Android App Essay Example for Free

Android App Essay During the earliest years, children interact primarily with people. Their interactions with toys are usually in the context of human interactions as well. They need to freely explore, manipulate, and test everything in the environment. Increasingly in today’s world, this includes the exploration of technology tools and interactive media. Children of this age are drawn to push-button switches and controls. The early years are a time of rapid learning as parents prepare their children for the upcoming challenges of school. Basic concepts and skills, eye coordination, can all be taught at this age. Recognizing sounds, letter and numbers are early pre- literacy skills crucial to the foundation of future learning. Children who can identify letters, number and sounds when entering kindergarten will be well-prepared to learn to sound out words and read. The use of technology can facilitate young children’s recognition of animal sounds, letters and numbers with so much fun. A. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM On the course of the study, the researcher found out the following problems: Many Smartphone Apps might become harmful to toddlers. Smartphone Apps that is hard to use and complicated for the toddlers. Wrong selection of Apps that has non-beneficial to the growth of toddlers. Apps that have no interaction to the user. B. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To build an educational android application that can teach and expand your child’s growing brain. To build an educational android application that is easy to use, specially designed for toddlers. Help kids to increase their brain power along with improving their memory. To build educational android application that can be usable for the future learning of the user. To build interactive educational android application. C. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Technology today is really necessary especially when it comes to education. To the kids/toddlers – Fast development for their recognition skills in alphabets, numbers and sounds of animals. The study can be a great help in accelerating childrens reading ability. Toddlers will be well prepared to learn the basics the time they enter pre-school. To the parents – Save more time to do their home job. Smartphone can actually babysit their children while they are busy (cooking or cleaning the house etc). To the future developer – Encourage them to develop more usable and credible application.D. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS The proposed educational android application on the basic tasks of system has the following features as well as limitations: The FirstStep educational android applications teach toddlers the basic learning and recognition of the numbers, alphabet and sound of animals in a fun and simple way. The FirstStep educational android application doesn’t have time limits or scores, so its stress-free fun for toddlers. All of the pictures have sounds. The FirstStep educational android application works only in any Android phones. The android application can also run to tablets, but the screen size is small, because the screen size of the FirstStep android application is originally set for cell phones only. The FirstStep educational android application has no problem solving, computation or logic game. The Appinventor MIT where the FirstStep educational App was build has a limit size of 5mb only for the program that is why it is separated into four apk. The FirstStep educational android application stop sometimes due to compatibility issues, but still it’ll continue. E. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Input: Process: Output: DEFINITION OF TERMS Paint – Have fun with an additional functionality of the proposed program. There are three categories: animals, toys and trees. It allows the user to have fun with the pictures. Alphabet From A to Z. Sounds play every time the user touches the letters and images. Animals – Different animals that have sounds every time the user touch the image. Numbers – Counting numbers 1 to 10. App Inventor An open source, Web-based system developed by Google that allowed people to create Android apps without having to know how to code. Instead of writing code, the Android mobile app can be visually designed with App Inventor. Emulator – Use to test the project in Appinventor MIT. Java is a computer programming language that is concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, and specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible. It is intended to let application developers write once, run anywhere (WORA), meaning that code that runs on one platform and does not need to be recompiled to run on another. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Foreign Study Figure 1: Fun Painting Screen Shot http://www.  appszoom. com/android_games/casual/fun-painting-app-for kids_lnli. html Fun painting was developed to teach kids about colors and drawing. With a choice of three colors, red, blue, green, you can draw anything you want on a cute cat. You can press the clear button to clear your drawing and start over. There is no save button to save your work to send or share it on facebook. You can cl ick next button to go in the next picture then paint it. Figure 2: Screen shots from Kids Zoo Animal Sounds alba. tasar? m interactive Kids Zoo is a fun package to learn the animal world for little toddlers. It is a fun android application for kids and toddlers to recognize animals and their different sounds. It is designed for kids; all of the pictures are cute and have sound. for surely the kids will like it. The application is easy to use. It is very simple there is no scoring or logic so it’s stress free fun for kids. All they have to do is touch the buttons and pictures to hear the sounds of animals. Figure 3: Screen shot from ABC for Kids All Alphabets, Pratik Machchar ABC for shows the alphabets A to Z with their sounds. It is a fun application specially designed for kids and toddlers to recognize the alphabet sounds. The application is easy to use. You just have to push the sound button to play the sound of alphabet, and then the next or previous button to move to another letter. The processes of each page are all the same. B. Local Studies Figure 4: Screen shots from ABaKaDa Alphabet https://play. google. com/store/apps/details? id=appinventor. ai_suphap2. Abakada_Alphabet_Launchhl=tl ABaKaDa Alphabet flash card is a fun way of learning the alphabet of the Tagalog language. The deck contains 20 letters aimed to aid kids or even adults in identification and pronunciation. A bonus feature of doodling the pictures will surely give the kids something to recall. Abakada Alphabet is best not only for Filipino kids living in the Philippines or abroad but also those who want to start learning the Tagalog language while having fun. Figure 5: Screen shots from CountRok, created by Jeprok Apps. CountRok, created by Jeprok Apps, is designed as an educational application for the Global Filipino Family to learn the basics of Counting in Tagalog (Filipino). Its a cool and smart application that teaches counting from 1 through 10 in Tagalog and English. Screens have simple buttons for arrows to move back and forth and a play button for audio. Graphics are colorful and animations help to keep a childs attention. CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY The proponent decided to use agile software development because it promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development and delivery, a time-boxed iterative approach, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change. It also emphasizes face-to-face communication between the developer and the stakeholder who provide the desired software requirements. And at the end of the iteration, a working product is demonstrated to the stakeholder to minimize overall risk and allows the project to adapt to changes quickly. Thus the final software output is developed with minimal bugs which are exactly what the stakeholder wanted. Figure 6: Agile Methodology Development Cycle Figure 6 shows the software development cycle of agile methodology. Therefore, attributes of the said method are well suited to the development of the proponent’s educational android application. A. Requirement analysis stage In this stage, the proponent came up with the idea of creating an educational Android application. It is an educational application that will help kids and toddlers for developing their recognition skills of the English alphabet, numbers, animals and sounds. B. Development Stage In this stage, the development of the software took place. The proponent added functionality to the design. Every finished output was built and tested to detect possible program errors. Iterations or changes were done from time to time to correct imperfections. Improvement of design, graphics and expansion of software’s features was observed. It was checked by the software project professor, technical adviser and stakeholder (pre-school teacher) who added functionality and concept to the overall software design or removed some. Every suggested improvement was noted to be implemented on the next iteration of the software development. Figure 7: Agile methodology decision making cycle Figure 7 shows that in every phase of the software development stage, the stakeholder gives his feedback. It is considered by the proponent to ensure that the final software will contain the attributes of the good software. C. The software was prepared for final checking after the approval of the software project professor and technical adviser. It was based on the test done on the development stage where software was ensured to be free from bugs and errors. Demo was done for final software assessment. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION A. SUMMARY This project entitled â€Å"First Step† is an educational android application for toddlers. The study sought to create an educational game for kids to develop their recognition of sounds of animals, numbers and the alphabet. The project also aimed to maximize the use of technology in a good and practical way and to obtain more knowledge. The project also aimed to create interactive software for the kids. In addition to the software project, the researcher gathered valid information through internet research and interviews from an expert in programming and a pre-school teacher who has an expertise in working with children. The features of the proposed android application are painting, counting numbers, and recognizing alphabets and animal sounds. B. CONCLUSIONS The finalization of software has led to the following conclusions pertaining to the software’s attributes: The android application is maintainable since it is created using the agile methodology which acknowledges the feedback of the stakeholder. It evolved thoroughly as the stakeholder changed the product requirements. The android application is dependable It doesn’t cause harm or damages to any users since it is an educational tool only. It doesn’t contain confidential data accessible by the users given that the software has built-in images only which are used in topic simulations. The android application is efficient because it is responsive and doesn’t waste any system resources. The android application is usable and user-friendly. It is designed for kids and toddlers. C. RECOMMENDATIONS The researcher recommends parents to use First Step android application to speed up the learning process for toddlers. They can use their gadgets for teaching instead using and buying manual flash cards for the kids to learn about alphabets, numbers and animals. It’s practical to use gadgets since all have them. The proponent also recommends to the parents of young Smartphone users to: Explain to your children that screen-learning must be balanced with other activities, and limit their Smartphone or table time. Set daily limits early, and stick to them. Use your mobile device as a babysitter as seldom as possible. Choose credible apps that offer a legitimate educational component. Games are fine, but try to find apps that teach and expand your child’s growing brain. Talk to your kids about what they’re learning from their Smartphone apps. Ask them questions, and check out the apps yourself and get involved in their activities. Don’t let your young kids isolate themselves for too long with a Smartphone or tablet. Consider using parental controls (like NQ Family Guardian ) to ensure your child is protected from the bad stuff and can only access the good stuff at appropriate times. You can also monitor your child’s location and allow your child to alert you when he needs you. For the future developers the proponent recommends to create credible application that can be beneficial for the next generation. Use your talents in building good application that are harm-free for the users.

Transformation And Growth In The Uk Commerce Essay

Transformation And Growth In The Uk Commerce Essay The emergence of Santander into the UK market with the acquisition of Abbey represents a big move across Europe in the banking industry. This report aims to evaluate the effect of the move across border while analysing various strategy and tools which were used in the process. This report shows the structure and dynamics of the industry in which Santander competes and the effect it has on the industry. It also analyses the industry in which Santander competes in using the Positioning school, Resource Based View and analytical tools such as the five forces framework, PEST, VRIN and Porters generic strategy to analysing the transformation and growth of Santander in the UK since its acquisition of Abbey in 2004. Introduction to strategy Strategy is the direction and scope of an organisation over a long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment through its configuration of resources and competences with the aim of fulfilling stakeholder expectations (Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 2008). They also explained that the word strategy is associated with different issues, one of which is the strategic fit with the business environment. Here, organisations need appropriate positioning in their environment i.e. the product or service should meet clearly identified market needs. While the Resource-Based View of strategy is about exploiting the strategic capability of an organisation, in terms of its resources and competences, to provide competitive advantage and/or yield new opportunities. Mintzbergs (1987) view of strategy as a Plan, Ploy, Pattern, Position and Perspective covers the various ways which strategy is defined. He stated that strategy is a plan used to carry out an objective. It is a unified, comprehensive, and integrated plan designed to ensure that the basic objectives of the enterprise are achieved (Glueck, 1980:9). As a plan, a strategy can be a ploy; too, really just a specific manoeuvre intended to outwit an opponent or competitor. Strategy is a pattern- specifically, a pattern in a stream of actions. It is a position; a means of locating an organization in what theorists like to call an environment. It is also a perspective, its content consisting not just of a chosen position, but of an ingrained way of perceiving the world. Santander, the Spanish financial heavyweight in retail banking acquired Abbey, the British mortgage lender in late 2004. After stabilizing Abbey in 2005, it developed a three (3) year ambitious plan with the purpose of maintaining the performance of products with already high significant market value and share position, increasing its presence in other banking segments such as consumer finance, insurance and SME and Commercial lending in order to transform the institution into a full-service retail bank with a wide range of product and service offerings. Santander initially embarked on its strategy largely by exploiting its internal resources through Integration of human resources, introduction of its Technology, revenue growth and efficiency, maintaining a prudent approach to risk management. Industry and Market in which Santander competes The industry consists of a group of firms producing products or services that are essentially the same (Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington and Kevan Scholes, Exploring Strategy, 2011). Santander competes in banking industry where it faces stiff competition from other major players in the industry like Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HSBC, HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) otherwise known as the big 5 and its major line of business is the retail banking which accounts for over half of its net income. Its core market in the UK is centred on Mortgages, Savings and protection while it also competes in Brazil and other parts of Europe including Portugal where it is recognized as the fourth largest retail bank with a customer base of 1.7 million, 670 branches, 6000 employees, a mortgage market share of 16% and over 18% in mutual funds. Structure and dynamics of the market in which Santander competes As explained by (Porter 1985), the strength of each of the five competitive forces is a function of industry structure, or the underlying economic and technical characteristics of an industry (Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance by Michael Porter, 1985). To analyse the structure and dynamics of the market in which Santander operates, it is imperative to understand the major factors which affect the Industry in general which in this case includes other major banks, their products and services, structure and also their strengths and weaknesses as this forms the competitive forces in the market 4.1 The threat of entry These are the barriers that need to be overcome by new entrants if they are to compete successfully (Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 2008). Entry barrier for competing in this area is high because it is a capital intensive industry. Achieving economies of scale is a factor for competing in the banking industry as it would require new entrants to compete on the same level of the other major players in the industry if they are to survive. As seen from the case, Santander was able to gain entrance with a  £9 billion acquisition of Abbey in 2004 which was at the time, Europes biggest cross-border banking deal and it already had experience in European retail banking which at the time, accounted for over half of its net income before the acquisition of Abbey. As it is a highly contested market for customer base, the level of difficulty in entry is quite high because the market is already controlled by the major banks with strong brands like Barclays, LTSB, HSBC, HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland and It would be quite difficult for beginners to convince customers to move from these already known and established brands. Santander was able to gain entrance into the market through the acquisition of Abbey which already had a strong customer base of 18 million and a well-known brand name. It also had a competitive edge. Santander introduced Partenon, its successful core banking platform and this technology enabled Santander to perform a seamless integration, launch new products with minimal lead time. Entry barrier into the corporate and SME sector is also high. Although Abbey achieved significant growth in that area, it was still largely controlled by the Big 5 banks. Abbeys plan to successfully enter and compete in that segment will be dependent on the introduction of its Partenon system. 4.2. Bargaining power of Supplier The bargaining power of suppliers is high. The Big 5 banks (Barclays, HSBC, LTSB, RBS HBOS) control almost the same amount of share in some areas like the Credit Card Market and SME Banking and offer similar services. A supplier group is powerful where it is dominated by a few companies and is more concentrated than the industry it sells to (Porter 1980). 4.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers Buyers compete with the industry by forcing competition on prices, bargaining for higher quality or more services, and playing competition against each other- all at the expense of industry profitability (Porter 1980). With this being a highly competitive market, the bargaining power of buyers is also high and there is competition on price. 4.4 Threat of Substitutes According to Porter 1980, the threat of substitute is high if it offers an attractive price performance trade-off to the industrys product. In this area, the threat of substitutes is quite low. 4.5 Rivalry among existing competitors The rivalry among existing competitors is high especially among the Big 5 banks and this reflects in the close similarity in their market shares. As mention by Porter (1980), the intensity of rivalry is greatest if competitors are numerous or are roughly equal in size and power. Critical success factors for competing in the industry Critical success factors (CSF) are those factors that are particularly valued by a group of customers and, therefore, where the organisation must excel to outperform competition (Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 2008). To compete in its market, its new CEO Francisco Gomez- Roldan presented a three year ambitious plan for achieving success which was tagged The Three Year Plan: A Blueprint for success and this was a key factor to be implemented for them to compete in the financial market with the other major banks. This new plan was put in place in order to achieve the Groups vision of becoming the best retail bank in the UK. To begin with, the plan was aimed at maintaining the performance of products like mortgages which already had a high market share position and increase its revenue in other banking segments such as finance, insurance, SME and commercial lending so as to transform the institution into a full service retail bank with a wide range of products. The plan focused on increasing its revenue, efficiency and maintaining a prudent approach to risk management. To achieve this, it further grouped its operation into three main divisions and this was centred on Retail, Insurance and Asset Mana gement (IAM) and Abbey Financial Market (AFM). In the retail section, its target to achieve 75% in revenue and 70% of pre-tax profit would be through increased sales, customer and savings retention, cross sales and exploitation of new growth opportunities. The Insurance and asset management (IAM) section was to contribute 13% of its revenue before tax through its back book management. With a new regulation which allowed an individual considerable freedom in their pension contributions been put in place and becoming effective as of 6 April 2006 in the UK, it was envisaged that there would be increased demand for pension related products and advisory services and would lead to new opportunities for investment across sales. To key-in and compete in this section, Abbey will do so by developing its intermediary and end-customer focused retention programmes, introduce new stake-holder-focused communication strategies and remediation projects in order to reduce risks. Another area which would contribute 10% of Abbeys revenue and 17% of profit after tax is its financial market (AFM) and this was to be achieved by increasing its product range, customer base and transaction flow. In addition to the above, rebuilding Abbeys sales capabilities in mortgages, savings and protection, increasing its presence in bank accounts, unsecured personal loans (UPL), investment and pensions through the implementation of retention and incentive schemes proposed to target higher-value segments, developing a sustainable strategy for its online business Cahoot, increasing its telephone sales capabilities and also creating new branch sales system with sophisticated pricing by customer segment and increased focus on existing clients and cross sales for the unsecured personal loan segment will play a major role in competing successfully in its market. Its resources, competences, capabilities and how Santander differentiates itself from competitors Resources are the assets that an organisation have or can call upon and competences are the ways those assets are used or deployed effectively (Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington and Kevan Scholes, 2011) while capabilities refers to the ability to integrate, build, and configure internal and external competences to address rapidly changing environments. Thus, it reflect an organisations ability to achieve new and innovative form of competitive advantage given path dependencies and market positions (Leonard-Barton, 1992) Santanders competence and capability in retail banking in Spain which accounts for half of its income is a strong advantage for them in terms of competing in the UK. They have an experienced and brilliant CEO in Antonio Horta-Osorio, who succeeded Francisco Gomez- Roldan after he passed away. His vision of making Santander the best commercial bank in the UK by focusing on efficiency, service quality, customer loyalty, teamwork and meritocracy showed his importance as a strong force which reflected on the growth of Santander since its entrance into the UK. Another great resource which Santander holds is its technology. The introduction of Partenon, its biggest technological asset which helped in the seamless integration and enabled them launch new products with minimal lead time. Their ability to outsource processes to Spain, Portugal and Poland in other to reduce the cost-to-income ratio while still maintaining physical interface with customers. With this resource, they were able to achieve economies of scale and offer reasonably priced products and services which meant higher income and increased customer loyalty. The proper utilisation of these human and technological resources by its management team led Abbey to win the Euromoney award for best Bank in the UK in mid-2008. Its sources of competitive advantage Competitive advantage is how an SBU (Strategic business unit) creates value for its users both greater than the cost of supplying them and superior to that of rival SBUs (Gerry Johnson, Richard Whittington and Kevan Scholes, 2011). It is further explained that to have an advantage, they must be able to create greater value than competitors because in the absence of a competitive advantage, the SBU is always vulnerable to attack by competitors. Barneys (1991) VRIN framework is also used to determine if a resource is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. To serve as a basis for sustainable competitive advantage, resources must be valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable (fig 2). Competitive advantage is realised based on three factors (Sudarshan D, 1995): (1) the firms marketing strategy, (2) implementation of this strategy and (3) the industry context which refers to Porters generic strategy. Previous study by Porter (1980) introduces generic competitive strategies for gaining competitive advantage as: Overall cost leadership Differentiation Focus The differentiation strategy is one of differentiating the product or service offering of a firm, creating something that is perceived industrywide as being unique (fig 1). Santanders main source of competitive advantage which is unique is its IT Partenon banking platform. They differentiated themselves and gained a competitive advantage over its competitors through the use of Partenon. With this advanced business mode of operation, they were able to operate from their German and Italian centre through their data centre in Madrid, gain the trust of their customers, introduce a more secure way of doing business and offer a higher quality of service compared to its major competitors. In addition, it gave them a first mover advantage meaning they were able to eliminate duplicated processes, reduce the cost per transaction, and release new products into the market with minimal lead time before their competitors. Santander also gained competitive advantage by being the cost leader. According to Porter (1980), Cost leadership requires aggressive construction of efficient-scale facilities, vigorous pursuit of cost reductions from experience, tight cost and overhead control, avoidance of marginal customer accounts, and cost minimization in areas like RD, service, sales force, advertising, and so on. With Santanders experienced management team coupled with their experience in retail banking, they were able to introduce best practices into the UK market at low cost and with an advantage in inputs in terms of its Partenon system, they were able to cut cost in operations while providing quality services for their customers. The major Macro/Micro environmental strategic marketing issues facing Santander, its view as an opportunity or threat, time frame for which each issue will be most relevant and the level of priority to be assigned to them The Macro/Micro environment consist of broad environmental factors that impact to a greater or lesser extent on almost all organisation and the PEST framework identifies how future trends in political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal environments might impinge on organisations (Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 2008). The analysis below shows the various environmental marketing issues faced by Santander. 8.1 Political issues The new regulation in the UK which became effective as of 6th April, 2006 A Day afforded individuals considerable freedom in their contributions to the pension schemes and other investment assets. This development is an opportunity for Abbey as it will bring about an increase in demand in the pension schemes and investment area through new product and advisory services offering. 8.2 Economic issues The British market for motor finance which was still fragmented with the three leading providers holding a combined market share of 30% presents an opportunity for Santander to increase its activities in consumer finance in the UK as it is a leading car finance provider in Continental Europe, its expertise, product range and economies of scale coupled with a joint with a joint venture with Abbey would develop the British market. With the general business climate in the UK housing market slowing down, the mortgage lending and market share faced a downward slide and this represents a threat to Santanders 10% market share in mortgages. Its counter-intuitive decision to cut down its market share from 10% to 6% prior to the downward change in the area due to its cautious and prudent approach to business was a timely and good decision made by Santander. A repeat of economic recession which happened in the past could be a threat to Santander. 8.3 Sociological issues Cultural differences With the acquisition of Abbey and entrance into the British market without prior operations in the UK market, Santander could face a brick wall at the initial stages of it operation in the UK because of the differences in national culture and business organisational culture. It is assumed that with the introduction of experienced management running the operations, and with the gradual introduction of its other resources, the effect of change can be cushioned. At the time of its acquisition, it was noted that Abbey had a total of 18 million customers, a strong brand which was built over time, but had weaknesses in customer relationship, poor sales productivity and sales culture. This was a weakness for Abbey because customer relationship and loyalty is a key factor for success in the industry. In other words, they were poor in customer orientation. This issue should be apportioned top priority considering that Santander had just gained entrance into the UK market by acquiring Abbey. Further operation under those poor customer relationship circumstances would most likely lead to loss in customer base and have a negative effect on Santanders total income. 8.4 Technological issues Technology enhancement through Partenon remains one of Santanders marketing assets which have helped to further strengthen the growth of the company since its introduction into Abbeys operations. The timely introduction of Partenon afforded Santander an opportunity to reduce cost of operation and allowed them release new products into the market in lesser time. The introduction of Partenon could be a challenge and an opportunity for Abbey. As it was a new system introduced, it required a lot of time and training before it could be fully implemented but proper training and gradual implementation, it turned into a major source of competitive advantage for Santander. The domination of the credit card section by the big clearing banks such as Barclays (16%), LTSB (11), RBS (16), HSBC (14), RBOS (6), and MBNA (9%) meant Abbey had little or no control in the market and this was as a result of its lack of experience in the area. Its plan to build a new credit business by target its existing customer base and prospects in the UK through strong product offerings will be a welcome development for Santander. However, this will be more relevant in the future after Santander must have cemented its position in the market along with the big banks. To what extent can Santanders strategy be described as being marketing oriented, what other strategic orientations could be considered A firm characterised as market oriented might have: developed an appreciation that understanding present and potential customer needs is fundamental to providing superior customer value; encouraged systematic gathering and sharing of information regarding present and potential customers and competitors as well as other related constituencies; and installed the sine qua non of an integrated, organisation-wide priority to respond to changing customer needs and competitor activities in order to exploit opportunities and circumvent threats (Hunt and Morgan, 1995; Kohli and Jaworski, 190; Narver and Slater, 1990). Considering Santanders plan to build selected products areas on a stand- alone basis, both organically and by acquisitions for its Corporate and SME segment, it can be said that it is quite market oriented. It can also be argued that Santander is not very market oriented because they mainly act and operate using their internal capabilities such as human, financial and technological resources to gain market presence and share without regarding the needs and wants of the customers. For instance, it acquired Abbey for its large customer base and geographical location and figured they could offer their services by mode of operation and technology (Partenon) to gain more customers and market shares even though they had no prior experience in the UK market. Other strategic orientation that could be considered Santander should consider a more aggressive oriented approach to compete in the market as against its prudent approach which it is currently known for. As explained by (Clark and Montgomery, 1996; Fombrum and Ginsberg, 1990), aggressiveness captures the facet of a firms strategic orientation that, in comparison with its competitors, rapidly deploys resources to improve market position. High concentration on RD in other to identify new services or products with high demand in other to create a first mover advantage while improving on its IT platform which remains one of its major sources of competitive advantage. Strategy evaluation methods utilised The strategy evaluation method utilised in section I II was from the position school and the Resource Based perspective of strategy and the Porters five forces theory as they relate to the way in which Santander operate in the UK market and the forces which affect the market in general. Similarities and differences of the different schools in analysing Santander Findings show similarities and differences in the position school and RBV. While the RBV refer to the internal capabilities, some of which are intangible and mostly unique assets of an organisation which they apply to gain competitive advantage, the positioning school revolves around competing with unique resources based on the analysed competitive forces of the industry. As explained with Porters three generic strategies which are; cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategy (fig 1), organisations compete using rare resources to position themselves in a profitable environment thereby gaining competitive advantage. Both of these strategies seek to exploit the organisations capabilities in other to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Appropriate strategy approach With this case and having applied both the positioning and resource-based view strategy, both strategies seem to work for Santander as they both revolve around capitalising on capabilities either by fitting into places of advantage revealed in the external environment by the five forces or by using internal capabilities or organisational resources/capabilities to create competitive advantage. In strategizing, whichever fits an organisation and allows it operate successfully should be used. Other issues that would minimise the likelihood of implementing the option and ways of overcoming these challenges As most organisations compete using their source of competitive advantage by applying it through positioning or RBV strategy, an issue that could minimise the likelihood of implement the options is the thought of a rare resource becoming available to competitors, this might cause it to lose its competitive edge over it competitors. To overcome this change, continuous development and innovation is necessary for an organisation for it to continue to stay relevant and compete over time. Recommendation Santander has shown strong desire to compete and become one of the best banks in the UK since its entrance. However, for it to continue in its growth, high concentration on market orientation is very important in other to increase business performance across all areas of its operation. Also, continuous development of its product range should be put into consideration while it continues further development on its technology system as this has shown to be one of its driving forces in competing with the other major banks.

Van Den Haag Regarding Capital Punishment Philosophy Essay

Van Den Haag Regarding Capital Punishment Philosophy Essay In this paper, I will examine the debate over legalizing the death penalty, specifically by referring to the writings of Turrow in To Kill Or Not To Kill and Van den Haag in On Deterrence and the Death Penalty. I will argue that in responding to Van den Haags positions for the death penalty, Turrow would more strongly object to the argument that rests on its justice on opposed to its value as deterrent. I will then consider the merit of the arguments on both sides with regards to justice, eventually concluding that Turrows points are most convincing. Although Turrow makes space in his article to refute arguments based on both deterrence and justice, his argument against deterrence is much shorter and open to criticism. It boils down to the fact that he has not encountered sufficient evidence that the presence of the death penalty results in lower instances of crime. Van den Haag gives several arguments as to why this fails to make a convincing argument against the practice. The ones that are given the most time are the theoretical reasoning that a higher penalty for an action increases deterrence and why the lack of evidence for deterrence should not cause us to assume it does not exist. Since Turrow does not concern himself with the theoretical grounds for deterrence, this argument is unlikely to convince him. If the facts do not back up this theorizing then there is little reason to base policy on it. Luckily, Van den Haag also responds to concerns about the lack of evidence showing that the presence of the death penalty has any deterrent effect on crime. While he admits that no evidence can be found that the death penalty reduces crime, we should not conclude that this effect is not present. Because there are so many factors that influence things like homicide rates, it is impossible to derive a causal relationship or lack thereof between magnitude of punishment and frequency of offense. As Van den Haag puts it, it is wrong to believe, lack of evidence for deterrence is evidence for the lack of deterrence, (Van den Haag, 145). This is accompanied by the claim on Van den Haags part that often criminals are not even aware of laws in their state regarding capital punishment, so its presence would not factor into their cost-benefit analysis. Now, an immediate question raised by this is: How can the death penalty deter criminals if they arent aware of its existence? Even though only part of Van den Haags appeal to deterrence seems to carry any weight to Turrow, the inability to draw any solid conclusion from statistical analysis should be enough to give Turrow pause, if not necessarily convince him. I will now argue that while Turrow may still disagree with the deterrence argument, he will object more strongly to the appeal to justice that Van den Haag gives. This is not to say that Turrow rejects the idea that justice should be an end we seek in punishing criminals. In his article, he makes several statements that would be nonsensical if this were not the case. Firstly he says, Ive always thought death-penalty proponents have a point when they say that it denigrates the profound indignity of murder to punish it in the same fashion as other crimes. (Turrow, 4) Turrow is not appealing to deterrence or potential for rehabilitation here in his argument for the death penalty. His objection is based on the fact that some crimes are so heinous that we must respond in kind for the sake of the moral order. It seems to me that restoring the moral order, is as good a definition of justice as any other. Now that I have concluded that both Van den Haag and Turrow see justice as a legitimate ground on which to base arguments for and against capital punishment, I must show that appealing to justice leads the two authors to different conclusions. Van den Haags appeal to justice is a very much utilitarian argument that is dependent upon his argument from deterrence. He argues that whatever way that we were to define injustice, the correct action should be that which results in the least injustice. This leads him to conclude that if we are concerned with innocent people being mistakenly given the death penalty, we must consider the number of innocents killed this way and compare it to the number of deaths that could have been prevented by deterrence and see if we have a net gain in innocents saved. He then goes on to argue that capital punishment deters enough would-be killers to make its legality just. Turrow would object more strongly to claims of justice than to deterrence because, as Van den Haag states, the validity of his justice argument is dependent on the validity of his deterrence argument. I have already mentioned that Turrow is skeptical of claims of deterrence. I turns out that even if he were to reverse his stance on deterrence, he would also disagree with Van den Haags reasoning for why this would make a system with capital punishment a just one. The main flaw that Turrow finds with capital punishment is its inability to be properly implemented within our justice system. He relates stories of his firsthand experience with cases in which men are given, or very nearly given, the death sentence for crimes they did not commit. This deeply troubles him, and he is not so willing to accept this tragedy as Van den Haag is by simply requiring that more innocent lives are saved by the act than are wrongfully executed. He simply states that, Now and then, we will execute someone who is innocentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Turrow, 7) He makes no reference to the number of people saved by this practice, because that number is not significant. Turrow seems to believe that wrongfully executing someone is far worse than the crime of murder enacted by an individual. This may be that the first is a sort of betrayal of the justice system, whereas the latter is simply a failure of it. Therefore, because Turrow would disagree with both the main argument (jus tice) and that which it relies upon (deterrence), his objection to justice would be the stronger of the two. I will now evaluate both arguments from each of these in regards to the justice of having a death penalty. Here I will assume that the argument for deterrence is valid and some innocent lives are spared since Van den Haags argument for justice is contingent upon this fact. As I have described it, the crux of this debate hinges on whether or not it is acceptable to allow some innocents to be executed in order to save more from would-be murderers who do not commit crimes out of fear of the death penalty. Van den Haag is satisfied as long as the number of innocents killed is less than without the death penalty whereas Turrow is against any system in which the innocent may be wrongfully given a death sentence. Something potentially overlooked by Van den Haag is that there may be more consequences to capital punishment being accepted than the accidental killing of innocents. The very idea that ones government may wrongfully convict you for a crime you did not commit could fray the trust that should theoretically exist between a citizen and the government designed to protect him or her. While this argument could certainly be made for any sort of crime, both authors make the distinction in the death penaltys irrevocability. If one has faith that the system may eventually discover its error (by no means certain), then a jail term can be ended and the victim compensated but this is not possible with death. This fear on the part of the citizen could lead to a lack of cooperation or assistance with the police in a case for fear that they will become a suspect. However, the argument that we should not inflict the death penalty because we may sentence the wrong person to death deserves a bit more analysis. The common point made by both authors is that it may be better to give a life-in-prison sentence because then any mistakes in conviction may be found and reversed. However, if this does not actually happen then this weakness of capital punishment does not actually exist. It would be worthwhile to examine statistics of how many prisoners serving life sentences are found to be innocent and released. This would give us insight as to how many innocent lives would be lost were capital punishment allowed, and be a mark in favor of prohibiting it. In other words, if life-in-prison sentences are never overturned then prisoners given them in lieu of the death penalty have no chance of being released so the increased chance of righting the wrong does not actually exist. Granted, this theoretical wrongfully accused person does gain life-in-prison as opposed to execution, but this seems like small consolation to a man who committed no crime. This is a measurable quantity, one that I suspect will come down in favor of prohibition. Of course, as with any objection to a utilitarian viewpoint, as the numbers become more and more extreme our convictions seem less concrete. Would we allow the wrongful execution of one man in order to deter the murders of one million? Because this case is quite unlikely, it does not bear much weight in my considerations. In this paper I have outlined reasons for which Turrow would object most strongly to Van den Haags defense of capital punishment on the grounds of justice, namely that wrongfully executing someone is far worse than failing to deter a murderer from doing the same. I have then considered the justice-based arguments of both authors and decided that, despite potential lives saved and pending statistical reinforcement, the societal consequences of capital punishment outweigh its benefits.

Plea Bargains and Mandatory Sentencing Essay -- essays research papers

Plea Bargains and Mandatory Sentencing I would like to take this time to explain my position on Plea Bargains and Mandatory Sentencing. I will show both pros and cons for each topic, as well as give you my personal brief on which one I support. There are two types of plea bargains : The first one is a charge bargain. When the prosecutor allows a defendant to "plead guilty to a lesser charge†, or to only some of the charges that have been filed against him. For example, a defendant charged with burglary may be offered the opportunity to plead guilty to "attempted burglary". A defendant charged with Drunk Driving and Driving with License Suspended may be offered the opportunity to plead guilty to just the drunk driving charge. The second plea bargain is when a defendant is told in advance what his sentence will be if he pleads guilty. This can help a prosecutor obtain a conviction if, for example, a defendant is facing serious charges and is afraid of being hit with the "maximum" sentence. Typically, sentence bargains can only be granted if they are approved by the trial judge. Many jurisdictions severely limit sentence bargaining. Sentence bargaining sometimes occurs in high profile cases where the prosecutor does not want to reduce the charges against the defendant, usually for fear of how the newspapers will react. A sentence bargain may allow the prosecutor to obtain a conviction to the most serious charge, while assuring the defendant of an a...

AI vs Frankenstein :: essays research papers

Movie: Artificial Intelligence Synopsis: In the not-so-far future the polar ice caps have melted and the resulting rise of ocean waters has drowned all the coastal cities of the world. Withdrawn to the interior of the continents, the human race keeps advancing, reaching to the point of creating realistic robots-called mechas-to serve them. An ambitious Professor succeeds in building David, an artificial kid, the first of its kind programmed to provide endless love for its adopter. David is adopted by Monica as a substitute for her real son, but an unfortunate sequence of events leads Monica to abandon David. Believing that Monica will love him only if he becomes a real boy, David sets off to find the Blue Fairy (from the fairy tale Pinocchio), whom he earnestly believes is the only one with the power to grant him his wish. Explanation: Artificial Intelligence is very similar to Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein in that the underlying themes, questions asked, and moral issues raised are the same. The main idea being appropriated is that of creating life, although not ‘life’ in its usual context referring to living organisms. The ‘life’ created (or rather built) in AI is in fact a mere imitation of life, a mechanical substitute human boy†¦artificial intelligence. In AI, the creation is David, and he bears immediate similarities to the Frankenstein monster. In the book, the monster was to be Frankenstein’s ‘perfect’ human, a soul who knew nothing but love. Ironically, David was programmed to provide unconditional love and also served the purpose of being the perfect replacement of a ‘human’ boy. The desire to aid mankind through scientific and technological advancement is shared by both creators in their respective texts. In the film however, the Frankenstein equivalent is indirectly achieved by another character after David’s initial creation. The Frankenstein role is in fact fulfilled by Monica, David’s adopter (‘mother’), who activates David by ‘imprinting’ him to her. Although for different reasons, both ‘parents’ (mother/father figures) hastily rush the ‘activation’ process without closely assessing the risks and responsibilities of their doings or even realizing the wishes of their creations. Both creators end up abandoning their creations, leaving them alone, friendless in societies where they are both hunted. A woman talking to the Professor in the first scene of the film asks directly: â€Å"if a robot child loves his mother, is she expected to love him back?†-â€Å"Can a robot be loved?† The film maintains the same stance as Mary Shelley’s book by arguing that society is in fact to blame for the mistreatment of David.

Cultural Analysis of France

Abstract The nation of France has provided substantial contributions to both society and culture over the course of history. This essay assesses the French culture with a focus on leadership and business aspects that drive the nation’s philosophy. With results demonstrating the dynamic potential available in the French culture, this evaluation has found many continuing contributions to the international community. This research will be of value to any person studying French culture. Cultural Analysis of France France has long held a position of interest in the area of culture and leadership (Kuhn, 2013). This assessment focuses on leadership elements that provide a clear demonstration of the French philosophy and interactive potential. Beginning with a brief overview that incorporates key components including location, history and social infrastructure will build an easily understood foundation. Next will be an evaluation of cultural and business practices that will serve to outline the French philosophy at work. The combination of these segments will create the opportunity to identify the leadership qualities needed to be successful in French society. Overview Blanchard, Lemaire, Bancel, Thomas & Pernsteiner (2012) describe France as one of the most important actors in Europe. France is recognized as the largest physical nation within the boundaries of Europe with over 60 million French speaking citizens (Blanchard et al, 2012). Featuring regional boundaries created by the passage of time and tradition, each section of France possesses unique religious and social attributes that set it apart making the associated culture complex (Frenchculture.org, 2014). Once flourishing as a colonial empire French holdings extended around the world, directly impacting international development (Frenchculture.org, 2014). With distinct offerings in areas of law including jurisprudence the French contribution to worldwide civilization has been fundamental (Zimmerman, 2014). The Spirit of the Laws, created during the Age of Enlightenment is one of many reflections of value that the French philosophy place on the areas of science and art (Blanchard et al, 2012). Evolving from a monarchy to a modern democratic society, with rule devolving from the population, France created the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen in order to clarify human rights (Zimmerman, 2014). This form of leadership supports the French position of innovation and development in the cultural arena. With territories still extant overseas, the French economy is rated to be the fifth largest in the world, further illustrating the strength and vitality of the French system (Zimmerman, 2014). Cultural Elements Goldhammer (2010) describes the French culture since the revolution of the nineteenth century as a combination of three aspects: Humanist, or the philosophical aspect, the scientific and the industrial. The French culture emphasizes the areas of civil rights and education in a direct effort to increase the overall standard of living (Summerfield, 2013). With past leaders including the conqueror Napoleon contributing directly to the French educational tradition, there is a lasting identification of the French population with the learning arts (Rigby, 1991). Modern evaluation of the French educational system ranks it midway between the highest and the lowest, with many substantial individuals attributing their philosophy to the system (Summerfield, 2013). This lasting identification with art is transferred to the very high rate of tourism in the nation of France, number one in the world, which is in turn credited with spreading of French concepts of education and learning (Zimmerman, 2 014). With premier artists and concepts including Cubism, Impressionism and Symbolism by such renowned artists as Manet, Monet and Renoir long comprising the French ranks, there is a real sense of gravitas to be felt in the cultural inclination of art (Summerfield, 2013). This is demonstrated the by the unrivalled French capacity to attract visitors which then spread their cultural ideals and artistic values. Among the arts and educational values held by the French there is a real sense of scientific and innovative components (Kuhn, 2013). With major universities producing practical applications in the fields of business and economics, the French culture stresses the need to continually revisit and consider new ideas (Zimmerman, 2014). This same element of cultural leadership is exhibited in areas including fashion and advertising (Summerfield, 2013). With several leading institutions including Dior and Chanel, the French society has created a cultural expectation of style and chic (The Economist, 2014). With a positive world outlook, modern French culture boasts one of the very best reputations for trust and integrity on the world stage (Zimmerman, 2014). This fact drives the perception that the society ranks among the best overall systems of governance (The Economist, 2014). Despite the upbeat overall outlook, many internal polls cite the depressed attitude of the culture itself (Frenchculture.org, 2014). With a high moral and ethical standard, yet an open and inclusive society, the French society epitomizes their slogan: â€Å"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity† (Blanchard et al, 2012:43). Leadership and Business Characteristics France has been characterized by significant leaders of both sexes including Napoleon and Joan of Arc; there is a tradition of strong, opinionated leadership (Blanchard et al, 2012). Coupled with a history of monarchies including the reign of notables such as Louis the 14th, there is an expectation of grandiose and innovative concepts from the upper tier (Stephenson, 2011). With the French revolution and the rise of democracy these principles of strength and vision in leadership have carried over, providing impetus for the modern crop of French leadership (The Economist, 2014). With a business culture that recognizes the value of leisure and employee satisfaction, there is a focus on providing the best possible environment in order to produce the best possible result (Rigby, 1991). Conclusion France is a multi-tiered culture that has provided and will continue to be a positive influence on the entire world society. With attributes including practicality, integrity, innovation and adaptation there is a real perception of value to found in the culture. Taking elements that have been refined over the centuries including French art, educational and civil rights philosophies and cultural values the nation of France can be credited with substantial contribution to modern international society. With a need to be forthright, decisive and stalwart in the face of criticism the French leadership and business community have served to drive the nation to the position of prominence that it now enjoys. In the end, past actions, modern practices and future potential combine to illustrate France as a competitive nation that produces well educated individuals fit for leading the international community. With a well-rounded consumer base coupled with a dynamic business environment, there is every reason to expect the French culture to continue to be a leader into the next era. References Blanchard, P., Lemaire, S., Bancel, N., Thomas, D. R. D. & Pernsteiner, A. (2012). Colonial culture in France since the revolution. Frenchculture.org. (2014). French culture. [online] Retrieved from: http://frenchculture.org/ [Accessed: 8 Mar 2014]. Goldhammer, A. (2010). The future of French culture. French Politics, Culture & Society, 28 (3), pp. 97–113 Kuhn, R. (2013). Imagining the popular in contemporary French culture. Modern & Contemporary France, 21 (3), pp. 396–397. Rigby, B. (1991). Popular culture in modern France. London: Routledge. Stephenson, P. (2011). The death of French culture (trans. Andrew brown). Journal Of Contemporary European Studies, 19 (4), pp. 582–583. Summerfield, M. (2013). Wine drinking culture in France: a national myth or a modern passion?. Journal Of Wine Research, 24 (1), pp. 81–82. The Economist. (2014). Bleak chic. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21591749-bleak-chic [Accessed: 8 Mar 2014]. Zimmermann, K. (2014). French culture: customs & traditions. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html [Accessed: 8 Mar 2014].

History of Rev War

The cry of soda enquired into: Educational analysis in seventeenth-century New England. History of Education Quarterly, 13(1), 3-22. Lang, Harry G. Genesis of a Community: The American Deaf Experience in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. In J. Van Clever (Deed. ). The Deaf History Reader. Washington, DC: Gladdest university Press, 2007. 1 . The American Indian view of the colonial missionaries' influence on the â€Å"education† of the Indian is how the colonial missionaries changed their norm behaviors where they had to change their beliefs to the â€Å"European culture† (ColonialMissionaries and Their schools, 2004, p. 1 5). Also, they correlated the Indian dally life of cleanliness, lack of discipline for the children (Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, 2004, p. 1 5). I feel that the quote that said by H. G. Wells was relevant to the Indian communities at that time period since the colonial missionaries changed and controlled the Indian lifestyle by Glen n them better education and lifestyle.The article, Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, explained that most of the Indian children who were taught by the missionaries were separated from their parents nice the Indian parents did not understand the influence that the missionaries had for the Indian children (p. 16). One point was mentioned In the article about how confused the Indians were when they were the victims of the missionaries and â€Å"Christians† cheated and sexually abused them since they were preached about the missionaries' practice and cheated and sexually abused were not allowed (Colonial Missionaries and Their Schools, 2004, p. 6). The situation where the Indian were cheated and sexually abused by the missionaries and â€Å"Christians† led catastrophe in hat they were taught by the missionaries. 2. The religion played a special role in the Puritan efforts to establish formal schooling in America by set up a high educational standard where their chil dren are successful as their parents are. Puritans did not accept any failures. (The cry of Soda enquired into: Educational analysis in seventeenth-century New England,1973, p. ) We are experience the same thing today without much of religious involvements. The parents today want to see their children to succeed In their education and have bright futures. Also, parents Ely on teachers and school to help their children In academic where the teachers are constantly encouraging the children to go for their dreams by dream big. Teachers of the deaf can learn from the Puritan educational efforts about literacy by continuing to encourage the deaf students to read and write where they can eventually Improve their English. 3.People with disabilities during the asses and early asses were treated badly where they were chained to the wall since the people did not know how to take care of them. People with disabilities were treated like an here doctors who had better knowledge knew how to take care of them where they were also being observed based on their behaviors. From reading about Isaac Kilojoules, Matthew and Sarah Pratt, Andrew Brown and Jonathan Lambert, I learned that all of them became part of a religious and the Puritans accepted disabilities for who they are without any Judgments.Also, the church did allow deaf marriages without any restriction. 4. Sign language in the American colonies before the Revolutionary War show that it was only used in the level of abstraction and used tit the people who were already here in America after the generation that founding of Plymouth colony. Before Revolutionary War was the time period where sign language as American Sign Language, history of deaf literacy before the education for the deaf was established.Sign language gave the deaf American colonies the ability to communicate with each other. Sign language gave the deaf the abilities to have education and be able to understand what being learned. 5. The efforts that the d eaf children where educated in the American colonies were that they were sending o school like Broadsword Academy or private education. The deaf children were known as deaf and dumb during that time period, but each one had the abilities and skills in different academic areas.For example, John Boiling was good at Geography and Arithmetic Globe and the father of Charles Green reported after Charles two years at Broadsword Academy has â€Å"improvement in the construction of language, and in writing; he has made a good beginning in arithmetic. † Children who were private education like William Mercer was able to succeed in his life since he had the skill for minting which was found through the years located.