Professions for Women Essay

1. According to Virginia Woolf, what are two main obstacles to women’s professional identity? Are these still the two main obstacles, or does the contemporary women face different hurdles? Explain. The two main obstacles to women’s professional identify is the expectations of society and the expectations she has for herself. These obstacles still exist today but to a certain degree. In 1930 society’s expectation for women was to stay home to cook and clean, now women are still seen to do this but are also seen to have a job. Women also give themselves high expectations for many things as they did in the 1930’s. 2. What is the Origin of the â€Å"Angel in the House† (para. 3)? Consult the Language of Composition Web site for background information: .Why is this an appropriate or effective frame of reference for Woolf? The origin of the â€Å"Angel in the House† came from a poem written in the 1900’s about self sacrificing heroine which represents the ideal Victorian women; a woman who was sympathetic, very charming, and unselfish. Including the â€Å"Angel in the House† is appropriate because she talks about killing this phantom which meant she was free to express herself, which inspired many women. 3. What do you think Woolf means in paragraph 5 when she asserts that â€Å"a novelist’s chief desire is to be as unconscious as possible†? Do you agree that someone who writes fiction should be â€Å"unconscious†? Why do you think a novelist would want to be â€Å"unconscious† or would benefit from being â€Å"unconscious†? I think what Woolf means by â€Å"a novelist’s chief desire is to be unconscious as possible† (paragraph 5). Is that when a writer begins to write they disappear into their own words and continue to write without stopping. I agree that someone who writes fiction should be â€Å"unconscious† because it helps them describe the character they are portraying better. 4. In paragraph 5 and 6, Woolf explores the consequences of being unable to tell â€Å"the truth† about her own â€Å"experiences as a body.† What does she mean† Why does she believe that surmounting this obstacle is more difficult – perhaps impossible at the time she was writing – that â€Å"killing the Angel in the House†? Woolf means that women still have to hide behind lies, like a fake  name, to have a book published. She believes the surmounting this obstacle is more difficult because women were not seen as equals in the 1930’s they were more seen as property of the husband or father.

Educational Goals Essay

I am working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Media Design. I chose this because it combines two things that I am highly interested in – technology and creativity. I also researched the percent increase in jobs in the field over the past few years, which was higher than several other programs I looked into. After taking a few classes at Eastern Illinois University in Management Information Systems, I decided that computer programming and networking was not for me. I was not very good at networking and I did not enjoy programming. However, there was one class that seemed to be a lot different than all the other ones I was taking. It was an Information Presentation class where we worked with programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Google Sketch up, and Windows Movie Maker. Another reason I chose this program is because technology, as we all know, is always changing and growing. I feel like there will always be jobs in this area and new ones being created. I know I will not receive any immediate benefits after obtaining my Bachelor’s degree because I work for a non-for-profit company mostly funded by the state of Illinois. However, with that degree I will have the opportunity to apply for other jobs in other places as it is typically a requirement for the type of job I want. There are about 12 classes I need to take to complete the program since I’ve already transferred in all of the general education requirements. I am just taking Learning Strategies for the summer to brush up on some things and get used to taking a class completely online. It is also a prerequisite for all the other classes I need to take. In the fall, I will take the first two required classes. I am a bit cautious to take more than 2-3 a semester right away since I work full time, have a 5 year old daughter, and haven’t had any classes since 2009. I assume it will take me roughly two years to finish this program. That includes taking classes in the summer. I am not trying to finish it quickly I just want to finish eventually in order to secure my daughter’s future.

Citing particular examples, discuss how far pop music can be Essay

Citing particular examples, discuss how far pop music can be considered textual poachers (Henry jerkins) - Essay Example Apparently, a topic that attempts to capture the dynamics of any culture within the context of social icons and the mentality of their followers, could not adequately incorporate and interact with the controversies thereon as textual poachers does with pop music. Originally, Henry Jerkins did a lot of studies surrounding television entertainment with shows and movie series as the centre of interest for many fans. The provocative interaction that the television fan base makes with the ideal universe created by the shows that they faithfully follow blind them such that they fail to conceptualize the idealism involved in the productions. The author states that this creates a culture that tries to fit in the idealism provoked by the entertainment culture (Jenkins, 1992, p277). In a similar manner, the pop music industry can be assessed for a possibility of a similar idealism generated within the music setting and consequential spilling over to the real life of the fans to the extent that they â€Å"live† the idealism. In an attempt to explain the role of fans in the generation of new idealistic cultures, Jenkins (1992, p23) reports that fans find it fashionable and defensive to relate to a certain mass following of an entertainment platform. Further in the description of the behaviour of the fan group, the author reports that the identity and associating with the common following accords the group a manipulative force that enables it to form a culture. Producers of the original text from which the apparent poaching happens voice their displeasure by referring to the fans as cultural dupes or even senseless customers of the literary piece. Works of art that are presented to the audience commonly through the media are initially meant to be just entertainment content; but the audience blow off the balance between the text intention and imaginations not intended by the producer. There is an eventual loss of the art intention

The Business Case for Diversity Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Business for Diversity - Case Study Example Diversity is about understanding, valuing, and making the most of the individual differences found in each and every person (Clark, 2007). To allow an organization to be the best, they must use the differences found in individuals. Those differences may come from the color of skin or the language they speak. It may include how fast they learn, how they learn, whether they are introverted or extroverted, controlling, or submissive, or conservative (Clark, 2007). An organization will need dreamers, doers, strategizers, organizers and team builders just to mention a few. Organizations need diversity in ideas and therefore they need leaders who can encourage and manage under diverse situations (Kirton, 2007) but often times it is not the employee that wins but the company. The quality of any work or any team is improved by the diverse personalities on it. Leaders that understand the needs of the diverse company are able to leverage those diverse groups in a way that will improve the companies product line (Carter, 2007). This is the theory, some are successful and some are not. One example of a company that is doing this very thing and providing excellent tutelage for their leadership is Merck. Merck believes that diversity encourages the creativity and innovation for their company and they use this to remain competitive (Merck, 2007). They have believed that the use of diversity in their business will keep them ahead of the curve. They also believe that they are able to have better leadership teams if they remember the diverse needs of their employees when they hire. Merck believes that first, they must train their leadership team in diversity and what it means as well as how to manage it. They have perpetual training going on with these leadership teams. The Merck leadership model focuses on developing employee competence from the edge of their diversity allowing the company to capitalize on their difference.  

The X and the Y Theories of Management Research Paper

The X and the Y Theories of Management - Research Paper Example Some leaders consider the role of decision making as solely theirs and engage no one else even when the issue at hand requires them to do so. Such managers allow no flexibility on the workers and expect them to follow the set guidelines. Other leaders are accommodating and therefore, give some level of independence to their employees, encourage teamwork, involve employee’s opinions in decision-making and often delegate duties. The X and Y theories are based on assumptions that human personality and behaviors differ and play a major role in determining the appropriate management styles to be applied. This paper focuses on the different management theories applied in managing different job types. The X theory by McGregor posits that management should intervene on the performance of its employees. This is by controlling their activities, altering their behaviors to guarantee their actions, are in line with wants of the organization, as well as inspiring them to ensure they direct all their effort towards progression of the organization (Fisher 12-17). The theory explain this by claiming that most human beings, hate responsibilities, dislike work, have no ambition, and thus require to be directed and sometimes threatened to work effectively. Another argument to support this theory is that people resist change, put their own needs above those of the organization, and value their security beyond all other things. Leaders using this theory in management frequently turn out to be autocratic (Stewart 2). The Y theory on the other hand, claims that people are not dormant and are always willing to direct their efforts towards the success of the organizations. However, the management is insensitive to their need of appropriate working environment. This would enable them grow individually and be in a position to contribute to organizational growth. The theory further argues that most employees prefer rewards to satisfy their self-esteem by encouraging them to be inve ntive, and imaginative other than work related rewards. Such rewards make the employee to feel secure and more committed to their work. Neither the X nor the Y theory is good or bad because they apply to different types of jobs and work settings. However when applied in wrong job settings, conflicts could arise in the management. Usage of theory Y by some managers can cause them loose control and being incapable of making final decisions as required. Theory Y could result in the manager being too judgmental on the doings of employees (Stewart 3). The X theory is applicable in a number of job types especially in the public service where organization structures obligate only those in higher administrative ranks to make and oversee implementation of policies. Revenue collection authorities are a good example of managements that follow the X theory. They fear that not only the citizens but also their employees may possibly cheat on them. They assume that employees are untrustworthy and thus try to monitor, supervise, and, control their operations. The employees end up wasting plenty of time writing reports to validate their decisions (Barnett web). They therefore, underperform, which emphasizes the manager’s mentality that they are incompetent. In military and most of the police departments, the superiors give orders that all those under them have to carry out without questioning their

What works in Security laws (Summary) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

What works in Security laws (Summary) - Essay Example The author further argues that these laws do not favor any particular party. One significant strategy that the laws apply to ensure equality in public offering is the use of supervisors. Supervisors are agents who ensure the security laws are adhered to. The laws requires of all supervisors not to be biased or influenced by power or any other factor. Another significant content of the security laws is regulating the depth at which shareholders are exposed to company figures. Every company is required to expose its figures to shareholders before placing their shares at public offerings. However, the depth of knowledge is also regulated in favor of companies. The laws protect companies from exposing all information on the company before its public offering (LaPorta, Lopez-de-Silanes & Shleifer, 2004). From the journal by LaPorta, Lopez-de-Silanes & Shleifer (2004) the need to bridge the gap between countries with strong and weak investor protection strategy is sensitized. In his recommendation, legal laws and reforms to support financial development are

The LInux Operating System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The LInux Operating System - Research Paper Example Thus, one can download the software and edit and make changes as per one’s requirements. This adds to the flexibility and adaptability of the operating system to user requirements. Linux is often called a derivative of UNIX, the other operating system that is character based and one that is widely used in research laboratories around the world. Linux operates in many flavors and some of the popular distributions of Linux are Fedora Core, Debian and SuSE Linux. According to many software sites, â€Å"Although there are a large number of Linux implementations, you will find a lot of similarities in the different distributions, if only because every Linux machine is a box with building blocks that you may put together following your own needs and views. Installing the system is only the beginning of a long term relationship† (Linuxtopia, 2008). Thus, one can install Linux and build on top of it or use it in any way possible according to one’s needs. Linux is an operating system, a software program that controls your computer. Linux traces its evolution to a mainframe operating system called Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service). UNIX was developed by two Bell Labs software engineers who during their spare time used to play a game called Space Travel. Sometimes they used to find themselves without the operating system by which they could play their favorite game. Thus, the two software engineers, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie developed the game to play on an otherwise unused PDP-7 computer. This was the origin of UNIX that was a precursor to Linux. Once the UNIX operating system began to be widely used and freely available, AT&T decided to license it and this led to its claiming a huge license fee for UNIX and it secured the intellectual property rights for UNIX. Once UNIX was no longer a freeware, a MIT scientist called Richard Stallman began what is known as the GNU (Or Not Unix) operating system and started to make it available under the

Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Portfolio - Coursework Example I went to two wards. The first ward was the Medicin Ward, meant for elderly patients, and the second one was the surgery ward. I got to see a few patients and my particular interest was to know the kind of attention they were given by the clinical pharmacist. For instance, there was a 72-year old patient who was suffering from diabetes mellitus type one, hypercholesteremia and hypertension. In my presence, he narrated to the pharmacist what he felt. He only talked of shortness of breath. The lesson I learnt in most of the cases is that as a clinical pharmacist, one needs to know what a patient feels by asking them. He/she shouldn’t stop at that, but go ahead to carry out examinations to discover other things that the patient may be unknowingly suffering from. On the basis of both what the patient says and the results of the medical examination, a pharmacist establishes if there is any need to change medication or not to. My visit to the hospital pharmacy taught me yet another lesson; that there are certain kinds of patients, like alcoholics, that require counseling more than other forms of medical attention such as drug prescription. This is a way of helping them to get around the drinking habit. In the case of an alcoholic, it may also be necessary for a pharmacist to change drugs because the patient’s problem may have got more complicated than what it was before. Any such change of medicinal prescription must be based on laboratory examination results in all cases. This means that a clinical pharmacist must work very closely with a laboratory technician, because he depends on his results to be able to prescribe drugs for the patients. Constantly checking with results helps to track the patient’s medical history, and on the basis of whether they are doing any better or not, medicine can be changed or retained. It ensures that patients receive the best medical attention and eliminating chances of prescription

The basic guidelines that are specially relevant for aggressive equity Essay

The basic guidelines that are specially relevant for aggressive equity investors and conservative equity investors for investment decision - Essay Example In the need to understand these investment plans, this paper is aimed at evaluating the basic guidelines that are relevant for aggressive equity investors and conservative equity investors for the purpose of decision making. To begin with, aggressive equality investors actively play the game of equality in a vigorous way. Most of the time is spent in managing their portfolio than their consecutive counterparts. They are subjected to high risks; the calculations are in albeit manner aimed at earning big return rates (Chandra, 2009). For the aggressive equality investors, the following general guidelines are relevant in their investment plans for appropriate decision making. The first guideline is to focus on investments that one understands to play their own game. According to Prasanna Chandra (2009, p. 670), â€Å"an investor should always know about the specific company they are investing in, more than the current market does in order to successfully manage their investments.† Therefore, an investor must clearly make a decision on what to focus on. Therefore, decision making is the main key to successful investments. The choices of making decisions are diverse. They include deciding to concentrate on growth, value, multinational companies, small companies, public sector companies, high grade bonds, or low grade bonds. In choosing any of these strategies an investor should be mindful of the basic rules. These rules include being thorough, tough minded, being flexible in knowing the deal about any company one is buying into, and buying when the company is not understood by the existing market is a fundamental idea to keep in mind (Chandra, 2009) . As argued by Candara, one should play the game that one is best in, advocating that an investor should do things as an analyst who is best in doing something. For instance, if an investor can foretell the most important development in the

Unit 4 Discussion Board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Unit 4 Discussion Board - Essay Example Creating the sort of association with the followers probably derive all other associated activities with leadership. In this regard, it therefore not matter whether we need a new generation of leadership as well as new gender. As long as leadership can and should associate itself with the followers, there arises hardly a need to argue for a shift in the ways leadership is pursued and practiced. Though it has been argued that leadership has been viewed and studied with respect to the masculinity (-Metcalfe, 2002) however this is not the fact in its entirety. It must be noted that almost all the leadership whether in the corporate world or in political world was masculine and it was probably because of this reason that the leadership has mostly being studied within that context. In order to be an effective leader, there are various personal traits and qualities which a leader must have in order to be effective. These include from motivating the employees to making decisions of strategic nature. However, these traits are not gender specific in nature however there are certain attributes specific to both male and female leaders which both make them effective in their fields and leadership is largely gender neutral. (Gedney, 1999). However historically the evolution of leadership theories started with the focus on the masculine characteristics of the leaders. The so called Great Man theories of 1930s and 1940s greatly emphasized on the personal characteristics of the leaders including their intelligence, personal charisma etc. The great man theories largely emphasized on the role of males into the leadership however that was an era where there were very few opportunities left for the women to participate into the mainstream economy. Lack of opportunity was the refore the main reason behind the development of theoretical framework which were largely focusing on the masculine characteristics o f the leaders. This has historical connotations also because the

Principles of the Sda Health Message Essay Example for Free

Principles of the Sda Health Message Essay The Seventh Day Adventist religion has certain guidelines and principles on the health of their bodies and minds. The main focus of these principles can be broken into 8 main areas; The blessing of Exercise, The blessing of Water, The blessing of Sunlight, The blessing of Fresh Air, The blessing of Temperate, Drug-free, Stimulant-free Living, The blessing of Rest, The blessing of Nutritious Food and Trust in Divine Power. Each of these areas has separate ideas and guidelines on how to truly nurture your body and mind. Although these principles were introduced a long time ago most of them are still relevant for today’s lifestyles but like most things they do have weaknesses. The blessing of Exercise states that exercise is not merely an option, it is essential to maintaining both physical and mental health. Regular exercise has the benefits of increased energy, stress relief, healthier skin, more self-confidence, effective weight control, reduced depression and the risk of heart disease and cancer. Our bodies are designed to be active yet in today’s society we are moving less. Society’s lazy lifestyle has resulted in a rise in many medical conditions. Some conditions that result from inactivity include: heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, ‘metabolic disorder’, and certain cancers. Proverbs 6:6-13 says â€Å"How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? Ill just take a short nap, he says; Ill fold my hands and rest a while. But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.† This verse is saying that useful activity tends to prosperity while inactivity and laziness tend to adversity. Christ himself set an example of physical activity. For most of his life he was engaged in manual labour and during his ministry he walked the roads of Palestine. Christians partake in exercise to keep their bodies healthy and reach their full potential as a creation of God, to serve him efficiently. In today’s society there are no weaknesses with the idea of exercise, it is still beneficial to our bodies to partake in exercise. Water is a vital fluid which without we would die. The human body is 75% water but it is constantly being lost through exhaling and perspiration. Drinking 6 – 8 glasses of pure water a day will aid in maintaining efficient, happy wellbeing. Water is often linked with purity. We use water to clean our bodies, cleanse our insides and to clean our conscience. Water is also used during Baptism in Christian religions because of its purity. A clean body inside and out and a clean conscience will lead to total health. The principle, The Blessing of Water is based not only on our body’s physical need for water but also the use of water to clean our body, soul, conscience and mind this is a key to full health. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water (Hebrews 10:22 GNT). This quote focuses on the use of water for cleanliness of the physical body and the heart and conscience. Light is essential to life (Gen. 1:3). It powers the process that produces the nutrients that nourish and energize our bodies and that releases the oxygen we must have to live. Sunshine promotes health and healing. Every living thing in our world is dependent on sunlight. There are many proven health benefits one will receive from being exposed to regular sunlight. Some health benefits that sunlight can give us include lowers blood sugar and blood pressure, lowers cholesterol by converting it to vitamin D, increases red and white blood cells in the body, strengthens the immune system, helps calm nerves and increases adrenaline, destroys germs on the skin, increases circulation, helps eliminate pesticides and other chemicals from the body. The sun is an essential part of our life and that has not changed and will never change as we depend on it to live and keep us healthy. Sunlight does need to be in moderation especially in today’s society where skin cancer is very high. The most essential element to sustain life is oxygen. Without it we would die in a few minutes. Fresh air helps the immune system fight disease, rids the body of impurities and helps prevent problems such as fevers, colds and disease. An environment with impure air causes blood to carry less oxygen than is required for optimal function of cells. This tends to make a person less alert and responsive. Adults spend about 8-10 hours indoors at work and children 5-6 hours indoors at school instead of being outdoors in the fresh air. Dust collects on every surface and even as we get rid of it, the dust swirls around and makes its way into our respiratory system. As we cook food, occasionally we burn a meal or two and those fumes get inhaled also. Companies try to sell us products to ‘clean’ the air in our homes, but they add to the indoor air pollution. There is no substitute for fresh air. People living in small towns experience air which is fresher than those living in cities and therefore the benefits are even greater for them. This is because the air in large cities is polluted with smoke from factories and vehicles. More oxygen to the muscles reduces that lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping. Ellen White once said The stomach, liver, lungs and brain are suffering for want of deep, full inspirations of air which would electrify the blood and impart to it a bright, lively colour, and which alone can keep it pure, and give tone and vigour to every part of the living machinery.. The only weakness of this idea in today’s society is the amount of air pollution we are faced with. We are not able to gain the full potential of this idea because of this pollution. The Blessing of a Temperate, Drug-free, Stimulant-free Living includes the use of any drugs even caffeine and alcohol as well as things that overstimulate our bodies like most technologies. The wise Christian will abstain from all that is harmful, using in moderation only that which is good. Drugs have saturated our society because they offer stimulation and release from stress and pain. Christians are surrounded with seductive invitations to use drugs. Even many popular, innocent-appearing beverages contain drugs – coffee, tea and colas etc all contain caffeine. Tobacco is another drug that is popular in society but tobacco in any form is a slow poison that has a harmful effect on physical, mental and moral powers. At first it affects are hardly noticeable. It excites and then paralyses the nerve, weakening and clouding the brain. Alcohol is a very popular drug in society today but some people do not understand that it is a drug and the effects it can have on the body. Since God communicates with us only through our minds, it is well to remember that alcohol adversely affects their every function. As the level of alcohol in the system rises, the drinker progresses through loss of coordination, confusion, disorientation, anaesthesia, coma and death. Drinking alcoholic beverages on a regular basis will eventually produce loss of memory, judgement and learning ability. Although the ideas behind this make sense and can improve health, in today’s busy society caffeine would have to be one of the highest used drugs. Proper rest is essential for health of body and mind. Periods of rest provide much needed quietness for communion with God: â€Å"Be still, and know that I am God† (Ps 46:10). God stressed our need for rest by setting aside the seventh day of the week as the day of rest (Ex 20:10). Rest is more than sleeping or ceasing our regular work. It involves the way we spend our leisure time. Weariness is not always caused by stress or by working too hard or too long. Our minds can be wearied by overstimulation though the media, sickness or various personal problems. Recreation is re-creation in the truest sense of the word. It strengthens, builds up and refreshes the mind and body. To life at its best, Christians should only pursue only those forms of recreation and entertainment that strengthen their bond with Christ and improve health. This is a much needed principle in today’s society but again it is unrealistic with such busy lifestyles. The blessing of nutritious foods was given to the first couple by the Creator with the ideal diet. â€Å"I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat† (Gen 1:29 GN). The diet God planned for us consisted of grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables. This diet offers the right nutritional ingredients to support optimum health. The Bible does not condemn the eating of clean animal products, but in the original diet God gave us did not include any flesh foods and this is why the Seventh Day Adventists try to follow a vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet is the ideal, but sometimes we cannot always have the ideal. Those who wish to stay in optimum health will eat the best food they can obtain. The Seventh Day Adventist started the company Sanitarium which makes healthy, vegetarian food to help them to obtain the best foods they can. Another weakness of the original diet is that it can reduce the chance of your body to lack in proteins, calcium, vitamin B12, i ron and Zinc. Trusting in God means to rely on Him. You must surrender your will, your ideas, your desires and your future in to Gods hands. It takes a very special relationship to allow you to surrender so much. When we trust in god we look to Him for guidance, we look to Him when things go bad, we look to Him for help and we look at Him for love and strength. All God requires from us is to simply trust in Him. Trust in God can is the only way that we can overcome our fears and weakness. To trust in God we put all confidence into His character, ability and strength. We depend and have faith in Him; we believe He is who He says He is. There are no weakness when trusting in God the only thing that comes when trusting God is the strength to let him into your life and replaces feelings of insecurity and fear with those of love and compassion. We can trust in many things. None, however, offer the protection, the long term security, or benefit that trusting in God offers. Although these health messages are still spoken about and believed in they are not always, in today’s society, followed exactly. It is all well and good to think that these principles are a good idea but it is another thing to follow them. We have the mentality these days that yes something may be a good idea and you may believe in what it means and what it is doing but we still don’t do it. Times have changed and we are not ‘forced’ or expected to do things that people were once ‘scared’ of defying like attending church or following principles of their religion like these health principles. Although these messages are mainly still useful today they need to be put into practice to achieve any results. References Bible: Good News Translation. (1992). Ingleburn, NSW: The Bible society. Chamberlain, M. (1997). Cooranbong first town in Lake Macquarie: 1826-1996. Cooranbong: Michael Chamberlain. Health Systems Check,. (2012) Alcohol and Malnutrition. Health Effects of Alcohol Consumption. Retrieved on 25th May 2012 from http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm Hopp, J. (1984). Light for living part 1. Journal of Adventist Education. 40(4). Retrieved on 26th May 2012 from http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae198446041714.pdf Parker, M. (2011). Christian Behaviour. Lecture presented to education students at Avondale College, Cooranbong, NSW. Sun Safety Alliance. (n.d.). The facts about getting too much sun. Skin Cancer. Retrieved 28th May 2012 from http://www.sunsafetyalliance.org/bare_facts.html

Threats to Urban Bird Populations

Threats to Urban Bird Populations Emily Bailes, Ann Bailey, Matheus Blezer Plumm, Tom McClellan-West, Lizzie Yarwood Introduction The enigmatic creatures of the sky, birds are creatures that are treasured by many around the world, by some as cultural symbolism, others a hobby to indulge in and some just find their presence a pleasant addition to a grey and largely urban world. Human colonisation has had a huge impact on nature, birds included, with some able to utilise the new urban habitat to great effect; feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) exploit waste products and buildings as a place to nest. However, some species have found it much harder to adapt to the threats that are present within the ever increasing urban environment. In recent reports, the conservation status’ of 246 bird species were evaluated of which 52 (21.1%) were placed on the Red list, 126 (51.2%) were on the Amber list and 68 species (27.6%) were placed on the Green list (Eaton et al. 2009). Over a period of 35-45 years, there were 28 species with statistically significant population declines of greater than 50%. One of these species is the Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur); according to the CBC/BBS trend it has showed a severe decline in abundance since the 1970s (Figure 1), and it is a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. In the period of 2002-2012 the Turtle Dove had an 80% decline in population size in the UK. Whilst there are many threats facing urban bird populations, there are four key threats that have been focused on in this review. Cat predation, window collisions, habitat loss and general human disturbance all have variable effects on bird abundance and have been discussed in the following paragraphs. Predation by Felines Whilst there are several high risk threats to urban bird populations, the most severe is that of cat predation. Cats have long been known to have a negative ecological impact. They are responsible for multiple cases of extinctions in ground nesting birds in island habitats, where they come into contact with species possessing little or no defence mechanisms against predation. This inevitably leads to extinction. The current global impact of free-ranging domestic cats on bird mortality is estimated to be up to 4 billion birds, annually (Loss et al. 2013). In the UK alone it is estimated that across a 4 month period, up to 100 million prey items are caught by cats, 24% of these being bird species (Woods et al. 2003). With cats bringing home an average of 13.4 prey items per year (Heezik et al. 2010), this can have a drastic impact on wildlife populations. One study that focused on the bird populations of a typical urban UK village found that 16% of birds caught in a year were House Spa rrows (Passer domesticus) which are a red listed and highly endangered species (British Trust for Ornithology 2002) (Figure 2). It was also found in the same study that cats were responsible for 30% of Passer domesticus deaths in that area. Cats are also responsible for the deaths of many other red listed species such as the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) (British Trust for Ornithology 2002) (See fig 3). Another more worrying issue is that the number of bird deaths increased if that household was providing food for birds (Woods et al. 2003). This is especially troubling as cat owners trying to conserve endangered species may be doing more harm than good. These trends all point to cat predation being the number one threat to urban bird populations. However, research has been conducted that suggests that the impact of cats on ecosystems may not be wholly negative. As an apex predator, an animal with no natural predators of their own, cats have free reign to hunt in UK ecosystems without fear of predation. As well as suppressing the abundance of birds they also frequently predate other animals and some mesopredators such as rodents. Whilst their impact on bird diversity and population is clear, they also play a key ecological role in the suppression of bird’s natural predators (Ritchie Johnson 2009). Window Collisions Window collisions are considered to be the second largest cause of bird fatalities in urban areas (Loss et al. 2014). This however may not be accurate due to the lack of quantitative estimates and research on other continents (Bayne et al. 2012). There have been few attempts to estimate the number of fatalities per year within populations, however the US and Canada have had some input. Klem JR (1990a) estimated a range of 100 million to 1 billion birds killed per year within the USA, which was later considered to be a conservative estimate (Klem 2006). Bayne et al. (2012) believed these estimates to be unlikely due to a lack of research in other geographical areas. Windows pose a threat as birds do not perceive glass within their vision, and they will see windows and corridors as a route to other habitat areas (Klem et al. 2009). Reflections from windows are also perceived as a continuation of the sky-both of these things occur during light hours (Machtans et al. 2013). At night, windows become a source of light pollution which is particularly a problem for migratory birds (Loss et al. 2014). Upon collision, birds suffer fatalities due to head traumas, intracranial pressures and bleeding on the brain, rather than the â€Å"broken neck† explanation (Klem 1990b), fortified by the results found by Veltri Klem (2005) in which 91% of birds found dead from window collisions had no skeletal or cervical fractures. Urban environments, and the increase in buildings that feature glass, are proportionately linked to collision mortality rates (Hager et al. 2012). Glass is considered to be a non-selective lethal hazard by Klem (1990a) who found that sex, age and resident status does not affect the mortality rates of window collisions, neither is there a differentiation between smaller and larger species. However, this result may not be universal, with data only collected from two different buildings in differing locations. It would be favourable to take samples from a range of buildings in a number of locations around the world to see what impacts exist to which species, because although there is plausibly no difference between small and large species in terms of collision rate, those collisions impacts on individual species could be more profound. Whilst being a threat to individual birds in large quantities globally, in the US there is a lack of research into the effects of this particular mortality along with other collisions on population dynamics, with one study going as far to suggest that collisions with man-made structures, including windows has ‘no discernible effect’ on the population trends in North America (Arnold Zinc 2011). Bayne et al. (2012) explain that more research needs to be done to obtain a reliable estimate for bird mortality caused by window collisions. Research can then be done to get a better perspective of what the mortalities are doing to the population numbers. This should also be done in other locations to give more clarity on the issue, and provide greater understanding moving forwards. Habitat Loss Habitat loss is becoming a big issue over the world due to urbanization from human development. On average in the United States, urbanised areas have as few as 35% tree coverage, with another 118,300km2 of forest land expected to be lost in the next 50 years. Forest land is important as not only does it provide shade, it also provides hidden nesting areas and food (Lerman et al. 2014). Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss not only causes a community diversity loss within the animal kingdom, it removes the nesting areas for these birds, leaving them vulnerable. Bird feeders that can be found in peoples gardens can help to reduce the lack of food caused by the removal of plants and trees, of which birds and their prey feed from. However this cannot prevent, or even counterbalance, the decrease in the diversity of species which are lost and replaced by non-native species (Shochat et al. 2010). In Malaysia, nearly half of their land has been urbanised and changed by humans, causing a l oss in biodiversity. However they have created little ‘pockets’ within the urban areas for wildlife, such as nature reserves, local parks and plazas. Although, it has been noticed that exotic vegetation is not popular with the native insects and their prey-which impacts majorly on the bird population. Despite exotic plants not helping to increase native bird numbers, they are still being planted for ornamental reasons and as part of their local plants scheme so this does not help with the conservation of native birds (Idilfitri Mohamad 2012). Human Disturbance Human disturbance is a threat to bird species in urban areas and can come in many forms ranging from pollution of waterways to introduction of non-native species into the environment. Habitat fragmentation and introduction of exotic species to urban environments has seen a decline in urban bird populations. Within urban areas there are a range of habitats, from parks containing primarily native tree species, to recently developed streetscapes that do not contain any mature tree species. Here, many of the tree species found are non-indigenous. Other habitats that can be found in an urban environment are streetscapes with only native tree species, and those with only exotic tree species (White et al. 2005). Higher species richness of birds and abundance is observed in habitats with more resources, such as parks, with the greater availability of food and nesting sites. In habitats with non-indigenous tree species, nectarivorous birds are less prolific as flowers that they specialize in are not present. Insectivorous birds are also less common in such habitats; native insects have evolved with native plants, so will be absent where these trees are absent, thus insectivorous bird species will be absent. Recently developed and exotic streetscapes often lack the shelter required for certain bird species, so these birds are driven out of potential habitats (Bhuller Majer 2000). Bird species require specific flora species within distinct habitats that meet all of their requirements; some bird species are more tolerable of disturbed habitats with exotic species, whilst other species are dependent on the native flora and undisturbed habitats. Urbanisation may lead to an increase in non-indigenous bird species and the simplification of bird communities if exotic plants are planted and streetscapes continue to be created. Therefore native vegetation must continually be planted and parks protected in order to maintain complex bird communities and conserve native bird species (White et al. 2005). The effects of light pollution from urban areas on birds are also of particular concern. A study conducted on European Blackbirds (Turdus merula) showed that birds exposed to 0.3 lux of illumination at night time had an irregular molt pattern with respect to individuals that were exposed to a dark night. Male European blackbird’s production of testosterone is stimulated annually by light, in a process called photorefactoriness. After the breeding season, the birds stop being photosensitive, and so the gonads are diminished whilst they are not in use. Gonads re-develop after photostimulation by shorter daylight hours in the autumn and the increase in day length thereafter. Following long periods of exposure to light at night time, the reproductive cycles of male birds stop, with testosterone concentrations in the plasma at a minimum. Thus, it can be suggested that artificial light could confuse birds, as they miss important photo-cues for photorefactoriness. Without these cues, testosterone concentrations remain at a minimum, gonads fail to re-develop and the bird will not reproduce come breeding season. The light pollution caused by urban environments is a threat to urban bird populations, as it leaves individuals unable to reproduce through confusing their photosensitive reproductive cycles. (Dominoni et al. 2013) Conclusion It is apparent that the threats mentioned in this review all have the potential to impact urban bird populations around the world and have all been reported in literature to have a negative effect on birds. However the threats mentioned have a great deal of complexity about them due to the interchangeable effects each threat can have on one another which may make distinguishing the effects of one individually difficult. A great example of this is the provision of bird feeders in gardens. Whilst the benefits of providing food will be greatly received by a number of bird species, it can increase the frequency of predation by cats (Woods et al. 2003). It is also shown that providing bird feeders near urban buildings can increase the frequency of bird-window collisions (Klem 1990a). However, a dynamic could be present, where the ‘fear factor’ of cats is influencing the birds into quick flight paths that lead them to collide with windows. It is here that the two dynamics of the threats are interlinked. Mortality rates of birds killed by window collisions with single building may be small, but deaths from window collisions with several buildings across the urban environment accumulate to give a high percentage of mortality. To reduce this high percentage of mortality, something must be done to the structure of buildings (e.g. urban residences) so birds do not confuse window panes as a pathway, thinking that it is clear for them to use (Loss et al. 2014). Furthermore our constant introduction of exotic non-native species to parks and streetscapes changes the habitat and prey items available to urban birds which will further increase their population decline- some bird species have easily adapted to changing conditions, whilst populations of others have been disturbed with the loss of specific habitats. Not only do the exotic species disrupt the local ecosystems, they also replace habitats that would otherwise be suitable for many native invertebrates that are an important source of food for birds. Whilst this threat isn’t as obvious or as directly damaging to birds, it is still a serious threat to be considered and further researched. Exotic plants are leading to declining native bird populations, but in spite of this they are still being planted for ornamental reasons (Idilfitri Mohamad 2012). Urbanisation may lead to an increase in non-indigenous bird species and the simplification of bird communities if exotic plants are planted and streetscapes continue to be created. Therefore native vegetation must continually be planted and parks protected in order to maintain complex bird communities and conserve native bird species (White et al. 2005). All things considered there are a number of aspects that need to be addressed. Bayne et al. (2012) pointed out how there is a lack of quantitative estimates and lack of research in other geographical areas as reasons why window collision mortality and its effects on a population may not have particularly accurate data. The statement could be extended to various aspects of urban bird population. Threats mentioned above would benefit from extra research, however this is difficult to achieve when the practicalities of working in an urban environment, resources and time are taken into consideration. References: Arnold, T.W., Zinc, R.M. (2011) Collision Mortality Has No Discernible Effect on Population Trends of North American Birds. PLoS ONE, 6, e24708 Bayne, E.M., Scobie, C.A., Rawson-Clark, M. (2012) Factors influencing the annual risk of bird-window collisions at residential structures in Alberta, Canada. Wildlife Research, 39, 583-592. Bhuller, S., Majer, J.D. (2000) Arthropods on street trees: a food resource for wildlife. Pacific Conservation Biology, 6, 171-173. British Trust for Ornithology. (2002) Investigation into the causes of the decline of Starlings and House Sparrows in Great Britain. Norfolk: BTO Dominoni, D.M., Quetting, M., Partecke, K. (2013) Long-Term Effects of Chronic Light Pollution on Seasonal Functions of European Blackbirds (Turdus merula). PLoS One, 8, e85069. Eaton, M.A., Brown, A.F., Noble, D.G., Musgrove, A.J., Hearn, R.D., Aebischer, N.J., Gibbons, D.W., Evans, A. Gregory, R.D. (2009) Birds of Conservation Concern 3: the population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. British Birds, 102, 296–341. Shochat, E., Lerman, S.B., Anderies, J.M., Warren, P.S., Faeth, S.H., Nilon, C.H. (2010) Invasion, Competition, and Biodiversity Loss in Urban Ecosystems. BioScience, 60, 199-208. Hager, S.B., Cosentino, B.J., McKay, K.J., Monson, C., Zuurdeeg, W., Blevins, B. (2012) Window Area and Development Drive Spatial Variation in Bird-Window Collisions in an Urban Landscape. PLoS ONE, 8, e53371. Heezik, Y.V., Smyth, A., Adams, A., Gordon, J. (2010) Do domestic cats impose an unsustainable harvest on urban bird populations? Biological Conservation, 143, 121-130. Klem JR, D. (1990a) Collisions between Birds and Windows: Mortality and Prevention (Colisiones de Pà ¡jaros con Ventanas: Mortalidad y Prevencià ³n). Journal of Field Ornithology, 61, 120-128. Klem JR, D. (1990b) Bird Injuries, Cause of Death and Recuperation from Collisions with Windows. Journal of Field Ornithology, 61, 115-119. Klem JR, D. (2006) Glass: A Deadly Conservation Issue for Birds. Bird Observer, 34, 73-81. Klem JR, D. Farmer, C.J., Delacretaz, N., Gelb, Y., Saenger, P.G. (2009) Architectural and Landscape Risk Factors Associated with Bird-glass Collisions in an Urban Environment. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 121, 126-134. Lerman, S.B., Nislow, K.H., Nowak, D.J., DeStefano, S. King, D.J., Jones-Farrand, D.T. (2014) Using urban forest assessment tools to model bird habitat potential. Landscape and Urban Planning, 122, 29-40. Loss, S.R., Will, T., Loss, S.S., Marra, P.P. (2014) Bird-building collisions in the United States: Estimates of annual mortality and species vulnerability. The Condor, 116, 8-23. Loss, S.R., Will, T., Marra, P.P. (2013) The impact of free-ranging domestic cats on wildlife of the United States. Nature Communications, 4. Machtans, C.S., Wedeles, C.H.R., Bayne, E.M. (2013) A First Estimate for Canada of the Number of Birds Killed by Colliding with Building Windows. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 8, 6. PECBMS (2014)  Trends of common birdsin Europe, 2014 update.  CSO, Prague. Ritchie, E. G. Johnson, C. N. (2009) Predator interactions, mesopredator release and biodiversity conservation. Ecology Letters, 2, 982-998. Idilfitri, S., Mohamad, N.H.N. (2012) Role of Ornamental Vegetation for Birds’ Habitats in Urban Parks: Case study FRIM, Malaysia. Procedia- Social and Behavioural Sciences, 68, 894-909. Veltri C.J. and Klem JR, D. (2005) Comparison of fatal bird injuries from collision with towers and windows. Journal of Field Ornithology, 76, 127-133. White, J.G., Antos, M.J., Fitzsimons, J.A., Palmer, G.C. (2005) Non-uniform bird assemblages in urban environments: the influence of streetscape vegetation. Landscape and Urban Planning, 71, 123-135. Woods, M., McDonald, R. A., Harris, S. (2003) Predation of wildlife by domestic cat Felis catus in Great Britain. Mammal Review, 33, 174-188.

Customer Relationship Management System In Mauritian Bank Marketing Essay

Customer Relationship Management System In Mauritian Bank Marketing Essay 20 years back Mauritius was a struggling to make its place in the Indian Ocean and to become recognized for its well established economy. At that time, not every new business had the capital required to start and expand. This is where banks played an important role in our economy. At the then time, Banks did not have a proper online system with their branches. Customers needed rendez-vous with Bank Managers before meeting with them. It was a glamorous time for bankers. Customers remained loyal to the bank. With the evolution in technology and with Bank of Mauritius imposing on Mauritian banks to be Y2K compliant, bank moved towards the implementation of a proper Core Banking system to serve their customers. And with the introduction of ATMs and online banking, customers visit less and lesser their bank branch. The whole concept of banking has shifted. Customers now prefer delivery channels instead of branch base banking. This perfect Banker Customer relationship slowly disappeared as the nation grew, the customer started to work with different banks at the same time as the competitors kept on increasing. As per latest figures of Central Statistics Office there are presently 21 financial banks in operation with a population of approximately 1.2 million out of which only 45 %( 548,300) are in the working class We need to keep in mind, though a bank needs clients deposit to work, its main profit will be generated by credit facilities. This income will be generated by those 45%. (Not taking into account a small percentage of offshore business) If our figures are correct, we have 21 banks that are fighting for 548,300 employed people and out of which two giant banks have been established since 1838 and in 1973 respectively. The aim of this research is to analyze the impact of Customer Relationship Management system in the banking sector and how it can help in customer retention, reduce missed opportunities and enhance internal process thus increasing profitability. The purpose of this thesis is not purely for academic purpose. There is currently a need to implement a proper Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) in the bank I am currently working. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Introduction of the study The vision for all Mauritian banks is to be the best bank for customers to bank with. CRM is the concept of building a strong relationship with your customer and making sure that he comes back again by providing him with a high quality service. CRM is an integration of technologies and business processes used to satisfy the needs of a customer during any given interaction. More specifically, CRM involves acquisitions analysis and use of knowledge about the customers in order to sell more goods or services and to do it more efficiently (Bose. 2002. Pg 1 ) Customers are now more than ever demanding a different relationship with their suppliers, managing a close relationship has become a central aspect in delivering the business goals (Xu, Yen et al, 2002). With the increase in technology available to customers today the world has become a much smaller marketplace and the relationship an even more important selling aspect. Walton Xu (2005) explain that CRM is widely regarded as method of retaining and developing customers, through increased loyalty and satisfaction. According to Drucker (1996) knowledge is the only meaningful resource and the only real competitive differentiator. Xu Yen et al (2002) further state that successful companies will use customer information systems to build relationships on the levels that customers want them, and by organizing the information about each customer a singular 360 degree view can be made of each client throughout the company no matter how many customers they have. Companies are also realizing they can more easily lock in customers by understanding their needs and competing with exceeded expectations, something which CRM systems can help organize (H. Kale, 2004). The realization of the benefits of CRM are also noted in the market of related software product, in 2008 the CRM market reached 8.9 billion USD and to increase by nearly 50% by 2012 (Gartner Group, 2008). The study is to investigate how CRM will benefit the bank I am currently working with. 1.2 Problem Statement I have been in the banking sector for more than 13 years and had held different positions starting from teller, officer and currently to be the Head of Business Solutions. Currently the bank has expanded and merged with another sister company, information and customer retention has become amongst others the center of motion. Currently we could note that data is being held in different systems and consolidation is a big headache. This has impacted on service delivery. Duplication of data and heaviness in process has strongly been felt within the organization. Currently the bank does not hold a proper CRM system to address most of these issues and to minimize missed opportunities. Having highlighted this, a proper CRM will help in achieving greater height by the organization. The focus of most CRM systems according to Xu Yen et al.(2002) is to aid in the understanding of customers. By warehousing collected data about many different customers, forecasts of both customers future buying trends as well as individual customer behavior can be made. Customer Relationship Management can also help in breaking down the barriers between departments, something which can prove to be quite difficult, as in some firms there are even deep rivalries between departments (Edwards. 2007) 1.3 Objectives of the Study As per Doran, G. T. (1981), we need to consider the following criteria when setting up the objectives Specific Objectives are exclusively related to the business. Measurable The objective can be quantified. For e.g. Increase in profit amounting to Rs1 million instead of Higher profits. Agreed The parties who will be affected directly or indirectly by these objectives need to be informed and also have their consent. Realistic The objective should be challenging, but yet also be achievable. Time specific The objective should be delimited by time, having a specific start and end date. The following objectives have been identified for this study: Identify the benefit bank already implemented CRM have obtained Determine the hurdles and barriers in implementing a proper CRM Evaluate the impact of CRM in the Mauritian Banking Community Determine the benefit that bank will obtained in implementing a proper CRM 1.4 Research Questions The research questions in this proposal shall include but not limited to the following: How CRM has impacted on the internal process of banks What are the barriers and obstacle for implementing a proper CRM What are the main benefit obtained for a proper implemented CRM How far do bank staff agree on the benefit of a CRM By how much has missed opportunities been reduced 1.5 Hypotheses (Assumptions) The following hypotheses based on the objective of the study have been formulated: Hypothesis I: Ho: Banks in Mauritius do not agree that CRM improves their internal process HA: Banks in Mauritius do agree that CRM improves their internal process Hypothesis II: Ho: Banks in Mauritius do not face any barriers and obstacles for the implementation of CRM HA: Banks in Mauritius face barriers and obstacles for the implementation of CRM Hypothesis III: Ho: Banks Staff do not agree that CRM has ease their day to day tasks HA: Banks staff do agree that CRM has ease their day to day tasks Hypothesis IV: Ho: Banks do not agree that CRM has reduced missed opportunities HA: Banks do agree that CRM has reduced missed opportunities 2.0 Literature Review The idea behind Customer Relationship Management is not new; even the earliest merchants knew it was a good idea to build relationships with customers to keep them coming back. (Jobber , 2004) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a business approach that integrates people, process and technology to maximize relationships with customers Barton Goldberg, ISM, CRM Strategic Advisors. Jobber has stated the need for loyalty because it is customer loyalty that will ensure that the repeated purchase in made with your business. According to Storbacka and Lehtinen(2001, p 5) the three main pillars of CRM are : Customer value Creation Viewing the product as a process and it is the business responsibility for developing customer relationships Offering customers the possibilities to create value for themselves. With the help of technology and human resources, CRM will help a business to gain insight into the behavior of customers and the value of those customers. For CRM to be effective and bear its fruits, an organization must devise an adequate business strategy that it will have to follow. The organization must also look at the different ways information about customers comes into a business, where and how this data is stored and how it is currently used. With an effective CRM strategy, a business can increase revenues by: Providing adequate services and products that are exactly what customers expect Increase customer service level Initiate cross selling Provide the banks staffs with an extra tool that will help them increase business Retaining existing customers. Bringing new customers Personalized service Target the right customer with the right product Aggressive marketing All elements are mixed in to increase and maintain greater business to customer relationships. CRM has an impact mostly on marketing, sales, and customer service strategies. CRM helps create time efficiency and savings on both sides of the business spectrum. Through correct implementation and use of CRM solutions, companies gain a better understanding of their strongest and weakest areas and how they can improve upon these. Therefore, customers gain better products and services from their businesses of choice. In any business, CRM will start from the Back office and will go throughout the whole company to reach the front office. It is nowadays a must to put the customer at the center of the business. Customer experience is the sum total of all the interactions a customer has with your brand during his customer lifecycle. It has become the critical differentiator in todays hypercompetitive, hyper connected global marketplace. Differentiation based on product innovation is no longer sustainable because competitors can leapfrog feature/function advantages more quickly than ever. And differentiation based on price kills profitability. On the other hand, research shows that 86 percent of consumers said they would be willing to pay more for a better customer experience. [2011 Customer Experience Impact Report conducted by Harris Interactive] Being now the Head of Business solution of the bank, I found it suitable to perform this research in the Mauritian market for implementing a proper CRM solution in the bank ensuring that the bank reap its benefit. 3.0 Research Methodology This section describes the methodology that will be followed to address the hypotheses or research questions. It includes the research design, sampling method, data collection procedures, research instrumentation and related data analysis. 3.1 Research Design Research design provides the basic direction for carrying out a research project so as to obtain answers to research questions (Cooper Schindler, 2003). A descriptive research design will be adopted for this study since it involved collection of both qualitative and quantitative information by conducting a survey. The descriptive research design would therefore, make predictions and analyse the behaviour of the respondents with respect to the survey. 3.2 Population and Sample 3.2.1 Target Population A population is considered to be any group of people, events, or things that are of interest to the researchers and that they wish to investigate (Sekaran, 2000). The target population for this study will include banks in Mauritius and staff working in the banking sector. 3.2.2 Sampling Method Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g. people, organizations) from a population of interest so that by studying the sample we may fairly generalize our results back to the population from which they were chosen. Trochim (2006). It is therefore, important to adopt the appropriate sampling techniques and to design the sampling method to minimise any error or response bias. The appropriate sampling technique that will be adopted for the study will be the simple random sampling technique so as to ensure that each officer has an equal chance of selection since a simple random sample is meant to be an unbiased representation of a group 3.2.3 Sample Size To determine the sample size we need to calculate the necessary the sample size for a different combination of levels of precision, confidence level (93%), and variability. The level of precision also called as the sampling error, is the range in which the true value of the population is estimated to be. This range is often expressed in percentage points, (e.g., Â ±7 percent). A proportion of 0.07 indicates the maximum variability in a population Therefore the Solvins formula, as described below, will be used to calculate the sample size at 7% level of precision. Where n is the sample size, N is the population size and e is the level of precision Hence the sample size for this study will be 68 on a population of 100. 3.3 The research Instrument The research instrument for this study will include a structured questionnaire to elicit relevant information from the respondents employ primary and secondary sources of data. Questionnaires have advantages over some other types of surveys in that they are cheap; do not require as much effort from the questioner as verbal or telephone surveys, and often have standardized answers that make it simple to compile data. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. An open-ended question asks the respondent to formulate his own answer, whereas a closed-ended question has the respondent pick an answer from a given number of options. For this paper, the questionnaire will include both open ended and closed ended questions. The close ended will comprise of dichotomous, multichotomous as well as likert scaled information. The questionnaire will consist of some main sections such as First section will demonstrate the barriers and obstacles in implementing CRM Second section will point out the benefit obtained from CRM Third section will evaluate the impact of CRM in the Banking Community 3.4 Data Collection method The choice of the data collection method is influenced by the data collection strategy, the type of variables involved, the accuracy required, the data collection points and the skill of the enumerator. The links between the variables, its source and practical methods for its collection helped in choosing appropriate method. Therefore, for the data collection, the survey method will be adopted given that the survey involved a structured questionnaire given to respondents and designed to elicit specific information with respect to the objectives of the study. Moreover, the data will be gathered by scheduling a meeting with the different targeted organization where the questionnaires will be distributed to the different respondent and collected some days later to allow them to give the maximum information in a precise way. 3.5 Validity and Reliability Validity is defined as the extent to which differences in observed scores reflect the true nature among objects on the characteristics being measured and Reliability relates to consistency of results over a period of time. Hence, consideration regarding validity and reliability will be taken into account for this study. 3.5.1 Pre testing Pilot testing is used to identify and eliminate problems before the main survey takes place. 10% of the sample size will be used for pilot testing prior to the data collection phase. The pilot test will be used to check questions relevancy, whether respondent understands all questions, and logic of question order. 3.5.1 Reliability of data Reliability of data is used to check for internal consistency of data which is measured using coefficient alpha (also known as Cronbachs alpha). According to George, D., Mallery, P. (2003), the acceptable level for the Cronbach alpha depends on what is being measured, with the general rule of thumb being 0.7. Therefore, for the purpose of this study a Cronbachs alpha of 0.7 or higher will be considered acceptable, and that below 0.75 was regarded as multidimensional 3.6 Data Analysis and interpretation The data file will then be organized and analysed employing the SPSS software version 16.0 or above. Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be used for analysis where descriptive statistics will include frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics will include regression analysis, correlation, chi square, T-test, ANOVA. Significant tests will be conducted at 5% level using p-value as indicator for both significance and hypothesis testing where; Indicator for significance P-value less than 0.05 = statistical significance P-value greater than 0.05 = no significance Indicators to be used for hypothesis testing P-value less or equal to 0.05 = reject Null hypothesis (H0) P-value greater than 0.05 = do not reject Null hypothesis (H0) 4.0 Expected Results The following results might be expected: It is expected that Mauritian Banks has benefited from CRM It is expect that Mauritian Banks has faced barriers and difficulties in implementing CRM It is expect that CRM has positively impacted on the internal process of Mauritian Banks. It is expected that number of customers has increased 5.0 Ethical Considerations In order to protect confidentiality, the data collected will not be revealed to others except in the form of processed data/information without detailing the identity of the individual responses. Relevant permission will be sought from the concerned authorities prior to administering the questionnaires. 6.0 Limitation of this study The limitation of the study is that not all bank staff will responds due to time constraints. Also only banks where CRM has been implemented will be contacted. However, the data collected from respondents will be analyzed and interpreted within the limited framework allowed. 7.0 Conclusion This study will endeavor to demonstrate to my senior management the benefit in implementing a proper CRM in the bank in order to align back-office processes and to leverage the use of IT system. This proposal will quantify the impact on the business in terms of customer retention and new offerings possibilities while reducing missed opportunities. Definitely this study will bring a better insight on the capabilities of a CRM. Definitely greater profit would be achieved if the CRM is properly implemented and used.

I Am Someone :: English Literature Essays

I Am Someone I chose the poem "I Am Someone" by Annastasia Aressia. The author use simplistic words in this poem, which it is a multiple understanding meaning. Each reader can have an opinion on what it is being read, I will give details on the sentences that shows general meaning. Her choices of words were a few, but very mean full. For example, in example of line two, â€Å"I walked past a dead face.† She, the author, starts using these words by explaining that she is in a terrible life time, going on hard times in life, by this line at the beginning of the poem; she starts telling the reader that what the poem is all about, it has some kind of sadness ideas. In line three â€Å"even though the person was alive† she shows the irony of life and the order of life. She shows that for one thing to live another must die. Yet, on the other hand she also shows the important thing that a life means because it says that she does not says if she is alive or not; she still suffering from something, but she still awake. Also, in sentence number four and five she says some similarities â€Å"I saw my eyes in the mirror and cried at the sight† I think that she means that she looks back her self and she still in a bad moon. In lines thirteen and fourteen â€Å"when I thought about love, I got hit bad† She means that not everything is loosen there is always something that it not there but It could be at any time. In the following lines it starts to contradict the meaning of the poem by saying differences and opposite things such as lines twenty-one and twenty-two, â€Å"I realized I was strong when I didn’t cry when it hurt.† Means that not everything is over because she notices that she is really a person, as same as other people, strong, she is someone. Finally she explains that she founds who is she, what she was doing and she also noticed that it is a someone who has a personality by this words; â€Å"I thought I was lost forever when a friend found me.† Line twenty-five. The title of the poem is a very good point. The title describes the poem almost to perfection. The title â€Å"I am someone†, it shows the grand main points of a life.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut :: essays papers

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut The British North American colonies were on the cutting edge of governmental systems in their time. They developed confederations and other styles of ruling that greatly differed from the iron fist of the absolutist monarch of Britain. Among these colonies, Connecticut was the forerunner. Among three major towns, Hartford, Windsor and Wethersfield, Connecticut formed what is today known as a federalist government. Within Connecticut’s federalism, the ideas of many modern governing techniques were applied, such as a written constitution and popular sovereignty. Because of this, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was a blueprint for the modern day Constitution because it contained a central government linked to local governments, three separate branches of government, and a representative government unlike the one of Britain. The modern day federalism that is applied today is structured like that of the Connecticut federalism. A general court in Hartford acts like a central meeting place like that of present day Washington D.C.. This General court has the ability to rule over the towns of Connecticut, but the locals of a town may provide input to their public officer and he can provide the central court with this information. The general court is not to be mistaken as an absolute rule. An example is found in section 11 of the Fundamental Orders. The general court may distribute funding to the towns, and they may distribute them as they please. If this was a dictatorship, the general court would tell the local governments how to distribute their funds. The Fundamental Orders established three branches of government like that of the modern day federalism. In section 1 of the Fundamental Orders, an executive office as well as a judicial branch is elected. The person with the most votes becomes the governor, and the next six runners up would hold positions as magistrates in the general court. The representative branch is established in section two where it is stated that the next runners up to the magistrates shall be the public officers to the people of their town. These three branches of government are exactly the same in present day, but how they are elected and appointed to their position is the only difference. The idea and structure of the representative government is the most evident similarity between the U.S. Constitution and the Fundamental Orders.

An Analysis of the First Two Stanzas of Edgar Allan Poes The Raven Ess

An Analysis of the First Two Stanzas of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven Picture yourself alone one night. You are sitting up in bed, your legs buried underneath your comforter while you read for what seems like the hundredth time that same paragraph from Franklin for your American Literature class, and trying to ignore the storm that is only getting stronger outside. Suddenly, the power goes out, and you only have candlelight to read by. The silence becomes deafening, and you watch the shadows play across the wall. Unexpectedly, you hear this scratching on the door to your bedroom, but you are alone in the house. You tell yourself it is only the wind, or it's only your imagination running away with you. After all, there are no such things as ghosts. If you can picture this, you then can have a good idea of Poe's The Raven. The first two stanzas of The Raven introduce you to the narrator, and his beloved maiden Lenore. You find him sitting on a "dreary" and dark evening with a book opened in front of him, though he is dozing more than reading. Suddenly, he hears knocking on his door, but only believes it to be a visitor nothing more. He remembers another night, like this one, where he had sought the solace of his library to forget his sorrows of his long lost beloved, and to wait for dawn. Meanwhile the tapping on his door continues . Poe's most famous poem begins with an imagery that immediately brings the reader into a dark, cold, and stormy night. Poe does not wish for his readers to stand on the sidelines and watch the goings on, but actually be in the library with the narrator, hearing what he hears and seeing what he sees. Using words and phrases such as "midnight dre... ...ile the rural areas were filled with crops growing up again on the torn land, and people progressed closer and closer to the edges of the Mississippi River. They needed a release of everyday life, something they could read by the fire at night that would take them away into another world. Poe was a master at this. In the first two stanzas of Poe's The Raven, we learn of the setting for the narrator's psychological breakdown. The tone and mood is set from the opening line, "Once upon a midnight dreary," which captures the reader and holds tight. Through his use of imagery and rhythm of the tapping on the door, and his moaning of his lost Lenore the reader knows that is no ordinary poem about a man haunted by his beloved. It is a perfect beginning to one of the world's most famous poems, from one of the most infamous writers of our American heritage.

Yellowstone Volcano

Introduction: â€Å"I don’t think visitors appreciate that they’re standing directly on top of the largest, most dynamic magmatic system on the planet,† says geologist Daniel Dzurisin. Yellowstone is easily one of the biggest volcanoes in the world, and one of the few super volcanoes on continental crust. The extreme ways of this volcano, is what makes it unique. Because of its tectonic setting, there are many hazards involved, as well as potential for damage. The history of this volcano explains that, and other super volcanoes help explain what could potentially happen when Yellowstone finally does erupt.Tectonic Setting: To begin, the tectonic setting of north western Wyoming explains a lot about Yellowstone. The crust underneath Yellowstone is restless. There are some major faults along the Teton, Madison and Gallatin Ranges that pass through Yellowstone; these all existed before the volcano was there. The North American plate is the biggest plate that Yellows tone is interacting with. There is a divergent boundary along where Yellowstone and the North American plate meet.The most apparent faults in Yellowstone are as follows; the Minor Plateau Faults younger section, Post – Lava Creek faults in North Western Yellowstone, Mallard Lake resurgent dome faults, Elephant Back fault zone, and Sour Creek dome faults. Main Hazard: Equally important, Yellowstone has many main hazards. Yellowstone is a super volcano. The difference between a normal volcano and a super volcano is not very obvious until you look at the inside structure. A normal volcano typically has a single column of magma that comes from within the earth.It breaks through the top of the mountain and spews out the entire column. A super volcano is quite a bit different though. A super volcano begins with a column of magma, but instead of breaking through the surface it stays underground. The magma then starts heating the crust and slowly begins to mix with it. This makes the magma really thick. Since the magma is trapped under the earth’s surface, the volcanic gases are also on lock. The pressure of the gasses and magma under the surface of the earth is colossal and continues to build over thousands of years.When the earth’s crust cannot take the pressure anymore, it breaks. The volcano erupts and the blast is hundreds of times more powerful than that of a normal volcano. Yellowstone happens to be really big too. It is 2,805m tall and rises at a rate of about 7cm/year. Risks Associated with Main Hazard: Fires: There are many risks associated with Yellowstone. To begin, fires are a pretty common thing in Yellowstone. The weather in Yellowstone is pretty interesting. There is lots of rain, and where there is rain there is lighting. The poor soil in Yellowstone results in the plants being pretty dry.When the rainstorms happen, the lighting usually hits something and causes fires. Earthquakes: Another example of a risk is earthquakes. Earthqu akes are a pretty regular thing in Yellowstone. Not all of the earthquakes are devastating but many happen all the time. In February 2012, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, recorded 34 earthquakes. The largest of those earthquakes was a 1. 6 magnitude. The biggest recorded earthquake recorded in Yellowstone was a 7. 5 magnitude in 1959. Deadly Gasses: Equally important, deadly gasses are extremely hazardous in Yellowstone.Most of the gasses in Yellowstone are released in geysers. Two thirds of the world’s geysers are in Yellowstone national park (Secret). Because of the extreme climates in Yellowstone, animals typically seek warmth by the volcano. The volcanic gasses that come from Yellowstone are heavy and stay low to the ground. This usually results in animals seeking warmth followed by basically inhaling poison, which causes them to die. Ash Fall: To continue, ash fall is extremely dangerous in the case of Yellowstone. Yellowstone’s ash fall covers a huge radius.If Yellowstone were to erupt right now, the ash would shoot up into the atmosphere and travel around the earth in a cloud several times before settling. The eruption that occurred 650,000 years ago shot ash into the stratosphere (Secret). The Great Plains of the United States would also be covered almost immediately. Potential for Property Damage: In addition, potential for property damage is something incredibly difficult for some people to realize. Let us say, for example, that Yellowstone was to erupt today; who would be affected, and how badly would it affect them?Well, to begin, Wyoming and its surrounding states would be incinerated instantly (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). After one gets past the fact that Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska will be gone, it is to wonder what will come next. Potential for Loss of Life: Following this, potential for loss of life is a very scary thing for some people. The Great Plains have been called â€Å"The Bread Basket of the World†. So without it, many people would go hungry. If Yellowstone was to erupt today, ash would cover the entire United States, including the Great Plains.The hard part is one cannot save the crops when they are covered in inches and feet of ash. A plentiful amount of people will go hungry. If this is not enough to realize the effects of Yellowstone, all the gasses that will be released with the eruption will help clear it up a little better. Yellowstone will release many harmful gasses into the stratosphere. The one of the more plentiful gasses is sulfur dioxide. When sulfur dioxide gets into the stratosphere it will turn into sulfuric acid aerosols. Basically, this means that earth’s climate will change drastically and will be affected for years.This could affect the farming season, which would make growing food nearly impossible. Not only that, but based on other volcanos and historical occurr ences, Yellowstone could easily wipe out the entire population of the world. Historical Occurrences: To continue, Yellowstone has had some cataclysmic eruptions in the past. These eruptions have occurred only three times; 2, 1. 3, and . 6 million years ago. Each of these eruptions have altered the earth forever. When a super volcano erupts, a huge crater, or caldera, is formed. These can be many miles wide and hundreds of meters deep.To give you a better idea of how big this really is, the first eruption that occured about 2 million years ago, left a depression in the ground bigger than Rhode Island. The three eruptions that Yellowstone had, were more powerful than any other eruptions in recorded history (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). The eruption that occured roughly 650,000 years ago was one of the biggest eruptions ever recorded in history. Ash, pumice, and gasses from the volcano basically swept across more than 3,000 square miles. The amount of ash that fell was enough to cover the entire United States with 5 inches, or all of Wyoming with 13 feet.Ash deposits from Yellowstone’s 650,000 year ago eruption are still being found in the Gulf of Mexico (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). Similar Events in Other Locations Around The World: On the other hand, a similar, but different super volcano Yellowstone can be compared to, is Toba. Toba is located on the island of Sumeria in Indonesia. Toba is also on the same type of boundary that Yellowstone is on. The only difference is Toba is a way smaller super volcano, and it erupted about 70,000 years ago. When Toba erupted, only about 5 or 10 thousand people survived. (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? . Another volcano Yellowstone can be compared to, is Mount. St. Helens. In 1980, Mt. St. Helens erupted. The explosion from Yellowstone 650,000 years ago was 1,000 times greater than that eruption in 1980. Potential for Occurrence in The Next 50 Years: However, there is a pretty good possibility Yellowston e will erupt in the next 50 years. Scientists have predicted that Yellowstone is subject to erupt every 600,000 years. The last eruption occurred about 650,000 years ago. This means Yellowstone is 50,000 years overdue. Not only that, but as of 2008, the magma was less 10km below the caldera.If Yellowstone is rising at a rate of 7 or more centimeters a year, Yellowstone will be erupting in no time at all (Thanks). Conclusion: Clearly, Yellowstone is extremely dangerous to the populace. The entire world will be affected if Yellowstone were to erupt today. Because of the tectonic, as well as the geological setting, each and every inch of the world will experience changes to the climate, food, and life as it is today. Yellowstone, being one of the few super volcanoes above sea level, is incredibly dangerous, and will be outrageously tragic. Work CitedMarshal, Jessica. â€Å"Pulse reveals breathing heart of a super volcano. † New Scientist 189. 2541 (2006): 11. Gale Student Resour ces In Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . Moravianhawk. â€Å"What kind of fault does Yellowstone Caldera have?. † Yahoo Answers. Yahoo, 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . Secret Yellowstone. Dir. Brian Armstrong. National Geographic. 2007. â€Å"Thanks for the lift. † American Scientist 96. 1 (2008): 27. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . Topinka, Lyn. â€Å"CVO Website – Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming. † USGS cascades Volcano Observitory (CVO). N. p. 25 June 2009. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Wyoming Quaternary Faults. † USGS. U. S. Department of the Interior, 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone National Park Earthquakes. † Yellowstone Net – Yellowstone National Park Lodging, Hotel, Wildlife Information and More. Bruce Gourley, Russ Finley, & Tim Gourley, n. d. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone is a Supervolcano?. † Suburban Emergency Management Project. SEMP INC. 2007. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone Volcano Observitory. † Volcano Hazards Program. U. S. Department of the Interior. 24 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. .

It Is Much Better to Die with Dignity Than to Live with Pain Essay

I believe to die with dignity is better than to live with pain, because of euthanasia, seppuku, and organ donation. Euthanasia is from the Greek word which means â€Å"good death†. It refers to end someone’s life without pain and agony. Seppuku is a form of Japanese convention suicide of honour, it is a way of dying with dignity. Organ donation is after the death of terminally ill people to donate their organs to those in need. To begin with euthanasia, euthanasia is a different way of die with dignity. In present-day society, it is considered by a vast majority of the population â€Å"right† when it serves human dignity, or a larger cause. (â€Å"Euthanasia Essay – Right to Die With Dignity†,n. d. ). Euthanasia is responsible for the patient, family responsibility, socially responsible, sensible, rather than immoral. For example, people with senile dementia can’t do anything. Even how they feel brings too much pressure to their family. Life like this, they can’t feel any happiness. Why can’t choose die with dignity? Secondly, it’s a prize of death which literally means† stomach cutting†is a particularly painful method of self-destruction, and prior to the emergence of the samurai as a professional warrior class, was totally foreign to the Japanese( â€Å"Seppuku – Ritual†,n. d. ). To the samurai, seppuku is not only a way to die, it stands for honour, courage, loyalty, and moral character. This is a way to die with dignity, although they were defeated. They don’t want to live with humiliation, so they rather prefer to die. Living in society is not just sleeping,eating,playing. This kind of thing, is a way to give expression to personal value. Further more, organ donation is very sacred way for a person to die. If they live with only pain and there is no way to save them, why they can’t choose medically assisted dying? Increasing number of people choose donate their organs after their death in present-day society. This is a helpful way for others who needed it. To some of people who accept donaor’s organs they can survive. According to the U. S. government, 77 people receive transplanted organs each day. That’s the good news. The bad news is that 19 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ that never becomes available. Trisha(2011) Organ donation is not only an end of life decision, it can be used to help someone else live longer. On the other hand, organ donation isn’t legal in some of any other countries. There are some poor people or people who need money, they like to donate there blood, kidney, liver to hospital, then they can get substantial revenues. This is not good for people’s health, they can’t for money to organ donation. Organ donation is only for people who will be die, people should respect organs, rather than to make money then they only have to donate their organs. For government, they should control it in a better way. In conclusion, one person if he can’t do the best then choose seppuku, it not reflect he has failure. It is a other way to die with honor. One person if he rather chooses to be medically assisted dying in order to help others. Stand on a good chance, his death can rescue any other patients. One person if he live with only pain, why he can’t choose die with dignity? Life is only left pain, death for them is a better way. Death is not to end of someone’s life, it’s better to die with dignity rather than live with pain.

Assess the Strengths and Weaknesses of Weimar Germany

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany between 1919 and 1932 IB History HL 28. 12. 2011 Plan Intro: * Historical background of Weimar Republic * Thesis statement (Draw comparisons between strengths and weaknesses, assess their importance and conclude which was the most important) Body: * Compare/Contrast * Attempt at democracy supported internationally vs. German hatred of Treaty of Versailles * Revolution started by the people vs. Right-wing tendencies of elite and army * Strong political parties already in place vs.Weaknesses of proportional representation * Strengths of responsible use of Article 48 vs. Dangers of misuse of Article 48 Conclusion: * Give short summary of all * Which was the most important? * none, all equally important * Refer back to thesis statement ___________________________________________________________________________ Essay In late 1918, early 1919, Germany was faced with the great fate to become a democratic state stemming from a tyrannical monarchy under the Kaiser. Said monarchy had been overthrown by a revolution by the people and now the government was about to turn into a democracy.This democracy, later to be known as the Weimar Republic, was faced with perils on all sides in many situations, overcoming them by virtue of its strengths and lasting until 1932 when the exploitation of its weaknesses ended its reign as a democracy, turning it back into a tyranny under a single man. This essay will assess the strengths and weaknesses of Weimar Germany, draw comparisons between them and determine which was the most important in its rise, flourish and eventual fall. The Weimar Republic was the first attempt at true, constitutional democracy in Germany.Throughout its history, Germany had only been led by autocratic rule, from the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (the First Reich), through the divided monarchy (Prussia, Austria, Bavaria as independent kingdoms), till the Bismarck Era (the Second Reich). When the idea of revolution and democracy, a government for and by the people, spread through Germany and the Kaiser abdicated in the wake of the German Revolution of 1918, other democratic governments like the USA and the UK saw it as a great step in the right and wanted to support it.France, as the third internationally prominent democracy, was not so optimistic towards the idea of a strong German state even if democratic. Had the US and the UK been unrelenting in their support for the German democratic government, Weimar Germany may have lasted longer than it did. As it was, while the international support from prominent powers boosted the Weimar Republic's standing internationally and brought it some support in Germany, the allies' caution in this matter and hence their harsh treatment of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles in fact contributed more to the downfall of Germany than its first success.In fact, the Weimar Republic was seen, and still today is seen, as having been born from the Tr eaty of Versailles. This fact made the democratic system extremely unpopular in the eyes of the German people as the Treaty was seen as a diktat by the allies against Germany and the political leaders of Germany that signed the Treaty, i. e. the political forefathers of Weimar Germany, were regarded as criminals by some Germans. This inherent hatred was a severe weakness of the Weimar Republic and was one of the major factors responsible for its downfall.The German Revolution of 1918 was orchestrated, executed and accredited to the people of Germany. Its importance in the rise of the Weimar Republic clearly signalises that the new democratic government had the full backing of the working class which, at this time, made up the majority of the voting public in Germany. This fundamental backing from the majority of German voters meant that a democratic system could function and this initial support from the people was one of the major strengths of the Republic.A nation, however, does n ot exist without an elite and the elite in Weimar Germany were extremely discontent with then change in political system. The elite in Germany in 1919 were a group that had profited well under a monarchy and many of their income systems would be destroyed under a democratic government that would put the common man before them. In between the bourgeoisie, high-standing army officers saw the political leaders of Weimar Germany as criminals for signing the Treaty of Versailles which effectively destroyed German military power.This distrust and hate from the elite towards Weimar Germany was a fundamental weakness as it led to the political intrigue in later years when figures like Schleicher and von Pappen manipulated the system to their needs, leading to the downfall of Weimar Germany. Had there not been such distrust and hate, Weimar Germany may never have fallen, showing it as a grave weakness of the system. When the Revolution came and the Republic was declared in Germany, there wer e clear political parties that formed.This was a significant strength of the Weimar Republic as there was not much time needed to form political parties with clear goals as these had already been formed in the Reichstag of the Second Reich. This decisive democratic action enabled the new government to form quickly and immediately show a face of democracy with the elections soon after. These elections, however, revealed the weakness of the newly introduced system of proportional representation as the Reichstag was over-run with representatives from countless parties that all needed a seat.This system severely slowed down all decisions in the Reichstag and so frustrated the public. This was hence a major weakness as it compromised the decision-making ability of the German government and made the public lose hope in the system. This weakness also directly contributed to the downfall of the Weimar Republic as the public's displeasure at the ineffectiveness of the system made them look t owards a stronger leader like Hitler for order.In the Weimar Constitution, Article 48 enabled the President to assume dictatorial power in times of emergency to â€Å"protect† the Republic. Used responsibly, this article was an effective if morally questionable mechanism to prevent coups and keep the democratic government in power in Weimar Germany. This was done under President Ebert in the early times of the Republic as the Spartacist Uprising, the Kapp Putsch and the Socialist takeover of Bavaria threatened democracy's power. The article could, however, also be misused with grave consequences.As the only thing stopping the President from dictatorial rule under Article 48 was the Reichstag and the President could dissolve the Reichstag, there was really nothing stopping the President from dictatorship except his own self-restraint. Said self-restraint was apparently not present in President Hindenburg as he blatantly abused article 48 in his time eventually leading up to th e fall of the Weimar Republic, showing that this article was also a great weakness of the Weimar Republic.From above, we have seen the many weaknesses and strengths of the Weimar Republic and how each played their little role in the rise, prospering and the fall of Weimar Germany. The remaining question would now be, so which was the most important? To this there can be no answer. Each of these factors contributed their own little part to the Weimar Republic and its fall. Had they not all been, the Republic may have fallen directly after its conception, or might still stand today, we cannot know.There is no telling what would have happened had one weakness been completely replaced by a strength or vice versa. The facts remain that each contributed their part to the face of modern history today. Bibliography Benz, Wolgang. A Concise History of the Third Reich, translated by Thomas Dunlap. London, England: University of California Press, Ltd. , 2006. John Hite, Chris Hinton. Weimar & Nazi Germany. London, UK: Hachette Livre, 2000.