Saturday, December 28, 2019

Analysis Of The Book Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer

Rebellions can have both a negative and positive outcome not matter what the cause. In the book â€Å"Into the Wild†, written by Jon Krakauer, the character Chris McCandless embarks on a journey of ultimate freedom and exemption. Washington and McCandless are similar because they did something most people would not. They both stepped out of the ordinary society and decided to do what they think is best. For example, Washington led the Continental Army against the great British Empire, and Chris left his normal and traditional life, to seek a life of adventure and determined to go on a journey across the United States. Washington became the first president of the United States. Washington was also the only one qualified to defend and lead our†¦show more content†¦Without Washington, we may never have won the Revolutionary War, and our country would not be the same today. Washington won the war for us, and only he could’ve done that. â€Å"Washington’s gr eatest wartime legacy was his decision to surrender his commission to Congress, affirming the principle of civilian control of the military in the new United States† (Ebscohost). Washington never had to leave or give up his title as general or president of the United States. Washington hoped to free the 13 Colonies from a new revolution. â€Å"The American Revolution had led to increasing philosophical and political differences between Great Britain and its American colonies† (The Road to Valley Forge). Washington and the United States defied the British and their dictatorial rule over themselves and started a war that made it possible to create the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. â€Å"McCandless describes what he is looking for on his odyssey, particularly on the Alaska trip, as ‘ultimate freedom’. It would seem that this largely represents, to him, freedom from other people’s rules and authority over him†. McCandless wanted to live a life free of people always telling him what to do and giving him â€Å"orders† all the time. Even though McCandless lived a smooth and effortless life, he still wanted the ability to do things himself. Washington wanted the create a new country free from British rule and oppression. â€Å"George Washington hoped to become a free nation andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer1106 Words   |  5 PagesTaste of Adventure Changing your life should not be to run away from your problems; but to do what is best for you. In Into the Wild (1996), Jon Krakauer writes this biographical novel in order to inform readers about a young man named Chris McCandless, who changes his name to Alexander Supertramp, and his identity. Raised in a middle class family with both parents in the suburbs located in Washington, D.C. McCandless is an idealist, intellectual young man who graduated with honors from Emory UniversityRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer1669 Words   |  7 PagesElements of Transcendentalism In the book, â€Å"Into the Wild† by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless is an in-the-closet transcendentalist; all of his ethics match up with those of a transcendentalist, yet he never admits he is one. McCandless agrees with all of the components of transcendentalism and follows them unremittingly as soon as he graduates from college, and he lives by those components to a fault, which ultimately led to his death. Deliberate living, nonconformity, and simplicity are three cardinalRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Wild By Jon Krakauer1402 Words   |  6 Pageswilderness. The remains were concluded to be those of Chris McCandless, an affluent 20-something from Virginia, who wound up dead following his two-year long self-righteous odyssey. Author Jon Krakauer wrote an article on McCandless for Outside magazine, which later disseminated into a novel titled Into the Wild. At a glance, McCandless and Ellsberg may seem like polar opposites, but after a parsing examination, one can s ee that they are incredibly similar. Both Ellsberg and McCandless advocated forRead MoreInto the Wild: by Jon Krakauer1186 Words   |  5 Pagessense Krakauers natural liking for McCandless. He was sympathetic to McCandless, based on Krakauers sense of a shared experience in their youth and up until McCandless eventual death and Krakauers perceived near death experience on the Devils Thumb. I believe the author’s main point and perspective was formed from his own experience and relationship with his father. While the situations were basically reversed with Chris not approving of his father and Lewis Krakauer disappointed in Jon for notRead MoreIntrospection in How to Tell a True War Story, and Into the Wild1494 Words   |  6 Pagestext, â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story† Tim O’Brien expresses his thoughts about the true war story and how the war story is changed according to the person who tells it. Jon Krakauer illustrates Chris McCandless’s journey into the Alaskan wilderness and reasons for McCandless’s gruesome death in an isolated place, in his book â€Å"Into the Wild.† O’Brien relates introspection and a soldier’s war story by saying that the war story portrays the feelings of a soldier. A soldier’s war story is not the exact warRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Into the Wild1669 Words   |  7 Pag esLiterary Analysis of Into The Wild Imagine spending thirty days alone in a tent or a cabin in the wilderness with no technology, electricity, running water, and any form of communication. Every day you wake up to the sight of the beautiful, tall trees and the various wildlife living in the area. Most of the time, you can hear the many sounds of nature: the majestic songs of birds, the whistling in the wind, and trees rustling. But sometimes all you can hear is nothing but silence. Most of usRead MoreJon Krakauer Is A Popular American Author1393 Words   |  6 PagesJon Krakauer is a popular American author. Most of his work covers the ventures of outdoor. The harsh conditions of life, faced by the heroic figures of different times. His widely read and distributed books include Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, Under the Banner of Heaven, Into Thin Air and Into the Wild. After winning the title of bestseller for his earlier account of heroic lives, Jon Krakauer again attempted to write a biography of an outstanding and exceptionally patrioticRead MoreAnalysis Of Chris Mccandlessness In Into The Wild870 Words   |  4 Pagespleasure, and fulfilled his lust for adventure, by tramping around the United States. Rather than living the normal life in civilization, Chris felt his love for nature stated when he abandons his family and lives off the land. Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild wrote the book about Chris McCandless aka Alex Supertramp when he died of starvation in the Alaskan wilderness and made headlines. People around the country voiced their opinion on Chris, some believing him to be brave while others a foolRead MoreEssay on Mountains More Dangerous than Everest1156 Words   |  5 Pagesmountains. Sherpas can function high altitudes, which makes them valuable when they carry climbers bags to the camps for them. Jon Krakauer, a climber of Everest during the 1996 disaster, mentioned that he had to chop ice for three hours without help to use for a dozen gallons of water and some of his teammate would shout for more (157). It was at this point that John Krakauer realized how much the Sherpas did for expeditions. Everest also has a limit on the amount of people per expedition so that overcrowdingRead MoreThe Wild And Ambitious Journey Of Chris Mccandless1202 Words   |  5 PagesInto The Wild Analysis Alexander Supertramp: Personification of Courage The story Into The Wild details the spiritual and ambitious journey of Chris McCandless. Chris McCandless is depicted by the author Jon Krakauer as an individual who grew tired of the social perceptions and all the flavorless interactions that occupied it. Despite the career path that was laid in front of him, McCandless sought something more than what materialism had to offer; He sought enlightenment. Due to the cause that

Friday, December 20, 2019

The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement - 1809 Words

The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has individuals on both sides of the aisle clamoring their opinions over the cultivation and execution of the agreement. NAFTA at 20: Overview and Trade Effects explains that NAFTA was signed into law in 1993 by United States (U.S.) President William J. Clinton a year following President George H.W. Bush’s negotiations on the agreement (Villarreal, Fergusson, p.1). NAFTA has pushed Mexico into the world economy for the better, however, there have been some drawbacks relating to internal policy, and external factors such as China being added in the World Trade Organization. This paper will review the history of NAFTA as well as the impact on the U.S. and Mexico. In the years prior to NAFTA Mexico saw some changes in their trade habits. NAFTA at 20: Overview and Trade Effects explains that after 1920, Mexico’s foreign trade was very restricted, but started to become liberalized in the mid-1980s. As of 2015, Mexico has FTA’s with over 44 different countries. Mexico’s big involvement in foreign trade with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). To gain their membership into the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Mexico had to lower their tariff rates and other restrictions such as import licenses (Villarreal, Fergusson, p.6-7). Mexico virtually went from having no trade with other countries to expanding to just over 20% countries in 30 years. Canada, although not the focus, but included in NAFTA, already had freeShow MoreRelatedWhat Is The Pros And Cons Of The North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement?1847 Words   |  8 Pagesnegotiation, the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a trade agreement between the three north American countries: Canada, United States, and Mexico, was put into effect on January 1st 1994. NAFTA was developed to increase trade among the three north American countries while simultaneously promoting each countries’ economy growth. However, the United States faces a new government, and President Trump believes that NAFTA should be renegotiated to modernize the trade agreement instead of removingRead MoreIs Outsourcing Bad Or Good? The Us Economy?898 Words   |  4 Pagesposition on the various U.S. trade agreements, such as NAFTA? According to office of the United States trade representative, the US has free trade agreements in force with 20 countries (bilateral agreement). Besides that, the US has the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP), and the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In short, the US has the trade agreement with three regions including North America, Atlantic (Europe), and Pacific countriesRead MoreThe United States And Nafta1299 Words   |  6 PagesUniversity of Baltimore â€Æ' The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was designed to create trade that was mutually beneficial for all North American countries. Yet a recent change in the U.S. administration has threatened continued trade between the three major players – the U.S, Canada and Mexico. New President Donald J. Trump’s promises to renegotiate NAFTA have both Canada and Mexico on edge, and without stability, can possibly force Mexico to opt out of the agreement altogether. While NAFTARead MoreEssay on Zapatista Movement in Mexcio1273 Words   |  6 Pagesmarched to Mexico City against the signing of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The free trade agreement was intended to facilitate trading between Canada, United States, and Mexico. The Zapatista claimed that this agreement would affect the indigenous people of Chiapas by further widening the gap between the poor and the rich. In this paper I will examine the NAFTA agreement and the Zapatista’s ideology and claims against the NAFTA agreement to see whether or not any real effects haveRead MoreNaft Cons Of Free Trade1592 Words   |  7 Pages CUSFTA NAFTA: Cons of Free Trade Canadian History CHC2D6-05 Siyan Liu The CUSFTA (Canada - U.S.A. Free Trade Agreement) was established in 1987, officially implemented starting 1988. A few years later it was replaced by the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in 1994, which is essentially the same as its predecessor but with Mexico added in. These trade agreements established and modified rules of international trade among the countries of Canada, the United States ofRead MoreIslamic Development Bank : A Multilateral Financing Organization940 Words   |  4 Pagespercent), Algeria (3.31 percent), and Indonesia (2.93 percent) (Schiavone, 2015). This intergovernmental organization has evolved to create a group of five entities. This group of entities is Islamic Development Bank  (IDB), International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credit  (ICIEC), Islamic Corporation for Development of the Private Sector  (ICD), and Islamic Research Training Institute  (IRTI). There are a number of projectsRead MoreCrucial To Understanding The Appeal Of A Multi-National1714 Words   |  7 PagesCrucial to understanding the appeal of a multi-national economic deal is understanding the theoretical outcomes of such deals. In many cases, the most appealing feature of these institutions is their long-term benefits. Free trade’s opponents focus their criticism on the deals’ short-term consequences, such as ephemeral job loss in the state with higher labor costs. A temporary decline in employment does not outweigh the long term benefit of an economic deal such as NAFTA, which had the potentialRead MoreMexico Is The Largest Exporter Of Methamphetamine, And Marijuana1338 Words   |  6 PagesMexicans work in the drug trade market (Lee). Upon closer examination, however, it can be observed that the drug market is only about 3-4% of Mexico’s GDP (Lee). Although it can be argued that the eradication of this sector would result in savings of bil lions more dollars, it would seem that there is another area in which Mexico should aim to improve in order to become an even more successful world power. Perhaps that area is in improving its method of transacting world trade altogether. This is whatRead MoreNAFTA: Not for America Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagessupport and our government needs to do something stat. One of the first steps in the road to recovery is repealing the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, because it is dangerous to our economic stability and future. NAFTA took effect on January 1, 1994 with the culmination of all quota and tariff repeals on January 1, 2008. This agreement was designed to expand trade between Canada, Mexico, and the United States by reducing restrictions imposed by tariffs and encouraging foreign directRead MorePresident Of The United States860 Words   |  4 Pagesdominant in foreign affairs. Clinton managed to keep international conflicts to a minimum during his first two years as president, however he was later pushed to take action by Serbian outrage against Bosnian civilians. Clinton worked with NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, by conducting a successful three month bombing campaign against Yugoslavia that was meant to end Serbian attacks on ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo. He also ordered a four day bombing campaign against Iraq in response

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Wacos At Waco Essay Example For Students

Wacos At Waco Essay In studying millenarian movements many theories have attempted to explain the behavior of past groups who believe the end of the world is soon approaching. Historically, these accounts have been brought to light mostly by second-hand accounts. Yet these movements have continued until the present day, allowing us to collect information about similar millenarian movements through current observations, and comparing them with the societies, events, and people who led these movements in the past. As the year 2000 approaches, the words millennium, antichrist, and Armageddon have become commonplace in our every day lives. While this happening, we are made aware of this shift in our cultural conciseness and compare current movements to past theories of millenarianism in order to better understand the place these beliefs hold in our culture. The fateful events that revealed David Koresh to the world are exciting because the Waco disaster was similar to historical events and enhanced our unde rstanding of what is known about millennial groups. The harshness of the events that occurred there are worth noting for more than their sensationalism. (A)The Waco events demonstrated how our government reacts to movements it sees as threatening to the social norm, and resulted in such dire consequences as to suggest that all the studies that have been done on millenarianism up until now are not considered deeply enough. (B)The available literature on the Waco events also suggests that the prophet status held by David Koresh in relation to the group was powerful enough to overcome societal pressures to conform to more acceptable beliefs. (C)Finally, the Waco believers ultimately had a marked political effect that draws more conservative believers to hold fast to their millennial beliefs. Waco movement had political impact- gained suspicion from government, had power to arouse fear- Why?***Second point to discuss. Such as: the role of prophets in the ___ movement.***why power- was d ue to prophet status given by group to Koresh –explain how he gave strength and power to affect government to this movement- lead to society***Third point to discuss. Such as: The relationship of the group’s millennial ideas and dogma to social change.***waco movement was able to cause social change-why leader, power, resistance ,disillusionment of members in current society about there way of life(hopeless)***Several biblical experts were called onto the seen during the conflict at Waco. One of these experts, James Tabor wrote his account of the happenings at Waco. In his article â€Å"Religious Discourse and Failed Negotiations, The Dynamics of Biblical Apocalypticism at Waco† asserts that the government reacted to the actions of David Koresh without taking into account what he was truly trying to accomplish. If this was seriously considered, according to the observations of James Tabor, the conflict at Waco could have been resolved without the harsh actions o f the BATF.. Initial live interviews with Koresh were very revealing if studied. Koresh believed himself to be the â€Å"Christ† that would be able to interpret the seven scrolls referred to in the bible as one of the events preceding the end of the world. The government approached the situation as a hostage rescue situation, when infect they were acting out the beliefs that Koresh was teaching would occur before the end of the world. The thing that the government had missed was that no one in the compound had in the past or the present perceived themselves to be a hostage of Koresh, instead the did feel themselves hostages of the U.S. government. The government reacted to Koresh and his followers violently because thy perceived him to be an insane con-artist with no chance of changing his views. The way Koresh spoke contributed to this, but why was he seen to be such a threat as to allow the government to deal with him with such extreme force? The ability of Koresh to be a charismatic leader allowed him to surpass the authority of many traditional forms of authority. Max Weber characterizes this type of authority as â€Å"†¦a certain quality of an individual or personality by virtue of which he is considered extraordinary and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. These are such as are not accessible to the ordinary person, but are regarded as of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of them the individual concerned is treated as a ‘leader’.† By all accounts and of his followers and the media coverage he received, Koresh wa s an exceptionally intricate speaker when it came to interpreting his understanding of the bible. Because his interpretations were extreme and based on fundamentalist ideologies, government psychologists and experts interpreted this to be the ramblings of an insane man. It cannot be denied, however, that the people who followed him perceived him to be endowed with a supernatural ability to recite and decipher the meanings of the most complex bible passages. To a fundamentalist this very ability did seem to be exemplary and therefore â€Å"true† believers felt compelled to follow his teachings. There have been many prophets refereed to in the bible and it is not a far stretch to believe in a present day prophet, especially if his preaching seemed to be such infallible truths to his followers. This disregard for the traditional authority of the federal government inflamed the situation. This also caused the government figures to act more aggressively because of this disregard. Reacting to the actions of a â€Å"crazy† man seems shortsighted. Why didn’t the government allow alternative methods to be carried out? Time was a definite concern at this point. .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .postImageUrl , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:hover , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:visited , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:active { border:0!important; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:active , .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8 .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf68b83ff7fe480ba3fc2dda093a244e8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Frito-Lay Tostistos EssayThe tragedy at Waco was remarkably similar to the events that occurred at Wounded Knee. Just like the battle of Wounded Knee, the events that occurred there have effected our society to this day. The harshness of the government causes people who feel an attachment to these causes to become strongly attached to there cause. Peter Worsely states: The cults thus serve as an expression of reaction against what is felt as oppression by another class or nationality.† Having strong beliefs in this modern American culture that are directly opposed to the popular common beliefs of the culture causes anxiety and feelings of oppression. Although these f eelings of oppression may seem unfounded to many outside observers it is necessary to realize that these beliefs stem not from the isolated events in one persons life, but from the concept that the followers of Koresh felt they belonged to a narrative that was as old as the bible. Michael Carrithers states that it is important to realize how a person may fell deprived of a past or present by aligning themselves with a narrative that belongs to past ancestors or groups. â€Å"†¦the temporal and social perspectives are intimately involved with each other.† â€Å"Moreover, these gradually attained characteristic of persons occur in a mutually constructed flow of events extending beyond any one person’s life cycle into the past and the future.† This can bee seen through the actions of many Indian groups who are still trying to see recognition from the US government to this day for past injustices that seem unclear in a look at the present American culture. This shows that people are attached to the narrative of the groups they relate to, persecution for one’s political and religious beliefs is a tradition that has existed for numerous centuries and was the biases for the founding of the United States of America. Summary paragraph reiterates the main idea from each of the preceding paragraphs. A. Point 1. B. Point 2. C. Point 3. D. Restate main idea (different wording) from paragraph 1. SupportYou’re perspective on the main points. What your ultimate conclusion is based on the readings and discussion of the group this paper is about. State your opinion, subtly but firmly.Final concluding sentence (I like to relate it mildly to the opening sentence of the essay.)Anthropology

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Consumer Behavior Procter Gamble organization †Free Samples

Questions: 1.How Procter Gamble used corporate vision and strategic marketing to re-educated the Chinese community about Pampers? 2.The most important thing for Chinese consumers while buying disposable nappy? 3.Procter and Gamble improved Pampers disposable nappies for their future consumer? 4.Do you think that the choice of the Shunya Communication Group was an appropriate choice by PG to promote Pampers in China, and if so why? 5.What aspects of the Chinese culture could PG have used more to engage its potential consumer when it launched its Pampers strategy and how can the strategy have been improved? 6.How does strategic planning for PG differ in the Chinese domestic market to the international market? Answers: Introduction PG or Procter and Gamble organization was found in the time of 1837, the organization has thrived through changing financial cycles and enormous political and social changes. Procter and Gamble is a worldwide organisation that gives purchase items in the territories of pharmaceuticals, individual care, cleaning supplies, and pet supplies. This portrayal, be that as it may, turns out to be progressively oversimplified the more one investigates the measure of Procter and Gamble and additionally the extent of their operations. Is comprised of more than brand names including Gillette, Bounty, Ivory, Old Spice, Pringles, Pampers and Tide and as of now possesses more than 21 marks that have close $1 Billion in yearly net deals. Delegate and Gamble is a model for related item differing qualities all of Procter and Gamble's items advantage from a similar circulation to the same or same kind of retail outlets and buyers. Procter and Gamble are additionally by and largely credited with having imagined Mark administration. An expansive piece of PG's prosperity can be credited to its enhancement, which originates from the advancement of related items through either acquisitions or in-house start-up improvement. PG's most current procurement of the Gillette Corporation cost the organization near $66 billion ("Procter and Gamble Introduction", 2011). Procter and Gamble are additionally presently propelling and creating a direct to shopper deals online items store. Procter and Gamble said it is propelling the store as a learning lab and not as an approach to sidestep the huge box retailers like Target and Wal-Mart that sell its family unit and individual care brands to Internet customers. The web based shopping website will be possessed and worked by PFS Web and solely highlight Procter and Gamble items to customers. 1. In the initial phase for the product launched Procter and Gamble faced a lot of problem in countering the challenges that erupted during their products promotion. The main challenge was to convince the guardians that the nappies are the best in offer in China. The main strategy was to make the guardians believe that they require the diapers at any cost for every means. The diapers were a hit product in the western markets but it was quite tough to match with the Chinese standers (FRAZIER, 2010). The babies in China were mostly not adapted with the usage this kind of material diapers. The main reason behind such a huge market of PG in China is only because of a person known as Bruce Brown who is the man behind PGs 2 million marketing plan for China. After quite a bit of research and analysis of the consumer behavior in China, pampers is the best product in offer out running all of its core competitors. The concept behind pampers promotion is mind boggling. PGs China market is one f ourth of the market pampers enjoys in USA, and it is expected that over the course of next two years the market is going to have a growth of more 40%. The success that PG enjoy in China manipulated its CEO to take some adverse marketing strategies. He made some arrangement last year to reach out to all corners of the world and attain more than a billion client over the course of five years (Riley, 2013). 2. PG come in the market of China in the season of 1998 through its Pampers product. After a few slips inferable from the low way of its basic thing and the resistance of Chinese watchmen to the likelihood of unnecessary diapers, the market took off in the season of 2007 when PG displayed its Golden Sleep fight that settling extra diapers to rest quality and upgraded kid change. As enthusiasm for unimportant diapers has taken off or Display, relative latecomer Kao has seen its bit of the general business in China surge, even while driving player PG and neighborhood association Hengan International have lost ground and the Chinese needing for Marries drove a practically triple augmentation in advantages at Kao's Human Health Care Business between in 2012-2015 (Suzuki, 2016). The longing for upmarket things is generously clear among the creating salaried class in China, and it is breathing new life into the offers of various Western brands, the diaper wars show up, the example goes pas t the indulgence markets. PG initiated the nonessential diaper publicise in China; it has continued concentrating on the mass consumer, contingent upon close-by creation to manufacture cut down assessed diapers By separation, Kao has focused on the unrivalled claim to fame. With its touted superabsorbent polymer advancement, likewise, the Made in Japan stamp, which seems to guarantee validness the Marries diaper has transformed into a pined for the brand among higher-end consumers. Undoubtedly, a normal more than 88% of Kao's business started from premium things, versus more than 23% for PG and more than 39% for Unicharm (Reingold, 2016). 3. The organization delights consumers through the maintainable advancement of items, enhances the natural operation, creates social duties programs, urges representatives to be locked in, and make partners be in charge of forming the organisation's future. Pamper, the biggest brand of diapers, which can keep their children dry, perfect, protected and open to amid their playing and resting time with the goal which guardians could be consoled about their youngsters. The organisation is at no time in the future concentrating simply on children has ventured into focusing on both toddlers and pregnant women. Pamper is focusing on pregnant women, children and babies, and preschoolers and toddlers. For those they are keen on picking protected and astounding diapers with little size, guardians who have as of now had babies, they are enthusiasm for driest, mildest, and most touchy diapers newborn children. Parents of preschoolers and toddlers, they are occupied with bigger estimated agreeabl e diapers and furthermore preparing pants so they could instruct their children can develop expertise (Reingold, 2016). To fulfil the requirements and enthusiasm of the consumer. Pamper delivered driest, mildest, most agreeable and delicate diapers with a different measure so guardians could choose what they need in light of the stages their children in. Pamper additionally give preparing jeans to a portion of the toddlers and all of the preschoolers so as to help those kids who r during the time spent latrine preparing. Then again, the organisation is focused on creating green products and developed life cycle reusable and dispensable diapers keeping in mind the end goal to manage the consumer's worry. 4. A throwaway diaper, dispensable thing in West, basically wasn't a bit of the social standard in the Chinese nursery. Babies wore texture diapers, or a significant part of the time, no diaper by any methods. Moreover, Bruce Brown, who's supervisor of PG's more than $1.5 billion spending arrangement of RD, is the reason China showed and still displays such a massive open entryway. Today, taking after a long time of intensive investigation and many bumbles, Pampers is offering diaper in China and the Connotation, from various perspectives, is essentially starting there. The Shunya Communication Group was an appropriate choice by PG to promote Pampers in China (Frazier, 2010). The diaper exhibit in China is impacting. It stays at around $1.3 billion unevenly a part the traverse of the U.S. publicise and is foreseen to end up plainly more than 39 percent the accompanying couple of years, as shown by research firm Data screen. PG accomplishment in China has assisted chief executive offi cer Bob McDonald usual few striking destinations. Previous October, he put out a course of action to incorporate near 1 billion customers all through the accompanying around five years by progressing the organization denote all through a bit of the humblest turns of the world. By what strategy will PG method do that? To get knowledge, basically search the way it split and to an enormous degree made the Chinas marketplace for nonessential diapers. Right when the organization first moved Pampers in China in 1998, the effort tumbled. As opposed to working up a fascinating thing for the marketplace, a lower-quality interpretation made by PG of European and U.S., incorrectly tolerating that watchmen get them if they adequately terrible. It did not effort, Brown says. It did not support which family of China had constantly become along okay lacking of nonessential diapers. There, potty arrangement much of the time begins as in front of timetable six months, and youths wear which are splen did open crotch pants which let them short and alleviate themselves in zones which is open. Ruins pitch wasn't persuading people to have a go at something new nor were essentially the thing (Frazier, 2010). We apportioned the sensitivity in the earlier adjustments, told Kelly Anchrum, an official of overall baby mind, exterior relations, and sensibility. It took a plasticky feel. It took us fast to comprehend which fragile quality was comparable as fundamental to mums in a making marketplace. 5. Diapers of PG's totally reframed the diaper classification in China, and in doing as such made huge development for the classification and the brand. It is a decent case of how concentrating on class rivalry is a superior course to development than attempting to win the "my image is superior to anything your image fight. The story is entrancing and useful, as for confining a class as well as to entering another nation with an alternate culture. Pamper entered the China showcase in the year 1998 with a procedure of making a less expensive rendition of their Western item. The outcome was for sure modest and furthermore, was of second rate quality. The item was seen as plastic and disturbing, and it went poorly. In the time of 2006 reexamined item called the Pampers Cloth-like and Dry, was powerful and delicate, a large portion of the cost of U.S. forms. At the same time, deals slacked. The issue was that Chinese consumers were not propelled by dryness or accommodation (Aaker, 2013). They didn't see an issue that would justify changing their current propensities. Be that as it may, an answer was not too far off. PG was amidst top to bottom research on consumers that uncovered that the nature of a child's rest and its effect on the future improvement of the infant was a genuine worry for some guardians. This was combined with the understanding that a dozing infant had a tendency to empower a mother's considerations of the child's future. A review was then charged to the Beijing Children's Hospital's Sleep Research Center that uncovered that infant's wearing Pampers nodded off 29% speedier, rested an additional near 29 minutes consistently, and had half less disturbance for the duration of the night. Deals went up to 54% yet, more imperatively, the classification detonated. From the year of 2006 to 2011 the child expendable diapers advertise developed to about 3 billion, and it's significantly bigger today. What's more, Pampers keeps on being the market pioneer. The key is their attention on class rivalry rather than brand inclination rivalry. Search for another advantage, application or section to characterise a subcategory that will comprise essentially of new clients. Endeavour to ensure your subcategory wins. Contending at the class and subcategory level is the main genuine way to development (Aaker, 2013). 6. Procter Gamble had the correct nappy and correct value point. Currently it met the superior challenge. They have to prove someone which they essential this thing, told by Ali Dibadj, a forecaster who concealments Procter Gamble at Sanford C. Bernstein Co. For Roberts Frances, the global brand franchise leader for diapers, all tour to China was a chance to study more about the habits of Chinese nursery. It is a part of Procter Gamble ethos that brand leaders appointment customers at their homes rather Roberts has complete in maximum countries, including Russia, Jakarta and Germany (Riley, 2013). The aim is to expose the hints of every market, and initial on in its research of diaper, Procter Gamble revealed a universal essential. Mums tell the equal things over and over, Roberts speaks. Their cry, we need good sleep. Through the assistance of the Children of Beijing Hospitals Sleep Investigation Center, Procter Gamble researchers led two thorough investigate between in 2005 a nd 2006, concerning 6,500 visit of home, and more than 900 babies through seven metropolises in China. In its place of cloth, the investigation subjects were inserted into bed through Pampers. Due to these nappies the children tend to sleep fast and also every night they sleep more than 30 minutes than they usually do. Indirectly it is found that more sleep helps to have better development of brain which enable to have a better academic carrier as sort after by most of the parents around the world and also in China ("Procter and Gamble Introduction", 2011). Conclusion The consumer products worldwide organisation PG or Procter and Gamble is a recognised ace of brand administration. Administering more than 299 brands crosswise over 159 nations around the world, its advancements and business hones in marking, item improvement, showcasing and promoting are instructed most likely in practically every advertising course modified at business colleges; throughout the years it has additionally been a hotspot for excellent procedures and strategies to many organizations that emulated its example. PG is really credited with imagining in the middle of 1930s the idea of overseeing by-brand and relegating a brand group to be responsible for coordinating and streamlining all promoting and other administrative exercises for any given brand. It took an additional fifty years to extend and formalize a hypothesis of brand administration, and especially build up the mental ideas of brand's part and capacities in consumer choice procedures; still, PG has for all inten ts and purposes began this chunk of brand administration rolling. References Aaker, D. (2013). How Pampers Made Diapers Relevant in China. Retrieved from https://www.prophet.com/thinking/2013/05/how-pampers-made-diapers-relevant-in-china/ Frazier, M. (2010). How PG Brought the Diaper Revolution to China.Marketers' Magazine. Retrieved from https://mmauc.blogspot.in/2010/04/how-p-brought-diaper-revolution-to.html FRAZIER, M. (2010). How PG Brought the Diaper Revolution to China. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-pg-brought-the-diaper-revolution-to-china/ Procter and Gamble Introduction. (2011).Bitlanders. Retrieved from https://www.bitlanders.com/blogs/procter-and-gamble-introduction/30254 Reingold, J. (2016). Can Procter Gamble Find Its Aim Again?. Retrieved from https://fortune.com/procter-and-gamble-david-taylor-fortune-500/ Riley, J. (2013). How Did PG Reach the Top in China?.Tutor 2U. Retrieved from https://www.tutor2u.net/business/blog/how-did-pg-reach-the-top-in-china Suzuki, S. (2016). China's obsession over these Japanese diapers can tell us a lot about emerging markets. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-craze-for-japanese-diapers-tells-us-about-emerging-markets-2016-7?IR=T

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Misleading Graphs free essay sample

Figure 1, which appeared in Erickson Times, shows the number of Olympic medals won by country. For Germany, the picture of two medals corresponds to almost 500 medals. Therefore, we would expect the picture of four medals to correspond to almost 1000 medals and the picture of six medals to correspond to almost 1500 medals. However, the label for the four-medal picture is 615 and for the 6 medal picture is 1975. Although there is the correct rank ordering, there is little relationship between the pictures of the medals and the labels of the number of medals. Misleading Graphs and Statistics It is a well known fact that statistics can be misleading. They are often used to prove a point, and can easily be twisted in favour of that point! The purpose of this section is to learn how to recognize common statisitcal deception so that to avoid being mislead. Bad Sampling When you use a sample to represent a larger group, you must make sure that the people in the sample are fairly representative of the larger group. We will write a custom essay sample on Misleading Graphs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Example 31. 1 Decide whether a mall is a good place to find a sample for a survey about the amount of allowance received by people ages 10 to 15. Solution. The mall is probably not a representative place to find a fair sample of people in this age range. Taking a sample at the mall might not represent fairly those people who receive a small allowance, or none Misleading Graphs Good graphs are extremely powerful tools for displaying large quantities of complex data; they help turn the realms of information available today into knowledge. But, unfortunately, some graphs deceive or mislead. This may happen because the designer chooses to give readers the impression of better performance or results than is actually the situation. In other cases, the person who prepares the graph may want to be accurate and honest, but may mislead the reader by a poor choice of a graph form or poor graph construction. The following things are important to consider when looking at a graph: 1. Title 2. Labels on both axes of a line or bar chart and on all sections of a pie chart 3. Source of the data 4. Key to a pictograph 5. Uniform size of a symbol in a pictograph 6. Scale: Does it start with zero? If not, is there a break shown 7. Scale: Are the numbers equally spaced? 1 The data on the right suggests that the AR program appears to be helping the students. To make a fair graph of this data, what type of graph would be best? - Incorrect origin of the Y-axis JUST LOOK AT THAT UPWARD SPIKE! Oh, the bottom line of the graph isnt 0, its 19  million. The number didnt triple, despite the looks of things. The most commonly seen sensationalization of graphs in the popular media is probably when the graph is drawn with the vertical axis starting not at 0, but somewhere just below the low point in the data being graphed. Both upward and downward trends are exaggerated, for a more exciting look. For example, the employment data graph to the right, taken from the  New Deal  article in June 2008, purports to illustrate the level of employment in the United States of America over the years. The amount of employment visually appears to triple from 1933 to 1941. However, the vertical axis begins at 19 million rather than at 0; this disguises the fact that the rise was actually about 56%. For this reason, the graph to the right is misleading. It is certainly more exciting than the flatter equivalent, but to be accurate, the graph should have been created with the vertical axis starting at 0. However, one should also avoid insisting on a misleading 0. For example, when plotting the temperature history of Boston, it makes no sense to start the plot at 0  K, since 0 K is far removed from physically obtainable values and will only obscure the actual range of variation. In general, if one needs to use an offset 0, it is advantageous to use labels that are large enough that the offset is legible in the thumbnail. - Abuse of the X-axis The rightmost of these two graphs was snipped from the trough of the leftmost graph. It would be misleading to use the rightmost snippet to claim to represent data during this time period. Manipulation of the graphs X-axis can also mislead; see the graph to the right. Both graphs are technically accurate depictions of the data they depict, and do use 0 as the base value of the Y-axis; but the rightmost graph only shows the trough; so it would be misleading to claim it depicts typical data over that time period. The graph might not be misleading if it were specifically labeled in the caption as showing data only from 1/10/2008 to 1/13/2008 — but its a judgment call whether the wider view would be better anyway.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Distilled Doesnt Mean Pure

Distilled Doesn't Mean Pure Heres a comment a reader posted in response to my article on removing fluoride from water:Ive been taught that distilled water is the purest that one can drink. On the original article you write that this is not a safe assumption. How so?Distillation does purify water, but it cant remove all contaminants. Actually, distilled water can be very impure. Consider how distillation works. First, youre basically boiling water and then letting it cool to collect it again. Ideally contaminants with different boiling points will be removed, if you are careful to collect the distilled liquid at exactly the right temperature and pressure. Its not as easy as it sounds. Plus, there are contaminants that wont separate from the water just from vaporization. Sometimes the distilling process actually adds contaminants that werent originally present, from the glassware or metal components.For distilled drinking water, keep in mind even if the distillation process is scrupulous, impurities come from the container into which the water is placed. Heavy metals are used to stabilize packaging plastics and can leach into the water over time. For that matter, plastic monomers coat a new container and become a part of bottled water.Hard Soft Water | Distilling Ethanol for Your Car

Thursday, November 21, 2019

TERM PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TERM PAPER - Essay Example healthcare system. The emergence of new diseases and continuous growth of the population have triggered the need to modernize disease prevention and public health systems. In the past, the clamor for a National Health Insurance was the outcry of many administrations – in the U.S. and many countries in Europe. Recently however, the Obama administration has pushed for the full implementation of its once a campaign platform but now has become a law, the Affordable Care Act or what is popularly known as the ObamaCare. The aim of this law is to implement within the next ten years an Information System for the healthcare sector and to invest $10 billion annually for the many programs about health insurance and address the problems and challenges of healthcare. Modernizing disease prevention and public health systems is a question of policies and political will. If there is political will, all things are possible under the sun. But what should be modernized? The Medicare and the Medi caid are two healthcare programs that insure U.S. citizens but the system is already rotten and needs to be reprogrammed to address healthcare problems of the people. Medicare was designed to provide healthcare insurance to seniors and the disabled. It was run by the government to focus on reimbursing healthcare expenses and financed by federal taxes but also shared by payroll tax from employers and their workers, to include individual enrollees. Medicare covers hospitalization expenses, physician fees, and expenses for drugs. Medicare Gaps The Medicare program has many gaps which need review and so-called modernization. For example, insurance lacks nursing services, inadequate preventive care insurance, and no insurance for dental, loss of hearing, or vision. Since there is lack of insurance, some enrollees resort to supplemental insurance and so more expenses for the citizens. This gap needs to be reviewed and covered by the ObamaCare, or the Affordable Care Act launched by the pr esent administration. The Medicaid is a government insurance program for the poor and the disabled. It is also the program for poor pregnant women, children, seniors, disabled, and poor parents. Although it’s a federal program, states are given the leeway to improve the coverage and eligibility options. (Chua, 2006, p. 2) Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases Stakeholders in disease prevention should be provided with government incentives. Again this is a question of policies. Policy makers should be able to determine the areas where care is most needed, know the various stakeholders and identify their motivational factors where they could be effective in disease prevention, and develop systems in accessing the incentives. (Singh as cited in Committee on Living Well with Chronic Disease: Public Action to Reduce Disability and Improve Functioning and Quality of Life, Institute of Medicine, 2011, p. 240) Modernizing Disease Prevention and Public Health Systems Problems in healthcare require new ways of detection and prevention of illness. Aids and other virus-triggered diseases are considered new diseases that require new techniques and methods. A. Clinical and Community Preventive Services When there is improved collaboration among health professionals and the community, there is increased reduction in health disparities, deaths and morbidity. Public and private sectors should focus more on the 65-years-and-older sector as this is growing. This is composed of Baby Boomers who

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Article Resposne Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Resposne - Essay Example At the beginning, such people are in denial of cultural difference hence believed that their own culture is the only real one. The second stage is defense, at people at this stage have some knowledge to understand cultural difference and hence see it to be real. Finally, the last stage is minimization in which an individual begins to realize certain elements in his/her culture are universal. People at this stage see similarities. The next level is ethnorelative where a person experiences his/her culture recognizing other cultures as well. Here, there are also three stages of development. The first is acceptance, and this refers to the ability of an individual to understand and appreciate differences in culture. Such people are able to make cultural contrasts. The second stage is adaptation, and people at this stage develop habits and behaviors that are appropriate to that other culture. They not only recognize alternative cultural experiences but develop behavior that is line with th e other culture. The final stage is integration, and this is a state in which a person’s understanding of self includes his/her movement in and out of other cultures. Therefore, their identities generally lie between multiple cultures or world views. Based on this article, I believe I am at the minimization stage under the ethnocentric development. For the time I have been in London, there are two major elements/practices in this culture common to my American culture. First, there is a similarity in religious beliefs and practices. In my culture, the dominant religion is Christianity, and many believe in God and Jesus Christ. This is also the case here in London, and this is illustrated by the many churches around. Secondly, in America, education is one of the pillars of our society. Similarly, this appears to be the case here. There are similarities when it comes

Monday, November 18, 2019

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

Novel - Essay Example Since the ultimate aim of all is to find a suitable match to get married religion does not play the usual role of dividing the people. This is the symbolic message through the characterization in the book articulated by Farahad Zama. The irony is Aruna, though thick into the business of marriage, is unable to marry herself due to financial constraints. She supports the family and without her salary the family has nothing to look forward to. They have no means to fulfil the dowry demands from the husband’s family and high expenditure devolved in making elaborate arrangements for the marriage ceremonies. Her own Bureau cannot help her out because the message of the Bureau is quite clear: â€Å"The Marriage Bureau for Rich People†. The theme of the book is what makes the marriages work and the attitude of the combustible younger generation to the institution of marriage is cleverly elaborated by the author. In issues related to marriage, in India, the caste system holds sway, inter-caste marriages are rare, and love marriages are even rarer. The love marriages find approval if they are within the caste. The involvement and interference of the family members at the negotiating stage of the marriage is too strong. These two systems are at loggerheads and for or against opinions on them baffle definition. The genre of this novel is moral romance. The raw material used by Mr. Ali for successful alliances is love. To him his Marriage Bureau is the mission, not the commission (a business tool for aggrandizement of wealth) He finds his post-retirement job more interesting than his involvement in civil service. Mr. Ali has not defined any particular ideology for running the business of his Bureau, he has accepted the reality of conglomeration of different systems of marriages as per Hindu, Muslim and Christian traditions, and most of his clients are interested in bridegrooms/brides of the same religion, with additional qualifying yardsticks of

Friday, November 15, 2019

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc

Overview Of The Firstbank Nigeria Plc FIRSTBANK Nigeria Plc is one of the oldest financial institutions and indeed the largest retail lender in Nigeria, its the 1st bank to be established in West Africa. The bank was incorporated in Liverpool as a Limited Liability company in March 1894 with the name Bank of British West Africa. The bank was listed on the Nigerian Stock exchange (NSE) in March 1971 after which it acquired its name First Bank of Nigeria in 1979. Following the CBN induced industry-wide consolidation in 2005 the bank acquired its merchant banking subsidiary, FBN Merchant Banker ltd and MBC intl Bank Plc. FirstBank maintains a subsidiary in United Kingdom which has a branch in Paris, the bank also has representative offices in South Africa, China and Dubai through which it offers offshore financial services. Presently the Banks assets are in excess of N100billion. 1.2 THE NATURE AND SIZE FIRSTBANK as a leading commercial bank has the largest network of branches in the country, over the years the bank has continually reviewed its organizational structure and corporate identity in line with changing financial environment. Known for its uniqueness for being dependably dynamic and stability, 1st Bank has made for its self a name, a brand goodwill associated with fidelity and safety of funds. Being a key player in the nations financial-banking sector, Firstbank delivers a wide range of financial services to its numerous customers; the bank is well known for innovative changes in technological device and service delivery. Being the first bank to introduce a Biometric ATM i.e. an ATM machine that uses both pin no selection and finger prints to identify transaction buttresses this point. The bank through its acquired subsidiaries also provide other financial services and they include, insurance policies, housing schemes, asset portfolio management. 1.3 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FIRSTBANK offers a wide range of wholesale, retail and consumer banking products and services in ensuring that it keeps true to its name as the 1st bank of choice in the country,. Our products include: Æ’ËÅ" CONSUMER BANKING: Generic Savings Account, Current Account, First Premium Term Deposit, First Savings Plus Account, First Hifi (Children) Account, First Current Plus Current Account(with zero COT), FIRST Current Business Account, First Dom Account, First Instant Savings Account. All accounts have the flexibility of over the counter withdrawals given the new CBN policy, ATM cards, Dividend warrants lodgment and access to E-Banking services. . Æ’ËÅ" WHOLESALE BANKING: The services and products therein are further divided into ASSET PRODUCTS: They include- Term loans, Overdraft, Oil and Gas contract finance(OGCF), Bankers Acceptance, Commercial Papers, Bills Discounting, Project Finance, Equipment Leasing etc, INTERNATIONAL TRADE FINACE: Includes but not limited to- Import finance, Export Finance, Clean lineconfirmation, Letters of Credit, Bills for Collection, Forex Trading Invisible RemittancesPayment for Services. Æ’ËÅ" E- BANKING: First Online which allows you to transact business online at the comfort or your home or offices. First Alert-Instant notification on your account First Mobile-Access to your account through you phone, it includes buying of airtime and payment of utility bills. First Pay and First Collect-effect payment and several collection to and from your merchants. FIRST CARDS : Debit and Credit cards which include- MasterCard, FirstBank Naira MasterCard, First Cash Card, Visa Card (Gold, Classic and Infinite), Visa Credit Card. Notice that all cards issued by the bank comes with FIRSTBANK brand name- FIRST FIGURE 1C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstBank MasterCard.jpg C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAVISA_GOLD2.gif C:UsersDanielDesktopCYNTHIAFirstCash Card.jpg Æ’ËÅ" MONEY TRANSFER: FIRSTBANK offers funds transfer services locally and internationally through mediums like- First Domestic Transfer, Western Union, Money Gram and RIA. Æ’ËÅ" OTHER SERVICES: Other services rendered by the bank includes- Agricultural Financing, FIRST Diaspora banking services for Nigerians in Diaspora and Bills Payment for prompt settlement of utility bills(e.g. PHCN, Water and DSTV) 1.4 VISION, MISSION AND ESSENCE Vision: To be the clear leader and Nigerias bank of first choice Mission: To remain true to our name by providing the best financial services possible Essence: The DNA of the FirstBank brand lies in its strength, size and dependability, typified by its brand icon, the African Elephant. Our brand essence is therefore Dependably Dynamic which is a holistic representation of our past, present and the future of FirstBank. 1.5 CORE VALUES The core values of FirstBank are coined in an acronym for quick recall and living by the guiding principle TELL SPIC Team Work Everyday a better way, the team spirit is embedded in our culture as the best possible way to work. Ethics The good will of the bank is to be maintained as you deal with both internal and external customers, ensuring that the client leaves your office satisfied. Loyalty the essence of brand name and its very existence evolves in loyalty to our customers, Firstbank has been in existence for generations and loyalty to our customers is what makes us tick. Superior Performance To strengthen the banks brand, leverage and upscale the customers experience through delivery of excellent services. Professionalism To revolutionize the Banks operations in line with the dynamics of the operating environment while ensuring that we provide the best financial services unmatched. Integrity Adopt high ethical values to guide the conduct of all banking business and transactions in conformity with all relevant regulatory requirements. Customer Centricity The customer is the king and the reason we are in business, their demands should be met in line with banks policy 1.6 OUR BRAND PILLARS LEADERSHIP Our statusability as truly the 1st and No1 SAFETYSECURITY- Security of fundsInvestments, job security, Integrity. ENTERPRISE Resourcefulness, Tenacity SERVICE EXCELLENCE Efficiency, Performance focused, Reliability, Accessibility 2.0 PLANNING This chapter focuses on goal setting, study plan, expected difficulties to be encountered in data collection and plan to overcome these challenges. 2.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE ORGANISATIONAL ANALYSIS The objective of the organizational analysis is to specifically examine the current state of the Banks operational and structural framework, analyse the functional units and the interface relations and also recommend ways of improving the interface relations. 2.2 GOAL SETTING Goals setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-framed (S.M.A.R.T ) target by an individual or organization. Goal focuses attention towards goal-relevant activities, revealing the objectives and strategies in which the goals can be met. Figure 1 below is the structured project plan for the organisational analysis. Activity Timeline 20-Jun-12 22-Jun-12 24-Jun-12 26-Jun-12 28-Jun-12 30-Jun-12 2-July-12 4-July-12 8-July-12 10-July-12 12-July-12 14-July-12 16-July-12 18-July-12 22-July-12 Review of BSN course material Data Gathering Data compilation Report writing Draft Report Review Sub-set meeting Review Update report Draft submission to set adviser Correction and final submission Figure 2: Project Plan 2.3 PROJECT PLAN Reviewing of the BSN course materials and EBSCO database to understand theory on organisational structures, data collection method and research report writing style. The internet (Google search and Wikipedia) comes in very handy in enhancing project plan. The objective of the data collection stage of the project is to gather relevant and accurate information, to obtain the participation and co-operation of the appropriate target population and to facilitate the collection and analysis of data. The targeted populations are staff of the functional units, staff of hub branches, heads of the functional units (department) and some strategic business units and staff of Human Capital Management- Head Office. The medium to achieve this includes- Informal Interviews, telephone survey, one-on-one chats with some members of the targeted population e.g. the heads of departments and staff of the Human Capital management because of their exigent duties. All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews (which are not formal) and not written questionnaires. The FirstBank Intranet and internet website will be used extensively to gather information on functional units and organizational structure while personal visits to the Head Office and hub branches will be utilized to objectively gather information on functions of various departments, interface relations and recommendations for improvement of the interface relations. Data compilation stage will include analyzing data collected and reviewing information from subset meetings and research report writing. Report writing stage would involve applying the reviewed data gained from the various materials and extraction of relevant information from FIRSTBANK intranet and periodic publications. Data structuring and report preparation will also be done at this stage. Reviewed responses from telephone calls and outcomes of informal interviews Discussed challenges with Set Advisor at subset meeting and via phone calls. Update and revised document with necessary corrections. 2.4 DIFFICULTIES TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN DATA COLLECTION Questionnaires could not be used because of the banks policy on bulk mails or questionnaires related to work and business environment hence adequate data collection seemed impossible. Network challenges when accessing both the internet and the Banks intranet. Time constraint and the busy schedule of visited staff will also be a limitation. Insufficient time due to researchers official duties. 2.5 PLAN TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES All perceived sensitive questions would be handled through interviews and not written questionnaires. Extra hours to be dedicated for accessing the Banks intranet while a substitute internet modem was purchased to curb congestion or delays on web hosts. Personal interviews will be conducted for staff with busy schedule, telephone calls and communication chat applications were also utilized for other staff Ensure proper time management. 3.0 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE This chapter focuses on the theories of organisational structure and organisational culture. 3.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE Organisations exist to achieve goals; these goals are broken down into tasks as the basis for jobs. The term organisational structure therefore refers to the formal configuration between individuals and groups regarding the allocation of tasks, responsibilities, and authority within the organization (Galbraith, 1987; Greenberg, 2011). Said differently, The framework, typically hierarchical, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. (Business Dictionary-Google). The structure of the organization can be defined simply as the sum total of ways in which its labour is divided into distinct tasks and the its coordination is achieved among these tasks /(Mintzberg 1983a) Very early organizational structures were often based either on product or function (Oliveira Takahashi, 2012). Others moved beyond these early approaches and examined the relationship between organizational strategy and structure (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, Willett, 2002). This approach began with the landmark work of Alfred Chandler (1962, 2003), who traced the historical development of some companies, He concluded from his study that an organizations strategy tends to influence its structure. He suggests that strategy indirectly determines such variables as the organizations tasks technology, and environments, and each of these influences the structure of the organization. More recently, social scientists have augmented Chandlers thesis by contending that an organizations strategy determines its environment, technology, and tasks. These variables, coupled with growth rates and power distribution, affect organisational structure. The Organisational structure as argued by Alfred Chandler can be seen in FIRSTBANK structure which was changed recently to suit the Banks intended strategy. The Bank in Oct 2010 had embarked on a re-structuring of its entire operational system and workforce, we can therefore deduce that Strategy determines organizational structure. A critical review of Mintzberg definition shows that it is not against the aforementioned, the design of every superstructure ends up as a compromise between the objective factors of work flow, process and scale interdependency, and the subjective factors of personality and social need. Organisations may be conceived on paper, but they must function with flesh-and-blood human beings. (Mintzberg, 1983). Hence for a critical analysis of FirstBank OA, the Mintzberg theory will be adopted. 3.1.1 ORGANISATIONAL CONFIGURATION Mintzberg claims that organisations are composed of five basic elements, or groups of individuals, any of which may predominate in an organisation. The design parameters determine individual positions (examples will be shown using FirstBank configuration) Operating Core: Staff or employees who perform the basic work related to an organisations product or service e.g.- Tellers, Customer Service Officer, Foreign Operations Staff Strategic Apex: Top-Management responsible for running an entire organisation. The Executive Directors and Executive Vice President of the bank sit at the Strategic Apex Middle Line: Managers who stand in a direct line relationship between the strategic apex and the operating core. They include the Group Heads, RegionalArea Office Managers. Techno structure: Organisational specialists responsible for standardising various aspects of an organisations activities eg- Internal Control and Audit, Compliance, Credit Risk Management(CRM) AND MANCO Support Staff: Individuals who provide support to an organisation outside its operating workflow.(I.T support, Security personnels) Mintzberg identified five organisational configurations, they however depend some contingency factors which include Age of the organization, Size Technical System, Environment and Power factors: Æ’ËÅ" Simple Structure is characterized by loose division of labor, relies on direct supervision and finds its key part at the strategic apex Æ’ËÅ" Machine Bureaucracy which relies on standardisation of work process, relatively centralized power for decision making; with its key part in the techno structure where the planners of the organisation reside. Professional Bureaucracy which deals with standardisation of skills and has the operating core as its key part. Divisionalised form -each division has its own structure, it centers on standardisation of outputs. Autonomous units are created to deal with entire product lines, allowing top management to focus on large-scale, strategic decision. The middle line is key part of the organisation. Adhocracy, a highly informal, strong presence of mutual adjustment, organic organisation in which specialists work in teams, coordinating with each other on various projects. FIRSTBANKS structure like most large corporations is characterized by the divisionalised form of Mintzbergs configuration as various divisions (departments) are created by their product lines or end products. The techno structure is located at Head Office to provide services to all divisions; support staffs are located within each division like we have the IT support for each area and marketing assistants who are support staff assigned to each branch. Most of the operational activities are conducted by the middle line managers, department heads or unit heads and they all operate with some form of independence and centralization within their units. They coordinate the output, acting between the strategic apex and the operating core. They also oversee the activities of the operating core and are expected to report back to strategic apex. The typical operational structure in a FIRSTBANK branch is divided into two divisions- i. The Operations Unit who are in charge of the everyday running of branch and attending to customers demand. The head of this unit is called The Branch Operations Manager. ii. The Retail or marketing unit who are in charge of increasing the market size and credit portfolio of the branch. The Business Manager heads this unit of the branch. Each of these units runs independently of each other with separate reporting lines even though they are situated in the same complex ant they form part of the whole group. Given the Banks ever evolving strategy in line with changes in market dynamics and technological advancement, the structure design is determined by the strategic planning and corporate transformation unit through the HCM department, stating unit and individual key responsibilities and the reporting lines. The final structure is then approved by the strategic apex and the statutory regulatory authority (Central Bank of Nigeria). Usually the bank makes the policies available on its local INTRANET and other periodic publications or circulars as organisational changes are initiated. 3.1.2 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE EFFECTIVENESS EFFICIENCY Effectiveness of a system is about doing the right things. Its about producing the intended or expected result, In measuring organisational effectiveness, the relevant question would be: is the organisational system doing the right thing for its survival?, is it focusing its drive on opportunities to produce revenue? Is it producing the output it needs if it is to survive? Efficiency of a system, on the other hand is about the inputs the system uses in order to produce outputs that is doing things right, accomplishing your tasks with a minimum of time and resource, It centers on performance and cost reduction. To thoroughly examine organizational success, both measures should be considered because productivity is a function of inputs to outputs which is the theme of efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency should always be the servant of effectiveness.(BSN Phase 1, module IX, p 575) Looking at the Banks history and evolutions, one can boldly say that FIRSTBANK has achieved some level of efficiency and effectiveness. The total assets of the Bank as at Dec 2011 as published equals N,2463,543, total equity was N373,572 while the total Customer Deposits was N1,783,777,(figures are in millions).however there is room and need for improvement, the Bank lacks behind in mobilization of current account deposits and booking of credit facilities. These lapses deny the bank of some benefits which include increase in customer base and collection of float income from these deposits. The FIRST Instant savings account was introduced by the Bank to bridge this gap on deposit mobilization, this product however has not recorded much success because of the strict requirements, the deployment of FINACLE 10 Banking solution which is scheduled to kick off this year July is an Efficiency measure in order to reduce turnaround time, this I believe is coming rather too late. The strategic Apex of the Bank needs to review these points afore mentioned and reach a favorable conclusion so that the Bank can edge forward. 3.1.3 DESIGN PARAMETERS Mintzberg identified nine design parameters. By using these parameters the organisational designer can influence the way individuals are positioned in the organisation and the way groups or departments are formed. The design parameters are Job specialisation; Behavior formation; Training and indoctrination; Unit grouping; size; Planning and control systems; Liaison devices; Vertical and horizontal decentralization. The design parameters predominant in FIRSTBANK are: Job Specialisation: In FIRSTBANK, all job titles are specified, the roles to be performed, the job description, key competences and reporting lines are well explained for staff to understand. Job Specification for each job title is easily accessible on the intranet, it is the banks believe that job specialization increases employee productivity. Æ’ËÅ" Training and indoctrination: In order to carry out task, employees need to possess particular skills and knowledge.(BSN Phase 1 Course Notes, pg 584). In FirstBank its a trend to continuously train staff on a need to know and improvement basis, this exercise forms part of appraisal marks to be awarded during year end performance rating. The heads of branches or departments recommend staff for training if a knowledge gap or improvement need is identified. Educational and career advancement is also encouraged. The Human Capital Management Development anchors this aspect of the bank. Given the ever increasing need for the aforementioned, the Bank has rebranded its HCMD training arm to be called FIRST ACADEMY. The essence is to inculcate the banks values, ensuring that their staffs are well grounded and ever ahead of industry trends. Indoctrination are done upon recruitment of staff be it new or experienced hirees in order to imbibe the banks culture and values into them. The unit grouping is an important design parameter in FIRSTBANK because it creates a system of supervision in which there is a reporting line, departmental, unit or group head for all strategic units of the bank, this encourages standardization of outputs. Firstbank adopts functional grouping Vertical decentralisation: Mintzberg (1983a, p.99) defines vertical decentralisation as the dispersal of formal power down the chain of line authority. FISTBANK adopts limited vertical decentralization. Heads of departments/units are delegated the power to control most of the decisions concerning their line units and such decisions are cascaded down to their subordinates, however they have their reporting lines and various limits. 3.2 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Culture refers to the underlying values, beliefs and codes of practice that makes an organisation what It is. The customs of an organisation, the self image of its members, the things that make it different from others are its culture. Culture is symbolic; Culture is unifying and refers to the processes that bind the organization together. Culture is rooted deep in unconscious sources but is represented in superficial practices and behavior codes. Deal and Kennedy (1982) argue that culture is the single most important factor accounting for success or failure in organizations. They identified four key dimensions of culture: Values the beliefs that lie at the heart of the corporate culture. Heroes the people who embody values. Rites and rituals routines of interaction that have strong symbolic qualities. The culture network the informal communication system or hidden hierarchy of power in the organization. Peters and Waterman (1982) suggest a psychological theory of the link between organizational culture and business performance. Culture can be looked upon as a reward of work; we sacrifice much to the organization and culture is a form of return on effort. Schein (1992) says that organisational culture is developed over time as people in the organisation learn to deal successfully with problems of external adaptation and internal integration. It becomes the common language and the common background. Employee values are measured against organizational values to predict employee intentions to stay, and predict turnover. This is done through instrument like Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) to measure employee commitment (OReilly, ChatmanCaldwell 1991). However Daniel Denisons model (1990) asserts that organizational culture can be described by four general dimensions: Mission Strategic Direction and Intent, Goals and Objectives and Vision Adaptability Creating Change, Customer Focus and Organizational Learning Involvement Empowerment, Team Orientation and Capability Development Consistency Core Values, Agreement, Coordination/Integration Denisons model also allows cultures to be described broadly as externally or internally focused as well as flexible versus stable. The model has been typically used to diagnose cultural problems in organizations. 3.2.1 FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ORGANISATIONS CULTURE (FIRSTBANK) According to Schein (1992), the two main reasons why cultures develop in organizations is due to external adaptation and internal integration. External adaptation reflects an evolutionary approach to organizational culture and suggests that cultures develop and persist because they help an organization to survive and flourish. If the culture is valuable, then it holds the potential for generating sustained competitive advantages. Additionally, internal integration is an important function since social structures are required for organizations to exist. Organizational practices are learned through socialization at the workplace. Work environments reinforce culture on a daily basis by encouraging employees to exercise cultural values. Organisational culture is shaped by multiple factors, including the following: External environment Industry Size and nature of the organizations workforce Technologies the organization uses The organizations history and ownership The external environment to FirstBank includes the ever emerging competitors, the realization of this pushes the Banks management is forge ahead and be innovative. The increasing number of banks offering same products that Firstbank had exclusivity to buttress this point, exceptional service delivery and brand value/positioning are the keys to have an edge over others. Other aspects of FirstBanks external environment include the legal or statutory regulations which the Bank must conform with, the political, socio-economic dynamics of Nigeria. The workforce of the bank is considerably large in comparism to other banks being the bank with the largest number of branch network and emerging diaspora banking through its subsidiaries. Prior to the rebranding of the Banks workforce, 1stBank had a culture of mostly old staff and few young staff, in 2008 the bank retrenched over 900 staff especially those who had spent over 25 years in service, the management immediately embarked on recruitment of new and experienced hirees who were relatively young, in addition to this, salaries were increased to suit the modern banker status. A new culture in that aspect had been achieved as 1stbankers were no longer distinguished by long suits and old staff. 3.2.2 FIRSTBANK CULTURE FIRSTBANK possesses a strong culture which is continually being improved. In the light of Daniel Denisons model of culture dimensions, FirstBanks mission strategic direction, goals and objectives, are clearly understood by members of staff. The Bank strives to make its staff live by its core values and this has so far helped the bank in terms of durability and goodwill. For the importance of the afore mentioned, FirstBank carries periodic mystery shopping exercise and branch spot checks to ensure that we live what we preach, hence staff are enjoined to move with the train. FirstBank adapts quickly to industry changes and are quick to identify a market opportunity hence they are most often the fore most bank for some products or innovations in the banking industry. Its the bank policy for staff to stick to a particular dress code, have the banks premises painted in a particular way and colour, have a products and services delivered to customers with the brand name FIRST and a unique way of service delivery. All this distinguishes the Bank and a Firstbanker from every other bank or person. The Elephant is also a historic symbol of FirstBanks culture which represents stability and strength, like Peters and Waterman (1982) suggests, the strong culture of the bank has positively enhanced its good will and market share, however things can get better. There exist an area of improvement in the Banks culture as it is normally being discussed within its members that staff are not been sufficiently motivated, the slow promotion process is a major aspect of this. A review of the Banks choice to downsize its work force recently by way of retiring (and firing) staff (although with mouth watering incentives) buttresses this point. Firing on the base of culture Usually pointed as a source of creating family like environment, the notion of corporate culture is also used for firing, with this practice started from shoe company Zappos, which granted its fired employees with huge compensations afterwards.(Google- Wikipedia .As the corporate culture may mean almost everything, firing on the base of culture means the employer does not accept and desire to be inclusive for the culture of the employee and thus the employee does not fit in corporate culture, although this may fall in the ground of discrimination, there is still not law or case law resolving or addressing the question making this practice possible and available for businesses for now. Firing on corporate culture is a recent practice, from 2008. 3.2.3 CULTURAL TYPES Handy (1985) identified four(4) types of organizational culture and they include: Power culture: Entrepreneurial in nature, central control, quick to response, built on trust flexible. Role culture: Roles are more important than persons, functional, rule and procedure driven Task Culture: Cross functional, based on jobs and projects, networked, coordinationcombination of jobs around tasks. Person Culture: People are the central focus, controls are only possible where members agree. FIRSTBANK adopts the role culture, this is because the roles are seen before the persons behind it, and the workforce is also driven by rule (policies) and procedure. 3.2.4 THE PROCESSUAL APPROACH The processual approach is a translation model in which movements of ideas or objects reside in the sense maki

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Overview of VPN Technologies :: essays research papers

Multi-vendor interoperability for virtual private networking is essential in today’s networking environment due to the nature of business acquisitions, the need to extend corporate networks to contractors and partners, and the diverse equipment within company networks. To ensure customers have an open solution, Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based VPN technology is based on industry standards. By supporting IETF industry standards, Microsoft delivers a VPN solution that will work with other standard-compliant devices or software systems, helping to lower the cost and complexity of supporting proprietary solutions. Customers who use standards-based technology are not locked into any given vendor’s proprietary implementations. Microsoft supports the IETF efforts to standardize VPN technology. To date, two major technologies are IETF standards: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)—a combination of PPTP and Cisco’s Layer 2 Forwarding, which evolved through the IETF standards process. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)—an architecture, protocol, and related Internet Key Exchange (IKE) protocol, which are described by IETF RFCs 2401-2409. The combination of these technologies is described in RFC 3193, an IETF Proposed Standard. In addition to IETF standards-track technologies, Microsoft supports PPTP, created by the PPTP Industry Forum (US Robotics [now 3Com], 3Com/Primary Access, Ascend, Microsoft, and ECI Telematics.) PPTP is a published informational RFC (RFC 2637) and has many companies shipping third-party implementations. For advanced security requirements, IPSec has emerged as a key technology. However, IPSec tunnel mode by itself does support legacy authentication methods, tunnel IP address assignment and configuration, and multiple protocols—all critical requirements for remote access VPN connections. To provide a truly interoperable solution, Windows Server 2003 uses L2TP in combination with IPSec to provide an interoperable, secure VPN solution. L2TP has broad vendor support, particularly among the largest network access equipment providers, and has verified interoperability in a series of vendor-sponsored testing events.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

John the Baptist Portrayed in Art

Saint John The Baptist There are countless portrayals of John the Baptist and the representation of his relationship to Jesus and to the Church. John has been one of the saints most frequently appearing in Christian art. The Baptism of Christ was one of the earliest scenes from the life of Christ to be frequently depicted in Early Christian art. John's tall, thin, and bearded figure is already established and recognizable by the 5th century. In the Gospel of Luke, we are first introduced to him when Mary goes to tell her cousin, Elizabeth, the news of her pregnancy.Elizabeth, already six month’s pregnant, felt the unborn child â€Å"jump for joy† in her womb. According to the Gospels, John declared, â€Å"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord. ’† Christians interpret this to mean that John was sent to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. John does just this, when he is the one who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and baptizes him. The baptism marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Because this was said to be the beginning, John is know as John the Baptist and John the Forerunner.We will describe the appearance of John the Baptist further in our analysis and how this depicts his life hundreds of years later. The first work, titled â€Å"John the Forerunner† was done by an unknown iconographer in the typical Orthodox style during the 11th Century. It follows the prototypes established for John the Baptist within the Eastern tradition. In fact, the orthodox often refer to John as the Forerunner, as you see in this piece, because as stated before, he led the way for Christ’s arrival. As most orthodox works are, John is very still and lacking emotion, and there is no emphasis on three dimensionality.The mosaic relies heavily on symbolism instead, by portraying John with a scroll in his left hand and a gesture pointing up to Jesus Christ with his right hand. The iconic imag ery of the scroll symbolizes John’s importance and holiness as a preacher of God. The scroll reads â€Å"ECCE AGNUS DEI, QUI TOLLIT PECCATA MUNDI†, or â€Å"Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,† marking John’s prediction of the Messiah’s approach. Typically, we see John dressed in his camel tunic, but here, we see the specifics of his clothing may vary. John the Baptist is also depicted with a halo, emphasizing his ainthood and his major contribution to the life and mission of Christ. In Donatello’s bronze statue of Saint John the Baptist, we see his tunic made of camel hair, along with the iconographic imagery of his raised right arm and his symbolic staff and scroll in his let arm. Although the imagery is still present, Donatello gives St. John emotions with the expression of pain or grief on his face. The adding of emotion was a fairly common trait of the Florentine High Renaissance period, and it also signifies a slight shift in representation compared to our previous Orthodox work.For quite some time, there was debate over the completion date of the sculpture. In 1973, the restoration of the piece revealed a signature and date of 1438. The date confirms that Donatello carved the sculpture in Florence for the Venetian confraternity of the Florentines. The Renaissance was a time of innovation within religious art. We start to see it with Donatello’s work, but it is strikingly clear in Jacopo del Sellaio’s circa 1480 version of St. John. Sellaio abandons the iconic scroll, traditional clothing, and even John’s gesture made toward the heavens.Instead, Sellaio shows us a youthful John the Baptist, wearing bright, impressive colors. Included is a small bowl, placed at John’s feet to symbolize the baptism of Christ. Other than that, most of the religious symbolism has transferred to political symbolism, evident in the detail of the landscape. In the distance, we see th e Palazzo Vecchio, Brunelleschi’s dome cathedral and the campanile designed by Giotto. Therefore, this work would have appealed to the Church and the people of Florence by combining a sense of religious, social, and political pride, which was also not uncommon during the Renaissance in Florence.The Sermon of Saint John the Baptist, by Pieter Bruegel, was done in the elaborately detailed Baroque style during the Reformation Period of Northern Europe. In the painting dated 1566, and done with oil on wood, we recognize a village preacher at one of the countless religious congregations that took place during the Reformation. The preacher is identified as John the Baptist, as he is in his traditional camel cloak. St. John is almost lost in the heart of the picture, leaving the colorful, unorganized crowd to be the principal subject of the painting.We must search for the meaning of the painting by looking closely; scanning to see what story the painter intended to tell. John the Ba ptist therefore is not in the traditional iconic format here. The size, detail, and landscape seem to be more of the focus, which is a quality of Baroque Reformation art. This change in focus served as a statement for the Protestants, insinuating that the salvation of humankind lies within the individual’s faith alone, not solely with the canons of the Catholic Church. Our group looked at this painting and immediately noticed the â€Å"light at the end of the tunnel†, or how the path forward, is lit up so brightly.John the Baptist is almost preaching and pointing the way from the dark to the light, from wrong to right, towards the path of Christ. This painting is now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. Dutch artist, Bartholomeus Breenbergh, completed his version of The Preaching of John the Baptist circa 1634, which is again in the Baroque Reformation period. Breenbergh does represent John the Baptist traditionally for the most part, keeping his right ha nd pointed to the sky and his left hand holding a staff. On the contrary though, the attention to individuality and landscape still presents itself, much like Bruegel’s work.The crowd around John the Baptist seems to be preoccupied and somewhat inattentive, further symbolizing the Catholic and Protestant split. John the Baptist may be talking of the Saviors arrival, and has scared those who do not or refuse to believe. Breenbergh’s piece can be viewed in person in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City. Spanish artist, El Greco is credited for his Counter Reformation work in his rendition of St. John the Baptist. The detailed landscape we have discussed previously is still incorporated, however, the focus and iconography are extremely emphasized.Paying tribute to the traditional St. John the Baptist, El Greco removes the confusion of the Reformation style and retains his pose, staff, camel tunic, and lamb. The images we have seen so far have not included the lamb, but in earlier images of St. John the Baptist, the lamb was commonly interchangeable with the scroll or staff. If the scroll or staff were absent from the image, then a book or object with a picture of a lamb on it would be present, in order to keep the iconography of Jesus Christ within the context.We see El Greco taking the initiative and mixing the Catholic Church’s traditional conventions with the Baroque style, which essentially is the definition of Counter Reformation art. Another example of Counter Reformation art during the Baroque period can be seen in Mattia Preti’s Saint John the Baptist Preaching. Similar to El Greco’s work, the symbolism and iconography is much more in-depth compared to the Reformation art in the north. The Counter Reformation style resorts back to the heavy emphasis on symbolism in art, a quality that seemed to fade during the Renaissance.This return to symbolism served as the Catholic Church’s statement on the importa nce of tradition and its restoration after the Protestant Reformation. John the Baptist looks almost exhausted, assumed from preaching, as the background shows the sun setting after a long day. The lamb is also laying down, looking towards where John is pointing to the coming of Jesus. In Philippe de Champaigne’s 1657 version of John the Baptist, we are able to see him up close and large in size in comparison to other portrayals as well as to the background of this painting in general. De Champaigne has St.John looking out, assuming that he does not yet have your attention. His glare seems to take you in and point you in the direction of an approaching figure. As the Forerunner, Jesus’ precursor, John the Baptist is announcing the coming of the Messiah with the staff and scroll announcing â€Å"Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. † John the Baptist is about to hand over his reign as preacher to the greater one who is on His way. This painting almost transcends time, John is not just pointing us back to the past, but to how Jesus’ mission is still in the future.The picture shows Jesus as someone we haven't met, haven't heard of, and can barely see yet. It is showing its viewer the coming of Jesus then and as He will come again, as the scripture tells us. The life-size marble statue of St. John the Baptist, by Giuseppe Obici, shows that during the 19th century, the Catholic Church was still holding strong to its iconic representation of St. John the Baptist. By this point, the traditional conventions displayed in this sculpture should be obvious, furthering the importance of iconography in art, at least by the Catholic Church’s standards.Just twenty-two years after Obici’s ever-symbolic John the Baptist, French sculptor Auguste Rodin breaks the mold of the Church’s iconographic representation. In Rodin’s version, St. John is stripped of his normal tunic and left nude, a feature t hat would not have been popular amongst the ideals of the Roman Catholic Church in the 19th century. The religious symbolism is also removed from this work. The lamb representing his holiness as a preacher is left out, and although it appears St. John’s gesture towards heaven remains, this convention is left out also.Sources say that the statue was originally holding a cross in his right hand, but was soon removed to take away any narrative context for the figure. Without the cross, there aren’t any religious connotations involved with this piece, other than its title. Some may consider this to be a sign of the Church’s declining influence on art and a beginning to the contemporary age of the 20th century. Moving on to Modern art, the work done last year by a young English artist, Lara French, entitled â€Å"John the Baptist† after its inspiration, the medieval work on the right.This abstracted piece of modern art removes itself even further from the orig inal icon of John the Baptist, maybe as far as physically and symbolically possible. We speculated and talked as a group about any possible connections between the two, and came up with very few. We therefore look forward to hearing what our classmates have to say and to see if they find any features that we missed. In conclusion, we have looked at works ranging from the 11th century to today. The early Orthodox works appear highly iconographic and unconcerned with anything else.The Renaissance introduced to the world new ways to look at religious art. This was mainly due to the growing power and pride of Popes, aristocratic families, and the politics of Florence at the time. The Church lost some of this power during the Reformation, in which the Protestants used art to make statements about their beliefs. In reaction, the Catholic Church did the same by restoring their tradition and iconography in their art. Finally, as the need for patrons declined and the presence of artistic fre edom increased, iconography in art is now generally decided by artists themselves.