Compare and contrast the poet’s attitude to and appreciation of the natural world in at least two poems you have studied

The simple beauty of nature is an aspect many of us take for granted in our everyday lives – the endearing sounds of birds welcoming another day and the powerful gush of a waterfall being some examples of these. But there are those individuals who have endeavoured to fully comprehend the marvellous complexity of the world around us. Such findings are present in the work of many poets – namely Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844 – 1889) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808 – 1882). Hopkins and Longfellow were two contemporary poets from the nineteenth century from different cultures, English and American respectively who relished in the gift of nature with all her attributes. Both of their work is characterised by a deep and personal sense of appreciation of the beauty of the natural world – work that when studied makes us truly delight in the wonder that is nature. The two poems that I feel effectively communicate Hopkins' and Longfellows' ideas are respectively â€Å"Pied Beauty† and â€Å"Snowflakes†. Although they are similar in their content concerning their love for the natural world, the poems do differ in the way in which each poet relates his ideas. Hopkins' poem â€Å"Pied Beauty† is one of the most famous, characteristic and linguistically accessible pieces combining the elements of nature and religion. In it the poet praises the creator for the infinite range and scope within creation. His appreciation of the natural world ranges in scale from a rainbow trout to an entire landscape. Even from its title alone we know that this curtal sonnet is effectively a song of praise for all things ‘pied' that is bi-coloured, streaked or patched. The poem â€Å"Snowflakes† by Longfellow is also an expression of the poet's attitude to and appreciation of the natural world. In it Longfellow describes in minute detail the subtle beauty of a single snowflake and makes us more aware not only of snow, but of the other small things surrounding us, making us realise their importance. Both poems acknowledge existence and power of a creator. In â€Å"Pied Beauty† a song of praise is presented in the first line of the poem's triumphant, alliterative opening stanza, as â€Å"Glory be to God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  immediately places Hopkins' appreciation of the beauty of the natural world in a religious context. Also as the poem concludes with the exhortation â€Å"Praise him† it is clear that the piece is deliberately framed as a Christian hymn of thanksgiving for the infinite variety in nature. The opening line also introduces the poem's theme: â€Å"dappled things† and this is the first of many adjectives describing parti-coloured natural elements. â€Å"Snowflakes† on the other hand opens with an altogether more maternal aspect of nature although the acknowledgement of a powerful creator is still present: â€Å"Out of the bosom of the Air Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken† This personification of the female form creates a ‘Mother Earth' type figure that I feel Longfellow used to successfully communicate his love and understanding of all things natural to a wide audience as a mother figure is something most of us could relate to. In this particular instance it is this ‘Mother Earth' entity that produces and generates the countless millions of snowflakes. We can directly contrast this to Hopkins' â€Å"Pied Beauty† where a masculine creator is presumed and praised â€Å"Praise him.† Both poems perceive and praise a religious dimension to the beauty of the supernatural world. The religious theme in â€Å"Pied Beauty† is continued as appropriately the poet's eyes seem to gaze up at heaven as he appreciates the beauty of â€Å"skies of couple – colour† implying that the sky's beauty was the work of God. This image also lends a sweeping panoramic aspect to his poetic attention as I imagine the vast immeasurable skies above. Then foreshadowing a technique used later in the poem, Hopkins immediately narrows his broader focus down to refer to the streaked markings on one â€Å"brinded cow†. In â€Å"Snowflakes† this religious theme is expressed in describing the shape of the snowflake as â€Å"some divine expression† indicating a superior eternal contribution to the formation of the snowflakes. As we know the two poems are about beauty that is all around us, but I noticed that both poems focus on tiny and large natural entities. In â€Å"Pied Beauty† Hopkins comments on â€Å"rose-moles† on trout and â€Å"finches-wings†. It seems that no aspect or detail of nature is too tiny or insignificant to escape the poets' attention. But on the contrary he also refers to â€Å"skies† and â€Å"landscape† showing the range in which nature is present. In â€Å"Snowflakes† Longfellow is concentrating more on the actual snowflake rather than an overview of all things ‘beautiful'. Yet in contrast he also comments on the â€Å"woodland† and â€Å"harvest fields† in which the seemingly harmless snowflake had somehow devoured. Both poems also use alliteration to achieve their impact in places. In â€Å"Snowflakes† he describes the woodland as being â€Å"brown and bare† and the movement of the snow as â€Å"Silent, and soft, and slow†. This repeated initial consonant sound is used to set the scene that the poet is trying to convey. This is also present in â€Å"Pied Beauty† when the sky is described as being of â€Å"couple-colour† to convey the varying shades and tones present in the sky above. Also by describing the chestnuts as â€Å"Fresh-firecoal† the poet is helping us to envisage fully the sight of the dual coloured chestnuts falling from a tree. In â€Å"Pied Beauty† Hopkins uses a wide range of vocabulary to describe the many parti-coloured aspects of nature, † dappled, couple-colour, and freckled† being examples of these. But it is the use of the word â€Å"fickle† that I found rather striking, as one would normally use the word to refer to a person with mood swings almost like personality changes. But here it is used to emphasise the speed and acceptance of change in the landscape and environment. I also noticed that the opening of â€Å"Snowflakes† featured many examples of ‘O' assonance: â€Å"Out†¦bosom†¦cloud-folds†¦Over†¦woodlands brown†¦soft†¦slow and snow.† It is almost as if the poet is purposely repeatedly using words that contain the letter ‘O' (physically circular in shape) to bombard the page, reminding us of a multitude of snowflakes as they completely cover the ground. The poet continues to acknowledge the over – powering nature that the snow possesses in † Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest fields forsaken† The use of the word ‘forsaken' reiterates Longfellow's notion that the snow can capture anything in its path. As well as imagery the poet also used such poetic devices as onomatopoeia and sibilance to relate the descent of snow to the ground, â€Å"Silent and soft and slow† which I feel he does and to great affect. Even from the title of Hopkins' poem we know his focus is on the infinite variety of all ‘dappled things', uniting in the single, uniform reality of God's creating power. â€Å"Snowflakes† on the other hand focuses on the one phenomenon of snow, something that blankets over and makes uniform the entire and varied landscape. I also noticed that in â€Å"Pied Beauty† the subject of the poem is introduced in the first line â€Å"Glory be to God for dappled things†. This plainly states that the poem shall be a song of thanks to God for everything in nature of a ‘pied' quality. â€Å"Snowflakes† on the other hand describes a journey made by the subject and where it originated from rather than stating plainly what it is. The actual subject of snow is not explicitly mentioned until the end of the first stanza (although it may be argued that the title of the poem is an obvious indication of the subject matter). From reading the poems it is easy to notice the different attitudes of the narrators of the poems. The tone in â€Å"Pied Beauty† is one of joyous exuberance by use of language such as â€Å"Glory be† and â€Å"Praise†. On the contrary â€Å"Snowflakes† takes a more mellow, introspective almost restless approach in describing its subject â€Å"troubled heart† and â€Å"secret of despair† are some examples of this. Also in â€Å"Pied |Beauty† the poem is celebratory and is about beauty. â€Å"Snowflakes† on the other hand is simple and complex and is beauty. After studying both poems in depth I feel that through the work of Longfellow I now would see and appreciate the complexity in the simplicity of snowflakes. But overall I prefer the work of Hopkins. His exploitation of the verbal subtleties and music of English, of the use of alliteration, repetition and a highly compressed syntax were all in the interest of projecting deep personal experiences, including his sense of God's mystery, grandeur and mercy in â€Å"all things counter†. He called the energising prosodic element of his verse ‘sprung rhythm' in which each foot may consist of one stressed syllable instead of the regular number of syllables used in traditional rhythm. The result is a muscular verse, intense and vibrant that combines accuracy of observation, daring imagination, deep feeling and intellectual depth. All in all a wonderful piece that for me as of yet shall remain one of the most touching I have read.

Genetically Modified Food Essay

Genetically modified foods have shaped and formed many debates on whether foods should or should not be genetically modified and there are many reasons as to why. Genetically modified foods are foods that are compromised of organisms which have been genetically altered. There are several reasons being affirmative on genetically modified foods, such as supporting the occurrence of diseases and they are said to be faster in growth. However there is a negative side on genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods could cause harmful side effects to the body and the (BT) added to GM foods is unsafe for the body. The topic of genetically modified foods is an extremely controversial topic and brings many opinions to whether it is right or wrong. Genetic modification of foods is done by changing the genes of a cell. Genes are a progression of bases which code for a sequence of amino acids. Amino acids make up proteins which we need for our body to function. The DNA is made of the four bases; Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine and Guanine. Genes are then added or taken from the DNA which changes the colour, size, shape, nutritional value or the way in which the plant or animal grows. With support from scientists farmers have been genetically modifying their crops for quite a long period of time. Foods that are genetically modified unusually include and consist of canola, soy beans, rice corn and various others. Genetically modified foods are banned in numerous countries such as France and other European countries. On the other hand, genetically modified foods are a substantial part of society in Australia; it is in most supermarkets and is something we eat daily. GM foods have no labels on products that declare to consumers whether the products have been genetically modified or not. This causes and is due to consumers having to decide and become unsure about the product selling, whether what they are buying is genetically modified or genuinely natural. A reason affirmative why foods should be genetically modified; is that one of the major benefits is they facilitate in controlling the occurrence of certain diseases. There are several foods that cause allergies to certain people when products consumed. By modifying the DNA system of these foods, the properties causing these allergies are eliminated successfully. It has been said that experts and scientists are working on developing foods that have the ability to cure diseases by genetically modifying foods. Gene technology is similar to traditional breeding, and there is a chance of increasing or decreasing levels of naturally occurring proteins, toxins or further unsafe compounds in foods. Foods that are usually developed traditionally are not normally tested for these types of substances; however they often happen naturally and can be affected by breeding. The use of genes from identified allergenic sources in alteration experiments is not prohibited. If a transformed product is found to stand as an increased risk of allergenicity and it should be put to an end. Scientists have the same opinion that normal tests for allergies in foods should be continuously evaluated and improved, plus caution and concern should be practiced when evaluating all new foods, including those resulting from certain crops. Though developers and manufacturers of genetically modified foods make sure that there are mixtures of advantages of consuming foods in society, a lot of the population is entirely against them. A disadvantage of genetically modified foods is that the biggest threat caused is they can have dangerous and harmful side effects on the human body. It is believed by experts that consumption of these genetically modified foods can reason for the development of diseases which are protected by antibiotics. Additionally, people who consume such foods have increased chances of developing cancer. Besides, genetically modified foods are new inventions, not a lot is well-known about their long-term effects on human beings aswell. A reason for harmful side effects may be because of Gene transfer. Gene transfer from genetically modified foods to cells of the body or to bacteria would cause strong concern if the transferred genetic material has harmful effects. This would be mainly important if antibiotic resistance genes, used in creating genetically modified organisms were to be transferred. Though the likelihood of gene transfer is low, the use of technology without antibiotic resistance genes has been encouraged. There are many other things that could cause harmful side effects, however, as the health effects are unknown, many people prefer to stay away from genetically modified foods. It is also been said that genetically modified foods grow faster than the foods that are grown in the normal manner. Due to this, efficiency increases this then provides the population with more food. Several people believe that there is not enough food in the world to feed everybody; this is why genetically modified foods could potentially cure and solve hunger around the world. As genetically modified foods enlarge the size of crops, additional food is produced by farmers. Therefore, this prevents crops going to waste. If pests are unable to eat the crops, this results in nothing going to waste. As a result, farmers make extra money. It is also said that genetically modified foods are extremely fortunate and lucky in places which experience numerous droughts, or where the soil is lacking ability for crop growing. This is why it is difficult to grow normal crops. Now, we can begin to grow foods in different circumstances. For example, strawberries can be able to be genetically modified to grow in frosts. Other foods that grow in cold climates could be engineered and modified to grow in hot climates, such as Africa where much of the continent lacks to provide food. A disadvantage of genetically modified foods is by adding bacterium (BT) to the cells keep insects under control may not be safe for humans. To genetically modify the crops, the type of bacterium that is added is unhealthy for some people to choose to wear cotton clothing or have jobs associated with cotton. Workers in India that had jobs which were involved in handling genetically modifies cotton caused numerous allergies to the workers. They developed itchy and reddened eyes, rashes on skin, blocked noses, nasal discharge and extreme sneezing. This resulted in some workers ending up having to go to hospital or consume antihistamines daily. This was shown by Stephen Lendman, Global Research showing types of harm from GMO. There are many other examples involved with this type of harm from the (BT) cotton plant, additional cases included sheep which grazed on the (BT) cotton. As well, after a period of time they then became sick and then resulted in death. Adding a bacterium to maintain insects away may possibly not be worth impairment of animals and people. Given the evidence shown, genetically modified foods have equally its advantages and disadvantages. If food is continuously genetically modified, it will still have benefits to us; however it comes along with a lot of risks. The decision whether foods should be genetically modified or not is an extremely debatable topic. Aswell, genetically modified foods are a huge part of society and are in our everyday life. Having foods genetically modified has become so common, that most likely it will on no account be stopped, although some people choose to stay away from these types of products as it keeps them healthy and well. http://www. geneticallymodifiedfoods. co. uk/fact-sheet-pros-vs-cons. html http://www. geneticallymodifiedfood. com/ http://www. foodstandards. gov. au/consumerinformation/gmfoods/ http://www. ornl. gov/sci/techresources/. Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood. shtml http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php http://www. buzzle. com/articles/genetically-modified-foods-pros-and-cons. html http://www. ehow. com/info_8115944_pros-cons-genetically-modified-food. html.

Business Process Management

Week eight article tends to present the business modeling aspects in a more realistic approach, where there is a complete assertion that a business process modeling is the representative means for business activities, information flow and decision logics in business. Hence, it is asserted that the power of visualization as pertained to the diagrams provided is sufficient as it tends to act as a communication channel for the process and interactions included in between the organization (Harmon, 2014). Therefore, the overall aim of the article is to effectively outline the notion and consent that suits a business process. To effectively discuss this article tends provide process scope diagrams that define the relationship between process and the external surroundings, there is also the process flow diagrams that describe the internal relations. To provide evidence consider the case of the As-is, Could be and To-be process diagrams. The frameworks of these diagrams are built to indicate the weakness or improve consistency in an organization. Therefore, the diagrams tend to present multiple granularity levels that tend to range from the simple depictions of workflow to the simulation and execution of the set process. As a result, it tends to achieve a common understanding regarding business knowledge. Hence, the overall aim of the article is to it drive the designs and implementation of the systems through modeling in business process.   The arguments developed by the article are essential as it defines and shows the benefits the business modeling process has in an organization. Since a business process is the collection of activities ranging from order, review, manufacturing and deliver process as pertained in the article. All this designs play the role of modeling so that there can be production of a certain output for a particular aim. The process modeling process as indicated by the article defines the inputs and outputs for a certain action, thus it implies strong emphasis on how work should be done in any organization. The article has a positive impact as it objectively satisfies our lesson on business process modeling. This tends to be visible based on the diagrams created in article that effectively analyze the business process modeling concerning the many aspects of management that tend to provide a detailed technical nature and process that tends to closely emphasis on the links between quality management and analytical approaches. Hence, it is relevant to state that the frameworks developed on the basis of the diagram satisfy the business process modeling outline, and gives us adequate knowledge of the process. Harmon, P 2014, Business process change: a business process management guide for managers and process professionals, 3rd edn, Morgan Kaufmann-Elsevier, Waltham, MA. Week six journal outlines that setting up business process management as it ensures low cost and maintains high levels of revenue. Therefore, the article is analyzed such that it outlines the process approach to management, identify the key reasons to process standardization, describe the maturity frameworks and model, and identification of the BPM process and identify approach to improve process performance. The article outlines that through conceptualizing of organization system inputs are taken and generate values that is product or services to customers. Hence, for conceptualization there is the need of having a management system whose purpose is to organize and support the effectiveness of the business process. Management occurs in two different instances depending on the role one has in an organization; that is operational and project management (Harmon, 2014). The article also provides us with several management frameworks ranging from PMI, SEI, SCC and ITGI. If we could look at one scenario that is PMI as outlined by the article it tends to distinguish operation management and project management in an organization. In general the article provides a framework that signifies that management should be organized for the purpose of effective business process. Critics from the journal are effective in the sense that the author outlines that business process management as a discipline that combines knowledge pertained to information technology and knowledge from management science and applies the two in the operational business process. Therefore, it creates value for an enterprise by growth, better productivity, staff effectiveness, improved performance and better service delivery. It could also make a business agile in different manners such as streaming of supply operation to reach the global market, accelerating innovation and assistance in the increase of productivity. Therefore, on the basis of the journals discussion business processes tend to be pervasive. As a result, we understand that such processes act as a representation of activities that organizations undertake. Since processes act of different levels of scales, they require certain margins of tailoring. Therefore, we attain the knowledge that when trying to improve the activities one goes and seeks leverage from the advanced methodologies and technologies pertained from this journal for the purpose of consistency and efficiency. Therefore, through BPM it becomes easy to define and manage your business process so as to attain your goals. Harmon, P 2014, Business process change: a business process management guide for managers and process professionals, 3rd edn, Morgan Kaufmann-Elsevier, Waltham, MA. (Chapter   6 and 7)   Week four journal presents the architectural business process as an organizational process containing and the relationships among them. Hence, the problem of interest being perceived is that of understanding how to design structures, were a particular approach in mind can start on the basis of general normative structure that gives a pattern which derives a design (Harmon, 2014). Further argument on value chain shows that it is a process that organizations use for the generation of product or services to a certain group of customers. Hence, each step of chain add is essential for the final value of the product or services. There is also framework development of framed on several proposals that enterprises must use in guiding their architectural designs; such as the Zachman framework. For instance, the Zachman framework tends to be a vital analytical tool which helps one in thinking about the analysis of the enterprise or portion thereof (Harmon, 2014). Relating this to most architect ural process we tend to depart from such architectural designs with the intent of making use of our specific business knowledge which gives us the chance of proposing a precise and detailed pattern for the purpose of support design. On the basis of the journal, we could criticize that the methodology presented here is sufficient as it provides adequate knowledge on how we can integrate designs from architecture to business logic. Hence, it offers diverse requirements and knowledge that is detailed in process models to where application support is explicit, and the mapping requirements of models for business. But, in accordance to the argument of the article ultimate integration has adequate detailed design models that try to avoid instances where limitations may arise. In regards to this article, it has been of benefit as it complements the objectives of the lesson learnt in regards to this topic. For instance, through the use of the same type of models at different abstraction levels in the representation of business architecture, one thing that becomes certain is that the process has offered us component processes that tend to show us how to design details appear in a more fashioned way, and also avoiding of complex representations. Once, we follow the procedures and framework developed by the article it becomes easy to assert that we will have a formalized that there is a logic in our business designs. Harmon, P 2014, Business process change: a business process management guide for managers and process professionals, 3rd edn, Morgan Kaufmann-Elsevier, Waltham, MA. (Chapter   4) Barros,O 2007 "Business processes architecture and design" BPTrends, https://www.bptrends.com/publicationfiles/05-07-ART Business%20Processes%20and%20Design-Barros.pdf  

A critical analysis of the globalization strategy of a multinational Essay

A critical analysis of the globalization strategy of a multinational company (Coca-Cola) - Essay Example While conceding to the fact that internationalisation is a risky endeavour, international business theory has proposed a number of risk-minimising strategies and a set of recommendations for the constructive exploitation of globalisation for the purposes of profit maximisation. Needless to say, while some corporations have successfully implemented these recommendations and have substantially expanded their markets and financial returns as a result, others have not. This research looks at one of the corporations which has successfully reaped the rewards of globalisation: Coca-Cola. Drawing on international business theory, the study engages in a critical analysis of Coca-Cola's external and internal environments for the purposes of shedding light on its corporate strategy and the uncovering the determinants of its success. The analyses, which utilise Porter's Five Forces, SWOT and PEST, indicates that Coca Cola's success is a direct outcome of an internationalisation strategy which is deeply considerate of the particularities and peculiarities of the various national markets within which it operates. 1 Introduction Multinational corporations are popularly regarded as the primary beneficiaries of globalisation. In his defence and justification of this claim, Wartick and Wood (2006) highlight the immediate correlation between the removal of barriers to international trade and foreign direct investment and the growth and expansion of the global activities of multinational companies. While not disputing this claim, the fact is that multinational companies are not simply the primary beneficiaries of globalisation but the purveyors of globalisation. In other words, globalisation was spearheaded by globally-minded, expansionist corporations such as Coca-Cola. Indeed, as Wartick and Wood (2006) argue, corporations such as Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Phillip Morris, Nestle and several others globalised business through international expansion via mergers, acquisitions and franchises, prior to the inception of globalisation. The implication here is that Coca-Cola, among others played a seminal role in the glo balisation of the international economy and, indeed, designed and pursued global business strategies prior to the passage and subsequent enforcement of WTO rules. This perspective on the role of multinational companies in the globalisation process can be validated through a brief, albeit critical, review of the implications of multinationals. Understanding the role of multinationals in globalisation and the degree to which, if at all, globalisation impacted the strategies of MNC, is contingent upon knowing the meaning of MNC. Gershon (1997, p. 3) offers a very precise and concise definition of the concept, writing that a multinational corporation is "a nationally based company with overseas operations in two or more countries" (Gershon, 1997, p. 3). As may have been inferred from the introductory paragraph and as most are well aware of, multinational corporations are a significant part of the contemporary global economy and, without any doubt, its primary players. The power which multinationals command and the extent of their influence on the economy, whether at the national, regional or global level, is explicitly explained in Jacoby's (1984, p. 5) description of the multinational cor

Principal of Finance 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Principal of Finance 4 - Essay Example Since a section of the bondholders is in retail investment, they might sell the shares and cause a temporary drop in the General motors’ stock price. This is according to David Whitson, who is an analyst with Morningstar Inc. based in Chicago. He also says that the investors have probably factored in the dilution that would result from the sales and therefore, General Motors’ value in the long term will remain unchanged. He reiterates that he values the shares at $48 each because of their release to bondholders. The promise to the bondholders was made to help them cover some ground financially and investment wise, since they had made losses when the old version of the company declared themselves bankrupt (Welch, 2011). The warrants that were issued to the bondholders for the new General Motors stock are currently in the funds. This is according to Kirk Ludke, CRT capital group’s vice president’s report. This displays the edge bonds have over its peers in the financial market today. Welch, David. "Old GM Bondholders Getting Shares in New General Motors May Depress Price - Bloomberg." Bloomberg - Business, Financial & Economic News, Stock Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2012.

Good Nursing Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Good Nursing Practice - Essay Example skills or tasks; rather, it is an attitude that informs behaviour.† In nursing, leadership is portrayed through the ability of nurses to progressively improve the health care through influencing others; whether patients or the fellow workmates. Leaders should possess the capability of helping people plan, lead, organize and control employees’ activities. According to Wheeler, (2012), the prominent challenge facing the nursing profession is the development of future nurse leaders. All nurses require leadership skills at all hierarchical levels. Some of the crucial roles of a nurse leader include acting as a role model to their colleagues, ensuring optimal care through collaboration and provision of support and information. Additionally, they defend the rights of the patients and provision of care based on a theoretical and research background. Nurse leaders should also have management knowledge, team work and communication competence. Some of the personal characteristics necessary for a nurse include courage, collaboration, creativity and confidence. They should enact changes depending on the changes in technology and working environment (Wong?and Cummings,?2007:508-521). The heath care environments are constantly changing and producing new changes to the nurse leaders that limit their performance if they do not device the efficient strategies for handling them. Leadership skills entail the art of making people produce extra ordinary impacts while experiencing challenges and other barriers. Direct, hierarchical approach to leadership is an impediment to task completion and performance. Nursing leadership should adopt the style of listening, encouraging and facilitating role play. Tregunno, D. et al. (2009:337) defines leadership, â€Å"the ability to create new systems... This report stresses that student nurses operate in hospitals, nursing homes or doctor’s offices. Their effectiveness is a product of the application of both professional and personal skills. The four main skills that a student nurse should possess for efficient delivery of services include leadership, communication, and team work and organization skills. The standards outlined in the NMC code of conduct offers the guidelines required in the implementation of the four skills. Leadership skills are exhibited through the ability of nurses to progressively improve the health care through influencing others; whether patients or the fellow workmates. Ineffective communication causes misunderstanding leading to the prevalence of misdiagnosis or medication errors. This paper makes a conclusion that team work skills are mandatory for any student nurse as nursing is a collective profession. Organizational skills helps a nurse stay focused on the correct tasks, assist in setting priorities, and offer confidence that a person is following the correct footpath towards achievement of goals. Application of the stated skills enables the student nurses to deliver essential health care for all, safeguard the public well-being as well as be accountable for safe, patient-centred and evidence-based practice. The nurses will also be able to exhibit professionalism and integrity within the concept of ethical and legal practice.

International Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

International Business - Research Paper Example BRIC nations, however, continued to grow between 7-10% in 2004-2007. However, in 2009, the global economy posted its first GDP loss since the post-world war two periods. With unsustainable debt levels and crippling unemployment, the advanced economies of the west began to stagnate, at best grow sluggishly. Developing countries including China and India experienced strong growth, however, as they grew their overall exports, made infrastructural investments and had increased consumption levels. China overtook Japan as the world’s second largest economy. The second phase of the principle financial crisis started in 2009 with the defaulting of Dubai. Spreading across into Europe, it caused job losses. During the 1970’s, oil averaged $16 a barrel, shooting up to $146 in July 2008. This allowed countries like UAE to withstand the adverse effects of soaring debts, due in large part to their oil wealth. International businesses will now find it cheaper to invest in countries li ke China, India, China and India due to their cheap labor and the UAE due to their vast cash reserves to cushion them against debt and drastic job losses. In the USA, however, with soaring debts, dwindling cash reserves and high unemployment amongst highly skilled workers, the conditions are not conducive now for investment. Question #2 It is relevant to study global business for any person in the world of business, whatever the size of their particular organization. Majority of products are imported. Closing a deal in China and doing so in France will be a very different process. Businesspersons need to be aware of customs, in followed in other countries in-order to be successful. It is also necessary to consider the shipping cost difference, since this will change â€Å"landed cost† of a commodity, together with the price it retails at and the margin of profit. After the Second World War, most western countries began to remove barriers, allowing free transfer of services, g oods and capital between themselves. Countries in the east have followed suit. Under GATT, over100 nations further negotiated tariff decrease, while taking strides in resolution of issues removed from tariffs, for example service trade and intellectual property. While this decrease of most trade barriers made market and service globalization a possibility theoretically, changes in technology made the reality tangible. Major information processing and communication advances since the end of World War 2 have made global trade relatively easier. Advancement of the World Wide Web and the internet are undoubtedly the backbone for tomorrow’s information, allowing 1.3 billion users to communicate in 2007. In business, this is a potentially lucrative goldmine. Massive advancements in transportation technology have also enabled firms to respond faster and with more personality to demands by international customers. The implication of globalization cannot be ignored. In today’s firms, business is more competitive and complex than it was, say 7 decades ago. International and cultural challenges have become more pronounced, thus studying international business is of utmost importance, even for small firm employees. Question #3 Sen puts forward the argument that, in economic life, the ultimate mark is freedom. Thus, development needs the extrication of key impediments of real freedom: tyranny, social

Strategic Management - The Two Men and a Lot of Trucks as a classic Case Study

Strategic Management - The Two Men and a Lot of Trucks as a classic example - Case Study Example The initial capital was only $350 while the labor included only two men and a mother who had a job in the public sector. All that was needed to be done was to haul the things that needed to be transferred, to make sure that nothing is damaged, to deliver it and then unload again and that's it! How hard can that be The crucial point that must be understood is that business ventures involving services and products that are very easy to provide/produce has low market barriers. That is, many people can easily enter the market once they realize how profitable it is. We can therefore expect sever competition. Indeed, there were competitors who even resorted to harassing the owner of the enterprise by calling her to court for a trivial offense. Nonetheless, the company grew and it is because it employed strategic management measures. First in the list is orienting the company to be customer-friendly. As clich as the concept would seem to be, it is still one effective way of generating sales. There are some products, such as necessities like food, where the demand is large and continuous that the supplier does not need to seriously bother with customer concerns. However, people do not move frequently and if they did, they can opt to do it by themselves or choose from a list of home-movers. Being customer-friendly can influence the customer not only in choosing your services but would also entice them to relegate the tasks to you. In moving appliances, there is always the risk of damaging items that may have sentimental value or is just plain expensive that people would not risk others hand ling them. It is important to show that you care and that is precisely what the company did. Next in the measures employed were innovation and focus. The company went as far as establishing a course in handling the items to be transferred. This innovation had the effect of delivering to the public the message that the company was very much into improving itself and was very serious regarding the business. If we are a prospective customer, who would we choose No doubt it would be the one who we perceive to be serious in providing quality service. It is the one who provides value for money. Another innovation that the company employed was to adapt a logo and uniforms both of which endowed them a degree of professionalism. They were not merely some service provider from across the street. The company's logo and uniform were marks that they are legitimate and that they have been in the business for some time. Another right move was for the mother (the entrepreneur) to go full time and quit from government service thereby losing her pension and other benefits. Had she decided to stay in a job that offers her a stable retirement, she would not have managed and guided the company to success. The economic principle that business involves tradeoffs is very much in operation. Another smart move was to franchise the business. Most enterprise owners are afraid to share the business to others because they might fail and drag the company with them. However, the company made sure that all the franchisee and handlers were all properly trained. Franchising the business also provided the opportunity to grow as much needed capital flowed in. It widened the service coverage and can therefore serve much more customers which translate to greater sales. There is much wisdom that can be gleaned from the case of the Two Men and Lots of Trucks all of which are worthy

A Role for Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

A Role for Theory - Research Paper Example Theory therefore has become the basis of further advanced learning. The group theory perspective is one important idea that could help explain public-policy origination, implementation and/or execution. At some point, this covers elemental ideas that could help explain the preferences of certain political parties (Simon, 2010, p.24). As observed, people when come into a group would usually create strong political power. In fact, when there is consensus over everything, power or voices of the majority usually prevails. More about these ideas are actually emphasized in detail through the group theory perspective. Therefore, it is important that even though theory would not become the basis of the actual truth, it could stand as a significant framework prior to the discovery of more advanced form of learning. Theory therefore could either be proven or should become the basis of improving higher form of knowledge or ideas on certain things. In the case of group theory together with its p erspectives, it is clear that it has become the basis and even stepping stone to leapfrog in the field of public policy origination, implementation and/or execution. Group theory is composed of theoretical models of group behavior which one could use to predict the kind or level of policy creation or implementation needed (Smith, 2007, p.6). In other words, with group theory one would have the chance to picture out certain group behavioral models so as to provide substantial reduction of complexity in understanding group behaviors. After all, policy creation and implementation relied on certain things and these include group reaction or its level of response. I believe that generally public policy theories have a role to play in the daily lives of policy practitioners as these would supplement their understanding of the policy-making activities aside from actual

Divorce and Our National Values Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Divorce and Our National Values - Article Example This emphasis may be in the form of the psychiatrist’s advice or may be reflected in classic American literature like Thoreau’s Walden, or laws passed to make divorce harder, and so on. Kramer goes against many contemporary psychologists when he argues this. For instance, Carl Rogers claimed in the 1970s that the best marriages actually increased ‘self-actualization’ of the individuals involved. In short, the greater the level of freedom and independence enjoyed by the partners, the ‘better’ the marriage. Kramer suggests that perhaps we should dismantle ‘self-actualization’ as the goal and replace it with another ideal: mutuality. Mutual happiness and care can be just as worthy and fulfilling a goal in marriage. Compromise may mean a certain degree of loss of selfhood, but it does not necessarily mean the loss of happiness or fulfillment. Another issue crops up at this point, related to gender. Kramer reveals how women are supposed to be naturally more compromising. We have been so socialized into believing these stereotypes that in relationships women often feel pressurized to be the pliant and compromising one. Since this is true for a large part of the population, the kind of ideal of mutuality that Kramer proposes might just work out unfairly for women and perpetuate greater inequality in marriages. To counter this, Kramer suggests that by fully accepting mutuality and not expecting only women to inculcate it, we can work towards a value system which actually supports longer-lasting relationships instead of encouraging  separation.

The Departed Analysis Essay Example for Free

The Departed Analysis Essay The Departed is a film directed by Martin Scorsese which won numerous awards at the 79th annual Academy Awards. Scorsese has directed many films that have won academy awards but he had never achieved the award for the best director. This changed with the 2006 release of The Departed and Scorsese got what he had ached for so many years. This film was indeed a film that I enjoyed watching. However it also got me thinking what role ethics played in this blockbuster. During the beginning of the movie Jack Nicholson adopts Matt Damon and treats him like his own child. Damon wants to be a priest when he grows up. If you’re a priest you most likely won’t kill anyone even if it is for self defense because killing is a sin. However being the clever genius that Nicholson is asks Matt Damon â€Å"when you’re facing end of a loaded barrel, what difference does it make? † Nicholson’s character, Frank Costello adopts Damon’s character, Sullivan mainly for personal intelligence purposes. He wants to have a mole in the SIU department like the government has moles in the Mafia families. The best person suitable for this job would be someone that you have raised as your own because the trust will always be there. Nicholson shows good ethics when he takes Damon under his wing. However as the movie progresses we find the true motive for the adoption. Nicholson wants someone who he can trust, that can keep him one step ahead of the law which is morally wrong. When Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Costigan is training for the job of a police officer he is denied the job due to his family ties to the Boston underworld. Costigan is really a good guy affiliated with a bad name. Vice versa Damon is a bad guy affiliated with a good name. Jobs shouldn’t be lost because of someone’s family affiliation with certain groups especially if the person applying wants to change all that and has the knowledge and the will power to do so. I understand the phrase â€Å"like father, like son† but that isn’t always necessarily true. The world is not just black and white; it has shades of grey in it as well. Later in the movie we find that Frank Costello himself is a possible informant for the FBI and that he has recorded conversations of himself talking about illegal activities with Matt Damon. He has done this as a precaution incase the FBI indicts him in an even more serious case. If the FBI does indict him he will use the tapes as a leverage to get a reduced sentence or immunity. This is not very ethical because he adopted a son for his own freedom from government agencies. Towards the end of the movie it is really ironic that Jack Nicholson dies by what he told Damon so that he wouldn’t become a priest. â€Å"When you’re facing the end of a loaded barrel, what difference does it make? † Matt Damon was facing the loaded barrel of Nicholson’s gun but Damon got to pull the trigger first. Because of Nicholson’s bad ethics he got what he deserved by getting shot by his own adopted son whom he used for pure personal protection from government agencies. In the final scene of the movie when Matt Damon is shot dead by Mark Wahlberg it was unethical of Wahlberg to shoot Damon. He should have gathered evidence for a trial by a jury. However I think the murder was justified and fair for a better society. He could have played by the rules. But since Matt Damon didn’t play by the rules why should Mark Wahlberg.

Ticketing offices in airline company on the influx of tourist in Davao City Essay Example for Free

Ticketing offices in airline company on the influx of tourist in Davao City Essay Ticketing Offices is an office of Transportation Company, theatrical or entertainment enterprise or ticket agency where tickets are sold and reservation made. A Computer Reservations System or central reservation system (CRS) is a computerized system used to store and retrieve information and conduct transactions related to air travel. Originally designed and operated by airlines, CRSes were later extended for the use of travel agencies. Major CRS operations that book and sell tickets for multiple airlines are known as Global Distribution Systems (GDS). Airlines have divested most of their direct holdings to dedicated GDS companies, who make their systems accessible to consumers through Internet gateways. Modern GDSes typically allow users to book airline tickets as well as activities and tours. Electronic Ticketing in the airline industry was devised in about 1994. E-ticketing has largely replaced the older multi-layered paper ticketing systems, and since 1 June 2008, it has been mandatory for IATA members. Where paper tickets are still available, some airlines charge a fee for issuing paper tickets. When a reservation is confirmed, the airline keeps a record of the booking in its computer reservations system. Customers can print out or are provided with a copy of their e-ticket itinerary receipt which contains the record locator or reservation number and the e-ticket number. It is possible to print multiple copies of an e-ticket itinerary receipt. An airfare is the price a passenger pays in order to travel by air. The types of fares, rules and restrictions, taxes, etc., are all components that complicate the price involved for a passenger to fly from one place to another. Fares are most often based on one-way or round-trip travel. Fares may be published, unpublished and/or negotiated fares (corporations, or government agencies/organizations may have fares negotiated with an airline at a lower rate). Unpublished fares are also known as consolidated fares and are offered by consolidators and bucket shops. Objectives of the Study The general objective of the study is to determine the contribution of ticketing offices on the influx of tourist in Davao City. Specifically the study aims to: 1. Different ticketing offices in Davao City and the services offered 2. Find out the tourist arrival (2012-2013) in Davao City 3. Determine the advantages of ticketing offices in Davao City. 4. Find out the elicit suggestions of respondents Expected Output 1. Different ticketing offices in Davao City and the services offered. 2. Found out the tourist arrival (2012-2013) in Davao City 3. Determined the advantages of ticketing offices in Davao City. 4. Found out the elicit suggestions of respondents. Scope Limitation of the Study This study limited only the contribution of ticketing offices in airline company on the influx of tourist in Davao City, their tourist arrival 2012-2013, the advantages of the ticketing offices and find out the elicit suggestions of travelers as respondents. Time Place of the Study This study entitled â€Å"Ticketing Offices: Its Contribution to the Influx of Tourist in Davao City† will be conducted in the City, Southern Mindanao, Philippines. From September to October 2013. Definition of Terms Airline ticket is a document, issued by an airline or a travel agency, to confirm that an individual has purchased a seat on a flight on an aircraft. This document is then used to obtain a boarding pass, at the airport. Then with the boarding pass and the attached ticket, the passenger is allowed to board the aircraft. There are two sorts of airline tickets the older style with coupons now referred to as a paper ticket, and the now more  common electronic ticket usually referred to as an e-ticket. Electronic ticket an electronic form of an airline ticket Influx – an arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things Tourist a person who is traveling, especially for pleasure. TICKETING OFFICES: IT’S CONTRIBUTION OF THE INFUX OF TOURIST IN DAVAO CITY SHAHONEY D. DIWAN A Thesis Outline Submitted to the Department of International Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Management, College of Human Ecology and Food Sciences, University of Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, Cotabato, in Partial, Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN TRAVEL MANAGEMENT OCTOBER 2013 Republic of the Philippines UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO Kabacan, Cotabato COLLEGE OF HUMAN ECOLOGY AND FOOD SCIENCES APPROVAL OF THESIS OUTLINE Name: SHAHONEY D. DIWAN Degree Sought: BS IN TRAVEL MANAGEMENT Thesis Title: TICKETING OFFICES: IT’S CONTRIBUTION OF THE INFLUX OF TOURIST IN DAVAO CITY. APPROVED BY THE GUIDANCE COMMITTEE Adviser Department Statistician Date Date Department Chairperson Dept. Research Coordinator Date Date College Research Coordinator Dean Date Date Study No.: ________ Recorded by: ________ RECEIVED: Director for Research Development Date Index No.: _______ Recorded by: _______ ACCEPTANCE The thesis outline attached here to entitled â€Å"TICKETING OFFICES: ITS CONTRIBUTION OF THE INFLUX OF TOURIST IN DAVAO CITY†, prepared and submitted by SHAHONEY D. DIWAN, in partial fulfilled of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Travel Management, is here by accepted. Adviser Date Accepted as a partial fulfilled of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Travel Management. Research Coordinator, CHEFS Date TABLE OF CONTENTS PRELIMINARIES Title Page Approval of Thesis Outline Acceptance Sheet Table of Contents List of Dummy Tables List of Appendices INTRODUCTION Significance of the Study Objectives of the Study Expected Output Scope and Limitation of the Study Time and Place of the Study Definition of Terms REVIEW LITERATURE Ticketing Offices MATERIALS AND METHODS Research Design Location of the Study Respondents of the Study Sampling Procedures Research Instrument Data Gathering Procedure Statistical Analysis LITERATURE CITED APPENDICES LIST OF TABLES Number Title Page 1 Ticketing Offices in Davao City and the services offered 2 Tourist Arrival (2012-2013) 3 Advantages of Ticketing Offices 4 Elicit suggestions of respondents LIST OF FIGURES Number 1 Title The Location of Davao City Page LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Letter Title Page A Letter of Application for Thesis Adviser B Letter of Application for Thesis Title C Letter of Permission to the Manager/owner D Cover Letter E Sample Questionnaire F Schedule of Research Activities G Gantt Chart H Budgetary Requirements I Dummy Tables J Processing Form TICKETING Improve productivity with transparent, traceable and flexible ticketing Airlines are well aware of the need to evolve sales activities and harness the advantage of paperless, electronic ticketing. SITA’s Ticketing improves your airline’s productivity by reducing document issue times by automatically generating travel documents in multiple formats with minimal errors. Ticketing also gives you full control over your electronic miscellaneous document (EMD) products. SITA’s Ticketing enables to you use EMDs to generate substantially higher revenues by selling ancillary service products. OVERVIEW Positive feedback SITA’s Ticketing lets you save costs and boost revenue with real-time sales reporting technology that displays detailed revenue generation indexes. Ticketing collates up-to-date, accurate and detailed sales activity and financial reports from your entire airline, all ticket agents and independent sales offices. e-Ticket innovation The e-ticket database is separate from the airline’s reservation database. With SITA’s Ticketing,e-tickets can be sold by the airline, a global distribution system or an interline partner. SITA’s Ticketing makes e-tickets independently accessible and unlike paper documents, it tracks the use of the ticket. Fully compatible Ticketing is a part of SITA’s Horizon portfolio and is an industry compliant platform designed for airlines using SITA Reservations. SITA Ticketing is also designed to meet IATA’s standard traffic documents (STD) format. BENEFITS SITAs Ticketing provides the following benefits. Expedited and less expensive passenger transactions Improved accuracy and legibility Increased security Increased customer retention Ability to meet changing demands of your business environment Ensured compliance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Air Transport Association (ATA) standards E-ticketing provides the following benefits. Reduced costs Saves money by eliminating paper and postage-related costs Promotes low cost distribution channels, such as airline Web sites Enhances passenger handling with automation for example, using kiosks, the Internet and mobile phones Increased productivity and control Maximizes agent productivity by turning call centres into revenue centres Eliminates lost and stolen tickets Reduces the opportunities for fraud Improved service delivery Supports alliance and partner airline interline e-ticketing requirements Ticket changes and/or refund requests are processed more easily Supports ground handling options (i.e., where your airline is ground handled) FEATURES Ticketing offers a wide range of features to improve the productivity of both ticketing and financial management. Multiple ticket formats can be generated automatically (e.g., TAT, OPTAT, ATB2, OPTATB and electronic tickets) Automated Ticket and Boarding pass 2 (ATB2) functionality includes credit  card charge forms, itinerary and address cards ATB2 coupons, with encoded magnetic strips, may be read at check-in and/or used to read ticket data at revenue accounting Electronic tickets may be sold by partner airlines and global distribution systems for both online and interline itineraries Conjunction tickets are issued automatically and an itinerary of up to 20 segments may be issued Easy-to-use document issuance screens are provided for user guidance Multiple printer types are supported allowing you to use your own choice of equipment and vendor The system also has state-of-the-art interfaces to Reservations and Airfare Financial intelligence Ticketing also offers on-demand and automated printing of management reports. These include: Sales summaries of agent and office productivity  Sales reports including refund and exchange information  Real-time financial data can be electronically distributed as required, based on specified financial periods. Financial data can also be reported to the bank settlement plan (BSP) or in-house system based on specified or user-defined financial periods. SITA Global Services (SGS) Ticketing is supported by SITA Global Services (SGS) which provides you with global business continuity through a flexible service model. Our monitoring service ensures your IT systems are reliable and available, around the clock, around the world. Our experts proactively monitor your infrastructure, identifying and resolving problems often before they impact your services. SITA HISTORY SITA was a pioneer in international telecommunications for the air transport industry and has continued to operate at the forefront of technology. From its foundation as Socià ©tà © Internationale de Tà ©là ©communications Aà ©ronautiques, SITA has aimed to bring airlines existing air transport communications facilities together. This allows organizations and the wider industry to take advantage of shared infrastructure cost efficiencies. SITA now serves around 450 members worldwide. These members include airlines, airports, aerospace companies, GDSs, air traffic management organizations, air freight businesses, governments and international organizations. Ticket beefits Biggest Savings: You are guaranteed the best price on your seats. Best Seat Location: We reserve the best available seat locations for you, our Season Ticket Holder. Exclusive Access: Receive behind-the-scenes tours and access to front office and team personnel through exclusive Season Ticket Holder Events. Ticket Usage Flexibility: With our flexible ticket policies, you are able to exchange, re-sell, or donate any unused ticket. First Class Customer Service: Your dedicated Season Ticket Service Account Manager provides you a single point of contact to assist you with your account.

Mergers and Acquisitions: Indian Banking Consolidation

Mergers and Acquisitions: Indian Banking Consolidation Globally it has been found that the mergers and acquisition have become one of the major ways to corporate restructuring which has also struck the financial services industry which has experienced merger waves leading to the emergence of huge banks and financial institutions. The main reason for mergers is intense competition among the companies in the same industry which put focus on economies of scale, efficiency in cost and profitability. Some other factors leading to the mergers is the too big to fail principle followed by the authorities. In few countries like Germany, weak banks were forcefully merged to avoid the problem financial distress arising out of bad loans and erosion of capital funds. Several academic studies have analyzed merger related gains in banking and these studies have adopted two approaches. The first approach deals with evaluating the long term performance of the merger by analyzing the accounting information such as return on assets, operating costs and eff iciency ratios. A mergers is considered to have led to improved performance if the the change in the accounting based performance is superior to the changes in the performance of the comparable banks that were not involved in the merger activity during that period. Another approach is to analyze the gains in stock price of the bidder and the target company around the announcement of the merger. In this approach the merger is assumed to create value if the combined value of the bidder and target banks increase on the announcement of the merger and the consequent and the stock prices reflect the potential value of the acquiring banks. The objective of this paper is to present a panoramic view of merger trends in India and to ascertain two important perceptions of stake-holders, shareholders and managers and to discuss dilemmas and other issues of this topic of Indian banking. Review of Literature for impact of mergers The two important issues which are examined by various academic studies relating to bank mergers are: impact of mergers on the operating performance and efficiency of the banks Impact of mergers on the market value of the equity of both bidder and the target banks. Cornett and Tehranian (1992) and Spindit and Tarhan (1992) provided evidence for increase in post-merger operating performance. However the studies of Berger and Humphrey (1992), Piloff (1996) and Berger (1997) did not find any evidence in increase in post-merger operating performance. Berger and Humphrey (1994) also reported that most of the studies that examined pre-merger and post-merger financial ratios found no impact on operating cost and profit ratios. The reasons for mixed evidence are: lag between completion of merger process and the realization of benefits of mergers, sample selection and the methods adopted in the financing of mergers. Further, the financial ratios may be misleading indicators of performance because they do not take into account for product mix or input prices. On the other hand researches may also could have confused scale and scope efficiency gains with what is known as X-efficiency gains. Recent studies have explicitly employed frontier X-efficiency met hods to identify the X-efficiency benefits of bank mergers. Few studies have also analyzed the potential benefits and scale economies of mergers. Landerman (2000) explored diversification benefits to be had from banks merging with non banking financial service firms. Simulated mergers of US banks and non-bank financial service firms demonstrated that diversification of banks into insurance business and securities brokerage is optimal for reducing the probability of bankruptcy for bank holding companies. Wheelock and Wilson (2004) found that expected merger activity in US banking industry is positively related to management rating, size of the bank, competitive position and geographical location of banks and is negatively related to market concentration. The second issue determined was the analysis of merger gains in terms of the gains in stock price performance of the bidder and the target banks on announcement of merger. In this case a merger is expected to create value only if the combined value of the bidder and target companies increases after the declaration of the merger. However a lot of studies have failed to find any direct relationship between the merger and the gains in performance or in shareholder wealth. But there are reasons for mixed evidence as a merger announcement also takes in to account the way the deal is financed .If equity offerings are used it may be interpreted as overvaluation by the issuer. Therefore the negative announcements returns to the firms that are bidding can be attributed to the negative signalling which is completely unrelated to the value which is created by the merger. Returns to the bidders companies shareholders is greater when the merger is totally financed with cash than in mergers in whi ch financing is done through equity offering. There is one more problem with this event study analysis as if there is a consolidation wave going on; mergers are anticipated by stockholders and analyst. Potential candidates for the mergers are highlighted and made popular by the financial press and the stock market analysts. In these cases the event study analysis may fail. Therefore an analysis of mergers across the world and a literature review does not provide strong evidence on the benefits gained by banks in the mergers in the banking industry. Also the findings of the literature also contrast with the findings of the consultants who find a considerable cost savings and operational efficiency achieved through mergers. The reasons why academic study do not find cost benefits and the consultants highlight this fact are Consulates may study a potential cost savings which may not materialize They tend to highlight potential cost saving activities and the economist study all the activities. They tend to be biased towards successful cases and ignore the unsuccessful ones. They tend blow up the benefits achieved while the benefits may be miniscule if accounted on a relative terms. The academic studies provide motivation for the examination and evaluation of two important issues pertaining to the mergers and acquisition to the Indian banking. Do mergers help in improving the operational performance and result in cost savings However in India most of the mergers are forced by the central bank in order to protect the interest of the depositors and avoid financial distress therefore the above mentioned reason is rarely found in the mergers activities. Do merger provide abnormal gains and returns to the acquirer and the target banks upon the declaration Consolidation Trends Observed in India Improving the operational performance and cost efficiency has always been a priority in Indian banking sector and has been a major issue of discussions in the policy formulation by the government of India in the consultation and with the central bank (Reserve Bank of India). Several committees have also been formed in order to suggest structural changes to achieve this objective. Some of the major committees formed are Banking Commission, 1972 Chairman R.G Saraiya, 1976 chairman : Manubhai Shah Committee for the functioning of public sector banks, 1978 chairman : James S Raj These committees have suggested the restructuring of the Indian banking system with an objective to improve the process of credit delivery and also suggested the idea of having around 3 to 4 large banks which have a pan India presence and the rest of the bank should be present at the regional level. The major thrust on consolidation started with the Narasimham committee in 1991. It emphasised and embarked upon consolidation and merger in order to make the Indian banks huge in size and also comparable to the global banks. A second Narasimham committe was also formed in 1998 which suggested mergers and consolidation among the strong banks in public as well as private sector and also with other financial institutions, NBFC (Non Banking Financial Companies). Now we will have a look at some of the recent trends in consolidation in Indian banking. Restructuring of weak Indian Banks Amongst other routes government of India has adopted mergers as a means to achieve restructuring of the Indian banking system. Many banks which are small in size and are weak are merged with other banks which are stronger and are larger to protect the interest of the depositors and also to avoid financial distress. These types of mergers can be termed as forced mergers. Hence when a banks shows symptoms of sickness like increasing size of NPAs, reduction in the net worth and substantial decline in capital adequacy ratio, RBI forces moratorium under the section 45(1) of the Banking Regulation act 1949 for a specified period on the activities and the operations of the working of the sick bank. In this period a strong bank is identified and asked to prepare and present a scheme of merger with the weak bank. In this case the acquirer banks takes hold of all the assets of the weak bank and ensures the depositors of their money in case they want to withdraw. The mergers which took place in the pre-reform period fall into this category. In the post reform period 21 mergers have taken place out of which 13 are forced mergers where RBI has intervened. The main reason for these mergers was the protection of the depositors interest and avoids the financial distress. Mergers which took place voluntarily Apart from forced mergers there have been few mergers in which expansion, diversification and growth were the major motives and in which RBI did not intervene or force. The first merger of this kind took place in 1993 when the Times Bank was acquired by HDFC bank which was followed by acquisition of Bank of Madura by the ICICI Bank. The latest of these is merger of Lord Krishnan Bank with Centurion Bank of Punjab. Although in all these deals the target bank suffered with low profitability, Increase in NPA and lack of alternate revenues in order to provide cushion for capital adequacy but these mergers were not forced. There was no regulatory intervention in these mergers however the motives behind these mergers may not necessarily be scale of economies and achieving market power. For instance ICICI bank acquired bank of Russia with a motive of entry in to Russia although it just had one branch. SBI acquired 51% stake in Mauritian Bank through Indian Ocean International Bank which wil l be integrated with the State Bank of Indias International business as a subsidiary. Integration of Financial Services and Achieving Universal Banking Model Several developmental financial institutions have been formed over a period of time in India in order to improve the efficiency of allocation of resources to different segments of the economy. However because of the flexibility given by the RBI to the banks in the credit delivery process the banks have increased and diversified their loan portfolio to various areas such as project finance, long-term loans, and other specialised sector lending. This is the reason why DFIs have become redundant. A working capital group (1998) was appointed by RBI which has recommended the universal model of banking by exploring the possibility of mergers between various sets of financial entities based on economical considerations. Similarly in the private sector ICICI merger with its subsidiary bank and IDBI (industrial Development Bank of India) was incorporates as a public sector bank which acquired private sector bank IDBI bank in 2004. In order to provide integrated financial services and achieve operation efficiencies many public sector banks have acquired their subsidiaries, for instance Andhra Bank acquired its housing finance subsidiary Andhra Bank Housing Finance LTD, Bank of India acquired BOI finance Ltd and BOI Asset Management Company Ltd. Acquisition of similar types took place in the private sector as well. Alignment of Operations of Foreign Banks with Global Trends As the Parent banks went under reconstruction process their parts operating in India also started restructuring. For example, Standard Charted Grindlay bank was formed due to acquisition of ANZ Grindlay by the Standard Charted Bank. Similarly due to acquisition of two Japanese banks like Sakura Bank and Sumitomo Bank Ltd the Indian operations of Sakura Bank were merged with Sumitomo Bank in 2001.Forign banks were permitted to enter into merger and acquisition transaction with any of the private sector bank in India with a condition that the overall investment limit limit will be 74 per cent after the second phase of WTO commitments which commenced in April 2009. This may lead to further consolidation in the Indian banking sector. Merger and Consolidation of Cooperatives, RRBs and UCBs Small banks present in India apart from other banks are co-operative banks, Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). These are formed for fulfilling the credit requirements of agriculture, small traders and SSI and other rural economic activities. All of these institutions are suffering from bad loans, operational inefficiencies, and Poor recovery of loans. This proved to be a barrier for further lending and financial intermediation. A committee formed under Jugdish Capoor suggested voluntary amalgamations or merger of these co-operatives based on various criterias like economies of scale, especially in areas where the operations of these banks have become unviable and there are no more in a position to supply credit to agriculture sector. 28 RRBs were consolidated into 9 new RRBs in September 2005.A high powered committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (1999) recommended that UCBs which are sick should be liquidated in a time bound manner as the operation of lar ge number of financially sick banks is devastating for UCBs and also for the interest of depositors. Due to this more mergers are expected in the future and RBI also has taken a lot of new initiatives for restructuring of banks including the issuance of guidelines in May 2005. Shareholders Perception of Merger As stated above the Indian banking sector has experienced two types of mergers – focussed and voluntary mergers. Forced mergers were initiated by RBI and their main objective was to protect the interest of the depositors and prevent financial distress of the banks. Whenever a bank showed symptoms of sickness like huge NPA levels, erosion of net worth etc, RBI intervened and merged the weak bank with a stronger one by force. Thus we can form a hypothesis that in case of forced mergers the target banks shareholders will gain abnormally with the declaration. The second type of merger is voluntary type where the motivation behind the merger is to achieve cost reduction, increase in size, diversification, strategic entry into a market. In these cases the acquired banks reaped the benefit of branch network and customer clientele of the banks acquired. In these cases both the acquirer bank and the target bank must have had benefit out of the merger. In this paper the mergers between 1993 to 2006 are considered. There were 21 mergers out of which only five were voluntary. These are mainly mergers of private sector banks with other private sector banks. Two cases are conversion of financial institution to commercial bank where the objective was to form a universal bank model which offers a wide range of financial services. Ina study conducted which is presented in this paper six cases of forced mergers were selected for the purpose of analysis as in other cases the target banks were not listed and the size of the banks were much lower than the acquirer banks therefore these cases are of less merit for further analysis. In this study the wealth effects of almost all the banking mergers during the period 1999-2006 is analyzed. The event study analysis used in this analysis is very straight forward and conventional. The merger period consist of four days prior and four days after the event. The reason for taking such window is to analyze the change in wealth of the shareholder around the day of the declaration on the merger. Daily adjusted closing prices of stocks and the market index is taken for the analysis. The abnormal returns are calculated as follows. ARit= Rit – [a + BRm] Here Rit: daily return on firm ‘i on day ‘t Rmt is the return on the bench mark index a and B are the regression parameters. The abnormal return is calculated for both the acquirer and the target firm and the significance of these values are tested by finding standard error and the t-value : Analysis of Research Results In forced mergers case the stockholders of target banks have not achieved any significant returns on the declaration of the merger. However in the case of Nedungadi Bank, the stockholder did gain significant on the 2nd day of the announcement but after that no abnormal returns were found. In the case of GTB the stockholders had deeply discounted the merger. As it was a case of serious case of bank failure the merger did give a confidence to the depositors but the merger declaration did not provide any abnormal returns. United bank did gain marginally on the announcement but it was not significant statistically. Thus the hypothesis that target banks shareholders welcome merger announcement as a safety net can be rejected. The shareholders of the acquirer bank lost their market value of equity. In case of ICICI bank, it was signalled as an emergence of a large private sector bank and hence due to which the banks shareholders expectations go up with significant increase in the returns. In other cases of acquisition the acquirer bank lost on merging with the weak banks. Hence in all the forced mergers neither the acquirer bank nor the target bank gained on declaration of the merger and the stockholders of the acquirer bank lost wealth as the announcement of the merger was taken as a negative signal. It is argued that merger of weak banks with strong ones is essential for restructuring of banking system and also a step in the consolidation of the banking sector. But in almost all the mergers it was found that the target banks for the merger were determined at the time when they were at the verge of getting collapse. The acquirer bank which was forced by RBI was left with no option but to accept the proposed merger. It is recommended that RBI should pursue Prompt corrective action system and should determine the weak banks on the basis of some defined criterias so that the acquirer bank can choose the target banks on the strategic issues which benefit all the parties . Abnormal Returns of Target Banks Abnormal returns of Bidder banks In case of voluntary mergers it can be seen that the target banks have obtained higher returns that the acquirer banks. Both the acquirer and the target banks stockholders benefitted on declaration of the merger. Therefore the stock market welcomed the merger which will lead to growth and efficiency aspects of the merged entity and benefitted the shareholders of both the banks. For instance in the case of acquisition of times banks by HDFC bank it was viewed as a positive signal by the shareholders of both the bank. At the time of the merger the Times Bank was crippled with increasing NPAs and low profitability, the acquisition by the HDFC bank gave relief to the depositors of the Times Bank. On the other hand HDFC bank emerged as the largest private sector bank by gaining from the retail portfolio of the Times Bank. In case of BOM acquisition by the ICIC bank the BOM gained the advantage of being able to provide services like Treasury management, cash management services to its cust omers and ICICI bank increased its size by acquiring BOM and reached the position of large private sector banks in 1999. At the announcement of the merger there was a steep rise in the gains which was reaped by the BOM shareholders however the stockholders of ICIC bank did not get any significant returns. In all the even study analysis revealed that neither the acquirer bank nor the target bank stock holders have perceived any potential gain on the declaration of the mergers. Hence the share holders who are important stakeholders of the banking companies did not consider the mergers as a signal of improving health, economies of scale and the market power of banks. Managers take on the Mergers Managers provide highest priority to the merger of the two public sector banks which provides a signals the banking sectors view on the need for consolidation of public sector banks. Managers do not prefer the merger of bank and NBFCs or financial services entities There are some issues which are needed to be taken care of while proposing a merger of banks according to the managers Valuation of the Loan portfolio of the target bank This is one of the main factor which is needed to be considered at the time of the merger. As in the management of the credit portfolio the accounting and the exposure norms suggested by the RBI are the same which helps in figuring out the book value of loans easily. However Indian banks have adopted divergent practices in rating the borrowers, loan pricing and maintenance of collateral securities therefore a detailed audit of the loan portfolio, cash flow generation and collaterals is very essential in order to get an opinion on the value of the loan portfolio of the target bank. Valuation of Intangible assets The valuation of the assets of the banks is a very critical factor for the success of any merger or consolidation. The tangible assets of the bank are loans, investment part apart from other fixed assets like buildings, ATMs and the IT infrastructure the bank owns. A commercial bank also holds a lot of intangible assets like clientele based on core deposits, safety value contracts, computer softwares, human resources, brands and goodwill. Determining the inherent strength of the bank based on the valuation of the intangible assets is also very important. Determination of the value of equity Determining the value of the target banks assets, liabilities and valuation of its equity value is the major aspect of a merger process. Various approaches can be used like dividend discount model, cash flow to equity model and excess return model. However banks have totally different operations than a normal manufacturing firm as they are highly leveraged because they have more than 90% of the resources as borrowed or as debt and banks are highly regulated institutions and regulatory instruction have vast implication in asset and income recognition. Interest rates volatility, regulatory capital adequacy ratios and restriction on dividend pay put ratios also have influence on the earnings of the banks. Human Resource Issues It is the most complicated issue in the merger process.HR issues like the service condition, strategy for rewarding people, employee relation, benefit plans and compensation, provision of pension, law suits and the trade union actions are very critical for the viability of the merger and the deal to go through. Cultural Issues This is also a critical issue in the pre-merger and post merger period. It is central to an organizational environment and recognizing cultural friction is very difficult as it results in various problems such as poor productivity, riff in the top management, increase in the turnover rates, delays in the integration process and failures in realizing the projected synergies. Information Technology platform integration In todays banking banks are highly dependent on the information technology. It has become a key strategic issue due to the impact it has on the operation of the bank. A significant portion of the synergy depends on the information technology integration. Divergent IT platforms and software systems have proven to be major constraints in the consolidation. Customer Retention Customers also major stakeholders of banks and are needed to be communicated properly about the merger and the customers of the target bank should be attended with utmost care. Various studies have shown that firms borrowing from target banks are very likely to lose their relationship with the bank on its merger.

The Esssence of Rebirth and Death in Literature Essay -- essays resear

The Essence of Rebirth and Death in Literature   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literature has always been a powerful way for people to express their ideas, opinions, and feelings. Authors often use literature to depict aspects of society that can affect a man or woman’s life. In the stories, â€Å"The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,† Life in the Iron Mills, â€Å"Barbie Doll,† and The Awakening the women of the stories do not seem to adapt to societal expectations. The inadequacy of the women of these stories to meet the view of society has lead to either a rebirth or ultimately a drive to suicide.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In D.H. Lawrence’s â€Å"The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,† rebirth is a central theme of the story. Lawrence uses his main character, Mabel, to take part in this transformation. Mabel’s role in society is defined by the death of her mother, her father’s occupation, as the title suggests, and how her life is altered by the death of her father. She finds herself alone, her household in ruins, and all her money gone. She is constantly being pressured by her siblings to come to terms with what she will be doing with the rest of her life. Her brothers are eager to make sure she or someone else takes responsibility for her life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mabel feels the pressure of having to prove herself. She is impassive and almost paralyzed with fear about her future. It is because of her unappeasable life that she seeks a way to find fulfillment. The only way she feels she can pursue this is to be reunited with her beloved mother. When she goes to the graveyard where her mother is buried she carries with her shears, a sponge, and scrubbing brushes to clean the headstone and in a sense prepares herself for her own death. While she is at the grave sight Dr. Ferguson passes by. He is moved by the way she takes responsibility for her mother’s plot. At this point he realizes how in touch she is with the nonliving world. One analyst says, â€Å"His quick (alive) eyes sees her tending the grave as if spellbound, and he is touched by her conjunction with the world of death† (Meyers 347). At the same time Mabel with her life in ruins, her parents gone, her brothers close to striking out on their own, and all her financial resources gone, decides it would be better to be with her mother by taking her life. She plans to do this by drowning herself.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ... ...er’s Daughter† and Life in the Iron Mills, both Mabel and Deb experience a rebirth that challenged society to accept them as they accepted themselves. In the two other works which I have discussed â€Å"Barbie Doll† and The Awakening both the girl and Edna disobey society by committing the ultimate act of suicide to free themselves of the burden of society. In all the works, the main female characters denounced society’s expectations in order to gain personal pleasure. Works Cited Davis, Rebecca Harding. Life in the Iron Mills and Other Stories. New York: The Feminist Press at The City University of New York, 1985. Green, Suzanne D. â€Å"The Awakening.† Novels for Students. 56-66. Hughes, Sheila Hassell. â€Å"Between the Bodies of Knowledge there is a Great Gulf Fixed: A Liberationist Reading of Class and Gender in Life in the Iron Mills.† 1997. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_ quarterly/v049/49.1hughes.html. November 15,1999. Lawrence, D.H. â€Å"The Horse Dealer’s Daughter.† Meyers, Jeffrey. â€Å"D.H. Lawrence and Tradition: ‘The Horse Dealer’s Daughter’.† Studies in Short Fiction. Ed. Gayle R. Swanson. Newberry, South Carolina: Newberry College, 1989. 346-351. Piercy, Marge. â€Å"Barbie Doll.†

Effects Of Anobolic Steroids Essay -- essays research papers

The Effects of Anabolic Steroids You’ve all seen them, the enormously large muscle-heads at the gym, the participates of the World’s Strongest Man Competition, the amazing offensive tackles, and the lightning fast runners. They were all unnaturally strong, and looked like gods. You tend to obsess over how beautiful their bodies are, how strong they are, or how fast they can run. All you can think about is reaching that level of athletic excellence, and nothing will hold you back. At times like these some people tend to take the quick fit to get closer to their idols, in the form of steroids. But what individuals tend not see is the horrible side effects that accompany the use of these anabolic steroids. These powerful drugs have both positive and negative results from their use. Along with increased strength and size, users of steroids suffer from a wide range of sicknesses such as cancer, shrinkage of testicles, bad acne, hair loss, damage organs, intense mood swings, and impotence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anabolic steroids are a group of muscle building chemicals, which are synthetic versions of the male hormone, testosterone. Developed in the 1930’s, they were prescribed to aid in muscle tissue repair by those who had undergone surgery or had degenerative diseases. Now the patients do not only use them but also athletes. Starting in the 1940’s steroids were introduced into sports. Steroids were one of the main reasons that Russia’s 1952 Olympic weightlifting team came out with pile of medals. With these results other nations thought their competitors should have the same advantage, and the use of steroids spread like wildfire.(NIDA pg 2) But now steroids are illegal to use if not prescribed by a physician, and have been banned by nearly all-athletic organizations, both professional and amateur.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just how popular is the use of steroids? Well, one survey states that the prevalence of self-reporting anabolic steroids use in adolescents ranges from 5%-11% of males and 2.5% in females.(AAP pg 2) So, the even at a young age kids decide to use steroids to their advantage. At this age they do not take time to look at the adverse effects of steroid but only the perks. Most individuals consume steroids in two ways. People either administer them orally or by intramuscular injection. Once taken there are a series of events that ... ... as â€Å"roid rage†. This constitutes a more aggressively natured person, who is more subject to mood swings. A typically calm, intelligent person could be transformed into a crazed senseless being. The slightest upsetting factor could set them off. These mood swings and shifts tend to be temporary and cease after discontinued use of the drugs, but some of the other effects are lasting, and can be extremely devastating. Less harmful, but important as well is the fact that steroids are banned by nearly every athletic organization, and if it is determined that an athlete used steroids, all medals, trophies, prized and glory can be stripped away. Athletes who train with the use of steroids are taking a huge gamble. Although steroids can have amazing results, and seem to be the greatest thing on earth, they also hold a cornucopia of terrible things in store for the person who uses them irresponsibly. They must evaluate for themselves if the potential physical prowess that the y could attain through the use of steroids is worth the possibility of the devastating side effects. They must also keep in mind the consequences that they could encounter if they do use steroids, with are an illegal

Feedback Stress: Does Auditory Feedback Negatively Affect Performance o

The Stroop Effect In his historic study, Stroop found that reading names of colors interfered with individuals’ ability to name the ink color the word was printed in when the two differed (i.e., the word â€Å"BLUE† written in red ink) (1935). However, the basis of this phenomenon can be traced back to Cattell who found that naming colors and pictures took twice as long to accomplish than reading the word these colors or pictures represented (1886). He concluded that this was due to reading being an automatic process while identifying colors or pictures requires a conscious effort (Cattell, 1886). MacLeod (1991) reflects that it was Cattell’s work which strongly influenced future psychologist including Stroop. In his experiment, Stroop investigated how the reaction time to name colors increased when it conflicted with the automatic process of reading. He broke down his experiment into three parts. In the first, he tested how reading the name of a color printed in a different ink color (i.e., BLUE) differed from reading the name of a color printed in black ink (i.e., BLUE). The difference between the name of the color and the ink color it was printed in caused a slight interference resulting in an increased reaction time of 2.3 seconds (Stroop, 1935). In the second part of his experiment, Stroop (1935) looked at reaction time differences between naming the color of solid blocks (i.e., ââ€"   ââ€"   ââ€"   ââ€"   ââ€"  ) versus naming the color of the ink not the name of the color (i.e., responding â€Å"RED† for BLUE). He found that participants required 74% more time to name the color of the ink when it did not agree with the name of the color (Stroop, 1935). Stroop concluded that it was the interference between the automatic process of reading the na... ...oop: An interference task specialized for functional neuroimaging – validation study with functional MRI. Human Brain Mapping, 6(4), 270-282. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0193(1998)6:4 Cattell, J. M. (1886). The time it takes to see and name objects. Mind, 11(41), 63-65. MacLeod, C. M. (1991). Half a century of research on the Stroop Effect: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 109(2), 163-203. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.109.2.163 Richards, A., French, C. C., Johnson, W. Naparstek, J., & Williams, J. (1992). Effects of mood manipulation and anxiety on performance of an emotional Stroop task. British Journal of Psychology, 83, 479-491. Shor, R. E. (1975). An auditory analog of the Stroop test. Journal of General Psychology, 93, 281-288. Stroop, J. R. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18(6), 643-662.

The merchant of venice: Tragedy or Comedy

William Shakespeare, widely regarded as the world's greatest playwright, has revolutionized the world of English literature with his plays. Some of these plays are clear-cut comedies and tragedies, while others are more ambiguous. The Merchant of Venice is a play that falls under the latter type, and it has been hotly contested whether this literary work should be classified a comedy or a tragedy. However, since the majority of the characters received a happy ending, the abundance of comic relief scenes and characters, and lightheartedness of the plot relative to otherShakespearean works leads me to conclude that The Merchant of Venice is indeed a comedy. One of the characteristics of a comedy is that it usually contains a happy resolution of conflict, and this was definitely reflected in the conclusion of The Merchant of Venice. â€Å"Happy endings† usually pertain to the protagonists or the main characters surviving or outlasting misfortune. Antonio being spared and cleared of any debt he owed Shylock by the Venetian courts (Act ‘V, scene i) is a prime example of the protagonist receiving satisfactory closure.In the drama building up to the court scene, Antonio's best friend, Bassanio, had cut a deal with the devil as he borrowed money from the shrewd Shylock, with the stipulation that repayment would either be in ducats or a pound of Antonio's flesh (Act l, scene When Antonio's business enterprise came crashing down abruptly, he had no means by which to repay Shylock, thus setting up the major conflict of The Merchant of Venice. Antonio's ending is undoubtedly a happy one for his character, since his life was spared and he was cleared of any charges.Another example of a character with a favorable conclusion is Portia. Recently, her father had been pushing her toward marriage, and because of her many biases, she found it near impossible to find a suitable suitor (Act II, scene i). At the end of the play, she does, in fact, end up with the only ma n that's ever caught her eye, Bassanio. These happy endings for primary characters are typical of Shakespearean comedies. The Merchant of Venice is abounding with other typical Shakespearean comedy techniques like comic relief; humor that manifests itself in both situations nd characters.The overall hilarity of the play is an ample reason to classify it as a comedy rather than a tragedy. Shakespeare inserts comic relief scenes at opportune times in this play to relieve tension, and Jessica and Launcelot's banter in Act Ill, scene v is an excellent example of this. In the preceding scenes, Shylock has Just hauled Antonio off to Jail while Portia and Nerissa attempted to devise a scheme to rescue their future husbands' friend – two very action-packed and intense developments in the story. However, immediately following these two scenes,Launcelot and Jessica are seen having a playful discussion about the correlation of Jewish refusal to consume pork and the rising prices of baco n, a conversation so wacky and out of place that it manages to diffuse much of the thickening tension. Comic relief is a literary device that extends to characters as well. The interactions moments of the play (Act II, scene it), where Old Gobbo fails to recognize Launcelot as his son because of his ailing senses. Shakespeare utilized plenty of Jokes that would have appealed to the audiences of his time here to rouse laughter.At its very root, a comedy is a drama with a humorous or satirical tone, and The Merchant of Venice's comic relief scenes and characters provide the audience with this humorous air. When compared to many of Shakespeare's other dramatic works, The Merchant of Venice's storyline is much more lighthearted and tame. This play turned out more like an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 than something as grave and solemn as Macbeth or Othello. There are many attributes which corroborate this theory. For starters, cross dressing is used as a motif in The Merchant of Venic e.When placed longside a different play like Macbeth, where the motifs are critical matters like bad omens, borrowed robes, and fapdes, The Merchant of Venice does seem less serious. Also, the magnitude of its plot is definitely much less significant than a lot of Shakespeare's other plays. The Merchant of Venice is primarily concerned with the interactions of Italian suitors and heiresses – much like the angsty teen dramas of today. On the other hand, plays like Julius Caesar revolve around recanting the epic downfalls of tyrannical politicians.Though not to undermine its literary significance, I m convinced that The Merchant of Venice is a less serious, more whimsical play than some of Shakespeare's other works – a feel that comedies are supposed to have. Plays can be like characters in that their real nature can be very ambiguous. The Merchant of Venice is heralded as a fine example of a comedy by some, while asserted to be a tragedy by others. This play can be clea rly categorized as a comedy, because the majority of the characters received favorable conclusions, comic relief is in abundance, and the lighthearted, quirky nature of the plot.