Beowulf Questions

Question 1 What is the name of the castle where the first few sections of the poem take place? Â   Â  HeorotCamelotWulfingHrothgarQuestion 2 Who is the king at the beginning of the poem?UnferthHrothgarHeorotBeowulfQuestion 3 Grendel is a descendant of what Biblical figure?SamsonCainLuciferNoahQuestion 4 Where do the people make offerings to try to get aid from Grendel's attacks?Muslim mosquesPagan shrinesCatholic cathedralsJewish templesQuestion 5 Beowulf arrives to help the DanesOn footOn horsebackOn the back of a dragonBy shipQuestion 6 Which character is jealous of Beowulf?HygelacWealhthowUnferthHrothgarQuestion 7 During the feast, Beowulf describes what kind of contest in which he competed against Breca?SwimmingRunningJoustingStorytellingQuestion 8 How long is Beowulf king of Geatland before the dragon wake?50 years10 years25 years5 yearsQuestion 9 What wakes the dragon?Grendel's mother wakes the dragon to help her fight Beowulf.An intruder handles and removes a gem-studded goblet from the dragon's lair.Beowulf confronts the sleeping dragon in his lair.The dragon's eggs begin to hatch.Question 10 Where does the dragon's treasure come from?It is the cache of a highborn race of people who have all died.It is Beowulf's inheritance from King Hygelac.It belonged to the dragon's father.It belongs to Hrothgar and the Danes.Question 11 What is the dragon's primary weapon when he attacks the homesteads?His sharp talonsThe fire that he breathesA sword that belonged to the ancient godsUnferth's sword HruntingQuestion 12 What does the dragon destroy that upsets Beowulf?Beowulf's homeBeowulf's armorThe castle HeorotThe tree of lifeQuestion 13 Who volunteers to fight the dragon?UnferthHygelacHrothgarBeowulfQuestion 14 What weapon finally kills the dragon?A daggerA cannonBare handsA torchQuestion 15 What regret does Beowulf express as he is dying?He was unable to kill the dragon.He never married.He is leaving the Geats penniless.He never had a son.

Nextgen for Airports Essay

Abstract Rarely in the world of academia does a student get to write a paper on something they are actually interested in. That is exactly what has happened in my case this term. From my days in the United States Air Force I’ve been fascinated by aircraft, aircraft technology, and how the daily operations of the worlds flights are coordinated. Nextgen is the future of aircraft travel technology, and this paper will explain its past, present, and future. What is Nextgen? NextGen stands for Next Generation Air Transportation System. NextGen is a transformative change in the way aircraft flight is managed, and the operations of how we fly. NextGen enhances safety, reduces delays, saves fuel and reduces aviation’s adverse environmental impact. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been in the process of intergrating new and existing technologies for many years now. This is a comprehensive effort to conduct the largest aircraft travel transformation in the history of flight. This transformation includes integrating satellites navigation and super advanced digital communications. Airports and aircraft in the National Airspace System will be connected to NextGen’s advanced infrastructure and will continually share real-time information to provide a better travel experience. (FAA.gov, 2012) NextGen’s astonishing transformation includes six core transformational programs: Collaborative Air Traffic Management Technologies, Data Communications, System Wide Information Management, NextGen Network Enabled Weather, NAS Voice System and Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast. These programs will facilitate the largest air transport transformation in history. According to the FAA website, there will be a continuous roll-out of improvements and upgrades, the FAA is building the capability to guide and track air traffic more precisely and efficiently to save fuel and reduce noise and pollution. NextGen is better for our environment, and better for our economy. NextGen for Airports The United States’ air transportation industry is and has been on the verge of bursting at the seams for more than a decade now. What NextGen means to the U.S. air traffic system is new capabilities that will improve safety and accessibility at airports. Also, Nextgen will allow for future air traffic growth, NextGen capabilities will help commercial airports accommodate the demand for additional capacity in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. (FAA.gov, 2012) The FAA provides an example of what NextGen means to the U.S. air traffic system: â€Å"the sharing and use of newly available surface surveillance data to track aircraft and vehicles will enhance safety and enable airports to make better use of existing capacity. And while airport surface improvement is one of the main near-term areas of emphasis, work is also underway on other initiatives, such as improving operations on closely spaced parallel, converging and intersecting runways.† On any given day, more than 87,000 flights are in the skies in the United States. Only one-third is commercial carriers, like American, United or Southwest. On an average day, air traffic controllers handle 28,537 commercial flights (major and regional airlines), 27,178 general aviation flights (private planes), 24,548 air taxi flights (planes for hire), 5,260 military flights and 2,148 air cargo flights (Federal Express, UPS, etc.). At any given moment, roughly 5,000 planes are in the skies above the United States. In one year, controllers handle an average of 64 million takeoffs and landings. (Natca.org, 2012) These are mind boggling statistics that would frighten even the most seasoned air traveler at best. I have several air traffic controller buddies who make greyhound seem more feasible everyday. Gate to Gate According to Sarah Brown with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) using traditional technology controllers could only clear two aircraft into Steamboat Springs, Colorado an hour; but by using NextGen technology Wide Area Multilateralation (WAM) their capacity was increased to 10 aircraft an hour. This increase in landings directly affects the local economy through landing fee’s, increase in passenger revenue, tourism, and a myriad of other revenue generating sources to include: parking fee’s, car rentals, concessions, land rentals, and tenant fee’s. By increasing an airports capacity NextGen not only means faster, safer travel but also it means increased revenue’s for all parties involved. As FAA officials discuss the switch from ground based to satellite surveillance and navigation systems this vast improvement will ultimately lead to increased â€Å"gate to gate† air travel. (Brown, 2012) Not only does NextGen improve travel for airline passengers but the new technologies will provide more access for general aviation as well. Why NextGen Matters Typically in aviation it takes a catastrophic event to set change in motion. To use a phrase I heard a previous instructor use â€Å"it takes metal on metal to force a change in the aviation industry†. The FAA states, â€Å"NextGen will help us be even more proactive about preventing accidents with advanced safety management to enable us, with other government agencies and aviation partners, to better predict risks and then identify and resolve hazards.† Also, â€Å"NextGen boils down to getting the right information to the right person at the right time. It will help controllers and operators make better decisions. This data will assist operators in keeping employees and passengers better informed.† In today’s modern society every industry preaches safety, safety, safety my question is why does it take such catastrophic events to take the safer route? Safety matters, which is why NextGen matters! Economic Impact In all industries and business the bottom line is revenue, regardless if its Microsoft, Delta Airlines, Dow Chemical, or Colonial Pipeline. While some company’s vision may be noble, they are in business to make money. NextGen’s transformation is no different. NextGen is creating vast economic opportunities for those tasked to implement the changes such as General Dynamics to those in receipt of the technologies such as airports. Our nation’s economy depends on aviation. NextGen lays a foundation that will continually improve and accommodate future needs of air travel while strengthening the economy with one seamless global sky. NextGen will help communities make better use of their airports. More robust airports can help communities attract new jobs, and help current employers expand their businesses. By doing this the U.S. will strengthen its economy and help communities realize all the benefits that aviation can bring. (FAA.gov, 2012) Conclusion NextGen is one of the largest air transport system undertakings the world has ever seen, while such an undertaking has its nobility it is also strife with problems. The sheer lack of funding for such an immense task has been holding back the implementation of the transformation. With such a delay new technologies become outdated in the fast past world of technology. However, since I was a child I’ve been fascinated with airplanes and air travel so much so that I joined the Air Force. The advances in the technology used and proposed in NextGen leads me to believe in the continued growth of our National Air System. References About FAA NextGen. (n.d.). General Dynamics FAA NextGen. Retrieved from http://www.gd-faanextgen-jobs.com/About.aspx Flight Planning. (n.d.). FAA: NextGen to Guide You ‘gate to Gate’ Retrieved from http://www.aopa.org/flightplanning/articles/2011/110228nextgen_to_guide_you_gate_to_gate.html National Air Traffic Controllers Association – Homepage. (n.d.). National Air Traffic Controllers Association – Homepage. Retrieved from http://www.natca.org/ Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). (n.d.). Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/

Discussion Question 13 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Question 13 - Assignment Example There are various behaviors that I need to incorporate in my teaching such as cultivating a holistic mindset and internalizing professional ethical standards that are sensitive to cultural diversity. I will also need to engage in those activities that advance nursing education and science. This also means that I will need to exhibit discovery behaviors by developing and adopting scholarly materials and make sure that I am creative and persevering enough to cater for the needs of the rest. I am meeting this scholarship competency by being proficient in writing of proposals. I am also considering ingraining lifelong learning concepts and being focused on understanding how diverse people learn. I have also continued to ensure that I seek advanced teaching techniques in order to expand my theoretical intellect. In order to prepare nurse students, I ought to be an expert in my nursing skills. Therefore, in case I do not get an opportunity to complete this competency, I will meet it in future as an educator by making sure that I balance the time that I spend in academics with that spent improving my personal skills in both roles as a nurse and an educator. Finally, I will continue going for seminars, trainings, practice prospects, and workshops to ensure personal growth (Cash & Tate, 2008). Cash, P., & Tate, B. (2008). Creating a Community of Scholars: using a Community Development approach to Foster Scholarship with Nursing Faculty. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 5(1):

Reflective Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Reflective Paper - Essay Example lves the ability of the management to oversee the culture and organizational leadership of the institution, and ensure that the institution complies with the labor and employment laws of a given state. This paper is a reflection of my studies on human resource management. This paper takes a stand that human resource management is an important process that helps in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of an organizations work force. In addressing the objectives of this paper, this reflection will identify the main issue in this field of HR, and thereafter demonstrate the learning that has taken place. This paper will also contain the various incidents that facilitate my processing of learning and understanding of these issues, and it will thereafter identify the future and current implications of the practice of HR in an organization. It also contains a reflection on how skills gained from this class will have an impact on my future career plans. One of the major issues learnt in this class is on the roles of the human resource management in the recruitment, planning, and selection process of the employees of an organization. The human resource department is responsible for recruiting new employees of an organization. From this class, it was in my understanding that the department of human resource management identifies the various skills needed by an organization, after which it develops a plan on how to fill in the skills that the organization does not have. It is important to denote that the major skills and knowledge leant from this section is the process of recruiting and selecting new employees within an organization. From this class, it came to my knowledge that different organizations have different methods of recruiting new employees, and this depends on the size and structure of the organization under consideration. However, there are major elements of the recruitment process that are universal to all organizations, and this includes, profiling

Managing Communication Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Communication - Coursework Example SOK – Fitness is not an exception when it comes to appropriate management of information as it is the verge of remaining competitive and relevant in the market2. Members of the marketing team in SOK – Fitness come across a wide range of date in their daily operations most of which are significant for effective decision making in areas of improving the image and publicity of the Fitness Center. The information that gets at the disposal of the marketing team is highly concerned with the financial and sales aspects of the Fitness Center. Information and knowledge is collected from the both internal and external sources. Internal data is collected through everyday interaction with the customers. For instance, the marketing team derives a wide range of information from the visit reports by the sales personnel, received and delivered orders, return inwards, customer enquiries, sales invoices, and recorded costs3. Marketers’ interaction with the clients provides a vital source of secondary information which can be used for marketing research. A wide range of information is also collected from the external sources which include but not limited to Government statistics, Trade associations, Commercial services, National and international institutions. Most of the information gathered from external sources does not directly reflect the affairs and business processes of the organizations4. However, they portray an aggregate data about the affairs of the entire industry. Such information is considered relevant because it is gathered from various operators in the fitness center and as such they are highly valuable market research purposes5. Before information is formatted in SOK – Fitness it is first categorized into whether it should be structured or unstructured. Structured information refers to information which should formatted using specified rules and guidelines for precision and formality while unstructured information does not require rule s and guidelines when being formatted. Unstructured data will be used for unstructured decisions while the structured information shall be used for structured decisions6. Another important point to consider when formatting information in the Fitness Center is the scope and frequency of use. Computer system will be used for formatting the information gathered from various sources that is both internal and external sources. Management information systems, Expert Systems and Decision Support Systems will be used for formatting and procession of the data gathered from internal and external sources for a highly intelligible information that would ease decision making process. Already formatted information will be stored in secondary storage devices such as computer hard disks and the compact disks for future utilization7. Marketing team in the SOK – Fitness are relying on the easiest way of storing information gathered from various sources as well as the already formatted informat ion in computer hard disk and compact disks as this does not involve exorbitant spending on storage of information. The choice of a storage facility will have an impact on the effectiveness on the data in future. A wrong choice will translate to significant damages on data stored8. The stored information

Industrialism is maladaptive Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Industrialism is maladaptive - Essay Example From my perspective, industrialism is maladaptive because industrialization is a defective adaptation towards the environment, which has flaws and caused unstableness of the environment. Industrial revolution enabled human society to grow into a larger scale with higher speed, which seemed exciting at the start but indeed harmful to the environment and the society itself. Referring to Rapa Nui’s tragedy, a small group of Polynesian settlers arrived at Easter Island. At the beginning, the population grew slowly. Several hundred years later, the population grew larger than before, and an obsession with building Moai led to increased pressure on the environment of the island. The residences didn’t realize the problems was coming and didn’t make changes. In the end, the Easter Island had been deforested, so people started fighting to each other for the resources that are limited on the island. The wars lead to famine, and eventually cultural collapse. (Terry) Industrialization is exactly the same thing as the Polynesian’s obsession of building Moai: overproducing products while some of them are unnecessary that consume a lot of resources from the environment and eventually damage the world we living in; the Easter Island is the small version of our world: limit land, limit resources that can’t be enough when the population is over its carrying capacity. What Terry found in his started to appear after industrialization when the scale of the world became larger and larger as well as the development speed got higher and higher; therefore, the industrial mode of adaptation has an unstable relationship with the environment. From my perspective, industrialism is maladaptive because industrialization is a defective adaptation towards the environment, which has flaws and caused unstableness of the environment. Industrial revolution

Modern Judaism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Modern Judaism - Essay Example Following the traditional Jewish rule, Orthodox Judaism requires men and women pray separately in their synagogues. Moreover, women cannot participate in certain rituals. Orthodox Judaism does not have any central authority. Synagogues are established by separate groups of Jews. As a result, every synagogue demonstrates the distinctive ideological aspects within Orthodox Judaism. In turn, â€Å"conservative Judaism fosters the practice of traditional Judaism while embracing modernity† (â€Å"Variants within Judaism†). It occupies a middle position between the two main types of Judaism. Its main feature is that it demonstrates loyalty to matters of faith, however, is conservative with respect to the principles of religious practice. The purpose of the study of sacred texts is to make Judaism more relevant in the modern society. Liberal Judaism also referred to as Progressive or Reform Judaism has its own peculiarities of the temple service. In particular, the English lan guage is used in worship, men and women are allowed to be in the same room in the synagogue. In addition, women may also be involved in all aspects of the temple

Internal Analysis of Sab Miller Company Research Paper

Internal Analysis of Sab Miller Company - Research Paper Example The corporate governance is maintained at high standards by the committed directors which they believe to be the base for carrying out their responsibilities effectively. They aim for providing the right leadership and control over the environment to produce the value and even sustain the delivery of value to the entire shareholder of the company. (Ahmed, 2008, pp. 23-25)The corporate governance structure of the company comprises of 15 boards of directors amongst which five are non-executive non-independent directors and six are independent non-executive directors, and two are executive directors Mr.Clark the chief executive and Mr.Wilson the chief financial officer of the company. The chairman of the company is Mr.Manser. The structure of the corporate governance comprises of non-executive chairman, managing director, and some committees like audit, nomination, remuneration, corporate accountability and risk assurance, accountability committee, and the business units. The operations of the board are to set strategic objectives of the group, to determine different investment policies, sets upon performance criteria, and forwards the planning and implementation of those goals along with various policies including the various risk parameters. There are specific matters reserved by the board such as approval of the financial statements, the business strategy being adopted by the group, the plan for the annual capital expenditure, major capital projects, managing the various changes in the group’s management and control structure, various risk management strategy, material investments and disposals, implementing various sustainability and environmental policies, and other treasury policies. The board clearly governs through the elected board committees and monitoring the system. The board applies integrity, accountability, and principles of good governance through all the activities it performs and each of its directors bring independence and ju dgment to the role. By such defined structure, each member of the board are well aware of their responsibilities towards the company’s stakeholders and the board keeps a regular review on the performance and the core governance principles. The executive directors are responsible for proposing various and implementing operational decisions. The non-executive directors contribute to the formulation of strategy, decision making, and forming policies with the help of their knowledge. The audit committee’s responsibilities being to review and challenge the financial statement before final submission to the board, review and examine well the risk management system and internal control environment systems within the group and then carrying out analysis of the group’s overview, to recommend to the board regarding the appointment and removal of external auditors, to check the effectiveness of the internal audit process through focus on charter, staffing, annual work plan s, organizational and reporting structure (SabMiller, 2013).

Display screen Essay Example for Free

Display screen Essay A monitor can be considered as a window into the computers memory. It allows data entry to be checked by echoing input characters on the screen. The disadvantage of monitors is that data on the screen is temporary (called softcopy) and they can hold only limited amount of data. Quality Factor Resolution Resolution defines sharpness and clarity of an image and is specified as the number of dots per character. Modern packages are using a lot of graphics and therefore require high-resolution monitors. Display Adaptors Adaptors are cards installed in motherboard to control a monitor. The following specifications were evolving over the years:   Hercules mono   Colour Graphics Adaptor (CGA) low quality   Enhanced Graphics Adaptor (EGA) medium quality   Video Graphics Array (VGA and Super VGA) high quality   Extended Graphics Array (XGA) successor of SVGA, has the power to handle the video and animation requirements of the modern multimedia packages and games Bit Mapping Technique For monochrome displays, only one bit of memory is required for each pixel. If it is set to 1, the pixel is illuminated. If the corresponding memory location contains 0, the pixel is left dark. A binary representation in RAM The equivalent screen representation Figure 1. Bitmapped representation of letter T coding in RAM and corresponding image on screen For colour monitors, more than one bit is required to keep information about a pixel because apart from illuminated or not setting, colour specification is also required. Monitors that are capable of displaying 16 colours only would require 4 bits of memory per pixel (16 = 24). Figure out how many bits of memory per pixel are required to give a choice of 512 colours? Thus the required size of visual memory depends on the number of pixels on the screen (resolution factor) and on the number of colours available. If you are buying a modern monitor which is bigger than 14, it is desirable to have at least 2 M of memory on the video card. Types of Monitors 1). Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Technology: A beam of electrons lights up pixels/dots on the screen Colour is achieved by combining Red/Green/Blue (RGB) of different intensities. Size: Size is measured diagonally (corner to corner). Today monitors are available in sizes 14, 15, 17, 21. But the monitor size doesnt tell anything about the maximum viewable image size. The bezel in front of every monitors CRT diminishes the viewable area by approximately an inch. When deciding on which monitor to buy, think of which resolution youll be working in most frequently. The higher the resolution, the bigger the monitor is required. Monitors usually display 25 lines 80 characters each in text mode. Standard Resolutions (in pixels) VGA 640 x 480 SVGA 800 x 600 XGA 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 1600 x 1200 Some high-end monitors support these high resolutions. Designed for professional level work,1600 x 1280 e. g. computer-aided design or desktop publishing 1800 x 1440 Supported by at least one: ViewSonic P815 Mega An interlaced monitor draws its screen in two passes. First it draws every second line and then fills in the missing lines. Interlacing is noticeable because of flicking screen and can cause headaches. A non-interlaced monitor draws its screen in one pass. Another reason for a flicking screen is the frequency with which the monitor redraws its screen called refresh rate or vertical scan rate. The bottom line should be 75Hz so that flickering effect doesnt show up. Ensure that your monitor and graphics card can be synchronised to the same refresh rate. 2). LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) These displays are known as being used in calculators and watches. They have an advantage of being cheap but a disadvantage is that it is very hard to see what they display in the dark. They are used in laptops because they are flat. LCDs come as monochrome or colour. Monochrome LCD images usually appear as dark gray images on a grayish-white background. Color Liquid Crystal Displays use two basic techniques for producing color: passive matrix and active matrix. Passive matrix is the less expensive of the two technologies. It offers good contrast and viewing angle suitable for graphical user interfaces but its colors are not particularly sharp and it has slow reaction times. This is the most popular display used in notebook computers today. It consists of a grid of horizontal and vertical wires. At the intersection of each grid is an LCD element which constitutes a single pixel, either letting light through or blocking it. Active-matrix technology, also called thin film transistor (TFT), produces color images that are as sharp as traditional CRT displays at 1/8 the space, but the technology is expensive. For multimedia applications with video images the fast response time of TFT active matrix displays is ideal. For color active matrix provides individual color bits for each displays. An active-matrix display uses from one to four transistors to control each pixel. LCDs do not exaggerate actual viewing areas like regular monitors. For example, a 9. 4 LCD provides 9. 4 diagonal viewing area. This is the equivalent of an 11 CRT. Color LCD Comparison Chart Technology Contrast Ratio Response Viewing Angle Price Passive Matrix 20:1 300 ms Medium Medium Active Matrix 60:1 80 ms High High 3). Gas Plasma Gas-plasma display is a type of flat display screen, called a flat-panel display, used in some portable computers. Images on gas-plasma displays generally appear as orange objects on a black background. Although gas-plasma displays produce very sharp monochrome images, they require much more power than the more common LCD displays. Technology: A grid of conductors are sealed between two flat plates of glass; neon and/or argon gas fills the space between the plates. Comparison Of LCDs and Gas-Plasma Displays: Type Readability Battery Life Cost LCD Lowest Longest Lowest Gas plasma High Shortest.

Conclusion According Essay Example for Free

Conclusion According Essay This is the hatred of another person by a person due to his status and the skin color. Racism has been a major issue in the United States and this has lead to hatred of many people. Racism is specifically accomplished by the skin color that is how the white perceive the black people. The dark skin has been disrespected worldwide by the white people and this has brought about racism. Metraux A (1950) Racism is like a belief that another person is less than of a value than the person, the belief determines the person background d the power and also the color. Racism is something that as been inherited from the fore front of our great grand parents, that is according to the white man they used to put the black man into slavery because the black man had no power over the white man, racism is something that is running into our own lives and it is something that has been very difficult to overcome because it is said it is something that is in a culture of a person and it is inheritable. Scholars have been very much to know the roots of racism and to look upon the causes and ways in which h racism can be avoided but it is true to say that racism lives within a person and the only way to change racism is by fighting and changing of our own perception towards a particular group of people or not looking at people according to there own skin co lour. Wellman T (1993) The perception of the black men on politics, during this era of Richard Wright the white men were the only people who were considered in politics and not in social areas, the white men had the only power to be seen in politics and anything that needed leadership and this brought about the discrimination of the black on politics. The black men were inert and no where to be seen in anything that concerned politics or leadership, they were considered as people who could not lead and who had little knowledge or no knowledge of the way to politics, therefore the white people made the decisions on matters that resulted to politics and social matters. Bernard L (1992) The black men had no right of being educated or receive any information according to Richard Wright, the Whites were only seen to be the people who were allowed to be educated, and mostly the black people were considered to grow up as slaves of the white people. Therefore they never considered giving the white childhood any type of education because they new definitely that they will grow into slaves of the white, and in any case a black was considered educated there was a certain place where they could be taken and given work but under the management of the white people, therefore no black person was seen as a leader or a manager of a company despite his educational background he had to be under the supervision of the white people. Benjamin H (2006) During this era the black men were perceived as people who grew up as criminals and there main aim was to kill the white people, they were considered as poor people always in need and people who had no power over anything that is they were to work and be slaves under the strict supervision of the white people. Has this perception changed? The perception of the black by the white has partly changed; still there is the discrimination of the white by the black in the modern world meaning that racism is still a topic to be discussed and how to overcome it. black people are now allowed in politics by the white people, but still there are number of white people who do not accept that black people can still lead they grant them as people who need strict supervision and in this case they have not be able to accept leadership by the black people. Black men have been freed from the times of slavery by the white people and the society has regarded racism as a discrimination term that is supposed to be changed, therefore considering the skin colour of the black as being helpful to the society. The culture has developed a very bad image of the black people from the white perception it is accurate to say that the society looks upon its roots on the black perception they still discriminate the black on some of the current issues for example they still consider the black as criminals, drug addicts and abusers. Therefore it is true that racism is being fought but still there people who are still bound by there cultural perception and beliefs about the black. Stereotypes of African American are generalized about the behavior of African group or individual. These stereotypes developed in American culture since the colonial era and they have been used to portray the black men as naive irresponsible or careless, lazy, poor and violent. Therefore racism is all about the color, the black face was developed in America to show the color development of the black and how the black got discriminated simply be cause of there color. There was a book for children that was developed called Sambo, it also discriminated the black as people who were lazy and people who were irresponsible and it considered black to be slur. The book is about a boy who outwitted a number of tiger and the boy is considered to be black. The magic Negro also refereed the black people discrimination; Negro was a disrespectful term that was used to call the black people. The mammy archetype referred the black people as slaves that are they were seen tying apron so that they can help the white either in there assigned work by the white people. Current survey has shown that the white are still discriminating the black people, for example research has shown that there is discrimination of the black by the white especially by the taxi drivers, they consider the white more than the black people showing that the white still grant the black people as people who are still poor. In a police case survey has shown that the black people are much discriminated by the white policemen more than the way the white policeman will deal with a white person, this shows that racism is still going on. Black people are still considered as criminal more than the white people; there skin color which is black has made them be preserved as criminal more than the white people. Marvin J On current survey black people possess the ownership of being feared by other people because from there judgment of color they look like criminals and thugs, this has created a difference from the white people, who have been judged by there skin color as people who posses innocence Conclusion According to Richard Wright era black men perception was very negative, this shows that Racism is like a diseases that is within our own perception and in this ca se it should be healed, human being s were created in different color that is there is the white and the black, and it is true to say that there is no need to judge a person according to the skin color. Having a white skin does not mean that power over everything was given to the whites, this has been developed over the years and this has lead to the disrespect and the misuse of the dark skin, there fore changing the perception about the black people over the white people is very difficult. Because racism is something that has been there since the colonial era and it is something that has been developing over and over the generations. Robber M(Ed) the stereotypes that were developed to mark the black man it is certainly that they are still continuing to mark the black man as still powerless up to this current world. It is very unfortunate to explain that the current world has not changed there conduct to the perception of racism especially when it comes to the dark skin, most leaders in the world have lead to the racism and minority of these leaders have been unable to fight, it is wise to change the people perception on racism especially when dealing with the skin color. People have difference by there own skin color but this does not mean that one skin color is superior to the other; there fore it is good for the world to come to an end and fight racism on skin color. Work cited Metraux A (1950) United Nations Economic and Security Council Statement by Experts on problems of race in American Anthropologist Wellman T (1993) portraits of white Racism. New York, NY Cambridge University Press Bernard L (1992) Race and Slavery in the Middle East an historical enquiry. Oxford University Press Benjamin H (2006) THE invention of racism in classical antiquity, Princeton University press Marvin J the myth of the black man on race, sex, and suspicion Robber M and Andrew R, the black image in the white image

Emotional Overwhelm in Relationships

Emotional Overwhelm in Relationships SAN0088 Confronting Overwhelm as a Couple In your life with your spouse or partner, you will experience problems ranging from daily difficulties to major challenges. Though job- or family-related issues are normal, there is no question that they can overwhelm you or your spouse/partner, affecting your emotional health and relationships. This is why such matters can be considered issues for a couple to confront and resolve together. The support of a spouse or partner is very powerful to stay strong in the face of an emotional crisis. If you and your spouse arent getting support from each other, it can ruin your relationship. Challenges are inevitable, but there are ways to recognize and manage them so that your health and relationships dont have to suffer. Finding a way to talk is important. If you have difficulty talking without hurting each other, consider counseling. Emotional Overwhelm: What Is It? Emotional overwhelm or flooding is something that you or your spouse/partner may feel when you are swamped by too many events going on at one time. Though negative changes and situations are likely to trigger the surging of overwhelm, it isnt unusual for positive life events to trigger it as well. If there is one person whom you expect to be there for you at this time, it would be your partner. Unfortunately, emotional overwhelm can hijack your (or your spouses or partners) brain, so that you cant seem to recognize what is reasonable or common sense. According to In Focus, Any person who is engaged in and experiencing emotional flooding cannot hear without distortion or respond with clarity in a dispassionate way. The brain gets too wrapped up in intense emotions that distort your perceptions, so you can hardly organize your thoughts or respond to life situations with clarity, logic, and decisiveness. Are You/Your Spouse Experiencing Overwhelm? Emotional overwhelm can make you feel irritable, anxious, helpless, and hopeless. These feelings can make you behave in such a way that others find you difficult to relate/interact with. If the symptoms are severe, it may even hinder your functionality. If you or your spouse/partner is overwhelmed, you should stay on top of the situation. What are the symptoms of emotional overwhelm? Aside from noticeable irritability, crying, and lashing out without justifiable reason, other signs include depressive and anxiety symptoms, such as extreme sadness, constant anger, and excessive worry over things that arent that important. In serious cases, overwhelm can persist for months and affect you or your partners functioning. What Overwhelm Can Do to Your Marriage/Relationship Overwhelm can happen to you. It can happen to your spouse or partner. It can also happen to your marriage or relationship. When it does happen, you may have difficulty organizing your thoughts, feelings, and responses, and tend to fall back on primitive reactions, which can be to stop, to escape, or to strike back. In other words, you may just react without thinking or relating the different interconnected issues. If you experience these symptoms and dont understand whats going on, meeting your needs can be extremely challenging. If the other spouse thinks that the overwhelmed one is just overreacting, it can breed misunderstanding and conflict. With this line of thinking, the unaffected one isnt likely to be supportive, while the affected one suffers without support. Finding the Balance Nobody is immune from getting overwhelmed when too many changes and challenges pour into your life. If one spouse feels swamped, the other spouse/partner can be overwhelmed too. When this happens, both of you can become oversensitive and hyper-aroused to fight. Everything can be easily misconstrued as an insult, a grievance, or an opposition-then conflict ensues. Overwhelm can take your relationship to a dangerous point if you fail to recognize the signs. To avoid such a catastrophic shift in your relationship, dont just rely on personal effort to fix matters between you. At a time like this, you need to balance your life with the assistance of a capable counselor. Breaking Overwhelm with Counseling When you are overwhelmed, you can get caught in a cycle of scorn and criticism, distressing thoughts and confusing feelings, defensiveness, and the desire to hurt or bottle everything up. It can harm your self-control, empathy, and emotional self-awareness. To survive overwhelm and avoid burnout and eventual meltdown, couples need to be able to establish strong emotional connection with each other and listen to each others heart. Rebuilding and reinforcing your emotional connection is possible with the help of an independently contracted counselor with Carolina Counseling Services in Sanford, NC. Dont wait for emotional overwhelm to sabotage your marriage. Dont sit back and watch as your most valued relationship takes a plunge into the abyss of marital issues or divorce. If you want overwhelm to end, you have to act now. Meet overwhelm head-on as a couple-call Carolina Counseling Services in Sanford, NC.

Organizational Communication Essay -- Functions of Communication

Organizational Communication is probably the most important type of interpersonal communication a person has to perform in his or her adult life. Communicating with others in the work environment is a process that cannot be looked at as a small one, but as a very complex and of utmost significance to a person's life as a whole. We all know communication is a key factor in everyone's life, and communicating in the work place is just a larger key for cultural expectance and normalcy. Everyone communicates with each other in all different aspects of society. When you are younger, school is the main agency for social communication and in later life it is the job you occupy. It is socially stated and seen as a norm that in adult life you should have a job for means of survival. Therefore, another way to put it is the best way to survive in life is to work. Because of this sociological norm, you must be able to adapt to your job. This is the most important aspect of the work environment. A nd the only way to adapt to your surroundings and be able to participate in everyday work life is to communicate with others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational Communication is therefore basically broken up into two parts; The Socialization process of communicating, and the later communication between co-workers in everyday situations. First and foremost we will look at the more complex and significant process of communication socialization. Sociologist J. Van Maanen's definition of organizational communication is "the process by which a person learns the values and norms and required behaviors which permit him or her to participate as a member of the organization" In other words, its learning the ropes of the occupation. Not only any skill you may need, but how co-workers communicate, and understanding the importance of the organization as well. One thing to understand is socialization in an organization is not a temporary process that stops after the first few months on the job, but it is fact a continuos process that will change as the longer a person stays with that organization. All socialization proc ess are broken up into stages, and organizational socialization is not any different. Think back to when you were starting a new job and it will be very easy to see and understand these stages. Remember the first day on a new job, when you probably didn't know any one, and you didn't know... ...ange in an organization just as they change in the real environment, and we must be able to change with them just as we try to do in that real environment. Moreover, communication is in all areas an important facet that we must be able to master if we want to have the ultimate experience in what we do. Lets face it we are all young and have or whole lives ahead of us. Most of that time is going to be occupied by the occupation we choose. In fact we may go through many jobs to find the one that we are most comfortable in. But above all the ability to communicate well with important others are something we cannot easily pass by, but must use to make our lives satisfying. Works Cited Wood, Julia T. (1998) Communication Mosaics: A New Introduction to the Field of Communication. Wadsworth Publishing Company Roloff, Michael E. & Berger, Charles R. (1982) Social Cognition and Communication Sage Publications Deveroux Ferguson, Sherry & Ferguson, Stewart (1988) Organizational Communication Transaction Books Macionis, John R. (1998) Society: The Basics. Prentice Hall Inc. Berne, Eric (1963) The Structure and Dynamics of Organizations and Groups J.B. Lippincott Company

Beauty And The Beast :: essays research papers

Have you ever heard something go thump in the night? Do you believe in monsters? In the movies "Beauty and the Beast" and "E.T.", the monster like characters the captured the hearts of viewers of all ages. They both involve two characters that are thrusted into lifestyles that they are not used to. The beast and E.T were both unique creatures, had close relationships with humans, and were great works of fiction. In both stories, "Beauty and the Beast" and "E.T.", the main characters are unique creatures are forced into a human society, which does not always accept them for who they are. Society, in general, is against both creatures; school children tease and mock Elliot about his new extra-terrestrial friend, and the townsfolk in "Beauty and the Beast" attempt to kill the Beast for not being human. Nobody relates to either character, seeing as they are both â€Å"freaks† in their respective time periods and locations. Nobody accepts them as being different; both characters are thrown out of society like a couple of lepers for not being like everybody else. Also, they are both in unique situations, the Beast because he used to be a human, and was turned into an evil beast by a magic spell, and E.T. was from another planet, and had no intention of ever coming to earth or meeting Elliot. Both characters are very unique in the society in which they were thrust, and neither one has anyone like him to go to or latch onto for understanding and support. Both the Beast and E.T. found one person on earth who accepts them for who they are. Although the Beast captures Belle, she learns to love him and understand his situation; she becomes his one true friend in a society which hates him for who what they think he is. Elliot discovered E.T. in his closet, and due to the fact he had no other real friends, naturally accepted the alien. From their initial meeting, E.T. and Elliot became the closest of friends in the film; in fact Elliot was E.T.’s only human friend. Other than those two humans, nobody else attempts to understand where either creature comes from, and as a result, no one befriends them. In addition, both E.T. and the Beast come from great works of fiction, having no fact behind their stories but both being created for no purpose other than pure entertainment.

Assess the View That Life in a ‘State of Nature’

The state of nature Is the term used to describe a lawless state of human behavior, wherein all people are free of legal and moral restraint. It would create a state where all people would be able to act on their wants and desires without fear of punishment from a governing body, as there wouldn't be one, and that man would only have to fear the retaliation from other people against their actions. In this essay, I will be outlining the views of both Hobbes and Locke on the state of nature and drawing a conclusion from their opinions.Hobbes' view on the state of nature is that such a thing would lead only to a state of war. He believed that without moral or legal constraints, mankind will simply pillage, murder, and plunder In order to get what they desire, regardless of the views of others. In a state of war, man will use power as he sees fit In order to survive and with no clear definition of rights or duty, each Individual will be free to Judge the rights and duties of others and of themselves.There will be no duty to keep other people safe and out of harm and no-one will have the explicit right to live or to keep heir property. If another claims that you hold something he needs to survive, you would have no right to deny him as there is no law or right outlining that it was yours and yours alone. As our desires are never satisfied and we have a continuous want of things, man will continue to overturn others if it means he gets what he wants in life, whether or not he truly needs it.He believes in the state of nature translating to a state of anarchy, as no human will ever be satisfied with what they have and will always strive for more. Hobbes claims that In a lawless state, we may not wish direct arm onto others, but we will be constantly aware that other people may wish to harm us. In order to prevent being the volt, we would attack first In order to stay alive, thus becoming the aggressor. Self-preservation In a lawless state, In Hobbes' opinion, would o nly ever lead to conflict as man turns on man In order to keep themselves alive.Due to this, we would never trust another person and the lack of alliance or allegiance would lead to us all being equally vulnerable. So despite the lack of rights or duty, each of us are equal in a state of nature, as we are all equally able to be pushed over by the person beside us, whether they are friend or otherwise. Hobbes is very much in agreement that living in a state of nature would be truly awful. Locke, however, doesn't completely agree.He doesn't believe – as Hobbes does – that scarcity In society and living in a state lawlessness would lead to man killing man In order to stay alive. He believes that people will provide themselves with natural moral principles that we are all inclined towards. Locke drew this belief from his belief in God and the creation of Man and all things on the Earth. By this logic, we have a duty to protect others from harm. We are therefore obligated, as God's creations, to punish those that cause harm to others, and those principals would be our natural obligations.He also believes that we cannot claim property unless our labor helped create what is on the land, but we still have no lawful right to it and the supposed right to it is not dependable. He proposed that removal from a state of law would create a form of democracy among men where they would govern themselves and keep themselves in equal measure in order to create a fair semblance of society. Locke thinks that society can exist in a state of nature and exist informally, so he disagrees with the statement that living in a state of nature would be awful in any sense.He believes that people can and will work together to protect themselves and each other as we have an obligation to care for other people as a natural instinct. By Locker's reasoning, man would eventually enter into an unspoken social contract and form a crude government to better protect their rights and pro mote organization in their society. I believe that although a state of nature would initially lead to man taking whatever he pleased from others and doing what he had been previously unable to do, eventually a form of society would emerge.People cannot continue without governing themselves and eventually they would create some form of law in order to govern themselves and protect their rights and duties. Initially living in a state of nature would be awful because there would be the breakaway from lawful restraint and that new freedom would lead to complete uproar as the population of the world indulged in all they had been unable to do. I still, however, believe that Locker's state of things would prevail and that man would find a way to organize themselves in order to survive and beat the inevitable scarcity.

Hardys dramatic dialogue Essay

Denying the harsh moral codes set upon you can at times improve your material circumstances; however it can reduce you to a situation lower than poverty. Hardy’s dramatic dialogue â€Å"The Ruined Maid† attempts to portray the injustices and ironies of Victorian morality. Hardy is able to achieve this through his elaborate control over language. The class distinctions and moral codes placed upon women in the Victorian era have a large degree of irony. In the first stanza Hardy introduces two women: an unnamed, impoverished farm maid and a relatively wealthy â€Å"ruined† woman. The fact that the farm maid is unnamed shows her relatively insignificant life in comparison to the â€Å"ruined† woman who is named. The â€Å"ruined† woman (‘Melia) is said to have acquired â€Å"fair garments†, illustrating her affluence as the adjective â€Å"fair† suggests her clothes were of great beauty. The farm maid also wonders how ‘Melia has come across â€Å"such prosperi-ty† emphasising her newfound wealth. ‘Melia states that she has acquired this wealth as she has â€Å"been ruined†. By crossing the Victorian morality line and selling herself she has been rewarded instead of being looked down upon. In the second stanza Hardy contrasts the two women’s lifestyles to illustrate their vast differences. Hardy uses negative diction such as the noun â€Å"tatters† to describe the poverty-stricken woman clothing which contrasts to the description of the wealthier woman in the first stanza. Hardy also contrasts this in the second stanza where Hardy uses positive diction with vibrant connotations such as â€Å"gay bracelets† and â€Å"bright feathers† to again describe the â€Å"ruined† woman’s clothing. The use of juxtaposition between the poverty of one woman and the relative wealth of ‘Melia emphasises their class differences. The â€Å"ruined† woman, obviously gaining from her denial of normal moral codes, states â€Å"that’s how we dress when we are ruined†. This illustrates that all women in her profession wear wealthy clothing, portraying the ironies of Victorian moral rectitude. Restrained in the entrenched Victorian class system with its moral and economic confines women at times have to escape in order to improve their situation. In the third stanza Hardy illustrates the â€Å"ruined† woman’s original poverty. She is described to have had a â€Å"home in the barton†, illustrating her initial lack of wealth through the use of the noun â€Å"barton†. ‘Melia is said to have in the past used archaic, colloquial language such as â€Å"thee† and â€Å"thou† portraying her earlier impoverishment; only those of the lower classes would have used these words. However Hardy contrasts this with the woman’s â€Å"talking† which now â€Å"fits ‘ee for high company†, again emphasising her gain from selling herself. ‘Melia says that â€Å"some polish is gained with one’s ruin†. The noun â€Å"polish† suggests the woman has gained refinement by becoming â€Å"ruined†, illustrating the potential gains from defying Victorian moral codes. This can also portray the hypocrisy of Victorian society as pure, virginal women are approved of; however happen to live depressing, miserable lives. In the fourth stanza Hardy again contrasts the woman’s current position with her past one, describing how she used to have â€Å"paws† and a â€Å"face blue and bleak†. The fact that her hands are said to have been â€Å"paws† illustrates the strenuous work she had to endure. The adjective â€Å"bleak† is an example of a synecdoche as it is used to illustrate ‘Meila’s former emotions. However she is now said to have â€Å"little gloves† and a â€Å"delicate cheek† portraying her dramatic improvement both in her occupation and emotionally. The last line: â€Å"we never do work when we’re ruined† emphasises her lack of taxing labour after becoming â€Å"ruined†. Crossing the morality line can at times result in improvements to one’s position economically. By defying Victorian morality one’s situation is condemned to being lower than the poverty of those who are pure and righteous. In the fifth stanza Hardy again uses negative diction to describe ‘Melia’s past position. Hardy illustrates that she used to view her life as a â€Å"hag-ridden dream† portraying her past depressive outlook on life due to her previous poverty. She is said to have â€Å"sigh[ed]† and â€Å"sock[ed]† emphasising her negative view on life. However now she â€Å"know[s] not of†¦ melancholy†. This shows her emotional improvement as a result of becoming â€Å"ruined†. In the last stanza the farm girl says she wished she was like her former friend and â€Å"had feathers† and a â€Å"fine sweeping gown†. This illustrates her misunderstanding of ‘Melia’s new profession due to her poverty. She is unable to see through the vivacious fai ade of ‘Melia’s wealthy clothing in order to see the realities of her occupation. ‘Melia however separates herself from her former friend stating that she is but a â€Å"raw country girl†. The adjective â€Å"raw† again emphasises the girl’s righteousness and innocence contrasted to the other woman’s â€Å"ruined† morality. The two women are completely different due to the chasmic nature of the Victorian class distinctions and ‘Melia’s decision to sell herself. ‘Melia’s also denies the farm maid of her dreams stating that she â€Å"cannot quite expect that†. Although she wishes she could become wealthy she can’t escape the class which she was born into. ‘Melia says that â€Å"you ain’t ruined† showing that to become rich after being born into the lower classes you must become â€Å"ruined†. However this could also be seen as a warning to the other woman to hold on to her maidenly modesty due to its huge worth in Victorian society. Furthermore Hardy uses the colloquial expression â€Å"ain’t† to show the reader that the â€Å"ruined† woman hasn’t escaped her poor origins. Women of the Victorian times held a very insecure position in society; one which could change dramatically just by defying ironic moral codes. In â€Å"The Ruined Maid† Hardy attempts to show the ironies and injustices place upon women in the Victorian era. He shows that although one may improve their economic situation by defying the moral codes of their society they are condemned to a fate worse than poverty.

An Analysis of The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay

One of the main themes of the novel, The Pearl, which was written by John Steinbeck, is the destructive force of greed. The author presented this concept in a variety of ways in the story such as the use parallelism of the imagery to the characters in the novel, the setting of the story that justifies the characters’ actions, and the sudden transformation of the characters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, the story takes place in depressed Mexican-Indian community in La Paz where the novel’s two main characters, Kino, a poor pearl diver, and his wife, Juana, live in. While the story revolves mainly around the life of the couple, particularly, Keno, the author used them to symbolize the impoverished state of the community in which they live in. The story begins with Coyotito being stung by a poisonous scorpion. When Kino and Juana were unable to treat their son, who was shown to be in extreme pain, they took him to a doctor. However, the doctor, upon learning that the couple did not have any money, turns them away and pretended to be unavailable at the moment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In this part of the story, Steinbeck already showed how greed played an important role in adversely affecting the lives of Kino and Juana through momentarily shifting the focus of characterization. The doctor, who is bound by an oath that compels him to help all those who are sick, regardless of their economic status, refused to treat the couple’s son because he was greedy and did not want to treat them unless he gets paid with money. The doctor also symbolized the obstacles and oppression that Kino faces in their impoverished community, which was, in a way, used to justify his greedy actions later on in the novel. Moreover, the use of nature’s imagery in the first chapter of the novel generally mirrored Kino’s personality. In the opening chapter 1, Kino deeply observes the beauty of the garden of his home, which reflects the innocence he only had at the beginning of the novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the couple was turned down by the doctor, Kino became desperate but fortunately found a very large and rare pearl in one of his dives. The author used this part of the story as a turning point in Kino’s personality. This part of the story also depicted the greed of the other minor characters of the novel such as the priest of La Paz, who agreed to help Kino only after he discovered that he had the pearl, and the doctor, who changed his mind and helped Kino only after he found out that the fisherman was in possession of a rare pearl.   Moreover, although Kino’s intentions were primarily to buy a cure for his son by selling the pearl, he was blinded by his greed as shown in his desire to sell the pearl only to the highest bidder. Days after he found the pearl, his entire family experienced a lot of misfortunes. Several men attempted to steal the pearl from him and although they were unsuccessful, this led to Kino committing acts he normally did not do such as violence and murder. In addition, Kino’s attitude towards his family suddenly changed which was illustrated when he beat up his wife Juana after she insisted that they get rid of the pearl for fear of the misfortune it will bring them in the future. Even after their house was burned down, Kino still insisted on keeping the pearl and escaped to a nearby the mountain with his family since they believed he will be hunted by the authorities after he killed one of the men of attempted to steal his prized possession. They then discover that they were being pursued by three men and when Kino tried to surprise them, they kill his son, Coyotito. He responded by killing all of them and the next day the story ended with Kino returning to La Paz where he throws the pearl to the sea for good. The events at the mountain were another form of nature imagery used by the author. This time, Steinbeck used the mountain to reflect life’s darker side which is characterized struggles and hardships. In this case, however, it was still Kino’s greed that led to these events. Overall, Steinbeck clearly expresses that man’s desire for excessive property and riches would eventually lead to destruction as portrayed by Kino who lost his son, his house, and his innocence in his greedy desire to sell the pearl and amass wealth. References Steinbeck, J. (2002). The Pearl (Centennial Edition). New York: Penguin

Environment Analysis Essay

Organizations analyze the environment in order to understand the external forces so that it could help to develop effective responses to secure or improve their positions in the future. There existed a positive relation between environmental analysis and profits of an organization. Top management looked at information in two ways: viewing and searching information. This information needed to be evaluated and disseminated to strategists within the organization and to help top management to make decisions that could create strategic advantage for the organization to succeed in a changing environment 1. There were research evidences that showed that environmental analysis was linked with improved organizational performance. Hence, it remained insufficient to assure performance, without aligning information with strategy. The main debate in strategy and environment was concerned with the primary importance of the environmental analysis in strategy formulation and implementation. 84 Reserve Bank of India The Reserve Bank of India is fully owned by the Government of India. Initially it was viewed to bring the greater coordination of the monetary, economic, and financial policies. During fifties objectives of Reserve Bank of India underwent changes. It was recognized that Reserve Bank of India needs to take on direct and much more active role, in developing machinery for financial development in order to ensure flow of finance in the country. Reserve Bank emerged as a regulatory and a growth promoting institution. In the beginning limited to the agricultural sector, the Bank later covered small-scale industries as well. The affairs of Reserve Bank of India are governed by the central board of directors. The board is appointed by the Government of India according to the Reserve Bank of India Act. The preface of the Reserve Bank of India describes the basic functions of the Reserve Bank as: â€Å"to regulate the issue of Bank Notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary stability in India and generally to operate the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage† 2. The Reserve Bank? s freedom may be viewed broadly to the areas like management including personnel matters, financial aspects, and to conduct polices. Managerial freedom refers to the procedures for appointment, term of office and dismissal procedures of top central bank officials and the governing board. It also includes the extent and nature of representation of the Government in the governing body of the central bank. 85 Financial freedom relates to the freedom to decide the extent of Government expenditures directly or indirectly financed by the central bank? s credits. Finally, policy freedom is related to the flexibility given in the formulation and execution of monetary policy, under a given authorization. Reserve Bank of India has over the years been responding to changing economic circumstances. The Reserve Bank of India performs the function of financial supervisor under the guidance of Board for Financial Supervision. This board undertake consolidated supervision of the financial sector comprising of Commercial Banks, Financial Institutions, and Non-Banking Finance Companies. The key functions played by this board were restructuring of the system of Bank, introduction of off-site scrutiny, strengthening the role of legislative auditors, and strengthening the internal defences of supervised institutions. Currently this board focus on supervision of financial institutions and legal issues in Banks. Reserve Bank of India acts as a guard for Commercial Banks. Commercial Banks are required to keep a certain proportion of cash reserves with the Reserve Bank and Bank provide them various facilities like advancing loans, underwriting securities etc. Reserve Bank of India controls the volume of reserves of Commercial Banks and thereby determines the deposits and credit creating ability of the Banks. Whenever Commercial Banks need funds they get it from the Reserve Bank of India. Apart from playing the role of Banker to the Banks, Reserve Bank of India also play promotional role. The aim is to establish and assist the establishments of a number of financial intuitions for filling up of various financial institutional gaps in the rural and semi-urban areas. 86 Other roles played by Reserve Bank of India are: Reserve Bank stabilizes the external value of the national currency. The Reserve Bank keeps gold and foreign currencies and manages foreign currency in accordance with the controls imposed by the government. Reserve Bank of India facilitate external trade and payment and promote orderly development and maintenance of foreign exchange market in India. Reserve Bank has taken the responsibility of meeting directly or indirectly all legitimate demands of Commercial Banks under emergency conditions and to a certain extent Reserve Bank influence the credit policy of Scheduled Banks. The Reserve Bank has instrument of control in the form of the bank rate, which it publishes from time to time 3. A list of the Reserve Bank of India Committees from 1990- 2008 was prepared to get an impression about developments with respect to Banking Industry (Appendix- III). The recommendations resulted into remarkable changes in products and policies of Banking Organizations. Indian Bank’s Association (IBA) Indian Bank? s Association is a leading service organization of Banking Industry in India. It aims to integrate Banking and finance system catering to all financial requirements of customer? s. It was formed in 1946 with 22 members. Today Indian Bank? s Association has more than 159 members comprising of Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks (having offices in India), and Urban Co-operative Banks. 87 The main objectives of Indian Bank? Association are: promoting and developing sound and progressive Banking principles and practices in order to assist Banks to develop and implement new ideas and innovative Banking services, operations and procedures; organizing co-ordination and co-operation on procedural, legal, technical, administrative or professional problems and practices of Banks ; circulating statistical data, informati on, views and opinions on the Banking System; conducting Management Development Programs for Banks; promoting education and knowledge of the law and practices of Banking Industry; to help in projecting good public image of Banking Industry ; and to promote harmonious relationships by devising ways and means for involving Banking personnel? in the growth and development of Banking Industry. Indian Bank? s Association tries to achieve excellent service quality and customer care through its focused efforts to make each customers experience a pleasant one. Towards this end Indian Bank? s Association stressed on to build staff potential by each Bank to address customer challenges and asked Banks to design a performance management system, which focuses on rewarding the staff for delivering flawless customer service. In 2000, Indian Bank? s Association reviewed the charters of different Banks and brought out a „Model Citizen Charter? explaining to the customer? s what they could expe ct from the Bank? s as a matter of right. Apart from this Indian Bank? s Association brought „bankers fair practices? in 2004 which was adopted by all Banks voluntarily. It also came out with „fair practice code for credit card operation? and „model code for collection of dues and repossession of security? with special concern to customer? s voice about Banking practices 4. 88 Ministry of Finance Ministry of Finance in India governs the entire fiscal system of the Government of India. The three departments headed by the Ministry of Finance in India include: economic affairs, expenditure, and revenue. Thus, it mainly centralizes around the economic and financial issues pertaining in India. Ministry of Finance Government of India, Banking Division is managing Government policies related to the working of Banks and the term lending to financial institutions. This Division is headed by Secretary (Banking and Insurance) and operates through three subdivisions: Industrial Finance; Banking Operations; and Banking and Insurance. Each subdivision is headed by a Joint Secretary. The Banking Operations sub-division deals with legislative proposals described to Banks, non-banking financial companies, and other related matters like appointments of Chief Executives and Government nominee Directors and non-official directors on the boards of Public Sector Banks. In addition policy matters relating to Private Banks, Foreign Banks, and improvement of customer? service in Banks and redressal of customers grievances are also dealt with this Banking Operations sub-division of Ministry of Finance. This sub-division also deals with vigilance matters and appoints Chief Vigilance Officers (C VO? s) in the Public Sector Banks to enable the Public Sector Banks to meet the credit requirements for the productive sectors of the economy in proportion to the economic growth of the country. The Government is committed to infuse capital funds in Public Sector Banks as well 5. 89 Nature of Banking Industry Bank? s safeguard money and valuables and provide loans, credit, and payment services, such as checking accounts, money-orders, and cashier? s checks. Banks also offer investment and insurance products which they were once prohibited. There exists variety of models for cooperation and integration among finance industries some of these traditional distinctions between Banks, Insurance Companies, and Securities Firms has diminished. In spite of these changes, Banks continued to maintain and perform their primary role of accepting deposits and lending funds from these deposits. Banks securely save the money of depositors, provide checking services, and lend the funds raised from depositors to consumers. Bank? s today are in a wide range of sizes, from large Global Banks to Regional and Community Banks. These Global Banks are involved in international lending and foreign currency trading, in addition to the more typical Banking services. Working Environment Employee? in a typical branch work weekdays, whereas in few Banks sometimes Banks were opened until late evenings or were open on Saturday morning? s and in few even on Sundays. Supervisory and managerial employee? s, usually work substantially longer hours. Some B anks are expanding the working hours in their branches which are located at non- 90 traditional locations, such as shopping malls, which remain open on most evenings and weekends. Branch office jobs, particularly front-end positions, required continuous communication with customers. Some employees needed to work for longer hours in a confined space. Loan officers might need to travel to meet clients, or work evenings for their clients. Loan officers also check loan applications, and solicit new business for Banks. Financial Service Sales Representatives might also have to visit clients in the evenings and on weekends to go through the client? s financial needs. To improve customer service and provide greater access to Bank personnel? s, Banks have staffed Customer Service Representatives. The remaining Bank employees, working at the headquarters or other administrative offices usually worked in comfortable surroundings and worked for a standard workweek. In general, Banks are considered relatively safer place to work with respect to injuries and illness. Banks also encourage higher education and training for their employee? as Banks require creative and talented people to compete in the market place so as to reach to more number of customers. The basic premise here is to Study the relevant data and derive some information related to the Strategic Environment pertaining to Indian Banking Industry, which may be used in due course in a broader context if not in specific context. Environmental factors influencing Banking Industry are: 91 Economic Factors Indian economy has registered impressive growth of over 9 percent for successive three financial years and experienced restraint in 2008-09. This restraint was caused due to the downturn in the global economy. The year 2008-09 was the most deficient year after 1972. To fight against this slowdown Government of India and Reserve Bank of India took many fiscal as well as monetary actions. It was expected that Indian economy could again register a robust growth rate in the year 2009-10. As per the revised estimates released by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), Indian economy grew by 7. 6 percent in 2008-09 and 9. 3 percent growth in the 2007-08 6. Banks lending to industries, personal loans and service sectors witnessed a slow down while, Banks lending to agriculture and allied activities moved upward during 2008-09. The income as well as the expenditures of Scheduled Commercial Banks viewed a slow down leading to decrease in the net profit. The Return on Assets (ROA) as an indicator of efficiency with which Banks deployed their assets remained to 1 percent in 2009. The Return on Equity (ROE) as an indicator of efficiency with which the Banks used capital increased to 13. 2 percent in 2009 from 12. 5 percent in 2008, indicating increased efficiency with which Banks used capital 7. 92 Growth of income of Scheduled Commercial Banks during 2008-09 decelerated to 25. 7 percent from 34. 3 in 2007-08, but was higher than the growth rate of 24. 4 percent in 200607. Expenditure of Scheduled Commercial Banks was 24. 1 percent in 2006-07, which increased to 33. 9 percent in 2007-08 and again decelerated to 26 percent in 2008-09. The operating profit of Scheduled Commercial Banks increased sharply by 33. percent during 2008-09 from 26. 8 percent in 2007-08 and 21. 3 percent in 2006-07 (Table II. 1). The net profit of Scheduled Commercial Banks also showed a significant increase of 36. 9 percent during 2007-08 as compared to 26. 9 p ercent in 2006-07, but it decelerated to 23. 5 percent during 2008-09(Table II. 1) TABLE II. 1 VARIATION IN INCOME-EXPENDITURE OF SCHEDULED COMMERCIAL BANKS 2006-07 Income Expenses Operating Profit Net Profit 24. 4 24. 1 21. 3 26. 9 2007-08 34. 3 33. 9 26. 8 36. 9 2008-09 25. 7 26. 0 33. 2 23. 5 Source: Reports on Trend and Progress of Banking in India 8, 9 The Bank Group-wise analysis is presented in Table II. 2. Even though the achievements of technological changes in Banking Industry in India were impressive but there is a need to take greater advantages from new technologies and information based system to maximize the coverage. Pricewaterhouse Coopers report 18 suggested that Banks should take up automation that would be a combination of centralized networks, operations and a Core Banking applications that included Business Intelligence (BI), Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that catered to operational and analytical business needs. The multi-channel Banking has acquired further dimensions to include third party payments such as utility bills through different channels including Automated Teller Machines and mobile banking. Bank? internal groups examined the issues, relating to rural credit and micro-finance opportunities in the sector with several possible options like smart card-based kisan credit cards, smart card solutions for self-help groups, Automated Teller Machines with local language and voice facility and call-center amenities with added services given by various Banks. Introduction of Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) for providing credit to farmers had increased in the number a multi-fold since its inception in the late 1990? s and the total percentage share of these cards reached above forty percent 19. 97 Banks had transformed themselves into Universal Banks by adding new channels with lucrative pricing. Recent innovations in the form of total quality management, reengineering work processes, flexible systems have only one thing in common serving the customers well through improved operational efficiency. Consolidation in the Banking Industry followed by technological up-gradation acted as a key factor to boost the international competitiveness of the Indian Bank? s. Adapting technology had brought down the cost of transactions visibly and at the same time aided in business continuity. A Study mentioned that the cost per transaction through a branch was Rs. 66, cost per transaction ; through Automated Teller Machines was Rs. 22, and cost per transaction through internet was Rs. 0, ignoring the extreme variations owing to the investment cost and nature of transactions 20. This low cost benefit was opted by Commercial Banks as it helped them to reach to poor people, particularly those working in the rural areas and those who earn and spend cash. In order to handle their cash transactio ns Banks formulated two types of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). People could either use Automated Teller Machines that could accept, store or dispense cash or they could use a biometric device, which were mobile in nature. Infrastructure in India, has improved resulting into widespread use of Automated Teller Machines facility in villages as well. These machines consisted of additional features that included fingerprint use as a mean of authentication with a view that rural people were more comfortable with fingerprints than plastic cards. 98 The wide geographical coverage to access Banking related products and services with the help of mobile phone technology and the use of internet for banking transactions has gained superior usage. These modes of transactions required a safe and secure environment and provide a variety of options available for customers with different requirements. The numbers of mobile phone subscribers in India were about 261 million (March 2008). Towards this end, Reserve Bank of India issued guidelines for mobile banking transactions. Initially Banks offered the facility to their customers subject to a daily cap of Rs. 5,000 per customer for fund transfer and Rs. 10,000 per customer for transactions involving purchase of goods or services 21. Usage of internet banking in India is mainly dominated, by Private and Foreign Banks. Still, the number of individuals utilizing internet services has increased considerably. In 2006, about 12 percent of the 38. 5 million internet users in India used online banking and the figure for online banking increased to 16 million in 2007-08 22 . The average cost of servicing a customer through internet banking is the tenth of the services extended through a branch. Thus, there is a direct contribution to the profitability for a Bank and therefore, internet banking became a potential low cost alternative 23 . From customer? s viewpoint, internet banking is highly convenient as it help to avoid branch queues and makes customer free from depending on the inconsistent quality of services at the branch, which varied from person to person at the service desk. Internet Banking allowed customers to operate their accounts at their convenient hours instead of being dependent on the Banks working hours. Moreover, internet banking permitted customers to transact on a 24Ãâ€"7 basis from any part of the world. 99 Therefore, internet banking delivery channel has the potential to contribute directly towards the nation? prosperity as it allowed more people to join the Banking stream without adding cost and it is tremendously convenient to customers. Reserve Bank of India started measures to create multi-lingual links on its website for thirteen Indian language s on all matters concerning Banking in June 2007 24. In the recent years, the use of electronic payments has witnessed manifold increase reflecting increased adoption of technology. The electronic payment systems comprised of the large value payment systems like Real Time Gross Settlements (RTGS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and card based payment systems. The growth of volume of transactions directed through electronic payment has decelerated from 41. 4 percent in 2007-08 to 24. 8 percent in 2008-0925. The numbers and usage of Automated Teller Machines had gone up substantially during the last few years. Automated Teller Machines were primarily used for cash withdrawal and balance enquiry. In 2008-09, the total number of Automated Teller Machines installed by the Banks grew by 25. 4 percent. Automated Teller Machines of State Bank of India group registered a sharp growth of 34. 5 percent. While the Automated Teller Machines installed by new Private Sector Banks and Foreign Banks was 3 times of their respective branches 26, 27 . In March 2008, the population per automated teller machines in India was more than 29,500 as against the range of 1,000-9,500 in some of the other emerging market economies 28, 29 . In June 2009, Reserve Bank of India permitted Scheduled Commercial Banks to install off-site Automated Teller Machines at places identified by them, without any need to take permission from the Reserve Bank of India. Cash withdrawal from Automated Teller Machines of the Bank? s was made free of charges, April 2009 onwards. This made Automated Teller Machines more popular among customers. 100 Banks had deployed Information Technology solutions to facilitate automation in transaction management, reporting and risk management. Most of the Banks across the segments had already implemented Core Banking Systems. In the 2007, 85. 6 percent and in the 2008, 93. 7 percent Public Sector Banks were fully computerised 30, 31 . Other rograms such as internet based transactions, self-service kiosks, mobile banking were either underway or planned in near future by Public Sector Banks. Foreign Sector Banks and old and new Private Sector Banks in India, had progressed well in the areas of technology up-gradation i n operations. Technology up-gradation helped to introduce new products and services to enable Banks to improve the quality of service and value added services. Overall, Indian Banks score well with respect to technological adaption and the three key characteristic contributing towards the effective use of information technology in Banking Industry were: ? Factor Cost Advantage- information technology related labour costs in India remained cheaper as compared to other countries; ? Distribution Strategy- Indian Banks adopted a unique business model, acquiring customers rapidly with minimal technological investments; and ? Information Technology Governance- Indian Banks emphasized on information technology governance with the strong in-house Information Technology Division and a Chief Information Officer (CIO) directly reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in most cases. 101 It is information that made the Banking Industry stable. The pressure of competition and the need to improve productivity has generated a need for better information. In order to manage Banking operations to meet the needs of managers operating at tactical and strategic level and to improve their quality of decisions and policymaking processes within the Banks. Banks needed to set up an efficient and comprehensive Management Information System (MIS) without which asset and liability management and risk management were not possible. However, adoption of technology by Banks provided them competitive advantage in their operations but at the same time Banks became dependent on outsourcing for most of their technological applications. Therefore, Banks needed to employ caution to put in place mechanisms for vendor management. As an insecure system, could expose Banks towards serious operational regulatory and reputational risks. Banks have taken measures to safeguard the risk factors, emerging due to the use of technology. Towards this end, the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) helped Banks to bring in technology and enabled them to work in secured environment while operating Real Time Gross Settlements System, Centralised Fund Management System (CFMS), corporate e-mail, and internet banking. It also acted as a „certifying authority? for the Banking Sector in India by issuing Digital Certificates 32 . Still there exists need to ensure much more accountable systems with regard to online payments with uniform standards all over the world. 102 Social Factors Before nationalization of the Banks, their control was in the hands of the private parties and only big business houses and the effluent sections of the society gained benefits from the Banking in India. Thus, adoption of the social development model in the Banking Sector was necessary for speedy economic progress consistent with social justice in democratic political system. Bankers were directed to help economically weaker sections of the society and to provide needed finance to all the sectors of the economy with flexible and liberal attitude. India? s demography had undergone transition and the demographic trends 1950 – 2050 studied, illustrates that India? s fertility rate is consistently falling from the peak 5. 91 percent in the first decade after independence to 2. 76 percent today and expected to fall further to 1. 85 percent. Even the death rate also likewise showing consistent decline from its peak 25. 5 in 1950-55 to 8. 5 today and to the lowest of 7. 9 in 2020-2025 33 . This ignifies towards steady number of customers for Banking Sector with longer income in the coming years. Indeed, India would be one of the youngest nations with its median age lying between 25 a nd 30 years over the next 15 years (2010 to 2025) 34. This signified that India would enjoy its prevalence of young age population for almost four decades. Thus, India? s demographic transition needed to be exploited by Banking Sectors viewing it as an opportunity. 103 Increase in the per capita income of the working class population of India, enabled individuals to purchase goods, which were far out of their reach earlier. It also encouraged people to buy goods for their personal use and for their family. Today societies have shifted towards nuclear family, resulting into the growing needs for home consumer durables like washing machine, television, bike, car etc. This showed how we as a society have moved from a socialist society to a consumerist society. Understanding these changes and to use them as an opportunity Banks provided various types of loans to farmers, working women, professionals, education loan to the students, housing loans, and consumer loans. Even customers life style, their behaviour, and consumption patterns have changed which acted as an opportunity as well as a threat for Banking Industry. Deposits showed a subdued growth during this decade. In 2008- 09 personal loans by Commercial Banks was 12. percent with respect to 10. 8 in 2007-08 of which housing loan was 11. 6 percent in 2007-08 and 7. 4 percent in 2008-09 35 . This deceleration was observed in housing loans especially due to economy slow down. Literacy rate in India is low as compared to other developed countries. Illiterate people hesitate to transact with Banks. Therefore, this influenced negatively on Banking Industry. Nevertheless, there exists positive side of this as well that illiterate people trust more on Banks to deposit their money as they do not have market information they do not put money in stocks or mutual funds so they look Bank as their sole and safe alternative. For a common man Banks have emerged as the key players to provide variety of products and services like saving accounts, insurance, remittance and other facilities to the under privileged and the poor in rural, semi-urban and urban areas or socially disadvantage as well as the small and medium enterprise sector . 104 On the other hand Banks deal with big clients or big companies which required personalized banking as these customers do not believe in running and waiting in queues for getting their work done . To these customers bankers provided special provisions and at times benefits like individualised hosting to these types of customers. It was brought to the notice of the Reserve Bank of India that visually challenged persons were facing problem in availing Banking facilities. Reserve Bank of India in June 2008 advised all Banks to ensure that all facilities such as cheque book including third party cheques, Automated Teller Machine facilities (at least one third of new Automated Teller Machine installed with Braille key pads and located strategically), net banking, locker, and credit cards to be provided to visually challenged persons without any discrimination 36. Banks related crimes are rising. These crimes included the typical ones such as Bank robbery, false statement to a Bank in order to obtain loan, false entry in a Banks book, Bank bribery, and Bank fraud. The other new types of crimes have also emerged like accessing to the whole or any part of information technology system without rights. These also included manipulation of Banking system, data alteration, or data destruction to make unauthorized identity theft with reference to Automate Teller Machines. Indian police has initiated by opening of special cyber cells across the country and started educating the personal against these crimes. 105 Political Factors Before 1990, the lack of accountability and lack of profit motive in Nationalized Banks was credited to political interference. After the economic reforms of 1991, the Indian Banking Industry entered into the new horizon of competiveness, efficiency, and productivity. Reserve Bank of India? s control system and its monetary policies acted as a major weapon in India? financial market. However, sometimes looking into the political advantage of a particular party, Government declares some measures for their benefits like short-term agricultural loans to attract farmer? s votes affecting the profits of the Banks. Even according to Banking Banana Skins, survey 2010 political interference was considered as the greatest risk for Banking Industry 37. In the Budget provisions, Finance Minister increased the farm credit target for 2009-10 at Rs. 3, 25,000 crore compared to Rs. 2, 87,000 crore in 2008-09. The Union Budget 200910 extended the debt waiver scheme by six more months for farmers owing more than 2 hectare of land. The Union Budget 2008-09 allowed farmers 25 percent rebate on 75 percent of their overdue repayment within the stipulated period 38 . Government also announced setting up of a task force to examine the issues of debt taken by a large number of farmers in some regions of Maharashtra from private moneylenders who were not covered under the loan waiver scheme 39 . With Government bearing this burden, Banks would not be affected much. As Government assured to help, Banks to clear their most stubborn non-performing assets accounts on Banks Book. In addition, the emphasis on expanding network with Automated Teller Machines, opening of Banking centre in unbanked blocks were some of the positive moves taken by Government. 106 Political interference by the leftist political parties claimed that various regulations with respect to Foreign Banks would benefit only those Banks, which intend to make a quick jump by providing high-profile corporate services, instead of those who wish to intensify their rural operations. Left political parties also cautioned that foreign players could increase their holding size in a particular Bank that would lead to an imbalance of power. Banks under the conventional system of recovery of loans had a considerable amount of money blocked in form of unproductive assets. Hence, to beat this difficulty parliament enacted Recovery of Debts to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 also refereed as Debt Recovery Act. This Act created a separate apparatus in the order of Debt Recovery Tribunals, which were handed over the responsibility of administering disputes pertaining to non-payment of debts. As this legislation was general in nature, another legislature by Parliament was enacted , referred as Securitization Act with an objective to give the Banks, more power over defaulting borrowers 40,41. Unions The post nationalization era in the Banking Industry in India, particularly in the Public Sector, witnessed consolidation of trade unions. All the nine unions had all-India presence in the Banking Industry. Five workers unions and four officers unions represented almost 100 percent of the workforce in the industry and joined hands to form a United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). United Forum of Bank Unions comprised of All India Bank Employees Association, (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), 107 National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Congress (INBEC), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC), National Organization of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organization of Bank Officers (NOBO) 42. Representatives of unions were encouraged to give suggestions. However, in many cases undue interference of unions in decision-making has adversely affected, leading to the deterioration in discipline, efficiency, and performance effectiveness. With the growing strength of these organizations, the issues relating to employees interests were no longer determined by Bank? s managements alone. The massive introduction of technology into the industry made union policies defensive. Unions focused almost entirely on the immediate consequences of technological change on the workforce, especially the aspect of possible job losses. Employees in Public Sector Banks were repulsive to move from one table to another of the same branch. Now the trade unions seem to be willing to allow mobility for employees within a district as mergers enforced them to move from one state to another. Other issues taken up by unions were like introduction of New Pension scheme and variable pay which were resolved with the help United Forum of Bank Unions. Banks unions are also involved in demanding salary hikes, job losses, disinvestments in Public Sector, and issues related to violation of labour laws, and allocation of funds for schemes for unorganised workers. 108 After attempting, the macro level environmental analysis of Indian Banking Industry a micro functional level Human Resource Environmental Analysis has been attempted with the help of SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), it would help to further develop strategic viewpoint about the industry (Table II. 4). TABLE II. 4 HR SWOT ANALYSIS WITH RESPECT TO INDIAN BANKING INDUSTRY STRENGTHS ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Educated Manpower Higher Compliance Amongst Employees Experienced Employees Training Infrastructure Availability Safe Working Environment Responsiveness to Needful Change Strong Regulatory Institutional Framework ? ? ? ? ? OPPORTUNITIES Liberalization of Banking Sector Preferred Industry for Employment Availability of Multi-specialist staff Technology for Improved Interpersonal and Communication Skills Workforce Diversity WEAKNESSES ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Limited Technology Skills Repetitive Tasks Structure Inadequate Remuneration for Attracting Talent Lacking Career Growth Path Rigid Recruitment Policies Hierarchal Structure Rigid Wage Negotiation Process Leadership Deficit at Senior Level ? ? ? ? ? ? ? THREATS Movement of Skilled and Quality Staff Difficulty in Hiring Highly Qualified Youngsters Trend Towards Downsizing Changing Workforce Demographics High Staff Cost Overheads Changing Employees Expectations Entrenched Trade Unionism 109 Key Concerns for Indian Banking Industry The macro level analysis of Banking Industry and micro level analysis with respect to Human Resource functions helped to identify the key concerns related to the Banking Industry. Competition in Banking Industry is very high as Banks are fighting for same share of customers. There are many Banks and non-financial institutions which gave rise to intensified competition. Amongst these, there existed relatively no differentiation in services and every Bank tried to copy each other? s services and technology which increased the level of competition. Competition from the non-Banking financial sector is increasing rapidly as there are substitutes like mutual funds, stocks (shares), government securities, debentures, gold, and real estate acting as a high threat of substitutes. The continuous deregulation has made the Banking Market extremely competitive with greater autonomy, operational flexibility, decontrolled interest rate, and liberalized norms for foreign exchange. The deregulation of the industry coupled with decontrol in interest rates had led to the entry of a number of players in the Banking Industry 43. Alliances and takeovers had occurred on a transatlantic basis. The market share for financial services that Banks hold had declined, while securities firms, mutual funds, and finance companies has grown 44 . Banking Sector needs to build up a strong and efficient financial system by emphasizing on risk based management. 110 In Banking Sector, customers have high bargaining power due to the presence of very large number of alternatives. Banks together with the specialized financial companies that provide finance to customers are available. Recently it was observed that depositors had withdrawn funds from Private and Foreign Banks and invested their money with Public Sector Banks as the cost of switching from one Bank to another was low and almost all Banks provided undifferentiated services. Today customer? s have more information and better understanding about the market, Banks have to be more competitive and customer friendly to serve them. To retain customer? s and market share, Banks started contemplating on building strong relationship with customers. United Bank of India created a revolution in Banking Industry by opening up a boutique branch in Pune in November 2007, as its priority was to provide services to the high net worth customers. Thus, United Bank also recognized the needs of high net worth individuals different from the other customers. United Bank organized corporate golf tournament for customers, music concerts, and screening of Mani Ratnam directed film „Guru? 45 . Bank? s top management has started carefully evaluating the impacts for their actions. Recently, before cutting jobs in Private and Foreign Banks, Human Resource managers tried to assess reactions beforehand and they came out with certain proactive steps. Banks persistently worked in the interest of the Society. 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