Transcendentalism and Romanticism free essay sample

All through time there have been numerous scholarly developments, a considerable lot of which become overlooked after some time. Anyway they ought not be overlooked in light of the fact that they have formed American writing into what it is today. Two of the more significant artistic developments of the late eighteenth century to the mid nineteenth century are introspective philosophy and sentimentalism. Introspective philosophy was an abstract development in the main portion of the nineteenth century. Visionaries were affected by sentimentalism, particularly such parts of self assessment, the festival of independence, and the investigating the marvels of nature and of mankind. As per them, satisfying the quest for information came when one increased an attention to excellence and truth, and spoke with nature to discover association with the ? Over-Soul? , a term utilized by Emerson instead of God. At the point when this happened, one was purged of materialistic objectives, and was left with a feeling of confidence and virtue. Pioneers of this development incorporate Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Theodore Parker, Bronson Alcott, William Ellery Channing, and Henry David Thoreau. We will compose a custom paper test on Introspective philosophy and Romanticism or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page These individuals were all visionaries. Visionaries can be viewed as an age of accomplished individuals who lived in the decades prior to the American Civil War. (Lewis, ? What is Transcendentalism ) Transcendentalists intentionally approached making writing, articles, books, theory, verse, and other composing that was obviously not the same as anything from England, France, Germany, or some other European Nation. The idea of introspective philosophy is obviously communicated in the paper Nature, by Ralph Waldo Emerson. His article Nature recounts how one can pick up knowledge and otherworldly purging basically from encountering nature. Emerson recounts how in the forested areas is unending youth and in the forested areas we come back to reason and confidence. These lines show the entire idea of introspective philosophy. In the accompanying lines, Emerson comments: Standing on the exposed ground-my head washed by the happy air and elevated into endless space-all mean pretention evaporates. I become a straightforward eyeball: I am nothing; I see every one of; the flows of the Universal Being course through me; I am part or package of God. (Emerson, ? Nature? ) These lines show the visionary elief that immaculateness and information can be acquired from an association with and comprehension of nature. Emerson additionally relates the idea of introspective philosophy to human life in his exposition, Self-Reliance. In this exposition, Emerson discusses another piece of introspective philosophy, the issue of confidence. He considers humankind to be to some degree a quitter and that individuals never express their actual selves. Emerson guarantees that people are hesitant to come up short and regardless of what achievement may come to them, they will never be upbeat, they generally need more. He communicates visionary beliefs by saying that a genuine individual would be a non-traditionalist. Emerson articulates this faith in the accompanying lines: There is a period in each man? s instruction when he shows up at the conviction that jealousy is obliviousness; that impersonation is self destruction; that he should take himself for better, for more terrible, as his part, no bit of supporting corn can come to him yet through his work. These words basically summarize the possibility of introspective philosophy, that one must commend the person so as to get himself one with the universe. Another critical commitment to the possibility of introspective philosophy was by the creator Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau lived in a similar home as Emerson. His generally respected and appreciated work was the story, Walden. In Walden, Thoreau clarifies why he picked the forested areas: I went to the forested areas since I wished to live intentionally, to front just the basic unavoidable issues facing everyone, and check whether I was unable to realize what it needed to educate, and not, when I came to bite the dust, find that I had not lived. I didn't wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to rehearse abdication, except if it was very vital. Thoreau decided to live in isolation since he accepted isolation was the best buddy so as to know one? s genuine self. In the paper, he felt that humanity was excessively up to speed in material belongings. Thoreau gave introspective philosophy three key thoughts, independence, information on nature, and the removal of material effects. Introspective philosophy was one of the most significant developments of the nineteenth century. This development took into consideration one to comprehend the significance of becoming familiar with oneself. On the off chance that an individual could associate their individual soul ith the universe, they could satisfy their potential throughout everyday life. Sentimentalism is a masterful and scholarly development that began in the late eighteenth century and focused on compelling feeling, creative mind, opportunity from old style rightness in works of art, and disobedience to social shows. Sentimentalism additionally is a disposition or scholarly direction that described numerous works of writing, painting, music, design, analysis, and historiography in Western development over a period from the late eighteenth to the mid nineteenth century. Sentimentalism can be viewed as a dismissal of the statutes of request, quiet, concordance, parity, glorification, and late eighteenth century Neoclassicism. (WebMuseum: Romanticism) It was additionally somewhat a response against the Enlightenment and against eighteenth century logic and physical realism. Sentimentalism accentuated the individual, the abstract, the silly, the innovative, the individual, the unconstrained, the enthusiastic, the visionary, and the supernatural. Among the trademark perspectives of Romanticism were the accompanying: a developed valuation for the delights of nature; a general commendation of feeling over explanation and of the faculties over astuteness; a turning in upon oneself and an uplifted assessment of human character and its states of mind and mental possibilities; a distraction with the virtuoso, the legend, and the outstanding figure by and large, and an attention on his interests and inward battles; another perspective on the craftsman as an especially singular maker, whose inventive soul is a higher priority than severe adherence to formal principles and conventional systems; an accentuation upon creative mind as a door to otherworldly understanding and profound truth; a fanatical enthusiasm for people culture, national and ethnic social birthplaces, and the medieval period; and an inclination for the outlandish, the remote, the baffling, the bizarre, the mysterious, the immense, the sick, and even the evil. (WebMus eum: Romanticism) A portion of the creators of this development incorporate Jean Jacques Rousseau, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried von Herder, and Justus Moser. Rousseau set up the possibility of the individual and supported the opportunity of the human soul. One of his most well known expressions were ? I felt before I thought?. Goethe, Herder, and Moser cooperated on a gathering of articles entitled Von deutscher Art und Kunst. In this work the creators commended the sentimental soul as showed in German Folk tunes, Gothic engineering, and the plays of William Shakespeare. Goethe needed to copy Shakespeare? free-form in hit Gotz von Berlichingen, an authentic dramatization about a sixteenth century looter night. This play legitimized rebel against political power. One of the incredible compelling archives of sentimentalism was Goethe? s Sorrows of Young Werther. This work acclaims assessment, even to the degree of defending ending it all because of affection. These were only a portion of the numerous works that described the standards of Romanticism. Without the supernatural and sentimentalism developments American writing would not be what it is today. These developments have formed the way today? s writers approach composing. Likewise these developments have took into account one to extend their brain to new thoughts and better approaches for moving toward life.

The Sin Tax bill Reaction Essay Example for Free

The Sin Tax charge Reaction Essay The Sin Tax charge (House Bill 5727 and Senate Bill 3249) is a bill which plans to rebuild the current expenses forced on liquor and tobacco merchandise. On December 20, 2012, President Benigno Aquino III marked the Republic Act 10351 or the wrongdoing charge change 2012. The Sin Tax Bill is a sensationalized issue in the Philippines and it gets a few blended responses from various partners in the nation or Filipinos on the loose. Filipinos are relied upon to lessen their indecencies like liquor addiction and smoking as an objective consequence of this Bill. Aquino said the new law intends to support both the legislature and the Filipino individuals since incomes to be produced from the measure will be utilized to finance medical coverage programs for poor people, and fabricate and revamp emergency clinics in the nation. Most groups of Filipinos particularly the individuals who are not living in urban territories are ranchers. The wellspring of their vocation is cultivating tobacco items and collecting aged alcohols, in our tongue â€Å"tuba†. They are currently the prompt worry that the administration ought to consider upon the endorsement of this Bill. Higher duties on tobacco items mean lesser pay for these ranchers. Particularly, that they are not the proprietor of the terrains they’re cultivating, they additionally pay rent for the grounds. Joblessness is one of the potential results of the Sin Tax Bill, particularly on our ranchers. In the event that they become jobless, they likely can turn to various criminal operations just to accommodate their family. The point of the Sin charge Bill is to debilitate smokers and heavy drinkers. In any case, the issue here is that, particularly on Filipinos who guarantee that these indecencies are dependence on them, they would even now keep smoking and drinking mixed refreshments, to the point that they would forfeit a portion of the quick needs of their families just to support their needs. Filipinos are exceptionally unfaltering on each try they embrace. In any case, the y have this outlook that the Programs of the Government are not arriving at the valid and meriting recipients, similar to ranchers. They may not profit by these wellbeing programs on the grounds that in any case they are not living in the urban areas where standard and quality wellbeing reactions are found. Possibly these ventures might be helpful to the Filipinos yet what of the prompt effect on these increments of expenses? Distinctive Tobacco and Alcoholic Beverages organizations may likewise diminish the pay rates of their laborers or lay-off representatives since its creation will turn out to be increasingly costly. It will truly influence assembly line laborers and even little scope entrepreneurs. Then again, I think this Sin Tax Bill has its positive objectives particularly to the young people of the countries. Most shoppers of these â€Å"sin goods† are youth. With the nearness of this bill, there will be more significant expenses on various cigarettes and mixed beverages and since they can't bear the cost of it, they will be debilitated to smoke and drink alcohols. Let’s simply cross our fingers that the adolescent won't fall back on illicit methods just to proceed with their indecencies, particularly the out-of-younger students and-young people. Since they don't have legitimate training, we should consider that OSCYs are progressively powerless against these indecencies and in the event that they are not guided appropriately, this Sin Tax Bill will make sins greater.

My Experience with Cross Registration COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

My Experience with Cross Registration COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog One of the great things about SIPA are the many course offerings across concentrations and specializations. Although the majority of students spend their first year focusing on the core curriculum, by your second year there are plenty of opportunities to branch out and take electives. One of the great things about SIPA is that it allows you to cross register at other schools within Columbia University. This is a really great add in because it allows you to mix and match across a variety of fields and courses. The process itself is fairly straightforward and varies between each individual school. For example, Columbia Business School offers two  cross registration phases during the semester. There are a limited number of seats available for SIPA students in specific business school courses; however, there are a lot of courses to choose from. In my experience, you will generally get your first choice if you apply. SIPA students are able to cross register at  several schools at Columbia University, including Teachers College, Columbia Law School, and the Mailman School of Public Health. Overall, my experience with cross registration has been very positive. I’ve taken courses at the  Mailman School of Public Health, the  Institute for Research in African American Studies (IRAAS) and  Columbia Business School. At IRAAS, I took “Gender, Labor and Sexuality in the Caribbean” with Dr. Pinnock. The course explored the concepts of gender, sexuality and labor and the historical and contemporary perspectives of work in an increasingly globalized society. Taking the course in my second year was really beneficial, as I’d spent my first year at SIPA focusing on the core curriculum and taking classes in my concentration, International Finance and Economic Policy, which gave me a strong background in macroeconomic theory and analysis. The course allowed me to combine my two interests, gender and economic policy and apply my coursework from SIPA in my final paper in the class, which was on Sex Work and the Dollarization of the Economy in Contemporary Cuba. I highly recommend cross registration and taking advantage of the many courses across Columbia. It is especially important for those of us who are interested in public policy to gain a breadth of experience across a variety of sectors. Note from Admissions: Graduate school is a big commitment and fit is hugely important. Take advantage of SIPA class visits and register here.

The Religious Believers Explanation for the Existence of...

The problem of evil and suffering presents a real problem to the religious believer because it compels them to accept conflicting claims that are logically impossible to reconcile. Religious followers often question the nature of God and whether or not he is the type of God we are led to believe. St Augustine said that if God cannot stop evil and suffering he is not all powerful if he will not stop evil and suffering then he is not all good. However Augustine did not actually believe this to be true he set it out as something which he was going to solve. Surely God can do all that is logically possible if he created the world out of nothing. If God is supposedly all knowing then he should know how to stop evil and suffering. If God is all†¦show more content†¦J.L. Mackie a modern philosopher had a similar approach to Hume and he believed that God could not be both omnibenevolent and omnipotent if evil exists. He labelled this the inconsistent triad and believed that you coul d not have all three conflicting claims at once. Flew another modern philosopher looked at the possibility that God may not love us. He believed the biggest challenge to the believer is allowing the challenge of God’s existence and demanding an answer. He said it is not enough to just say that God’s love is different to ours because it is the simplest explanation. If we do this we are just qualifying God’s love as opposed to demanding a solution and finding good reason why he should not intervene. A possible solution to the problem of evil is the Augustinian theodicy which is based on Genesis. St Augustine argued that in genesis 1 God is seen as creating a world that is perfectly good and free from defect. He said that this was clearly outlined in G1:31 where it says â€Å"God saw what he had made and it was very good.† He believed that evil itself is not a thing or substance therefore God did not create it. Augustine argue that â€Å"evil was the going wrong of something good and as a result Augustine termed evil as a â€Å"privation of a good† that did not come from God but entities with free will such as angels and humans who were willing to giveShow MoreRelatedEssay about A Philoshpical Approach to Proving the Existence of God4013 Words   |  17 Pages The question of God’s existence has been debated through the history of man, with every philosopher from Socrates to Immanuel Kant weighing in on the debate. So great has this topic become that numer ous proofs have been invented and utilized to prove or disprove God’s existence. Yet no answer still has been reached, leaving me to wonder if any answer at all is possible. So I will try in this paper to see if it is possible to philosophically prove God’s existence. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;BeforeRead MoreSda Manual Essay101191 Words   |  405 PagesPrepare Letter ............................................................ Alternative Method for Membership Transfer ......................... Membership During Interval of Transfer ................................. Receiving of Members Disturbed by World Conditions ........... Counted in Statistical Reports .................................................. If Member Is Not Accepted ....................................................... No Letters to Members Under Discipline .....................

The Death From The Emotions - 1200 Words

The Death from the Emotions In the short story The Story of an Hour written by Kate Chopin, Louise Mallard, the main character, is told that her husband, Mr. Brently Mallard, is dead in a railroad disaster. This short story is interesting mentioning the inner happenings of Louise character within an hour when she hears the news from her husband’s death until seeing her husband, peaceful and healthy, appearing at the downstairs. Although the story is told quite simple within only one hour of time, readers can realize changes constantly in thought and feeling of the main character in step by step. The story represents a negative view of marriage in nineteenth century when men always keep the most important status of power and determination†¦show more content†¦Although her reaction is perhaps more violent than other women’s, it is an appropriate one. As many women, Louise is very shocked because of her husband’s death, and it seems difficult time for her to accept the truth. Mrs. Mal lard is described as a young woman: â€Å"She was young, with a fair, calm face† (Chopin, par. 8). From this detail, the author wants to express a big loss of the woman when she is too young to become a widow and suffers the terrible grief from her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard knows that she should grieve for her husband Brently and worry for her own future. Actually, life of a woman without her husband, who always play an important role in the family, will be more difficult. The feeling of grief gradually increase when Mrs. Mallard locks herself in her room to face the truth that her husband supposedly died: She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams (Chopin, par. 7). Kate Chopin compares the sob between the main character and a child to show woman in the story has kept grief emotions long enough to release all them outside; it makes Louise comfortable to face her own fate. After this detail, it begins to have change in her emotion when she can sense happy and free feelings building in her mind. Locking herself in her room, Mrs. Mallard begins to

Elvis Presley Coursework Assignment Free Essays

What can you learn from source A about Elvis Presley’s impact on popular music in the USA in 1955? From source A we can learn that Elvis was a popular, whether people liked his music or just him still sold his records, ‘six hit singles in the companies hit list of top 25 best sellers’. It also shows that the magazine liked him and had confidence in him and that he would succeed at the highest level. This is shown by the title ‘Presley Hot as $1 Pistol’ meaning he will shoot to stardom quickly. We will write a custom essay sample on Elvis Presley Coursework Assignment or any similar topic only for you Order Now The article also mentions that he is also ‘the number two best seller’ after a well respected, clean cut singer. This shows he has already almost made the big time. Question 2. Study Sources A and B. Source B gives different impressions of Elvis Presley to that given in Source A. i) In what ways do the sources differ? Source A is different to Source B in many ways. Source A is a factual article which is encouraging towards Elvis, promoting the fact that he is popular. This source is aimed at any age group or race that had an interest in modern music and read the magazine. Source B is peoples personal opinions, condemning and objected, ‘Presley has no singing ability’, and ‘primitive physical movement’, are examples of the personal criticism and abuse Source B implies. Source B is aimed at middle aged, middle class white people. ii) Use Sources C and D, and your own knowledge to explain why Sources A and B differ. Source A is written earlier than Source B and is about record sales. Whereas Source B is commenting on a TV appearance made by Elvis later on. Source C also refers to his TV appearance. Source C agrees with Source B in that Elvis never should have gone on TV. Source A is written in March 1956 before anybody had seen Elvis on TV so there was no reason to criticise him. Source B is written in the same year but is after his first TV appearance. B is supported by both C and D in criticising Elvis about his appearance and his dancing technique. This is shown in Source B stating his ‘primitive physical movement’ and is supported by C and D quoting, ‘unfortunately Presley makes personal appearances’, and ‘how shocking he looked’. Source A is aimed at any age group or race that had an interest in reading the magazine and in modern music. Source B is aimed at the middle or upper class that would read national newspapers. Source C is aimed at Catholics, a nd Source D is aimed at anybody. Sources B, C, and D all criticise him so therefore support each other. This is another reason why Sources A and B are different. Source A is reaction to his records and is a factual Source ‘six hit singles in the company’s hit list of top-25 best sellers’. Whereas Sources B, C, and D, are all opinions of him and his appearance. Source C supports Source B in that it was criticism of him early in his career when he first made his appearance on TV. Source D supports Source B in criticising Elvis. It shows that even other singers were being shocked by his performances ‘told some real bad, crude jokes, which weren’t even funny’. Whereas normally you would expect another person in the same trade to be more accepting of a young up and coming star, who is new to the business. Question 3. Study Sources B, E and F. Do Sources E and F support the evidence of Source B about the impact of Elvis Presley? Use your own knowledge to explain your answer. Sources E and F do not support Source B. Source B was written as newspaper articles about Elvis’ appearance on the Milton Berle show. The three articles in source B are all critical about Elvis eg. ‘Presley has no singing ability’, ‘unintelligible lyrics’ and ‘grunt and groan antics’. Whereas Sources E and F are positive about his appearances. ‘The Milton Berle show topped Sergeant Berle in the ratings’. This shows that people were watching the show to see him perform, ‘it was a relaxed and therefore more effective Milton Berle show’. Source F shows screaming and shouting girls and how popular he is. This Source could also be negative as it shows him and his roughneck appearance. All of these sources show that Elvis did make an impact whether he was liked or disliked. The age group he had the biggest impact on were the teenagers. This was because they liked his music and his rebellious style. Question 4. Study Source G. Use your own knowledge to explain why these different views were expressed. In Source G the three different people speaking all have the same view but for different reasons. The congressman Emmanuel Celler dislikes Elvis because he thought that he overdid his actions. The congressman did not have a problem with rock’n’roll but ‘Presley and his animal gyrations violate all that I know to be in good taste’. He thought that Elvis was over the top. The next part of Source G was a statement by a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK were a big racist group in south America at the time of Elvis’ rise to fame. At this time segregation and the Jim Crow laws were still being used. The KKK spokesman dislikes Elvis because he used black peoples style, for example Little Richard style songs. He also describes Elvis as a ‘cannibalistic, negro-loving rock and roller’, which shows he has a vision of a stereotypical American red Indian who would eat white men that entered their territory. At this time 56% of Blacks were under the poverty line. The Preacher is against Elvis because he sees Elvis as a bad influence on the young, stating that he ‘would not let my daughter cross the road to see Elvis’. He might also dislike Elvis because as a member of the church he might be against his sexual movement such as the hip thrusts. Question 5. Study Source I. Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley were beginning to change by 1958. Use the source, and your own knowledge to explain why this was happening. Source I shows that people were starting to like Elvis. Source I suggests that he had achieved US democracy doing what all American citizens were expected to do ‘This is US democracy at its best’, because he did not use ‘influence to buy his way out’. This changed his image from a rebel to a squeaky clean pop star. He changed his style of music and started making films. Recording sessions were made shorter so he could move on to his next film, in contrast to the 30 takes of Hound Dog. After he had returned from the army he stopped doing live concerts and started wearing suits. He sung a duet with a well respected star, Frank Sinatra, on Frank’s TV show, which was edited so that the audiences screams were taken out. Elvis’ films joining the army and business manner made him more acceptable for all age groups and classes. Question 6. Study all the sources. ‘The impact of Elvis Presley on US society during the 1950’s was more the result of television coverage of performance than his music.’ Use the sources, and your own knowledge ,to explain whether you agree with this view of the career of Elvis Presley. The impact of Elvis Presley in the 1950’s is said to have been more to do with his TV appearances than his music. A lot of people did not have TV’s in the 1950’s but most people had radios so the statement is debatable. Newspapers and magazines also highlighted and mostly exaggerated Elvis’ appearances. Personally I disagree with the statement. Sources B and C are Magazine and newspaper articles with other peoples opinions about his TV appearances. Both of these articles are one sided against Elvis, only giving a conservative reaction. These reactions are all picking out bad things about his appearance and movements eg. ‘Presley has no singing ability’, ‘Unintelligible lyrics’, ‘primitive physical movement’, and ‘grunt and groan antics’. Source F which shows Elvis dancing and singing could be positive in that there are so many screaming fans, or negative showing roughneck appearance with sideburns and con troversial dress sense. Sources A, E, and H are all positive Sources towards him and his records. Source A shows that his music was popular and that he was already the ‘number two best seller’ before he even appeared on TV. Source E shows that his appearance on the Milton Berle TV show had topped the ratings. This shows that people were tuning in to see him again showing he was popular before his first TV appearance. Source H is more facts about his record sales and how well they were selling compared to other artists at the same time. These statistics tell us that his music was extremely popular. These three Sources are factual rather than opinion like Sources B, and C. The middle aged group of people at the time were always looking to criticise Elvis. How to cite Elvis Presley Coursework Assignment, Papers

Sample letter to the president free essay sample

Suralta President Southwestern University urgello Street, Cebu City Dear Dr. Suralta: Our relationship with the foreign students, who are especially enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Biological Science (BSBS) under the umbrella of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), is very commendable. It Is a fact that the BSBS, under the umbrella of college of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Is the stepping stone to medicine. Through this program, the foreign students In the Biology Department have boomed he aspect whos undeniably to the teacher factor. Thus, the teachers involved in the program request for a premium on top of the subjects handled which can also be considered as a haggard pay. The have reasons enumerated in their letter attached. The undersigned prays for your support to this plea. Sincerely, t Of2 Urgello Street, Cebu City It is a fact that the BSBS, under the umbrella of college of Arts and Sciences (CAS), is Through this program, the foreign students in the Biology Department have boomed

Free Essays on Baxters Snow

Russell probably never cared so much about his looks until now, â€Å"Twelve years old, and I was so bored I was combing my hair just for the hell of it . . . I held the comb under the tap and then stared into the bathroom mirror as I raked the wave at the front of my scalp upward so that I would look casual and sharp and perfect† (Snow, 41). Russell is in a pre-adolescent period, a time where he experiences many different aspects of manhood. Snow can be looked at in life as pure, innocence, cold, fuzzy like the television reception and even dangerous. Here in Snow, Charles Baxter focuses on his intimate part of his pre-adolescents through different metaphors of snow. Russell’s snow is pure, innocent and cold. Russell and his brother have just decided that they are going to look at a car that a few days prior had fallen into the ice. He lies to his parents, ‘We’re driving to Navarre, I said. ‘Ben had to get his skates sharpened. My stepfather’s eyebrows started to go up; exchanged a glance with my mother-the usual pantomime of skepticism.’ When Ben asked what Russell told their parents, he was not pleased. Obviously Russell is not conniving and manipulated as his older brother. Russell’s experience with girls has been slim to none. His views of dating are extremely standard. Before Russell and his brother go off to the lake, Ben goes to pick up his girlfriend Stephanie. â€Å"How come we’re getting her?† â€Å"Because she wants to see it. She’s never seen a car underneath ice before. She’ll be impressed.† â€Å"Does she know we’re coming?† He gave me that look again. â€Å"What do they teach you at that school you go to? Of course she knows. We have a date.† â€Å"A date? It’s three o’ clock in the afternoon. Besides, I’m along† (Snow,43). Like snow, Russell shows great innocence. Through his innocence he would not take a girl out on a date in mid afternoon and have a younger brother tag along. He... Free Essays on Baxter's Snow Free Essays on Baxter's Snow Russell probably never cared so much about his looks until now, â€Å"Twelve years old, and I was so bored I was combing my hair just for the hell of it . . . I held the comb under the tap and then stared into the bathroom mirror as I raked the wave at the front of my scalp upward so that I would look casual and sharp and perfect† (Snow, 41). Russell is in a pre-adolescent period, a time where he experiences many different aspects of manhood. Snow can be looked at in life as pure, innocence, cold, fuzzy like the television reception and even dangerous. Here in Snow, Charles Baxter focuses on his intimate part of his pre-adolescents through different metaphors of snow. Russell’s snow is pure, innocent and cold. Russell and his brother have just decided that they are going to look at a car that a few days prior had fallen into the ice. He lies to his parents, ‘We’re driving to Navarre, I said. ‘Ben had to get his skates sharpened. My stepfather’s eyebrows started to go up; exchanged a glance with my mother-the usual pantomime of skepticism.’ When Ben asked what Russell told their parents, he was not pleased. Obviously Russell is not conniving and manipulated as his older brother. Russell’s experience with girls has been slim to none. His views of dating are extremely standard. Before Russell and his brother go off to the lake, Ben goes to pick up his girlfriend Stephanie. â€Å"How come we’re getting her?† â€Å"Because she wants to see it. She’s never seen a car underneath ice before. She’ll be impressed.† â€Å"Does she know we’re coming?† He gave me that look again. â€Å"What do they teach you at that school you go to? Of course she knows. We have a date.† â€Å"A date? It’s three o’ clock in the afternoon. Besides, I’m along† (Snow,43). Like snow, Russell shows great innocence. Through his innocence he would not take a girl out on a date in mid afternoon and have a younger brother tag along. He...

Fall Webworm, Hyphantria cunea

Fall Webworm, Hyphantria cunea The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea, builds impressive silk tents that sometimes enclose entire branches. The tents appear in late summer or fall - hence the name fall webworm. Its a common pest of hardwood trees in its native North America. The fall webworm also presents a problem in Asia and Europe, where it was introduced. Description The fall webworm is often confused with eastern tent caterpillars, and sometimes with gypsy moths. Unlike eastern tent caterpillars, the fall webworm feeds within its tent, which encloses foliage at the end of branches. Defoliation by fall webworm caterpillars does not usually cause damage to the tree, since they feed in late summer or fall, just before leaf drop. Control of fall webworm is usually for aesthetic benefit. The hairy caterpillars vary in color and come in two forms: red-headed and black-headed. They tend to be pale yellow or green in color, though some may be darker. Each segment of the caterpillars body has a pair of spots on the back. At maturity, the larvae may reach one inch in length. The adult fall webworm moth is bright white, with a hairy body. Like most moths, the fall webworm is nocturnal and attracted to light. Classification Kingdom - Animalia Phylum - Arthropoda Class - Insecta Order - Lepidoptera Family - Arctiidae Genus - Hyphantria Species - cunea Diet Fall webworm caterpillars will feed on any one of over 100 tree and shrub species. Preferred host plants include hickory, pecan, walnut, elm, alder, willow, mulberry, oak, sweetgum, and poplar. Life Cycle The number of generations per year depends greatly on latitude. Southern populations may complete four generations in one year, while in the north the fall webworm completes only one life cycle. Like other moths, the fall webworm undergoes complete metamorphosis, with four stages: Egg – The female moth deposits several hundred eggs on the undersides of leaves in spring. She covers the mass of eggs with hairs from her abdomen.Larva – In one to two weeks, the larvae hatch and immediately begin spinning their silken tent. Caterpillars feed for up to two months, molting as many as eleven times.Pupa – Once larvae reach their final instar, they leave the web to pupate in leaf litter or bark crevices. Fall webworm overwinters in the pupal stage.Adult – Adults emerge as early as March in the south, but dont fly until late spring or early summer in northern areas. Special Adaptations and Defenses Fall webworm caterpillars develop and feed within the shelter of their tent. When disturbed, they may convulse to dissuade possible predators. Habitat The fall webworm lives in areas where host trees occur, namely hardwood forests and landscapes. Range The fall webworm lives throughout the U.S., northern Mexico, and southern Canada – its native range. Since its accidental introduction into Yugoslavia in the 1940s, Hyphantria cunea has invaded most of Europe, too. The fall webworm also inhabits parts of China and North Korea, again due to the accidental introduction. Other Common Names: Fall Webworm Moth Sources Garden Insects of North America, by Whitney CranshawFall Webworm, G. Keith Douce, Bugwood.orgSpecies Hyphantria cunea - Fall Webworm Moth, Bugguide.net

My management philosophy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My management philosophy - Term Paper Example ommunication, face-to-face contact for coordination and ability to rapidly adapt to changes while executing the projects (McShane & Travaglione, 2003). On the other hand, the organic component of our organizational structure will give us the much needed flexibility to deal with the high rate of environmental and technological change and uncertainty. Motivation In pursuing product and market development and being in the software development industry our generic strategy is clearly a differentiation approach. This means that in order for the company to deepen its current advantage and/or build new competitive advantages, we will have to orient the way we deploy our resources to reflect this. This means our selection, promotion, rewards and so will be oriented towards hiring and rewarding the creative and innovative members of staff. To motivate staff the organization will ensure that entrepreneurs are rewarded and recognized, in both monetary and non-monetary terms. We will also cons ider giving employees ‘bootleg’ time to spend on projects of their own interest that may not be directly related to their day-to-day activities. This will keep our highly talented staff motivated as there potential will be exploited while the company benefits from increased competencies as well as increased potential of coming up with breakthrough products. Given that this is a software business, most of the staff are highly technical and educated which adds to difficulty in finding ways to motivate them. Such knowledge workers naturally would require high motivation which Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model identified as: meaningfulness of work, responsibility for outcomes and knowledge of how successful their work has been or not (YourCoach, 2010). Our hybrid... In pursuing product and market development and being in the software development industry our generic strategy is clearly a differentiation approach. This means that in order for the company to deepen its current advantage and/or build new competitive advantages, we will have to orient the way we deploy our resources to reflect this. This means our selection, promotion, rewards and so will be oriented towards hiring and rewarding the creative and innovative members of staff. To motivate staff the organization will ensure that entrepreneurs are rewarded and recognized, in both monetary and non-monetary terms. We will also consider giving employees ‘bootleg’ time to spend on projects of their own interest that may not be directly related to their day-to-day activities. This will keep our highly talented staff motivated as there potential will be exploited while the company benefits from increased competencies as well as the increased potential of coming up with breakthroug h products. Given that this is a software business, most of the staff are highly technical and educated which adds to the difficulty in finding ways to motivate them. Such knowledge workers naturally would require high motivation which Hackman and Oldham job characteristics model identified as meaningfulness of work, responsibility for outcomes and knowledge of how successful their work has been. Our hybrid organic-project-based matrix structure improves our ability to make the jobs motivating for our most highly technical and educated staff.

Effecitve Risk Management in Softwatre Development Utilizing Different Dissertation

Effecitve Risk Management in Softwatre Development Utilizing Different Methodologies - Dissertation Example Risks exist throughout the lifecycle, as it can be seen, some risks on budgeting, scheduling or others might be the reason for failure in project management. Unfortunate, there only 30% of the investigated projects were applying risk analysis and monitoring in their projects. It is easily assumed that ineffective risk management, or even lack of risk identification, risk analysis and risk mitigation in project life-cycle are the rational reason for being failure ((Baccarini; Salm and Love, 2004). Thus, an efficient risk management process for the project becomes more and more essential. 1.1.1 Background and Research scope Risk is usually defined to be a possibility which is predictable and avoidable (Boehm, 1989; Charette, 1989). Royer (2002) presents that each organization is supposed to set up their own risk categories checklist according to the different needs and requirement. Generally, risk management process, accorded to the PMBOK and CMMI principles, is identifying, analysing, monitoring and controlling. In different types of software projects, the ability for mitigating risks might be different because a wide range of methodologies contribute to developing software project such as waterfall model, agile methodologies, spiral model, and V model. Meanwhile, the procedure of risk management can be different as well. In this research, effective risk management will be presented along with diversified development models which are used widely nowadays. Regardless of different categories of projects, this research is focus on the most common risks in software project, by discussing on the ability of mitigation of risks and the process of risk management in three types of methodologies, exploring the effectiveness in managing the same kinds of risks in the development life-cycle. 1.1.2 Hypothesis and Objectives The hypothesis of this research is illustrated as that Waterfall is more effective in planning risk management and Agile methodologies tend to be more e fficient in mitigating and monitoring risks because of its flexibility. In order to prove the hypothesis mentioned above, the objectives is designed as follows: 1. Reviewing literature to identify the process of risk management in general software projects. 2. Reviewing literature to identify the typical types of risk in software development projects. 3. Reviewing literature to investigate the functionality of waterfall model in risk management 4. Reviewing literature to investigate the framework of Agile methodologies in risk management 5. To reveal the influences of the typical types of risks by interview 6. To outline the process of risk management in the authentic project risk management 7. To compare the effectiveness of different methodologies in risk management based on the process and managing typical types of risks. 8. By comparing the successful and unsuccessful project utilizing the same development method, discover the advantage and disadvantage of the method. 9. By comp aring the successful project utilizing different approaches, discovering the effectiveness in risk management of the methodologies. 1.2 Research Method A mixed-method research study takes advantage of the differences between qualitative and quantitative research techniques. In particular, in a purely qualitative study, it is difficult to have a large sample size, as

attendace is it necessary? Essay -- essays research papers

Does it Matter how its Taught?: Is Attendance Necessary?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first thing that I began to think about is my own personal experience with this question in the first day of class. The reason being is that I have been in college for now 4 years and I am severely behind in terms of a 4-year degree at this point. I have had my times to think about what I like in terms of teaching style, but never had the right teacher to make me believe in the style. In this essay I hope to convince you (the reader) that it is mostly the way the student looks for flaws in the teaching style instead of embracing it. Also I will explain that in certain places across the country that certain teaching styles are easier to students in certain environments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In my early years at school there are many different teaching styles that I encountered. First being the large lecture hall, then the small freshman writing classes, the hands on theatre classes and the many other different style and size classes. The larger lecture style classes were already over filled due to the university’s demand for these classes. The teacher would come in and just sit down, take role and call on the same students who usually understood the material a little better that the rest of the class and then we would leave. Repetition I have learned is a nightmare to some students, this is no learning environment for most students, even in our class the larger percentage of students couldn’t wait until time was up. Only a few got the time and effort of help from the professor, who normally didn’t even answer our question stating that â€Å"This is a lecture class format and if you can’t figure it out I can’t help you†. Now this may not be true for some professors, and perhaps this professor just didn’t have the time or knowledge but the question is how is it taught, and this is not the right way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second style of teaching that I will point too is the smaller more group-oriented classes where discussion is more prevalent. Question and answer from the instructor is more common and group exercises help students understand the basis for argument. Argument is a small tool to help students take different sides to a topic is one of the greatest teaching tools but has a few opponents however. Gerald Graff writes in the Yale University P... ...t colleges, they skate though classes without ever finding their true calling. Without these teachers drawing students into their classes then most of us wouldn’t finish school, we as students have to have something to look forward to something too, in going to class. If it’s a good looking girl, the funny teacher, that guy that sits next to you, whatever it is the most important thing is to listen to what the teacher has to say. These teachers even if their boring, take pride in what they do even if we don’t like it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some say that teaching is an art form, some may like the art it others don’t. What we have to consider is that they way professors teach us isn’t always the right way for the right people. Numerous studies have been conducted as to how teaching styles affects certain students, with this in mind how it’s taught is a direct correlation to how we think.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As we draw the line back to the beginning, the way its taught has everything to do with what I like to learn. If we as students get the opportunity to skip class, because some students like to learn on there own, than that’s a choice we should be able to take.

The Road To Growth For Financial Institutions

Expansion of banks and financial acquisitions in the U. S. generally occur in two ways: by organic growth or by mergers and acquisitions. Organic growth is the rate of business expansion that an organization can achieve through increasing output and enhancing sales. This form of business expansion excludes any profits or growths gained from mergers, acquisitions, and take-overs.This represents the true growth for the core of a company and is a good indicator on how well the organization’s management has used its own internal resources to expand profits. This type of business expansion also helps to identify whether managers have used their skills to improve the business (Investopedia 2006a; Wikipedia 2006a). On the other hand, acquisitions, mergers and take-overs do not bring about profits generated within a company, and are thus not considered organic growth.Historically, investment banks (which are defined as intermediaries which assist companies in selling ownership of them selves as stock or borrowing money directly from investors in the form of bonds) have been closely associated with the activity of merger and acquisitions since it represents a sales opportunity for the investment bank. For a bank to merge with another financial institution, it needs to attain a fair market value for its shares to swap with shares from the other entity.A popular formula in describing mergers and acquisitions is â€Å"one plus one makes three† – the key principle behind buying a company is to create shareholder value over and above that of the sum of the two principal companies involved (Investopedia 2006a; Investopedia 2006b; Wikipedia 2006b; Investopedia 2006c). In other words, two companies together are deemed more valuable than two separate companies. Strong companies buy other companies to create a more competitive, cost-efficient organization and to gain a greater market share.Target or weaker companies in turn often agree to being purchased by th ese stronger companies when they know they cannot survive alone in a competitive market (Investopedia 2006a; Investopedia 2006b; Wikipedia 2006b; Investopedia 2006c). Most major financial institutions in the US have gone through some form of merger and all of these institutions inevitably monitor their organic growth. The benefits that each type of business expansion offers are unique, and there are certain advantages and disadvantages in each type.The relevance of studying mergers and acquisitions involving financial institutions is that these activities can dictate the fortunes of the companies involved for years to come, and have considerable impact on investors involved as well as within the organizations themselves. Likewise, organic growth helps to strengthen an organization internally and places it on a stronger market position if done effectively and successfully. The significance of this research study is to compare these two types of business expansion.The objectives of th is study are to analyze these two types of business expansion as to their strengths and weaknesses, benefits and potential threats or disadvantages to the banking sector, and to provide an overview of the history of the banking sector in terms of both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions activities and endeavors. The research is helpful in that it will provide valuable research data and hopefully some helpful insights to help financial institutions, large or small, to evaluate their present business expansion activities.Small companies which are limited to organic growth, and may wish to venture into mergers or acquisitions, may be able to use the data provided here. Larger institutions which practice both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, on the other hand, may be able to use this research to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of both activities. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section I as presented here provides for the introduction to the stud y, definition of terms, objectives, the research topic, and the significance of the research.Section II provides for a literature review on both organic growth in the banking sector and mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions. Section III discusses the data gathering process for this study, the methodology used, and the research framework followed for this study. Section IV will provide for the analysis of the results and findings as gathered from the literature and related work reviewed. Section V presents the summary and conclusions of the study based on the analysis provided for in Section IV. Finally, Section VI will describe future directions this study might take.II. Literature Review According to the results of an annual study conducted by A. T. Kearney, one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, investment management firms are outperforming retail banks in the highly competitive race to grow profitably and to gain market share. A. T. Kearney co nducted an Annual Organic Growth Index (OGI) for 2006 for measuring growth in investment and retail banks. The study was based on data collected online by Harris Interactive? of more than 4500 banking customers in the 20 largest US metro markets.Seven out of the ten top-scoring financial institutions included in the OGI based on their capability to grow organically were investment management firms, with Ameriprise with the top score for the second consecutive year, outperforming most banks and other investment firms such as Edward Jones, A. G. Edwards, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, and Merrill Lynch. Wachovia, on the other hand, outperformed many of its retail bank counterparts, also for the second year in a row since A. T. Kearney started conducting this study in 2005 (A. T. Kearney 2006). A. T.Kearney’s study is significant for this research since it provides insight into which financial institutions are most capable of achieving and sustaining organic growth. The index connect s customer attitudes and actions with their wallet allocation decisions. The OGI looks at the performance of financial institutions based on their ability to achieve both Customer and Wallet Momentum. Customer Momentum measures an institution’s ability to attract and retain customers, forge long-lasting customer relationships, and instill advocacy among their customers. For the A. T.Kearney survey, the following components were involved in measuring Customer Momentum: advocacy, primary financial institution identification, propensity to switch institutions, and lack of errors. Wallet Momentum on the other hand measures an institution’s ability to expand the number of products and drive greater penetration per product with its customers. Components involved are: intent to add accounts, intent to increase equity account value, share of wallet with primary financial institution, and average number of products per customer (A. T. Kearney 2006). According to the results of the A.T. Kearney study (2006), investment management firms performed better overall than retail banks by scoring high in both Customer and Wallet Momentum. Retail banks on the other hand score higher on Customer Momentum than Wallet Momentum. However, the study concludes that no single type of financial institution dominates in either performance matrix. Most financial institutions strive to become their customers’ Primary Financial Institution (PFI), and have generally been successful at increasing the average number of accounts per individual within the last year (A.T. Kearney 2006). However, the study indicated that investment management firms have more difficult relationships with customers, and that being designated as customers’ PFI does not necessarily ensure success for retail banks. The study also showed that customers who experience two service errors or account problems within one year were 35 percent more likely than the industry average to leave such finan cial institution. This attrition rate doubled after three errors were experienced in one year (A. T. Kearney 2006).The study provides for the following suggestions in order to improve organic growth in financial institutions (A. T. Kearney 2006): ? Institutions with leading Customer Momentum scores have opportunities to cross-sell new products and services, and should determine how to recognize and reward people for selling a â€Å"bundled† set of products when most organizations are organized to measure and reward for selling specific products. ? Products and services to be added or cross-sold must be determined in relation to margins on core products, and the total portfolio, to ensure profitable growth.Cross-selling is less costly than adding new customers, but the mix or products and services is equally important when considering impact on profit. ? Product complexity and product variation makes it difficult for customers to understand a value proposition and for employee s to explain it. This affects both service delivery and transaction effectiveness, and also increases the potential for errors. A financial institution should thus improve its ability to manage product complexity, as a way of improving service quality and overall customer satisfaction.A similar study conducted by Daniel Cox and James Bossert (2005) involved the analysis of the 2004 American Customer Satisfaction Index, which indicate that organic growth for banks have been hampered by the fact that the financial services industry has some of the lowest customer satisfaction ratings of any single industry. According to the study, customers view banks and other financial institutions as a commodity, with no unique reason for forming a business relationship with one particular bank.The study by Cox and Bossert (2005) studied in-depth the strategies employed by Bank of America in 2001 to improve customer satisfaction as one of its driving force to expand its organic growth. Bank of Amer ica started to focus on its organic growth in 2001, which meant increasing its customer base while becoming more efficient by improving processes. It developed a new strategy which relied heavily on voice of the customer (VoC) and tied all its planning efforts to factors that would drive customer satisfaction and loyalty (Cox and Bossert 2005).In other words, Bank of America recognized customer satisfaction as the core component of organic growth. With approximately 28 million customers at the time, the bank encountered approximately 200 customer interactions per second. To improve the overall customer experience, the bank implemented an associate training program called Bank of America Spirit, which was initially modeled to mirror the associate behavior of Disney employees. It re-evaluated its business model and the model’s performance by comparing them to other Fortune 500 companies that focused on customer service.It focused on the following model for improvement as seen i n Figure 1 in the next page: Bank of America regularly surveyed their customers to gather VoC, and used these survey results in turn when developing new products and services. Paying close attention to such customer needs turned out to be instrumental in increasing its revenues and in improving its organic growth (Cox and Bossert 2005). Accenture, another leading management consultancy firm, conducted a global survey of strategies and programs for organic growth in retail banks.In its survey, Accenture examined more than 100 retail-bank executives’ strategies. The firm also provided for an industrialization concept critical for growth in the banking sector – â€Å"Differentiation on the Outside, Simplification on the Inside, Execution Mastery. † The research showed that pure cost-cutting strategies previously adapted by financial institutions produced diminished return. The emphasis on growth, and mainly organic growth, while managing costs as the same time, wou ld produce the best results for a financial organization (Accenture 2006).The study showed that 87 percent of the executives surveyed indicated that increasing revenues is still top priority, mainly driven by the need to satisfy investor expectations. 73 percent also cited the achievement of cost-efficient scale. Fewer than one in ten believed that market growth will exceed 15 percent, while more than 20 percent believed their own banks will grow at a higher rate. To drive significant organic growth, respondents in the Accenture survey emphasized the need for excellence in marketing and product management, distribution and service and fulfillment (Accenture 2006).The study further recommended that to achieve growth targets in an increasingly competitive market, banks must industrialize their marketing, sales and service capabilities to maximize cross-selling. Similar to the findings and recommendations in the study by Cox and Bossert (2005) on Bank of America, the Accenture study in dicated that cross-selling must focus on gaining and retaining profitable customers. Key capabilities necessary to achieve this would involve transformation in areas such as customer segmentation, which should include customer segmentation, product design, and price/value equation (Accenture 2006).The staff study by Rhoades (2000) for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System examined and analyzed bank mergers and banking structure in the US from 1980 to 1998. The study provided that 200 banks failed annually from 1987 to 1989 in the US, due to problem loans in petroleum, agriculture, commercial real estates, and loans to less-developed countries. These factors may have created some good buying opportunities for banks that were performing relatively well (Rhoades 2000). According to the study, the US banking industry experienced an unprecedented merger movement since 1980, with nearly 8000 mergers and about $2.4 trillion in acquired assets as of 2000 alone. The banking in dustry has been restructured in response to the removal of legal restrictions on intrastate and interstate banking throughout 1980-1998. The number of banks in the US decreased from 14407 to 8697 and the number of banking organizations decreased from 12342 to 6839 (Rhoades 2000). In his study on mergers in the US banking industry, Rhoades (2000) provided for the following conclusions: ? The number of banking offices continued to grow in the US throughout the 1990s despite the burgeoning of ATMs and ATM transactions.? Concentration of control over aggregate US bank deposits among the largest banks increased substantially, with the share of the 100 largest rising from about 47 percent to 71 percent, and the share of the 10 largest rising from 19 percent to 37 percent; the latter rise occurred mostly after 1990. ? Concentration increased substantially in many local banking markets, especially in large metropolitan areas. ? The number of bank mergers reached the highest level for the pe riod in the mid-1980s, when industry profit rates and stock prices were very low (Rhoades 2000).But what exactly motivates firms to merge and how do these mergers affect competition and the economy? According to Moore and Siems (2006), there are two primary factors that affect the need for financial institutions to remain competitive: deregulation and technology. Deregulation has significantly changed how and where banks do business. Relaxation of restrictions on banks’ securities activities has blurred the traditional distinction with investment banking while the elimination of branching restrictions has created vast geographic expansion possibilities.Continued consolidation is estimated to eventually result in about 3000 banking organizations, with a handful of â€Å"super banks† competing simultaneously with many smaller community banks. Advancements in technology have also created incentives to merge due to decline in costs in information dissemination, allowing fo r far-flung operations created through mergers. In other words, technology and deregulation have blurred accepted boundaries as to time, geography, language, enterprises and regulations in the banking industry (Moore and Siems 2006).Thus, one advantage for mergers is that customers can receive one-stop financial services. This allows for greater efficiencies through better information flows and lower transaction costs for the financial institutions involved. However, studies show that major upside for earnings and stocks through mergers is if the economy continues to show stronger-than-expected growth, which in turn could increase demand for commercial lending. If the economy slows down, stock prices become pretty full, and takeovers are less likely to benefit the banks involved (LaMonica 2003).The data used for this research study were gathered from related database found online and from case studies and academic papers. The case studies were conducted by management consultancy fir ms such as Accenture and A. T. Kearney, whereas the working papers were collected from organizations such as the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the American Society for Quality. Results and findings from surveys and empirical analysis conducted by these research individuals and organizations were used for this paper.News articles from sources such as CNNMoney and other pertinent websites were also used. B. The Sample The data used are primarily case studies gathered from related literature. These were survey results and findings from studies conducted by research individuals and organizations such as Accenture (2006), A. T. Kierney (2006), and Cox and Bossert (2005). The findings analyzed for this paper were conclusions and results from the empirical data from surveys conducted in 2005 and 2006 from the various existing case studies reviewed. C. Research DesignThe research question for this paper is â€Å"Whether US banks should focus on organic growth or merg ers and acquisitions in order to expand their business? † The hypothesis is that â€Å"Customer satisfaction, through focusing on VoC, is the key component to organic growth which is the recommended business expansion activity for financial institutions over mergers and acquisitions. † The hypothesis will be answered based on the analysis of the findings and insights gleaned from case studies and related literature. The study will make use of Qualitative Research Methodology.Numerical and statistical data were not gathered due to time constraint and physical limitations on conducting surveys in the financial institutions throughout the US. Based on qualitative analysis, the research paper thus approaches the study by providing a complete, and detailed description of organic growth and mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector based on a study of related literature. Based on the qualitative research approach, the researcher is the data-gathering instrument, and the data herein provided is in the form of words and pictures, as indicated in Figure 1 (Neil 2006).IV. Analysis of Results and Findings Results from the analysis of the case studies provided indicated that many financial institutions recognize the need for growth, whether it be through organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, or both. Many financial institutions are also aiming for annual organic growth rates of at least 10 percent or higher, but often, they fall short due to a variety of factors (A. T. Kearney 2006). An examination of the data provided would show that organic growth and mergers and acquisitions benefit two different groups.The organic growth of a company would benefit the bank itself, but more than anything, it will result in a greater advantage and benefit to the customers. The reason behind this is that studies have indicated that successful organic growth is premised on customer satisfaction as its most important component. To achieve high performance, increase re venue, and exceed their average growth rate, financial institutions must finds ways to harvest relationships with existing and new customers. Cross-selling will help increase share-of-wallet from both existing and new customers.However, cross-selling efforts must be accompanied with managing product complexity since customers have become increasingly aware of the range of banking and financial services available. Less than adequate products or poor service will cause the customers to shop around and switch service providers, especially since banks are treated more as commodities rather than business partners by their banking clientele. Thus, cross-selling must be utilized to gain and retain profitable customers (Cox and Bossert 2005; Accenture 2006; A.T. Kearney 2006). Banks would necessarily have to improve their marketing, sales, and service capabilities to maximize cross-selling. To achieve this, customer segmentation, product design, and price/value equations should be closely m onitored in relation to customer relationship management. Gathering of customer data will help management to ascertain customer needs and to adjust and improve market and product management, distribution, service and fulfillment accordingly.Full integration of customer data provides for an accurate and complete view of the customer, and will allow for an empowered and better-trained sales force to turn customer insight into profitable and satisfying interactions (Cox and Bossert 2005; Accenture 2006; A. T. Kearney 2006). A model for a successful venture into improving customer satisfaction to increase its organic growth is the case of Bank of America.By establishing a customer satisfaction goal, which provides for a measurement process to evaluate current performance and to acquire analytical capability to improve performance in a targeted way, Bank of America was able to streamline its products and services to effectively retain and increase its customer base. By relying on VoC, an d tying all its planning efforts to factors that would drive customer satisfaction and loyalty, Bank of America improved its organic growth (Cox and Bossert 2005).Focusing on organic growth will result now only improve customer satisfaction, increase customer base and profit, but will also drive wealth creation for shareholders (A. T. Kearney 2006). On the other hand, mergers and acquisitions provide a greater advantage to the financial institutions themselves. A company with financial problems will benefit from merging with a stronger company. The latter, in turn, would gain a greater market share and reduce competition in the industry by acquiring smaller or similarly situated institutions.Advancements in technology and less legal barriers regarding financial transactions have also allowed financial institutions to cover wider geographical areas. This in turn benefits the customer as well since the bank becomes a one-stop-shop for banking transactions, available wherever the custo mer may be. Deregulation and technology have been key factors in the drive for mergers, and have lead to significant cost-cutting measures for the firms involved. It has also provided for greater efficiencies and information dissemination to the financial institutions, which in turn provides for greater flexibility and convenience for its customers.One safeguard for baking institutions which opt for mergers and acquisitions to expand its growth is Rule 155 under the Securities Act, also known as the â€Å"Integration of Abandoned Offerings† which was passed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SEC amended Rule 152 of the Securities Act of 1933 in response to the challenges under previous securities regulations and the changing market conditions. Rule 155 became effective on March 7, 2001, and has had significant impact on companies seeking alternative financing in light of a weakened securities market.It provides for a flexible framework in which companies can con vert their private offerings to registered offerings and the other way around, minus the usual risk of integration. The rule provides non-exclusive safe harbors from the integration between registered and private offerings, and allows issuers to move more quickly if market conditions change rapidly (Marek and Seo 2001). Before Rule 155 was enacted, a financial institution with a failed registered offering was limited in the choices it subsequently had to raise capital.It could either withdraw or abandon a registered offering, but would encounter difficulty in quickly obtaining alternative funding due to unclear regulations on integration. A company that started a private offering may have found sufficient investor interest to justify making a registered offering, but was faced with making offers of registered securities prior to filing a registration statement. Before Rule 155, there were thus no clear guidelines as to how a company can insulate itself from the risk of mergers and a cquisitions.SEC’s prior guidelines in this area were limited to suggesting a six-month â€Å"cooling off† period as well as a traditional five-part test involving consideration of whether two or more offerings (Marek and Seo 2001): ? Are part of a single plan of financing; ? Have the same general purpose; ? Involves the same class of security; ? Are made at or about the same time; and ? Involve securities sold for the same type of consideration. The adoption of the new Rule 155 provides for reliefs for financial institutions (and other institutions in different industries) who opt to participate in mergers, acquisitions, or take-overs.The new Rule 155 does not change the traditional five-factor analysis approach of SEC but clarifies the implication of integration in two specific types of transactions (Marek and Seo 2001). Rule 155 creates integration safe harbors for two types of common transactions: 1) a registered offering following an abandoned private offering; and 2) a private offering following an abandoned registration offering. The term â€Å"private offering† is specifically defined to include only the offerings that qualify for one of the following exemptions: (i) Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, for transactions not involving a public offering;(ii) Section 4(6) of the Securities Act, for transactions that do not exceed $5 million and involve offers and sales only to â€Å"accredited investors†. Or (iii) Rule 506 of Regulation D, for transactions involving offers and sales to an unlimited number of â€Å"accredited investors† and no more than 35 purchasers who, although not accredited, are â€Å"sophisticated† (Marek and Seo 2001). Thus, safe harbors in Rule 155 sets forth clear guidelines under which a company may change its offering between registered and private offerings without the risk of integration.It provides greater flexibility to companies such as financial institutions in this case which seek f inancing in this changing market (Marek and Seo 2001). V. Summary and Conclusions The case study on Bank of America is a model on how focusing on customer satisfaction can further enhance organic growth for a financial institutions. By establishing a customer satisfaction goal, a financial institution can set up a measurement process in order to evaluate current performance and acquire analytical capability to improve performance in a targeted way (Cox and Bossert 2005).Gathering information about the customers will allow a company to streamline its products and services to meet customer needs. This also allows for greater opportunity for more effective cross-selling which will help increase share-of-wallet from both existing and new customers. Institutions with high levels of customer satisfaction, or customer momentum, need to look at products and services through the eyes of the customer and should simultaneously listen to the VoC.There is a need to recognize and reward people fo r selling â€Å"bundled† sets of products rather than merely focusing on measuring and rewarding sales associates for selling specific products only (A. T. Kearney 2006). A financial institution must also take note that products and services to be added or cross-sold must be determined in relation to margins on core products to ensure profitable growth. The mix of products and services offered to customers is equally important when considering their impact on profit.Many financial institutions have limited insight into the true profitability of specific products which makes the development of an economically-attractive bundle (whether from the customers’ or the institutions’ perspective) problematic (A. T. Kearney 2006). As such, managing product complexity is also important. To better serve their customers, sales associates must understand their products, and when a bank has too many products and services on its platter, its employees tend to be less knowledgea ble about what to offer or cross-sell to their customers.Managing product complexity will allow for improvement in the product cost/price relationship and will help customers understand a value proposition. It can help improve both service delivery, transaction effectiveness, and decrease the potential for errors within the financial institution (A. T. Kearney 2006). Thus, effective organic growth should focus on customer satisfaction or VoC as its key component. Mergers and acquisitions however provide for opportunities for financial institutions to gain a greater market share, improve cost-cutting measures, increase profit, and eliminate competition.Ailing financial organizations also have a better chance for survival by being merged with stronger banking counterparts, while the latter gain a stronger foothold in the market through such acquisitions. .The new Rule 155 adopted by the SEC in provides for safeguards for financial institutions in case of such mergers, acquisitions and take-overs. It provides for non-exclusive safe harbors from the integration between registered and private offerings, and allows issuers to move more quickly in case market conditions change quickly.The rule provides for clear guidelines in which a financial institution may change its offering between registered and private offerings without the risks normally associated with integration (Marek and Seo 2001). Deregulation, such as through adoption of the new Rule 155, and technology have been identified as two of the driving forces why banking institutions merge. Technology on the other hand has literally allowed banks to cross borders, and have made limitations as to time, geography, and boundaries practically non-existent.Information dissemination through the speed of technology has allowed mergers across continents, and for such financial institutions to grab a large slice of the market share. It has also provided for flexibility and convenience to customers. However, one threat to this form of business expansion is the formation of â€Å"super banks†, similar to what is happening in the retail sector wherein only a small number of key players dominate the industry. This may potentially affect customer needs, as the competitive edge remains with a select set of power players in the banking sector.The lack of boundaries, such as having branches in different parts of the globe, may also hinder optimum customer satisfaction, as a financial institution’s operating procedure remains uniform and standard, but customer needs always differ per area, region, or continent. Institutions will use both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions to grow and expand their businesses. But what can be concluded is that those financial institutions with business models that push for strong organic growth make more successful acquirers (A. T.Kearney 2006). Since they understand the needs of their clients better, the services and products they offer tend to be m ore appropriate and thus more cost-effective and profitable. By knowing their customers, and ultimately the strengths of their organizations, then institutions with strong organic growth models are better capable of acquiring and merging with other banking institutions in the future. VI. Future Research The preliminary research in this data indicated case studies from surveys conducted on the banking sector for 2005 and 2006.Trends with regard to organic growth and mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector were analyzed. Future research in relation to this study could include analysis of empirical data from major banking institutions and a comparison of their profit rates from their organic growth and mergers and acquisitions. Sample sizes may include banks which focus on both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, and banks which monitor organic growth alone and do not participate in mergers. Such data may be gathered from interviews, surveys, and requests for financia l reports from respondent banks.WORKS CITED Cox, Daniel and Bossert, James. Driving Organic Growth at Bank of America. American Society for Quality. Feb. 2005. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. asq. org/financial/bank-of-america-case-study. html Investment Firms Improve, Retail Banks Slip in A. T. Kearney’s Annual Organic Growth Index for Financial Institutions. A. T. Kearney. 12 Sept. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. atkearney. com/main. taf? p=1,5,1,177 LaMonica, Paul R. Bank merger mania is back. CNNMoney. com. 27 Oct. 2003. 28 Nov. 2006. http://money. cnn.com/2003/10/27/markets/banks/ Mergers and acquisitions. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006b. 28 Nov. 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Merger Mergers and Acquisitions: Introduction. Investopedia. 2006c. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. investopedia. com/university/mergers/ Mergers and Acquisitions: Definition. Investopedia. 2006b. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. investopedia. com/university/mergers/mergers1. asp Moore, Robert and Siems , Thomas. What’s Driving Bank Mergers. Federal Bank of Dallas. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. dallasfed.org/eyi/money/9905. html Neill, James. Qualitative versus Quantitative Research: Key Points in a Classic Debate. Wilderdom. 5 Jul. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. wilderdom. com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch. html Organic Growth. Investopedia. 2006a. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. investopedia. com/terms/o/organicgrowth. asp Organic growth. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006a. 28 Nov. 2006. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Organic_growth Organic Growth in Retail Banking: A Global Survey of Strategies and Programs.Accenture. 2006. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. accenture. com/Global/Services/By_Industry/Financial_Services/Banking/R_and_I/GlobalSurveyStrategies. htm Rhoades, Stephen A. Bank Mergers and Banking Structure in the United States, 1980-98. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Staff Study 174. Aug. 2000. Marek, Thomas R. and Seo, Deborah. Rule 155 Provides New Integration Safe Harbors. Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP. 27 Apr. 2001. 28 Nov. 2006. http://www. oppenheimer. com/news/content/rule_155. htm

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