Character Motivations in Antigone Essay

The main characters in Sophocles’ drama, Antigone, are Antigone herself, the play’s tragic heroine and Antigone’s uncle and King of Thebes, Creon. Both characters are ruled by powerful motivations and beliefs; however, they differ from one character to the next. Antigone’s motivation is love for her family- she puts it above all else. In fact, she is willing to sacrifice her life to defend that love. Antigone goes to great lengths to bury her deceased brother, who according to an edict issued by King Creon, died in dishonor, consequently making it illegal for anyone to bury his body. Through her actions to comply with her motivations, it is revealed that Antigone’s actions are also fueled by her strong beliefs that, first, the gods’ laws are more powerful than any law made by man, and second, that it is better to die a heroic death than a cowardly one. Throughout the play, Antigone stands firm on these beliefs by standing up for them even through her death as demonstrated through the following dialogue in which she admits her crime, and voices her beliefs to Creon; â€Å"It was not Zeus who published this decree, nor have the powers who rule among the dead imposed such laws as this upon mankind; nor could I think that a decree of yours- A man- could override the laws of heaven unwritten and unchanging†¦For me to meet this doom (death) is little grief; But when my mother’s son lay dead, had I neglected him and left him there unburied, That would have caused me grief; this causes me none† (437-459). This scene illustrates the essence of Antigone’s character. She’s defending her â€Å"crime† of burying her brother, thus demonstrating that she is motivated by the love that she has for her family. She’s further justifying her act by stating that Creon’s law is not the law that she feels she must adhere to- she follows the gods laws, another one of her guiding beliefs, and finally, she’s not only accepting her impending doom, but actually welcoming it because she’s dying defending her beliefs, therefore dying a heroic death rather than dying in cowardice. On the other hand, Creon is also motivated by love; however, his love is love for his country, rather than his family. He puts country above all else, including his family- he’s willing to do whatever he needs to do to make sure that Thebes remains powerful. In order to achieve this goal he demands loyalty from his subjects, once again, family included; he rules by intimidation, and is very proud. In fact, pride is another one of his major motivations. For these reasons, his character is a feared leader. First of all, the fact that he issues that his nephew cannot be buried shows that- one, he demands loyalty, even over loyalty to the gods, and two, he defends his country over his family. He continues displaying his beliefs when he doesn’t revoke the edict even after his wife, and niece clearly disagree with it. Creon’s pride continues to take precedent when he begins falsely accusing his subjects, and acting rashly with little thought. Creon’s character, while a complex character is strongly represented in much of his dialogue, perhaps this passage of dialogue between Creon and the prophet Teiresias best captures his essence. â€Å"Sir, all of you, like bowmen at a target, let fly your shafts at me. Now they have turned even diviners on me! By that tribe I am bought and sold and stowed away on board. Go, make your profits, drive your trade in Lydian silver or in Indian gold, but him you shall not bury in a tomb, no, not though Zeus’ own eagles eat the corpse and bear the carrion to their master’s throne: Not even so, for fear of that defilement, will I permit his burial-for well I know that mortal man cannot defile the gods† (994-1006). Through this single quote, Creon demonstrates all of his predominate qualities; he’s accusing Teiresias of bribery, therefore, acting before thinking, he won’t repeal his edict even though he admits that the edict does defy Zeus, thus illustrating his pride. He likes being in power of a powerful state, so much so that he is blind to his own pride, and is fine with ruling by intimidation and demanding loyalty from his subjects.

Askari Bank Report

Company Profile |Products |Sell Offers |Buy Offers |Contact Details | |Askari Bank, one of the leading banks of Pakistan. The bank was founded in 1992, and in the 18 years since, our growth and success patterns have far outgrown industry standards. Askari Bank has expanded into a nationwide presence of 150 branches, and an offshore banking Unit in Bahrain. A shared network of over 1,100 online ATMs covering all major cities in Pakistan supports the delivery channels for customer service. As on December 31, 2007, the bank had equity of PKR 12. 27 billion and total assets of PKR 182. 17 billion, with over 800,000 banking customers, serviced by 6,808 employees. We have reinforced our products with new deposit schemes bearing competitive rates of return and packed with excellent service of first choice. Our modern electronic banking services have been developed with hard work, feedback from stakeholders and research providing better banking solutions. Askaribank continuous growth over the years is based on service to communities and customers by friendly, professional and experienced bankers trained to deliver exceptional banking services. [pic] Corporate Information Askari Bank was incorporated in Pakistan on October 9, 1991, as a public limited company. It commenced operation on April 1, 1992, and is principally engaged in the business of banking, as defined in the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962. The Bank is listed on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges. Since inception, the bank has concentrated on growth through improving service quality, investment in technology and people, utilizing its extensive branch network which includes Islamic and Agricultural banking. Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of the way we do business. In order to fulfill our CSR objectives, we attempt to promote public interest by encouraging community growth and development through sponsoring social service events, supporting education, sports, and environment and also contribute in socio-cultural activities. Awards and Achievements    |   | | » |â€Å"Best Retail Bank in Pakistan† by The Asian Banker. | |   |   | | » |†1st Consumer Choice Award† by the Consumer Association of Pakistan. 2004 | |   |   | | » |†Corporate Excellence Award† by the Management Association of Pakistan (MAP). 002, 2003 & 2004. | |   |   | | » |â€Å"The Best Bank in Pakistan† by Global Finance magazine. 2 001 and 2002. | |   |   | | » |â€Å"Best Consumer Internet Bank† Global Finance magazine. 2002 and 2003. | |   |   | | » |†Euromoney and Asiamoney Awards† 1994, 1996 and 1997. | |   |   | | » |â€Å"Best Presented Annual Accounts† by (ICAP) and (ICAMP). 000, 2001and 2002. | |   |   | | » |â€Å"The Best Presented Annual Accounts† by South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), in the SAARC region. | |   |   | | » |â€Å"The Best Consumer Banking Award 2006† by the Consumer Association of Pakistan. 007 | |   |   | | » |â€Å"The Best Retail Banking Award 2008† by Pakistan Guarantee Export Corporation Ltd. 2008 | |   |   | | » |†Best Corporate Report Award for the year 2008†³ by ICAP & ICMAP. 008 | |   |   | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  [p|Branch network | |ic]| | |   | | [pic] | | | | » | |All Branches: | |202 | | | |[pic] | | | | » | |North Region: | |68 | | | |[p ic] | | | | » | Center Region: | |66 | | | |[pic] | | | | » | |South Region: | |68 | | | |[pic] | | | [pic][pic][pic][pic] Top of Form [pic][pic] Bottom of Form †¢ Home †¢ Reports o Accounting o Management o Marketing †¢ Articles †¢ Internship †¢ Presentations Askari Bank Internship Report Posted by reports On September – 22 – 2010 Comments Off EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Department of Administrative Sciences offers Masters degree in Business Administration. They are giving the best education and are offering for specialization, financial management, marketing management, human resource management and computer application to business. An important program is six to eight weeks internship with any recognized institution. I decided to take up Askari Bank Limited for my internship because it is a competing Bank nowadays and gives a good training to the internees. So in order to learn more this was my choice. This report is about my internship that I have undergone at Askari Bank Limited Multan Branch from 2nd June 2008 to 18th July 08. During my internship I am able to learn practical aspect of business, and get good working experience. On the very first day of my internship I reported to Operation Manager Mr. Noor ul Islam. He gave me small introduction of the Bank and introduced me to the staff of the Bank. Every internee is rotated among the Bank’s departments and so was I. This rotation is done in order to have general concept regarding Bank’s functions, operations and policies. In this rotation the stay in department is usually a week. I have learned more about the Basic Banking, Credits and Foreign Trade department and have given below the caption of activities I was involved in during the period of six weeks. During my internship I found that Askari Bank is a best Bank in Multan because most of the Exports and Imports in Multan are done through this Bank. Multan is one of the cotton growing cities of Pakistan. Most of the businesses in Multan are directly or indirectly linked to cotton that is also the case with Askari Bank’s clients. Because Multan is an Agricultural City, and its major export is Cotton and Mango. So its export is done on seasonal basis. In the season of cotton and Mango export Askari Bank get its target easily but difficult for it to get its target in the off season. Low profit rates used to be one of the major reasons for not meeting the deposit targets. The profit rates on Askari deposit schemes were quite low when compared with other Banks especially with the National Saving Centers, but now Askari Bank is giving a comparatively high profit rates to its customers. In today’s every customer is a rational customer, he knows the value of money and wants a best return on his money. INTRODUCTION TO BANK: Askari Bank Limited (AKBL) works as a Unit of Army Welfare Trust was established for the Welfare of Army Officials. The office of Army Welfare Trust is situated at AWT Plaza, Rawalpindi. AWT offers the â€Å"AWT Saving Scheme† to the army officials only. AWT has its units as under: †¢ Askari Associates. †¢ Askari Leasing. †¢ Askari General. †¢ Private Business. †¢ Textile Mills. †¢ Cement Industry. †¢ Askari Commercial Bank. Askari Bank Limited was incorporated on October 9, 1991, as a Public Limited Company, and is listed on Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Stock Exchanges. The Bank obtained business commencement certificate on February 26, 1992 and started operations form April 1, 1992. Askari Bank is scheduled Commercial Bank and is principally engaged in the business of Banking as defined in the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962. Askari Bank Limited continues to scale new heights in all areas of its operations. The safety and security of depositor’s funds, high productivity and optimum use of technology are the hallmarks of its corporate strength. In 1994, AKBL earned international recognition as Asia Money Award and the title of â€Å"Best Commercial Bank of Pakistan† for the year 1994, while Euro money declared the Bank as best domestic Bank of Pakistan for the year 1995. ASKARI BANK LIMITED MULTAN Askari Bank Limited Multan was inaugurated on December 28,1994. It is located on Abdali Road Opposite to PIA Office. The location is connected to all the main trade centers in Multan. It is a prosperous branch streaming towards great achievements. At the time of its establishment the factored who were considered are as follows †¢ Multan is zone covering a large population. †¢ Multan City is linked to many big cities. Agro based area constituting growers and gainers †¢ Army Offices & Fort Colony †¢ Educational Institution DEPARTMENTS: The bank has following department: †¢ Account Opening department †¢ ATM Department †¢ Credit Card Department †¢ Account Department †¢ Credit Department †¢ Remittance Department †¢ Foreign Trade Department †¢ Cash Department ACCOUNT OPENING DEPARTME NT Borrowing funds from different sources has become an essential feature of today’s business enterprises. But in the case of a bank borrowing funds from outside parties is al l the more vital because the entire banking system is based on it. The borrowed capital of a bank is much greater their own capital. Banks borrowing is mostly in the form of deposits. These deposits are lent out to different parties. Such deposit creation is done through opening an account in the Bank. In AKBL Multan Mr. Sheeraz Hassan is operating the account opening department along with performing some auxiliary functions of Check Book Issuing TYPES OF ACCOUNTS In AKBL, there are the following types of accounts: †¢ Current account. †¢ Saving Account. †¢ Askari Special Deposit Account. (ASDA) †¢ Basic Banking account †¢ Term Deposit. CURRENT ACCOUNT In current account there is no interest on it. It is for only transaction purposes. They are paid on demand. When a banker accepts a demand deposit, he incurs the obligation of the paying all cheques drawn against him to the extended of the balance in the account. As there is no profit paid on this account it is also called chequing account because cheques can be drawn on it. Current account is mostly opened for business. SAVING ACCOUNT The purpose of this account is to induce the habit of saving individuals in the neighborhood. The minimum deposit for opening the account is Rs. 1050/- (as obvious in the Annexure). Though individuals open such accounts for saving purpose, persons belonging to Armed forces and different military institutions are free to use this account on current basis. ASKARI SPECIAL DEPOSIT ACCOUNTANT ASDA account is an interest bearing current account interest is paid. The payment of return is monthly, where as the rate of return with aspect to the amount of minimum deposit clear from deposit schedules in following table). It is also chequing account because cheques can be drawn on it. It is necessary for this account that the client must maintain a minimum balance of Rs. 0,000 at the end of the month. That’s why it is similar to current account. It is mostly opened by Business but individuals too open this account. Tax of 0. 3% would be deducted on ASDA if withdrawals are more than Rs. 25,000. TERM DEPOSITS A term deposit is a deposit that is made for a certain periods of time at the end of the specific period. the customer   is allowed to with draw the principle a mount . AKBLs Term deposits are of types clear in the deposit scheme in the table). One of them is â€Å"Askari† Advantage one month. The rate of return on this account is set by head office. The term deposit account vary one month to 1 year for all following accounts (as clear from Deposit Scheme in the table). †¢ The amount of profit is given to depositors in three ways: †¢ By cash †¢ By sending a bank Draft to depositors Home address or Officers or whichever is specified as mailing Address. †¢ The amount is credited in any one of the checking Accounts of the depositor. ACCOUNT OPENING PROCEDURE Fro the chequing accounts (C/A, ASDA, SAVING), there are different types of account holders are required for all these types of account holders. The operation /procedure requirement that is needed for † Individual Account † differ greatly from † Joint account † proprietorship â€Å"Partner ship â€Å", â€Å"Limited Company† and â€Å"Club society   or Association † as explained below. INDIVIDUAL’S ACCOUNT When a single man or women opens an account in his/her own name and has the right to operate it is called individual Account. DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT For literate person copy of National Identity Card is required as a primary requirement. For illiterate person and Veiled Women, along with the copy of National Identity Card requirement he or she must come in person for opening the account. OPERATION †¢ The person place a â€Å"Check Mark † in the type of account and type of operation required †¢ He/She fills in part-I of the form , a fix his /her either two or four similar signature   (or thumb expression   in the signature space and get it introduced and signed by a person   who already has an account with the bank and write his account no in the specific rows in a specific space. †¢ The person fills in â€Å"next of Kin † position where he/she father, mother, husband/wife or any other relative’s name, his /her address, phone no and affix his/her signature to certify this requirement. This requirement is needed because in his/her absence bank can have correspondence with the specific person. †¢ The person put her /his signature († or thumb expression) on the signature Specimen Card (SS CARD) similar in the area on the form. One the back of S. S card mailing address, telephone no, Person to contact and introducer space is filled in. All these requirement are necessary for future †¢ The person deposits the initial amount for opening account on to the cash counter. The person put his signature on form -A (check book requisition) on two places in â€Å"authorized signature† and fills in the â€Å"Title of Account space by writing his name. †¢ If the person put his signature in Urdu or any language other than English, he signed a â€Å"Vernacular form† where under take that affixed signature are original and his own signature and two postal size photos are needed. †¢ The next day is the opening of account. JOINT ACCOUNT When two or more persons, neither partners, nor trustees, open an in their name is called joint Account. Husband and wife or two persons of same sex can open joint account. DOCUMENTATION For joint account copy of National Identity Card of all the persons is obtained other things remaining same as in individuals account. OPERATION †¢ The person checks the type of amount and type of operation required in the respective box on the form. †¢ The persons fill in the Part-I and part-II in the form. †¢ Signatures of both persons are obtained on the form in the area specified for signature and S. S. Card. †¢ In the title of account space names of all the persons are mentioned. †¢ Accounts holder specified in the form that they will operate the form singly or jointly. PROPRIETORSHIP ACCOUNT When an owner of a firm operating singly, opens an account in his firm name, this account is called a proprietorship Account the proper himself liable for all his acts. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED For this kind of account, an application for opening the account on the firm letter -pad (having the firm name) is required along with the NIC Card of proprietor. OPERATION All operation remains the same except that the firm name is written in the â€Å"Title of the Account† area and signature of the proprietor are affixed in the S. S. Card and the area specified for signatures on the form. PARTNER SHIP ACCOUNT The account is opened in the firm name and all partner designate one two persons to act on behalf of the partner ship firmer all acts on behalf of firm. The partners in the partnership firm are liable for the acts of the firm jointly and severely. Every partner has in a firm has an implied authority bind his co. partners by drawing and enclosed cheques. DOCUMENTATIONS †¢ Copy of N. I. C card of all partners †¢ Application to open the account on the firm letter pad. †¢ Partner ship deed in case registered partnership firm. †¢ Letter showing the implied Authority of one or more partners to act on behalf of the firm. In case of non -registered partnership firm, understanding on behalf of the firm to remain liable for all acts of the firm. †¢ Name, address of all partners is written on the pad. OPERATION All other requirement remain same except that the form is dully signed by all partners cards are signed by all those partners who will act on behalf of the firm and along filling part-I , Part-Iv is also filled. LIMITED COMPANY ACCOUNT This account is for limited companies. In order to facilitate their transaction with outside parties, bank provides many facilities. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED Memorandum of Association. †¢ Articles of the Association †¢ Resolution of the Board of Director. †¢ Certificate of Incorporation. †¢ Certificate of commencement of business †¢ N-I-C OPERATION The persons authorized in the Resolution of the Board of Directors put their signatures on S. S Cards. Next of kin â€Å"requirement â€Å"is not need in case of a Limited Company. After completing each and every formality, introducer signature is verified by S. S card and is stamped â€Å"Verified† customer signatures are admitted by stamping â€Å"Admitting† near signature and again signatures on S. S card are admitted in the same way. The same process of verification and admission of the signatures is repeated on Form-A and next of Kin area. After completing each and every formality, Accountant is open in the computer by writing name, address, A/C Number etc. LETTER OF THE THANKS At the start of the letter 2nd day, AKBL issues letter of thanks to â€Å"Account opener† and â€Å"account opener† and † Account Introducer † for the trust the have on AKBL. CHECK BOOK ISSUING Check books are issued only for checking account such as current Account, saving Account and ASDA Account. They are not issued for other fixed and term deposits because of their Long term Accounts â€Å"nature. † ISSUING PROCEDURE †¢ Signatures on cheque – book requisition are verified by matching with signatures on SS. †¢ Cheque – book leaves number, account number, account holder’s name are mentioned in the cheque- book is made by mentioning the and the total of sum of excise duty and provincial tax. †¢ The name of A/c holder and date of cheque – book issuance is written on cheque – book requisition the account-opening officer puts his initials on requisition leave. A/c number is stamped over the leaves of cheque – book and finally authorized person affix his   signature over the debit voucher   and he voucher is attached from the cheque book and is handed   over to the customer . RECEIVING INWARD CHEQUES Another responsibility and function of account Opening Department is to receive Inward cheques for collection of o ther Banks as well as of AKBL . Then these cheques are sent to clearing official who clears these checks at SBP from other banks. ACCOUNT CLOSING Account is closed on the written request of the customer AKBL free of cost. But to surrender the cheque book yet if some leaves are yet to be write to the bank as a necessary requirements for closing the account. PROCEDURE †¢ The customer for individuals account write an application to the manager of the bank an a simple paper about the closing of his account with the bank (In case of proprietor ship partnership and limited company account the application should be written an firm or company letter –head) †¢ The individual or in case of other type- proprietor firm and company surrender the cheque book to the bank. The cheque book is then torn from one side and is attached with the application. †¢ In case of Ltd. Company account resolution of the board of directors is also obtained to attach it with the application. †¢ The account opening form of the account holder is taken from the account-opening file, and the application, cheque book, and resolution of board of directors in case of limited company account are attached with the fo rm. †¢ Lastly, it is written in â€Å"Red Ink on the form that account closed† and â€Å"Date of account closing. † EVERYDAY POSTING Following transaction of cheque book is posted:- Dr_____________ party A/c  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   50(for 10 leaves) Rs 5/leave. ATM- CARDS DEPARTMENT This department deals in issuing   ATM-Card, term deposits and Askari Bachat Certificate. Mr. Sheeraz Hassan deals this department. ATM CARD ATM – Cards are only issue to Account Holder ISSUING PROCEDURE †¢ The person, first open the account within the blank. †¢ Then he fills the ATM application form in which name of account holder, Fathers name account number and   N. I. Card number are mentioned. †¢ A copy of N. I. card is also attached with the application form. After completing this process, the application package is sent to head office †¢ ACBL head office takes a period of 3-4 weeks for preparing and processing of ATM – cards. First, list of card holder is issued and then after 15 days cards are send to ACBL’s issuing branch. The card and list are not sent si multaneously in order to avoid any mishandling. †¢ ACBL takes Rs. 350/- for 1st time issuance as charges for a card †¢ Biannually takes Rs 75. ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT Accounts department is a department which deals and checks all the activity of all the department . It also deals in expression of finance of the bank. Salary payment is also one function of the bank. CHECKING BANK’S DAILY ACTIVITY Accounts department deals and checks the entire working of the Branch; all the vouchers that have been posted at the computer are scrutinized in accounts department. The â€Å"End of Day† i. e. computer print is also received from the computer. The next day the activity is separated some statements from the â€Å"End of Day†. Then next day activity separated some statements from the â€Å"End of Day†. The vouchers are sorted   out head wise. The vouchers are matched with the entries in the statements. Any abnormality if occurs, is immediately dealt with. All the vouchers and instruction are checked individually are checked individually against the computer printouts. After checking they are signed by Mr. .Naeem Shehzad and the internal auditor Mr. Shafiq. OTHER ACTIVITIES †¢ Preparation of daily bank positions statement †¢ Payment of salaries †¢ Preparation of the statements †¢ Depreciation calculation †¢ Lockers Issuance REMITTANCE DEPARTMENT: The need of remittance is commonly felt is commercial life particularly and in everyday life generally. The main function of the remittance department is to transmit money from one place to another. By providing this service to the customer, Bank earns a lot of income. Also customer is able to meet its day to day financial requirements. Demand Draft: It is an instrument payable on demand for which value has been received, issued by the branch of the Bank drawn i. e. payable at some other place (branch) of the same Bank. If two Banks are involved then the DD is sent to other Bank but in other case it is handed over to the applicant. Issuance Procedure: A demand draft application is given to the customer, he fills in relevant information and signs it. †¢ The officer checks the information form. †¢ The Bank charges such as commission, excise duty is charged as per effective schedule of charges. If he fills the tax exemption form, tax is not charged. †¢ In case of cash deposit, the cashier counts the amount and signs the DD application and enters it in the register. †¢ Then the officer of remittance department signs it and operation manager counter signs it. †¢ The entry is made in the DD issuing register, DD is given to the customer. Vouchers are prepared and posted. †¢ DD advises are printed and mailed to the respective branch. Payment Procedure: †¢ The Bank receives DD. †¢ The DD credit advice is received through mail. The numbers are checked and signatures are verified. †¢ An entry is made on the DD payable register and the vouchers are made. †¢ DD credit is attached with the vouchers and given for posting to the computer. †¢ When DD is received the test numbers are checked and the payment is made. †¢ Vouchers are given for posting and the entry that was made in the register is closed i. e. DD payable is Nil. Pay Order: It is an instrument issued for payment in same city. Pay order issued from on e branch can only be payable from the same branch. It is normally referred to as Banker’s cheque. It is also called confirmed cheque, because   Bank issues this on it own guarantee. Issuance Procedure: †¢ The standard form is given to the customer. He fills in the details and signs it. †¢ The concerned officer checks the form. †¢ Bank charges (or commission) as per the schedule of charges and the withholding tax of 0. 3% are applied. †¢ The cash amount of the pay order is received. A cash memo is signed, stamped and handed over to the applicant as a receipt. †¢ Then the pay order receipt is filled accordingly. †¢ Counter foil is also filled. †¢ An entry is made in the pay order issue register. †¢ Then the authorized officer signs it after checking the pay order. †¢ The order is then handed over to the applicant after obtaining his signature on the PO Form. †¢ A voucher is also made and posted at the computer. Payment Procedure: †¢ On presentation of the pay order receipt, two authorized officers of the branch sign the receipt. †¢ PO entry is made in the PO issue register. Then the amount is credited to the account of the customer or pain in cash. †¢ PO is posted at the computer. Outward Bills for Collection: The bills, which are received by the Bank and sent to other cities (branches) for the local clearing in that city, are called Outward Bills for Collection. Procedure: †¢ The cheques that are of other cities are separated. †¢ They are entered in the OBC Register and OBC numbers are given to them. †¢ The OBC forwarding schedules are prepared for different branches. †¢ The respective cheques are attached with the schedule. †¢ The office copy is filled and original schedule is mailed. On clearing, the respective Banks send back the OBCs along with the IBCA (Inter Branch Credit Advice). †¢ The OBC numbers are checked from the OBC register, after that entries are made. †¢ Commission charges are deducted from the account. Inward Bills for Collection: The bills, which are received by the Bank from other branches out of the city for local clearing are called Inward Bills for Collection. Procedure: †¢ The OBC of other branches will be the IBC of this branch. So an OBC forwarding schedule is received by mail. †¢ The cheques are entered in the IBC register. The IBC numbers are allotted to them. †¢ The cheques are lodged for clearing. †¢ After realization, an IBCA is prepared and mailed to the branch from where the cheque was received. †¢ At the end of the day, two vouchers are prepared and posted. FOREIGN TRADE DEPARTMENT Foreign trade department deals in: †¢ Foreign currency account †¢ Exports †¢ Imports FOREIGN CURRENCY ACCOUNT Mainly this account deals in individual, personal and companies account CRITERIA FOR OPENING FOREIGN CURRENCY ACCOUNT There are not hard and fast rules for becoming the Foreign Currency Account holder. Bank wants only introduction of the Client and very little about the background. I. D card is also not necessary, if someone has; well and good, otherwise no restriction will be there for him. FEATURES OF FOREIGN CURRENCY ACCOUNTS †¢ There will be legal protection for the account holders. †¢ According to foreign exchange rules and regulation every citizen of Pakistan, either within the Pakistan or outside the Pakistan, can open the foreign currency account. †¢ Resident firms and Resident Companies including investment Banks can open Foreign Currency Accounts. All foreign nationals and foreign Companies in Pakistan or abroad can open Foreign Currency Accounts. †¢ Opening of Foreign Currency Accounts in the joint names of residents/non-residents is permissible. Foreign Currency can be deposited by: †¢ Remittance received from abroad †¢ Foreign Currency Notes †¢ There will be no restriction and questioning to him about the currency, which he wants to d eposit that from where he got that money. †¢ No Zakat will be deducted on these accounts; no Income Tax deduction, no Wealth Tax deduction will be there. These incentives reinforce and motivated the people to invest in foreign currency accounts rather to keep the foreign currency idle. †¢ Foreign currency accounts can easily be transferred from one person to another, one place to another, with in the ACBL Branches or in other Bank. †¢ The account holder can transfer the funds freely, in any currency to any part of the world. †¢ Foreign currency Accounts can be used for payment of purchases at Duty Free shops. FACILITIES This account provides following facilities: †¢ Traveling quota †¢ Out ward remittances †¢ In ward remittances receiving To make remittances procedure flexible EXPORT Mainly export deals in: †¢ Negotiation of documents †¢ Sending the documents for collection †¢ Pre-shipment financing †¢ Post-shipment financing â⠂¬ ¢ Remittance against agent commission †¢ Forward covered booking †¢ Handling the documents for negotiation according to the UCP 500 (uniform custom and practices) †¢ Handling the documents for collection according to URR (uniform rules for collection) †¢ Submission of monthly returns to SBP regarding the export on form A-2/O-2 IMPORT †¢ Opening the letter of credit Scrutinize the documents receive from flowing bank under letter of credit. Account to UCP 500 and extending the credit facility to the importer informs FIM (finance against imported merchandise) FATR (finance against trust receipt). †¢ Arrange forward cover booking regarding import payments †¢ Also arrange forward cover booking for letter of credit open other then ACBL †¢ Submission of monthly returns to SBP regarding the import on form I SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT (Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis of AKBL is described below: Strengths: AKBL has got a well-develope d on-line system in most of its branches. Remittance Department is working very efficiently in transferring the funds of people due to this system. †¢ The Bank has also started ATM facility in most of its branches. 24-hour Banking is new trend in Pakistan and AKBL has also taken apart in this trend. †¢ One distinctive feature of the Bank is that it is the only Bank working for the welfare of army officers, which was established by Army Welfare Trust. †¢ The productivity of the Bank is very good. Bank is providing a high quality service to its customers. AKBL have strength that most of the imports which are done in Multan are handle by AKBL Multan. Weaknesses: †¢ AKBL has lesser number of branches as compared to many other branches. Due to this problem, army officers can not avail the benefits of their own Bank. †¢ The human resource department is not performing the function of selection and recruitment very effectively. Selection process is not on merit due to which competent persons cannot be selected. †¢ Bank should boost the product development and increase the range of facilities offered for customers. Bank is weak in its credit management. Bank should lend to very sound parties and increase its payment rate. Opportunities: †¢ Govt. is taking very bold steps to promote IT in Pakistan. AKBL has an opportunity to improve in technology. †¢ AKBL is surrounded by many competitors. It has an opportunity to do aggressive marketing to increase its business. †¢ AKBL may increase its branches in competitive areas Threats: †¢ AKBL has many competitors, which are continuously increasing its products and marketing aggressively. It may cause its customers to shift to competitors. Some other Banks have competent taskforce, which is also a threat for AKBL. Because human resource is the most valuable resource. †¢ Due to the increased bad situation of Pakistan in which army is considered to be involved increase the freq uency of withdrawals, which would decrease deposits. Financial Analysis: Financial Highlights The current year’s profit (2007) after taxation of the bank stood at Rs. 2,681,012 as compared to Rs. 2,249,974 for last year. The deposits decreased by 16. 49% to Rs. 11,197,424 as against Rs. 13,044,593 as on 31 Dec 2006. The loans and advances figure stood at R. 5,521,030 reflect on the improving market image of Askari Bank as a formidable financial institution. Ratio Analysis The information contained in the four basic financial statements is of major significance to various interested parties who regularly need to have relative measures of the company’s operating efficiency. Relative is the key word here, because the analysis of financial statements is based on the use of ratios or relative values. Ratio analysis involves methods of calculating and interpreting financial ratios to analyze and monitor the firm’s performance. The basic inputs to ratio analysis are the firm’s income statement and balance sheet. |Ratios |2007 |2006 | |Current ratio |1. 03 |1. 04 | |Total asst turnover |0. 11 |0. 09 | |Debt ratio |0. 93 |0. 3 | |Gross Profit margin |0. 11 |0. 22 | |Operating profit margin |0. 21 |0. 12 | |Net profit margin |0. 22 |0. 26 | |ROA |0. 02 |0. 02 | Earning asset to total assets Earning assets are the assets which are very important for any company for the bank earning assets are the assets on which bank can earn its profit which may includes loans, advances, operating fixed assets and other assets on the loans and advances bank can make profit by giving or investing in some where so Askari Bank has increased it’s earning assets in the year 2007 as compared to the previous year that show the good trend in the profitability of the Askari bank and the customer believe on the Bank. Ratio tells that on what percentage earning assets contribute the total assets. Well bank also has increased it’s earning assets ratio shows the more profitability of the bank as it can be shown by the profit and loss account of the 2007 that shows the net mark up income more for the year as compared to the previous year so bank is going gradually to the more profitability by giving more advances and loans. Earning assets ASSETS |2007 | | | | |Cash |13356055 | |Balances with other banks |3497054 | |Lending |14444143 | |Investments |39431005 | |Advances |100780162 | |Operating fixed assets |5128428 | |Total earning Assets |176636847 | |Other assets |5535038 | | | | |TOTAL |182171885 | Total Earning Assets:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rs. 176636847 Formula: Earning Assets / Total Assets = 176636847 / 182171885 = 0. 969616 Return on earning asset This ratio indicates the how much of earn ing assets take part in making of the profit before taxation. This ratio is decreased during the year. Why   is it so it has different reasons these are as follows Profit before taxation was more in the previous year as compared to the year 2007 because bank has low expenses and less provision for the bad debts and also bank has small investments and limited loans and advances but in 2007 situation has changed and bank increased its loans and advances. Earning assets were also low in the previous year as compared to the 2007 so overall ratio has been decreased but shows the good trend for the making of long term planning Formula: Profit after tax / earning assets = 2,681,012 / 176636847 = . 015 Loan loss coverage ratio This important figure is a reserve account to cover unexpected defaults on loans by borrowers. These are generally referred to as no performing loans. The higher the no performing loan and charge-off percentages, the higher the provision for loan losses should probably be. Consequently, this would reduce net income and earnings per share. Well in the year 2007 bank’s this ratio has been increased to a great extent due to different reasons theses are as follows. Profit before taxation is low for the 2007 due to more expenses because bank is in expanding mode that’s why its expenses are increasing day by day. Provisions and bad debts also increased in the year 2007 because bank also has invested more in this year and ad more also granted more loans. Formula: Provision against non-performing loan and advances / profit (loss) before tax = 3,920,240 / 2,299,785 = 1. 70 Loan to deposit Well there is a concept that bank’s loans are its assets while its deposits are liabilities. But if a bank has low deposits then obviously it will give low loans because bank gives it’s loans by the deposits and earn on the loans then pay mark up on the deposits to the customers. Well bank has increased its loans to deposits ratio in the year 2007 showing its more deposits as well more loans and that is good for the bank to remain in the market and to penetrate in the market. But profit has not increased with the same ratio because Bank has low mark up rates Bank has more capacity for provisions Formula: Loans / deposit = 14444143 / 11,197,424 = 1. 289 Current ratio This ratio indicates the liquidity of the bank. Well this ratio has been decreased but nt much decreased during the year to a small extent due to Bank has increased its deposits so liabilities have been increased. Bank has increased its assets as well to overcome the liabilities. So overall we can say bank is the liquid enough to pay its liabilities Formula : Current assets / current liabilities = 171508419 / 166214583 = 1. 03 Debt Ratio: Debt ratio remained the same in previous year it was . 93 and in 2007 its again 0. 93. Bank has not decreased its debt ratio in 2007. Net Profit Margin: Net profit margin of a bank has been increased from 0. 12 to 0. 21. Horizontal and vertical analysis Comparing analytical data for a current period with similar computations for prior years affords some basis for judging whether the condition of the business is improving or worsening. This comparison of data over time is called as horizontal or trend analysis, to express the idea of reviewing data for a number of consecutive periods. It is distinguished from vertical analysis or static analysis which refers to the review of the financial information of only one accounting period. HORIZONTAL ANALYSIS Balance sheet accounts | |2007 | |2006 | |%age | |ASSETS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Cash | |13356055 | |14879230 |-1523175 |-10. 2369 | |balances wid other banks | |3497054 | |7333002 |-3835948 |-52. 3107 | |Lendings | |14444143 | |8392950 |6051193 |72. 9852 | |Investments | |39431005 | |28625915 |10805090 |37. 74583 | |Advances | |100780162 | |99179372 |1600790 |1. 614035 | |o. fixd assets | |5128428 | |3810331 |1318097 |34. 59272 | |defferd tax assets | | | | | | | |other assets | |5535038 | |3812788 |1722250 |45. 7036 | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL | |182171885 | |166033588 |16138297 |9. 719899 | | | | | | | | | |LIABILITIES | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |bills payable | |2627051 | |1839077 |787974 |42. 4617 | |Borrowings | |17553525 | |14964087 |2589438 |17. 30435 | |deposits&other acc | |143036707 | |131839283 |11197424 |8. 493238 | |sub-ord loans | |2997300 | |2998500 |-1200 |-0. 04002 | |liabl against assets | | | | | | | |deferred tax liab | |471519 | |736298 |-264779 |-35. 608 | |other liab | |3219796 | |2603113 |616683 |23. 69021 | | | | | | | | | |TOTAL | |169905898 | |154980358 |14925540 |9. 630601 | | | | | | | | | |Net assets | |12265987 | |11053230 |1212757 |10. 97197 | PROFIT and loss accounts |2007 | |2006 | |%age | | | | | | | | |interest earned |15143241 | |12596921 |2546320 |20. 213 83 | |interest expensed |8685624 | |6977313 |1708311 |24. 48379 | | | | | | | | |net mark up/interest income |6457617 | |5619608 |838009 |14. 1223 | | | | | | | | |loans & advances |3920240 | |1128137 |2792103 |247. 4968 | |value of investment |1501 | |376 |1125 |299. 2021 | |bad debts written off | | | | | | | |3921741 | |1128513 |2793228 |247. 14 | | | | | | | | |interest income after provision |2535876 | |4491095 |-1955219 |-43. 5355 | |Non markup/interest income | | | | | | | | | | | | | |fee,comm,brockerage income |1072868 | |1013660 |59208 |5. 41012 | |dividends income |137079 | |109326 |27753 |25. 38554 | |income from dealing in for curr |655761 | |584344 |71417 |12. 22174 | |gain on sale of inv |2361251 | |112474 |2248777 |1999. 375 | |unleasing gain |1728 | |-2308 |4036 |-174. 87 | |other income |336809 | |321758 |15051 |4. 77739 | | | | | | | | |total non markup/interest income |4565496 | |2139254 |2426242 |113. 4153 | | | | | | | | | |7101372 | |6630349 |471023 |7. 104045 | |Non markup/interest expense | | | | | | |admin exp |4789536 | |3277353 |1512183 |46. 4038 | |other pro/write offs | | | | | | |other charges |12051 | |6141 |5910 |96. 2384 | | | | | | | | |total non markup/interest expense |4801587 | |3283494 |1518093 |46. 23407 | | | | | | | | | |2299785 | |3346855 |-1047070 |-31. 852 | | | | | | | | |Profit before taxation | | | | | | | | | | | | | |current yrs |98535 | |983875 |-885340 |-89. 985 | |prior yrs |-233950 | | | | | |Deferred |-245812 | |113006 |-358818 |-317. 21 | | | | | | | | | |-381227 | |1096881 |-1478108 |-134. 756 | |Profit after taxation |2681012 | |2249974 |431038 |19. 15747 | | | | | | | | |profit brought forward |1799979 | |1617597 |182382 |11. 7487 | | | | | | | | |profit available for appr. |4480991 | |3867571 |613420 |15. 8606 | VERTICAL ANALYSIS balance sheet accounts | | |2007 | |2006 | | |ASSETS | | | | | | | | | | | | | |cash | |13356055 |7. 331567657 |14879230 |8. 961578 | |balances wid other banks |3497054 |63. 8030698 |7333002 |4. 416577 | |lendings | |14444143 |7. 928854115 |8392950 |5. 054971 | |Investments |39431005 |21. 64494538 |28625915 |17. 24104 | |advances | |100780162 |55. 32146851 |99179372 |59. 73452 | |o. fixd assets |5128428 |2. 815158881 |3810331 |2. 294916 | |defferd tax assets | | | | | |other assets |5535038 |3. 038360173 |3812788 |2. 296396 | | | | | | | |TOTAL | |182171885 | |166033588 | | | | | | | | | |LIABILITIES | | | | | | | | | | | | |Bills payable |2627051 |1. 442072689 |1839077 |1. 107654 | |Borrowings |17553525 |9. 635693784 |14964087 |9. 012687 | |deposits&other acc |143036707 |78. 51744357 |131839283 |79. 40519 | |Sub-ord loans |2997300 |1. 645314259 |2998500 |1. 80596 | |liabl against assets | | | | | |deferred tax liab |471519 |0. 258831927 |736298 |0. 443463 | |other liab | |3219796 |1. 767449461 |2603113 |1. 67823 | | | | | | | | |TOTAL | |169905898 | |154980358 | | | | | | | | | |Net assets |12265987 | |11053230 | | Findings on the basis of analysis By the horizontal or comparative analysis in which base year is taken as 2006 certain changes are measured in the Bank’s performance. Cash with other banks and balances with other banks gradually increased in the time line showing the bank’s good performance and this indicate that bank can earn more by making balances with the other banks. Lending to financial institutions not done in the last year due to more investments done by the bank and by giving more and more advances to the customers but this also has increased the bad debts and provisions of the bank as compared to the previous years. Operating assets has been decreased so that is in favor of the bank. On the liabilities side bank also has increased it’s bills payable that shows that bank has certain increased in the liabilities as well bank’s deposits also increased showing the great penetration in the market place as well customer’s believe on the bank to make deposits that’s why bank’s mark up expense has been increased. Equity also increased in the previous year but bank’s profit has been decreased because bank has invested so much and in the development process so increased in the expenses. Overall bank’s financial position in the marketplace has been increased in terms of deposits and advances. All these reasons are favorable to the bank in year 2006 because at one side bank’s assets have been increased in the form of advances and at other side markup income increased due to deposits because bank can more invest it Balance Sheet’s one portion that is Assets shows certain changes during the year. e. g Cash & balances with treasury banks have been increased that shows the bank has fulfilled and improved SBP requirements because of maintenance of foreign currency as well as Pakistani currency with other banks due to this balances with the other banks whether outside the Pakistan or inside the Pakistan have been increased. While investment have been decreased due to making balances with the other banks and so advances increased by giving more to the customers so earning power also increased. In 2007 bank not lend money to the financial institutions. Bank’s operating fixed assets have been decreased to a small extent due to this profit also is increased because bank is the service organization and for service organizations no need of more operating fixed assets. Bank’s deposits and other accounts have not been increased to the same extent as bank is giving advances. Well that shows a positive trend because bank expenses would be automatically decreased that are due to cash management. Bank’s net assets have been decreased because of less operating fixed assets and also due to increase in liabilities. Balance Sheet shows the assets are more contributed by the Advances and liabilities are more contributed y the Deposits that are favorable for the Bank. Overall result is less profit for 2007 as compared to 2006. But this has certain different reasons these are as follows Increase cash and balances with the other banks More advances Increase in deposits All these reasons are favorable to the bank in year 2007 because at one side bank’s assets have been increased in the form of advances and at other side markup income increased due to deposits because bank can more invest it. Applications of Class Room Concept: In Accounts department there was an implementation of   Financial Accounting in making balance sheets, income statements, calculation of depreciation etc †¢ In credits department there was an implementation of different categories of loans l ike personal loans, corporate loans etc which was studied in Financial Management. Recommendations: Already the bank is having a good infrastructure not much recommendations are needed as a manager but few can work :- †¢ Customers should be given some sort of facilities which can convince people for investment and go for Askari bank for Exports n Imports. †¢ Fist floor of bank is much congested, there is needed to work on that. †¢ There is not a proper environment of customer dealing on that floor that’s why customer feels difficulty in that. Accounts department was much congested, so area of that department should be extended. †¢ After biannually closing of bank there should be a get together of all the employees of bank which can give them a healthy atmosphere to work. †¢ Few of the employees used to interfere in others work so they should be strictly advised to perform their own duty well. Categories: Internship Comments are closed. 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A play written by J. B. Priestly Essay

An Inspector Calls, a play written by J. B. Priestly in 1945. He set his play in 1912 just before the First World War. It is a story of the visit by an Inspector to an apparently normal family, the Birlings. The Birlings are celebrating their daughter Shelia’s engagement to Gerald Croft. Mr. Birling a successful factory owner gets the ball rolling with a speech, which he gives to his son Eric, and Gerald Croft. J. B Priestly makes good use of dramatic irony in this speech because many events took place after 1912, which we the modern audience, know about but Mr. Birling doesn’t. Mr. Birling mentioned that the miners came out on a strike and there would be possible labour trouble in the near future. He said that there wouldn’t be any more worries about the strikes. But in 1926 we know that there was a General Strike in Britain. He talks about the Titanic being a spectacular ship with every luxury and it is absolutely unsinkable. But as we know in 1912 the Titanic sunk on maiden voyage and 1,513 lives were lost. He also mentioned about the wars not happening. He said that the Germans don’t want war. But in 1914 the First World War broke out. He said that there would peace and prosperity and rapid progress everywhere but in 1917 there was revolution in Russia. In 1939 the Second World War broke out and in 1945 the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. This makes the audience doubt Mr Birling early on in the play. When Mr. Birling finishes his speech the Inspector enters into the scene. The Inspector is at the Birling’s because there was a death of a woman Eva Smith and he had come to ask questions about her. Mr. Birling was the first person that we were led to believe started off the train of events that ultimately led to the death of Eva Smith. Mr. Birling had sacked Eva Smith from his factory after she started to cause trouble demanding higher wages. Mr Birling says that any man in his position would have done the same. She was making trouble as Mr. Birling said, ‘She had a lot to say – far too much so she had to goi. But the only thing that Mr. Birling cared about was his family and the progress of his business. He didn’t care about his workers and he didn’t know them. As he says in Act 1 â€Å"I have a couple of hundred workers under me, who keep changing†. So there wasn’t a personal relationship between these two until after the workers came back from their holidays that they were asking for a pay rise. As Mr. Birling wouldn’t, he sacked the ringleaders and one of them was Eva Smith. Now that Eva was sacked she was out of work for two months. She had no money and she was half starved. She had no one to help her. Her parents had died so they couldn’t offer any help and her friends had nothing to offer her. But then again it wasn’t the end of the world and she was capable of getting another job as we find out.

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Write about the role of a social worker in corrections Research Paper

Write about the role of a social worker in corrections - Research Paper Example Similarly, probation or parole officers from social workers are better equipped to deal with correctional population. The services of social workers are essential not only in corrections but also in the rehabilitation of released prisoners. Consequently, there is a great demand for trained social workers â€Å"who have knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to work with correctional clients† (Correctional counselors: roles, work environments, conflicts, and challenges, n.d). As part of their correctional roles, social workers need to interact with the family members, community, staff in the correctional facilities, and other social service agencies for the well-being of their clients. Social workers in corrections play a number of roles including counselors, mediators, psychologists, coordinators, advocates, evaluators, and persuaders. Besides, they need to quip themselves with the specialized knowledge and specific skills required for a correctional social worker. However, there is a shortage of correctional social workers in the judicial system of many nations due to their increased demand. This paper seeks to explore the different roles and interventions undertaken by social workers in various correctional settings. It is worthwhile to understand the meaning and depth of correction with regard to social work practice. Kumar and Devasia (2009, p. 229), in this regard, view correction as part of social control-â€Å"a social process by which modern society deals with officially identified lawbreakers.† The ultimate aim of correction is to identify and prevent delinquent or criminal behavior of the offending population. Correction by social workers is possible in the case of all types of offenders. However, offenders who are placed on probation and parole are more likely to benefit from correctional social work. Social workers who

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Compare medieval students with your own student life - Research Paper Example hat was practiced in the middle ages thus could be viewed as a Christian doctrine fronted by those who were apologetic for Christianity as a religion and as such had it thinly disguised as some form f philosophy (Kenny, 56). This essay therefore seeks to discuss medieval philosophy giving comparison and contrasts between the medieval students and my own student life. Medieval students were expected to act within the doctrines of Christianity. This was the philosophy that required an individual student to take responsibility for the evil conducted. Medieval philosophy talks about free will and the choices people make about what they do and priority over what should be made superior over the other (Kenny, 62). As such students conduct and actions were expected to be guided by this philosophy. The students were expected to live a life that is guided by these doctrines. They were rules set about dress cords and regulated flamboyant dressing. This students were restricted from staying around with lose women as well as staying up all hours. There mannerism and behavior was controlled using the Christian doctrine as would have been seen today to be theological. The medieval students unlike the student’s life we enjoy today had a lot of respect for the laws that were established in their institutions. The development and growth of the universities including increase in population however brought changes which can now be seen as contributors to the similarities we share today like the strikes and brawling as well as drinking that characterizes our universities today. The lives of the medieval students socially pale in comparison with that of my student life. There was a lot of patronizing and strictness about the school rules and students were monitored and chastened in a Christian way of life. This days things are different, students are a all about their freedom and liberty. The fact that most of them are in college at an adult age makes them want to express their

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Comparisons Over 1000s B.C of Years of Western and Asian Warfare Essay

Comparisons Over 1000s B.C of Years of Western and Asian Warfare - Essay Example In the ancient period, wars occurred for many reasons, some which were petty while others which had long term consequences. Some of the themes related to ancient warfare are the following: the ambitions of the various rulers of the time, the need to acquire scarce resources, wars in the name of religion, and finally the need to emulate the great empires or states that existed at the time. The personal ambitions of various rulers in the ancient world were a major factor behind the wars that occurred during that period. Rulers such as King Xerxes of Persia wanted to secure their positions at home. This was because when these rulers came to their thrones, their positions were very weak due to the fact that they had yet to prove themselves to be worthy of their positions. Very often, they had to go to as many wars as possible early in their reigns to not only to show their battle prowess, but also to prove to those that wanted to overthrow them that any sign of rebellion would be met wit h brutal force. Another way of proving their worth was by contributing to their forefathers’ legacy by adding to the territories which they had inherited. An example of this was when Xerxes who, within a few years of coming to the throne, embarked on the conquest of Greece which ended in the Persian defeat many years later. The same can be said of Alexander the Great of Macedon who within the ten years that he ruled Macedonia had conquered Persia, the largest and most powerful empire of the time. He did this not only to satisfy his ambition but also because he believed that his birth was divine and that he was therefore worthy of great deeds to prove that he was the son of a god. Until his sudden death at the age of thirty two, his greatest ambition had been to conquer the whole of the known world. A common theme closely related to the above was tyranny, especially in Ancient Greece which occurred mostly between the sixth and the fourth century. Fagan G G and Trundle M (229) state that the tyrants needed a constant supply of money to support not only themselves but also their regimes. These necessitated wars which if won would ensure a constant flow of tribute from the defeated foe. Mercenaries hired themselves to tyrants because of the good pay which they tended to receive, while the tyrants often hired them because their loyalty to their employer remained absolute so long as he kept them paid. The Persian Empire also had a long tradition of hiring mercenaries and this can be seen when one looks at the composition of the Persian army during the invasion of Greece. Soldiers from as far as India and Nubia in Africa were to be found within the Persian ranks and these, especially Nubia, were not even close to Persia. Ancient Egypt was and still is largely a desert with very few resources and heavily dependent on the River Nile as the source of its livelihood. The ancient Egyptians therefore had to look without to find those resources that could not be foun d in their country but which they really needed to make their lives more comfortable. It was with this in mind that the pharaohs, especially those of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twenty fifth dynasties embarked on a series of wars of conquest to bring other states with vital resources into the Egyptian sphere of influence. At its greatest extent, Egypt controlled Nubia in what are now southern Egypt and northern Sudan, and the whole of Palestine including the Phoenician city states. As a result, exotic goods from tribute

Programs for Incarcerated Women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Programs for Incarcerated Women - Research Paper Example Previously, women in prison were arrested and incarcerated for violent crimes such as murder, poisoning and arson, but the last few decades saw that a growing number of new female inmates were inside a prison for non-violent crimes, meaning these are crimes which are economic in nature. This is not a surprising fact, given that a lot of female inmates belong to racial and ethnic or other minorities such as those belonging to the lower socio-economic classes or being uneducated. The negative effect of incarcerated mothers gave rise to innovative ideas and approaches when it comes to dealing with children whose mothers are in prison. Special attention was paid to their daughters, and that is how the Girl Scouts of the USA came out with their â€Å"Girl Scouts Beyond Bars† program which made a positive influence on people who would otherwise had lost hope. Keywords: daughters, drugs, economic, girl scouts, incarcerated, women in prison Introduction The issue of women in prison is a very sensitive topic for most people. Only lately has it caught the attention of policy makers, politicians and other interested parties because of the so-called women's movement, or feminism. The previous research on this subject was limited to the gender gap among highly visible political issues such as voting preferences between males and females, social equality discussions at the workplace, abortion rights and gender differences in attitudes towards crime and punishment. Some studies showed that most women, who feel that they are more vulnerable to crime due to their enhanced feelings of insecurity, usually favor a harsher and more severe punishment for convicted offenders to serve as deterrence. Female attitudes with regard to appropriate punishments include a longer prison sentence and capital punishment. The prevailing psychology in this regard is that punishment is used as deterrence for potential crime offenders and that the said punishment will somehow reduce crime in society. Women feel particularly vulnerable when it comes to certain crimes in which by their very nature, women are the predominant victims, such as domestic violence and rape. A general perception is that the two sexes have a different attitude towards crime and punishment, with women oriented to more â€Å"ethic in care† while men prefer the â€Å"ethic in equity of justice† by which criminals must be punished immediately with enough severity, sometimes by applying death penalty. Only lately has the issue of women in prison been brought out into the open and included in the public discourse. The feminists have done quite a job in highlighting the problems of women in prison, including the racial and economic differences found to be inherent in the criminal justice system, and in particular, how female prisoners fare. This topic is the subject of this paper. Discussion The previous focus of the women's movement had been on the perceived vulnerability of women to cert ain crimes targeting them specifically. This feeling of fear and insecurity is of a great consequence in terms of their feeling and perception as potential victims. However, a new feminist focus today is one on the problem of women ending up in prisons and all the other issues related to female incarceration. The prior years had been focused on women as victims, but this new tack in public discourse has now shifted to women as

Emiratisation in the UAE Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12500 words

Emiratisation in the UAE - Thesis Example They believe that the organizational culture in the private sector employment is not according to their personality and their diversity is not helping to achieve the required level of organizational performance. In addition to that, the young Emiratis also face the language problem. The normal language in the private sector employment is English and it is highly required that employees must understand and communicate with the use of English language. Unfortunately, a considerable number of Emiratis do not have frequency while communicating with the use of English language. This situation further adds fuel to the fire of their perceptions about the private sector employment. In addition to that, they face the issue of career development as well. Many Emiratis have not been given opportunity to understand their career roadmap so that they become in a position to determine and decide their future career track. In this regard, the absence of career counseling is also considerably contrib uting. Moreover, the charm in the public sector employment does not allow the young Emiratis to apply in the private sector employment. Currently, more and more young Emiratis are showing their keen interest in the public sector employment and they admire that the workplace environment, flexible working hours, attractive remuneration packages and benefits are those factors that attract the young Emiratis to only consider the public sector employment as a worthwhile opportunity and at the same time, this works as discouraging factor to applying to the private sector employment. On the other hand, the private sector employers have also developed strange beliefs about the locals. They believe that the locals are less inclined to work and are more inclined to avoid private sector work. They believe that the locals have different lifestyle and at the same time they contend that the locals have not much to offer in the shape of interpersonal skills, communication skills, expertise and

Influence of Pop Art Essay Example for Free

Influence of Pop Art Essay The Influence of Pop Art Illustration Essay To be someone who goes ‘against the crowd’, you must have a lot of courage. Well, back in the late 1950’s, pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and many others did exactly that. During this time period, pop art was a challenge to the traditions of fine art by using images of pop culture. You may be asking yourself, what is pop art? Pop art consists of objects that are removed from their original context and combined with unrelated material. In her article from Design Magazine, Adriana Marinica has a great explanation of how pop art appeals to us Americans and how pop art has it’s own style, â€Å"This art derives its style from the visual activities and pleasures of people: television, magazines and comics. † (Marinica) Pop art influenced American culture greatly while influencing the art culture as well. It created a different perspective for art, rather than fine art. Most people have seen Andy Warhol’s work, the most famous being the campbells soup cans, he is the most known pop artist. Not only did pop art influence American culture but it also influenced British culture, but in a different way. In 1952 was the beginning of the pop art movement known as â€Å"The Independent Group† who represented young artists of that time. Even today, pop art is still seen around the media and even street art. Back in it’s time, pop art was much different than anything anyone has seen. It has been the most â€Å"popular† art movements of the modern era. This movement was supposed to be a rebellion towards the ‘Abstraction Expressionists’, or artists who were perceived to be pretentious and over-intense. Fine art was popular from the 17th century on, it had much detail and focused on being realistic including paintings and drawings, while compared to pop art which has bright colors and it is more cartoony and not very realistic. Pop artists took images from popular media which made it easy to relate to the works. With the images from popular media, they would combined it with a background or other objects that had nothing to do with the media images. On the other end of the spectrum, most fine artists used a contemporary style while pop artists were more focused on the  attitudes rather than the art itself, such as irony and parody styles. Most pop artists prefer to use colors such as red, yellow, and blue since they are so vivid and are sure to grab your attention. Marilyn Diptych (1962). Campbells Soup (1968). Just a few of Andy Warhol’s most known pieces of pop art. You’ve seen the multi-colored soup can picture in your high school art class, and maybe you’ve seen the oddly colored portrait of Marilyn Monroe. Warhol had many other different styles and pieces, but he was very popular with his pop art works. Warhol seemed to have a great interest in creating images of well known actors and actresses. Not only is the iconic Andy Warhol famous for his pop art, we need to recognize that there are many other artists who have adopted the pop art culture. Some of those artists include Crash, Jim Dine, Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, and Tom Wesselmann. Pop art became very popular in the late 1950’s in North American culture. The term ‘pop art’ was officially introduced in December of 1962. Origins of pop art in North America emerged as a way of expression for artists at a time where the world was lacking any interest or excitement. This movement was to emphasise that pop art could take images from mass-media from popular culture and can still be considered fine art. At this time advertising had used many elements of modern art, which had artists searching for more clever ways to advertise to keep up with the changing world. American artists found their inspirations by living within our culture. In the United States, pop art was made as a representational art as an ironic response by artists to subdue the personal symbolism. Mass produced imagery was very popular in America, these works of art had more bold and aggressive overtones. Back in the 1950’s and 60’s pop art was associated with pop music which includes swinging and covers of the Beatles’ and Elvis Presley’s cover albums designed by the pop artist Peter Blake. In contrast, Great Britain viewed American pop art from a different perspective. Great Britain adopted romantic, sentimental, and even humorous overtones. Early pop art in Britain was inspired by American pop culture, but they did not experience this culture as Americans had. During the time of post-war, pop art culture improved the prosperity of their society. English pop was considered to be more of a metaphor or to have a theme. Introduced in the United Kingdom, the Independent Group was formed in London, 1952. This was a group of young painters, sculptors, architects, writers, and critics who were challenging modernist approaches to the culture and traditions of the fine arts. The group was mainly about popular culture implications from mass advertising, movies, product design, comic strips, science fiction, and technologies. Even with origins early as the 1950’s, pop art culture is still very alive to this day. Pop art has a very strong influence on today’s top fashion designers. As Marylou Luther of the Cleveland, Northeast Ohio News states, â€Å"To me, the most important art force that has popped back into fashion and the one most likely to have a trickle-down effect to the streets is Pop art. The art movement has been so iconic and profound that it is still featured, studied, and produced to this day. Some inspirations are helpful towards interior architecture, fashion, fabric, and something even as simple as packaging. A popular way pop art is used is the well known comic style that is based on American animations. While searching for how pop art is used today, I found a quote on a website that I felt should be included in this essay, â€Å"This type of fine art is so popular nowadays that we recognize its potential to continue growing and attracting more followers all around the world. As you can see, pop art has had a very big impact on our culture that we still see to this day. Not only has it inspired our culture and our artists, but even other countries’ culture and artists as well. I can say that I’ve been inspired by pop artist Andy Warhol with his amazing works of art. As we see daily; Hollywood, magazines, television, and newspapers are all producing different images which is enlarging popular culture majorly. Without the pop art movement, our culture would not be the same. Marinica’s point of view may better help how pop art has influenced our culture and how it is still very much alive today; she states, â€Å"Pop Art continues to be hailed as a success to this day, whether we’re talking about original pieces selling for big money, or prints selling in huge numbers. It became clear that pop art was much more than just a statement and it’s hard to ignore it. You can see it wherever you go. It’s in public places and even advertising, as it was used initially in the 1950s.

The importance of caterpillar inc in mining

The importance of caterpillar inc in mining Caterpillar Inc is the largest maker of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines in the world (Caterpillar Inc, 2010, p.1). It was started in 1925, and is based in Peoria, Illinois. Its operations are divided into three segments: machinery, engines, and financial business segments (Businessweek, 2010). With a global footprint, Caterpillar Inc.s product line boasts of more than 300 products, manufactured in twenty three countries (Caterpillar Inc, 2010). In the sections that follow, an internal analysis of the firm is carried out and its distinctive capabilities and core competencies evaluated. Its corporate, functional, and competitive strategies are also analyzed. Distinctive capabilities: The resource-based view of the firm asserts that an organizations resources and capabilities underpin the bedrock upon which the firms competitive advantage and strategy is based. While resources refer to the productive assets owned by the firm (Saloner, Shepard, and Podolny, 2008, p.12), capabilities refer to what the firm can do (Saloner, Shepard, and Podolny, 2008, p.12). Three types of resources have been identified: tangible resources, intangible resources, and human resources. As far as Caterpillar Inc is concerned, these are discussed below: Tangible Resources: Financial Resources: Caterpillar has a strong and healthy cash flow position. Net cash flows have increased from $592,000 in 2007 to $1,614,000 in 2008 and $2,131,000 in 2009 (Yahoo Finance, 2010). It enjoys strong market capitalization, which stands at $39.8 billion compared to only $6.29 billion for its closest competitor and the industry average of $1.71 billion. Its operating margins as well as price earnings ratio are well above the industry average (Yahoo Finance, 2010). Caterpillars sales revenues, profits, and other financial indicators have shown a consistent improvement over the years. For instance, sales revenues have risen from $30.3bn in 2004 to $51.3bn by 2008, surpassing the firms 2010 target of $50bn with two years to go. Over the same period, profits have risen from $2bn to $3.6bn. Other financial ratios have also witnessed a strong climb-up (Annual Report). The firm also boasts of an investment-grade credit rating as well as easy access to the capital (Caterpillar I nc, 2009). Marketing Resources: Caterpillar Inc has a marketing and distribution system that spans the entire globe. Additionally, it holds the market leadership position in the construction and mining industries as well as in the construction of natural gas, diesel, and industrial engines (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). With the broadest global footprint in the industry, it is very well diversified in terms of geographical spread and derives only 33% of its revenues in the US market. With over 300 products in its product line, its product base can be described as broad and well diversified which can help cushion it against downturns in specific product areas. Its customer service can also be described as superior, given that the firm offers among others quality assurance underpinned by a three year warranty, as well as fixed rate long-term financing tailored to specific customer needs (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). Physical Resources: Caterpillar Inc boasts of hi-tech manufacturing facilities spread in at least twenty three countries, and geared towards production in thirteen different industries. Under the Caterpillar Production System (CPS), it has a world class manufacturing, supply chain, and distribution system that are closely aligned with the flexible manufacturing philosophy (Caterpilar Inc, 2009). Intangible Resources: Technology: the number of patents which Caterpillar Inc has received has continued to increase year after successive year. By 2010, it had 620 patents. This is in line with its expenditure on RD which has grown from just $928 million in 2004 to $1.73bn by 2008 (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). Reputation: the market leader in the construction and mining industries and in the natural gas, industrial, and diesel engine industries, Caterpillar enjoys strong brand recognition as well as a strong reputation for machines distinguished by their specialist expertise, durability, design, as well as dealer and service excellence. According to Saloner, Shepard, and Podolny (2008, p.12), resources by themselves cannot give a firm a competitive advantage but must be blended together to give the firm capabilities. Based on the inventory of Caterpillar Inc.s resources presented above, the firms capabilities can be given as follows: strong financial position which also gives the firm a high ability to finance innovation (RD) and working capital requirements, raise credit financing to expand its operations or investments, as well as the ability to finance its customers and dealers purchases over the long run. Strong innovation capabilities as evidenced by the increasing number of patents it holds and the sustained investment in RD activities. Supply chain efficiencies (flexibility, cost effectiveness, etc) as evidenced by its Caterpillar Production System (CPS). Strong manufacturing and distribution capabilities as evidenced by its global configuration of production, supply, and distribution facilities. Strong marketing capabilities as defined by its market leadership position, broad product portfolio (over 300 products in thirteen different industries), its strong brand recognition and reputation, and superior customer service and excellence. Selznick (1990) coined the term distinctive competences / capabilities to describe those things which the organization does extremely well relative to its marketplace rivals. In the case of Caterpillar Inc, its distinctive capabilities can be said to include: its innovation and financial capabilities as well as its well-diversified product base and geographical spread. Core competencies: Prahalad and Hamel (1990) define core competencies as those capabilities which are central to an organizations achievement of a sustainable competitive advantage. For the capability to be termed as a core competence, it has to meet four criteria as spelled out by the VRIO framework. It must be valuable, rare, inimitable, and the organization must be sufficiently organized to exploit it. While Caterpillar Inc has a very broad product line and wide geographical spread, this can be easily replicated by its rivals through a deliberate strategy of market development and product diversification. Its supply chain capabilities can also be easily replicated through undertaking demand and supply chain integration activities such as maintaining low inventory levels and adopting flexible manufacturing systems. Its main core competencies therefore are its innovation capabilities, its superior financial position, and its superior customer service. Strategy: Strategy formulation has been described as taking place at three levels: the corporate level, business level, and the functional level. Robbins and Coulter (2005) identify three types of corporate strategies. These include growth, retrenchment, and stability strategies. Traditionally, Caterpillar has pursued the growth strategy which involves aggressively expanding into new markets and introducing new products so that by 2008 it had more than 300 products. Apart from its domestic US market, it has spread to most countries in Asia Pacific, Africa, Europe and Middle East, and Latin America. However, prompted by the increasingly cyclical nature of the industries across which it operates as well as the recent global economic recession, the firm put brakes on its growth strategy and pursued a retrenchment strategy instead. This was characterized by cost reduction initiatives, closure of underperforming business units, and employee layoffs (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). According to its annual report, the firms trough planning initiative has involved: Scaling down the number of its employees by more than 20,000, through voluntary as well as forced layoffs. Additionally, the firm has done away with many contingent workers (that is, temporary, agency, and contract employees). Reducing working hours as well as closing some plants temporarily in many of its global facilities. In some areas, the firm has introduced shorter working weeks. The firm has also undertaken various measures to optimize its supply chain management. These include reduction of inventories (which is expected to lead to lower inventory carrying costs), forging closer relationships with key suppliers, and the alignment of its logistical processes to conform to its flexible manufacturing system dubbed the Caterpillar Production System (CPS). It has drastically reduced compensation levels for its employees and managers, in some instances by as much as half. This is expected to drive cost savings. According to Robbins and Coulter (2005), firms which pursue the corporate strategy of growth have various strategic alternatives at their disposal. These include: concentration, vertical integration, horizontal integration, and diversification strategies. Of the four strategies, Caterpillar Inc has primarily made use of the diversification and horizontal integration strategies. Diversification involves expanding the firms scope of operations into other industries and product lines and this can be seen in the firms expansion to over 300 products and in thirteen industries. The horizontal integration strategy involves merging operations with other players in the same industry with a view of enhancing the firms competitive thrust and lowering competition in the industry. In the case of Caterpillar, this is evidenced by: Combination of its operations with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1965 in the Japanese market; joint venture with Navistar International Corporation which led to the creation of a new entity known as NC2 Global LLC in 2009; and a joint venture agreement with China Yuchai Machinery Co. Ltd in 2009 (Businessweek, 2010). The Ansoff Matrix has further identified the strategies which can be pursued by a firm deploying the corporate strategy of growth as: product development, market development, diversification, and market penetration strategies (Mercer, 1996). The firm has predominantly made use of the product development strategy which involves the introduction of new products for existing markets. Cases in point include the introduction by the company of next generation mining trucks, the first ever electric drive tracks in the industry, as well as the innovation of the revolutionary cat 175 engine (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). The market development strategy is also evident in the firms strategic posture, especially in its forays into more countries through geographic expansion. Some of the countries recently ventured into by Caterpillar include Saudi Arabia and India (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). At the business level, three main strategies have been identified. These include the overall low cost leadership strategy, the differentiation strategy, and the niche / focus strategy. The niche strategy has further been distinguished as either a differentiated niche strategy or focused low cost strategy. Additionally, an organization may follow a stuck in the middle approach where it simultaneously pursues two or more of these strategies (Porter, 1998). Of the three generic strategies, Caterpillar Inc can be described as following the generic strategy of differentiation. As its annual report (Caterpillar, 2009) attests, this strategy is based on two of its core competencies: its innovation capabilities and superior customer service. Functional level strategies are strategies which are implemented at the functional level in order to support the business level and ultimately, the corporate level strategies (Robbins and Coulter, 2005). For example, as far as the human resource is concerned, the firm continues to put a lot of emphasis on the training and development of its personnel. In 2008 for example, it spent up to $60 million in training and development initiatives. By ensuring that its employees are well trained and developed, the firm can see to it that creativity and innovation is fostered and that the staff are in a position to deliver exceptional levels of customer service. Its customer service strategy for example has involved offering three year warranties, and long term financing for customers and dealers (Caterpillar Inc, 2009). Its manufacturing strategy has involved upgrading of its facilities. For example, in 2008, the firm spent up to $2.4 billion in initiatives aimed at modernizing its manufacturing infrastructure. Other functional level strategies include ensuring costs are kept within manageable levels while maintaining high quality standards through initiatives such as the Six Sigma program, and ensuring that the organization is aligned with emerging market needs (Caterpillar Inc, 2009).

Database Management System In An Organization

Database Management System In An Organization A DBMS Database Management System is a commercial software program used to control, manipulate and maintain the Database by enabling users to access, store, organize, modify, retrieve, secure and provide integrity of data in a database. A DBMS accepts request from users or applications and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data as shown in the diagram below. Figure 1: database management (Source: http://broncu.blogspot.com/2010/04/dbms-mysql.html) Wikipedia (2011) defines Database Management System as a set of computer programs that controls the creation, maintenance, and the use of a database. It allows organizations to place control of database development in the hands of database administrators (DBAs) and other specialists. A DBMS is a system software package that helps the use of integrated collection of data records and files known as databases. It allows different user application programs to easily access the same database. DBMSs may use any of a variety of database models, such as the network model or relational model. In large systems, a DBMS allows users and other software to store and retrieve data in a structured way. Instead of having to write computer programs to extract information, user can ask simple questions in a query language. Thus, many DBMS packages provide Fourth-generation programming language (4GLs) and other application development features. It helps to specify the logical organization for a database and access and use the information within a database. It provides facilities for controlling data access, enforcing data integrity, managing concurrency, and restoring the database from backups. A DBMS also provides the ability to logically present database information to users. Examples: Microsoft Access, My SQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and FileMaker Pro are all examples of database management systems. (Wikipedia, 2011). Microsoft Access: Microsoft Office Access, previously known as Microsoft Access, is a relational database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft jet database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the Professional and higher editions or sold separately. In mid-May 2010, the current version Microsoft Access 2010 was released by Microsoft in Office 2010; Microsoft Office Access 2007 was the prior version. My SQL: MySQL is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius daughter, my. The SQL phrase stands for Structured Query Language. Microsoft SQL Server: Microsoft SQL Server is a relational model database server produced by Microsoft. Its primary query languages are T-SQL and ANSI S SQL. Oracle: The Oracle Database (commonly referred to as Oracle RDBMS or simply as Oracle) is an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS), produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation. FileMaker Pro: FileMaker Pro is a cross-platform relational database application from FileMaker Inc., formerly Claris, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. It integrates a database engine with a GUI-based interface, allowing users to modify the database by dragging new elements into layouts, screens, or forms. Advantages Singh (2009) illustrates advantages and disadvantages of DBMS. A true DBMS offers several advantages over file processing. The principal advantages of a DBMS are the followings: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flexibility: Because programs and data are independent, programs do not have to be modified when types of unrelated data are added to or deleted from the database, or when physical storage changes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fast response to information requests: Because data are integrated into a single database, complex requests can be handled much more rapidly then if the data were located in separate, non-integrated files. In many businesses, faster response means better customer service. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Multiple access: Database software allows data to be accessed in a variety of ways (such as through various key fields) and often, by using several programming languages (both 3GL and nonprocedural 4GL programs). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lower user training costs: Users often find it easier to learn such systems and training costs may be reduced. Also, the total time taken to process requests may be shorter, which would increase user productivity. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Less storage: Theoretically, all occurrences of data items need be stored only once, thereby eliminating the storage of redundant data. System developers and database designers often use data normalization to minimize data redundancy. Warehouse of information, where large data can be stored. Systematic storage meaning data can be stored in the form of tables. Change of schema meaning it is not platform dependent tables can be edited to add new ones without hampering the applications. No language dependence meaning use of various languages on various platforms. Table joins meaning data can be in two or more tables and can be put into one table this enables easy retrieval of data. Data security meaning DBMS secures all your data. The data independence and efficient access of data Easy in data administration or data management. Provides concurrent access, recovers the data from the crashes. Disadvantages A database system generally provides on-line access to the database for many users. In contrast, a conventional system is often designed to meet a specific need and therefore generally provides access to only a small number of users. Because of the larger number of users accessing the data when a database is used, the enterprise may involve additional risks as compared to a conventional data processing system in the following areas. Confidentiality, privacy and security. Data quality. Data integrity. Enterprise vulnerability may be higher. The cost of using DBMS. Confidentiality, Privacy and Security When information is centralised and is made available to users from remote locations, the possibilities of abuse are often more than in a conventional data processing system. To reduce the chances of unauthorised users accessing sensitive information, it is necessary to take technical, administrative and, possibly, legal measures. Most databases store valuable information that must be protected against deliberate trespass and destruction. Data Quality Since the database is accessible to users remotely, adequate controls are needed to control users updating data and to control data quality. With increased number of users accessing data directly, there are enormous opportunities for users to damage the data. Unless there are suitable controls, the data quality may be compromised. Data Integrity Since a large number of users could be using a database concurrently, technical safeguards are necessary to ensure that the data remain correct during operation. The main threat to data integrity comes from several different users attempting to update the same data at the same time. The database therefore needs to be protected against inadvertent changes by the users. Enterprise Vulnerability Centralising all data of an enterprise in one database may mean that the database becomes an indispensible resource. The survival of the enterprise may depend on reliable information being available from its database. The enterprise therefore becomes vulnerable to the destruction of the database or to unauthorised modification of the database. The Cost of using a DBMS Conventional data processing systems are typically designed to run a number of well-defined, pre-planned processes. Such systems are often tuned to run efficiently for the processes that they were designed for. Although the conventional systems are usually fairly inflexible in that new applications may be difficult to implement and/or expensive to run, they are usually very efficient for the applications they are designed for. The database approach on the other hand provides a flexible alternative where new applications can be developed relatively inexpensively. The flexible approach is not without its costs and one of these costs is the additional cost of running applications that the conventional system was designed for. Using standardised software is almost always less machine efficient than specialised software. Cost of hardware and software meaning having to upgrade the hardware used for file based system it is very costly. Cost of data conversion meaning its costly to convert data of data files into database and have to hire database and system designers. Cost of staff training meaning organization has to be aid a lot of amount for the training of staff to run dms. Database damage meaning all data stored into a single file if database is damaged due to electric failure or database is corrupted on a storage media meaning all valuable data may be lost forever. It also takes a lot of time and effort to get DBMS started. Benefits of a Database Management System in an organization As discuss by the Ezinearticles (2011), organizations often times find themselves in a dilemma on how they can effectively serve the needs of their members. At the same time, they also enter a situation wherein there is difficulty in handling data, given the sheer volume of information. More often than not, the results of these instances are not anything but desirable; confusion, chaos, mismanagement, lost confidence by members, etc. To solve these problems, organizations turn to information technology (IT) experts for answers. With many years of experience in coming up with solutions for businesses and other entities, IT professionals have what it takes to come up with an effective data management and accreditation system that will be used by organizations. There must also be enhanced accessibility to the said system, which means that members from other locations can still gain entry into the system, regardless of elements such as time and geography. Investing on the services of IT consultants is, however, not like buying something from a store. It entails huge sums of money to come up with a good data management and accreditation system for an organization, aside from engaging the professional services of IT experts. Fortunately, IT experts can help minimize the cost through the creation of a database system based on existing resources being held by the organization. Investing on the services of IT experts and having a good data and accreditation management system may seem to be too costly, but the long-term benefits are worthy to be seen. By having a good database system, it will be much easier for organizations to deal with their members because of enhanced access to information. The placement of additional pieces of information can be done better if there is a good data management system. Having a good data and accreditation management system empowers members of an organization. This is possible because they have the ability to gain the necessary information about things that matter to them as members. They conduction of business with the organizations intervention is made faster and more efficient if a good data management system is in place. There is no reason for organizations to hesitate when it comes to investing on a good data and accreditation management system. The long-term benefits of having one are far greater than the costs, and will be very helpful to the organization and their members in the long run. Improved strategic use of corporate data. Reduced complexity of the organizations information systems environment. Reduced data redundancy and inconsistency. Enhanced data integrity. Application-data independence. Improved security. Reduced application development and maintenance costs. Improved flexibility of information systems. Increased access and availability of data and information. (Blurtit, 2011). Prospects in DBMS and Career Opportunities The work of a database administrator (DBA) varies according to the nature of the employing organisation and the level of responsibility associated with the post. The work may be pure maintenance or it may also involve specialising in database development. Prospects, the UKs official career website (2011) states that jobs available in this field are: Senior Database Architect Database Architect design and builds database structure and objects that best support operational and analytics application. Tests and debug physical database objects for performance and troubleshooting. * Design and implement optimal star and snowflake schema in the database * Communicate and collaborate with team members and management on the designed database structures and schemas * Write and present eloquently with the appropriate audience perspective in mind * Support troubleshooting of production issues of existing application as warranted * Participate in collaborative discussions with team members to monitor progress against enhancement queue and bug resolution. * Stay proactive in identifying potential risks/issues due to the overall application design and make recommendations. Database Administrator This position requires a Top Secret Security Clearance. This position will support a US Air Force Contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, coordinating and administering computerized databases, including base definition, structure, documentation, long and short range requirements, operational guidelines, protection and logical-physical database design. Formulates and monitors policies, procedures and standards relating to database management. Identifies, evaluates and recommends relevant COTS software tools. Collaborate with software engineers, security administration, computer operations, network management and system administration to ensure quality and integrity of databases, application software and data. Responsible for performance monitoring, database. Database Architect Specialist Database Architect design and builds database structure and objects that best support operational and analytics application. Tests and debug physical database objects for performance and troubleshooting. * Design and implement optimal star and snowflake schema in the database * Communicate and collaborate with team members and management on the designed database structures and schemas * Write and present eloquently with the appropriate audience perspective in mind * Support troubleshooting of production issues of existing application as warranted * Participate in collaborative discussions with team members to monitor progress against enhancement queue and bug resolution. * Stay proactive in identifying potential risks/issues due to the overall application design and make recommendations. Database Administration Consultant Evaluates new database technologies and tools, sets database system and programming standards, applies database technology to business problems and manages the development and production database environments with emphasis on security, availability and performance. Provides database services in compliance with all audit and regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate must be experienced in the management of Oracle E-Business 11.5.10.2 including installation, upgrade, patching, cloning, backup and recovery, monitoring, tuning, security, and definition of procedures for custom development. The ideal candidate must be experienced in the implementation and management of Oracle E-Business 11.5.10.2 as configured for the Oracle Massive Availability Architecture. Senior Database Engineer Responsible for requirements analysis, software development and installation, integration, evaluation, enhancement, maintenance, testing, and problem diagnosis and resolution. Qualifications: Bachelors degree with ten (10) years experience as a Database Engineer in developing relational database software and experience with one or more relational database products. Preferred Additional Skills: Possess organizational and management skills, along with the ability to respond to crises objectively. Understanding of the current database management system releases. Conclusion The document that we have put together is a group assignment that was done by four individuals. Some of the problems that we faced as a group are that, we couldnt meet due to our clashing schedules; others are busy with other obligations. We would like to say that we tried to produce the best group work that we could, hopefully learnt from this experience to better ourselves for our future endeavors.