The True Tragic Hero In Sophocles Antigone Essays - Operas, Antigone

The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone The True Tragic Hero in Sophocles' Antigone In Master Sophocles' Antigone, the question of who the tragic hero really is has been a subject of debate for a great number years. Creon does possess some of the qualities that constitute a tragic hero but unfortunately does not completely fit into the role. Antigone, however, possesses all the aspects of a tragic hero. These are, in no particular order, having a high social position, not being overly good or bad, being tenacious in their actions, arousing pity in the audience, a revelatory manifestation, and having a single flaw that brings about their own demise and the demise of others around them. Antigone possesses all of these traits therefore qualifying as the tragic hero. The first qualifying aspect is that Antigone is of a high social standing in Thebes. Creon himself refers to her as a princess though she is technically no longer one. Because of her high standing she is capable of great suffering, in that she has a lot of fame and regard to lose. Those who say Creon is the tragic hero state say that Antigone is no longer in a high position in the society, therefore does not qualify on that account. If the character had needed to be in a high political position this would be true, but they need only have a great deal to lose in their downfall. Although she may no longer hold political power Antigone is still a powerful figure in Thebes, since she was to be married to Creon's son Haemon and the whole city seemed to know how tragic her life had become. Antigone and Creon would qualify as the tragic hero if the only requirement was not being overly good or bad. Creon shows his negative side when he refuses to bury Polyneices and when he speaks to the sentry. His positive side is shown in his obvious affection for Antigone and Ismene, whom he has attempted to raise since their fathers death. Antigone's ungodly side is shown by her incestuous behavior with her brother Polyneices. Her positive side is shown by the way the she insists on respecting his right to be buried in the religious tradition of Greece so that his soul may live on in the afterlife. Another aspect of a tragic hero is an unwavering course of action, most likely caused by their flaw, that brings about their demise and the demise of those around them. Antigone's flaw is her rash and headstrong behavior. This is the source of the conflict in the play. Had Antigone asked Creon for permission to bury Polyneices in observance of the Greek role in religious life he would have probably allowed it. Instead, she rashly decided to take matters into her own hands, most likely because of her anger in losing the true love of her life. This aspect also emerges later in the play, when Antigone decides to kill herself in the cave rather than give Creon the satisfaction of the deed. Had she not been so imprudently hasty she would have been spared her life by Creon, who was on his way to free Antigone and have Polyneices given a proper burial. Creon does not have a tenacious nature, and therefore could not be the Aristotelian tragic hero. His ineptness as a ruler is prevalent in the way he wavers on the topic of Polyneices burial. In the beginning he seems very stubborn, which some say is one of the fatal flaws that qualify him as a tragic hero, but later changes his mind. The true tragic hero would stick to their fatal flaw, like Antigone did, until their complete demise. As far as the issue of arising pity in the audience and in other characters, it is clear that Antigone clearly wins over Creon in the arena of intensity of emotion. All of Thebes sympathizes with Antigone, especially after she has been sentenced to death. Haemon himself tells his father "And I have heard them, muttering and whispering...They say no woman has ever, so unreasonably, died so shameful a death for a generous act." It is obvious that she had the pity of the entire city except for Creon. Creon, however, is not sympathized with at all except for the chorus, which always agrees with the last point of view presented. Some readers may be inclined to side with him, but the entire city is opposed to him during the play disqualifying him as the tragic hero. Another issue that has been brought up in the

Important Sales Techniques

Important Sales Techniques Free Online Research Papers Maslow Marketing Hierarchy The theory developed by Maslow put forth that the motivation for any action made by any human being is an unfulfilled need. When we have unmet needs, we are motivated to meet them in a specific order. Once the needs on the first level are met, we move on to the needs of the next level, and so on until we reach the top tier. The first level that we are concerned with is our physiological needs: the basic things that keep us alive. Safety needs are met next, followed by social needs. We then move into the less tangible needs of esteem and, finally, self-actualization. Any student of the Maslow theory will understand how it can easily fit into a marketing context. When we attempt to make a sale, we are not only selling the product: we are selling the idea of the product, the image of the product, and the result of the product. We are essentially promising to fulfill one or more of the needs in the hierarchy. Obviously, a marketing campaign will be more successful the more it appeals to the lower levels of unfulfilled need in a persons life. What this means for you, the marketer, is that knowing your audiences needs is key. A product that promises to fulfill an esteem need will be virtually useless to a customer whose safety needs are not yet met. In order to be successful in any marketing endeavor, the first step is to get a firm grasp on the psychographic motivators to which you will be appealing. Which need on the hierarchy is your product going to fulfill? How will it fulfill this need, and how can you prove to your potential customers that it will effectively fulfill their need? Maybe a more important question is how you can tell which level of need your potential customer is currently attempting to address. If a customer comes to you asking for your product, then they are doing a large portion of your work for you. However, its exceedingly difficult to understand the needs of a complete stranger when you are attempting a cold sale. The best way to overcome this obstacle is simple, and its one that every marketer is taught from the very beginning of their career: just talk. Talk about sports, the weather, or family life anything other than the product you are trying to sell. Chatting with your potential customer in a friendly, non-pressured way will allow you to pick up on invaluable clues about their needs. Once you understand why your potential customer may be motivated to buy, you are one step closer to being able to fulfill their unmet need. By identifying their motivating factors, you can cater your sales techniques to each individual customer. By analyzing the needs of customers at large, you can now effectively market to your target audience as a whole. Maslows theory remains the basis for most management practices today. However, it can be equally successful when applied to marketing practices. The key, as always, is to know how to help your customer decide that your product will change their life. Maslows Marketing Filter One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training is a teaching of â€Å"Maslow’s needs pyramid†. Use Maslow’s needs pyramid so that you can get inside the consumer’s mind and develop an understanding of what’s truly motivating them as they consider purchasing your product or service. Maslow’s needs pyramid present human needs such that each need is pursued and met before the next level of needs can be considered; they build upon one another. The needs from most basic to most complex are: – physiological needs: food, shelter, sex – safety needs: clothing, weapons, defense of self – social needs: social acceptance – esteem needs: acceptance of self by self – fulfillment needs: a feeling of having and fulfilling a purpose So the question is, â€Å"How do we use this paradigm to get inside the consumer’s head?† Let’s consider a personal fitness training service. Here’s how it works at the most basic level. Place yourself in the position of the consumer and think as if you are considering hiring a personal fitness trainer. 1. How will personal fitness training impact my acquisition and use of food? Of shelter? Of sexual behavior? (Now you see why sex is used in marketing so many products – we react to it instinctually) 2. How will personal fitness training impact my personal safety? – you’ll be in better shape and can run faster from a mugger, perhaps. 3. How will personal fitness training positively impact my standing in society? In my social circle? Access to different social circles? 4. How will personal fitness training positively impact how I think about myself? 5. Will personal fitness training have an impact on my personal sense of fulfillment? I understand that most consumers will ask themselves these types of questions without really thinking about them. The answers you develop as you purposely ask yourselves these types of questions will give you insight in the processes a consumer may consider or be susceptible to as they are considering purchasing personal fitness training services. This process will also help you define ways to market that will get consumers to consider your personal fitness training service if they are not. Using Maslow’s needs pyramid helps you target your marketing. It is the foundation of: -Getting Attention -Developing Interest -Creating Desire -Facilitating Commitment -Motivating to Action Using this type of filtering process can also help you create need in those that have not yet developed an interest in your product or service. Simply put yourself in the consumer’s place and present you’re marketing to them in such a way as to answer or resolve each need in the hierarchy. Closing The Sale â€Å"7 Steps† I – You Have Got to Ask Questions One of the keys to closing the sale is opening the dialog. The best way to get a conversation going is to start with really good sales questions. Five phenomenal sales questions to help you get the business: 1. What are your responsibilities? This is a terrific sales question to get a measure of your prospects ego, self-esteem, and self worth. Most salespeople skip this question. What and how a decision Maker thinks about his position can help you cinch the deal later on in the selling process. 2. What are the biggest challenges you face in growing your business? most salespeople try to uncover problems instead of focusing on challenges. Logically, people you barely know may be reluctant to share their problems with you. Most people are willing to open up and discuss their challenges. 3. What qualities are you looking for (insert the appropriate product or service). The key to asking this question is listening carefully to the answers. For example, if somebody responded with reliability as a quality, you should immediately follow up and get the definition of the word reliability. How they define reliability will enable you to relate more specifically to that reliability factor. 4. What are your criteria for making a decision? This is a tricky question but only for the unprepared. You see, many times a sales prospect will respond by saying pricing is the bottom-line. When you ask these sales questions What are your criteria for making a decision and get a response like for us its the bottom-line pricing.Be sure to follow up with this additional question. In addition to pricing, what other criteria do you have for making this decision? They will always give you something else. 5. Describe the decision-making process. You should only ask this question for Big sales opportunities. You need to know whos going to be involved, what the time frame is, and what the natural progression for this organizations decision-making process will be. You must know this before you attempt closing the sale. 6. What would it take to win your supplier of the year award? The purpose of this question is to get them to tell you what they value in a supplier or in a suppliers product/service. Whether or not they have a supplier of the year award you still get their opinion when you ask this question. Once again you should listen carefully to their response. â€Å"You can judge the quality of your questions by the quality of the responses you get† Not asking intelligent and prepared questions trips up salespeople more than anything else. One of the best ways to attempt closing the sale in less time is to ask rock-solid questions that eliminates all the guesswork and assumptions. Plain and simple! II Forget Quotes Do Proposals Closing the sale is much easier when you present your sales prospecta professional sales proposal. Consider first things first. Forget about doing quotes and start doing value-packed sales proposals. It stands to reason that you want your sales proposal to adequately represent you when youre not there to speak for yourself. Imagine youre dealing with a committee of five decision makers. Also imagine they are seated around a conference table for a 1 PM meeting to determine who gets the business and youre not there to represent yourself. Whats left is your sales proposal and it has been spectacular. Lets also assume there are four suppliers involved. Three of the suppliers have submitted rather boring and bland quotations that almost scream out, Hey, heres my price. The person who wins the Pricing game is the person with the lowest price. Three tips that puts value into the proposal which will give a distinct advantage when trying closing the sale: 1. Here are some cover page essentials. If there are five decision makers, be sure you have each decision-makers name in large type on the front cover so that everyone gets a personalized copy of your proposal. The biggest thing on this page should be that persons name. Including a line that says Especially prepared for might score a few points as well. Put the date of the decision making meeting on the front cover too not the date you send it. If you do this it will force you to find out when the decision is going to be made. 2. Include an organization chart but not an ordinary one. Create a chart that includes the names of six to eight people who are most likely to have some interaction with your potential customer. Traditional organization charts usually include names and titles. Go beyond that and include telephone numbers, fax numbers, e-mail addresses, direct dial extensions and a digital photograph the size of a quarter situated in the box. Including this contact information draws attention to the accessibility of all key people and thats exactly what you want. Having pictures simply adds faces to the names. You can score some major points by introducing your support team. 3. Include a Benefits Page. This is very powerful and its where you have the opportunity to toot your own horn. On the top of this page you should in very large type XYZ Companys Benefit Page. List seven facts or features about your company and or products. Facts are simply facts. Under each fact express a benefit. This benefit statement should be indented, bold faced, slightly larger type, and printed in red so it jumps off the page at anyone who is looking at it. Begin each benefit statement with these words . . . Which means. This will increase your sales and multiply your personal income. This page should be positioned as the page before your first page of pricing. What this means is, your potential customer gets to see your benefits before he sees your pricing. Thats a smart move and makes closing the sale easier for you III– How Much Does It Cost? Closing the sale means you have to be ready for the unexpected. But you know some things in sales are very predictable. Like how to respond to the How much does it cost question. Rule number one unless you have asked all of your sales questions and given your presentation, deflect this question until later. Rule number two remember its QPP which refers to questions, presentation, pricing. If you dont stick to this sequence you are headed for heavy discounting and severe erosion of your profitability. The next time somebody asks you, How much does it cost respond with these two words. It depends! And then be totally silent. Within a very short period of time your prospect/customer will ask, It depends on what? For Example: You receive a call from a Vice President of Sales. He’s planning a National Sales meeting. He has forty salespeople and he wants to give them professional sales training. Ask and get answers to 12 open-ended questions. Describe your capabilities based solely on his responses to these 12 questions. He comments, This sounds good How much will it cost us? Respond with, It depends. He responds, It depends on what? It depends on whether you want to include pre-meeting reading assignments, it also depends on the length of the training program, and it depends on how youre planning to reinforce the sales training after your National Sales Meeting. It also depends on your interest level in establishing a Learning Library for your sales team and it also depends on how you feel about specialized training (field coaching) for your sales managers. Closing the sale becomes a lot easier when you follow this approach. Never give anything without getting something in return. In essence, what must be done here is to say the price of the sales training depends on a bundle of other choices. Literally it says the price depends on the size of the bundle you buy. â€Å"The bigger your bundle the better your price† Doesnt that make a world of sense? Dont offer one price for one product. The more choices you offer, the higher your probability of achieving success. And besides, most people love choices it makes the entire decision-making process easier. IV – Tips On Adding Value Closing the sale is made easier when you add value that your prospects/customers can appreciate. This is so important. Wham Bam its very important. If you cant quantify the value there is no value. Its got to be in your mind before you can transfer it to the customers mind. 1. If you must discount, discount the value of something you’re willing to give away for free, but only after you have assigned a dollar value to it. For example: If you sell equipment and include training, technical service/support, training manuals, warrantees, and even some accessories; be sure you list these in your proposal as separate line items with the estimated value for each item. Add up the value for each item and add these words next to the total No Charge. Note that no one can question the value you place on a service you provide. Closing the sale and getting your price requires that you add substantial value. Other ways to add value before you attempt closing the sale: => Simplify your offer – use high-liters and post it notes to identify key parts of your proposal. => Use odd numbers. => Offer dollar discounts not % discounts. => Consider adding a personal bio in your proposal. This can create some unbelievable connections for you. Adding value is something most salespeople take for granted. â€Å"Like gee whiz’† the customer has eyes he should be able to see the value of my products and services. Sure they have eyes but they wont see the value unless you spell it out for them. Don’t make any assumptions about value. To hit a home run you have to quantify the value so that even a seven year old child can tell you what something is worth. When you put a price on your value, it allows you to put that value into your price. You have to put the value into your value – plain and simple. Dont even think about closing the sale until you put the value into your value. V – Timing Your Close When thinking about closing the sale, Timing is everything. Here is the secret. The best time to ask for the business is – as early as you can. Let’s use a medical analogy. When is the best time for a doctor to recommend a prescription or a surgical procedure? In this medical scenario the answer is rather obvious. The best time for the doctor to recommend a prescription, or if needed, a surgical procedure is once hes asked all of his questions, completed all of his testing, and evaluated all the results. When thats done he can then offer his medical solutions. Its the same way in sales sort of. Once youve asked all your questions, completed your homework, finished your sales presentation, added significant value its time to attempt closing the sale. In medicine, if you offer medicine and/or surgery before a thorough examination, you may be liable for medical malpractice. In sales, if you start talking about your product before your prospect has completed talking about his current situation you may be facing selling malpractice. When asking for the business be sure you know how to do it in a comfortable, confident, and conversational way. When youre trying to secure the business its no time to be stumbling and mumbling! VI – Un-procrastinating Procrastinators Closing the sale is extremely difficult when dealing with a procrastinator. Why do procrastinators procrastinate? Knowing the answer to this question can remove the obstacles when you try closing the sale. They procrastinate because they dont know what the next step is. If they don’t know what it is, they can’t take it. Its that simple! They don’t procrastinate intentionally. It’s just in their buying DNA. Here’s a great question to ask to help getting the ball rolling with all the procrastinators you encounter. The single best question to motivate procrastinators to take action is . . . What would have to happen for you to place an initial order of three units of our new XYZ product? The key words are What would have to happen. Insert whatever is appropriate for the situation after the phrase What would have to happen. This question works like magic. It literally forces the procrastinator to think what the next steps ought to be. He tells you what the steps are and at the same time he tells himself what the steps are. It may be the single best way to un-procrastinate procrastinators. VII Asking For The Business Here are five powerful ways to ask for the order. This is not complicated. In fact its easy. It takes preparation and practice. Only a little of both is required. Most people can sense strength and weakness in salespeople. To avoid projecting weakness you must prepare in advance how you will ask for the business. Walk in with your chin up, a smile on your face, and know exactly how you are going to ask for the business. Five easy and effective ways to use when closing the sale: You should never be thinking about how youre going to do this when youre sitting in your customers office. Your customer will sense weakness and you will get pounded on your price. Here are 5 alternatives to consider: 1. We seem to be in agreement, what would you like the next step to be? 2. If I could take care of that concern, would you order the product from us today? 3. It seems like youve made up your mind to do this. Is that right? 4. I suggest an initial order of three units what do you think? 5. Do you have any questions, or are you ready to take the next step? Seal the Deal Sales Techniques Can you close a sale in just seven seconds? You can do it faster if you use a sales technique to make a great first impression. Seven seconds is the average length of time you have to make a first impression. Whether your initial meeting is face-to-face, over the phone or via the Internet, you do not have time to waste. It pays for you to understand the sales technique of how people make their first judgment and what you can do to control the results. Learn the Non-verbal Sales Technique: When you meet someone face-to-face, 93% of how you are judged is based on non-verbal data your appearance and your body language. Only 7% is influenced by the words that you speak. A good sales technique is to remember people do judge a book by its cover. When your initial encounter is over the phone, 70% of how you are perceived is based on your tone of voice and 30% on your words. Its not what you say its the way you say it. Choose Your First 12 Words: Although research shows words make up a mere 7% of what people think of you in a one-on-one encounter, dont leave them to chance. Express some form of thank you when you meet the client. Perhaps, it is Thank you for taking your time to see me today or Thank you for joining me for lunch. Clients appreciate you when you appreciate them. Use Their Name Immediately: Another forgotten sales technique is to remember there is no sweeter sound than that of our own name. When you use the client’s name in conversation within your first twelve words and the first seven seconds, you are sending a message that you value that person and are focused on him. Nothing gets other peoples attention as effectively as calling them by name. Pay Attention to Your Hair: Your clients will. In fact, they will notice your hair and face first. Putting off that much-needed haircut or color job might cost you the deal. Dont let a bad hair day cost you the connection. Shiny Shoes Sales Technique: People will look from your face to your feet. If your shoes arent well maintained, the client will question whether you pay attention to other details. Shoes should be as polished as your sales technique. They may be the last thing you put on before you walk out the door, but they are often the first thing your client notices. Walk Fast: A faster walker can be perceived as important and energetic just the kind of person your clients want to do business with. Pick up the pace and walk with purpose if you want to impress. A Good Business Handshake: The business handshake is an essential selling technique to make a lasting impression. The first move you make when meeting your prospective client is to put out your hand. There isnt a businessperson anywhere who cant tell you that the good business handshake should be a firm one. Yet time and again people offer a limp hand to the client. Make Stylish Introductions: The proper introduction is a selling technique used by all sales masters. It does matter whose name you say first and what words you use when making introductions in business. Business etiquette is based on rank and hierarchy. Honor the senior or highest ranking person by saying their name first. When the client is present, he is always the most important person. Say the clients name first and introduce other people to the client. The correct words are Id like to introduce or Id like to introduce to you followed by the name of the other person. Always Have Business Cards: Your business cards and how you handle them contribute to your total image. Have a good supply of them with you at all times since you never know when and where you will encounter a potential client. How unimpressive is it to ask for a persons card and have them say, â€Å"Oh, Im sorry. I think I just gave my last one away. You get the feeling that this person has already met everyone he wants to know. Keep your business cards in a card case, protected from wear and tear. You will be able to find them without a lot of fumbling around, and they will always be in pristine condition. Use Proper Body Language: The best selling technique is a smile. It tells your clients you are glad to be with them. Eye contact says you are paying attention and are interested in what is being said. Leaning in toward the client makes you appear engaged and involved in the conversation. Use as many signals as you can express interest. Research Papers on Important Sales TechniquesRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementThe Project Managment Office SystemOpen Architechture a white paperGenetic Engineering

A Study of Traffic Noise Affecting Residential Properties along Dissertation

A Study of Traffic Noise Affecting Residential Properties along Expressways - Dissertation Example Ethical Considerations 34 3.8: Strengths of the Methodology 35 3.9: Limitations of the Methodology 35 3.10: Summary 35 Chapter 4.0 Results and Discussion 36 4.1 Introduction 36 4.2 Interview Analysis 36 4.3: Personal Interpretation of the Researcher of Interviews 44 4.4: Summary 45 Chapter 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations 46 5.1 Introduction 46 5.2: Conclusion 46 5.3: Recommendations for Mitigating Traffic Noise 50 5.4: Recommendations for Future Research 50 5.5: Summary 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY 52 APPENDIX 55 A. Interview Letter 55 B. Consent Form 56 List of Figures and Photos Figure-1: Retrofitting Works along Fanling Highway for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.23 Figure-2: Retrofitting Works along Cheung Pai Shan Road for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦23 Figure-3: Use of Low Noise Material on Chiu Shun Road for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..24 Figure-4: Use of Low Noise Material on Deep Bay Link for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦24 Figure-5: Banning Heavy Vehicles on Tsing Fung Street during Nights, Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦25 Figure-6: Pedestrianisation Scheme at Causeway Bay for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.....26 Figure-7: Awareness Initiative by EPD on Noise Issue for figure in Chapter-2†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27 CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION 1.1: Introduction Road traffic has emerged as one of the most basic areas of concern for many residential properties across the world and Hong Kong is no more an exception when it comes to facing traffic noises and disturbance especially for residents residing along expressways. Road traffic has emerged as one of the prime reasons behind noise pollution affecting millions of people around the world. The situation is all the more worse for people residing along expressways as the traffic noise causes health concerns and frustration (Field, 1993). The level of traffic noises has been increasing at an alarming rate and householders are finding it difficult to maintain a healthy and noise free life. Moreover, traffic noises in wee hours affect the sleep and mood of householders leading to irritation and frustration (Espey and Lopez, 2000) The research aims to investigate traffic noise affecting residential buildings along expressways in Hong Kong. Hong Kong like any other city in the world faces its share of traffic noises affecting the life of millions of people. There is no doubt that the economy of Hong Kong has grown in last few decades mainly because of the expansion of business and commercial activities. This has also led to an increase in the level of traffic noises ad business and commercial activities are very much driven by transportation. The impact has been severe in densely populated areas of the city but even expressways have been the major concern for many householders considering the fact that large numbers of vehicles move at wee hours causing mental stress and hearing problems (Hughes and Sirmans , 1992) The Government of Hong Kong has been focusing on reducing the level of traffic noise by planning and policies implementation but the major issue of traffic noise for residents along expressways

Web Design Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Web Design Report - Essay Example The group’s choice to select Squarespace as the preferred content management system for this project is because it offers a lot of reliable features and template designs that have a friendly user interface. The valuable qualities of using Squarespace as the CMS for designing and developing the final website product outweigh the advantages of using another CMS system like Word Press or Joomla. Detailed descriptions of the benefits are explained below: Most Content Management Systems (CMSs) are created to help individuals who are not interested in not handling the technical part of building a website. The platform of the CMS should offer a simple design user interface for the end user. A system that has technical and hard to understand user interface configuration tend to demoralize an end user from the system. Therefore investing in a rich color background and text or attractive font is worthwhile to keep the admin and other users intrigued. The Squarespace CMS platform made it easier for the admin  customize the website content. The CMS platform also allows other authorized users to update content without having to get training regarding computer coding or technical language knowledge required for system maintenance. The Squarespace CMS platform template used to design the Connecting Syracuse system has a well-developed interface structure that enables easy placement of information on the webpage from the administration’s central interface. The customizable CMS tool utilizes the drag and drop functionality AJX function which enables the end web product system to have a consistent theme on all the web interface pages. This is advantageous since the system developer does not having to write the source code from scratch. These platform tools are good for web design beginners who want build customized front-end interfaces for a website without going into the technical sections. Clearly, using the Squarespace website builder is simpler as

Slavery in Classical Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery in Classical Greece - Essay Example Homer was one of the authors that put slavery into question. In his works he identifies economy as the main justification for slavery in ancient times. Homer describes slavery as â€Å"an inevitable consequence of war†. The ancient Greeks in Homer’s time saw slavery as only natural and that it was only possible to enforce because slave masters were superior to their slaves. In exploring the reality of slavery in ancient Greece, this essay explores the quality of slavery conditions in terms of working conditions, general treatment, slave rights, and social and legal securities. Helots were the foundation of the Spartan economy, essentially in mass food production. The helot population in Sparta outnumbered that of the citizens by far. The bid to control the large slave population is considered to have turned the Spartan society to a community well vast in military skills. The general treatment of the helot is seen a harsh in many accounts. It was mandatory for the helots to give a fixed amount of their farm produce to the state, although it is not apparent whether they were allowed to sell surplus produce and keep the returns for their own benefit. Helots were required to remain within the lands they were bonded to. In times of war they were required to act caterers and personal servants to warriors or serve as infantry assistants. Contrary to Athens, in Sparta, helots were considered as state enemies by law. They were required to wear humiliating clothing that would distinguish them from the rest of the Spartan population. Helots were publically punished and subjected to annual beatings to remind them of their servile place in society. The Spartan slaves were guided by strict codes of conduct and rules whose slightest defiance was met with dire consequences. The chief magistrate (ephors) declared ‘war’ on helots annually. This involved a hunting down, punishing and even killing of any helots who was thought to be ‘suspiciousâ₠¬â„¢. This was done by a private dispatch of proficient young men in the community, armed with swords. They killed helots they meet in the highways at night and sometimes they could set upon them in the light of day while they are working in the fields and brutally murder them. This directed violence was a strategy to keep the large helot population under control by instilling fear in them. The fact that there was no penalty for the murder of helot meant that Spartan slave s could never be assured of personal safety. Athens being a generally developed area, majority of its privately owned slaves worked as household slaves. They were tasked with household duties that were mainly domestic roles. However, some of the Athenian slave master involved salves in more complex domestic duties such as tutoring and caring for children. The kind of responsibilities required of an Athenian slave depended their ownership and level of education. Unlike their privately owned counterparts, state -own ed slaves have the opportunity of being absorbed to serve in relatively high social position within the community, such as bankers, secretaries and law enforcement. Often, slaves were used as security men for their masters and also as law enforcers for the state. Wealthy Athenian slave masters used skilled slaves as craftsmen in the workshops. In analyzing the relationship between Athenians and their slave it is important to pay particular

Impact of Foreign Bank Entry on Host Country

Impact of Foreign Bank Entry on Host Country Literature Review In many countries, the entry of foreign banks has been increased on a high scale during the 1990s especially in the countries which are less developed. Due to financial linearization policies, the entry of foreign banks operations increased during the early 1990s which in turn allowed foreign banks to set up their branches in host country and performing their operations (Claessens, et al. 2001).This rapid growth has led to many questions that are being raised for their presence in the domestic banking markets. The three major consequences which led to their tremendous growth are competition which will be affected by their presence, the efficiency of domestic banks and the less proof that we have about this consequences (Liebscher, et al. 2006). The only broad study was based on Claessens, et al. (2001) analysis which focused on the efficiency and competition effects of foreign banks entry. This study had various variables which measured income, profits and costs of domestic banks ref lecting changes in both competition and efficiency of domestic banking markets. It was a turn-around i.e. a negative relationship between the presence of foreign banks and factors like profitability, non-interest income and extra curricular income of the domestic banking markets. The size of the banks in terms of market share was supported by Claessens, et al. (2001) study due to only presence of foreign banks due to three factors. First, it led more demands for domestic banks to give up their profits and huge income. Secondly, it forces domestic banks to prove them to be more efficient which in turn will reduce costs. And finally, domestic banks will try to portrait few of the banking techniques and practices which will reduce costs. Though many emerging countries fear about letting foreign banks enter their host country, the liberalization of banking policies have made it clear that in an open market, they can face challenges about the entrants of foreign banks in the host country and their efficient working styles (Liebscher, et al. 2006). The entry of foreign banks will lead to two major effects. One, the domestic banks will be in the bad loans section due to attractive power of foreign banks and good practices which they follow. Two, the local banks can benefit from their better technologies that they use for learning. Though there will be competition possessed by both the domestic and foreign banks, one thing is for sure that domestic financial market will gain by lowering the interest rates for taking a loan (Mathieson, Schinasi and International Monetary Fund 2000). The authors Caprio and Honohan (2002) has discussed in more details about the factors which led to increase role of foreign banks in emerging markets. They said that the increase in ownership of foreign banks in emerging markets is one of the faces of the ongoing consolidation of banking system in both developed and emerging markets. The globalization of financial services industry, banks are facing more competition from non-bankers for credit and financial services, particularly security markets, which has put immense pressures on the interests rate margins and profits, which in turn has led to a change in the franchise value of banks (Folkerts-Landau and Chadha 1999). In the recent decades, banking has become information, communication and computation intensive industry. There is a decline seen in both domestic and across border to handle these activities (Mathieson, Schinasi and International Monetary Fund 2000). In many less developed countries, there is an inefficiency which is seen in domestic banks and there is a lack of competition among lenders in high borrowing costs and there is a limited financial access for many firms. The entry of foreign banks may increase the supply of credit and improve efficiency, by increasing the competition. However many banking theories have found an asymmetric relationship which demonstrates reducing access to credit for some firms by greater competition (Petersen and Rajan 1995). There is a huge amount of money involved in finding information about local firms which may limit foreign banks to cream-skimming, where they lend only to that firms who are more profitable and which adversely affect both domestic banks and firms that rely on them (Gormley 2007). The general liberalization of banking policy, many emerging markets have been reducing barriers to trade in the financial service since the early 1990s. There have been many significant changes in the re strictions of entry of foreign banks which have been motivated for improving the level of competition and efficiency in the banking sector. Mainly they have been triggered just to reduce the cost of restructuring and recapitalization which in turn is building an institutional structure in the banking sector which is healthier to future domestic and external shocks (Mathieson, Schinasi and International Monetary Fund 2000). Effects of foreign bank entry There are many effects which have given a sharp rise in the level pf participation of foreign banks entering a host country. The hosts country in which the foreign banks enter have a clear evidence that by entering into emerging markets, there will be an overall positive effect in the banking system in terms of its efficiency and stability of the system. Allowing foreign banks to enter is typically viewed as having the most beneficial effects when such entry occurs in the context of a more general liberalization of trade and production of financial services. It has been argued that general liberalization of trade in financial services induces countries to produce and exchange financial services. This in turn allows the domestic banks to inherit few of its services that are helpful in nature. This would be especially true for foreign branches of international banks since they are supervised on a consolidated basis. For example, the local subsidiary of international banks is an entity on its own Caprio and Honohan (2002). Failure of that will be in turn monitored by the parent bank. The new products and services provided by the foreign banks will give an idea for the domestic banks to follow the same to be more efficient by upgrading the quality and size of its staff. The branches and subsidiaries of major international banks have good practice of disclosure, accounting and reporting requirements that are closely aligned with international best practices. To inculcate this into the domestic bank market, the overall quality of the information about the state of the banking system will be improved on a high scale. Also, when crisis arise, foreign banks help the domestic residents to do their capital flight at home, thus, adding stability to the system. On the other hand, many argue that the entry of foreign banks in host country can worsen the banking system. If the domestic banks have weak capital and are inefficient in nature, for example, they may respond opposi te to increase foreign entry by undertaking high risks activities in an attempt to earn good returns. It has been seen during the early period of liberalization that foreign banks tend to attract or take less risky customers i.e. cherry-pick the most creditworthy domestic markets and customers, leaving behind more risky customers for the domestic market to serve. This happened during the liberalization period which hold loans with fixed interest rates and had to compete with other financial firms that were lending it on higher rates and offer high deposit interests rates. During this period, many disadvantaged institutions got worse; few of them undertook high returns with high risk activities (Mathieson, Schinasi and International Monetary Fund 2000). Apart from the impact of foreign bank entry upon the stability of domestic banks, there have been also concerns about the behavior of foreign banks. During the crisis period, it was noted that foreign banks were involved in lending mo ney to cross border financial firms than to lend it to domestic firms who were badly affected. In this way, the behavior turned out to be opposite thus violating the international practice that was followed. Finally, the issue concerning the supervision of foreign banks is of great concern. The entry of foreign banks is a means of importing supervision for at least a portion of the banking system, simultaneously improving the quality of staff and practices of domestic supervising. They site the examples of Banks of Credit and Commerce International which has fallen between the cracks that complex cross-border financial transaction undertaken by international banks may be difficult to supervise by either the host or home country supervisors (Mathieson, Schinasi and International Monetary Fund 2000). Despite worries that foreign firms could destabilize domestic finance, some countries have remained low on admitting the fact that foreign owned financial firms could destabilize the local financial system, thus, putting them out of business. It was seen that the prosperity of foreign banks in the host country tends to be correlated with that of the countries in which it operates; it would rather show a long-term commitment to the host countries. There is very little evidence to support these fears, despite the growing presence of foreign owned financial intermediaries, by improving the overall operating efficiency, thus, gaining improvements in both official and private elements on the financial infrastructure and long term growth (Levine, Loayza and Beck 2000). Foreign banks become more than niche player in financial sectors. In high income and upper middle income countries, they represent more that one in five of the banks which usually account for much less than 10 percent of local banking assets. Thus, they become niche player in catering international trade business and foreign companies. Even before the expansion takes place in the host country, foreign owned financial firms have a huge share in poorer countries. Even if they have high operating costs, foreign owned banks are more profitable than local banks which imitate their investment in good quality services. They also have high interest margins and high tax payments. The smaller the country the more likely is to reply on foreign owned banks. But few big countries like India and Indonesia have good amount of share of these foreign owned banks Caprio and Honohan (2002).

My Passion for Business Essay -- Admissions Essay, College Application

There are many dreams revolving around us, some that seem impossible to reach and other that are easily grasped. The diversity of this world is great, and not one person has the same story to tell as another; including me. Ever since I can remember I have been finding ways to be independent; my own women, or in this case, â€Å"little lady.† I would always try to do things my own way. There is a huge list of examples that I could give, but I have decided to discuss what I believe to be the one that would bring out a bit of awe and an understanding of what type of person I have been since a child. When I was younger, around the age of four, I would gather all of my toys that I possibly could. After a great amount accumulated, I would place them on blankets in the playground of our apartment. Then I would lay out papers by each toy with a price that I thought was fair but that would also bring in some, â€Å"mullah† for me. At the end of the day all of my toys were sold to the children that gathered in the playground; and I was able to buy new better toys with the earnings I had made. I ...