Media, Information and Societal Problems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media, Information and Societal Problems - Essay Example They manipulate the sources of information in a manner that suits their purpose. This way, only ideas that are allowed to prosper are the ones that the ruling class wants the masses to have. Amongst them one is the concept that social classes are natural and cannot be changed. The main cause of most social problems arises when people are led to act in a manner that is against their will, just so they can conform to the societal standards. Classes and Societal Problems Firstly, this concept of the lower-class cannot reach beyond their material means can actually have dramatic impact on their performance due to self-fulfilling prophecy. This also means if people belonging to lower stratum of the society are led to believe that they cannot achieve more actually may not achieve more if the concept is forced onto them (Ornstein & Levine 11). This I believe is very detrimental to growth of the society. Secondly the damage to intellectual thought and idea generation I believe, is the main p roblem caused by the â€Å"hegemony† proposed by Gramsci: if thought and ideas are trapped and left to conform to societal standards that serve only the affluent, there would not be any progress. ... This way we end up incurring a great deal of cost which then appears to be necessary. It is hegemony because the producers would not just let us buy the product we actually need. This blind following of the popular opinion leads the masses to do acts that are against their will. Practically the proletariat follows the ideology propagated by the bourgeois; they incur unnecessary expenses push themselves into debt just to meet the social pretences that have been laid out by the prevalent ideology. So in an attempt to serve societal interests the masses are actually damaging their own interests. An example would be that it was perceived that masses should have significant cash in deposits for their future needs, perhaps investments were high risk. So the US banks had a huge influx of deposits. On the surface it appears that banks would be happy with the investments, but managing such huge deposits also means they would be required to pay interests on them. So eventually some banks chose to charge fees on accounts that had large deposits. This way it was the end-consumer who had to pay the price. Role of Media One of the key distinctions of mass media from other forms of media is its ability to address a large number of people at the same time. Media is the mouth piece of the society; it is supposed to express popular public opinion. However in light of Marxist Capitalist economy, the media is controlled by the upper classes that use it to serve their interests. Media play a key role in shaping the perceptions of the society; they do this by means of advertising and programming. Both advertising and programming serve as a means of creating hegemony. This is

Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization Essay

Critically discuss the ways in which technology has made globalization possible - Essay Example Therefore we can integration perspective to define globalization as a process of integration, which can take international form depending with the stakeholders and the purpose of integration, which arises from interchange and/or exchange of ideas, views and aspects of culture and socialization, products and the holistic human development in relation to the external world (Boudreaux, 2008, 2). Technology on the other hand can be defined as implementation of an idea, thought or invention in the process of making, modifying and using of techniques in relation to knowledge of tools and machines in order to solve a prevailing problem or condition. Technology seeks to improve existing tools, crafts or machines to a new set of efficient ones; systematically analyse the methods of organization to achieve a certain predefined goal, and/ or evaluate an applied input/ output model relations in order to perform a specific function (Macintosh, 2011, 4). The diversity of human knowledge and the ne ed to solve emerging issues in daily activities has necessitated techno-progressivism, a stance of active support for the convergence of technological change in a bid to merge it with socio-economic changes. In addition the need by the human species to convert natural resources into simple tools and applications was followed by the innovations and critical thinking that was necessitated by the need for â€Å"leisure class† and to control the environment that one is in. From this we can deduce that globalization has been propagated by the need to human species to understand; control, comprehend, integrate and to some point analyse the external environment with an aim of being part of it. In this paper we shall critically analyse the ways in which inventions, innovations and technological/industrial revolutions have made globalization possible; evaluation of its impacts on cultures and cultural exchange, international trade, health, and global workforce, and evaluate drawbacks of technology. Innovations and Industrial Revolution Industrial revolution in this sense can be viewed in form of rate at which innovations in science and technology have helped in transition to new manufacturing processes; mechanization of traditional methods of production from manual to machinery, the effects of global output as a result of this increased productivity, and the analysis of major turning points in our daily activities. For instance, innovations to improved efficiency of water power and new chemical manufacturing in industries have improved textile production, improved economies of scale in blast furnaces in smelting and production of iron related commodities through substitution of coke by coal which is cheaper and more effective, and advancement from steam engines to petro-driven and atomic energy sources that have revolutionized industrial operations. This has led to increase in output due to economies of scale, increased profitability and expansion of firms which has necessitated international trade; a prerequisite for integration and globalization through exchange of ideas, goods and skills across nations. Technology and Communication As discussed earlier, globalization involves exchange of ideas,

Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Material Management and Hazard Essay - 3

Occupational Health and Safety Hazard Material Management and Hazard Communications - Essay Example 74-79). OSHA regards a certain chemical as hazardous if can pose a health or physical hazard. A health hazard is one that can cause a chronic or acute health effect on someone. On the other hand, physical hazards may include compressed gasses, organic peroxides, combustible liquids, explosives, oxidizers, flammables, unstable chemicals and water reactive ones. Chemical importers and manufacturers have the obligation of evaluating chemicals in a bid to establish whether they pose health and physical hazards to people (Robinson & Bird, 2012, p. 74-79). The Hazard Communication Standard does not cover certain product categories. These are wood and wooden products, foods, cosmetics, drugs, and alcoholic beverages packaged and sold for personal consumption. Drugs that health care providers and pharmacies dispense for patient use are not included in the labeling requirement. This also applies to over-the-counter drugs not to forget those drugs that employees consume while at the workplace like aspirin or even first aid supplies. While wood and its products are exempt from the labeling requirements, wood dust is included since it is regarded as a hazardous chemical (Robinson & Bird, 2012, p.

Strategic Human Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Human Resource Planning - Essay Example "The range of activities and themes encompassed by SHRM is complex and goes beyond the responsibilities of personnel or HR managers into all aspects of managing people and focuses on management decisions and behaviors used, consciously or unconsciously, to control, influence and motivate those who work for the organizations - the human resources" (Price, 2007) What Charmagne was considering was a combination of this and Issues-Based Strategic Planning, under which goals are prioritized. According to her, producing products with good quality corresponding to the specifications of the contract is more important than getting the larger contract. She is also carrying out a cost-benefit analysis which helps her predict that recruiting trained workers from the market in this short span of time means high costs for the firm. Probably even higher than the benefits that they will enjoy from the large contract. However, she is more concerned with delivering a good quality product rather than motivating Proper Corporate Strategic planning comes with proper analysis of all the different aspects of the scenario, its alternatives and the external factors affecting decisions. Charmagne's strategy is not based on impulse but has facts, figures and practical study to support her argument. And when she is challenging Brian, this strategic plan will help her put forward her points to him concretely and more clearly.

Biography of Fernando Botero Essay Example for Free

Biography of Fernando Botero Essay Fernando Botero, also named the most Colombian of Colombian artists, has developed a style the world notices as his own. Fernando was born in 1932 in Medellin, Colombia. Fernando came across heavy schooling as a child, which isolated him from traditional art in museums and such cultural institutions. It was his strict school however that brought art to be an interest for Fernando, the school Botero attended was run by Jesuits who were strict and brought little enjoyment into Botero’s life. To find enjoyment Botero began to draw at a young age. At that young age his inspiration was anything that interest him such as bullfighting. Fernando was a great fan of bullfights so he would paint scenes of this then sold them in front of the arena for 5 pesos. He spent nearly two years painting this subject. He had a growing interest in art his entire life; he shared his thoughts, and studied. When Botero was seventeen he worked for the Medellin newspaper, El Colombiano, titled Picasso and the Nonconformity of Art, which showed Botero’s mind and how it is linked with art. Botero is so well known because of his signature style, robust and round objects and characters. Botero tells critics that he is simply attracted to his form without knowing why. He claims that artists never know why artists use a form, he claims the style is intuitive and that the explanation for their style can be rationalized after it’s adopted. Botero is difficult to understand, as he doesn’t share his opinion with his art or even explaining his art. â€Å"He shares his vision with us but not telling us how to feel about it. Navas- Nieves says. We know his works are personal as some of his famous works depict his youth, â€Å"The Bishop†, â€Å"The Nun†, â€Å"The Bullfighter†, and â€Å"The Widow†. It is unknown to all except Botero however if these drawings reflect the beauty with these no proportional, bright colored, exaggerated sized or the turmoil. Botero eliminated brushwork and texture in his paintings as he favored a smoother look. Botero’s works are abstract and are educated by a Columbian upbringing and social commentary. When Colombian children go to church they see all these Madonnas, so clean and perfect. In South America china-like perfection is very much a part of the ideal toilet of beauty. More so even than the polychrome wood sculptures in Spain, Latin American sculptures look like porcelain. So, in contrast to Europe or North America, you connect the notions of art and beauty at a very early age. I grew up with the idea that art is beauty. All my life Ive been trying to produce art that is beautiful to discover all the elements that go to make up visual perfection. When you come from my background you can’t be spoilt by beauty, because youve never really seen it. If youre born in Paris, say, you can see art everywhere, so by the time you come to create art yourself you’re spoilt – youre tired of beauty as such and want to do something else. With me it was quite different. I wasnt tired of beauty; I was hungering for it. † Botero said this knowing he was not raised with art, which is his beauty. The lack of art in his life made him develop such an original style. The church influences Botero, his baroque style was adopted from the church. Botero is the most Colombian of Colombian artists because of his insulation from international trends. Botero once remarked â€Å"A painter can do things a photographer can’t do, because a painter can make the invisible visible. † This thinking lead Botero to create a series of serious paintings about prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib. Botero, through his paintings in this series allowed us to feel the prisoners suffering. The paintings brought us to the agony of the victims, the humiliation they felt and all the pain was transferred from the painting to us, making us the victim. This series proved moreover Botero’s skill of art. Many critics thought the series was out of Botero’s league claiming that Botero’s style cannot do justice to the seriousness of the subject. Botero proved the critics wrong when he captures the emotion of the victims. The difference between photographs and paintings are that photographs come with a story. Just something that happened. They can be beautiful but paintings show affects and emotion and thoughts and different depictions. Much more thought goes into a painting, which sets the two apart.

Performance and goals of RHB Bank Berhad Malaysia

Performance and goals of RHB Bank Berhad Malaysia As the Department of IT (2011) states RHB Bank Berhad is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It covers variety of financial aspects of people and organizations such as commercial banking, corporate and investment banking. The merger of Kwong Yik Bank and DCB Bank on 1997 resulted to RHB bank, RHB Bank is a part of RHB Capital Berhad financial. The Department of (2011) explins that Today, the bank is the control of the EPF (Employee Provident Fund) after a recent successful bidding. RHB offers different services such as Commercial Banking, Corporate and International Banking services, and currently has more than 200 branch network across the country. To centralize its based hub, a multi-million complex along Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur is now becomes the main headquarter. As the Department of IT (2011) believes RHB Bank specialises in consumer banking and other entities like Islamic Bank, Delta finance to its name. Main focus of RHB bank is on industrial and commercial lending in Singapore, despite it being a fully qualified bank. RHB Group is currently the fourth largest integrated financial service group in Malaysia. Its core businesses can be divided into seven Strategic Business Groups: Retail Banking Business Banking Group Transaction Banking Corporate Investment Banking Islamic Banking Global Financing Banking Group Treasury These businesses are offered through the main subsidiaries, RHB Bank Bhd and RHB Investment Bank Bhd, which are fully owned by RHB Capital and RHB Insurance Bhd which is 79.5% owned by RHB Capital. RHB Islamic Banking Unit, RHB ISLAMIC Bank Bhd, is wholly owned by RHB Bank, while our asset management and unit trust businesses are held under RHB Investment Management Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of RHB Investment Bank. Swot analysis: Strengths: RHB bank is 4th largest bank in Malaysia. It has more than 200 branches and thousands of employees make this bank one of the largest and most successful financial institutes in Malaysia. This shows that there is slight growth in bank. Offer a comprehensive range of financial product and services RHB bank provides variety of services for individuals and organizations. So, it can attract more customer and also Strong cash flow Cash flow of 507,078,000 USD at December 2009. Strong financial performance. There are proven records for the last 7 years which shows great performance of this organization. Ranked in top 30 Malaysia brands 2008. Ranked 17 among 30 best companies in Malaysia worth: 187 million USD Weaknesses: Lack of advertisement and promotions. Comparing to other major banks such as HSBC and May bank it has less activities in these areas. Weak online banking image. RHB not performing strongly in the online banking field specially in user friendliness of their applications. Moderate rank in banking industry value. Opportunities: Growing demand for Islamic banking Islamic banking has seen huge demand in last few years which is a great chance for RHB group to develop in this sector and as Malaysia is considered as a leader in Islamic banking therefore they can expand their services in other Islamic countries as well. Increase usage of online banking Moderate users and people tend to do more of their transactions and banking activities online where as several services can be provided for companies and organizations via online system. With respect to that there is a good market for developing online applications where should be attracting, secure and user friendly. Expansion in ASEAN region. By opportunities which have been provided between ASEAN countries and the amount of export and import among these countries RHB can play a big role in facilitating financial transactions for these transports. Advancement of technology There are new technologies come to the market every day. RHB bank has this chance to acquire new technologies and provide better services which will result to gain more customers Threats: Online banking security. The security of online banking transaction should be considered very seriously as one tiny problem may destroy banks reputation and also treats of computer hackers is a very serious issue. Competition among Malaysia major banks. The strategies and policies taken by other competitors should be monitored and studied closely and carefully and fast and effective actions should be considered. Economic crises in the world This crisis has affected every financial institute all over the world and RHB is not an exception, therefore appropriate acts should be taken to minimize the lost in every way. Porter five forces analysis: More than two decades ago, Michael Porter suggested some driving forces which could analyse the attractiveness of any industry as well as its competitive positioning. Porter invented this model and this was published in his book in 1980. Whether the business is service oriented or physical goods, there are always competitive forces in any perfect competitive business environment. Threats of new entry: Figure 2: minimum amount of capital As above table shows the capital need that Malaysian central bank requires for new banks and with respect to the facts that confirm how complicated this business is, it is not very likely to see new entries every day. The point was entering foreign banks to Malaysia which concerns local banks to rebuild their strategies. Commercial Bank 7 Fully Qualified Foreign Banks Affin Bank Berhad Alliance Bank Berhad AmBankBerhad CIMB BankBerhad EON BankBerhad Hong Leong BankBerhad Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) Public Bank Berhad RHB BankBerhad Muamalat BankBerhad Citibank HSBC Bank Malaysia Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation(OCBC Bank) The Standard CharteredBank (StanChart) The Bank of Nova Scotia(Scotiabank) The Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS)-Former ABN Amro United Overseas Bank(UOB) Bangkok Bank Berhad Bank of China Malaysia Berhad Bank of America Malaysia Berhad Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Berhad Threats of substitutes: With respect to advancement of technology and foreign banks which are operating in Malaysia the degree of competiveness will definitely be raised every day as each bank tries to come with new products and services to gain more customers so these threats will consider high. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The core business of the banking industry is service which mainly focuses on safety of wealth. The suppliers do provide some tangibles like chequebooks, furniture and etc. The impact of this in business is not significant since they are not really like the raw material. Therefore this is a favourable force in this industry. Bargaining power of customers: RHB considers as one of biggest and busiest banks in Malaysia and more or less provides all the services which its competitors also do. So as the degree of differentiation in its product is also high and in some cases the obligations for services are lower that other banks the bargaining power of customers considered low. Competitive rivalry: In the traditional economic model, competition among rival banks drives profits to zero. However, competition has never been perfect and firms are sophisticated passive price takers. Banks strive for a competitive advantage over their rivals. The degree of rivalry among firms varies across industries, and strategic analysts are interested in these fluctuations. These differences give some firms a competitive advantage while to others a disadvantage. When a rival acts in a manner that elicits a counter-response by other firms, rivalry will change. The intensity of rivalry is referred to as being intense, moderate, or weak, based on the firms degree of aggressiveness in attempting to gain an advantage. In pursuing an advantage over its rivals, a firm (in this case a bank) can choose from several competitive moves: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changing in price: change prices to gain a temporary advantage. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ More product differentiation: more features, innovations in the manufacturing process and in the product itself. The banks can reposition themselves from the old way the customers have been known them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Distribution creativity: by vertical integration and using a distribution channel that is novel to the industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Exploiting relationships with suppliers. It is clear that market stability and changes in supply and demand affect rivalry. Cyclical demand tends to create cutthroat competition. Current analysis of RHB bank: RHB bank is a Malaysia based investment company which principally offers commercial and corporate banking services. Its range of services includes banking, leasing, insurance and etc. As of December 31, 2009, RHB network has expanded to network of around 241 branches in Malaysia; 7 branches in Singapore; a branch in Brunei and Thailand and the headquartered is at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. So with respect of the above explanation and the pervious analysis RHB performing successfully but more work and effort should be putted on online banking in future. Area of improvement and possible approaches: While it is obvious that the core legacy environment needed to be replaced to meet current IT requirements, RHB also wanted to build the best possible infrastructure for its future business needs. There are no simple replacement strategies therefore the current environment can be a bit complex. Approach Assessed current issues with the core platform, investment and operating aspects, and organizational implications Determined future requirements for the next 10 years for example and arrange them into a set of capabilities that the system should provide to ensure success. Undertook evaluation against key strategic capabilities and technical architectural considerations IT department: Information technology Department manages the scientific plans and mechanism as well as all that is related to information systems in the Bank which includes following-up the maintenance, upgrading of the systems. In addition to that, this department is responsible to supervising the upgrading of all the systems for the administrative and financial works as well as communication networks. Applications Development: This section will prepare development plans for the information systems and studying other requirements of the Bank. It also develops databases and systems. The Section is also responsible for conducting technical studies and finding the criteria for the systems which the Bank interested to utilize. Network Security: Network and  Security Section of the IT department supervises the communication lines network and internet services and arranges their follows up the repair of faults in the network and set up a security system to protect the networks. Operations Technical Support: The Section undertakes the responsibility of supervising the backup process of data from the various databases. It also follows-up the maintenance contracts technical-wise (and coordinates with the Banks authorities. SWOT analysis of IT department: Opportunities: Advancement of technology provides new opportunities for IT department in order to come out with new application and services. By increasing the security and other counter measures they can attract more customers to their online applications. Threats: Time is very important in competition specially when it comes to IT field and products. Online thieves and hackers can be considered another threat for IT department. Strength: Having one of the most qualifying IT personnel in their team. Updating their online system and improve it constantly. Weaknesses: Its online banking that is not user friendly neither as popular among Malaysian people as its competitors. Having less branches comparing to other local banks such as CIMB and May bank. According to these result and other information gathered, it seems that although RHB has put so much man power and budget on their IT and online applications, still they didnt completely look at it from the customer perspective. Therefore its strongly advisable to them to reconsider and redesign their online banking in the manner which attract more users and therefore more customers as the best way of marketing is word of mouth. According to other research may bank and cimb are the significant samples for online banking which RHB currently competing with. Area of improvement: As far as I understand they dont need much consideration on security issues as according to their CIO they are already very advanced in the subject. The point they have to consider is attractive design for their website and other online applications as well as it should be easy to use as much as possible. It is very important for any online application and specifically in Malaysia it will attract people. Risk: 1. Human error: This risk has existed and we will face this error in future. There are some ways to reduce the rate such as trainings, but it will always be there. 2. System failure: The happening rate of this error has been reduced thanks to many facts such as technology advancement but precautions should still be made. 3. Cyber attacks: These attacks will be faced by any financial institute during time. Rising security measures, using new methods a consistent monitoring will result to reduce the possibility of this problem to occur. In addition to these issues the IT department has a very sophisticated plan for their crises management in order to keep data safe and consistent. These problems hopefully are not likely to happen, but they have to take measures as they dealing with lots of people and huge amount of data which no one can think what to do if this data some hoe lost. Conclusion: Rhb vision is to be among the top three financial institutions in ASEAN by the year 2020. In order t o achieve this goal they have a long way to go. One of their most vital assets in this road would be Information technology and IT related services which they could provide for their customers. The point here to remember is that IT applications can be very complex and miss leading due the security aspects; therefore simplification is vital for these applications to success. Beside that there are other points that should be improved along the way such as CUSTOMER FOCUS, TEAMWORK, RESPECT, INNOVATION, and QUALITY SERVICE.

Patrons and Artisans of the Renaissance Period Essay -- European Histo

The Renaissance period (1400 to 1700) covered art, literature, philosophy and government. Renaissance culture spread outwards from Florence, to other Italian cities and then, over the following centuries, to the rest of Europe. It is widely understood that it was a unique combination of several different influences that led to the Renaissance, with the social and political conditions of the era, combined with great wealth and the large number of talented artists and artisans in Florence; influencing cultural development on an exceptional scale. Europe in the 15th Century depended on Italy for much of its commerce. Italy itself was made up of city-states in which power was shared by leading families. By 1400 its leading city-state, Florence, had established stable self-government and great wealth through textile trading and banking, leading to a shared feeling of optimism and power. Responsible for the wealth of Florence, the ruling class of merchants, manufacturers and bankers were proud, competitive, academically curious and culturally astute. This wealth made patronage of the arts and the growth of Renaissance culture possible. In turn patronage was a way of demonstrating one’s wealth and power. Wealthy families constantly tried to outdo each other with the extravagance of their commissions, with self-advertisement a key feature of Renaissance patronage. This is epitomised by Masaccio (1401-1428), in ‘The Holy Trinity’ fresco (1425) in the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence. In it, the patrons, Lorenzo Lenzi and his wife, kneel in front of St John the Baptist, Mary, Christ and God. Rivalry pushed patrons and artisans to outclass each other, with revolutionary achievements such as the Santa Maria del Fiore in... ...n times. The ability to document individual achievement and the development of printing from the 1460s helped this – and also helped the Renaissance to spread outside Italy and throughout Europe from the late 15th Century onwards. As the 15th Century drew to a close, the political and trading map of Europe was changing. In 1453 Constantinople, the seat of the Christian Byzantine Empire, was conquered by the Islamic Ottoman Empire, which threatened the Italian states to the east and enforced increasing commercial taxes against its merchants, France also laid claim to the region, initiating an invasion in 1494 that effectively destroyed Italy's commercial and artistic authority. Gradually, artists such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Michelangelo fled to larger imperial courts, with Leonardo spending his last years working for the French king Francis I.