Arnolfini’s Marriage Essay -- Art

Arnolfini’s Marriage Jan van Eyck was â€Å"one of the greatest and most influential Flemish painters of altarpieces and portraits of the 1400's† (Hayes). van Eyck's paintings often include objects with hidden symbolic meaning. There are several different interpretations of the symbolic meaning concerning his portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his second bride often referred to as â€Å"The Arnolfini Marriage†. Marriage is a sacred union between man and woman. A wedding is one of the most important events in a woman’s life. Often a wedding occurs in the present of the wedding party, family members and friends. During the 1400’s a wedding ceremony was performed in the privacy of the home. van Eyck was hired to paint a portrait of this marriage union. â€Å"Some art historians, like Panofsky, claim that van Eyck was a witness to the Arnolfini wedding and the painting serves as documentation of their vows† (Kren). Jeanne de Chenany looks pregnant in her green wedding dress, this wedding was kept private because it was a secret or maybe this type of dress was very stylish during the 1400’s. The bride was definitely not a virgin, because white symbolizes pureness not green. Arnolfini is holding Jeanne de Chenany hand as an expression of his love for her. This wedding was held during the daytime because you can clearly see the light through the window in the painting. The single burning candle in the chandelier was not needed to light up the room. This candle symbolizes the union candle or...

The Details on Security Change After 9/11

The word â€Å"cliche† is sure to have been used hundreds if not thousands of times for the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in September 11, 2001 or commonly known as 9/11. The meaning of 9/11 first on the domestic scene is that America joined the ranks of those that suffered the brunt of terrorism for decades such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. America lost â€Å"its innocence† since this terrorist incident is of greater magnitude compared to the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993 or in terms of the socio-political impact, it really brought home the message that â€Å"no one is safe.† On the global scale, 9/11 meant that even a superpower or the â€Å"only superpower† can fall prey to a low-intensity type of warfare known as terrorism. It prove that such an act can affect economic and market outputs considering that it weakened the stock exchange and flights were cancelled for a few days throughout the United States. 9/11 also redefined the meaning of terrorism and â€Å"holds lesson for other states, not just America, by demonstrating the U.S. resolve and ability to remove regimes that harbor or sponsor terrorism, 9/11should have strengthened the deterrent message to governments that would contemplate aiding terrorists. (Knopf, 2002)† It showed that whether it is state-sponsored terrorism or ideological group-led terrorism like Al-Qaeda, governments and nations of the world must unite to battle this modern-day organized plague. In response to 9/11, the U.S. government implemented the Patriot Act of 2001 or completely known as â€Å"†Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. This piece of legislation contains sections that defines and effects controls and measures in the fight against terrorism such as: Enhancing domestic security against terrorism; International money laundering abatement and anti-terrorist financing; Removing obstacles to investigating terrorism; Providing for victims of terrorism, public safety officers and their families; Increased information sharing for critical infrastructure protection; Strengthening the criminal laws against terrorism; and Besides the Patriot Act, 9/11 brought about the existence of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through House Resolution 5005 and whose major mandate is to prevent terrorist attacks within and reduce the vulnerability to terrorism of the United States. Since DHS became the focal point of the U.S. response to terrorism some major government agencies were transferred to the DHS. One of the major outputs of the DHS is coming out with the National Response Plan (NRP) in December 2004 (DHS, 2004). The NRP â€Å"is an all-discipline, all-hazards plan that establishes a single, comprehensive framework for the management of domestic incidents. It provides the structure and mechanisms for the coordination of Federal support to State, local, and tribal incident managers and for exercising direct Federal authorities and responsibilities. (DHS, 2004)† Having been aligned with the National Incident Management System (DHS, 2004), the NRP had more 32 signatory government departments and agencies. Although it is an incident response plan, the NRP carries policies â€Å"to protect national security, coordinates the activities of the other members of the law enforcement community to detect, prevent, preempt, and disrupt terrorist attacks against the United States. This includes actions to prevent, preempt, and disrupt specific terrorist threats or actual incidents that are based upon specific intelligence or law enforcement information. (DHS, 2004)† Although brought out in general terms, the new security measures in place gives a signal to the domestic marketplace that vigilance and stricter enforcement of security rules is already in place. Trade and commerce with the United States became more stringent especially in terms of cross-border access between U.S., Mexico and Canada. On the whole, the effectiveness of the change security posture after 9/11 is being met on two fronts. One group agrees with the measures believing that it really curtails terrorist activities. On the other hand, another group declares that starting with the Patriot Act, then the rise of the Department of Homeland Security and the implementation of the National Response Plan, all these are questioned due to their singular and collective effects on rights, freedom and liberties Americans enjoy. But as in any history of the United States, the debate or division brought about by the new security measures in effect is always welcomed since this is one of the true tests of democracy – when two or more groups agree to disagree. Five years after 9/11, the full measure of the efficacy of the security policies and methods in place can only be truly gauged when a future major terrorist incident can be prevented and the perpetrators captured – only then can some of the â€Å"questionable human rights violation measures† can be vindicated! But for now, we can only â€Å"hope and pray† that such incident will not happen again or else another event that would live in infamy would be in our midst.

The Federal Reserve - 975 Words

U. S. MONETARY POLICY Life: Where do we come from? How did we get here? These are questions each one of us eventually asks ourselves and, in so doing, searches for the answers. It is intrinsically woven into us to know the basis of what sustains us. Why is it then, that the general public is satisfied in knowing only about current celebrity gossip and is content to remain ignorant when it comes to where our currency originates and how it is produced? Some may find it too confusing and overwhelming a subject about which to think. Is it possible that its perplexity is not by mistake? James Corbett mentions in his documentary, Century of Enslavement: The History of The Federal Reserve, â€Å"Our monetary ignorance is artificial, a smokescreen that has been erected on purpose and perpetuated with the help of complicated systems and insufferable economic jargon.† (Corbett, J., 2014, July 6.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IJeemTQ7Vk) Federal Reserve For centuries, banks have relied on fractional reserve banking. This is the method in which only a fraction of a bank’s deposits are actually backed by a reserve of cash-on-hand, available for immediate withdrawal. This procedure allows the bank more capital to lend and at the same time, grows the economy. The reserve amounts are determined by a ratio stipulated by the Federal Reserve. In theory, fractional reserve banking works most of the time. However, in difficult economic times, people have demanded to withdrawShow MoreRelatedThe Federal Reserve1337 Words   |  6 PagesThe Federal Reserve has been around America for more than a century. It has helped America keep a stable central bank, have maximum employment, and many more great advantages. The Fed isn’t just a tiny piece of the puzzle; it has a great deal of importance with the roles it plays in everyday life that not a lot of people know of. With the Fed basically being the bank of every bank in America, it has a lot of responsibility. Over the past one hundred years the Federal Reserve has proven to benefitRead MoreThe Federal Reserve ( Investopedia ) Essay1574 Words   |  7 Pagespowerful monetary system, called the Federal Reserve (Investopedia). It involves one central agency and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks that are accountable for their designated areas in the United States (Investopedia). Its primary purpose was to establish a secure, malleable, and a solid financial system which was to prevent financial devastation during times of crisis (Investopedia). More specifically, prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve Bank, the United States had bouts of crisisRead MoreThe Federal Reserve1187 Words   |  5 PagesJannet Yellen is Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, and arguably the most influential person in the world. The Federal Reserve is the bank of the United States. The Federal Reserve’s decisions, approved by Jannet Yellen, impact the entire US Eco nomy, the largest and most important economy in the world, almost instantly. The Federal Reserve is quasi-private. It is not apart of the U.S. Government, however, it is not an entirely separate entity. The Federal Reserve was founded in 1913 as a means toRead MoreThe Federal Reserve1484 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many thoughts about the Federal Reserve, some people think it is the biggest thief ever and some other people think that the Illuminati is running the show. Also some people know that the Federal Reserve has saved the economy of the United States a couple of times from depressions. Moreover, economists think that the Federal Reserve saved the U.S. from the most recent depression in 2008. Many people in the U.S. may not know who Alexander Hamilton is; however, any economist or anybody whoRead MoreThe Federal Reserve1450 Words   |  6 PagesCentral Bank known as the Federal Reserve. Not only does the Federal Reserve have control over the average American citizen but also over; America s upper management reigning from The house of Representative s, The Senate, all the way up to the President of The United States. That being said, the Federal Reserve is an overall negative economic influence and the veil they have been working behind for decades must be brought down. The history of The Federal Reserve goes as far back as theRead MoreRole Of The Federal Reserve1210 Words   |  5 PagesRole of Federal Reserve We will begin with real GDP. Real GDP, an acronym for Gross Domestic Product, is the total value of final goods and services during a particular period or year adjusted for price changes. The GDP is an indicator of a country’s economic health. Final goods and services definition is a goods consumed rather than used for further processing. The Real GDP is increased or decreased based Inflation or deflation. Inflation is an increase in the average overall price for goodsRead MoreThe Responsibilities of the Federal Reserve1591 Words   |  6 PagesCongress has handed over the responsibility for monetary to the Federal Reserve, also known as the Fed, but retains oversight responsibilities in order to ensure that the Federal Reserve adheres to the statutory mandate of stable prices, moderate long-term rates of interest, as well as, maximum employment (Labonte, 2014). The responsibilities of the Fed as the country’s central bank are classified into four: monetary policy, supervision of particular types of banks and financial institutions forRead MoreFederal Reserve Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesFederal Reserve The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a calculation that provides insight into the current economy of our nation to allow individuals to understand the current and past year’s standings in the economy. The calculation of the GDP allows for the government to determine what adjustments are necessary to manage an effective status for the economy. Based upon the GDP the government can forecast any necessary changes that must be made to either the monetary policy or the fiscal policy.Read MoreThe Federal Reserve Essay695 Words   |  3 Pagesmain goals of Progressivism: protecting social welfare, promoting moral improvement, fostering efficiency, and creating economic reform. President Woodrow Wilson, elected in 1912, made the most important change of the early 1900s; he passed the Federal Reserve Act. American citizens have been wary of a government-controlled banking system since the formation of the country. The people did not trust centralized government action, and they were largely agrarian people, knowing little about the bankingRead MoreThe Duty of the Federal Reserve561 Words   |  2 PagesThe Federal Reserve Act was signed into law on December 23, 1913. Due to a series of financial panics around 1907, the Federal Reserve (also referred to as the â€Å"Fed†) was created by Congress to promote a stable banking system and an active economy. The Federal Reserves’ greatest client and biggest spender is the government of the United States. All proceeds from taxes generated and disbursements are managed through the account that the United States government has set up with the Federal Reserve

Assignment 1 Fundamentals of Effective Communication in...

Assignment 1: Fundamentals of Effective Communication in the workplace BUS 100 05/10/2014 Professor: The ability to communicate is one of the key factors to have a successful business. You could offer an excellent product or service, but if you’re unable to promote your services and communicate effectively with clients and co-workers the potential for growth is limited. The principle areas of communication are: Purpose, Style and listening. The Purpose: Today’s society focuses on customers’ satisfaction, most business ask the consumer to take surveys to learn more about their experience. It is highly important to make sure our customers leave happy and satisfied with our service, and if they feel any different we need to get†¦show more content†¦Once the client would sit on my chair I would start my client consultation, this process is highly important to make sure we are on the same page as the customer. Listening: During a client consultation I made sure to listen to my client’s needs and use active listening to give the client a sense of confidence and assure them that they would be taken care of, I also made sure to clarify any doubts with the client. For example, when the client would ask to have a haircut or trimming of only one inch, I would always ask them to describe what one inch meant to them. My clientele was constant. My customers kept returning back to me and bringing in new customers with them, one of the best complements I got was â€Å"You never leave my hair too short you always cut it exactly how I want it† and many others. My communication skills were not always good. At first, I made many mistakes. I can still remember how I would always start without asking questions when I started doing hair at beauty school. If the client would ask for a haircut, I would just start cutting the hair or if the ask for highlights I would just start bleaching, because of my lack of communication skills, the end result was never what the client wanted. This caused those clients to be unsatisfied and unhappy with the services I provided for them. That is, when oneShow MoreRelatedValue of Diversity Paper1213 Words   |  5 PagesDiversity Paper Cultural Diversity SOC/315 Value of Diversity in the Workplace In companies or corporations the global landscape now reflects diversity in the employees found in the workplace. Employees come from different backgrounds, geographic or global areas, ethnic and cultural origins, and have unique skills and talents. Individuals must work together and merge skills and manage diversity effectively in the workplace. Our thoughts, actions, and very beliefs are shaped by our culture. TheseRead MoreEssay Geico Case Study1498 Words   |  6 PagesCase Study: Geico Assignment 1: Case Study GEICO HRM 533 Linda Matthews April 28, 2013 Dr. Jean Gordon Case Study : Geico 1 1. Determine which facets of the Geico total rewards program align with the five (5) top advantages of a total rewards program outlined in Chapter 2 of the textbook and discuss your reasoning. Geico offers a variety of benefits programs just to name a few would be: medical, dental and vision coverage. ThisRead MoreEffective Non Verbal Communication At The Workplace1469 Words   |  6 Pages EFFECTIVE NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE ASSIGNMENT BY: MUHAMMAD ATIF STUDENT ID: 140326 â€Å"Communication is the all of the procedures by which one mind can affect another† It can be characterized as the key that joins different variables of an association. It decides the achievement or disappointment of an association. Communication can be intra-individual,Read MoreReflection Personal Development Plan1163 Words   |  5 Pagesto worry about my capability in completing university with a strong grade and implementing what I have learned into my workplace, (Fenge, 2011). Using Driscoll s Reflection Cycle (2007) I will be reflecting on my personal development within the workplace and university, and connecting it from theory to practice, this will help me improve my overall practice in the workplace and gain more confidence to support service users and colleagues. Driscoll s Reflection Cycle (2007) is a recognised frameworkRead MoreCommunication And Conflicts Barrier When Dealing Or Approaching With Supervisors And Co Workers1232 Words   |  5 Pages1. I learned that I have challenge and overcome the frustrate of communication and conflicts barrier when dealing or approaching with supervisors and co-workers. As likewise of my responsibility as a mentor is to help the mentoree’s need to overcome their obstacles which he/she circulate among their peers 2. I have discovered that I need to practice more of active listening on how the technique is to paraphrase our understanding of what the person being said by transposing it and putting it intoRead More4dep Essay example1255 Words   |  6 PagesDeveloping Yourself as an Effective Human Resources Practitioner 4DEP Foundation Mr Janis Tiesnieks 2016 Contents CIPD Profession Map 3 Behaviours 4 Bands 5 Role of HR 6 Effective communication 7 Communication methods 7 Effective service delivery 8 CIPD Profession Map The standards set out in the CIPD Profession Map, developed in collaboration with HR and Lamp;D professionals, senior business people, academics and their organisations across the world, aim to set theRead MoreCase Study : Softcorp International, Inc.1348 Words   |  6 Pages During the course of time, SoftCorp has grown from a computer aided engineering solutions company to a Talent Acquisition / IT solutions provider, SoftCorp offers its employees challenging, rewarding opportunities and outstanding work environment.[1] Duties and Responsibilities During by internship with SoftCorp I have been assigned a job with one of their client â€Å"Ameri Health Administrator† for fulfilling the below listed duties and responsibilities for the implementation of Business Intelligence/DataRead MoreENG/221 Course Syllabus2166 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Course Syllabus College of Information Systems Technology ENG/221 Version 5 Technical Writing Fundamentals Copyright  © 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course covers the fundamentals and best practices of using written communication in business and in the information technologies. Topics include strategies, techniques, and nuances for producing e-mails, memos, reports, proposals, project specifications, and user manuals, asRead MoreConflict Resolution Of The Workplace1585 Words   |  7 Pages Conflict Resolution Although many of us go great lengths to avoid it, sometimes it is just inevitable. People in the workplace setting will always have different ideas, values, and attitudes than others around them. A conflict can arouse in any given setting, and the affect it can have on those involved can either be negative or positive. Depending on the approach and strategies utilized during and after a conflict will determine the result of the conflict. Conflict helps people recognize legitimateRead MoreIT Professionals: The Skills Framework for the Information Age1276 Words   |  6 Pagesaxis is levels of responsibility. It is considered as an effective resource which provides advantage to business by providing all facilities of the management in corporate and educational departments. This system is used by: †¢ ICT Users †¢ Employers †¢ Educational institutions †¢ Governments. Characteristics of SFIA: †¢ Development of SFIA is not a practical exercise – but it seems to be a project that would produce thing useful in the workplace †¢ SFIA is accepted and general-purpose framework that covers

Slowly Moving Towards Legalizing Marijuana Essay - 3153 Words

For the past ninety years, marijuana has been an enemy to drug agencies, government officials, and presidential administrations. Smoke Signals, a book about the oppressive and beneficial history of marijuana, is written as an effective argument while highlighting the plant in many different social settings. Cannabis use can be traced back to the Neolithic Period (10,200-4500 BC). Since then, nearly every culture continued to use marijuana for personal reasons, causing information to surge throughout the world. Some cultivate marijuana for the stems and stalk that produce cordage and cloth, while others eat the marijuana seeds for the essential fatty acids and protein. The first reference to medical-marijuana†¦show more content†¦A Jamaican-centered, long-term marijuana use study concluded that no significant differences between ganja smokers and nonsmokers were present with basic skills and responses. Different presidential administrations rejected studies like these, that proved medical-marijuana potential, to protect the illusion that marijuana crippled America. American culture exploited marijuana for nearly every use. People who found relief in marijuana stood for their rights. Social gatherings like Hempfest promoted marijuana-law reform when thousands of people gathered and enjoyed themselves in the company of other marijuana users. In retaliation, the iron fist of different drug czars, presidents, and the authorities ruled anyone who had ties to marijuana. They enforced a zero-tolerance policy in America while other countries approached marijuana with a different strategy. Instead of moving towards prohibition, countries like the Netherlands, Canada, and Israel, worked towards decriminalization— the policy that removes the marijuana smoker from the criminal justice system. Many countries found consistent evidence that marijuana benefitted patients with terminal illnesses or troublingShow MoreRelatedShould Drugs be Legalized?1187 Words   |  5 Pagesinformation for later use in other drug cases. The main controversy between legalizing drugs is that one side believes it benefits humans bodily and materialistically, but it conflicts with the immense side effects that are dangerous to society and the human mind. Police also must abide by the fourth amendment of no illegal search and seizure, but those against legalization believe that under circumstance that since drugs such as marijuana â€Å"has no medical use and does more harm to the body† Read MoreThe Issue Of The Legality And The War On Drugs1246 Words   |  5 Pagesclaim is that â€Å"by keeping drugs illegal, we maintain the criminal sanctions that persuade most people that the good life cannot be reached by dealing drugs (Bennett 548)†. His grounds varies but is heavily based off pathos saying things such as legalizing drugs would make them available at corner stores and that â€Å"we would see an increase in drug-related accidents at work, on the highways and in the airways. (Bennett 549)†. His warrant is that he is implying that we live in a world where people don’tRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuan Coul Impact Society2226 Words   |  9 PagesMarijuana Could Impact Society Throughout our history there has been an exhausting amount of controversy over legalizing marijuana. Thankfully, studies are beginning to show that over half of our country is in favor of legalizing marijuana and 78% are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medicinal uses (Nagourney Lyman, 2013). Those individuals whom are not for either side sometimes ask, â€Å"What are the side effects to using marijuana and what qualities does it have that can help with medicinalRead MoreA New Horizon On Cannabis For Texans1567 Words   |  7 PagesHorizon in Cannabis for Texans Marijuana has been a hot button topic for the past couple of years. It recently made headlines earlier in the state of Texas. On Monday, June 1st 2015 Governor Greg Abbott signed The Compassionate Use Act (senate bill 339) by Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler). Sb 339 â€Å"†¦will allow individuals with intractable epilepsy to access cannabidiol (CBD oil) to reduce seizures† (State of Texas). What this bill stands for is the belief that the marijuana plant can produce some lifesavingRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay2099 Words   |  9 Pagesa catatonic state. Nothing could help her. But after five years her parents finally tried marijuana. Now Charlotte has less than one seizure a week and has become a normal child. What if her parents were too afraid to try it? Marijuana can help people and our country in many ways. So, Recreational marijuana should be legalized because it poses numerous benefits which outweigh the minor downsides. Marijuana is safer than alcohol. Alcohol is toxic to healthy cells and organs, a side effect that resultsRead MoreOlivia Batten. Mrs. Morrison-Robinson. Writing 421. 191344 Words   |  6 Pageslegal seems like it would be the worst possible thing the government could do in response to the fentanyl crisis. Adversary, it might be the most effective solution there is. There is a lot of misconception about drug legalization. Uncertainty towards this concept is usually because of stigma surrounding drug use or confusing legalization with decriminalization. Decriminalising an illegal drug means taking away penalties for possessing that drug but leaving its distribution in the hands of criminalsRead MoreEssay on The Legalization Drugs2187 Words   |  9 Pageslegalization of drugs would be a tolerant middle ground that recognizes the inevitability of drug use and strives to make it as safe as possible. Regulating the market for drugs and researching new psychoactives would lead to a safer drug experience. Legalizing would eliminate the need for an invasive and brutal police force and halt the slow decline of our civil rights and liberties. With the strain of drug related policing removed, serious crimes could be given the resources they deserve. Organized crimeRead MoreMass Incarceration Of Poor Black Male4177 Words   |  17 Pagesincreased more than 1000% since the drug war began. Further, the increase does not have any resemblance or correspondence to published research figures on patterns of drug use or sales. In other words, the supply and behavior remains stable or grows slowly, but the percentage of those incarcerated is exploding. In effect, the claim here is that in order to keep the expanded prison business booming, it became increasingly necessary to draw upon the available pool of drug offenders to increase prison

Management of financial resource and performance at Vodafone Free Essays

string(127) " stakeholder involvement are Voluntary involvement: Everyone involved should be committed to progress and full participation\." Introduction Being the largest mobile company of the world it is giving job opportunities to more than 65000 people.It is succeed to popularised its name as a new largest communication company of the world.Around 130 million people are being the costumers of this company. We will write a custom essay sample on Management of financial resource and performance at Vodafone or any similar topic only for you Order Now It does not see its business and service only but a best and effective communication too provide all over the world.It’s increasing its level of selling power to high status.Vodafone has made its aim to grow its revenue and improve its profit margin by adding value to its products and services i.e. earning more from each product sold and to be the leadingcompany in the communicationsmarket. Vodafone also has a commitment to Corporate Responsibility (CR). This is when a business tries to ensure its activities have a positive influence on the people and places where it works. Vodafone is planning to reduce the company’scarbonfootprint by encouraging therecycling and re-use of old phones. The ‘Vodafone live!’ service enables customers to use picture messaging and to download ring tones, colour games, images and information, through an icon-driven menu.This service will soon be further enhanced by picture messaging libraries, video clips and video telephony (seeing the person you’re calling) and improving download speeds. Another service is the Vodafone Mobile Connect Card, which enables customers to access their normal business applications on a laptop when out of the office. Such services add value to the product, and high profile effective promotion will help sell these services to existing and new customers. The head quarter of this company is in London.It operate more than 30 milllion subscribers by the year 2010and largest company is in United States also. As we go to the history of vodafone ,we find its progressive report since 1982,extending from Racal strategies Limited.The Racal got its name change as Racal telecommunication Group Limited in 1995 and in 1996 Racal Electronics bought out the minority shareholders of Vodafone for GB?110 million.The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone, chosen by the company to â€Å"reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones†The name Vodafone comes from voice data fone chosen by the company to â€Å"reflect the provision of voice and data services over mobile phones.†(Anderson,T.J.,2006). Types of communication system and Its Importance One-way communication involves a company distributing information via brochures, letters, or with an exchange of information and ideas among stakeholders and the company. Information is usually exchanged. The next type of communication is stakeholder engagement or stakeholder dialogue. The intent of stakeholder engagement is learning stakeholdersi issues and concerns. If well designed, dialogue leads to knowledge being gained by both the company and stakeholders. The company commits itself to considering stakeholder input in making its decisions with an exchange of information and ideas among stakeholders and the company. Information is usually exchanged The next type of communication is stakeholder engagement or stakeholder dialogue.The intent of stakeholder engagement is learning stakeholders issues and concerns. If well designed, dialogue leads to knowledge being gained by both the company and stakeholders.The company commits itself to considering stakeholder input in making its decisions. Vodafone operates a global Performance Dialogue process for every employee. The process ensures that employees can make a clear connection between their goals and the business objectives. Each individual’s performance is discussed with their manager and career development goals are set. 93% of managers completed the Performance Dialogue process in the 2007 calendar year and 83% of employees approved development goals with their manager. Finally, with participatory/interactive decision making, a company collaborates with stakeholders in making decisions. Shared decision making is not appropriate in all situations, but can be effective in helping a company design a plan that, when implemented, will be acceptable to its stakeholders. communication and stakeholderTo be a good corporate citizen, your company should be communicating with and involving its stakeholders to determine their issues concerning a particular facility. There are costs associated with conducting these activities; however, costs to the company can be even greater if stakeholders take action against the company (e.g., hurting the company’s image through a media campaign, holding up permits, suing the company). Being aware of issues and concerns and working to resolve them early before they turn into negative action is time and money well spent. On a positive note, ideas and suggestions from stakeholders can often be insightful and useful in improving a facilities planning and operation. In this light, stakeholders can be seen as consultants to a company. The basic principles of stakeholder involvement are Voluntary involvement: Everyone involved should be committed to progress and full participation. Openness, honesty, trust: Open and honest communication is a requirement for mutual trust. Inclusiveness: Strive to include all interested parties in some form of dialogue. Common information base: Participants should have access to the same information. Mutual learning: All parties, including host and stakeholders, should come to the discussion with a willingness to learn. Creative options: Have a diverse set of stakeholders as a catalyst for creative thinking. Collaboration in decision making: Build ownership to increase the likelihood of implementation, and future collaboration. Coordination of stakeholder feedback: Communicate how you will use stakeholder feedback. Even if consensus is not possible, it is important that stakeholders feel their concerns are heard. Communication and stakeholder involvement should be a continuous activity conducted at a facility level and then augmented during periods of change or crisis when major decisions are being considered. This guidebook describes the overall process, which can be tailored to fit the circumstances at your site n resources, history of community interaction, the role of the facility in the community, and decisions being contemplated.†This is a new venture for many if not most cement companies so don’t be discouraged if your communications plan is basic and lacks the involvement of stakeholders†(Barne J,1991).Theenvironmentalandsocialperformanceofcompaniesisincreasinglyunderscrutinyfrominternalstakeholders (e.g. employeesandstockholders) andexternalstakeholders (e.g. localcommunities, activists, regulators). Greaterscientific, economicandsocialknowledgeisfuelingstakehold ers demandsforincreasedinformation, clarity, andinvolvementinbusinessoutcomes. Role of stakeholder The basic principles of stakeholder involvement are Voluntary involvement: Everyone involved should be committed to progress and full participation. Openness, honesty, trust: Open and honest communication is a requirement for mutual trust. Inclusiveness: Strive to include all interested parties in some form of dialogue. Common information base: Participants should have access to the same information. Mutual learning: All parties, including host and stakeholders, should come to the discussionwith a willingness to learn. Creative options: Have a diverse set of stakeholders as a catalyst for creative thinking. Collaboration in decision making: Build ownership to increase the likelihood of implementation, and future collaboration. Coordination of stakeholder feedback: Communicate how you will use stakeholder feedback. Financial Analysis If we talk aabout financial seector of the company we get that It had amarketcapitalisation of approximately ?93 billion as of 9 March 2011 and it is making itself as the fourth largest company on the London Stock Exchange.Vodafone Group plc is providing its products in Europe, Africa, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the United States. The company offers various handsets; voice and messaging services; data services comprising Internet, email, music, games, and television; and fixed services, including fixed voice and fixed broadband solutions. It also offers value added services, such as Vodafone Email Plus and Windows Mobile. It also offers value added services, such as Vodafone Email Plus and Windows Mobile Email, which provide enterprise customers with real time handheld access to email, calendar, and address book; Vodafone PC Backup and Restore that enable users to remotely store data automatically through their Internet connection.Training and development Consolidated statement of financial position 2010 ?m 2009 ?m Non-current assets Intangible assets74,258 74,938 Property, plant and equipment20,642 19,250 Investments in associates36,377 34,715 Other non-current assets11,489 10,767 142,766 139,670 Current assets14,219 13,029 Total assets156,985 152,699 Total equity shareholders’ funds90,381 86,162 Total non-controlling interests429 (1,385) Total equity90,810 84,777 Liabilities Borrowings Long-term28,632 31,749 Short-term11,163 9,624 Taxation liabilities Deferred tax liabilities7,377 6,642 Current taxation liabilities2,874 4,552 Other non-current liabilities1,550 1,584 Other current liabilities14,579 13,771 Total liabilities66,175 67,922 Total equity and liabilities156,985 152,699 Information Systems Vodafone Information Systems depends on service level agreements (SLAs).according to this system it provides srvice through central reporting system.and brings the different datas from differrent sources.and rpovides them all the time to the employees and costumers.For a long time, Vodafone Information Systems used a combination of two applications for reporting purposes, both of which ran on an IBM mainframe. Training and development Using SAS, Vodafone Information Systems’ employees are now able to bring together data from a wide range of sources with a few mouse clicks and to create sophisticated reports in a very short period of time. At the heart of the new system is SAS, which allows IT system managers to have a single point of control over all the IT processes. Measurement data from sources. The system also offers completely new ways of presenting the information. Employees and customers can access the reports via the company intranet or the Internet using a Web browser anywhere and at any time. As the SAS solution has been integrated into the V.E.C.T.O.R. reporting system developed by Vodafone Information Systems, the company can guarantee that employees and customers can only display the information that is relevant to their needs. Customers themselves are able to choose the level of detail in the reports and therefore receive only the necessary information that they need to be able to complete the ir tasks. The simple archiving process means that developments can be tracked over a longer period without any additional work being involved. IT service providers like Vodafone Information Systems depend on service level agreements (SLAs) as a measure of their success. In order to ensure that the agreed service level is provided at all times, the service provider needs a central reporting system, which brings together measurement data from a wide range of sources. The increasing heterogeneity of the IT environment – which includes a host, UNIX and Windows operating systems – makes central access to the relevant data essential. For a long time, Vodafone Information Systems used a combination of two applications for reporting purposes, both of which ran on an IBM mainframe. In spite of the capabilities of these applications, they weren’t scalable and were no longer able to keep pace with the most recent requirements.. Strategies Vodafone’s Partner Network strategy represents an increasingly significant development in the delivery of Vodafone’s mobile services and Og fjarskipti will be an ideal partner for the further development of mobile services. Vodafone is already established in many regions through its operator like Vodafone Sweden, as well as Partner Network Agreements with TDC in Denmark and Radiolinja in Finland, and this new agreement will increase one after another.Vodafone will continue to develop the Partner Network strategy, so the customers and partnerscustomers can use Vodafone services in an increasing number of countries†.Following today’s announcement, Vodafone global services, supported by its global brand communication, will be available in eight Partner Network countries: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Kuwait and Slovenia, in addition to its subsidiary and associate markets.In course of making strategies it has forwarded the following po ints. A regionally focused Group: Europe, Africa and India Mobile data: accelerate exploitation of mobile data growth opportunity Enterprise: selective expansion in growth segments Emerging markets: drive penetration and data across attractive footprint Total Communications in Europe: continued capital efficient approach New services: growth opportunities including machine-to-machine and financial services Exploit scale to enhance efficiency and deliver cost benefits Generate free cash flow or liquidity from non-controlled assets building on the China Mobile and SoftBank disposals Rigorous application of capital discipline to enhance shareholder returns Market Strategies Product A product with many different features provides customers with opportunities to chat, play games, send and receive pictures, change ring tones, receive information about travel and sporting events, obtain billing information – and soon view video clips and send video messages. †¢ Vodafone live! provides on-the-move information services. †¢ Vodafone UK operates over 300 of its own stores. †¢ It also sells through independent retailers e.g. Carphone Warehouse. †¢ Customers are able to see and handle products they are considering buying. †¢ People are on hand to ensure customers’ needs are matched with the right product and to explain the different options available. Price †¢ Vodafone wants to make its services accessible to as many people as possible from the young, through apprentices and high powered business executives, to the more mature users. †¢ It offers various pricing structures to suit different customer groups. †¢ Monthly price plans are available as well as prepay options. Phone users can top up their phone on line. †¢ Vodafone UK gives NECTAR reward points for every ?1 spent on calls, text messages, picture messages and ring tones. Advertisement and offers †¢ Advertising on TV, on billboards, in magazines and in other media outlets reaches large audiences and spreads the brand image and the message very effectively. This is known as above the line promotion. †¢ Stores have special offers, promotions and point of sale posters to attract those inside the stores to buy. †¢ Vodafone’s stores, its products and its staff all project the brand image. †¢ Vodafone actively develops good public relations by sending press releases to national newspapers and magazines to explain new products and ideas. There is good balance, 70/30 consumer/enterprise, and good balance, more or less 70/30 mature/emerging.the new strategy is composed of five elements. The first one is clear focus of the companyis in three areas – Europe, Africa and India.The second will be growth; coming from data in different ways. The vodefone Groupl talks a lot about mobile data, and what internally it call ‘Supermobile’, but also enterprise and also some regional differences between Europe and emerging markets, and some investment in new services, which, in the future, will be appealing to the customers. Continuing to leverage on our scale advantage, it can really create a difference for our customers in terms of lower costs. It will deal with the assets below the line in an approach to generate liquidity or cash flow from all of our non-controlled assets, in terms of portfolio strategy. Then it continuing to apply capital discipline, financial objectives and commercial tests to all investm ents it makes, internal and external. Financial risk management The Group’s treasury function provides a centralised service to the Group for funding, foreign exchange, interest rate management and counterparty risk management.Treasury operations are conducted within a framework of policies and guidelines authorised and reviewed by the Board, most recently on 1 February 2011(Mc,Hee). A treasury risk committee comprising of the Group’s Chief Financial Officer, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Corporate Finance Director and Director of Financial Reporting meets at least annually to review treasury activities and its members receive management information relating to treasury activities on a quarterly basis. The Group accounting function, which does not report to the Group Corporate Finance Director, provides regular update reports of treasury activity to the Board. .Risk management purposes only that are transacted by specialist treasury personnel. The Group mitigates banking sector credit risk by the use of collateral sup port agreements. Financial risk management:Under the Group’s interest rate management policy, interest rates on monetary assets and liabilities denominated in euros, US dollars and sterling.are maintained on a floating rate basis except for periods up to six years where interest rate fixing has to be undertaken in accordance with treasury policy where assets and liabilities are denominated in other currencies interest ratesmay also be fixed. In addition, fixing is undertaken for longer periods when interest rates are statistically low. Foreign exchange management As Vodafone’s primary listing is on the London Stock Exchange.Its share price is quoted in sterling. Since the sterling share price represents the value of its future multi-currency cash flows, principally in euro, US dollars and sterling, the Group maintains the currency of debt and interest charges in proportion to its expected future principal multi-currency cash flows and has a policy to hedge external foreign exchange risks on transactions denominated in other currencies above certain de minimis levels. As the Group’s future cash flows are increasingly likely to be derived from emerging markets it is likely that more debt in emerging market currencies will be drawn. As such, at 31 March 2011 130% of net debt was denominated in currencies other than sterling (55% euro, 47% US dollar and 28% other) while 30% of net debt had been purchased forward in sterling in anticipation of sterling denominated shareholder returns via dividends and share buybacks. This allows eur o, US dollar and other debt to be serviced in proportion to expected future cash flows and therefore provides a partial hedge against income statement translation exposure, as interest costs will be denominated in foreign currencies. Yen debt is used as a hedge against the value of yen assets as the Group has minimal yen cash flows Liquidity risk Management At 31 March 2011 the Group had ˆ4.2 billion and US$4.2 billion syndicated committed indrawn bank facilities and US$15 billion and ?5 billion commercial paper programmes, supported by the ˆ4.2 billion and US$4.2 billion syndicated committed bank facilities, available to manage its liquidity. The Group uses commercial paper and bank facilities to manage short-term liquidity and manages long-term liquidity by raising funds in the capital markets. ˆ4.2 billion of the syndicated committed facility has a maturity date of 1 July 2015 and US$4.2 billion has a maturity of 9 March 2016 which may be extended by a further year if agreed by those banks who have participated in the facility. Both facilities have remained indrawn throughout the financial year and since year end and provide liquidity support. The Group manages liquidity risk on long-term borrowings by maintaining a varied maturity profile with a cap on the level of debt maturing in any one calendar year, therefore minim ising refinancing risk. Long-term borrowings mature between one and 26 years.Liquidity is reviewed daily on at least a 12 month rolling basis and stress tested on the assumption that all commercial paper outstanding matures and is not reissued. The Group maintains substantial cash and cash equivalents which at 31 March 2011 amounted to ?6,252 million (2010). Vodafone also produces proportionate customer number figures on a similar basis, e.g. if an operator in which it has a 30% stake has 10 million customers that equals 3 million proportionate Vodafone customers. This is a common practice in the mobile telecommunications industry. Year ended 31 MarchTurnover ?mProfit before tax ?mProfit for the year ?mBasiceps (pence)Proportionate customers (m) 201044,4728,6748,61816.44341.1 200941,0174,1893,0805.81302.6 200835,4789,0016,75612.56260 200731,104(2,383)(5,297)(8.94)206.4 2006*29,350(14,835)(21,821)(35.01)170.6 200534,0737,9516,5189.68154.8 200436,4929,0136,1128.70133.4 Conclusion Valuation plays a key role in many areas of finance – in corporate finance, in mergers and acquisitions and in portfolio management. The value of the company can be directly related to decisions that it makes – on which projects it takes, on how it finances them, and on its dividend policy. Understanding this relationship is the key to making value?increasing decisions and to sensible financial restructuring. In the focus of this thesis was the value of Vodafone Group, who is operating the biggest mobile network worldwide with presence in both emerging and mature markets. Drawing from the analyses of Vodafone and its environment, the major influencing risks, that are the most critical in terms of the future profitability and hence the value of the company, were found as following: 3G market take?up, fixed mobile line substitution and level of regulations. The equity value of Vodafone was calculated using the discounted cash flow scenario method (?87,954mln) (Domadaran,2008). Provided that the assumptions on which the forecasts were based and the probability distribution are correct, the Vodafone is currently under priced by almost 11%.The following actions could constitute the strategy that will maintain strong performance and deliver value to both customers and shareholders of Vodafone Group: cost reduction and revenue stimulation in mature markets, development of new products and services, extension to new emerging markets and selling unprofitable businesses. As a concluding remark, one has to keep in mind that although the discounted cash flow framework, along with other valuation models, is a quantitative tool, but the inputs leave plenty of space for subjective judgements. A mixture of financial theory, accounting methodology, industry knowledge and sound assumption was used to evaluate the equity of the company. As the underling assumptions change, the estimated value of the firm may change as well. References Andersen, T. J. (2006). â€Å" Global Derivatives A Strategic Risk Management Perspective†, Pearson Education, Harlow, England. Andersen, J. (2006). â€Å"Perspectives on Strategic Risk Management†, Copenhagen Business School Press N.P. Barney, J. (1991). â€Å"Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage†, (In Journal of Management, 1991, vol. 17, no. 1, pg. 99?120). Damodaran, A. (2002). â€Å" Investment valuation: Tools and Techniques forDetermining the Value of Any Asset†, John Wiley Sons, New York. Damodaran, A. (2008). â€Å" Strategic Risk Taking†, Wharton School Publishing,New Jersey. Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2005). â€Å" The Environment In Exploring Corporate Strategy†, Earson Education, pp. 64?87). McGee, J., Thomas, H., and Wilson, D. (2005). â€Å"Strategy Analysis Practice†, McGraw?Hill Maidenhead, UK Miller, K. D. (1992).†A framework for integrated risk management in international business†,( In: Journal of International Business Studies.vol. 23, no. 2, pg. 311?331) Wise, D. (1991). â€Å"Vodafone’s solo debut could boost share price†,The Guardian (Guardian Newspapers). Cane, A. (1996). â€Å"Companies and Finance: UK: Vodafone acquires Talkland in Pounds 60m deal†,Financial Times. p. 22. Reguly, E. (1996). â€Å"Vodafone pockets Peoples Phone†.The Times (Times Newspapers). â€Å"News Digest: Vodafone snaps up Astec†. Investors Chronicle: p. 55. How to cite Management of financial resource and performance at Vodafone, Essay examples

Knowledge Essay Summary Example For Students

Knowledge Essay Summary Throughout the ages, man has always used his idea of correct knowledge as a way of pushing himself higher, a way of reaching a new plateau of superiority. Whether or not this knowledge proves to be true is superficial. The only matter of any importance is that he believes he is correct. A well respected and possibly pompous mathematician may be proven incorrect by a student, yet were it a colleague that had shown him the error in his ways, he would have accepted the remark with quiet disdain, never openly accusing the said colleague of any falsities. But seeing as it is no more then a mere student, he may thus ridicule and disregard the observance, knowing that with his superiority of rank over the student, he may simply command him to silence. The use of knowledge, even false knowledge, is to better understand yourself and those around you. Yet for some, the use of knowledge is to simply push themselves higher above others, naming them inferior or deplorable. So why is it that the mighty may rule the weak in a world of intelligent sanctity? Why is it that those with the answers are in the end, the ones asking themselves if indeed, they are correct any longer, after the ridicule and derision received from a superior? Yet for the sake of argument, let us say that in the end, the knowledgeable overthrow the once superior denizens of ignorance, tear down their walls of false sublimity, and once and for all catapult these mindless drones to the furthest reaches of the known galaxy. So, for all the intelligence shown in past occasions, would these new superiors prove to be as ambiguous as once thought? Would they give credit where credit is deserved? To the weaker, to the let us not say less intelligent, but less noted. Or, with the sense of power that has not touched them, would they re-instate the tyrannical law once forged by their ancestors, so that they too, may pave the way for another dark age of unclear thought, passing back and forth through the murky fog of eternity.