Information Systems Components PowerPoint Presentation

Information Systems Components - PowerPoint Presentation Example At the core of proper information management is the collection process. Collecting information includes all the activities that pertain to the gathering of the information from its source. In the London Olympics, much information will have to be gathered from thousands of places in order to be analyzed and translated. The collection process has to be done exhaustively and unobtrusively in order to ensure that nothing important is left behind. In this regard, proper information gathering techniques have to be used in order to obtain quality information from the fields and other sources. Such techniques should not have any loopholes that can lead to some information being lost or distorted during the collection process. Good information management for the Olympics will require that information is normalized in order to create a sense of uniformity and conformity for the organizers. In this regard, it is important to use advanced computer software that can effectively normalize the larg e volumes of information that will have to be dealt with in the process. The organizers should therefore ensure that they use proper computerized information management systems that will ensure that the whole event is devoid of any mishaps that can occur in such instances. It has to be realized that if the wrong information is gathered from the ground, chaos will begin to erupt in the games. It is therefore important that information gathered has to be confirmed and counterchecked in order to ensure that no distortion has occurred in the collection process. The information gathered from the field will normally be at its raw state. In order to make it presentable and easily understood by the millions of people across the world that would be waiting, it is important that the information is properly analyzed. The raw data can be analyzed through the use of various methods. In this regard, the analysis of the information has to be highly computerized in order to effectively address the large volumes of information that would be available. It is also important that the information system to be used to has a good backup process in order to take care of any eventuality. While many people across the world would eagerly be waiting to receive updated information on the various events on progress in London, the organizers have the important duty of ensuring that this flow of information occurs without any interruption or hiccups. In order to ensure that nothing is taken for granted, it is necessary that the organizers of the London Olympics to regularly conduct database checkups in order to ensure the functionality of the information systems and to ensure that everything progresses as planned. Since the data gathering process is expected to be top notch, it is also important to ensure that the data quality strategy is regularly checked and enhanced. This would be greatly important considering that the data obtained from the event will have to be kept and used for several years to come. In order to ensure that only the appropriate information is gathered and relayed across, it is necessary to track the deliverability of the information across the whole system. Quality information can only be obtained if it is tracked across the movement in order to ensur

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Essay Example for Free

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Essay Throughout the novel the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Yunior tells the story of oscars family that is allegedly cursed by the Fuku. The dominican family that roots back to when Trujillo was in power has been tragical effected by the Fuku. The main character Oscar is an awkward Dominican that balms his failures on the curse of the Fuku. The curse started back in the Dominican republic when the oppressive dictator Trujillo convicted oscars grandfather Abelard who was a respected doctor for conspiracy. When oscars grandfather was put in jail he was tortured and beaten, this was the origin of the curse for the Waos. Like a gene the curse has been passed down the family to oscar. The author Junot Diaz uses the motif of the Fuku to illustrate how bani allows her awful past to dramatically affect her and children. Everyone that lived in the dominican was in some way negatively effected by Trujillo. Oscar Wao was a living example of the fuku and how not only Trujillo effected the dominican people of his time but even the people two generations later. For example (p.5)â€Å"wether I believe in what many have described as the great american doom is not really the point. You live as long as I did in the heart of Fuku country, you hear these kinds of tales all the time everybody in san domingo has a Fuku story knocking around in their family.† Yunior is expressing the fact that even if you are not a believer of the Fuku curse if you are dominican there is a good chance it has affected you or your family. When oscars mother was left an orphan she was put through unbelievably awful circumstances much like her fathers. This time in Banis life effect who she became and how she parented Oscar.(78)â€Å"From 1951 on, â€Å"hija† and â€Å"madre† running their famous bakery near the plaza central and keeping their fading, airless house in tip-top shape. (before 1951, our orphan girl had lived with another foster family, monsterous people if the rumors are to be believed, a dark period of her life neither she nor her madre ever referenced. Their very own pagina en blanco). This quotation refers to how oscars mother was effected by the Fuku. The reason she was an orphan was because Trujillo killed her parents. The events of her childhood were a direct result of Trujillo but Bani had the power to put the past in the past and parent Oscar the right way, because Bani did not do this the Fuku lives on. Many times in the book a Wao has been injured almost to the point of death. Once was when Oscar attempted suicide. Oscars Suicide attempt was not just because he lost the first girl he has ever loved it was also because of how Oscar had almost no self esteem. Even his own mother would belittle him from a young age. The suicide attempt went wrong and Oscar survived to live another day. (p.191) â€Å"Except that this one of the garden dividers that they planted shrubs on and he hit the freshly tilled loam and not the concrete.† Because he hit the fresh loam he survived with many harsh injures instead of plummeting to his death as planned. This was an incident in Oscar Waos life that was a result of his failures like his failure to love or be loved. This failure stems back to how his mother raised him with very tough love because of the her childhood. The novel clearly illustrated how the Fuku has effected all Dominican people even if they had immigrated off the island. To me this novel is not about dominican people and there history it is about how only one man effected millions of lives not only in one point it time but for generations to come. Junot Diaz shows the reader how we all have the power to stop horrible things like the Fuku from effecting the next generation but you must have the power to leave the past in the past.

Failure At The Battle Of Britain History Essay

Failure At The Battle Of Britain History Essay In the summer of 1940, the Battle of Britain was fought between the Royal Air Force of Great Britain and the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany. The assault was Hitlers attempt at decimating Britains air force and morale, enabling a full-scale seaborne invasion of Britain. The failure of such an ambitious undertaking marked Germanys first significant defeat and became a turning point in World War Two. More than seventy years later, historians continue to debate over the reasons for the failure of the Luftwaffe, prompting an investigation to answer: To what extent was the Luftwaffe responsible for their failure at the Battle of Britain? This essay analyses both sides of the debate; either that the RAFs successes were the most important cause of Germanys failure, or that it was the errors of the Luftwaffe that proved decisive in Britains victory. Utilizing the views of historians such as Stephen Bungay, RJ Overy and JP Ray, this essay also employs some primary sources to consolidate both arguments, and forms a conclusion to the investigation. Although the Luftwaffe were not perfectly suited to the task of singlehandedly eliminating Britains key defences, being a support force rather than a strategic one, the sheer number of pilots and planes that they had at their disposal, combined with the fact that they did not have to defend anything themselves, should have guaranteed a German victory. Instead, the constantly shifting strategy and bad leadership combined with flawed intelligence complicated the operation. Additionally, Britain benefited from the leadership of Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Air Marshal Hugh Dowding, while being aided by their radar early warning system and the advantage of fighting within friendly territory. In conclusion, however, the Luftwaffe was still the clear favourite and it was only through their mistakes that the RAF was able to survive. Introduction The Battle of Britain, part of the Second World War, began in the summer of 1940, on the 10th of July. An entirely aerial battle, Hitler initiated the assault as a preliminary phase of his invasion of Britain, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The Luftwaffe was meant to neutralize the RAF and Britains other key defences, enabling the German Navy to land and discharge troops. Not only was this failure a psychological blow to the Nazi war effort, but also more significantly it thwarted Hitlers planning for the German invasion of the USSR, for which timing was crucial. The Luftwaffe was overconfident as a result of its successes across the rest of Europe, but it failed to anticipate the conditions of a battle fought exclusively in the air; understandably, since the Battle of Britain was the first entirely aerial conflict. Hermann Goering, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, assured Hitler that he could guarantee control of the skies above the channel, protecting the German invasion for ce from the RAF. Not only did the Battle last far longer than intended, but also the Luftwaffe failed their objective, forcing Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion indefinitely  [1]  . Both during the Battle and in the years following it, the British cleverly capitalised on the propaganda value of their success. This gave rise to the initial popular view that it was the courage and resilience of the RAF that had repelled the Luftwaffe through sheer determination, overcoming the numerical odds. Indeed, Churchill would often mention in his speeches and later his memoirs the importance of the Few  [2]  . However, orthodox historical investigations adopted a more analytical and less sensationalist view that Britains inherent advantages of radar and friendly territory tipped the scales in their favour, combined with the heroism of the pilots and Britains impressive fighter production and sound leadership  [3]  . An alternative revisionist view emerged later as records out of Germany came to light, stating that despite all of this Britain would still have lost if the Luftwaffe had not conducted their campaign so poorly  [4]  . After all, it is undisputed that the Germans had greater numbers of planes  [5]  and more importantly, capable, experienced pilots. The fact that such a key event continues to be a subject of intense debate merits an investigation into what actually was the more decisive factor. Therefore the following research question is still very relevant today: To what extent was the Luftwaffe responsible for their failure at the Battle of Britain? While both sides of the debate provide compelling evidence, ultimately, for all of the RAFs courage and advantages, the Luftwaffe should have been able to overwhelm them with sheer brute force and elementary tactics, but the extent to which the Luftwaffes mistakes altered the course of the Battle led to Britains victory. The RAFs responsibility for the result There can be no doubt that the RAF showed an unprecedented level of resilience and intelligence in dealing with the German threat, and despite all of the propaganda associated with it, there is a great deal of evidence that supports this orthodox view. One of the major contributors to this success was the system implemented by Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, aptly named the Dowding system of defence. Dowding organized a structured system of command and networked intelligence, with several scattered Sectors reporting to four groups, and each group then filtering and passing on the necessary information to the central Fighter Command Headquarters  [6]  . The Dowding system ensured that Fighter Command was able to receive a clear and updated picture of the Battle at all times. This was in no small part due to the implementation of Radio Direction Finding (RDF) also known as radar, which was instrumental in ensuring that Fighter Command knew exactly when and where the Germans were attacking. Since its inception in 1935, Dowding had personally championed the radar system. Furthermore, the use of radar was cleverly organised; Fighter Command controlled the radar, but each sector was able to control its airfields and observers, enabling local control that avoided the potential delay of waiting for Fighter Commands directions. Additionally, as Fighter Command directly received radar, if the Luftwaffe succeeded in bombing a station, Fighter Command would continue to function unimpaired. On the 7th of September 1940, the Luftwaffe attacked London with 400 bombers escorted by fighters. This attack tested the efficiency of the system; once the Germans were detected by the radar and confirmed as three waves of aircraft, the commander of 11 Group, Keith Park, sent six of his squadrons to combat the first wave while holding the remainder of the group for the other two, saving fuel. Meanwhile, 12 Group and 10 Group were deployed to protect 11 Groups vulnerable airfields from German bombers  [7]  . Dowdings system was able to eliminate the Luftwaffes advantage of surprise  [8]  , allowing the British to send out the precise number of aircraft exactly where they were needed to thwart the Germans; and this became a vital component of Britains victory, especially since the Germans refused to recognize the threat of it. Another factor in the result of the Battle was the ability of the British factories to replace lost and damaged aircraft. Britains fighter production was far better than Germanys, approximately 500 per month against just over 150 per month by the Germans  [9]  . In addition, these aircraft were Hurricanes and Spitfires, high quality planes that were more than a match for Germanys own Bf 109s and 110s  [10]  . The rapid rate of production ensured that the RAF never had a shortage of operational aircraft, although the same could not be said of their pilot reserves.  [11]  . This impressive level of production was primarily due to Lord Beaverbrooks ability to deregulate the processes used for aircraft production, in his capacity as Minister of Aircraft Production. With Churchills help, Beaverbrook managed to persuade British citizens to donate pots, pans and even fences and railings to be used in factories in a scheme dubbed Saucepans to Spitfires  [12]  . Churchill ofte n lauded Beaverbrooks success, during these weeks of intense struggle and ceaseless anxiety, claiming that his personal buoyancy and vigour were a tonic  [13]  , and on the 2nd of August 1940 he appointed Beaverbrook to the War Cabinet. The results of Beaverbrooks efforts were directly reflected in the number of operational airplanes, which rose from 560 to 730 between June and November  [14]  . The orthodox view gives great importance to Dowdings excellent tactical deployment of his aircraft in determining the RAFs victory. Dowding was aware from the beginning that the number of trained pilots available was always dangerously scarce; a notion supported by accounts from fighter pilots that emerged after the war, claiming that they were often scrambled three or four times a day  [15]  . Despite strong suggestions from 12 Group Commander Trafford Leigh-Mallory and the leader of 242 squadron Douglas Bader to attack the Germans head on in a massive fire fight, Dowding held firm with his strategy of utilizing his early warning system to send out a small number of planes to intercept the Germans where they were most needed. Furthermore, during the last days of the Battle of France, Dowding refused to send out any more squadrons to the aid of the French, recognizing that Frances defeat was inevitable  [16]  . During the Battle of Britain, 11 Group, which often bore the brunt of the German attack, frequently requested Fighter Command for support from the other Groups. Indeed, some of the pilots in 11 Group who later recounted their experiences have criticized Dowding for putting too much strain on Air Vice Marshal Park  [17]  , although it is unlikely that these pilots would have sympathized with the general strategy after the ordeals they were put through. Dowding also understood that the RAF had an essential advantage in fighting over friendly territory; firstly, an RAF pilot who ejected from his plane could easily be rescued and returned to the front-line, whereas German pilots would become prisoners of war, or drown in the Channel. Considering that out of the more than 800 planes shot down, only 507 RAF pilots were killed, this was extremely valuable given the RAFs lack of reserve pilots  [18]  . Secondly, the Luftwaffe was operating out of France, which meant they had to waste precious fuel crossing the English Channel, whereas the RAF planes took off much nearer to the points of interception.  [19]   Another aspect of the RAFs ingenuity that worked in their favour was their quick adaptation of aerial combat tactics. The nature of the Battle of Britain was such that both the RAF and the Luftwaffe were initially unprepared for the scale and pace of the fighting that was conducted. As per the training manual, RAF pilots initially used a conventional formation with two wingmen flying behind the leader at a fixed distance, which limited their ability to defend the leader  [20]  . By contrast, the Luftwaffe sent fighters operating in a two pair formation around their bombers, and towards the end of July the RAF had already adopted this strategy. Wing Commander H. R. Allen of 11 Group believed that if the RAF had used this method from the beginning, they would have been several times more efficient at destroying German aircraft  [21]  . Since Allen was a pilot who actually fought in the Battle, it is reasonable to assume that he would have been able to evaluate this effectively. Also, the RAF modified their standard squadron formation, using part of the squadron flying in three lines, while the rest flew above and to the rear, offering better defence and ready replacements for any losses in the front  [22]  . Another important tactic employed by the RAF was to send their faster, more agile Spitfires against the German Messerschmitt 109s, while allowing their Hurricanes to eliminate the slower and more vulnerable German bombers. Britains adaptability helped to conserve their limited resources and efficiently engage the enemy, offering crucial tactical gains. While the RAF were busy fighting the Germans in the skies, Britains Prime Minister Winston Churchill was equally active in rallying Great Britain behind their courageous Royal Air Force. Churchills skills as an orator and motivator undoubtedly played a part in Britains victory. Although Hitler could be equally charismatic, he showed very little interest in the Battle, deferring responsibilities to Goering while he focused on Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the USSR  [23]  . Churchill wrote in his memoirs Their Finest Hour how he cannot speak too highly of the loyalty of Mr Chamberlain, or of the resolution and efficiency of all of my Cabinet colleagues, and yet Churchill himself was constantly visiting various Group stations and Fighter Command, asking for updates and estimates of progress  [24]  . A notable example of this was Churchills arrival at 11 Groups Headquarters in Uxbridge on the 15th of September, and remained in the Group Operations room with Air Vice-Marsh al Park for most of the battles duration  [25]  . In addition to this, Churchills address to the House of Commons on the 18th of June famously spoke of Britains finest hour and of how never has so much in the field of conflict been owed by so many to so few. These speeches helped to boost the morale not only of the public, but more importantly that of the overworked RAF pilots  [26]  . Moreover, Britain also benefited from the intelligence it received. During the Battle, both sides overestimated the enemys losses while underestimating their own, partly to increase morale, but also due to the chaotic circumstances that made it extremely difficult to gather reliable intelligence. According to Stephen Bungay, Britain also overestimated the overall strength of the enemy force, judging Luftwaffe front line strength to exceed 5000 when in reality there were around 3000 German aircraft with 900 reserves. This discouraged an all out Big Wing assault, which would have negated Britains advantages and caused careless losses  [27]  . Furthermore, by the time of the Battle the British were able to decode German messages using their Enigma machine; although some historians argue that Fighter Command was unaware of the Enigma breakthrough until as late as October  [28]  . The RAF were also aided by a branch of the observer corps known as Y Service, which yielded unprecede nted results simply by listening in to various German radio frequencies  [29]  . These aspects of the RAFs intelligence network compounded by the Dowding early warning system ensured that the RAF were alerted of the Luftwaffes moves as much as possible. The many advantages that the RAF both inherently began with and later cultivated enabled them to put up a strong defence, resulting in the Luftwaffe coming off worse in nearly every exchange. In a stark contrast to the Luftwaffe, the RAF prospered under an efficient system of intelligence, tactical adaptability and reliable leadership. There can be no doubt that these were important contributors to their victory, to a limited extent. The Luftwaffes responsibility for the result Hitler commanded his Luftwaffe to maintain air superiority over the Channel and Island.  [30]  While the Luftwaffe outnumbered the RAF, an important point to note is that of the 3000 aircraft sent to Britain, only 1200 of those were fighters, while the 1800 bombers were far more vulnerable against the Hurricanes and Spitfires  [31]  . One of the most costly failures of the Luftwaffe was their wayward tactics and strategy. This was explicitly demonstrated in the inexplicable gap in the offensive between the British evacuations of Dunkirk on the 4th of June and the final launch Operation Eagle Attack (the codename of the assault) on the 13th of August  [32]  . During this period, both sides were able to replace their losses after the Battle of France, however since Britains production was much higher than Germanys, the Luftwaffe effectively weakened their position by waiting. Moreover, the minor intermittent raids conducted by German aircraft gave Britain a chance to test and perfect the Dowding system  [33]  . Additionally, this delay was compounded by a lack of focus in the German plan of attack; the Luftwaffe was attempting to attack merchant convoys on the Channel, British airfields and radar stations in the South as well as fighting a war of attrition by engaging RAF airplanes. The overall result of the se endeavours was that while there was some success in each of these objectives, it was very limited  [34]  . No targets were actually crippled beyond repair, especially since Hermann Goering considered attacking the radar stations a waste of time and resources, a clear display of ignorance that made the system all the more effective for the RAF. Perhaps the single most detrimental decision made by the Luftwaffe was the decision to switch bombing targets from the RAF airfields to the British cities. Many historians have attributed this to an accidental German bomb dropped on London, which prompted retaliation against Berlin, thus enraging Hitler to the point of ordering the destruction of London  [35]  . This proved to be a turning point in the Battle for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gave the RAF much-needed breathing space to repair airfields, train new pilots and deploy them. Secondly, Fighter Command could now organize its groups around London and concentrate its forces, instead of having to stretch them across the south coast. Thirdly, in London air raid shelters had already been constructed throughout London which somewhat limited civilian casualties, as the attacks on the countryside were abandoned  [36]  . A further point is that the journey to London took the German fighters and bombers, who were operating out of Normandy and Belgium, to the limit of their fuel capacity, offering them mere minutes of flight time over the city. Ironically, even Goering seemed to immediately realize this, commenting its stupid to drop bombs on cities.  [37]  While the orthodox views confidently identify this as the saviour of the RAF, revisionists have argued that although it gave Fighter Command some breathing space it was an inevitable tactic given that the bombers damage to the airfields was limited  [38]  . Although there is disagreement over the extent to which this affected the outcome of the Battle, it was a factor that cannot be ignored; this respite was complemented by the RAFs high fighter production that allowed them to recoup their losses quickly. While Great Britain was able to rely on Churchill and Dowding to bolster their resolve and devise effective strategies, the Luftwaffe deteriorated under the command of Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering. Not only did Hitler overestimate the Luftwaffes capabilities as an attack force by expecting them to singlehandedly eliminate British defences, he made matters worse by ordering the Luftwaffe to bomb London, purely as a result of his political outrage over the raid on Berlin. Churchill publicly denounced Hitlers inability to grasp aerial warfare, Herr Hitler is using up his fighter force  [39]  . Goering on the other hand did not actively coordinate his forces as his British counterpart Dowding did, nor did he make any effort to motivate his pilots; as German ace Adolf Galland claims, he went about it the wrong way  [40]  . However, being a contemporary German source, it is important to note that a pilot like Galland would prefer to blame the strategy of his officers for the de feat rather than the performance of pilots such as himself. As the tide of the Battle began to turn, the leadership flaws were exposed and this made the Luftwaffe even more impotent, which proved to be a necessary component of the RAFs success. Another aspect of the Luftwaffes failure was their unsuitability as a force for the task that was put to them. This view is supported by many revisionists, who investigated German records after the war and came to the conclusion that the Luftwaffe was a support force, designed to aid the Wehrmacht (Army) by bombing key targets ahead of the armoured advance on the ground  [41]  . The only Air Force the Luftwaffe had to contend with prior to the Battle of France was the Polish Air Force, who fought valiantly but ultimately had too few planes, all of which were also obsolete  [42]  . Furthermore, despite Goerings confidence that he could destroy the RAF, the Luftwaffes planes were unsuited to the task. While the Bf 109 could outmanoeuvre a Spitfire at high altitudes, it was limited both by a low fuel capacity, and the fact that it had to protect the low flying Ju 87 dive-bombers  [43]  . By 1940 Germany had not yet developed long-range heavy bombers, since Goering believed t hat dive-bombers were sufficient for any assault. While the Ju 87s and 88s were accurate, they were unable to defend themselves against Hurricanes and Spitfires, which allowed the RAF to pick them off with ease once their fighter escorts had been dealt with. This became a huge problem when the Luftwaffe began bombing London, which was even further north, as the Bf 109s only had an effective range of 125 miles  [44]  . This problem was highlighted on August 15th 1940, when 30 German bombers were shot down at the cost of two Hurricanes, which also demonstrated that in daylight, the German aircraft were even more vulnerable  [45]  . Furthermore, Keegan believes that because the Luftwaffe had more bombers than fighters, their fighter strength was insignificantly greater than the RAF condemning their operation from the beginning. Clearly, the Luftwaffe was completely unprepared for their operation, and in the war of attrition they came off worse as a result. Many of the tactical errors made by Goering were based on faulty intelligence received, and this was responsible for much of the self-inflicted damage. Firstly, in the Air Intelligence Departments report, the Dowding system was labelled as rigid and inflexible, and this was partly the reason that Goering dismissed the radar stations as insignificant targets. This was undoubtedly a costly mishap; the radar eliminated the Luftwaffes much-needed element of surprise and there were only six proper attacks against the radar stations during the course of the Battle  [46]  . Not only was Britains overall fighter strength underestimated, but fighter production itself was also underestimated, with intelligence estimating 230 planes a day while the reality was well over 400  [47]  . The intelligence department suffered from managerial deficiencies; there were several different agencies attempting to curry favour by providing positive (and false) reports, which would even conflict with e ach other at times. Goering received a report that the Bf 110 could hold its own against the Hurricane, which complicated battle tactics later when the reality emerged and the Bf 110 squadrons had to be reinforced with the superior Bf 109s  [48]  . This was a key flaw that separated the Luftwaffe from the RAF, and this allowed the RAF to maximise the useful implementation of their intelligence without facing effective retaliation. In addition, while Britain may have benefited from overestimating German losses by boosting morale, the same did not apply to the Luftwaffe. The overestimation of RAF losses bred complacency, and Goering was often made to look foolish by confidently asserting that the RAF would be destroyed within the week only to have the Battle continue to drag on  [49]  . At one point Goering was under the impression that the RAF only had 100 operational fighters, while the reality was more than 700  [50]  . The bad estimates of numbers, the underestimation of radar and the overestimation of German fighter capability all created an atmosphere of arrogance and complacency, which proved detrimental to the Luftwaffe. Although the Luftwaffe should have prevailed through sheer force of numbers, it was constantly let down by unfocused strategy, distracted leadership and incorrect intelligence. Also, the overconfidence of Goering ensured that crucial problems were not rectified in time, and this created a sluggishness that was uncharacteristic of the nation that had Blitzkreiged across Western Europe, and unacceptable given the circumstances of the Battle. Conclusion There is a great deal of sound evidence and judgement on both sides of the argument. It would have been unfair to entirely discount the orthodox view in favour of the revisionist. After all, the RAF was fighting on friendly territory, their early warning system eliminated the German element of surprise, they were highly motivated by their leaders and any tactics which may have initially been obsolete were quickly adapted, turning the RAF into one of the best Air Forces of World War Two and certainly one of the most experienced. Additionally, a high rate of fighter production supported by civilian initiatives enabled the RAF to maintain and expand its front-line strength over the course of the Battle. The Luftwaffe, meanwhile, benefited from superior numbers and experienced personnel. However, the Luftwaffe were more suited to providing support for the Army, rather than engaging another air force, as indicated by their large quantities of outdated and unsuitable bombers. During the Battle, the Luftwaffe suffered a number of setbacks, as a result of their lax leadership, meandering strategy, and faulty intelligence from sycophantic and competitive agencies. The most debilitating demonstration of this was the decision to switch bombing targets from airfields and other military installations to British cities, allowing the RAF time to recover and replace their losses, while accomplishing very little instead. Although the RAF put up an excellent defence, the objective that the Luftwaffe were assigned, to pave the way for the invasion force and weaken or destroy the RAF should have been possible based on their numerical superiority; certainly prior to the Battle there was very little hope for Britain. Furthermore, it is important to understand that rather than two separate developments of the Battle, the German mistakes and British successes

Nursing - Unprofessional Conduct :: Nursing Essays

Nursing - Unprofessional Conduct Unprofessional Conduct according to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing is detailed in ASBN Rules and Regulations, Chapter 7, Section XV, #6. The section states the following conduct are considered unprofessional. Failing to assess, evaluate, and intervene, Incorrect documentation, Missappropriation of residents property, Medication and Treatment errors, Performing or attempting to perform procedures that the nurse is untrained to do, Violating confidentiality. Neglect/Abuse or failure to report these incidents, Failing to report violations or attempted violations to the ASBN, Inappropriate delegation of duties, Failing to supervise, Practicing when unfit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To report alleged violations to the ASBN. The person reporting must put the complaint in writing and send to the ASBN. Anyone can report violations to the ASBN but Nurses are obligated to report to the ASBN. When reporting they want the sentinel event or the violation and patterns of behavior of the individual. The written complaint must contain Who, What, When, Where. What is Abandonment? According to the ASBN abandonment is broken down into two categories patient abandonment and job abandonment. Patient abandonment is the nurse taking the assignment and establishing a nurse-patient relationship then severing that nurse-patient relationship without giving reasonable notice to the appropriate person (supervisor, employer) so that arrangements can be made for continuation of nursing care by others. The employer may have another meaning of abandonment, staying over shifts when there is no relief, making the nurse work on scheduled off days. These situations are not governed by ASBN and are not punishable. The employer can fire you for these offenses though.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ABSN have set guidelines for convictions for crimes that bar you from holding license in the state of Arkansas. These convictions are as stated. Capital murder, murder 1st and 2nd degree, battery 1st degree, sexual indecency/assault, incest, child pornography, offenses against the family, felony adult abuse, theft of property, promotion of prostitution 1st degree, stalking, arson, endangering the welfare of a minor 1st degree, aggravated robbery, terrorist threatening 1st degree, kidnapping, robbery, violations of uniform controlled substances act. If an nurse that is convicted of one of these crimes may voluntarily surrender there license. When the court requirements are met the convicted nurse may submit a request for a wavier. With the waiver request the nurse must provide evidence that thee court order has been met, rehabilitation, and provide letters of reference.

Examining Collaborative and Individual Writing Processes

Examining Collaborative and Individual Writing Processes Stephen McLeod University of Phoenix Collaborative writing is a tool that is being utilized more often in the professional world as well as the educational world. The collaborative writing process is similar to the individual writing process as many of the same rules apply. In this paper we, as a learning team, will illustrate some examples of how to use the tools of individual writing in the collaborative process. Writing as a group facilitates a more thorough and accurate end result because the work is shared between all members rather than resting on the shoulders of only one individual. It also enables more opinions and facts to be presented by the team as productive writers making the reader able to easily understand what is being expressed. The most logical place to begin this process is by brainstorming. According to www. dictionary. reference. com, brainstorming is defined as: â€Å"a conference technique of solving specific problems, amassing information, stimulating creative thinking, developing new ideas, etc. by unrestrained and spontaneous participation in discussion. † In order to write an excellent paper, for any topic, requires much brainstorming to have the paper written well. There are many ways for teams to brainstorm, some of which include all members of the team writing their own ideas down and then sharing them with the group, or the facilitator of the brainstorming group writing down ideas on a big, whiteboard while the team members shout their ideas like a game of charades. Both are excellent ways to come up with ideas and have fun in the process which, in turn, keeps all parties involved, relaxed and more focused. However, ending up with too many vague or off-topic ideas will cause the team to lose focus resulting in the first problem arising. A great way to succeed is matching up the ideas and topics from brainstorming and putting it together in writing. When working with a group versus individually, more ideas and topics will be brought up that otherwise might have been over-looked. Brainstorming is more effective with a group than with an individual because everyone is giving their ideas to the paper. It is more difficult to put the paper together when everyone is not in greement on the topic. Resolving conflicts is necessary for effective brainstorming. One way to resolve conflicts in the group is to have two ideas for each specific topic, allowing everyone in the group to give his or her feedback. Another solution to resolve conflicts would be to take a vote based upon the most thorough information presented to the group. The issue of plagiarism should also be resolved during the brainsto rming process. The group should agree upon the level of plagiarism that will or will not be tolerated for admission into the paper. After a while, a team would determine if the paper is perfect for that particular topic. As for an individual, he or she would know if the paper has met the requirements however, without the advantage of brainstorming with another person, one would have no feedback upon which to base the decision. Once the topic has been agreed upon, the next step is to begin the research. The first action that is necessary when doing research as a team is to identify the topic that is going to be written about and develop that topic into a specific subject matter. Making a list of possible places one can look for information, whether it is on the Internet or in a library, is a smart place to begin. Having multiple people who can offer their ideas and opinions is much better than doing the research on one’s own. Being organized is important because it assists the writers in keeping track of citation information, keeping the irrelevant information out of the way and preventing confusion by placement of paragraphs and sub-topics throughout the editing process. Doing this will enable the reader to easily comprehend the paper. The next step is to find background or other information the team could use to analyze and observe the main subject matter. Referencing an encyclopedia, a news article, or bibliographies will help set the context of the research. Having multiple people involved makes the search quick and easy. Knowledge of a specific subject by someone in the team is not always necessary which, in my opinion, is what makes the research the most important part of any writing. Research is needed in order to delve deeper into whatever subject being written about, thus creating more information to analyze to determine what is useful and what is irrelevant. This is where a big difference between collaborative and individual writing processes occurs. Individually, only one opinion and set of facts are considered; whereas, for a group multiple sets of research are examined during the writing process. The individual writer, assumingly, doesn’t want to bore the reader with information that is not pertinent to the outcome. The writer will usually discuss the information obtained with another individual to gain another perspective. When a team is researching and encounters a problem or an obstacle, it is a good choice having the writer’s solution will assist the reader in understanding how the information was obtained and provide some explanation as to why the information provided was arranged in that particular order. Continuity and cohesion make an essay easier to comprehend and more pleasurable for the reader. A writer may arrange his facts in several different manners that may include chronological order, alphabetical order or by subject matter, for example. After the team is comfortable with all of the researched facts, the team as a whole decides what information is most pertinent to the subject matter and what will provide the most enjoyable read. Editing plays a major role in writing any type of document. In particular, when writing an essay one will have to pay close attention during the proofreading step to ensure that proper editing takes place. A group that collaborates and goes through the editing process as a team has a better chance of catching a mistake than if it was edited only by the individual who wrote the paper as a singular source. and intelligently when being read. When these steps are practiced the writing process is easier to accomplish. This will help detect many mistakes that were made that the editors eyes may have overlooked. By following this rule, you become very familiar with the information that you have researched to compose your essay. Obviously, when working in a group this step is automatically performed. If some part of the work does not sound correct to a member of the group, they should then go back and try to detect their problems. If the team overlooks these problems, they will only compound them and create more problems later on in the essay which gives more reinforcement for working on a paper as a team rather than individually. One example of this may be found in the inclusion of unnecessary information. A way to resolve this would be to include information in a precise manner. Sending a good message to the readers of your essay will allow them to comprehend the subject more easily. Another pitfall that one may encounter would be to repeat sentences over and over. One should stay focused on the most important sentences without adding any unnecessary filler for emphasis. The structure and length of the sentences makes an enormous difference to the readers. If the essay is not structured properly, readers will most likely become unfocused on the message, resulting in distraction. Team identity is very important when the writing process starts. Team meetings and frequent consultations among members of the group will assist in developing a viable team identity. A good suggestion for finding a specific member’s identity would be to find out what each person does best and what he or she isn’tgood at and build from that. Each person on the writing group should be assigned a different function toward the completion of the paper. Throughout life, school has taught children how to work as a team. Sports are a good example on how teamwork is practiced and writing a paper is only different in the aspect of it isn’t physical. The team charter helps the team understand one another. It also states the strengths of the individuals in the group. By using this information, each team member can be put in a position to succeed. This allows the identity to show through the work that is done. Success follows when teams learn their identity in classrooms and in the workplace. References Meyer, R. G. Meyer. (2003). The Writing Process Steps. Writing Prompts. Retrieved from http://www. ettc. net/writing/PDFfiles/Writing%20Process%20Steps. pdf (The Writing Process Steps, para. 1) Renard, J. Retrieved October 25, 2009 from. http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/show_tag? name=writing&page=2

Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership

Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership Introduction Organizations have from time to time; carry out a thorough evaluation of their practices so as to be able to gain insight in ways of streamlining their organizational processes and improvement of revenue and high profit making potential. Both the internal and external aspects are analyzed and it must also be a wide-ranging and all inclusive activity so as to be able to gain proper strategic approach. The model of corporation management examination is derived from the unpredictable economic settings in which companies function.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Investors usually want assurance in a corporation’s wellbeing before they engage in investing in public owned companies, this shows that they want to be provided with reports showing the businesses strength, comprehend how a business bounced back fro m a plunge in returns or whether its cash flow is hampered by its clientele who dont meet their obligations. Reports and analysis done to investigate all this always give potential investors with specifics they require to make knowledgeable choices. With precise tabulations of inward bound returns and reliable evaluation of market tests, company analysis has turned out to be nearly requisite to many market-watchers. To a certain extent business owners and top management opt to use company analysis to assess procedures and boost their companies practices and revenue earnings, instead of refusing to go along with change and resolving for business as usual. Key Focuses Case study 1: Netflix Netflix being one of the world’s largest online providers of movie rentals serves over ten million clients/ subscribers who have access to more than 100,000 DVD titles plus a variety of over five thousand selections that its subscribers can view instantly in real time on their computers. Netf lix has transformed the way movies are rented by delivering them directly to their clients. With todays demanding way of life, and clients demanding extra value and control, its no doubt that Netflix has turned out to be the most favored online source of home entertainment. Netflix has since then developed to be the world’s leading online movie rental provider with it being named the top internet movie retail site for client contentment in 10 out of 11 reviews since 2005 carried out by ForeSee Results. In the same year Fast Company declared it the winner of its yearly Customers First Award. Among other achievements of Netflix include, Retail Innovator of the Year(2007), number one online retailer by Nielsen Online(December 2007), Netflix Player ranked top 10 device of the year by time magazine(December 2008), and 2010 number one e-commerce corporation by the American Customer Satisfaction Index. NetFlix.com, Inc. was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Netflix manages an online-based limitless movie rental service for digital video disc (DVD) formatted movies. The DVD has made available a new technology for storing and playing movies with image and sound quality exceeding that of traditional videocassettes.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A DVD is same in size to an audio compact disc and is capable of storing an entire film, as well as added material such as subtitles in different languages, additional shorter videos about the making of the film or other related subject matter, and information about the actors, director, and producers. With its high quality and additional features, the new DVD technology provided an attractive alternative to traditional videocassettes for the home video market. A key aspect of the Netflix business model is the â€Å"Marquee Queue† concept. The â€Å"Marquee Queue† allow subscribers to rent several movies at once for viewing. This is simply a subscriber’s queue where a list of all the movies that the subscriber had selected, but which had not yet been sent to the subscriber is presented. After logging on to the Netflix Web site, a new subscriber browses the virtual aisles and select movies that he or she desires to watch. These movies are then used to build the subscriber’s queue. The website makes it easy for subscribers to edit the queue, such that the list can be arranged in the desired order. The company then ships the DVDs at the top of the queue to subscribers. Netflix is plagued with technological concerns as far as its ability to move to offering online video from DVDs, this leads to a loss in subscribers. Netflix still has indications of a cash flow Achilles heel as compared to its competitors (Blockbuster, Comcast). They also experience high cost on product acquisition. It experiences competition from about every part of the entertainment industry from cable, digital, and satellite services, including the pay-per-view option and movie channels such as HBO, and Showtime. Due to this an extensive choice of substitutes is offered as a result from the diverse competition. (Marks, 2005). Case study 2: Blockbuster Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation is an adjustable company that notices prospects and is conscious of the challenges that come with every business venture. In so doing it has to be conscious of forthcoming corporations that provide same kind of services for example Hollywood Video. Blockbuster has seized the opening to spread out their services from providing just movies to offering new movies and video games. A main element of Blockbuster’s products is made up of video games. Blockbuster has expanded its operations to include products such as the console games which have further increased its market share by the acquisition of American Satellite and Video Inc. â€Å"American Sat ellite operates Rhino Video Games, which is a games retail chain. Rhino Video buys, sells, and trades video games. Rhino has 40 retail stores in the Southeast, including Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina† (Leon, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Netflix and Blockbuster Battle for Market Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Expansion and Acquisition of Stores Locations Blockbuster seized the opportunity to expand to different countries and will continue to spread to other countries. Blockbuster has greatly expanded internationally and is currently in 27 countries across North America, Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. Blockbuster went from 1500 stores in 1990 to over 8000 stores worldwide in 2002; this expansion is the key to Blockbuster’s success. They have used this expansion to penetrate the market and capture market share. In 2001, Blockbuster’s worldwide revenues surpassed $5 billion, and 20 percent of that was generated outside the U.S. Blockbuster will continue to expand as it is doing in Central America to capture more and more market share (Lamb McDaniel 2005), Blockbuster Entertainment Corporation is an adaptive company that sees opportunity and is aware of the challenges. New ideas are important on topics such as how to compete with internet video rental companies and how to capture the video game rental market. Entering into new countries has been a main focus as well. Blockbuster has also used its three main revenue producers to compete in the vastly growing industry. Blockbuster has also had to keep up with many technological threats. Investments have been down so strategic alliances have been formed to strengthen the company. Online movie rentals and sales have proven to be a necessity considering all the recent technological advances. With all of these things in mind Blockbuster has m ade many adaptations since the case and should be able to remain competitive in the industry. (Haag Phillips, 2005). Key Findings A thorough examination of strategies, resources, and fund raising procedures for up-and-coming growth and middle-market corporations is mandatory for any intended growth to be achieved or realized. This paper has examined both Netflix and blockbuster and provides wide-ranging and convenient recommendations on appreciating and applying the basics of corporate finance to upcoming and middle-market corporations. Haag Phillips ( 2005) notes â€Å"by means of utilizing empirical data and real company case studies to demonstrate resource structures and investment approaches, the recommendations provide an in depth argument of the numerous grant mechanisms.† These can range from conventional bank credits and asset-based funding to diverse types of private equity and other innovative resolution which may include a variety of financial support sources, th eir projected rates of returns and the deal terms. (Haag Phillips, 2005)Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Geoff (2006) notes â€Å"a company analysis gives information about performance and prospects. business graph image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com thisth This investigations, or corporate analyses, refer to dealings undertaken for a comprehensive evaluation to gain a thoughtful realization of a companys precedent performance and potential prospects.† A systematic scrutiny will center on all facets of the corporate body, as well as the administration structure and know-how, assets and resources, growth forecasts, productivity and insubstantial aspects such as goodwill and the product image. Geoff (2006) notes â€Å"results of the analysis are used in reaching business decisions by external parties, such as whether or not to invest in or go into a partnership with the analyzed company.† By and large corporate excellence of a business can be assessed by examining the company’s core elements, purpose, objectives and procedures. For example, a company may prod uce products of flawless quality but have a scandalous customer service record. As such, a total company evaluation may be broken down into minor, related evaluations to look into the various parts of the company. When all the reports from the different analysis are implemented as one, a full size representation of the company’s well being is fashioned. (Geoff, 2006). Strategies for company growth recommended Company analyses often begin from top management or administration team and trickle down to subordinate ranks of the corporation. Together with every segment of the company in the scrutiny procedure make available a well-formed appraisal of the company. This examination possibly will necessitate use of departmental plans or strategies. In trade, administration analysis characteristically centers on procedures, business culture or economic performance. Operational evaluation comprises how a business carries out its responsibilities, business culture, relates to business p hilosophies and practices, and economic assessments are the returns obtained from business functions. (Gamble Arthur, 2004) Companies should find ways of expanding their geographical cover of potential market bases by setting up new stores in new areas, and also through promotion of diverse brand of products that create an appeal and attract potential clientele and retain clients they once upon a time were not able to get in touch with. Corporations intending to grow should carry out frequent analyses of the foremost industry they form a part of; this helps them get a comprehensive grasp on what is required, for example both Netflix should have a sense of the type of movies and services Blockbuster is offering to its clients so as to come up with better services and vice versa. Divide the strategies formulated after carrying out the analysis into specific groups; for example market strategies, people strategies, products and services, administration and organization and finally fi nance. These helps the company be able to implement the strategies and plans fully and realize their objectives. Hire and recruit with high energy levels and good health so as to have maximum employee output Examine the company’s potentiality in terms of resources and finances, before embarking on growth. Another important and strong strategy is to think of globalization. Relating particular products with global events like the world cup can give the world a product it can share in entirely. One should use one of the following techniques in sales. Sales staff – add the time they spend on sales, increase their human resource and their knowledge, skills; communicate with sales representatives, distributors; improve customers information of whats on hand. Evaluate peoples remuneration to ensure that all have equal packages and also that the people feel that the remuneration and compensation is awarded without bias. People should be educated in order to understand the bene fits of a company’s benefit package. Constant specialized training and skill enhancement for employees to upgrade their job output. Examine the companys association with existing and possible clients, its familiarity of varying needs and opportunities in the marketplace, the way it classifies and contacts its regulars, service quality and speed of products being offered, marketing, advertising, and the selling and management skills its possesses. Managers should monitor and utilize resources efficiently for the company’s growth by encompassing the highest quality of know-how and accounting and budgeting systems. In the process they should also be able to establish what can be done to develop precision and relevance of accounting so performance information is accessible in real time. (Andrà ©, 2007). Conclusion Businesses may opt for an outside company to carry out a company analysis for them. This option provides an objective opinion of the company and managers are p rovided with innovative ideas from an outside source without biasness, looking to make changes that will offer significant company returns and realization of objectives. The function of performance examination is to determine whether a company is carrying on well, this information is very vital in attracting investors and also identify areas that call for upgrading. Proper run companies carry out internal analysis on a frequent basis, to be able to keep in touch with changes influencing the company’s performance. Managers come with findings of the evaluation and table them before stakeholders at annual general meetings, with a purpose of catching the attention of potential business prospects. Companies that carry out regular analysis are more in touch with the diverse background issues touching the business and are more vibrant and receptive to market forces. Competition is good for business as the more quality varieties of a certain product in the market are available then, product demand is also high. Reference List Andrà ©, R. (2007). Organizational Behavior: An Introduction to Your Life in Organizations. New York, NY: Prentice Hall. Gamble, J. Arthur, T. (2004) Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Geoff, F. (2006). Marketing Fundermentals:CIM Coursebook. London: oxford publishers. Haag, S. Phillips, A. (2005), Business Driven Technology., New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Hitt, I. Hoskisson, P. (2009). Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization : concepts cases, edn 8, New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Lamb, C., McDaniel, C. (2005), Marketing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Leon, C. (2009). Essentials of Marketing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning, 2009. Marks, K. (2005). The handbook of financing growth: strategies and capital structure. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

Sort and Out of Sorts

Sort and Out of Sorts Sort and Out of Sorts Sort and Out of Sorts By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders if the phrase â€Å"out of sorts† might be worth a post. I think it is. The OED has four separate entries for sort as a noun. The first entry, marked â€Å"obsolete,† defines sort as â€Å"the fate or lot of a particular person or persons.† The word was borrowed from French, but it derives from a Latin verb meaning â€Å"to cast lots.† One’s sort was one’s destiny or fate. In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims draw straws to see who will tell the first tale. The knight wins the draw: â€Å"[whether] by aventure [happenstance], or sort [fate], or cas [accident], the truth is this: the cut fell to the knight.† A related word is sortilege: 1. The practice of casting lots in order to decide something or to forecast the future; divination based on this procedure or performed in some other way; sorcery, magic, witchcraft. 2. An act or instance of divining, choosing, or deciding by the drawing or casting of lots. A second meaning of sort is â€Å"a measure of weight for figs and raisins,† not a use likely to be encountered even by a lover of early English texts. Computing has coined a new use for sort as a noun: â€Å"the action of arranging items of data in a prescribed sequence.† For example, â€Å"We decided to remove the umlauts before performing the sort.† The most usual modern use of the noun sort is in the sense of â€Å"a kind, species, or variety.† The meaning of sort as a noun has evolved from â€Å"what is allotted to one by fate† to such concepts as condition, rank, class, order, category, and variety. The expression â€Å"out of sorts† to mean â€Å"not in normal condition† or â€Å"irritable or peevish† appears frequently in the context of sports and celebrity-watching: The rehearsal went on for nearly seven hours, and the soloists were tired, hungry, and out of sorts. Madonna appears out of sorts as she leaves a Kabbala Centre with daughter Lourdes and sons Rocco and David in New York City on Friday. Beyoncà © looked a little out of sorts on Monday night as she watched the basketball game with husband Jay Z. Rory McIlroy seemed a bit out of sorts in the third round of the Barclays. Harrison Ford has a new movie on the way so hes out on the promotional trail- but it would seem he was a bit out of sorts when he was interviewed by Conan OBrien. As tends to happen with idioms, â€Å"out of sorts† is sometimes misused by writers unfamiliar with its meaning, as in this sentence about the running scene in Forrest Gump from an entertainment site called Cinemablend: Actually considering the CGI  that the film used, and what it must have cost in the mid-1990s, it seems a little out of sorts that the studio would be bent out of shape over the running scene. The writer seems to be using â€Å"out of sorts† to mean unusual. The phrase â€Å"out of sorts† means, â€Å"not in the normal condition of good health,† or â€Å"in a low-spirited, irritable, or peevish state.† 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?50 Idioms About Roads and PathsUsing Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

uni life Essay

uni life Essay uni life Essay I’ve always had an interest in becoming a teacher because, i love working with children and within a child care setting. During primary school i was inspired by a teacher who always use to support me therefore, she had become my role model and i always us to look up to her and wanted to become a teacher myself. I have previous experience working alongside children from the ages of 0-11 years, i have worked within a nursery setting and also in a primary school. Working with children shows me they are able to achieve all their developments if they are making good progress throughout the year. I always had a passion of becoming a teacher because, seeing children learning and education them shows me they have the ability to make further progress. I was always determined to go to university so, I will become a teacher and extend my knowledge in child care. When I had attended University of Wolverhampton on the first day it felt very welcoming because, the staff had done activities which allowed everyone within the room to interact and communicate with one another. This was a good idea because, everyone was in the same position we felt nervous and wasn’t very confident at beginning of the day, throughout the day I became confident so I was able to interact with others on the course and have a conversation. When working in groups you get to work with people out of your comfort zone. This allows everyone to share their opinions when I have worked within a group throughout

Analyzing professional reports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyzing professional reports - Essay Example In as much as the international community has been on a mission to degrade Al-Qaida’s core leadership, acts of terrorism continue to evolve. The report quickly points out how leadership losses in Pakistan, weak governance and Middle East instability play a significant role in accelerating the decentralization of the Al-Qaida movement and networks across the globe. On a different perspective, the government report states how AQ leadership tends to have trouble in the maintenance of cohesion within the group’s network. Therefore, the group became operational from core Al-Qaida and instead focused on both regional and local objectives. Finally, the government report states how the past years there has been an emergence of various aggressive Al-Qaida affiliates from Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Northwest Africa. Terrorist violence in recent years has been fueled by various sectarian motivations, which marks a trend that is worrisome especially in countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan. In these nations, the terrorism acts mostly befall the civilian populations. From the government report on acts of terrorism in 2013, the rhetorical style is a bit straightforward in that, the report has few but long sentences. The government report starts by the general description of how acts of terrorism across the globe have been on the rise. The use of this technique immediately shows how this particular report is informal not only to the United States of America citizens but also to the entire globe. Alternatively, the report knows exactly how to capture and engage the interests of the readers. This particular report is generally used as a background data from the beginning of the report when the Bureau of Counterterrorism makes in this in the particular paragraph-Al-Qaida and some of its affiliates are the main groups behind the acts of terrorism across the globe. Another statement in the report that

IT Governance Project in Geneva Industrial Services Essay

IT Governance Project in Geneva Industrial Services - Essay Example This case study of The Geneva Industrial Services (Services Industriels de Genà ¨ve, SIG) gives a good example of the IT Governance project. SIG is a state-owned organisation that renders services in electricity, gas, heating, energy and drinking water supplying; as well as in used water and waste processing and improvement, and telecommunications. This IT Governance case study is focused on the innovative electricity Distribution Management System (DMS), introduced in the organisation. The case study is based upon the project presentation of Glassey at the e-CASE International Conference in Singapore (Glassey 2009) and on the report describing the SEAM method, which is laid at the heart of the SIG’s DMS (Wegmann et al. 2008). IT Governance is ‘a framework for the leadership, organisational structures and business processes, standards and compliance to these standards, which ensure that the organisation’s IT supports and enables the achievement of its strategies and objectives’. As it was mentioned above, this IT Governance project in SIG was mostly aimed at the reorganisation of processes and systems in order to separate distribution and commercialisation activities in the company’s electricity distribution management system (DMS). This in its turn would enable the company to comply with the new Swiss law (Glassey 2009). In the area of electrical and electronic technologies the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading organization for international standards.

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

Organizational Ethics - Essay Example External social pressures have both positive as well as negative impact on the ethics of an organization. The social expectations are meant to be given more importance by the company as this leads to better performance or downfall of the company. These social pressures are such that it bounds a company to give special consideration to the expectations of the society in terms of involvement in general community or performing responsibility towards the environment. The positive impact of this social pressure is that it enables a firm to work for a cause and deliver the best of services to its customers. As in the case of 21st Century Insurance where the main focus of the management is to meet the demands of their customers so that they work for the well being of their customers. On the other hand the negative impact of such external social pressures is that it greatly affects the decision making process and enforces the management to take decisions or take certain factors into account which currently was not being planned by the organization. This negative impact has been observed in the case of 21st Century Insurance where it had to implement strategies so as to meet the social expectations. ` The concept of ethical approach is essential in organizational or personal context as it helps to resolve many issues. The major factor of its importance is that it helps to design a framework within which an organization can operate. It even facilitates decision making process through its proper guidance in terms of analyzing what is wrong and what is right. The external social pressures help an organization to understand the expectations of the society and the responsibilities that they have towards the society so as to enhance the overall societal improvement. The decision making process gets simpler through these issues as it enables an individual to understand the

EEO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EEO - Essay Example The development of the EEO guiding principles can be traced back to the enactment of Civil Rights Act in 1883, which prohibited political favoritism in filling federal posts. Executive orders 0948 and 10955 issued in 1940 and 1961 respectively marked the first, concrete steps in the elimination of workplace discriminatory policies touching on race, creed or color. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 added the gender concept in the fight to equality (Pole, 1993). Civil Rights Act of 1964, however, was the most comprehensive law that laid the foundation for later executive orders as well as legislative reviews. It not only prohibited outright discrimination on the classes named above in addition to religion and national origin, but also established a commission to fast implementation. The subsequent executive orders such as 11246 (1965), 11375 (1967) and 11478 (1969) were mere affirmations of clauses in Civil Rights Act of 1964 with very little effect to what was already a public policy (Pole, 1 993). Nonetheless, Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 mandating equality of persons aged between 40 and 70, the 1990 enactment on disability and the more recent legislations incorporating pregnancy and sexual harassment have explicitly contributed in designing an inclusive equality principle within the workplace. Arguably, women have been a major beneficiary block that has gained considerably with the progressive institutionalization of the equality principle nationally since the enactment of Civil Rights Act. Hillary Clinton’s shot at the presidency in the run up to the 2008 presidential elections not only demonstrated the extent of the break through to the executive ranks long dominated by white males, but also signified a general acceptance of woman leadership from a society that has come full cycle in confronting a rather conservative past full of untenable

World event Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World event - Essay Example Immediately after the storm hit Myanmar, which had been classified as a major natural disaster, the immediate death toll numbers were broadcast across the world, creating a sense of urgency toward helping the victims as well as a sense of empathy for their situations. This empathy came not only from me as a concerned citizen, but from different nationalities at each side of the globe. Offerings for food, support, clothing and water were immediately decided by national leadership, however initially these tokens of assistance were refused by Myanmar's leadership. In fact, Myanmar rulers (who were in control of the government due to an unauthorised series of uprisings) made it clear to the global community that any attempts to deliver assistance items to Myanmar citizens would meet with an appropriate, violent response. Finally, leaders of Westernised countries managed to create a minor collaborative effort with Myanmar leadership by agreeing to bring airplanes and ships loaded with food into the country, quickly, to ensure that the citizens of the country were able to survive in harsh environmental conditions. What appeared to me to be the most unique situation during the immediate negotiations for disaster aid was that Myanmar's leaders would have rather put millions of citizens at risk of starvation or disease than to risk the chance of their regime being removed from power by stronger national forces. Seemingly, to prevent this, Myanmar's government closely monitored the incoming behaviors and actions of international disaster aid coalitions to make sure that no global force was able to remain in Myanmar for a split second longer than the offloading of cargo machines took. Over a period of several months, citizens of Myanmar were presented, using various television and print media channels, struggling to simply rebuild the modest and meager dwellings they had always been forced to live in. I watched as the world stood relatively helpless to assist these people, as it did not take long for Myanmar forces to refuse the entry of any further international aid. Instead, citizens were forced to create their own, broader sense of personal community just to survive, using their own limited resources to attempt to rebuild some sense of life as it had been before the natural disaster. As a student entering the academic world, witnessing events such as this particular disaster remind me, truly, of how far the world must progress in order to become the global community which is often presented in various textbooks and media outlets. Media often illustrates the growing use of the Internet across the world to remind us all that we have obligations to those people who are not necessarily as advanced or privileged as others in the Westernised world. Simply through the design of complicated trade routes, mass media, and the growing internationalisation efforts of various country industries, the world has become a much smaller place and, at the same time, affords tremendous opportunities for the future in terms of sustaining long-term international relationships with various global citizens. What adjusted my thinking most notably was the fact that Myanmar seemed to have no contingency plan for taking care of its people, which clearly

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum Coursework

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum - Coursework Example In this regard, viewing disability in a binary sense would be unfair as persons who have suffered disabilities because of one reason or the other. Therefore, it should be seen as a continuum and hence set as a bio-psychosocial representation incorporating both social and medical forms of disability. A binary view of disability would further hinder an interactive and accommodative situation of the complexities of his or her impairment or disability and the environment. Viewing the disability as a continuum would afford the individual the chance to see all aspects of their body functioning. It would also open for them the opportunity to exploit their capacity and partake in various activities. On the other hand, a binary view of disability would not consider the interrelation between the resultant interaction of contextual factors and an individuals health condition where disability should be regarded as an injury. It should also be measured in the context of the limitations in the activities an individual can perform their capacity and their performance at society levels hence. Schelly, D. (2008). Problems associated with choice and quality of life for an individual with intellectual disability: a personal assistants reflexive ethnography. Disability & Society, 23(7), 719-732.

EEO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

EEO - Essay Example The development of the EEO guiding principles can be traced back to the enactment of Civil Rights Act in 1883, which prohibited political favoritism in filling federal posts. Executive orders 0948 and 10955 issued in 1940 and 1961 respectively marked the first, concrete steps in the elimination of workplace discriminatory policies touching on race, creed or color. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 added the gender concept in the fight to equality (Pole, 1993). Civil Rights Act of 1964, however, was the most comprehensive law that laid the foundation for later executive orders as well as legislative reviews. It not only prohibited outright discrimination on the classes named above in addition to religion and national origin, but also established a commission to fast implementation. The subsequent executive orders such as 11246 (1965), 11375 (1967) and 11478 (1969) were mere affirmations of clauses in Civil Rights Act of 1964 with very little effect to what was already a public policy (Pole, 1 993). Nonetheless, Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 mandating equality of persons aged between 40 and 70, the 1990 enactment on disability and the more recent legislations incorporating pregnancy and sexual harassment have explicitly contributed in designing an inclusive equality principle within the workplace. Arguably, women have been a major beneficiary block that has gained considerably with the progressive institutionalization of the equality principle nationally since the enactment of Civil Rights Act. Hillary Clinton’s shot at the presidency in the run up to the 2008 presidential elections not only demonstrated the extent of the break through to the executive ranks long dominated by white males, but also signified a general acceptance of woman leadership from a society that has come full cycle in confronting a rather conservative past full of untenable

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum Coursework

Viewing Disability Binary vs. Continuum - Coursework Example In this regard, viewing disability in a binary sense would be unfair as persons who have suffered disabilities because of one reason or the other. Therefore, it should be seen as a continuum and hence set as a bio-psychosocial representation incorporating both social and medical forms of disability. A binary view of disability would further hinder an interactive and accommodative situation of the complexities of his or her impairment or disability and the environment. Viewing the disability as a continuum would afford the individual the chance to see all aspects of their body functioning. It would also open for them the opportunity to exploit their capacity and partake in various activities. On the other hand, a binary view of disability would not consider the interrelation between the resultant interaction of contextual factors and an individuals health condition where disability should be regarded as an injury. It should also be measured in the context of the limitations in the activities an individual can perform their capacity and their performance at society levels hence. Schelly, D. (2008). Problems associated with choice and quality of life for an individual with intellectual disability: a personal assistants reflexive ethnography. Disability & Society, 23(7), 719-732.

A Farewell to Arms Summary and Critical Analysis Essay Example for Free

A Farewell to Arms Summary and Critical Analysis Essay Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in suburban Oak Park, IL, to Dr. Clarence and Grace Hemingway. Ernest was the second of six children to be raised in the quiet suburban town. His father was a physician, and both parents were devout Christians. Hemingway had an aptitude for physical challenge that engaged him through high school, where he both played football and boxed. Because of permanent eye damage contracted from numerous boxing matches, Hemingway was repeatedly rejected from service in World War I. Hemingway also edited his high school newspaper and reported for the Kansas City Star, adding a year to his age after graduating from high school in 1917. After this short stint, Hemingway finally was able to participate in World War I as an ambulance driver for the American Red Cross. He was wounded on July 8, 1918, on the Italian front near Fossalta di Piave. During his convalescence in Milan, he had an affair with a nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Hemingway received two decorations from the Italian government, and he joined the Italian infantry. Clarence Hemingway had been suffering from hypertension and diabetes. This painful experience is reflected in the pondering of Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls. In addition to personal experiences with war and death, Hemingways extensive travel in pursuit of hunting and other sports provided a great deal of material for his novels. Bullfighting inspired Death in the Afternoon, published in 1932. In 1934, Hemingway went on safari in Africa, which gave him new themes and scenes on which to base The Snows of Kilamanjaro and The Green Hills of Africa, published in 1935. In 1950 he published Across the River and Into the Trees, though it was not received with the usual critical acclaim. In 1952, however, Hemingway proved the comment Papa is finished wrong, in that The Old Man and the Sea won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953. In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. On July 2, 1961, he died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. He was buried in Ketchum. Papa was both a legendary celebrity and a sensitive writer, and his influence, as well as some unseen writings, survived his passing. In 1964, A Moveable Feast was published; in 1969, The Fifth Column and Four Stories of the Spanish Civil War; in 1970, Islands in the Stream; in 1972, The Nick Adams Stories; in 1985, The Dangerous Summer; and in 1986, The Garden of Eden. Hemingways own life and character are as fascinating as in any of his stories. On one level, Papa was a legendary adventurer who enjoyed his flamboyant lifestyle and celebrity status. However, deep inside lived a disciplined author who worked tirelessly in pursuit of literary perfection. Being married before or after doesn’t effect the child physically or delays its birth. Marriage in this sense is the outward form of their love. Marriage in the physical sense before or after the fact means nothing as with Catherine’s early comment of â€Å"I couldn’t be any more married. † Henry and Catherine surely learned that they were in love no matter married or not. Having a ring on the finger doesn’t make the love any stronger it just a psychical representation of their love. Henry ignores the temptations of the outward forms of religion, love, and symbols as he achieves becoming authentic. The conclusion of â€Å"A Farewell To Arms† with all its death is marked by a rebirth. Henry looses his child and his lover. He finally achieves the status of being authentic in the final scene â€Å"It was like saying good-by to a statue. After a while I went out and left the hospital and walked back to the hotel in the rain. † Henry prior to Catherine death was seeking hope. During Catherine’s final hour Henry prayed to God once more only to go unanswered: Please, please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. Dear God, don’t let her die. Please, please, please, don’t let her die. God please don’t make her die. I’ll do anything you say if you don’t let her die. You took the baby but don’t let her die. That was all right but don’t let her die. Please, please, dear God, don’t let her die. He now knows all the things around him are false. Henry now knows the true forms of religion, patriotism, and love are empty forms of hope. He know knows that any hope must only come from within. Henry is now an authentic in that â€Å"He walks quietly back to the hotel in the rain. † and knows that only he can shape his destiny.

Literature Review of E-Banking

Literature Review of E-Banking CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter is the literature review; the purpose of this chapter is to investigate past publications by different authors. This will include textbooks, articles and online publications that could enlightened the readers more on the area of banking and internet security measures, the standard and policy used for internet banking security in the United Kingdom and more importantly, the synergistic impact of online banking and information security in the UK banking sector. Since the invention of information technology and the internet, people of different calibre are using it to improve the services efficiently and effectively. In the retail banking sector, most of the businesses have moved majority of their physical transaction processes to online transaction process. A good example of this, I own an account with the HSBC bank for over 4years now and I cannot remember the last time I went into my branch to transact business. Most of my bill payment and transfers are done through my online banking.) Irrespective of this, Lassar et al. (2005) also affirmed that financial institutions should be able to forecast and figure out how such technology will be applied by customers. Banks and Financial institutions rely upon mostly on Information Technology for their everyday activities; therefore the Information acquired by financial organisation is not used only by the organisation and their employees but also by their customers and stake holders and partners. The users who rely on these services anticipate constant possibility of direct access to organizational information (McAnally, et al 2000). Comment..Your idea is good but you are not using well structured sentences and paragraphing. We need to talk about this asap! DEFINITION OF E BANKING. The growing tendency of e banking transaction has really signalled issues on information security that are to be noted and stringently taken care of. To get this security managed, it must be a combined effort and relationship between the customers and the financial institutions. (Re-structure the above paragraph) In general, e-banking is defined as the automated delivery of new and traditional banking products and services directly to customers through electronic, interactive communication channels. E-banking includes the systems that enable financial institution customers, individuals or businesses, to access accounts, transact business, or obtain information on financial products and services through a public or private network, including the Internet which is an integral part of e-banking. (FFIEC handbook, 2006). This new development as drastically changed the phase of internet business in the United Kingdom and it is a welcome phenomenon. WHAT IS INTERNET BANKING. For quite some years now, internet banking levels have been executed to be more fficient approach through which the banking transactions are made without having o leave your place of abode or your place of work. Some of the customers have been ecognised to turn to internet banking as a result of frustrations with conventional tandard of operation and practices. Anand, (2008) said further that while some ustomers want human interaction in transaction, some of them turned to the internet acilities for security reasons. The reason is that the customer are given assurance that heir transactions are safe and secured and most of these transactions are made via the nternet explorer interface. In its report in 2009 (what report?.This is not Harvard standard of referencing), he said online bankinghas risen. 25% of all the people who responded as regards to the most preferred way to bank.Mobile bankinghas not started at all. Only 1% of the people make transaction via mobile. The figure below s hows how they stand: Online banking: 25% Branches: 21% ATM: 17% Mail: 9% Telephone: 4% Mobile: 1% Unknown: 23% Comment Can you represent this figures or percentage with a pie chart/graph or something more comprehensive? He went ahead and said more people visit the bank branch than using the online banking . The term internet banking can then be referred to as the use of internet as a secluded way of doing banking services. These services comprise the conventional ways such as account opening or funds transfer to different accounts and new banking services like payments online that is customers permission to receive and pay bills on their website. Having understood the significant importance of IT and e banking and amount of risks and threats involve in driving the business process, therefore there is need for consistent continuation of security in business, which brings about the understanding of Information security. It is a continuous process. Information security, is the process of protecting information and information system from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, destruction or bombardment, it involves confidentiality, integrity and availability of various data irrespective of the form the data takes. E.g. electronic, print, written verbal or in any other forms. (ISACA and CISA Review Manual, 2006). Comment You are not given your headings titles figures e.g. 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 etc You did not give your tables title and figures either. An Overview Of Online Banking Environment in UK An increasing competitions among the financial institutions have forced many of the competitors to offer similar prices on deposits and loans, the effort for gaining competitive advantage were shifted towards no priced-factors (Akinci et.al 2004). customers and financial institutes have noted the recent revolution in UK retail banking. The conversion from traditional banking to internet banking has been effective (kolodinsky and Hogarth, 2001). Although some researchers have bated that online banking has not lived up to expectation e.g Sarel and Marmorstein (2003) and Wang et al. (2003), a lots of studies still say that internet banking is still the most wealthiest and profitable means to transact business(Mos,1998;Sheshunoff, 2000).Online banking has come to stay no doubt about that and financial institutions are ready to move on with it. Luxman (1999) for example predicted that in the nearest future that the importance of internet banking will be felt most especially in the remote areas where some bans have closed their branches Going by the survey carried out for alliance and Leicester by (VOBS survey, 2004), 2,395 UK adults were interviewed, more that half of them now bank online. 61 percent now used it more than the previous couple of years. However, visiting the baking hall is very much popular with respondents preferring to go to banking and deal face to face with the banking staff for activities like paying cheques 73 percent, 20 percent withdraw cash over the counter and 20 percent will lodge on one complaints or the other. Mike Warriner (2008).said in a recent report from Forrester stated that only 31% of British adults bank online despite 75% regularly shopping online to quote Benjamin Ensor, principal analyst at Forrester Research, By international standards, the U.K. is an online banking laggard. He then goes on to say that The U.K. also has a relatively large number of quitters, with about two million people saying that they used to use online banking but have given up. WHAT IS WRONG WITH UK INTERNET BANKING According to a survey carried out by Darrell R. (2009) Medium size organizations all over the world are very much concerned about cyber threats. The number of incidents reported really justifies their doubts. At the close of mid 2009, McAfee discovered a new malware as they did in 2008 which could cause a lot of havoc in the internet world..Irrespective of this discovery; most organizations still cut their IT security budget instead of increasing it. A threat up budget down, McAfee called it security paradox. Ron C. (2009) reports that most companies in the UK are lagging behind the rest of the world in information security management practices, according to a new study from PriceWaterhouseCoopers. 7,000 security professionals all over the world was surveyed, mainly in large companies consisting of 455 in the U.K. The survey found out that British organisation emerges to be less prepared to fight the risks that tackle them in their information systems. The table below shows that U.K. lags in quite a few key areas of information security. Organisations have smaller amount CISOs in place; only 37% have a clear idea of where their data is stored. Then, nearly half (49%) do not know the number of security incidents they experienced in the preceding year. INTERNET TRANSACTION Transactions online help customers with the competence to conduct transactions via the website of the institution by introducing banking transactions or buying products and services. There are lots of transactions customers can engaged in on the internet which can be a small as basic retail account balance to a very big business funds transfer. Internet banking services, such as the ones carried out through some other means are categorised based on the type of customers they support. The following table shows some of the common retail and wholesale internet banking services offered by financial institutions. (FFIEC, 2006) Since transactional websites typically enable the electronic exchange of confidential. Customer information and the transfer of funds, services through online banking makes the financial institutions to be vulnerable to higher risk than basic. ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE BANKING. Convenience According to (Gerlach, 2000), internet banking services allow customers handle their habitual banking transaction without visiting the bank building or meeting any banks staff. No need to wait until 8 or 9 in the morning before you can get answer to your bank account request or details Customers can handle their transactions anywhere they like as long as they are connected to the internet or where there is availability of internet. However, since most banks offers 24 hours online banking services 7 days a week, internet banking can allow you to view and work with your account no matter what time or day it is. Thus, they can make payments, check balance, transfer money etc at the comfort zone of their homes or offices. Hence online banking has broken the limitations of the conventional way of banking thus provides customers swiftness and convenience. Time Saving and Money. When you visit banks, you will discover that most banks branches are always engaged with one activity and customers have to wait for a long time before attended to. This is a waste of time and energy. Luckily, some banking transactions can be handled at home or in office or anywhere that is convenient for the customers. In other words, customers do not need to wait for a long time in a long queue or go to their respective banks branch to carry out their banking business. Online banking therefore helps can help customers to save time and cost of travelling. Ease and Efficiency As long as they adhere to the simple steps to be followed by login in their information and clicking the right button, customers can able to check their accounts and know what their balance is, transfer funds and also carry out other valuable transactions. The timely check can help customers overdraft charges and also to know if the transactions they made was successful and completed. Hence, banking online helps customers to manage their account more easily and conveniently. On Time Gain and Update Information Online banking systems also provide the customers a timely updates about both their existing and new products and services, banking news and other vital information that the customers need to know or be updated with. Therefore customers can benefit some relative information at the appropriate time for them to make quick and right decisions. Profitability Fewer banking building will be maintained as a result of online banking and fewer employers will be involved there is a much lower over head with online banks. The saving they get as a result of this process allows them to give greater interest rates on savings account and lower lending rates and service charge. Cost Effective Internet banking cost less, this is because there are only few buildings to maintain and salaries paid to employees will be reduced as well. Since they have more to safe now and this allows them to increase their interest rate on savings account and lower lending rate and charges Easier To Catch Fraudulent Activities Since you have the opportunity of viewing your account details at anytime, it is easier to know if any fraudulent activities have gone through your account before much damage is done. Once you log into your account, you will see immediately whether there is anything wrong when you check your deposits and debits. If you do not make any transaction and you see any strange details in your account, you will see it write away and make necessary alarm to the financial institution While the internet offers miscellaneous advantages and opportunities, it also presents various security risks. Having this in mind, banks take wide measures to protect the information transmitted and processed when banking online. This comprises ensuring confidential data sent over the internet cannot be accessed on modified by unauthorised third party. But banks dont normally have influence of the systems used by the customers. The choice is entirely up to them. More over a system connected that is a pc connected to the internet for example will usually be used for a number of other applications as well. The systems used by the online banking customers are therefore exposed to risks beyond the banks control. For this reason, the bankers cannot be liable for them. Berlin, (2007). Some Dangers Faced When Using the Internet. Berlin, (2007) Third party gaining access to information transmitted or getting information under false pretences, this can be done with the aid of the following: Virus and warms: Programmes that are sent over the internet that can damage your pc when they replicate. Trojans: programmes that intercepts passwords that is not known to users that compromise computer security. Phishing: Using a fake name, website or address for fraudulent purposes. Pharming: Users being redirected to fraudulent server Root kits; An unauthorized administrative level access without the real administrator noticing through a malicious software. Their feature is almost as Trojans. Hacking: Having access to a PC via the internet when not authorised. Banks now have some numbers of measures in place that gives effective protection against attacks when information are processed by the bankers server or when information is sent over the internet. SOME SECURITY RULES WERE ALSO GIVEN Rule 1: Install security software including an up to date scanner. Additional security software has to be installed. your normal operating system standard tools alone cannot solve some security problems. F your security is not adequately in place, you run the risk of unauthorised persons gaining access to your data.e.g never save you PINs and TANs on your PC. A firewall can protect you from such attack Rule 2: Protect sensitive data when sending it over open network. Data sent over the internet may be intercepted or viewed by an unauthorised third party when the network is not secured. Banks have now taken some measure to ensure that data sent via the internet is encrypted before transmission. Rule 3: Be sure you know who you are dealing with. Not everyone on the internet are not who they claim they are. Check the URL you are in and make sure that your banks internet address is correctly spelled. Hackers impersonate someone in a position of trust to get the information they needed. This is called PHISHING. It is another technique to steal confidential code. This works by redirecting you to their own rogue server. Rule 4: Be careful with sensitive data and access media Your access code and media must be protected e.g. (PINs, chips) from unauthorised use. Do not save sensitive data such as Passwords PINs, access code, credit card numbers on your hard drive especially if the PC is not been used by you alone. This could allow third party to view your data. Rule 5: Choose a secure password. A combination of upper case and lower case letters , numbers and symbols is a typical example of a good password usually of six to eight characters. It will be difficult for anyone to guess your password. Rule 6: Only use a programme from a trustworthy source Dont download from the internet any programme into your hard drive unless you are sure of the source and that its reliable. Rule 7: Use up-to-date programme version Use your preferred internet browser and PC operating system version that is up-to-date. Rule 8: Run security checks on your PC Take a few moment to run a personal security checks before using your PC to bank online. Make sure the entire security feature that protects your computer are on. Rule 9: The security setting on your internet browser must be activated. Use Block ActiveX Control and let Java applet to run after confirmation. Do not make use of browser auto-completion function which is able to save your user name and passwords you enter and suggest matches. Rule 10: Do not make your current account available for fraudulent financial transaction. Any offers that is asking you to make your current account available for payment and other financial transaction for unknown firms and individual must be suspicious especially if they are located not within your country SOME ONLINE BANKING SCURITIES AVAILABLE Internet Security: Internet security refers to the methods used in protecting data and information in a computer from unauthorized persons. It is a serious issue in the world wide today. People who use internet should be using the internet should be well conscious of the trouble aroused as a result of it. A familiar methods used by people to guarantee information in internet are Encryption of the data Encryption of data deals with packaging up the original information into an unintelligible form that can be decoded using a certain technique. This is called cipher text. Usage of passwords -Passwords are used to avoid illegal entry of data so that the entire system is protected. Creation of passwords must be in a way that the other people do not simply guess it. Methods: There are some several methods that helps in internet security. They are listed below; Firewalls:This is software that filters unlawful access in a network. It must have a correct configuration and has to be combined with proxy firewall for a protected system. Taking Backup of Data: backup of the data from the system should be taken regularly. If the computer unexpectedly crashes down or the operating system failed to boot due to virus attack, by taking the backup data will reduce the penalty. Preventing Virus Attack: Viruses can affect computer, Trojan horse, worms etc as a result of some infected files downloaded from the internet. They are programs that are installed by itself and run at any time the host programs run and cause malicious attack. Baleful Links:Those who use the internet can avoid their system from getting affected by the virus by avoiding needless links and emails.Links may lead to download files suddenly. These cause a problem to the security of the computer and therefore must be avoided. File Sharing:Both original and pirated files are joined when files are shared on the internet thereby reduces the speed of the computer. This must be prevented. Routers:Some connections are prevented by certain routers from outside from the computer. NAT (Network Address Translation) is software that does this function and its of low cost and smallest amount complexity. Preventing Spy-Ware: Internet securities are threatened by several software. Without the permission of the user some software runs along with other application. Insider threat detection sill a challenge Threats detection from inside has always been a problem, but most investments in information security still tend to focus on keeping out viruses and intruders. The possible danger of a rascal employee can regularly be discounted, mistreated or just take the risk of doing business. A new survey conducted among 600 office workers in Canary Wharf, London and Wall Street, New York, revealed that many employees have no qualms about mishandling information. One-third of them said they would steal data to help a friend find a job, and 41% admitted they had already taken data, just in case they needed it in some future employment. Ron C. (2009) The study, which was commissioned by security company Cyber-Ark Software Inc., found that customers and their contact details were the favourite files to steal, followed by plans, proposals and product information. CUSTOMERS ATTITUDE Understanding of the impact of technology based transaction system on customers perceptions and behaviour is essential. (Moutinho et al. 2000).If banks are willing to integrate new technology into their existing relationship buildng activities Asher (1999) argued that cooperate customers seems to be willing to use internet as a key medium in banks dealings. He said the evidence suggest that coperate clints have shown a preference for online banking, due to the perception of being more cost effevtiv thah conventional channels Financial institutions use this technology in service delivery may often compromise bank business relation. (Keltner 1995) in terms of higher degree of convinience and accessability. (Devlin 1995) Therfore customers perception is very high in the delivery of the electronic banking. According to Nexhmi et al.(2003). Customers participate typically is the process of enabling customers to make their services, products. It can be diversified between the types of serv ices offered, even the services providers within the same market place for intance. Meuter et al.(2000) points out that self service technologies are increasing the way in which customers interact with their providers in the creation of service outcomes and are a typical example of a market place transaction that require no personal interaction FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AD MANAGERS ATTITUDE AND APPROACH Internet banking was still in a very young stage and its entire benefits has been realised.(Nath et. al 2001). In this case, managers of financial institutions attitude towards the perceptions of electronic channels were of significant importance.(Akinci et .al( 2004). Mols (2001) state that management support and future orientation were the two most important factors which driving the introduction and expectation of the new e-channel In another study, Mols (2000) grouped the bank managers according to their attitude towards internet banking: The sceptics the nervous, the positive and the reluctant groups. In Scotland, Moutinho et.al (2002) emphasized he scotish bank managers efficiency and enhancement of customer services as to perceive advantages of internet banking. Faster easier and more reliable service to customer and the improment of the competitive position were highlighted. (Aladwani ,2001). Based on the UK evidence,Li 2001 claimed that: the integrated banking model, aroun d which traditional banks have built their strategies in the past were showing sign of fragmentation In this sense, he sumerised four emerging internet model in the UK. The first was based on accepting internet banking as a new delivery channel that was integrated with existing model. The second model is called e-banking, was based on multibanking in which the internet was the integrative component. The third model consisted of creating baby e-banks with their own e brand name and product range. The last model was seen as entirely a new business model without a physical network. Laws, Directives, Regulations and Standards Shon Harris All in One Certified Information System Security Professional Exam Guide, Fourth Edition, 2008 Different laws, directives, regulations and standards were enacted for different reasons which include data protection, software copyright, data privacy, computer misuse as well as controls on cryptography. Health and safety, prevention of fraudulent activities, personal privacy, public order, intellectual property, environment protection and national security are reasons why the regulations can be implemented in governments and private sectors. The violation of these regulations has a severe punishment attached to them which may range from fine to jail term of up to ten years or more depending on the gravity of the crime committed. Examples of the regulations that governs information usage and protection are discussed briefly below The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) The SOX was enacted in 2002 as a result of the corporate scandals and fraud that threatened the economy of United States of America. This is also known as the Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 that applied to companies that publicly trading on United States market. How organizations must track, manage and report on financial information was provided for in the SOX requirements. Processes and controls must be in place to protect data because of the organizations reliance on computer equipment and electronic storage for transacting and archiving data, the section 404 of SOX is directly applied to information technology. Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and others can be jailed if the law is violated. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act This act is the primary U.S federal antihacking statute that was written in 1986 and amended in 1996.Prohibition was made on seven forms of activities and was made federal crimes: The knowing access of computers of the federal government to obtain classified information without authorization or in excess of authorization.. The intentional access of computer to obtain information from a financial institution, the federal government, or nay protected computer involved in interstate or foreign communications without authorization or through use of excess of authorization. The intentional and unauthorized access of computers of the federal government, or computers used by or for government when the .access affects the governments use of that computer. The knowing access of a protected computer without authorization or in excess of authorization with the intent to defraud. Knowingly causing the transmission of a program, information, code, or command and, as a result of such conduct, intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer. The knowing trafficking of computer passwords with the intent to defraud. The transmission of communications containing threats to cause damage to a protected computer. The penalty for breaching this act ranges from felonies to misdemeanors with corresponding small to large fines and jail sentences. Employee Privacy Issues For a company to be adequately protected, various employee privacy issues must be considered within the organization. Organization must understand what it can and cannot monitor as a result of different state with different privacy laws. Organization must state it in its policy that monitoring in any form are done within the organization to prevent being sued by employee for invading their privacy. This is considered the best way in which organization can protect itself. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) The advent of internet and computer technology led to the increase in identity theft and credit card fraud which gives opportunity to millions to be stolen at once. Stabilizing customer trust in credit card as a safe way of conducting transaction and to curb the problem, a proactive step was taking by the credit card industry. The standard affects any entity that processes, transmits, stores or accepts credit data. The PCI Data Security Standard is made up of 12 main requirements that are broken down into six major categories. They are A Secured Network must be built and maintained. Requirement 1: To protect cardholder data, a firewall configuration must be installed and maintained Requirement 2: Ensure that systems passwords and other security parameters are not in vendors supplied defaults. Data of Cardholder must be protected. Requirement 3: Stored data of cardholder must be protected. Requirement 4: Across open and public networks, cardholder data must be encrypted in transmission Vulnerability Management Program must be maintained. Requirement 5:Anti-virus software must be used and updated regularly. Requirement 6: Secured systems and applications must be developed and maintained. Access Control Measures must be strong in its implementation. Requirement 7: Based on Business need-to-know, cardholder data access must be restricted. Requirement 8: Every individual having access to computer must be given a unique ID. Requirement 9: Physical access to cardholder data must be adequately restricted. Monitoring and Testing of Networks must be carried out regularly Requirement 10: All access to network resources and cardholder data must be tracked and monitored. Requirement 11: Security systems and processes must be regularly tested. An Information Security Policy must be developed and maintained. Requirement 12: A policy that addresses information security must be maintained The violation of the standard does not lead to jail term but may result in financial penalties or revocation of merchant status within the credit card industry because PCI DSS is a private sector initiative. 2.5 Database Security, Compliance and Audit by Charles Le Grand and Dan Sarel. Information Systems Control Journal Vol 5, 2008. Grand and Sarel (2008), states what it takes to adequately protect the database to ensure that compliance is met. It also provides information for auditing purposes. The objectives for ensuring database access control were also exploded by the authors. On the conclusion note of the article the authors said that the simple goal of ensuring database security is to ensure that only authorized individuals have access and all access is monitored. To limit access to only people whose jobs require it, access protection must apply to identifying the sensitive data elements: the methods for managing user credentials and access rights: and the records of who accessed what, when and what they did with it. Insider