was used open the study since it provided insights on the other aspects interconnected in the study (Driscoll, Appiah-Yeboah, Salib, & Rupert, 2007). Scaling, which was used for quantitative data collection, was disadvantageous since it could not have reflect diverse observations of the data. By using open-ended surveys, which is a qualitative methodology, the researcher was able to explore situational leadership and project success. The above aspects are quite complex hence hard to explore using quantitative techniques. This is because it is hard to measure leadership and project success quantitatively since such aspects are better explained in de tails other than numeric. Such explanations constitute qualitative analysis (Lee, 2010). Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies was a great idea. Quantitative method is the major method used for data analysis. However, qualitative data is used to support the quantitative data. In some instances, data collected using qualitative strategies such as open surveys is likely to be biased. However, collecting more data using quantitative methodology and analyzing it can enable the researcher to determine the credibility of the data. For example, in Lee (2010) study, the answers obtained from the open interviews showed that most manager interviewed had used situational leadership techniques. However, the data collected

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Selection Plan - Essay Example The letter gives a summary of the individual’s knowledge, skills and attributes. It is usually written by a previous employer or an education institution. Although the individual may be strongly recommended, the validity of the assessment is low. However, the company incurs low costs. In this test, the assessment is done on the personality types of the individual. In this case, the individual is tested on his or her ability to undertake appropriate interventions after patient assessment. The individual must be able to exhibit some characteristics that are necessary for the best interventions in the assessment of the patient. This category is important because, the individual and the patient must be able to relate well with each other in order to provide the required interventions. For example, an extrovert will associate well with the patient. Other vital characteristics are (a) agreeableness – this type of person is helpful and thus fits well in the position, (b) conscientiousness – the important characteristic is dependability, (c) emotional stability – calmness and security are very vital, and (d) openness to experience - cautious and broad minded are very essential. There are three things that must be looked at; faking, validity and appli cant reactions. This test is low in cost and its reliability is very high meaning it can provide the desired results. Its validity is medium and the reactions that accompany most of these tests are negative. However, the adverse impacts are low. In this test, the applicant is tested on the job knowledge, how well the applicant can execute the work given. The test is important in accomplishing the first two KSA statements; reports pertinent findings and acts accordingly, and administers the correct medications and treatments. Without the job knowledge, these two KSA statements cannot be accomplished. There

Business Schools and Responsibility for Preventing Financial Crisis Essay

Business Schools and Responsibility for Preventing Financial Crisis - Essay Example are currently facing. But it has been argued by several observers that the business schools have failed to provide preventive measures for current global financial crises. These observers have argued that lack of relevance of these business schools, showing unethical behaviour of these business schools and creating negative impacts on the people and firms or business organisations are creating barriers for providing preventive measures in favour of prevention of current financial crises. Many observers have argued that managers after getting passed out from the best business schools do the same job in banking sectors or in the share markets which can be done by people having no background of studying in business schools (Canals, 2009, pp.42-43). These managers are adding nothing new in these sectors. Business schools bear a certain responsibility for (not preventing) the current financial crisis. Nature of current financial crises: Almost all the economies of the world are facing pro blems in regard to their economic growth process due to the prevalence of financial crises that these economies are facing mainly since 2006-07. ... These are resulting in further decline in global income and hence decline in people’s purchasing power. According to many researchers, including Noble laureate Paul Krugman, these global financial crises are results of poor and ineffective banking and financial system of the developed economies of the world like European economies and mainly American economy. According to Paul Krugman the banking and financial system of these economies has been largely dependent upon the free market forces. These banking and financial systems had no control over the funds or assets which are circulating in the global economy. They became more and more concerned about creating new funds and hence they have started to provide more and more loans to people and business organisations. But when one defaulter defaults to pay his loan, the entire system collapsed due to the fact that the structure of providing loans was dependent on multiple layers. When one lower level of layer collapsed, the entire structure first became unstable and then it collapsed. But the most notable impact has been realised when there occurred a significant reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the major global economies of the world, mainly in the European countries. Between 2009 and 2010 rate of fall of GDP in the countries of the European Union has been estimated as 4%. This high rate of fall of GDP forces many countries of the European Union, such as Greece, Portugal, Italy and Spain, to take loans from International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. These nations are also forced by these international organisations to curb down their public spending on different goods and services, including production and consumption expenditures. In this context these countries cut down

Dionaea Muscipula As A Carnivorous Plant Research Paper

Dionaea Muscipula As A Carnivorous Plant - Research Paper Example This gives the plant a small boost of nutrients hence promoting growth. Like any other plant that exists, the Venus flytrap also performs photosynthesis. The Venus flytrap’s leaves perform photosynthesis. The plants make use of the sunlight’s energy in creating sugar for fueling the plant. The broad leaves that are just below the traps act as the solar collectors. There is a very close relationship that is in existence between the plants’ activities of insect trapping and the plant’s rate of photosynthesis. The rate of photosynthesis on the Venus flytrap plants tends to slow down during as well as after the closure of the trap. Although the Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant, photosynthesis is essential for the survival of this plant. The above discussion gives an analysis of how the bio system of the Venus flytrap works. It is a plant with unique characters. It is evident that its carnivorous status acts as an adaptive feature of this plant in its boggy environment. It grows in an environment that lacks very crucial nutrients. Digestion of the insects helps the plant to extract these nutrients hence supplementing the deficiency of these nutrients in the plants. These nutrients include nitrogen and phosphorous. The plant requires these nutrients so as to survive. It is hence evident that the plant has to trap insects and feed on them so as to survive. The electrical properties of the Venus flytrap are essential in the built environment as they help in responding to stress, which might be experienced in the environment.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Human Rights Idea Coursework

Strengths and Weaknesses of Human Rights Idea - Coursework Example With reference to the notion of human rights, it has been derived that all over the world, human rights have been promoted and protected for the entire human civilization for its fundamental freedom, political, economic and cultural issue. Human rights are equal and non-discriminatory for every human being in a society.With these considerations, the primary objective of this study is to find out the strengths and weaknesses of human rights ideas. Apart from this, the other objective is to analyze the prevailing purview of human rights including a critical argument between theoretical perspectives and democratic practice along with replicating an evaluation of the human rights ideas with case examples which either substantiates or challenges the laid down perspective.The history of human rights changed along with the modern era. The idea of human rights had been designed by human beings. The humans also govern it which is enforceable by the law. According to the law, every human being is equal and independent. Besides, no one has the right to harm/ kill anyone. Moreover, everybody has a chance of doing anything as a profession which is applicable under the law. However, it has been observed that over the years even after equalizing everything a number of grave problems remain unchanged.According to Charles R. Beitz, the idea of human rights function has been large and wide. In order to describe this, it has various positive and negative aspects. Human rights can enable to define emanating problems from a moral standpoint. According to his proposition, human right is the independent moral entity which is the key scope of human being. It has been identified that after the establishment of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), human rights are maintained systematically by the entire world. Subsequently, plenty of countries’ government has started promoting human rights domestically and internationally.

The audience to empathise Essay Example for Free

The audience to empathise Essay Willy Russell was born and brought up in, Whiston just outside Liverpool. He was born in 1947. Russell comes from a working class background. He grew up with mostly women around him: his mother, grandmother and his aunts. This had a big influence on his work and writing about women, and class, such as Shirley Valentine, Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons and Rita in Educating Rita. After leaving school with one English O-level, first he became a ladies hairdresser and ran his own salon. Russell then undertook a variety of jobs, also writing songs which were performed in local folk clubs. Besides he wrote songs and sketches for local radio programmes. At 20 years of age, he returned to college and became a teacher in Toxteth. Around this time he met his later wife Annie and became interested in writing drama. Carol Chandler is the first character we meet in Our Day Out. She is the main character in the play. Carol is a thirteen year old girl who is described as arriving to school in her uniform which Willy Russell describes as doubling up as Sunday best. She is an underprivileged young girl and she goes to a class for unintelligent people in a secondary modern school in Liverpool. Mrs Kay in Our Day Out is a teacher what acts more like a mother towards carol. Carol is seen cuddling up to Mrs Kay on the coach. This is something a mother would do. Mr Briggs finds that Carols and Mrs Kays relationship strange, as he is not as open with his emotions as Mrs Kay and Carol. The moment on the cliff is a changing point in the play. Carol realises she has confidence, by telling Mr Briggs what to do. But the reason for her sudden confidence is because. Carol becomes aware of the fact that she is unable to change her life due to of her back ground and abilities. This is why she keeps asking Mrs Kay when they have to go home. In this scene Mr Briggs finds out that the children in the progress class are not too bad and his he grows very close to Carol in this scene and he appear to be a pleasant person compared to other people misconceptions and he is mean because he does not understand the pupils in the progress class. In the play Our Day Out, some of the characters are very much at contrast to each other. Mr Briggs, a teacher is a very insecure character; his behaviour is due to not wanting people to see who he really is. His philosophy is that everything has to be organised and in place. An example of this is when he makes the pupils stand in a straight line. Stop! Slater, walk walk! You boy come here. Now stop. Willy Russell is making a point that he is trapped in his own view and in reality, things arent always as straightforward and in place as they seem. An example of this is when the children are in the shop and the counter cannot be seen for pushing, impatient kids. If Mr Briggs were at the counter then this would not have occurred, as his own regimented ideas would have been practiced. Mr Briggs like many other characters is trapped in to their class. Rita (Susan White) in Educating Rita is the main character in play. She is a women in her late 20s who is a hair dresser. But she has got bored with her life and the way she lives it . She is looking for something more in her life but does not know what it is. so she goes to the open universty to help her find what she is looking for. Frank is a fifty year old university lecture whose boredom and isolation have led him into being an alcoholic to alleviate his depression. Due to his excess drinking Frank has started giving Open University courses to cover his drinking cost, thus teaching Rita. Frank refers to Rita as breath of fresh air scene1 act1 because she is different compared with the other types of students that go to the univisty. Rita is probably a hairdresser because Willy Russell was one; this probably matches his struggling in his education Rita and Franks relastionship is built on frank teaching rita. When Rita gets what she wants from the course ie a new life she loses intrest in the course. When Rita came into the room talking in her common accent and swearing, Frank is shocked as he was expecting a polite lady with a upper class manner like the rest of his students. You can empathise with the way Rita wants to move her life on a find some thing better Willy Russell show us this in a very simple but effectiv way that puts across many feelings of power and life. Mrs Johnston from Blood Brothers is a working class women from liverpool who has 7 children and 2 more on the way. In the play her life is contrasted with Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons cannot have children but is upper class; she has a rich husband and a good lifestyle. At the beginning of the play Mrs Johnston is described as being 30 but looking 60, she has been let down in life and is stuck, so when Mrs Lyons suggests that she have one of the twins, This seamed like a very good idea at the time because Mrs Johnston would not be able to survive with any more children. Blood brother is a very good example of the contrast of two very deferent lives. Mrs Johnston gets a job as a maid for Mrs Lyons who is a middle class person with a big mansion for a house, however there is only two people living in it. Hello, Mrs. Johnston. How are you? How are you enjoying the job? Oh its, its smashing thank you, Mrs. Lyons. Its such a lovely house its a pleasure to clean it Yes, its a pretty house isnt it? Its a pity its so big. Im finding it rather large at present When Mrs Johnston confides in her employer of her problem after she finds out she is going to have twins Mrs Lyons uses the situation to her advantage and persuades Mrs Johnston to give her one of the twins at birth and makes her take an oath on the bible that she will never tell anyone of the adoption as Mr Lyons is against it. She tells Mrs Johnston that when twins find out that theyre brothers that die. Mrs Johnston is a very superstitious is May because of her social class. Overall I think that Willy Russell get many important issues across the stage in his play he does this a very watch able way and enjoyable way. His characters in the play are very deep people that have lives that put across many problems in the world. He is very good at making us understand the Characters in the plays and their feeling. Willy Russell is a very talented play writer whose plays will last the test of time.

NORM Management Process Cycle

NORM Management Process Cycle Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) at ADNCO, Management Procedure and Measurements Ahmed AL Azeezi Contents Introduction: Literature review: Methodology Findings: Conclusion and Recommendation Figure 1: Penetration power of ionizing radiation Figure 2: NORM exposure routes Figure 3: NORM Management Process Cycle, enhanced (more details) chart Figure 4: Norm Program strategy Figure 5:900 series mini monitor probe type 44A Table 1 : Units of Radioactivity and Radiation Levels Table 2: Types of Radiation Table 3: NORM Area Classification for Non-Classified workers Introduction: Nowadays, Oil GAS industry is having a lot on challenges because of the complexity of this industry and the interaction with the other aspects such as the earth cosmic properties. However, one of the most important aspect for the oil gas is Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM). These materials are having a negative effect on the humane body and the environment which required to have a strict procedure to control such materials in production of the oil until handing these the concentered NORMs during the transportation from one point to another. In this report, I will be covering the definition of the NORMs and how it can be detected on the process side with a real measurement example. Also, if these materials are present, how can we mitigate these effect of exposure to the radioactive materials? According of the ADNCO Code of practice (COPV2-09). Literature review: NORMs are covering all the naturally occurring radionuclides and presenting at different concentrations in the earth crust. Moreover, these materials can be enhanced in the concentration due to the process accumulation which is associated with the recovery of oil and gas such as separators reflux pumps. This enhancement process of NORMs called TENORM (Technologically-Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials). The sludge, pipe scales and drilling mud are an examples of materials which can contained the elevated levels of NORMs. There are two main types of NORM contamination at Oil GAS industry which are Radium and Radon (Rn-222) contaminations. The Radium is existing in water and low specific activity scale. Moreover, the radon is usually found on natural gas production wells. Furthermore, there are two systems of measuring of radioactivity and radiation levels, which are international system (SI) and the traditional US unites with its conversion factors between them as shown in the below table: Application SI units US units-Old system Conversion Factors Radioactivity Becquerel (Bq) Picocuire (pCi) 1Bq=27pCi Concentration Becquerel/Gram (Bq/g) Picocurie/gram (pCi/g) 1Bq/g=27pCi/g Surface Activity Bq/100 cm2 Disintegrations per minute/ 100cm2 (dpm/100cm2 ) 1Bq/100cm2= 60dpm/100cm2 Exposure Coulomb/kilogram (C/Kg) Roentgen (R) 1C/KG= 3876R Dose Equivalent Sievert (Sv) Rem 1sev=100Rem Table 1 : Units of Radioactivity and Radiation Levels NORM can be divided in three types of radiation as shown below: Radiation types Definition Health Hazards Controls Alpha Particles (ÃŽ ±) -Ra-226 -U-238 -Po-210 -Pb-210 Radiation is made up of heavy, charged penetrate that cannot penetrate very fare, even in air Internal health hazards through inhalation, ingestion and absorption exposure routes skin Beta particles(ÃŽ ²) -Ran-228 -Pb-210 -Bi-210 Radiation consists of lighter charged particles than alpha particles that travel faster and are thus more penetrating than alpha radiation. Internal health hazards through inhalation, ingestion and absorption exposure routes Shielded by thin layer of metal or plastic Gamma rays (Y) -Ra-226 -Pb-210 Radiation consists of high energy rays and is very penetrating External health hazard to human bodies Shielded by thick layers of led or other dense materials including meter of concrete or several meters of water. Table 2: Types of Radiation Figure 1: Penetration power of ionizing radiation On the other hand, the health effect of these NORMs are vary with four factors which are: Total amount of energy absorbed Exposure duration Dose rate Particular organ exposed. The exposure to the NORM is not comparable with the man-made sources such as the X-Ray. A chronic exposure to these NORM without using any PPE (personal protection equipment) which is adequate to the existing radiation increases the likelihood of gaining cancer. During oil gas processing stage, the TENORM will be accumulated on two different forms as shown below: NORM in Scale Radium, one of the naturally occurring nuclides in the uranium decay series co-precipitates with strontium, barium or calcium as sulphates or carbonates and deposit on the internal surfaces of the oil and gas facilities. The formation of the scales eventually effects the integrity of the equipment, vessels and pipelines and consequentially reduces the capacity of the process facility. NORM in Sludge and Scrapings Radionuclides, mainly radium are found in sludge, produced sand and produced water. Other nuclides such as lead 210 and polonium 210 can also be found in pipeline scrapings and the sludge accumulation in lower level of the tank of gas oil separators, dehydration vessels and pipeline scrapings. Figure: 2 illustrate the NORM exposure routes to the human body as shown below. Figure 2: NORM exposure routes Referring to ADNOC COPV2-09, the NORM management process cycle has been developed and illustrated as shown below chart: Figure 3: NORM Management Process Cycle, enhanced (more details) chart The NORM management process cycle is giving a workflow how can we handle these materials if it is detected on the Oil Gas process, which basically is having an actions and controls to eliminate the effect of these radioactive to the workers, public and the environment and make it As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). Thus, before implementing the management process cycle, NORM Management Strategy was establish to make the process cycle more effective and it is consist of five keys area as follow : NORM Survey and Monitoring Workers protection and Training Control of NORM contaminated equipment Control of NORM Waste Development of NORM Management procedure. Figure 4: Norm Program strategy For any newly finished oil / gas producer well, the initial (baseline) survey shall be conducted for NORM and if the result is positive more controls and actions shall be implemented through the NORM management process cycle. Radiation Protection officer (RPO) shall be certified and having adequate competency to locate assess the radioactive on-site. The normal duties of workers don’t include exposure to NORM radiation. They are considered as members of the public. The ADNOC limit on effective dose received by any employee, shall be not exceeding the 50mSv in any single year during with a 100mSv over the 5 years. Otherwise, the worker with more dose than 50mSv/year shall be consider as classified radiation workers. Those workers shall have a periodic medical surveillance in order to insure the fitness and health. Moreover, the location/equipment can be classified in to three zones depending on the dosing values as shown below table: Dose ( µSv/Hr) Definition Requirements Unrestricted Area -Normal Work Permits -Basic Approved PPE -Good Hygiene 0.5 – 1.5 NORM supervised Area -Work to be supervised by PRO -Use NORM applicable PPE(according to standard EN 149 FFP3) -Control public access by PRO -Demarcation with warning NORM sign -Train workers -Monitor NORM levels before and after work completion -inform HSE focal points -Permit to work required 1.5 – 4.5 NORM Controlled Area (restricted) -Stop the work -inform line manager and PRO for further instruction -Control worker access b PRO -Demarcation with warning NORM sign -if dose rate exceed 4.5 µSv/hr, workers exposure must be controlled below the annual exposure of doe rate of 20  µSv. Table 3: NORM Area Classification for Non-Classified workers Methodology Hence, the NORM measurement can done through two types, either by field or laboratory measurements and both of have its own requirements and conditions. However, in this report, the field measurement will be carrying for a gamma radiation in different locations. So, the instrument was used for this measurement is the 900 series mini monitor probe type 44A in counts per seconds-cps. This meter is a very sensitive gamma rays and it is detecting the radiation as a number not level concentration. The methodology of the survey as presented below steps: Carry out initial survey beyond the site boundary to measure background radiation levels in cps using contamination meter as mention above. Hold the probe close to the surface to be surveyed, moving slowly over the area noting any response from the contamination meter and compare the background levels. If the measured radiation levels are found twice the back ground levels, measure dose-rate ( µSv/h) at a distance of 1 meter from the contaminated equipment using the dose rate mete. Measure NORM at different positions of potential NORM contaminated equipment at three different heights and average of the three readings at each height. When surveying cylindrical shape, the inside of the pipe should always be checked by placing the probe a few centimeters inside each end and record the results. Figure 5:900 series mini monitor probe type 44A Findings: The process of measuring the NORM was done by a expert third party (M/s Aberdeen Radiation Protection Services) in different locations at upstream of the oil and gas well producer, but the below table is showing only the risky data which required to have a more analysis on the amount of the gamma radiation emitted at these points. Area 1 Plant No1 Location Value of measurement Produced water pump pipe work. 100 cps Max. External surface of empty storage tank 30 cps Inside this tank adjacent to manhole entrance 200 cps External surface of base of Separator V0311 200-300 cps External surface of base of Separator V0312 140 cps Open drain Grill 30 cps Area 1, 12 well inlet at manifold Background reading, No radiation External surface test separator 110 cps All the reading are in counts per second and most of them are above 100 counts which is reflecting that it is required to have more analysis by using external dose rate meter to know the exact concentration and exposure dose to surrounding which can be emitted. Moreover, the laboratory measurement shall be one of the option to have more details by using the radiometric analysis device. Conclusion and Recommendation To sum up, the naturally occurring radioactive material are associated with oil and gas industry which shall be controlled in order to reduce the negative effect on the workers, public environment. The process of evaluating the NORM (specially the baseline) is very critical and it can be led to catastrophe condition if the outcomes are not reflecting the actual situations. This finding of Gamma rays in our case are indicating there is an industrial hygiene issue to the worker which required to have more control on the PPE and exposure duration. However, these reading are located mostly on oil separation side (upstream), however, the downstream, gas processing industry is very important point to be assessed which was missed during the third party assessment at upstream feed. In order to reduce the amount of exposure, the worker shall be following the ADNOC COPV2-09 as a guidelines such as monitoring, workers protection requirements and transport of NORM contaminated equipment. Moreover, the Gamma elements will be moving from the upstream to downstream which will be reaching the gas processing units. So, it is recommended to have regular inspection for the radioactive materials specially the glycol unit will observed most of the moisture on the process which can be containing the radiation elements. Reference: Heath Safety and Environmental Management Manual Of Codes of Practice, Volume 2: Environmental protection, ADNCO-COPV2-09†Guideline on management of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM)†. CRP-HSE-10-39, â€Å"ADCO NORM Management Procedure†

Importance of Advertising and Promotion in Business

Importance of Advertising and Promotion in Business Task 1:- The three communicational theories of business Electronic theory: understands the dynamic communication aids in delivering messages clearly to the receiver. The process of the electronic theory is t is based on, and uses the language of, electronics. Emails, smart phone messaging system are using the electronic theory which information will be delivered in electronic ways. Social environment theory- is based on the workplace. It is essential to understand to whom we are talking their position. We also have to respect the rules and culture while communicating to each other. Rhetorical theory: this theory targets not only the receiving message but also the respond produced. The information and Communication technologies are changing in day to day life style. They are improving the way a message delivers to a audience. The ways of adverting are using website, other company website banners, classified, multimedia presentation, flyers and posters. The type’s advertisements are Product advertisement which is selling a single product such as mobile phones, electronic goods. Product advertisement only targets a limited people who will be using that product or services. Business advertisement is to make the company brand familiar to the audience. For example the brands most commonly known by the people are Nike, Timberland, Apple products. Service advertisement suggest the advertises service. Examples of service advertise are Government, Tourism and banking. As the latest technologies are gradually getting demand, advertising in a website will be idle for targeting the customers. Most of the users browse and prefer to shop online. In order to sell produ cts online it is essential to details every specification of the product so that it will be easy for the clients to understand how the product or services will work before they purchase. Main important information that should be displayed if using website for advertisement is the company name, product name and contact information. The most popular online shopping website are ebay and amazon which allow many suppliers to sell product online and also allows the clients to review the services they get while shopping online and which may help the users who visit the product to understand a general knowledge on how the services are given to the customers. The technology is changing people on how they shop. Most of them prefer shopping online and even the high street retailers are making their products available online as well. The important advantage or using website to advertise product online are the product can be advertised in the same country or make it visible for other countries a s well. Task 02 The Role and Importance of Advertising Advertising is part of Marketing. In order to stimulate customer response always the advertisement is a good opportunity for the company to promote. The more people see the product/service, the more they feel like buying it. So many companies rely on advertising these days to boost sales of their products or services, to build a connection with their audience and to create competition with their rival firms There are different types to gain customer’s awareness like advertising, and promotion, Also there are different places that advertisements can be positioned, using the metro, trams, buses, restaurants and so on The advertising objectives should support main company’s goal and should be discussed with company-client in order to avoid misunderstanding. The advertising roles are based on company’s marketing strategy, like; * Increase sales * Increase brand awareness * Supporting other market efforts Advertising gives companies and businesses the opportunity to build up a brand and an identity. A recent example of this having great success is with the Apple brand. The distinct adverts in both TV andprintform are instantly identifiable as the companys own and give it an identity as a clean, modern and reputable brand. Advertisements need to relate to current trends and sell both a product individually as well as the company as a whole. If an advertisement succeeds at both it can help draw an audience to the product or service and build a relationship between the consumer and company. Establishing this connection should lead to a boost in sales for the business. One of the best ways to advertise is by word of mouth, also known as referral marketing or referral advertising. When other people hear good things about your business or they have a positive experience shopping with your business, they become walking billboards for your business without you having to spend additional money on ads to create it. Advertising locally through newspapers and fliers as well as billboards can be an effective source of it when your business is up-and-coming, but expanding your advertising sources becomes important as you grow. You can extend your advertising approach out to television commercials as well as radio in order to reach wider audiences, but the revenue from your business should be able to pay for it costs for these methods to bring you the value you are looking for. Creating an assortment of advertising and marketing techniques will help you to reach many different customer bases. Identifying a target market to advertise your business to is also very valuable, because a target market of customers will be more interested in your business than trying to appeal to masses of people with varying interests. Making sure that enough people know that you exist who are naturally interested in your product as a target is a great way to bring in customers and increase the profit of your business. Creating an impulse in potential customers to purchase your product is very important when it comes to advertising. It can be easy to create it that puts your customer in a mindset not to purchase your product, either by unintentionally avoiding the sale of your product by focusing on information or topics that draw attention away from your product. Be sure to study the needs of your target market to get the best results. In modern times the importance of advertising your business is no different. Without an audience for your product or service, you will not attract enough customers and will not make enough sales to keep your business doors open. Task 03 Below the line Techniques and their usage. Below the line, refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media advertising. Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. Below the line, refers to forms of non-media communication, even non-media advertising. Below the line sales promotions are short-term incentives, largely aimed at consumers. With the increasing pressure on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to communicate with the target markets. In organizational business and marketing communications,below the line is anadvertising technique. It uses less conventional methods than the usual specific channels of advertising to promote products, services, etc. thanAbove the linestrategies. These may include activities such as direct mail, public relations and sales promotions for which a fee is agreed upon and charged up front. Above the line is a type of advertising throughmediasuch asTV,cinema,radio,print,bannersand search engines. Below the line advertising typically focuses on direct means ofcommunication, most commonly direct mail and e-mail, often using highly targeted lists of names to maximize response rates.With the increasing pressure on the marketing team to achieve communication objectives more efficiently in a limited budget, there has been a need to find out more effective and cost efficient ways to communicate with the target markets. This has led to a shift from the regular media based advertising. In other words, below-the-line sales promotion is an immediate or delayed incentive to purchase, expressed in cash or in kind, and having only a short term or temporary duration. Examples of BTL promotion are: Sales promotion Direct marketing and direct mail Public relations (PR) Sponsorship Personal selling Branding and merchandising Packaging Telemarketing Trade fairs and exhibitions Sales promotions These offer customers incentives to encourage them to buy goods and services. In B2C markets, typical sales promotions include: BOGOF (buy one, get one free) offers price discounts (10% off this week) giveaways competitions to win holidays or cash prizes Direct mail This enables a business to target existing and potential customers with its sales messages. Direct mailing is a productive way of promoting to existing customers for several reasons. Task 04 Ability to plan integrated promotional strategies A company can employ various promotional techniques in order to communicate with the target market, techniques that form the promotional mix. Depending on the communication means, the promotional techniques can be: Direct communication techniques – focused on creating a relationship with each client Indirect communication techniques – based on mass communication, the message in identical for a high number of potential customers ( advertising, public relations, sales promotion This definition outlines the key purposes of the marketing function. These are: to compete in a competitive marketplace to identify and anticipate consumer requirements and then satisfy these requirements to make a profit. As a market-orientated organization adidas continuously identifies and reviews consumers’ needs to ensure its products meet these needs. It aims to exceed customer expectations by adapting its product portfolio to meet the changing needs of consumers. It is this focus on its customers, teamed with product and marketing innovation, that plays a key role in adidas’ success. Every organization must look at its marketing in relation to the marketing mix. The marketing mix, often referred to as the 4Ps, is a means of assessing how to balance the elements of the mix in order to meet customers’ needs. The elements include: the right product sold at the right price in the right place using the most suitable form of promotion. No two businesses are identical, as such, every organization must decide on its own balance of the 4Ps to suit its consumers’ needs. There are many internal and external factors that will influence an organization’s marketing mix. Key factors include the size of the business, the markets it operates in and available resources. References eHow, The Electronic Theory of Business communications, [online] Available : http://www.ehow.com/facts_7457569_electronic-theory-business-communications.html How to choose an advertising agency, [Online], Available:http://www.inc.com/guides/201108/how-to-choose-an-advertising-agency.html Bovee, Courtland L., Thill, John V. (1992). Business Communication Today. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Inc. 2 Herta A Murphy, Herbert W Hilderbrandt (1991).Effective Business Communications. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Inc. 3 Ross, R Reed, Brian G Long ( 2004). The Win / Win Negotiator: How to Negotiate Favourable Agreements That Last. Singapore: Pocket Books. Kitchen , P., Ilchul, K., Schultz, D. (2009). Intergrated Marketing Communications: Practice Leads Theory.Journal of Advertising Research, (December), 531-546. Retrieved fromhttp://moodle2.lsu.edu/pluginfile.php/219255/mod_resource/content/1/IMC_Practice_Leads_to_Theory.pdf McGrath, J. (2010). Using means-end analysis to test integrated marketing communications effects.Journal of Promotion Management, 16(4), 361-387. Retrieved fromhttp://web.ebscohost.com.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/ehost/[emailprotected]vid=1hid=8bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl

A Critical Review of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay

A Critical Review of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a universal and timeless literary masterpiece. Fitzgerald writes the novel during his time, about his time, and showing the bitter deterioration of his time. A combination of the 1920s high society lifestyle and the desperate attempts to reach its illusionary goals through wealth and power creates the essence behind The Great Gatsby. Nick Carraway, the narrator, moves to a quaint neighborhood outside of New York City called West Egg; his distant cousin and his former colleague, Daisy and Tom, live in a physically identical district across the bay called East Egg. The affluent couple quickly exposes Nick to the corrupting effect of wealth and materialism. He often serves as a sophisticated observer at several fashionable parties, yet he remains uninvolved in the hedonistic lifestyle. Jay Gatsby, the man who gives his name to the book, lives in an extraordinary estate adjacent to Nick, where he incessantly welcomes guests to sumptuous parties. Nick develops a fixation and a selfless devotion to Gatsby. Gatsby is a dreamer, absorbed by the past, and Nick reluctantly aids him in attempts to fulfill his ideal. The impractical illusions, in the end, destroy Gatsby and lead Nick to see the ultimate manifestation of corrupt American society. In The Great Gatsby, greed and corruption centralize the theme. Fitzgerald uses the contemporary public as a core of life for his characters. Gatsby’s intent to win a love from his past by the display of lavish possessions results in annihilation. He was doomed from the beginning by his avaricious wishful thinking. Gatsby’s approach to attain his goal was encumbered by immoral mann... ...irrationality. This is the behavior one would expect from new money. Acting as one from an established background, Gatsby remains calm, yet forcibly declares his righteousness. The primary symbolism of the car comes at the end. The car, of wealth and power, causes brutal devastation to each character in different ways. In conclusion, The Great Gatsby is a morally and historically enlightening classic about the moral decline in the 1920s. F. Scott Fitzgerald fabricated brilliant symbolic allusions in every line of writing. The book never loses meaning, for it comes from an unforgettable, real time period in American society. It is recommended for a person of any age, race, or gender who is interested in understanding a peculiar part of what the modern world has become. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby truly captures the essence of American literature.

W.H. Audens Musee des Beaux Arts and Pieter Bruegels The Fall of Icar

W.H. Auden's Musee des Beaux Arts and Pieter Bruegel's The Fall of Icarus W.H. Auden and Pieter Bruegel were both keen observers of the ordinary. In Bruegel’s painting â€Å"The Fall of Icarus†, he is able to look past the tragedy of the death of Icarus and focus on the simple scene surrounding the event. Auden’s poem, â€Å"Musee des Beaux Arts†, has the same qualities: it glazes over the nature of tragedy, and chooses to instead examine the fact that life goes on while disaster occurs. Arthur F. Kinney highlights this idea of calm in the face of tragedy in a critical essay entitled â€Å"Auden, Bruegel, and Musee des Beaux Arts†. Kinney explores Auden’s inspiration for the theme of the poem. The theme, Kinney explains, is not merely generated by â€Å"The Fall of Icarus†, but also two other Bruegel pieces. â€Å"The Numbering at Bethlehem† portays Joseph and Mary arriving at Bethlehem, while â€Å"The Massacre of the Innocents† shows a torturer and his horse in a town square. Both pieces conv ey the same main theme as â€Å"Musee des Beaux Arts†: the complex nature of a substantial event, contrasted with the simplicity of every day life. Each of the paintings reflects on human nature, in the context of apathy amidst tragedy. In his critical article â€Å"Auden, Bruegel, and Musee des Beaux Arts† Kinney asserts that â€Å"the same statement [is] made by two art forms†, and that Bruegel’s painting and the poem it inspired, â€Å"Musee des Beaux Arts†, â€Å"juxtapose the unique and the commonplace.† â€Å"The Fall of Icarus†, the only one of Bruegel’s paintings mentioned by name in Auden’s â€Å"Musee des Beaux Arts†, concludes the final octet of the poem. The plowman in the foreground, not the splashing legs of Icarus, is what the canvas is centered on. Bruegel’s focus on the sim... ... Works Cited Bible, King James Version. Luke 1-5. 12 Dec. 2005 . Auden, W. H. ""Musee Des Beaux Arts"" The Longman Anthology. Ed. David Damrosch. New York: Longman, 2003. 2789-2790. "Daedalus in Greek Mythology." Mythography: The Legend of Daedelus in Myth and Art. Loggia. 12 Dec. 2005 . Kinney, Arthur F. "Auden, Bruegel, and 'Musee des Beaux Arts'" 7: 529-531. EBSCOhost. Homer Babbidge Library, Storrs. 11 Dec. 2005. Keywords: Auden + Musee Des Beaux Arts. "Musee des Beaux Arts." 2003. Poetry Pages. 12 Dec. 2005 . Pieter, Bruegel. The Fall of Icarus. Musee des Beaux Arts. Pieter Bruegel Oil Paintings. 12 Dec. 2005 . Pieter, Bruegel. The Massacre of Innocents. Musee des Beaux Arts. Pieter Bruegel Oil Paintings. 12 Dec. 2005 . Pieter, Bruegel. The Numbering at Bethlehem. Musee des Beaux Arts. Pieter Bruegel Oil Paintings. 12 Dec. 2005 .

tweak settings :: essays research papers

CDI2Nero 0.9 beta7 - (C) 2001 by DeXT http://cdirip.cjb.net *** WARNING! This is beta software. It has not been fully tested and may *** contain bugs. Use it at you own risk. *** This tool must not be used to duplicate copyright-protected content. *** The author will not be responsible for its improper usage. Purpose ------- This little tool will convert a CDI (DiscJuggler) image to NRG (Nero) format. Both CDI 2.0 and 3.0 image versions are supported. It currently has support for: - CD-ROM/XA type CDs - Mode 2 and Audio tracks - Single session and Multisession images It lacks support for: - Audio-only CDs (TAO only) - Mode 1 data tracks These will be added soon. Usage ----- Usage is very simple, just double-clic the executable file and an Open File dialog will appear, select your source CDI image to convert and press OK. A Save File dialog will then appear on the same path as source image. Write the desired name for the destination NRG image (you don't need to write any extension) and press OK. Default name is "image.nrg". You can also use it from command-line. Syntax is: cdi2nero image.cdi [image.nrg] For command-line usage, if you don't specify a destination filename, the source image filename will be used but with NRG extension. Burning ------- Once converted you can burn the newly created image. If a DAO warning message appears, you should select Yes (although this depends on burner, I think). This will only appear on Multisession images. Notes ----- This is a unified DAO/TAO version, unlike previous ones, where you can select NRG image type when saving. DAO images are most standard ones, and is the only format that Nero itself is able to generate. TAO images are special ones, which lacks a cuesheet, and track positions are managed by the burner itself. Nero is not capable of generating these. On most burners, these images will be burned in "Track at Once" mode (hence the name) instead of default DAO. A general note is to burn in DAO (default) mode and if something fails, try TAO instead. But note that if your burner doesn't support "short" tracks (i.e. those below 302 sectors) you still will get errors when trying to burn such images. These errors are usually "cannot write track at correct position", or seeing CD-Extra discs as Audio-only (i.e. no data track). Below is a list of tested burners, reported by users, which get successful or failed in burning process: Success: Acer CRW 6206A BTC BCE-432IE Gateway 8x4x32 HP CD-Writer 7100i HP CD-Writer 7200e HP CD-Writer 8100i HP CD-Writer 9310i Iomega Zip CD 650 Iomega Zip CD USB (DAO only) Memorex CRW-1622 (DAO only) Mitsumi 4801TE OTI-975 Socrates Philips CDD3610 Philips CDD3801 Philips CDD4201 Philips PCRW404K Teac CD-R56S

Modernization of NTUC Income

Assignment On Modernization of NTUC Income Course code: MIS101 Section: 1 Submitted to: Md. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya Course Instructor Submission Date: 19-04-11 Acknowledgement At first we would like to thanks the Almighty Allah, who provided us this great opportunity to accomplish this project successfully with good health and sound mind. We would like to pay profound gratitude to our honorable sir Md. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya, without his guidance and help it was impossible for us to complete this term paper satisfactorily.We enjoyed the challenges of preparing this assignment as it provided us an opportunity to increase our understandings of various pertinent features of conducting a research. To continue this research we mainly take help from different websites, books etc. Finally, we would like to pay thanks to our parents from the depth of our heart for their endless support, encouragement and inspiration. Table of content 1. Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦1 2. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3. Question No. 1†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3 4. Question No. 2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 5. Question No. 3†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 6. Question No. 4â₠¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 7. Question No. 5†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 7 8. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 9. Reference list†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Abstract NTUC Income is a life and general insurance company. It is a co-operative insurance society formed in 1970, was initiated by Dr Goh Kang Swee.NTUC Income’s process star ted with various customer meeting and agent filling the paper form and many other steps which was very long and tedious but after migrating a fully digital system, it includes customer centric design barcode technology which minimize the downtime occurrence but it also face problems such as paper policies compromising data retrieving problem etc. But it also got benefits such as efficient retrieval data, high pace electronic mass storage system etc. Finally we can say that NTUC Income enriched their working system in such way that there is no possibility to create further problems in future.Introduction NTUC Income is a life and general insurance company based in Singapore. It is one of the â€Å"Big Three† insurers with a significant share of the local motor insurance market. It is an organization that was made different right from the start with an initial capital of $1. 2 million. It is a co-operative insurance society formed in 1970, was initiated by Dr Goh Kang Swee duri ng the â€Å"Modernization of the Labor Movement† seminar on 18 November 1969. Today, it has matured into a leading insurer and progressive organization with close to 2 million policyholders placing their trust in us and assets at $19. billion. Its insurance plans benefit large numbers of Singaporeans from all strata of society, and the company supports the community through financial contributions to the labor movement, charities and other worthy causes. The insurer employs about 3400 insurance advisors and 1200 office staff with the majority located across an eight branch network. On June 1, 2003, Income succeeded in the migration of its legacy insurance system. The Herculean task required not only the upgrading of hardware and applications, it also required Income to streamline its decade-old business processes and IT practices.Question No. 1. What were the problems faced by Income in this case? How were the problems resolved by the new digital system? In the past, NTUC In come, which has over a million insurance policy holders, processes were very tedious and paper-based. The entire insurance process started with customers meeting an agent, filling in forms and submitting documents. The agent would then submit the forms at branches, from where they were sent by couriers to the Office Services department. The collection schedule could introduce delays of two to three days.Office Services would log documents, sort them, and then send them to departments for underwriting. Proposals were allocated to underwriting staff, mostly randomly. Accepted proposals were sent for printing at the Computer Services department and then redistributed. For storage, all original documents were packed and sent to warehouses where, over two to three days, a total of seven staff would log and store the documents. In all, paper policies comprising 45 million documents were stored in over 16,000 cartons at three warehouses. Whenever a document needed to be retrieved, it would take about two days to locate and ship it by courier.Refilling would again take about two days. So the processes were complicated and the result was waste of space and time, which leads in waste of money. The digital system can solve both of these problems and it cost 1/3 of the â€Å"paper–based† cost. Question No. 2. What types of information systems and business processes were used by Income before migrating to the fully digital system? Until a few years ago NTUC Income insurance uses a very traditional business process. Their process was very tedious and paper based and it takes five steps to complete the process. The steps are- st-The process started with customers meeting an agent, filling the paper forms and submitting documents. 2nd-Then the agent would submit the forms at branches, from where they were sent by couriers to the office services department. 3rd-After two to three days the couriers were received by the services department. Then the services would log documents, sort them and then send them to the department for underwriting. Proposals were allocated to underwriting staff, mostly randomly. 4th-Accepted proposals were sent for printing at the computer services department and then redistributed. th-At the end of the process all original documents were packed and sent to ware houses. Where, over two to three days, total of seven staff would log and store the documents. After the process complete, whenever a document needed to be retrieved, it would take about two days to locate and ship it courier refilling again take about two days. NTUC Income use HP 3000 to host the core insurance application as well as the accounting and management information system. The HP 3000 is a line of midrange computers which Hewlett-Packard first released in 1972 and which has been constantly updated and sold since then.All HP 3000 computers run the proprietary MPE operating system and come with the rock solid Turbo IMAGE database. Question No. 3. D escribe the information systems and IT infrastructure at income after migrating to the fully digital system. It changed in June 2003, when income switched to the java based eBao lifestyle from eBao technology. The software comprised three subsystems- Policy Administration, Sales management and supplementary resources. This system had- 1. Customer Centric Design. 2. Seamless integration with Imaging. 3. Barcode Technology. 4.A product definition module that supports new products, new channels and changes in business processes. Implementation work started in September 2002 and the project was completed in nine months. By may 2003, All the customization, data migration of income’s individual and group life insurance businesses and training were completed. The new system was immediately operation on high availability platform. All applications resided on two or more servers, each connected by two or more communication lines. All of which were ‘loud balanced’. This ro bust architecture minimized downtime occurrence due to hardware on operating system failure.Question No. 4. What benefits did Income reap from the new system? After going through the whole case study, we have found a significant change in the IT infrastructure of NTUC Income and come to know some crucial benefits that Income has experienced. Firstly, the very long and tedious and paper-based processes were substituted by computer-based eBao Life System which reduced the total time for policy opening dramatically to a minimum level. Also the floor-based data storage system was replaced by high pace electronic mass storage system which has made the company a much better and faster performing concern.Secondly, moving from eBao Technology to eBao Life System was extremely lucrative for the firm. It facilitated so efficient retrieval of data that it was possible to access data of any time period in contrast to the previous system of access to only preceding day data by any of its authori zed employees. Again, the breakdown of software into three subsystems- Policy Administration, Sales Management and Supplementary Resources opened new product development possibilities, new channels and charges and new horizons for Income.Thirdly, the new system was immediately operational on high-availability platforms which were equipped by all up-to-date hardware components and internet connections among its workstations. Moreover, the implementation of disaster-recovery centre protected the organization from any accidental data loss. In addition, the implementation of eBao Life System ensured the access of about 500 office staff and 3400 insurance advisors to the system anytime and anywhere with faster access to information.This helped the company to monitor its management more efficiently and serve the customers individual priority and customized needs. Finally, the summary of the benefits of eBao Life System as commented by the former CEO of Income Mr. Tan Kin Lian is â€Å"eB ao Life System has the best straight through processing workflow and it is very flexible. It cuts our new product launch time from months to days. It also allows us to support agents, brokers, and customers to do online services easily. I got a fantastic deal: the best system with much lower cost and much shorter implementation time.I have to say that this is a revolution. † So, we can say that NTUC Income got quite a certain number of benefits from the new system, which made life even better and easier. Question No. 5. How well is income prepared for the future? Are the problems described in the case likely to be repeated? NTUC income has created powerful establishment for future . In spite of all drawbacks in past they overcome their weakness through the execution of eBao technology, which gives them a new dimension of system.Before the implementation of java based eBao life system, NTUC Income faced lots of troubles in core insurance applications, accounting, and management information system. Those troubles appeared as if the backup was not completed data would be lost, in case any hardware crashes reconciliation took several months to restore the data . It also experienced three major hardware failures it also took huge time to launch a product , it formed problem for the agents and advisors regarding to access information .All those problems came to an end when Income implemented eBay technology through the java based eBao life system , which they consider everything for them . this eBao system changed the way they worked . income restored its IT infrastructure by upgrading their system through increasing PC RAM size ,installing scanner and hardware etc which also helps them to store more data and to scan documents ,they also implemented hot back up disaster recovery center so that data cannot be lost easily and remain stored in the storage and they do not need to depend on restoration of previous day data . nder the new system , all document store d as well on â€Å"trusted† storage device , it crates easy way to access the information for the agents and advisors . Because of eBao technology Income enriched their working system and established it in such away, which has no possibilities to create further problems in future. Conclusion Trade union membership, especially for industrialized country, has been declining over the past years. This is largely due the structural changes caused by globalization and the rapid changes in technologies.Trade unions in Singapore also faced similar challenges. In order for trade unions to stay relevant, unions must continuously adapt to effectively meet the expectations of different types of workers, regardless of age, collar and race. NTUC and trade unions have a promising future ahead if they have a better understanding of the economy and the needs of the workers. Furthermore, unions must not only continue to do what they have been doing over the years but use various innovative str ategies and tactics to reach out to the new emerging generations.NTUC Income will continue to provide a better life for its policyholders and the community through innovative insurance plans and services. The co-operative will strive for excellent customer care through its staff and insurance advisers. By using technology effectively, we aim to reduce costs and pass the savings to policyholders through lower premiums. Reference List †¢ Kenneth C. Laudon & Jane P. Laudon, Management Information Systems Managing the Digital Firm 11th Edition, Pearson Education, Inc. †¢ http://www. icrosoft. com/singapore/mssg_docs/1703. aspx †¢ http://essaysforstudent. com/Business/Ntuc/21763. html †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/insurance/iTerm/index. asp †¢ http://www. papercamp. com/group/modernization-of-ntuc-income-case-study/page-690 †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/insurance/financialplanning. asp †¢ http://www. ebaotech. com/en/news/200306_en. shtml †¢ http ://www. income. com. sg/insurance/iTerm/index. asp †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/PSD/termsofuse. html †¢ http://www. income. com. sg/homepage. asp