Answers to Questions About Commas

Answers to Questions About Commas Answers to Questions About Commas Answers to Questions About Commas By Mark Nichol In this post, I’ve reproduced some questions posed in e-mail or comments to Daily Writing Tips about commas, followed by my responses. 1. Which comma-style-in-a-series do you prefer, Oxford/Chicago Manual or AP? Why? I prefer employing the serial comma because doing so rarely introduces ambiguity, which is more likely when the serial comma is omitted. (See this section in the Wikipedia entry on the serial comma, which explains why because serial commas are sometimes necessary for clarity and should therefore, for the sake of consistency, always be employed.) 2. I keep finding commas placed after but, as in this sample from a Bloomsbury novel: â€Å"She is not yet that committed but, determined not to be ridiculous, she makes herself bite into the Bakewell slice.† I was raised to put a comma before the but. Is this another matter of American versus British usage, or is there a grammatical nicety here that I am missing? The comma after but is necessary because it signals that what follows it and precedes the next comma is an interjection, and the insertion of another comma is also recommended: The correct punctuation is â€Å"She is not yet that committed, but, determined not to be ridiculous, she makes herself bite into the Bakewell slice.† 3. I have read books where authors neglect using the comma in phrases like â€Å"me too.† I don’t know whether my being irked when I see this is completely wrong, but I would like more information about it. In the usages you describe, the tag too should indeed be preceded by a comma, but the punctuation mark is often omitted in informal or conversational contexts or simply out of ignorance. 4. I refer to my stylebooks all the time in an effort to get [appositive epithets] right. Do you know of an easy mnemonic device that can help me remember this rule? I don’t have any mnemonic for this matter, but think of an epithet as an adjective: â€Å"Daily Writing Tips contributor Mark Nichol† describes which particular type of Mark Nichol is being identified. Just as you wouldn’t punctuate â€Å"blue car† with a comma between the adjective and the noun and another following the noun, you don’t insert commas before and after your name. Or consider the subject in â€Å"Planet Earth is our home.† Planet is an epithet, and Earth is not bracketed by commas. 5. In â€Å"Strange and surely intentional was the omission of her name in the credits,† should â€Å"and surely intentional† be set off with commas? And would you please expand on such when the second is not clearly subordinate e.g., an aside. This type of phrasing is highly flexible in terms of punctuation, and what the writer does depends not on construction but on connotation. If a pairing of adjectives or other parts of speech is straightforward and sensible lithe and graceful, hale and hearty, cheap and shoddy the second element need not be set off, but when it is extraordinary, emphatic treatment is effective. Grammatically speaking, no punctuation is necessary in the sentence you provided, but the force of delivery of the additional information is heightened by setting it off from the main clause: â€Å"Strange, and surely intentional, was the omission of her name in the credits† ensures that the reader momentarily ponders the import of the deliberate omission. â€Å"Strange (and surely intentional) was the omission of her name in the credits† does the same while suggesting a conspiratorial whisper between the writer and the reader on the topic. â€Å"Strange and surely intentional was the omission of her name in the credits† intensifies the impact by pushing the surmise onto center stage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing Prompts 101Difference between "Pressing" and "Ironing"Grammar Review #1: Particles and Phrasal Verbs

Chinas FDI essays

China's FDI essays Critically Discuss the Employment Impacts of FDI upon China China attracted a record $52.7bn (32.9bn) in foreign direct investment (hereby referred to as FDI) in 2002. The Chinese government made it easier for foreign companies to expand in China and entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2001 has resulted in liberalisation in some industries. A United Nations report has indicated China will become the top recipient of foreign director investment (FDI), overtaking the US. The state media reported that China expected to attract about $100bn in FDI a year between 2006 to 2010 (BBC, 2003a). With inflation low, labour cheap and plentiful, urbanisation driving demand, and a savings rate of 30% providing easy capital, China is a manufacturer's dream. No wonder the Pearl River Delta in the south-east of the country, once a rural backwater dominated by rice paddies, has turned into the world's factory floor (BBC, 2004). Chinese urban growth is unique, large and complex, and has provoked much scholarship. Before the period of economic reforms, China seemed to be in a stage of under-urbanization. By previous assessments, its urban development has been greatly influenced by national political ideologies and development strategies. Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, the Chinese urban system has experienced spectacular growth, accompanied by a rapid rise of urbanization levels from about 20% to more than 36%. In the 1980s, in the face of strong pressures for urban in-migration due to the relaxation of rural-urban migration control, policy was strictly controlling the size of large cities, rationally developing medium-sized cities, and vigorously developing small cities. However, in reality, Chinas policy of controlling large city growth has not been effectively implemented, and large cities grew at a much faster pace in the past decade. Large city growth remains appreciable, due largely to...

Gentrification in Park Slope Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Gentrification in Park Slope - Research Paper Example Gentrification occurs when the middle class people move into the lower income resident of the neighborhood leading to displacement and changes basic character and flavor of the neighborhood (Angotti 4). The paper will focus on the causes, effects and control measures for gentrification. Its notable that gentrification comes with both economic benefits and adverse effects as some households face displacements. The gentrification of Park Slope is particularly far from new incident and has been in progress for decades. Gentrification in Park Slope is characterized by displacement free zone, which is an attempt to have the existing residents kept in their places. Gentrification in Park Slope summarizes all the market polarization, failures, and injustice that shaped life in Park Slope communities. Based on statistical analysis of housing surveys, gentrification in Park Slope was never a boost for anyone. Gentrification challenged the conventional experience through illustrating renters w ho are disadvantaged living in gentrifying neighborhoods have lower mobility rates compared to the renters in the non-gentrifying regions. Conditions that were brought by gentrification in Park Slope provided incentives for the poor renters so as to remain in their homes in the face of higher burdens and other rent stresses (Harvey, 8). Gentrification in the Park Slope has led to economic and social changes that are widely visible. In this case, it cannot be referred to urban generation because it leads to displacements of the neighborhood specifically on a large scale while the latter is the movement of high income households on a small scale of vacant buildings and land. According to Slater (12), gentrification occurs in places that have experienced low manufacturing employment, increase in service and entrance of women in the job market where the middle-income earners with the preference of an urban living move to low-income residents’ neighborhood. The case of John Jay Co llege illustrated the effect of gentrification in schools. The focus was specifically on areas such as: student body composition, disciplinary climate, organizational climate, and academic organization. These areas have seen a long term effect of gentrification especially in John Jay College where gentrifies with children kept their children out of John Jay College, figuring out a way to place their children in schools outside the catchment area, or instead opting for private schools. This resulted into impacts on potential fragmentation and social integration of the social fabric in the neighborhood. The Gentrification process in Park Slope is also likely to affect the urban residents living near the central business districts with affordable well architecture residential houses since they are not economically and politically muscled as the gentrifiers. The entrance of the gentrifiers into these neighborhoods leads to rising of house prices as the middle-income households come with a huge appetite for spending, forcing the existing businesses in the neighborhood to improve their services. This leads to low-income household to move out to places they can afford since they had settled there because of cheap rent and proximity to the employment opportunities. These households had settled there due to convenience in that the same class of people also found it favorable to their circumstances (Smith, 1). Lower-income households that live in these

Refilction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Refilction - Essay Example Although many aspects of leadership require that lay down a set of rules for directives which stakeholders should follow, spirituality is one of the only determinants that will be discussed within this five-part analysis that is completely concentric upon the way in which the individual leader the Hanes himself/herself. Challenge - is a compound of leadership that is not only necessary for the leader, but also necessary for the stakeholders. Although most people derive a sense of satisfaction from many different determinants, challenge is one of the most universal. What is meant by this is the fact that will be most fulfilled in his/her responsibilities by performing tasks and functions that represents something of a challenge to the ability that he/she is able to bring to bear. In much the same way, the fulfillment of the individual stakeholders/employees will most be affected by a degree of challenge within their own respective work. Whereas no one would be fulfilled by a monotonou s and unchallenging job that requires little to no creativity or problem-solving skills, the converse be said with regards to the level of the filament which can be derived from a job that provides a type of challenge and encourages the individual to maximize their potential and strengths. Friendship - no matter how good the leader is and no matter how effective his/her strategies might be, there is a high level of efficiency that can be affected by treating one’s colleagues, superiors, and subordinates with a level of friendship. This is particularly dangerous concept due to the fact that it has been proven that the work environment should remain professional. However, what is meant by engaging in a level of friendship with all of the stakeholders in the process is that they should be treated with the courtesy, kindness, acceptance, and respect that one would give to their own friends. Although they may indeed not be close friends outside of the work environment, this level of respect and admiration for the unique skills and qualities that they bring only helps to facilitate the work process and encourages each and every member of the organization to perform at their peak capacity. The leader should understand that even though a level of friendship is engaged with the stakeholders, he/she should not feel that they are continually among friends and not required to display a level of professionalism at all times. Loyalty - whereas all of the other aspects which have been discussed up until this point are some what unidirectional, the issue of loyalty is something that is very specifically multidirectional. What is meant by this is that the leader/manager that attempts to engage in level of loyalty with respect to both his superiors and subordinates will necessarily have this level of loyalty returns to them in time. Although loyalty should not be engaged in as a means of getting something in return, this action allows for each and every stakeholder in th e process to come to the understanding that the leader in question prizes loyalty and its compounded parts above all other things. In this way, a feeling of confidence and increased efficiency will be generated whereby each and every stakeholder is secure in the knowledge that they have loyal colleagues who are not merely engaged in the

Entrepreneurship Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Entrepreneurship Business Plan - Essay Example A wide range of SUVs, small cars, sedans and luxury vehicles will be marketed through the showroom of XXX Automobile. The objective of the business is to become one of the leaders in vehicle retailing market in Geneva. The operations of the business will be performed by an experienced management team. In order to ensure higher productivity, the business will take assistance from advisors and technical experts and thus can help to secure the business from possible risks. The start-up cost of the business is expected to be ? 3,850,000; majority of which will be collected by availing bank loans. The major drivers for success of the business will be quality products with reasonable price and better customer service. XXX Automobile plans to be a start-up car dealership business. XXX Automobile will intend to serve vehicles for middle class and upper class markets. The business is planned to be commenced in the downtown of Geneva in Switzerland City considering the fact that the market of Geneva is untapped and there is high potentiality for car business in that region. People in Switzerland also desire for quality, stylish and world class vehicles. The developed economy of Switzerland along with increasing population and demand of vehicle can increase the probability of success for the business by a considerable extent. The paper describes a detailed business plan for opening vehicle showroom in Geneva city of Switzerland. The objective of the paper is to develop a structured planning for marketing, finance and other significant aspects in order to commence the showroom for demanded vehicles. The paper has also considered the market of automobile along with personnel strategy to conduct the business effectively and ensure profitability. 2.0 Business Description XXX Automobile is expected to be operating as the authorised dealer of Volkswagen Group. The showroom will provide sales and services of new models of Volkswagen. The business will also attempt to procure car s directly from Volkswagen and sell through the showroom to the people of Geneva maintaining a direct supply chain connection with the producer. Therefore, the vision of the business will be to become one of the top-rated Volkswagen dealers in Geneva. The mission of XXX Automobile will be to gain and empower customer loyalty by delivering quality products, services and professional assistance to the customers. The major drivers of the business would be: To manage the threat of other competitors of XXX Automobile through effective advertisements and promotion To deliver products on schedule To control the budget To manage the expenses of business To provide superior customer service To maintain strong network with customers and other business associates 2.1 Business Opportunity The Swiss automobile market has remained resilient throughout the first quarter of 2012 and experienced increase of car registration by 9% than the previous year. The sales of passenger vehicles have demonstra ted strong

Formulate And Conduct Monetary Policy In Malaysia Information Technology Essay

Formulate And Conduct Monetary Policy In Malaysia Information Technology Essay The selected company for this paper is the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The organization is popularly known by its widely accepted acronym HSBC. To-date, this multi-national company is a giant financial conglomerate that operates from more than 7,500 offices spread across 87 countries world-wide with more than 330,000 employees (www.hsbc.com). Briefly, the historical background of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) was that it was founded in 1865. Its formation was to cater to primarily for the China trade. In 1876, it opened its Singapore branch followed by the Penang branch in 1884. The main banking activities then during the turn of the century in the Straits Settlements were to cater for trading activities in China. As the British presence in the Malay states in the Malay Peninsular grew through tin mining and during the later stages through rubber cultivation as well as other commodity plantations such as cocoa, tobacco and spices, Hongkong bank grew larger as demand for banking support to the business communities grew (HSBC. Its Malaysian Story, text by Douglas Wong, Editions Didier Millet, 2003). The financial industry in Malaysia has demonstrated a vibrant development since its announcement to open up the industry for foreign participation via increased equity and to hold a major stake in insurance companies, investment banks and commercial banks. Amongst the foreign players that has made a big inroad into the financial industry of Malaysia is HSBC, Standard Chartered and Citibank. (www.chinapost.com). The industry is controlled by the central bank of Malaysia known as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). BNM formulates policies, sets out controls for the banking lending activities in the country and implements the Banking Financial Institutions Act 1989. Its main primary functions are:- Formulate and conduct monetary policy in Malaysia; Issue currency in Malaysia; Regulate and supervise financial institutions which are subject to the laws enforced by the Bank; Provide oversight over money and foreign exchange markets; Exercise oversight over payment systems; Promote a sound, progressive and inclusive financial system; Hold and manage the foreign reserves of Malaysia; Promote an exchange rate regime consistent with the fundamentals of the economy; and Act as financial adviser, banker and financial agent of the Government. (www.mida.gov.my) The major competitors to HSBC in Malaysia comprises of the foreign banks in Malaysia such as Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank, OCBC Bank and UOB Bank. The local banks that competes with HSBC are larger in terms of branch network, customer accessibility, capitalization, systems, loan spread as well as human capital. Part 2 The early era of modernization in the bank is through implementation of accounting machines in 1959 with the use of National Cash Register Corporation (NCR) Machine called NCR Class 32s for the general ledger and current accounts in Hongkong banks branches. The savings accounts were done using the NCR 42. The NCR 32 were later replaced by NCR Postronic machines in the larger branches in Malaya. The second phase of mechanization or early computerization in Hongkong bank started in 1976 through out to 1980. This phase involved the use of IBM mainframe such as IBM 360 which cost USD450,000 in 1977, Philips terminals, Racal modems and telecommunication provide by Telekon Malaysia. By 1988-89, the Philips banking terminal has been replaced by a Unisys system used by the HSBC group worldwide (HSBC. Its Malaysian Story, text by Douglas Wong, Editions Didier Millet, 2003). The Data Management and Storage system of HSBC are based mainly on its mainframe system that has been retained largely from its era of computerization in the 1976 era up until mid 1984/5. The mainframes are its key machines in storage of data and information which comprises of customer information, loan advances, staff information including its compensation payroll data. The Windows NT server is one HSBCs key data management and storage system. Another system in HSBCs data management and storage is its Windows 2000 SP4 server and Windows 2003 SP1 server. These three systems forms the core data management and storage for HSBC. The advantages of these systems are their storage capacity that is large enough for HSBCs customer information. The dependability of these systems has proven stable and dependable against unnecessary data losses. The IT Support teams constantly provide cumulative security update such as its Outlook Express. The flexibility of these three systems can be demonstrated in the series of pack and patches that was downloaded for the Windows 2000 SP4. Among those patches to address the system are:- Vulnerability in the Web View to allow Remote Code Execution. Vulnerability in HTML Help to allow Remote Code Execution. Vulnerability in Remote Desktop Protocol could allow denial of service. Vulnerability in the Microsift Data Access Components (MDAC) Function Could Allow Code Execution. (HSBC Intranet) The ability of the server to accommodate the above patched identified from the list of Microsoft Service Pack and Patches for Windows 2000 SP4 demonstrated the flexibility of the server to take patches in the system. These are aimed to ensure the server remains stable to support the banks requirement in data management and storage. In addition to the data management, the operating systems platforms are based mainly on Microsoft Windows. (www.hsbc.com.my) The bank placed high importance to ensure its operating systems are sound, dependable to its business needs, safeguard customer information, enables continuous product enhancement as well as maintaining employees information which are considered sensitive and crucial. Policies on internet usage for HSBC are highly regulated. The banks policy on the usage of email and internet is regulated and the policies can be found in the banks intranet accessible by all staff. The usage of email and internet is based on conditions laid down in the banks group policies. Its usage is for business correspondences and is to be conducted in a business-like and professional manner. The use of email and use of external computer access over the internet is subject to the banks policies and Code of Conduct. (HSBC Intranet). The networking and telecommunications aspect of HSBC is controlled and careful attention is given to the access to internal software and hardware of the organization. This manner of control is reflected in the organizations LAN security where all software installation is authorized through formal procedures. This would include LAN administrator guide strictly enforced, service patches on latest Microsoft updates are monitored and using approved anti-virus software (inclusive of updates). In terms of controlling the organizations network, strict password usage and control is enforced. This is evident in the organizations policy on placing ownership and accountability on individual user of their password. This includes frequent changing of password every 60 days (HSBC Intranet). In broad terms regarding consultants, system integrator and vendors, HSBC maintains strict regulations on outside equipment by consultants and vendors. In addition, the bank enforces strict controls on third party data transfer, maintenance of customer and staff personal data within the mainframe system and serves are not accessed by third parties such as external consultants and contract employees without proper clearance (HSBC Intranet/PC Security Guidelines). These strict controls are put in place to protect customer and staff data privacy as well as data security from being compromised by external or third parties that comes in contact with the banks systems or servers. In terms of the banks computer hardware platforms, these equipments are maintained through tight policy and guidelines that governs administration of the banks IBM servers, the computer hardware especially PCs and laptops used by the staff, comprising mainly of IBM machines (HSBC Intranet). Part 3 This report will proceed to present the concept on cloud computing, outlining its key features, current trends, future developments and consider its benefits to business (making direct reference to banking) and the cost of cloud computing to HSBC. Cloud computing comes into focus only when companies think about the IT needs/requirements. Companies started to explore ways to increase capacity or add capabilities on the go with business-as-usual operations without investing in new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software. Cloud computing encompasses any subscription-based or pay-per-use service that, in real time over the Internet, extends ITs existing capabilities (www.infoworld.com) (Based on an article by Eric Knorr Galen Gruman adapted from Infoworld). Prior to the availability of cloud computing, the traditional business applications have been complicated and expensive. The amount and variety of hardware and software required to run these applications and systems are daunting. The organization requires a whole team of experts to install, configure, test, run, secure, and update them. When the organization begins to multiply this effort across dozens or hundreds of applications, it is easy to observe the reason why the biggest companies with the best IT departments are not getting the applications they require. Given this reality, the small and mid-sized businesses will obviously face even bigger challenges (www.salesforce.com). While the concept of cloud computing was recognized to be spearheaded by Salesforce.com, there has been other companies that have dived into the business of providing CRM solutions in the form of software-as-a-service. A Google search produced several key service providers in cloud computing such as Gogrid, ORACLE, IBM, SAP cloud computing.com, vads.com and rimuhosting.com. The published benefits of cloud computing are the ability of the concept to leverage on cost while providing customized options to the subscribers. The list of benefits provided by cloud computing given the fundamental infra structure of cloud computing is as follows:- The level of Web-services integration has been proven. Cloud computing technology has demonstrated itself to be much easier and faster to integrate with the organizations existing enterprise applications (both traditional software and cloud computing infrastructure-based), whether third-party or applications that has been developed internally by the organization. Advanced service delivery. Cloud computing infrastructures offer greater scalability, complete disaster recovery, and demonstrated an impressive uptime figures. Lack of requirement to install additional hardware or software: There is no requirement for additional hardware or software in a fully cloud computing infrastructure. The positive features of cloud computing technology is in its overall simplicity and it requires significantly fewer capital expenditure to set up and get the whole system running. Faster and lower-risk deployment. The organization can set up and run the whole system much faster with a cloud computing infrastructure. It also saves the organization substantial expenses and allows employees/users to log into the new solution quickly. The cloud computing technology applications are live in a matter of weeks or months, even with extensive customization or integration included. Support for deep customizations. Cloud computing infrastructure allows deep customization and application configuration and it also preserves all those customizations even during upgrades. In addition, cloud computing technology is ideal for application development to support the organizations evolving needs. Empowered business users. Cloud computing technology allows on-the-fly, point-and-click customization and report generation for business users. As a result, IT is not required to spend a large amount of time and resource making minor changes and running reports. Automatic upgrades that dont impact IT resources. Cloud computing infrastructures put an end to a huge IT dilemma: If the organization upgrades to the latest version of the application, the organization is required to spend time and resources to rebuild their customizations and integrations. Cloud computing technology doesnt force an organization to decide between upgrading and preserving all its applications, because those customizations and integrations are automatically preserved during an upgrade. Pre-built, pre-integrated apps for cloud computing technology. The involvement of more companies in providing cloud computing infrastructure and applications will be able to multiply and provide more applications in either pre-built or post-built requirement to suit clients requirement. (www.salesforce.com). Malaysias IT infrastructure. The availability of better infrastructure compared to other countries in the region such as the availability of broadband indicates that the country is a suitable platform to embrace cloud computing with the assurance and support from the government. An example of this support is the entrance of Microsofts full range of cloud computing capabilities in Malaysia as well as other established parts in this region. (www.nst.com.my). While the concept and published reports and opinions have advocated various benefits from cloud computing, there are obvious down side to the concept compared to the more established traditional business applications that are more supported by the applications provider. One of the major online company that adopted cloud computing is Amazon.com. Recently, there have been technical problems and interruptions by the company starting on 21 April 2011. This has prompted industry analysts and observers to ask organizations to seriously reconsider relying on remote computers that are beyond their control. Matthew Eastwood, an analyst for the research firm IDC has called this incident involving Amazon.com as a wake-up call for cloud computing. The incident has started discussion on the concerns for cloud computing as such:- The amount organizations are required to pay for backup and recovery services. This concern also covers other areas, including paying extra for data centers in different locations. That is because the companies that were apparently hit hardest by the Amazon interruption were start-ups that, analysts said, are focused on moving fast in pursuit of growth, and less apt to pay for extensive backup and recovery services. (www.nytimes.com). The actual flexibility of cloud computing. While cloud computing has demonstrated its flexibility in terms of adaptability to organizations requirement and cost, there is a real concern amongst industry analysts on the claim of actual infinite elasticity of cloud computing. Arising from the recent Amazon.com interruption, there are serious concern on the ability of cloud computing to provide stability beyond the security from the traditional business applications provider that has seen proven reliability. This will be severe for what the analysts are concern for larger industry such as the entertainment industry (http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com). Taking this argument a step further, this report also raises the concern arising from the Amazon.com incident to the banking industry. Would HSBC depart from the major players in banking to embrace cloud computing given this latest discussion in the IT industry. Part 4 In my analysis of the present structure of HSBC, the idea of adopting cloud computing needs to be pursued with a certain degree of caution and optimism. I am recommending the following options for your consideration in adopting cloud computing into the applications support, maintenance and storage for HSBC:- Limited participation in the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) by putting in the new applications via cloud computing whilst keeping the existing applications to be enhanced, supported and stored by the existing system. The bank will continue to work our vendors and system support providers to maintain the existing applications. This dual approach is aimed to venture quickly into cloud computing and at the same time in assuring senior management, Asia Pacific Group IT as well as the Global team on our prudence to continue maintain the existing system for our current applications. This recommendation is to maintain status quo in our level of customer service with any unexpected disruption to our clients arising from technical problems. In addition, the VPC is relatively simple to implement and the cost of the subscription to SKALI Cloud Servers a minimal fee while having pre-build features which HSBC can use immediately. (www.skalicloud.com). This approach also eases up our GTLM (subsidiary providing IT support to HSBC) who is having attrition of IT personnel and simultaneously struggling to backfill the vacancies. In considering the IT infrastructure of our competitors, our proposed investment into cloud computing would be timely to ease off more capital investment into applications management and storage. The savings can be channeled to other IT requirement such as upgrade of our servers and other interface channel to the front end to give better support to our users. This will enable faster turnaround time and increase productivity of backroom / support staff and also better customer service for our sales service staff to our clients. Our overall business strategy under the Medium Term Outlook (MTO) three year plan from 2010 to 2012 emphasize the importance of improving productivity and cost savings to complement the bigger business revenue aim for the bank. Under this plan, the proposed adoption of cloud computing is to enable HSBC to have a quick support for its application support, minimize over dependence on staff, service providers and vendors. Many banks have spent time and money building an internal infrastructure. Such large infrastructure investment makes it difficult to cost justify moving for such infrastructure to be moved to an outside provider. There may be long-term savings but in the short-term, the difficulty is justifying the large investment into a cloud computing arrangement. In addition, moving the whole application systems from internal to eternal source via a cloud-based platform has a certain cost in itself which makes it even less attractive and even more difficult to justify. (http://thefinanser.co.uk) Issues with regulators. A recent report appearing in the UK Financier highlighted that Microsoft is often asked about Security by share holders as well as regulators. Companies would naturally due to their interest in protecting data privacy, will be determined to know how organizations protect their data. Among the questions posed to the organizations is the location of the cloud, the standards used by the organization in selecting the cloud that is located remotely away from the host country. In this respect, Microsoft is heavily geared towards security and is one of the largest firms in the development space in this area. Some issues do arise however with regulators in key markets, particularly in finance. For example, in Turkey, they regulate that data must be held on bank premises. Thats hard to overcome but is a key reason Microsoft continues to provide on premise solutions banks can implement while regulations catch up. (http://thefinanser.co.uk) Security of the information maintained within the cloud that is located away from the bank. In view that the cloud is not part of the banks organization or a subsidiary where the bank has partial or majority ownership, there remain questions on the control the bank has over the information, data or applications stored in the cloud (Interview with Mr Peter Ng, Manager IT Development/Support Office Automation on 12 April 2011). In addition, there is a provision within the Banking And Financial Institutions Act 1989 (BAFIA) that prohibits any director, employee or agent appointed by the bank who has access to the banks information made available such information to any other person or parties (S.97 of the Banking And Financial Institutions Act 1989). The concern raised by Mr Peter Ng is amplified by the fact that banks information, data or applications stored in the cloud outside the management purview of the bank. In view that the facility and commercial ownership of the cloud does not come under the definition of an agent appointed by the bank, there is no locus standi on the part of the cloud being accountable for any legal action that can be taken in the event there is a breach of S.97 of BAFIA. Section 97 of BAFIA states as follows:- 97.  Ã‚   (1)  Ã‚   No director or officer of any licensed institution or of any external bureau established, or any agent appointed, by the licensed institution to undertake any part of its business, whether during his tenure of office, or during his employment, or thereafter, and no person who for any reason, has by any means access to any record, book, register, correspondence, or other document whatsoever, or material, relating to the affairs or, in particular, the account, of any particular customer of the institution, shall give, produce, divulge, reveal, publish or otherwise disclose, to any person, or make a record for any person, of any information or document whatsoever relating to the affairs or account of such customer. (Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989). Part 5 In summary, HSBC has a complex IT system that has been build over the years of our existence in Malaysia since the computerization of our banking system. The availability of cloud computing as an alternative in our on-going challenges in application management should be carefully considered in terms of expanding our IT capabilities to move into bigger areas of banking. This will provide HSBC with the opportunity to have better flexibility in managing our overall applications system to be able to provide better support to our users. This will in turn, enable our staff to provide better customer service and engagement. The adoption of cloud computing by the bank can be implemented with the following strategies:- Adopting a hybrid cloud where major vendors such as IBM, ORACLE and Hewlett Packard offers hybrid delivery with their existing technology to manage complexity of HSBCs diverse application systems that caters to different business groups where different applications for business segments such as Personal Financial Services, Commercial Banking, Treasury and Global Banking are different. The dedicated servers and applications can be better managed through public cloud (for lower cost applications storage with medium or low risks) and managed dedicated servers (for higher risks applications and data) that can be managed in partnership with the major vendor. This combined approach mitigates risks portfolio for the bank in terms of spreading evenly its storage in cloud computing where external parties and vendors cannot be fully controlled compared to internally managed servers and storage facilities (Interview with Mr Lim Wei Hup, Senior Manager IT Operations/Support conducted on 14 April 2011). Co-venturing into cloud computing by adopting a strategic partner to mitigate risks as well as leverage on common areas and different technical expertise to harness effective teamwork for selecting external applications from various clouds. An example of a recent tie-up and cooperation in the financial industry is the venture of Polaris Software Lab, one of the leading global financial technology companies announced a strategic investment in IdenTrust, a global financial institution. IdenTrust is one of the premier service providers of digital identity authentication services to several key banks such as Citibank, Bank of America, Deutsche, HSBC and even Barclays Bank. (www.siliconindia.com). The concern of being the first bank in Malaysia to embrace cloud computing need not arise as the government has provided ample support, key service provider such as Telekom Malaysia has been upgrading its broadband services and the availability of fiber optic infrastructure will ensure adequate bandwidth and speed. HSBC has always been a pioneer in various aspect in banking be it technology, products and services and even bringing environmental issues into part of its global commitments. With our rich history and forward optimism, venturing into cloud computing is an option management seriously need to consider in view our future growth strategy.

The Three Major Issues in the Advertising Campaign for Coca Cola Classi

The Three Major Issues in the Advertising Campaign for Coca Cola Classic The three major issues in this advertising campaign for Coca-Cola Classic are to increase the number of people who drink Coca-Cola Classic, make our advertising more creative, and to ultimately beat our competitors. Our target market can be explained in just one word, everyone. Since Coca-Cola Classic had been around for many years everyone has heard of it. It does not matter what age, race, religion or what kind of financial status you have. The main thing that we need to do, is to take back all of the people that our competitors have taken away from us over the years. Though we do have great customer loyalty we want to increase the numbers. What’s wrong with being the ultimate best? Nothing and that is exactly what we are going to accomplish with this campaign. For our advertising I want to make several different advertisements using all of the media that is available. I want to have fun and exciting advertisements for our youngest audience, with lots of colors and maybe even a popular child cartoon character like Sponge Bob Square Pants for example. For our young adults I want to have advertisements that promote drinking Coca-Cola Classic instead of alcohol. I want to show a television commercial showing kids having a party and instead of drinking beer or liquor they are drinking Coca-Cola Classic, and still having a good time. Now, for our older audience I want to back them back to how we use advertise. Since they have been with us and watched our company grow for so many years I want our advertising to them to be more sentimental and recreate some of the advertisements that we use to use. Seeing things that you remember from the past, like a great Coca-Cola Classic advertisement, brings a good and warm feeling to a lot of individuals. I would also like to send out notices for direct mail to everyone just reminding them how good Coca-Cola Classic is and encourage them to rush out and go get one. Situation Analysis John Stith Pemberton (1831-1888) the inventor of Coca-Cola was a druggist. At the age of fifty he decided that he wanted to become part of scientific history, and he wanted to make a fortune. He wanted to invent the perfect medicine and develop a drink so that he could mix both of them. He had learned about the coca plant and how the natives of Peru and Bolivia... ...e are many objectives that I want to accomplish. Get customers attention, hold their attention, introduce them to our new slogan, and tell everyone why coke is better. Since we will have a new slogan I want our public relations person to send out mailing notices to our carriers letting them know. This way we can have new signs put up. I also want to have coupon at the front when they buy a coke they will get $.50 off of their drink. I only want the coupon to be valid for a week. Evaluation I want our carriers to let us know how many coupons’ they redeemed when their customers purchased a Coca-Cola. I also want a stocking report from them to see if sales increase or stay about the same. I think that if we mail out surveys also to random houses asking when the last time they bought a Coca-Cola was and how they like our new approach. With this we will send them a free pen and pad once it is returned to us, as a thank you to them. I am very confident in this advertising campaign, but this is your company and if there is something that you do not like or something that you think should be added please let me know. I look forward to doing business with Coca-Cola Classic Company.

Positioning the Tata Nano †Case Memo

Positioning the Tata Nano – Case Memo Introduction: Tata Motors Limited (TML), a part of Tata group, a highly respected conglomerate has a product that will revolutionize the way India travels. The team was successful in delivering a car that meets the goal price of 1 lakh rupees. People welcomed it with high pre bookings and initial sales. But it has been found that the car didn’t hit the target market. The initial excitement faded away leading to drastic downfall in sales. We have analyzed the case to bring out the strengths and marketing strategies that TML can play to improve upon its sales. Strength: . At 1 lakh, price is the major strength of Nano. It has been priced between the cheapest car and a bike. 2. Fuel efficient car in the Indian market. 3. Easily accommodate a family of four. 4. Tata group is the most respected corporates in India. This gives TML an advantage as people trust the brand. 5. The compact design provides easy maneuverability in the congested city traffics. Weakness: 1. Positioning of the product as a cheap car. 2. Capacity limitation due to postponement of new factory lead to lottery based delivery. 3. Absence of enough TML dealers to cover the length and breadth of the country. . Low margin for the dealers. While TML provided 4 to 10 percent dealer margin for Nano the dealer margin was only 2 to 3 percent. Opportunities: 1. TML team views nano as an opportunity to provide a safer means of transport to a typical Indian family which rides on a motorcycle. The two wheeler segment presents itself as a great opportunity to nano to tap in. 76 % of automobile sales is in two wheeler market. 2. A large percentage of Indians lie in the middle class income range. Presently their disposable income is on the rise due to better job opportunities.The fact that this section of people doesn’t have a car and also prefer to own one if affordable provides TML with unprecedented market opportunity. 3. Rising fuel prices will be adv antageous to Nano as it is fuel efficient when compared to other cars in the same segment. 4. The new Sanand factory will help achieve the scale of operation . Threats: 1. The major threat for Nano is from the cars placed in mid-sized segment. Paying a bit more customers get a larger car with bigger engine and a longer track record. 2. Incidents of some Nanos catching fire also deterred customers from buying the car.Although the fire was due to foreign electronic particles it did dampened the market sentiments. 3. Nano missed its target market and it was catering to a market of second car buyers. 4. The advanced versions which were well above 1 lakh were selling more than basic model. This led to critics criticize that Nano might increase the congestion in roads. 5. Political threats like Singur land problem. The SWOT analysis of Nano provided a picture of the product and the brand. We have used 4 Ps of marketing mix to further analyze the different aspects of Nano. Product:While de veloping Nano the whole team had one objective to provide a low cost car without compromising on the quality of the car. TML went on with the following strategies to achieve this goal. 1. Nano was the most fuel efficient and economical car. 2. Three models are available: Nano, Nano CX and Nano LX. Nano had only the basic features without power steering, power windows etc. The other models had extra features. 3. The car was designed to accommodate more in less space. Engine was kept in rear portion to achieve this goal. 4. The suppliers were also roped into the design.They made light weight , low cost parts designed especially for Tata Nano. 5. Nano had parts supplied from 100 suppliers. The suppliers viewed this as a new opportunity to develop their capabilities. 6. The engines for Nano were developed by TML itself. Tata nano has a 624 cc 2 engine cylinder. The car as a product achieved its stated goals. But unexpected incidents of some Nanos catching fire led to build up of negativ e outlook on the quality of the product. Tata did took steps to ensure the quality of the product. 1. It fitted additional safety parts in every nano. . TML had four nanos touring all over India to prove that their product is capable of withstanding all conditions. TML could have gone for safety certifications but the cost prevented it from providing basic safety measures like air bags and anti-lock brakes. Pricing: Pricing is the USP for Nano. The whole product evolved around the goal price of 1 lakh. Apart from the lower price of Nano TML also had cut dealership margins. 1. Only the basic model was priced at 1 lakh while the other variants CX and LX were priced at 157,808 and 181,438 rupees. 2.Dealer margins for nano were between 2 to 3 percentage with a 1 percent discount off the full dealer cost if the dealer paid cash up front. 3. Although nor confirmed by TML it is believed that manufacturer margin was around 15 percent. The basic model with 1 lakh pricing failed to lure the c ustomers while the advanced models with higher prices had more takers. Distribution: 1. Inadequacy of dealerships was bothering TML as they couldn’t reach out to the target market. 2. TML had 214 dealerships spread over 28 states in the country. 3. TML followed an unique model for pre bookings. It took leverage of other Tata group companies.The pre booking forms were made available in Croma ,Westside stores, World of Titan and Tata Indicom exclusive stores. In addition the pre booking can be done through online or from SBI banks. 4. The land problem led to capacity limitation. The initial production was limited to 50,000 nanos. 5. A lottery system was used to allocate cars to people who had pre booked it. 6. TML had an idea to promote entrepreneurial engineers to assemble the car at a rural location where distribution was not available. But this idea was dropped due to concerns on warranty. Promotions: Promotion of nano was a major task ahead of Ratan Tata.TML needs to adjust its marketing strategies in order to sell the volume of cars that could be produced with the new plant. The following are the ways in which the product was promoted. 1. Right from the beginning Nano was promoted heavily by advertisements. The car was advertised as cheapest car in the market. 2. TML concentrated on the price aspect alone in its campaigns. This had negative impact on the minds of customers that the car may not be on par with its qualities. TML should make sure to change the perception of customers so that they don’t view nano as low cost car but an affordable car with quality standards.The quality standards and safety measures have to be promoted vigorously as the people expect these features when investing 1 lakh rupees. Conclusion: TML has a product that will help the millions to get a decent and safe way to travel. Unlike the second car buyers, the middle class i. e. the first time car buyers will view nano as a way to travel along with family. It leads to high expectations on safety and quality since individuals never risk the safety of their family. TML has to make sure that the product is rightly positioned as the one with necessary quality standards and high safety measures to rope in a middle class customer.

Ancient Egyptian Art essays

Ancient Egyptian Art essays Egyptian art was an important part of their lives at this time. Art at this time was either commissioned by kings or nobles for temples or tombs. They had wall paintings and statues of gods and kings in temples to serve for a spiritual purpose. Egyptians loved to be surrounded by beauty in life and in death. Egyptian art was for all intent and purposes for religious and funerary art. Colorful paintings and reliefs, which once decorated the walls of tombs of Pharaoh and the royal family, wealthy officials, courtiers, and nobles, ensured the survival of the deceased in the afterlife. Sculptures could serve as a home for the " k " of the deceased which is the spiritual essence while others would be ex-voto and gifts offered to a deity(Smith 32). They believe this spirit would help that person come back in the next life because of they praying to these sculptures. Their homes often had paintings on the walls, and royal palaces had elaborately painted floors and ceilings. Tombs were filled with as many statues, and also carving and painting, as an owner could afford because they believed it would bring them back to a better life. Egyptian statue wall paintings and carved steles were all functional. The images we see of humans and gods, animals and plants, had a religious intention. Egyptian art could only develop as religious ideas evolved; and such ideas in turn were modified only as a result of changes in the environment(Aldred 5). Statues were places where gods or deceased humans could manifest themselves, places where a spirit could dwell. For non-royal people, the images in the tombs were places of contact between the world of the dead and the world of the living. The Egyptians created art to endure. The major art forms they used were sculpture, painting, and sculptured relief. Sculptured reliefs are basically drawings that have been carved on flat surfaces, stone walls and slabs being the...

Biography of African American Senator Hiram Revels

Biography of African American Senator Hiram Revels It took until 2008 for the first African American to be elected president, but remarkably the first black man to serve as U.S. senator- Hiram Revels- was appointed to the role 138 years earlier. How did Revels manage to become a lawmaker just years after the Civil War ended? Learn more about the life, legacy and political career of this trailblazing senator. Early Years and Family Life Unlike many blacks in the South at the time, Revels was not born a slave but to free parents of black, white and possibly Native American heritage on Sept.  27, 1827, in Fayetteville, N.C. His older brother Elias Revels owned a barbershop, which Hiram inherited upon his sibling’s death. He ran the shop for a few years and then left in 1844 to study at seminaries in Ohio and Indiana. He became a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and preached throughout the Midwest before studying religion at Illinois’ Knox College. While preaching to blacks in St. Louis, Mo., Revels was briefly imprisoned for fear that he, a freeman, might inspire enslaved blacks to revolt. In the early 1850s, he married Phoebe A. Bass, with whom he had six daughters. After becoming an ordained minister, he served as a pastor in Baltimore and as a high school principal. His religious career led to a career in the military. He served as a chaplain of a black regiment in Mississippi and recruited blacks for the Union Army. Political Career In 1865, Revels joined the staffs of churches in Kansas, Louisiana  and Mississippi- where he established schools and started his political career. In 1868, he served as an alderman in Natchez, Miss. The next year, he became a representative in the Mississippi State Senate. â€Å"I am working very hard in politics as well as in other matters,† he wrote to a friend after his election. â€Å"We are determined that Mississippi shall be settled on a basis of justice and political and legal equality.† In 1870, Revels was elected to fill one of Mississippi’s two empty seats in the U.S. Senate. Serving as a U.S. senator required nine years of citizenship, and Southern Democrats challenged Revels’ election by saying he didn’t meet the citizenship mandate. They cited the 1857 Dred Scott decision in which the Supreme Court determined that African Americans weren’t citizens. In 1868, however, the 14th Amendment granted blacks citizenship. That year, blacks became a force to contend with in politics. As the book â€Å"America’s History: Volume 1 to 1877† explains: â€Å"In 1868, African Americans won a majority in one house of the South Carolina legislature; subsequently they won half the state’s eight executive offices, elected three members of Congress, and won a seat on the state supreme court. Over the entire course of Reconstruction, 20 African Americans served as governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer or superintendent of education, and more than 600 served as state legislators. Almost all the African Americans who became state executives had been freeman before the Civil War, whereas most of the legislators had been slaves. Because these African Americans represented districts that large planters had dominated before the Civil War, they embodied the potential of Reconstruction for revolutionizing class relationships in the South.† The sweeping social change spreading across the South likely made Democrats in the region feel threatened. But their citizenship ploy did not work. Revels’ supporters argued that the pastor-turned-politician had been a citizen. After all, he’d voted in Ohio in the 1850s before the Dred Scott decision changed the citizenship rules. Other supporters said that the Dred Scott decision should have only applied to men who were all black and not mixed-race like Revels. His backers also pointed out that the Civil War and Reconstruction laws had overturned discriminatory legal rulings like Dred Scott. So, on Feb. 25, 1870, Revels became the first African American U.S. senator. To mark the groundbreaking moment, Republican Sen.  Charles Sumner of Massachusetts remarked, â€Å"All men are created equal, says the great Declaration, and now a great act attests this verity. Today we make the Declaration a reality†¦. The Declaration was only half established by Independence. The greatest duty remained behind. In assuring the equal rights of all we complete the work.† Tenure in Office Once he was sworn in, Revels tried to advocate for equality for blacks. He fought to have African Americans readmitted to the Georgia General Assembly after Democrats forced them out. He spoke out against legislation to maintain segregation in Washington, D.C., schools and served on labor and education committees. He fought for black workers who’d been denied the opportunity to work at the Washington Navy Yard simply because of their skin color. He nominated a young black man named Michael Howard to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, but Howard was ultimately refused entry. Revels also supported the building of infrastructure, levees and railroad. While Revels advocated for racial equality, he did not behave vengefully toward ex-Confederates. Some Republicans wanted them to face ongoing punishment, but Revels thought they should again be granted citizenship, as long as they pledged loyalty to the United States. Like Barack Obama would be more than a century later, Revels was hailed by his fans for his skills as an orator, which he likely developed because of his  experience as a pastor. Revels served just one year as U.S. senator. In 1871, his term ended, and he accepted the position of president of Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Just a few years later, another African American, Blanche K. Bruce, would represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate. While Revels only served a partial term, Bruce became the first African American to serve a full-term in office. Life After the Senate Revels’ transition into higher education didn’t spell the end of his career in politics. In 1873, he became Mississippis interim secretary of state. He lost his job at Alcorn when he opposed the reelection bid of Mississippi Gov. Adelbert Ames, who Revels accused of exploiting the black vote for personal gain. An 1875 letter Revels wrote to President Ulysses S. Grant about Ames and the carpetbaggers was heavily circulated. It said in part: â€Å"My people have been told by these schemers, when men have been placed on the ticket who were notoriously corrupt and dishonest, that they must vote for them; that the salvation of the party depended upon it; that the man who scratched a ticket was not a Republican. This is only one of the many means these unprincipled demagogues have devised to perpetuate the intellectual bondage of my people.† In 1876,  Revels resumed his work at Alcorn, where he served until retiring in 1882. Revels also continued his work as a pastor and edited the A.M.E. Church’s newspaper, the Southwestern Christian Advocate. In addition, he taught theology at Shaw College. Death and Legacy On Jan. 16, 1901, Revels died of a stroke in Aberdeen, Miss. He was in town for a church conference. He was 73. In death, Revels continues to be remembered as a trailblazer. Just nine African Americans, including Barack Obama, have won election  as U.S. senators since Revels time in office. This indicates that diversity in national politics continues to be a struggle, even in a 21st century United States far removed from slavery.

Human Resources for Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Resources for Industry - Essay Example Moreover, it has become a more complicated task to find and utilise workforce for highly specialised positions. Thus, there is more importance of human resource management in organisations than ever before. This paper will try to analyse the importance of HR management, the present day challenges faced by HR management in common, the different ways the HR managements usually adopt to cope up with the changes, the changing nature of workplace, and some modern studies into HR management. The Role and Importance of HR management One can undoubtedly say that the role of HR has increased tremendously in all organisations. The role of Human Resource Management in the 21st century starts from the board room to the market place. The challenges before HR managers in the twenty-first century, according to Bohlander and Snell (2007, p.5) are going global, embracing new technology, managing change, managing talent or human capital, responding to the market, and containing costs. In recent years, more attention is paid to how the human resource management affects organisation’s overall performance than to what practices are adopted in human resource management. ... For example, the Vodafone Company, started in England in 1982 has now operations in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. In addition, the GlaxoSmithKline has its origin and headquarters in UK, Consumer Products headquarters in Pennsylvania, and major centre for biopharmaceutical products in Germany, Canada, and USA. It sometimes becomes necessary to assess the skill of a foreign workforce, translation of some materials into regional languages, training for foreign workforce, and many a time, deciding the compensation for foreign employees. The onslaught of new technology The advent of technology made it possible for organisations to store, retrieve and analyse data easily. As a result, the nature of the workplace changed a lot. Instead of the large number of workforce of the past that required only little knowledge, today, the job positions require considerable amount of skill and the present jobs involve a lot of planning, decision making and problem solving. In addition, the present workplace more often requires retraining of employees when they are displaced. Human Resource Management too has changed considerably through the use of technology. The first and foremost development is the adoption of human resources information system (HRIS), thus making response times, decision making, and customer service faster and easier. In UK, the National Health Service has started implementing the Electronic Staff Record, a national, fully integrated payroll system. Many other UK firms too have same form of HRIS in use. The first advantage of this system is greater efficiency and reduced cost. For example, Cisco Systems have developed an intranet system which helps them save about

Atypical Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Atypical Development - Essay Example Those children suffering from ADD or ADHD are in most case disruptive in the classroom, while, at the same time displaying behavior problems, which are capable of making the school experience hard for everyone concerned (Turner, 2003). Nonetheless, there is a high possibility of effectively controlling and managing these disorders’ symptoms with appropriate treatment. On the other hand, Conduct Disorder varies from both ADD and ADHD since the patterns of behaviors observed happen to be more deviant, as well as antisocial in nature while having high degrees of aggression, as well as delinquent acts. The treatment for these disorders comprises of drug therapy, together with behavior modification therapies with drug therapy for ADD and ADHD including drugs such as Modafinil and Ritalin. Conversely, the best way of treating Conduct Disorder entails treating individual symptoms, as well as sub-disorders while finding proper disciplinary actions, which encourage prosocial behavior s o as to redirect negative behavior into prosocial behavior. The second category of problems is the internalized problems, which happen when the child concentrates their deviant behaviors onto their self. Issues connected to this problem genre comprise of eating disorders, adolescent suicide and depression. In this case, the child has depression which has an impact on the developing child through impacting their capability of performing their day to day tasks, by holding their energy level, as well as through their chronic sad mood. In treating depression, various forms of treatment is applicable; in some cases, it is helpful to apply light or color therapy and in other cases whereby the depression has a connection to seasonal mood swings (Halla-Poe, 2003). There are instances like in this scenario, whereby psychological counseling tends to be