Pros and Cons Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment (death penalty) is the severest form of legal punishment today. There are vast differences in the way people view the death penalty. Some oppose it and some agree with it. There have been many studies trying to prove or disprove a point regarding the death penalty. Some have regarded the death penalty as a deterrent, and some have regarded it as state sanctioned murder and not civilized. The death penalty has been attributed to societies for hundreds of years. More recently, as we become more civilized, the death penalty has been questioned to be the right step towards justice. During the course of this paper I will review the pros and cons of the use of the death penalty as we, Americans, know it. The death penalty is a highly controversial subject. No one knows who’s right or whose wrong-it’s fifty percent speculation and fifty percent research. It’s just a lot of thoughts and beliefs from people who have contributed to the death penalty hype. Who’s right and who’s wrong? That is the question. Problem Statements In order to list the pros and cons of the death penalty I will discuss a bit about what exactly is capital punishment. This will help better understand why people feel the way they do about capital punishment. Like mentioned earlier, capital punishment or also known as the death penalty is the most extreme of all sentencing options (Schmalleger, 2012). Almost all nations in the world have had the death sentence and had enforced it in many ways. It has been used in most cases to punish those who broke the laws or standards that were expected of them. There are a lot of methods of execution however not all are legal in the United States. Procedures authorized in the United States now are electrocution, the gas chamber, and the lethal injection. The most common form of capital punishment is lethal injection, with electrocution to be the second most common form (Schmalleger, 2012). When it comes down to sentencing a criminal to the death penalty, many say that it has never been a fair sentencing. Those against capital punishment claim that it has been inflicted on innocent people or that it is costly to execute someone (Schmalleger, 2012). Those for the death penalty claim that the criminals who committed horrifying crimes deserve to die for their actions (Schmalleger, 2012). For the reason being, that anything else other than death does not fulfill as a sanction for the crime (Schmalleger, 2012). Literature review The people who oppose the death penalty have very different reasons than people who agree with it. Those who oppose it feel that no matter how bad of an offense that the criminal has committed, they should not be executed. Arguing against capital punishment, Amnesty International believes that The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state in the name of justice. It violates the right to lifeIt is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. There can never be any justification for torture or for cruel treatment. It has been said that innocent people have been placed on death row for crimes they never committed and then executed. In my opinion, I find that very true and support this very strongly. From 1973 up to late 2009, over 138 people in 25 different states where freed from death row after being determined that they were innocent for the capital crime they had been convicted of (Dieter). One example of this claim is of James Bain, a Florida man, released from jail after being incarcerated for 35 years. He was formerly convicted back in 1974 for supposedly kidnapping and a 9 year-old boy and raping him in a nearby field (Schmalleger, 2012). What helped him gain his freedom in December of 2009 was the modern technology not available back then. Bain requested multiple DNA test, once approved the results came back negative for him meaning he was not the man who committed the crime. DNA test are now huge towards those placed in death row, it has helped freed many innocent citizens. When it comes down to the death penalty cases, there are many appeals that are made in court. The cost for a state for these appeals can run into millions of dollars for each individual case (Schmalleger, 2012). The death penalty is much more expensive than life without parole that is a fact. It is more expensive because it requires a long and complex judicial process for capital cases (Woodford). This is needed to ensure that innocent men and women are not executed for crimes they did not commit (Woodford). Sometime with this careful long process the risk of executing an innocent person cannot be completely eliminated (Woodford). Those for capital punishment may state that although the official cost dealing with capital punishment is high, no cost is too high to bring justice to the world (Schmalleger, 2012). Some say that capital punishment deters crime from occurring. However, there is no credible evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than long terms of imprisonment. States that have death penalty laws do not have lower crime rates or murder rates than states without such laws. States that have abolished capital punishment show no significant changes in either crime or murder rates. In my opinion and from what I have read it seems to be that the death penalty has no deterrent effect. I say this because people commit murders in the heat of passion, under the influence or because they are mentally ill, giving little or no thought to the consequences of their actions. Death penalty laws falsely convince the public that government has taken effective measures to combat crime and homicide. In reality, such laws do nothing to protect us or our communities from the acts of dangerous criminals Arguing for capital punishment, the Clark County, Indiana Prosecuting Attorney writes that There are some defendants who have earned the ultimate punishment our society has to offer by committing murder with aggravating circumstances present. I believe life is sacred. It cheapens the life of an innocent murder victim to say that society has no right to keep the murderer from ever killing again. In my view, society has not only the right, but the duty to act in self-defense to protect the innocent. There are still some who states that the death penalty is favorable in the United States. The proponents state that executing criminals will directly help stop the criminal rate in America; also, they declare that when the criminals that are sentenced are killed, the world is one less a murderer than before. Adding on, the argument that the wrong person would be killed is very slim; as a matter of fact, with the development of technology constantly evolving, the chances of the wrong citizen being executed are also constantly decreasing. Although many opponents state that the capital punishment is racist, there are statistics that more African-Americans do crimes than Caucasians. Research Methods After analyzing all the information towards capital punishment I became interested in doing some research about capital punishment statistics about the process of decision making when sentencing a criminal. If I were to conduct a case study about discrimination in death penalty sentencing, I would create surveys and interviews with inmates on death row and certain cases that appeared to been sentenced by discrimination. This type of study is hard to investigate for the reason that if the judge or jury based their answer off of the gender or race of the person it would be less likely that they would reveal the truth. My research study would be quantitative because I will be recording data about the rates on death penalty discrimination. It will also be a qualitative study because, a part from the data I will be recording I would conduct interviews with former judges and attorneys that have dealt with death penalty cases and what was the process of deciding the sentence like. Conclusion In today’s generation people have very different views on the death penalty. There are many who completely agree with it, and the concept behind it, and there are some who feel it is nothing but a cruel punishment. All in all, the capital punishment is a charge that will always be debated in America. However, the execution is a faster death for the criminal a much easier statement someone can receive. Half of the American population is against capital punishment for the execution of innocent people, discrimination, deterrence of crime and high cost leading to debt for the society. Those for capital punishment agree that this kind of action is what is needed to put a stop to brutal crimes. The criminal deserves to die for their actions and it is the only option to bring justice. The death penalty is and always will be a problem that is arguable from both sides, but, if someone tries to ultimately stop it, it is and always will be impossible. Reference ACLU. (2007, April 09). The death penalty: Questions and answers. Retrieved from http://www.aclu.org/capital-punishment/death-penalty-questions-and-answers Baik, E. (2012). Gender, Religion and National Origin: Latinos Attitude toward Capital Punishment. Journal of Social Sciences (15493652), 8(1), 79-84. Hashemi, S. (n.d.). Abolish the death penalty. Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/campaigns/abolish-the-death-penalty?id=1011005 Methods of execution. (2010, April). Retrieved from http://www.clarkprosecutor.org/html/death/methods.htm Dieter, R. (n.d.). Death penalty information. Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/home Schmalleger, F. (2012). Criminal justice: A brief introduction. (9 ed., pp. 272-286). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Woodford, J. (n.d.). The high cost of the death penalty. Retrieved from http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42

The Cyclops: An Unusual People :: essays research papers fc

The Cyclops: An Unusual People   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes were unique and unusual mythical people. They had very interesting lives. They had an unusual beginning and they had an unusual lifestyle. Also, the Cyclopes appeared to be completely different when described by opposing viewpoints. Overalll, the Cyclopes were an unconventional race in mythical legends.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes had an intriguing origin. They were the eldest sons of Mother Earth, Gaia, and Father Heaven, Uranus (Evslin 1). While the Cyclopes were still in the womb of Gaia, Uranus got jealous of the babies. He sent a bat to eat one eye out of each baby to make them hideous and thus make everybody hate them (Evslin). Because of what Uranus executed, the baby Cyclopes were born with one eye. They grew to be of gigantic size (Hamilton 65). This beginning of the era of the Cyclopes proved to be a unique situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although the Cyclopes were born disfigured they led attracting lives. The Cyclopes had a brother named Cronos who killed his father Uranus (Evslin 13). Since everyone was afraid of the Cyclopes (2), Cronos punished them by tricking them into imprisonment. Zeus, the son of Cronos and the new god king, freed them after Cronos had imprisoned them (31). The Cyclopes were very good smiths (12). They forged thunderbolts for Zeus because he freed them (Schmidt 74). A war was in the midst so the Cyclopes made armor and weapons for the gods of Olympus (Evslin 39). Even though the Cyclopes performed all of these good deeds the people still disliked them so much that they were forced to return to their smithy in the middle of a volcano for eternity (71). The Cyclopes lives were filled with helpfulness to others, but they were still shunned and hated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Cyclopes were basically good people, but there were other Cyclopes. Homer wrote of Cyclopes that were extremely bad. They were downright savage shepherds (Schmidt 74). They were so savage that they did not give a thought before they devoured humans. They almost ate Odysseus, the main character of

Becoming a CPA Essay -- Essays Papers

Becoming a CPA Becoming A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) What is a CPA? These three letters mean that you have received a broad-based education. They mean you have passed all parts of a very difficult exam. They mean you have the knowledge, skills and abilities to be a trusted business advisor to your clients or employer. They mean you feel comfortable with the latest technology. They mean you are an ethical individual who can provide an independent analysis. CPA’s are many things. They are chief financial officers for Fortune 500 companies and advisors to small neighborhood businesses. They work for large and small public accounting firms. They are well-respected strategic business advisors and decision-makers. They act as consultants on many issues, including taxes and accounting. To become a CPA you need to meet the requirements of the state or jurisdiction in which you wish to practice. These requirements, which vary from state to state, are established by law and administered by the state boards of accountancy. To qualify for certification, you must: ï‚ · Complete a program of study in accounting at a college/university. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recommends at least 150 semester hours to obtain the common body of knowledge for becoming a CPA. ï‚ · Pass the Uniform CPA Examination, which is developed and graded by the AICPA. ï‚ · Have professional work experience in public accounting. The Uniform CPA Exam is a prerequisite for the CPA certificate because it is the primary way Boards of Accountancy measure the competence of CPA candidates. Boards of Accountancy also rely on additional means to ensure that a candidate has the necessary technical abilities and character attributes to become a CPA. These may include interviews, letters of reference, investigation of educational background, and affidavits of employment. In addition, some boards of accountancy administer an ethics examination to assess a candidate’s knowledge of the rules of professional conduct. The Board of Examiners of the AICPA, is responsible for preparing the Uniform CPA Examinations and for operating the Advisory Grading Service, both adopted by the boards of accountancy in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Examination is give... ...s the economy grows the number of business establishments increases requiring more accountants and auditors to set up their financial, technological and internal control systems, provide tax preparation and planning assistance, as well as management consulting advice and other business advisory services. The volume and complexity of financial and non-financial information will continue to expand, requiring the knowledge of accountants and auditors to interpret and analyze the data and participate in the decision making process. Becoming proficient in the latest accounting and budgeting software packages and keeping abreast of new technologies is critical to the accounting professional’s success. Bibliography: American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (2000). Available: http://www.aicpa.org. Blensly, D.L., and Plank, T.M. (1989). Accounting Desk Book, (9th ed.) Meigs, W.B. and R.F. (1989), Accounting: The Basis for Business Decisions, (8th ed.) Rink & Robinson’s CPA’s (1998). Certified Public Accountants & Consultants. Available: http://www.mrinkcpa.com. Robert Half and Accountemps Salary Guide (1999). Available: http://www.accountemps.com.

Motivational Essay

Motivational Essay What is â€Å"Motivation†? Motivation means the desire to do something, or having interest or drive. People need motivation to do things that they have no interest or drive to do. For me as an example, I need motivation to get up early every morning, to go to school, or even going to the gym. I used to have problems doing things because I never had any motivation to do anything, No friends to be there when I needed them. They we’re always busy.So I had to figure out something. I searched many ways to bring my life to order, Some of them worked in the short run, but nothing truly fulfilled the requirement of life peace. A few months ago this all began to change. I started a daily workout schedule; I have been going to the gym 4 to 5 times a week , I’ve been going for almost a year. I started a healthy diet, I don’t eat out as much as I used to. I used to eat McDonald’s, Burger king , Carl’s Jr. very day . Now all my food is home cooked, and I quit smoking cigarettes because I have asthma and also did it, to better my health, and to this day it has brought stability to my personal life as well as my social life . I also decided to change up my studying habits in which it helped me motivate myself. Developing better study habits will help me with my course of study because it will better prepare me for any assignments or exams that are given in the future.In the past, and even sometimes now I have had a frequent problem of procrastination, and because of this I lack both rest and preparation to either finish my homework or do well on my tests. Beginning either my studies or assignments early on will help me drastically because dividing the workload within several days will help me retain information more effectively, as compared to all in one night. In conclusion of it all, I figured out my balance to life. I overcame my motivational barrier and prove to everyone that only I can, (as my own personal sour ce) be the only one to change my life up and change for the better.

Victoria Secret in Turkey

The Middle East consists of several countries in West Asia. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, and Gaza, are all the 19 countries that are categorized as the Middle East. The term Middle East is considered to be a Eurocentric term and is used as a synonym for the Near East. Since the Middle East extends over so many countries, there are major economic, cultural, and religious differences.Some of the countries in the Middle East are extremely wealthy oil nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates, that generate large amount of revenue and are on the top list of the world’s wealthiest nations based on income per capita. And then there are some really poor nations, like Gaza and Yemen, which are characterized by unrest and war. The Middle East also varies a lot when it comes to culture and religion. Islam is the biggest religion i n the Middle East and many of the countries have really strict religious rules, with little freedom for women.But there are also countries where Judaism and Christianity are represented, and women have equal or almost equal rights as men. Victoria’s Secret was founded in 1977, in San Francisco by Roy Raymond. It started with three stores and a mail-order catalog. In 1982, after only five years of operations, Raymond sold the company to Leslie Wexner for $4 million. During the 80’s Victoria’s Secret rapidly expanded into U. S malls. By the early 90’s Victoria’s Secret had become the largest American lingerie retailer, topping one billion dollars.There are approximately 1,000 Victoria’s secret lingerie stores and 100 independent Victoria’s Secret Beauty stores in the U. S. We sell a range of brassieres, panties, hosiery, cosmetics, sleepwear, and other products. In 1995 Victoria’s Secret had their first fashion show, which today has become a huge hit. The show features some of the world's leading fashion models such as current Victoria's Secret Angels Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Miranda Kerr. Because of the huge differences in economy, culture, and religion, we at Victoria’s Secret decided to focus on one country at a time.We decided that it would be the best opportunity to open our store in Turkey. Turkey has the largest economy in the Middle East based on nominal gross domestic product (GDP) and the cultural and religious barriers are not as dominant as in some of the other Middle Eastern countries. Turkey also has a huge market for tourism. Market Turkey has a large population with 71 million people. They have generally a young population, with 61% of the people being younger than the age of 35. Turkey’s average gross national product (GNP) per capita is $7,500.About 71% of the population lives in the urban areas. Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with about 12 million peo ple, and Ankara, the capital, has about 5 million people. Turkey is located in Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. Turkey’s location gives them an excellent base for economic activities throughout the region. Turkey has a budget revenue of $176. 8 billion and a budget expenditure of $189. 2 billion. Turkey is running a budget deficit of 1. 6% of real GDP.This budget deficit, together with uncertainty related to the monetary policy-making, and political disorder in Turkey’s neighbor countries, makes the Turkish economy vulnerable to destabilization shifts in investors’ confidence. Turkey has a young and well-educated population, but 10. 3% of the Turkish population is unemployed. The labor force is 27. 43 millions, where 25. 5% works within the agricultural sector, 26. 2% works in industries, and 48. 4% works within the service sector. Young people between the age of 15 and 24, 25% are unemployed. Women are still an untapped labor force in Turkey.Researchers say that about half of all Turkish women enter the labor market at some point in their lives, but most end up quitting because of family obligations or poor working conditions. We feel that this is a great opportunity for our company, because our target market is women. We will strive to create ideal working conditions for all of our employees so they feel that they want to keep working for Victoria’s Secret. Economic and Political Climate We at Victoria’s Secret have been attracted to the Turkish market by the country’s rapidly expanding economy, political and economic stability, and the possibility of European Union membership.Since Turkey is an associated member of the EU, it had to adopt many directives, regulations, and laws that are required by the EU. Turkey is going through changes, to strengthen its democracy and integrate its economy into the global market. The changes that Turkey is going through are goin g to be beneficial to us, because it will make Turkey an easier market to enter and to do business in. It is also crucial for us that Turkey’s government are become a more stable government. It would be hard for Victoria’s Secret to thrive when the government is unstable and there are rapid and drastic policy changes.For a business to survive in a foreign country, it is crucial that there is a government that can maintain itself in power and whose fiscal, monetary, and political policy are predictable. Turkey has an open market economy, with a blend of both modern and traditional industries. Turkey’s industry and service sector are becoming the major drivers of the Turkish economy. Their private sector is becoming increasingly important, as state involvement is reducing. The traditional textiles and clothing sectors, still account for one-third of industrial employment in Turkey.During 2011, the United Sates exported to Turkey for $15 billion, this is 34% increa se from 2010. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has in the recent years been attracted to Turkey because of their market reforms, strong growth and economic and political stability. The U. S. has officially invested about $6-7 billion in Turkey, a number that is understated because U. S. companies have invested through third countries. There are no restrictions over the export of goods from Turkey. Exports are exempt from the value added tax (VAT), duties and transaction taxes. Goods manufactured in Turkey have a duty free access to the EU.There are also no import restrictions over goods imported to Turkey, with the exclusion of some restraints of very minor character. For imports that are imported to Turkey from countries other than European Union, customs duties and charges are applicable in agreement with the requirements of the customs union. Regardless of origin of goods, whether from the EU or a non-EU country, VAT is at a rate 18% (1% or 8% for certain basic goods). Good and se rvices imported into the country, industrial, commercial, agricultural goods and services, and deliveries of goods and services caused by other activities, are all subject to VAT.The guidelines involving to the remittance of foreign capital and dividends out of the country are set out in Law No. 1567. According to these regulations, foreign investors have the same privileges and responsibilities as Turkish investors. The regulations also guarantee the transfer of profits, fees, and royalties and the repatriation of capital in the case of a liquidation or sale. For foreign businesses to enter into Turkey there is no longer a minimum amount of capital requirement, due to Turkey’s new Foreign Direct Investment Law. â€Å"It is no longer obligatory to bring a minimum of $50,000 in share capital. As long as the form of company is included in the Turkish Commercial Code, it is your own choice on what company you want to establish. â€Å"It is no longer obligatory to establish eit her a limited liability company or joint stock company. † In 2006, Turkey cut its corporate income tax rate from 30% to 20% making it one of the most competitive rates in the OECD. These corporate income tax rates, has mad Turkey an attractive business environment that presents advantages and potential opportunities for business wishing to enter the market. Culture and InfluencesCulture is defined as â€Å"the sum of the total of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human populations. † Societies are composed of its people and their culture; it is therefore difficult to talk about one aspect without referring to the other. Sociocultural has become the term that is used among businesspeople when talking about cultures and societies. For Victoria’s Secret to be successful in opening a store in Turkey it is crucial for us to realize that there are a culture differences from that of our own, as well as learning the characteris tics of the culture so that we can adapt to them.Since culture is so broad, a listing of its components may ease the analysis of the sociocultural viewpoint. These components include: aesthetics, attitudes and beliefs, religion, material culture, language, societal organization, education, legal characteristics, and political structures. The component that apply for Victoria’s Secret launch in Turkey is in particular religion, but aesthetics, and societal organization can also have an impact.Religion is an important component of culture and holds responsibility for many attitudes and beliefs the people have. In Turkey, the people practices the religion Islam and the population consist of 99. 8% Muslims, mostly Sunni. The Muslims follows the Koran, which is the collection of Allah’s revelations to Muhammad, and is said to be the messenger of God. Following the Koran means freedom, and it is said to bring happiness for the Muslim to follow Gods word. For all Muslims the basic spiritual duties consist of the ive pillars of faith: accepting the confession of faith; making the five daily prayers while facing Mecca; giving charity; fasting during the daylight hours of Ramadan, a 29- or 30-day month in Islam’s lunar calendar; making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a person’s lifetime. The Turkish state is becoming more and more modernized, and so is also its religion. Turkey seeks to modernize Islam because they believe that it might hinder their development in becoming a more globalized and modern country. We believe that Turkey is a good place to open our next store in the Middle East because they are open for this kind of new businesses.Aesthetics refers to a culture’s sense of beauty and good taste. As the Turkish people are getting more modernized, they will also get more influenced by the rest of the world. We believe that the fashion trends that are popular in the U. S. will become popular in Turkey as well, and that V ictoria’s Secret lingerie can become part of the Turkish women’s daily life. Societal organization â€Å"is the patterned arrangement of relationships defining and regulation the manner by which its members interface with one another. The women in Turkey don’t have the same status as women in the U. S. , and the men and women’s roles may vary a lot. This might cause a problem when launching Victoria’s Secret in Turkey, nevertheless, we believe that the Turkish women, as they get more influence by the fashion trends in rest of the world, they will create a desire to buy our products. Victoria’s Secret is facing some sociocultural challenges when launching our business in Turkey, and we will have to give our customers some time to adapt to our products.However, when considering Turkey is development toward a more modern and global nation we have a bright outlook for the future, and believe those challenges will be exciting to tackle. Competit ion â€Å"International strategy is concerned with the way firms make fundamental choices about developing scare resources internationally. † It is going to be crucial for Victoria’s Secret to implement an international strategy because it involves decisions that deal with what products or services to offer, which markets to enter, and how to compete.It also deals with all the various functions in the organization, such as marketing and production. The goal with an international strategy is to create competitive advantage, which means that the business has achieved and maintained a unique and valuable position both globally and within a nation. To create sustainable competitive advantage it is important that a product or service creates value for consumers and for which customers are willing to pay for, are rare, are difficult to imitate or substitute, and are organized in a way that allows the company to fully exploit and capture the value of the product or service.Th ere are numerous lingerie companies in Turkey that can act as competitors when launching Victoria’s Secret in the country. The Turkish economy is growing and the local companies are developing great skills when it comes to adapt to customers demand, which results in companies that are becoming stronger when competing in the global market. However, the main reason why Victoria’s Secret has become so successful is because we have been able to create products and services that meet the criteria for a sustainable competitive advantage. Therefore we believe that we will be able to successfully compete against the Turkish lingerie companies.Turkish is the predominant language in Turkey, spoken by 90% of the population. Minority languages include Kurdish, which is spoken by 6% of the population, although this isn't recognized as an official language. 1. 2% of the Turkish population speaks Arabic but most of those speakers are bilingual and speak Turkish as well. Because we wi ll compete at a local level we believe that it will be important to communicate in Turkish. We will make sure that we have employees that are fluent in Turkish to be a part of our marketing and business team in order to establish a local presence with our products.Because verbal communication is more dominant than written expression in business in Turkey we will focus much of our advertising through media such as radio and TV. Since most of population is Muslim we have to take this into consideration when creating our advertising campaigns. Something that could be a challenge for us is the variable prices many stores and competitors have. This cultural difference where everything is negotiable have to be considered when entering Turkey. A wide range of shops has no prices listed. Customers simply have to ask the price of everything and the sales person will have the right answer.Even luxury shops selling diamond jewelry are open to negotiation. We have chosen not to adjust to this c ultural difference. It does not go well with our business model and we believe that customers will be able to adjust to Victoria’s Secret stricter price listings. But, it is still something to be aware of when training our employees that will be working in our stores. Special offers and other sales or marketing tricks are common in the Turkish business environment. The â€Å"buy one, get one free† offer can be seen in most retail stores in Turkey. This is something that we will use and take advantage of.We will use the same strategies as we have in the US. Making special offers for customers if they buy more than one of selected items. Seasonal offers will also be implemented. Victoria’s Secret in the Middle East We want to make Victory Secret the most known lingerie brand in the world. By expanding with a third store in the Middle East, and more specific in Turkey, we are certain that we will be able to reach this goal. Works Cited https://www. cia. gov/library /publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html http://blog-en. icanlocalize. com/2008/09/marketing-challenges-turkey/ http://www. communicaid. om/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Turkey. pdf http://export. gov/turkey/doingbusinessinturkey/index. asp http://www. isik-ymm. com. tr/doingbusinessinturkey. pdf http://blog-en. icanlocalize. com/2008/09/marketing-challenges-turkey/ http://www. drpatrickcarter. com/blog/2010/09/marketing-in-turkey/ http://www. bbc. co. uk/languages/european_languages/countries/turkey. shtml https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html http://www. nytimes. com/2011/05/05/world/middleeast/05iht-M05-WORK-WOMEN. html https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu. html

Middle Range Theory Essay

Bank of America is the largest US bank founded in 1904, it has expanded through several acquisitions. By the end of 2009, Bank of America was the market leader serving 82% of the US population and over 53 million customers. They are positioned as number one in online and mobile banking. Their mobile banking services were launched in 2007 and have gained 4 million customers in less than three years. Acquisitions made by Bank of America prior to the financial crisis caused a very strong drop in their stock price. Customers: In 2009, 10 million customers used mobile banking and this is expected to grow to 37 million by 2014. Customers that use mobile banking are not the same as online customers. Customers that use mobile banking represent a different segment of the market that other banking customers. Security issues, a perceived low value and expense, were the primary reasons that customers did not switch to mobile banking. Potential customers were reluctant to try a new banking service that are represented an extra cost and they were also afraid of losing control of their finances. Debit cardholders were the most active users. It was convenient for them because they could check their account at any time. Customers that used this service changed their usual banking channels and as a result -the bank had a higher retention for these users of online services. Competition/Competitors: Bank of America’s main competitors were: Bank of New York Mellon, JP Morgan Chase ; Co. , Wells Fargo ; Co. , Citigroup, and PNC Financial Services. These competitors also used mobile banking to ensure good service for their customers. They used SMS, customized web browsers and apps, depending on the bank and the customers they served. Citibank and Wells Fargo had different applications customized for their target groups. General Context Considering that the banking industry is fragmented, with thousands of banks offering retail and wholesale banking services; ten of the largest banks hold 46. 4% of total deposits, Bank of America being the largest one. The mortgage crisis of 2009 led to a deep recession and spilled over into a financial crisis that affected the retail banking business. Banks started waving fees and offering additional benefits in order to capture and retain customers. Mobile banking was introduced in the US in 2007 which added costs to each transaction. However, these costs were lower than call centers and interactive voice response costs. Bank of America had three options: mobile messaging (mobile stream modification without any software installation), mobile Internet (wireless application protocol), and mobile applications. Mobile applications in particular were more sophisticated and costly. Smartphone use was estimated to grow to 46% by 2014. Development Dilemma: Bank of America has two options to handle the future of mobile banking: 1) Build new and various applications to target different customers a) Pros: i) Customers want customization in the products; this will increase retention and satisfaction. ii) Marketing strategies can be segmented into different types of clients. This increases efficiency and reduces costs. iii) Superior brand and innovation perception. a) Cons i) Cost of application creation will increase due to the different areas and type of customers at Bank of America ii) Any changes in the bank services will have to be applied to all apps. Some customers will have to download and use various apps at the same time 2) Refuse to add complexity to the current application a) Pros: i) No extra costs on building a new application ii) Customers that don? t like technology or doubt about security issues won’t be affected b) Cons: i) Other banks offer better mobile apps and this will increase their competitive advantage ii) Customer satisfaction will suffer if the app is not updated and does not fulfill their needs. iii) Transactions will still be done through ATMs, Call centers and IVR, which are 4 to 11 times more costly. Opportunities: Since Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in United States that has millions of customers; online banking is an important feature that offers to ease transactions and provides access to billing statements. However, because of the multitude of services banks offer it is overly-complicated to provide all items in one bundle. Because of this complexity (to add all the banking features in one app for mobile banking) Bank of America should target tablet-users to provide all the banking features with different applications. For example Bank of America can provide tools like market reports for savvy investors or savings programs for households (where it is easier to keep track of expenses. ) Tablets are relatively easier to use than mobile phones. Targeting such a market at an early stage can broaden the spectrum in which Bank of America operates its mobile banking. This opportunity which targets future markets as computers are being replaced by tablets should not be forgone. Ease of access and use for customers with multiple Bank of America services, easier tracking of frauds or errors. ) Bank of America customers will be able to access a large array of services online. c) For some high-end apps a nominal fee may be charged to cover some of the technology budget. 2) Cons a) Customer information may be at risk as it is insecure to access sensitive information online for which Bank of America will have to maintain high privacy, increasing cost. b) Some of the features may still be complex and require customer support hotline. c) Customers may act on unintended transactions involving significant funds. Recommendations: Bank of America needs to improve the complexity to the current application. After analyzing the options and the opportunity, we think that Bank of America has to differentiate themselves from their competitors while offering a great service to their clients, we would recommend to increase the functionality of the mobile app. This change will bring extra benefits to the different type of clients in a single download. The company will also cut costs in the type of transactions made by the clients. The continuous growth of the mobile market especially the Smartphone use is another aspect of the recommendation. Having a mobile has become a commodity for the population. The new generation will get so accustomed to this technology that they will be able to deal with any app complexity without any problem. Bank of America has to think of its future customers, not only the current mobile technology adaptors. 1) Pros: a) Having a better application will differentiate the bank compared to their competitors b) Customers will have overall services in a single application. Mobile payment services would be added to the app and will attract and benefit many customers. d) Transaction costs will become lower as the % of Smartphone users grows (46% for year 2014). 2) Cons: a) Added complexity will discourage some customers to use the application b) Speed of the application may suffer if the customer has a bad connection or has too many applications downloaded in their mobile. c) The cost of developing a more complex application is larger and may require more expertise and training for employees and customers as well.

Be able to use software-generated information to make decisions in an Essay

Be able to use software-generated information to make decisions in an organisation - Essay Example For instance, it Management it is used to ensure that there is proper transition of employees within the scope an organisation. Moreover, it is used in strategic management to source the right job candidate, to enhance employee’s professional growth and development as well as to motivate employees to achieving organisation goals and objectives (Information Resources Management Association and Khosrow-Pour, 2001). Management information system may be used at tactical level to assess market competition and government policies that may affect organisation performance. For example, management information systems may be employed to carry out marketing research and gather facts concerning a particular market. This may help an organisation to assess its weakness and how it can use its strength to counter its weakness. Additionally, management information system is used to execute tactical functions by helping managers to make informed decision in respect to organisation operations. Managers can inform their clients on the impending changes and how those changes will help to meet and exceed customers’ needs (Information Resources Management Association and Khosrow-Pour, 2001). Based on the above computation, it can be observed that financial viability of this will have an accounting rate of return of 30%.This means that this project is worthwhile investing based on this approach. However, the accounting rate of return method tends to be criticized due to its limitations. For example, it does not provide an appropriate project appraisal because it includes items that are non cash. Further, it fails to take into consideration the time value of cash as well as its difficult to adjust inherent risks that may be attributed to a (project Introduction to corporate finance, 2012). Based on the calculation above it can be observed that the project will yield a positive net present value of +Â £79,301.8, this