Introduction To Forensic Science

Introduction To Forensic Science Over the past decades, Forensic science has evolved and has been embraced by most states as a vital constituent of modern legal practice. It is widely used in courts as a major source for the outcome of a verdict. Forensic science has attained a merit of its own although it is relatively new in the jurisprudence world. As technology and science have evolved with time, more and new methodologies and practices in law realm have been established. In United States (U.S.) specifically, the application of utilizing forensic analysis has become a routine (James,2009). The rate at which forensic evidence is used in criminal courts depends on the type of offence. For example, for murder cases forensic science evidence is presented almost always. In criminal cases, a prosecution team commissions most of the forensic assignments. On the other hand, the legal team of the defendant can commission forensic assignments to challenge or check the prosecutions forensic evidence or to determine the innocence of the defendant. Forensic evidence has enabled to link offenders to their victims and crime scenes using physical evidence and also in identifying individuals without peer. With perspiration, a fleck of blood, saliva on a cups rim, a piece of hair among others has been successfully used to link a suspect to a crime. Innocent and wrongly accused individuals have been exonerated using such evidences. Persons who have been jailed for years have later been exonerated after DNA analysis has been carried out to prove their innocence. To yield positive results, crime laboratories have enforced professionalism, adopted reliable procedures and coordinated with both the legal and the scientific communities. Presently, for a scientific system to be accepted before a court, the evidence derived from it does not have to go through a prescribed test. For future admissibility of scientific evidence in court to be shaped, development of more newer and advanced forensic tools and techniques is being embraced as technology and time progresses. Thus, courts are increasingly relying more on scientific evidence to deliver a judgment. Problems Associated with Forensic Science and DNA Evidence. Evidences of forensic science should always be neutral. Scientists should not have any stake in the case outcome though this is not always the case. Numerous deficiencies have threatened to limit forensic services to the society and have therefore weakened its presumed scientific foundation. Below are some of the major problems in forensic science and DNA testing: Astounding Frequency of Cross-Contamination and Sample Mix-Ups A surprisingly high rate of errors in the laboratory is one of the emerging problems which involves cross-contamination and mix-up of DNA samples. Such errors appear to be persistent and crop up even in the accredited DNA labs. The forensic scientists though have managed to reduce such instances and thus the rate of DNA testing errors have been claimed to be low thus negligible, but growing evidence suggests otherwise. Bad Laboratories Uneven state of forensic DNA labs is another recognized chronic problem. Labs differ significantly in the care with which they authenticate their methods and the severity with which they are carried out. Procedures that are followed religiously in quality assurance and quality control in some laboratories are disregarded or followed constantly in others. Bad laboratories have always been there but detection of their shoddy work has always been complex (Neubauer, 2009),. This is because such labs are in jurisdictions which have traditionally safeguarded crime labs from external examination. For example according to Strutin: It is now recognized that the Houston Police Department (HPD) Crime laboratory did grossly inadequate incompetent and biased DNA and serology work for well over a decade before a team of television journalists exposed the problems in late 2002. Dishonest DNA Analysts Test results are at times falsified by deceitful DNA Analysts. This emerging problem has led to the analysts faking test outcome to cover up errors that come up from sample mix-ups and cross-contamination of DNA samples. Connecting the evidence and the suspect Nuclear DNA analysis being an exception, there is no other forensic method that has severely shown the capacity to persistently, with a high degree of assurance, exhibit a connection between a specific individual or source and the evidence. For instance, fingerprint analyses have more available research and conventional protocols than for bite marks analysis. There are also notable variations within the disciplines. For instance, all fingerprints evidence is not equally good reason being that the determination of a true value evidence is the latent fingerprint image quality. These disparities within and between the forensic systems disciplines bring to light a serious problem in the forensic community. Inadequate legal counsel is another major problem DNA testing will not solve. In some instances, defense counsel never consulted scientific experts. DNA Analysis in the forensic science is taking a slow speed on its road to admissibility. Insufficient funds are evident in certain jurisdictions and they therefore cannot send evidence items to private labs or establish own lab. Labs that perform tests have often had backlogs measured in months. A great burden is imposed by defense counsel, prosecutors and courts on labs time in discovery battles that often transpire when there are upcoming new techniques on forensic scenes. Though valuable forensic DNA evidence can be found in decades old samples, the DNA left in scenes of crime can be affected by factors like: sunlight, bacteria, moisture and heat among others. As a result, such DNA may not be used to give evidence and just like the fingerprints, analysts will not use DNA testing to give the time period when a suspect was at the scene of crime or at what time the suspect was there. Exoneration Based on DNA Evidence Cases that would have been impossible to prosecute before the arrival of DNA typing are now prosecuted. A number of states created DNA data bases on offenders that are known which they compare against unsettled crimes. Matches are provided from their databases which assist to successfully prosecute a handful of them. Persons wrongly convicted are exonerated by use of DNA which is termed as a legislative reform movement. Convictions can be successfully challenged using DNA analysis on existing evidence. To ensure that testimony and results can withstand rigorous examination and that they are of high caliber, high standards are maintained for the collection and preserving of evidence. DNA methodology of testing must also meet precise scientific criteria for accuracy and reliability. In future, we expect miniaturized portable instrumentation to provide crime scene analysis that will be computer-link remote analysis. This will allow quick identification and rapid elimination of innocent suspects. Availability of markers will also be needed to identify physical qualities of the DNA contributor. Using this information, it will be easy to narrow a suspect search with increase in efficiency and accuracy of operation. Conclusion It is clear that the United States justice system depends on the use of natural science-based forensic evidence, and admissibility is simply one of the steps evidence must satisfy to be utilized in the justice system. In the near future, it is very likely that the admissibility of science as evidence will be challenged in the United States Supreme Court as technology develops and allows researchers to gain precise results and understanding of the human body. At the present, it is too early to determine whether the Federal Rules of Evidence are outdated, however this does not mean that the construct of the legislation should not be reexamined. Forensic analysis, though controversial in many aspects, constitutes a primary source of information for the tier of fact when determining a verdict for a case. Thus, natural science-based forensic evidence should be carefully studied and examined thoroughly in order for justice to be properly achieved.

Different Perspectives Of Organisation Structure Commerce Essay

Different Perspectives Of Organisation Structure Commerce Essay There are many different perspectives on how an organisation should be structure but there is no particular way of structuring an organization. According to Contingency Theory so many factors such as size, Technology, Market etc, determine the structure of an organisation. Anon (2008). There is need for a design of an effective structure to reflect the objectives of the organisation and the context in which it operates (Fincham and Rhodes 1999: 355). This paper work considers the organisational structure of United Bank for Africa Plc and addresses the way in which the organisation is structure. Identify the organisational goals of United Bank for Africa Plc as expressed in the organisation mission and vision statement of the bank. Identify and examine the organizational contingencies of United Bank for Africa Plc. Assess the fit between the organisational structure of United Bank for Africa plc and its organisational goals. Suggest possible recommendation for improvement. OVERVIEW OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC. United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) is a full service financial institution operating in the banking industry. It is a product of the merger of Nigerias third (3rd) and fifth (5th) largest banks, namely the old UBA and the erstwhile Standard Trust Bank Plc (STB) respectively, and a subsequent acquisition of the erstwhile Continental Trust Bank Limited (CTB). (Anon 2010)) United Bank for Africa Plc is the biggest of all the 24 Banks operating in Nigeria. It has the highest number of branches of over 600 branches across the country and over 7 million customers. The Head office of the Bank is located at 57, Marina, Lagos Nigeria. UBAs history dates back to 1948 when the British and French Bank Limited (BFB) commenced business in Nigeria and the erstwhile STB and CTB both in 1990. Following Nigerias independence from Britain, UBA was incorporated in 1961 to take over the business of BFB.   Todays UBA emerged at a time of industry consolidation induced by regulation in year 2005. (Anon 2010) ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC Organizational structure according to Mintzberg (cited in Cole G: 184) is the sum total of the way in which it divides its labour into distinct task and then achieves coordination between them United Bank for Africa Plc operates a tall hierarchical flexible structure with some elements of Bureaucracy. United Bank for Africa Plc operating structure consists of six strategic business units: North Bank, South Bank, International Bank, Retail Financial Services, UBA Capital, Products and Segment Market and four strategic support unit: Finance, Risk Management, Operations and Internal Audit. At the very top of the firm is the Board of directors, reporting to them is the GMD/CEO. Reporting to him are the Heads of the strategic business and supporting units, who are Deputy Managing Director UBA Nigeria North, Deputy Managing Director UBA Nigeria South, CEO UBA Intl, CEO UBA Capital, Executive Director Product segment, Group Chief Finance Officer, Group Risk Officer, Group Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Group Internal Audit. The largest of these business strategic units, is UBA Nigeria South bank which is broken down into Regional Banks and further broken down into branches. The branches are located in different areas of the country. The Regional banks are being managed by Regional Bank Heads, reporting to them are the Regional Directors, and next are the Business Manager, followed by Profit Centre Manager and beneath are the Relationship Managers and operatives. Due to the size of the Bank, Head office is the strategic centre and has overall control of strategic planning, major policy decision, special project, product development, capital Budgeting and financial control. While the Regional Bank Heads, through the Regional Directors and Business Managers run the day to day operations of the branches. Each branch is given a yearly financial target and the performance of the branch is judged based on profitability. It will be noted that this is a divisionalized structured based on location (Cole 2004:) There are two major departments in the branch these are; the marketing department and the operation department. Various units operate under each of the department; these are customer service unit, cash and teller unit, funder transfer unit, admin unit(operation department) Local business unit, small business unit and mass market unit (Marketing department). While other departments like, Treasury, Corporate services, Credit, Trade operations etc, are centralised in head office. Tasks are assigned to unit and individuals. This can be likened to the principle of There is division of labour ( Linstead, Fulop and Lilley 2004:129) Job specialisation is deemphasised. Although there is written Job descriptions, stating the task attached to jobs and the person to whom the job holder is accountable for performance but a staff can be move from one unit to the other if a need arise. For example if there are many customers to be service at the cash and teller unit, some staff in fund transfer unit or customer service unit can be move to urgently assist in cash and teller unit. There is also departmental control function checklist, to monitor task done. Span of control, there are many authority level and close supervision of task, although there is no specify number of positions that can be coordinated by one supervisor, but the minimum number of staff that report to a supervisor is three. The diagram below shows the level of supervision in a Regional Bank. GMD/CEO Deputy Managing Director Regional Bank Head Regional Director Business manager Profit centre Manger Relationship Managers Operatives There are four levels of staff in the bank, they are, Top Management staff, Middle Management staff, Senior staff and the Junior staff. Staffs receive order directly from their immediate supervisors. Directives flow down from senior management (GMD/CEO, DMD), through middle management (Regional Bank Head, Regional Director), to senior staff who are the first line managers (Business manager, Profit centre manager) and subordinates (junior staff), and reporting relationship flow upward through same channel. This can be likened to Henry Fayols principle of scalar chain or chain of command. Anon (2008) The marketing staff .performs task functions that are directed towards specific and definable end results while the Operation staff performs functions that are designed to drive the system to achieve the set goals (Robin and Rodes 1999:357) Authority is widely diffused throughout every managerial level to senior staff level of the Bank. Cole G. (2004). Authority is decentralised but strictly Control. For example a Head Teller as the authority to recommend a Teller that is not performing to be move to another unit. The major policy decisions are centralized while operational responsibility is delegated (decentralized). For example, Senior management make Strategic decisions such as; technology or software to be employed by the organization; a major market or product change, mergers and acquisitions, capital budget and investments. Such decisions do have very great and latent effect on the future of the Bank. Regional Bank Heads are empowered to make tactical decisions which are product and market related decisions and are usually being made to outweigh competition and win more market share for the bank. Business managers are empowered to make operational decisions that affect the day to day running of the branch. The decisions at this level are usually on short and intermediate basis and they are usually being influenced by the unfolding realities in the market place. Business managers as the responsibility to manage their branches, but within an approved budget outside which their powers are strictly limited (Robin and Rhodes: 368). For instance, the business manager handle the capital expenditure and operating expenditure of the branch but there is a maximum amount a business manager can approve for a single expense and total amount that can be spent on operating and capital expenditure in a period. Any amount of expenditure that is above the business manger limit must be approved by the next line supervisor. There are specified laid down operational procedures, policies and manuals that specify standard of performance. These are: operation policy and control manual, staff hand book, expense empowerment policy, operational risk management policy, code of professional conduct and ethics, email policy, whistle blower protection policy, etc. These policies are to guide and bring uniformity in processing. For instance the expense empowerment policy is the rule guiding expenditure. It specify amount of money that can the approve by specified authorised person. There is a performance monitoring system named INFO POOL, which is driven by the principles of the Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard Approach is a strategic planning and management system that uses financial and non financial metrics as a business planning and performance measurement mechanism. Performance measurement is viewed from four perspectives: Financial, Internal process, Customer Service, and Learning and Growth. In order to assess employees performances, financial and non-financial key performance indicators (KPIs) was developed along the Balanced Scorecard dimensions. To drive this new performance management system, management introduced performance incentive pay to boost employee morale and increase productivity. High performers are objectively identified and rewarded appropriately in line with predetermined percentages of their pay. ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL: The goals of United Bank for Arica plc are highlighted below: To be the reference point for service, quality and innovation in the financial services industry and to achieve significant difference between UBA and other banks on all key parameters. Anon(2010) It desires to occupy the foremost position amongst its peers in the industry along key metrics: market share, profitability, balance sheet size etc. Anon(2010) It desires to achieve a clear and significant lead over peers along all key measures and significantly influence financial services industry policy and direction. Anon(2010) It desires to provide a broad range of financial services products and services offerings to meet the needs of its chosen market segments. Anon(2010) It primary focus shall be on the African region where it intends to deploy its array of financial services products and service offerings. To also maintain a selective presence in key locations worldwide on an opportunistic basis. Anon(2010) Business decisions shall be driven by the desire to achieve significant value-added for all stakeholders. Anon(2010) Putting in place governance and strategic management practices that ensure that this organization will successfully anticipate and respond to environmental discontinuities and effectively manage leadership transitions at all levels. Anon(2010) ORGANIZATIONAL CONTINGENCIES United Bank for Africa Plc is faced with various numbers of organisational contingencies and these contingencies have equally affected the manner in which the organisation is structure. The organisational contingencies are; Size Technology Environment Government Regulator Risk and control environment Size United Bank for Africa Plc is a big bank broken down into Regional Banks with over 600 branches in Nigeria and over 13,000 employees. The branches are classified into four different categorises according to their location, operational size and environment. These are large branches, medium branches, basic branches and macro branches. The size of the bank has led to Standardisation of procedures, processing methods and employment practices, specialisation of function and role, and formalisation of documentation(Cole 2004:186) to enhance process uniformity across the Bank. This can be likened to Lawrence and Lorsch concepts of differentiation and integration Anon (2008:28). Differentiation approach because the bank is broken into Regional Banks and Branches and each of these branches operates in different locations and environments. This is also similar to Integration approach because there is standardize roles and regulation, operational policy manual guiding the operation of the branc hes and enhancing uniformity in processing and service method. It can also be argued that the structure has the six primary variable of structure as identified by the Aston Studies Anon (2008) Technology: Technology plays a vital role in the financial sector. In response to the demand for quick efficient and reliable services, The Bank as deployed technology- driven products and services as means of influencing and redefining customers behavioural pattern and life style. Well developed outsourcing support functions are increasingly used to provide services and manage cost. For example; ATM networks, cards processing, bill presentment and payment, software development, call centre operations and network management. According to Wood wards studies UBA PLC can be refer to as process industry authority and power are decentralized and responsibilities are delegated by line supervisors, employee receive order from one superior only Cole(2004: 86.) The span of control is high at the senior management level, for example ten strategic unit heads report directly to the group managing director and this decreases at the middle management. For example at the branch level the business manager is the managing director of the branch and reporting to whom is the branch operation manager and the three profit centre manger. Employees are knowledgeable of the banks products and processing methods. Employees are committed to organisation task as defined in their job descriptions. Environment: UBA Plc Operate in competitive and an uncertain environment where market keeps changing for example Customers are now becoming more knowledgeable and financially savvy. Their benchmark for service quality has also risen aided by the intense competition among financial services providers to attract new customers. Customers now set the agenda and influence decisions. Be slow or inflexible the business moves over to the competition. In order to achieve the banks aspiration or goals, it resolves to remain customer centric and bring decision making closer to the frontline. With this, the business units respond flexibly and promptly to the different requirements of the bank targeted customers. It this can be likened to organic structure which emphasize decentralization to achieve flexibility and adaptability Government Regulator The central Bank of Nigeria is the main regulator in the financial sector in Nigeria, they play a vital role in the structure of a bank and they also control and monitor the operation of the bank through various policies, rules and regulations, for example there must be a CBN approval and license for a bank to operate, CBN must approve the appointment of board of directors of the bank and the managing director of a bank. In year 2009 CBN came out with a policy that state an individual person can only spend maximum of ten years as the managing director of the bank and also do give approval for the opening and closing of banks branches. The bank has a both Compliance and Statutory Audit Committee Units. The Compliance unit is headed by the Chief Compliance Officer who then reports to the Group Chief Risk Officer. A major role of the unit is to ensure that the bank does not infract any regulatory rules and /or regulations. Similarly, the Statutory Audit committee whose primary function is to monitor the process design to ensure compliance by the group in all respect with regulatory requirements, including disclosure, controls and procedures (Anon: 2010). Risk and control environment Risk management is integral to the Banks strategy setting process, it is an essential tool for achieving the Banks objectives. This is achieved by keeping risk management at the centre of all executive agenda and building a culture in which risk management is embedded and integrated in all banking activities (Anon 2010). Towards this end, UBA Plc has in place robust risk management policies and mechanism to ensure identification of risk and effective control. The bank (UBA PLC) has defined and established appropriate governance arrangements with clear roles and reporting lines for risk management in the Bank. The Board of directors is the highest risk management policy approval body and has the ultimate responsibility for the Banks credit, market, operational, and other risk. The Bank has Risk management group these include Credit Risk management Group, Market Risk Management Group, Operational and IT Risk Management Group. Each Risk Management Group has direct responsibility for the development of its risk management frame work and they report directly to the Group chief Risk officer who in turn report to the General managing director, who also report to the Board of directors. FIT BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND GOALS: There is little fit between United Bank For Africa plc structure and its organisational goals. The structure supports some of the organisational goals. Delegation of decision making to the frontline where the work is performed is targeted towards the goal to occupy the foremost position amongst its peers in the industry along key metrics: market share, profitability, balance sheet size. Delegation of decision making has enable business unit to respond flexibly and promptly to different requirement of customer and has resulted in the achievement of some of its goals for example The Bank gross earnings increase by 45.6 % to N246.7 billion in the last financial year ended December 2009 as against N169 billion in year 2008. This was achieved as a result of the bank expansion to other African country, its lending activities and other activities in the African country. UBA current operation in 19 African countries, New York London and Paris this an evidence that the bank has set its foot p rints across Africa and other continent. The bank has a strict regulatory and compliance framework by ensuring that there a zero tolerance to fraud and other policy infractions. This culture is greatly supported by its compliance and audit check committee and strict internal control system which are entrenched across every strata and operational levels in the bank and targeted towards the goal of abiding by the utmost and ethical standard and It desires to achieve a clear and significant lead over peers along all key measures and significantly influence financial services industry policy and direction. The usage of outsourcing support functions to provide services such as; ATM networks, card processing, bill presentment and payment, software development, call centre operation and net work management etc, is targeted towards It desires to provide a broad range of financial services products and services offerings to meet the needs of its chosen market segments. The bank is currently providing various ranges of products and services to its customers. The bank has introduced a lot of technological driven product such as, mobile banking, automated teller machine (ATM), Udirect or internet banking, etc. With these product customers do not need to get to the bank to consummate their financial transaction. With internet banking and mobile banking customer can transfer fund from one account to the other, customer receive notification of consummated transaction on their account on their mobile phone, and customer can make cash withdrawal from the ATM. There are also different types of loan product a customer can access in the bank depending on the customer type of business, income level, place of work etc. For example the bank has loan facility structured strictly for customers that are under pay employment such loans are NO wahala loan, executive loan, assets finance loan etc. While customers that are not under pay employment can access Temporary overdraft and commercial loan. The structure at the same time is not supporting some goals of the organisation because of some element of bureaucracy in its structure. There are so many operational and procedural bottlenecks, unnecessary paper work that slow down transaction, time consuming procedure, and internal control of maker/checker/verifier. This defeats the organisational goal of being the reference point for service, quality and innovation, the bank is more control focused than being customer centric. For example, the newly introduced account reactivation procedures which is encumbered with a lot of rework and not cost and time effective in the sense that an address verification and Know Your Customer procedure would need to be carried out again before an existing customer of the bank can re- activate his/her account and this negates the banks service quality drive. There is also a mismatch in between the organisational structure and the organisational goal in the area of branch management. The branches are profit centres. The branch managers are expected to generate income and pay all operating bills including salaries. The business managers focus more on cost optimization in other to generate profit as against being customer centric. The business managers compromise a lot of things like availability of working resources and maintenance of office equipments. All these equipments frequently break down because they are not service as at when due and has also resulted in service failure and customer dissatisfaction. Customers spend more time in the banking hall because of the limited number of staff available to attend to their requests. Another major mismatch is the limitation and control of the empowerment policy. For instance, Business Managers cannot approve certain level of expenditure which are very vital to their daily operations. Such include the purchase of fuel, stationeries, amongst others. Conclusion: Having examined the various theoretical approaches to organisational structure design, it can be concluded that there is no best way of structuring an organisation; so many factors such as size, environment and technology contribute to the way in which an organisation is structured. The goal of an organization is also a factor to consider when structuring an organisation. Considering the structure of United Bank for Africa plc some elements of Bureaucracy in its structure is creating operational and procedural bottlenecks and will be required to be check. Although, the structure is flexible and respond quickly to environmental changes. Anon 2008). The following is recommended for improvement. Job holder should be empowered and be held fully accountable for job done. According to Cole G. (2004:200) Authority should be commensurate with responsibility That is job holder should have the authority to take decision on their job. The bank should adopt a lean structure which will help to reduce the number of levels and unnecessary administrative over head. Fincham and Rhodes(2003) Purchasing of office equipment, materials and maintenance of equipment should be centralized in order to take advantage of bulk purchase and manage cost effectively. The bank can also adopt a Radical Decentralization Anon (2008) structure by decentralizing corporate functions to operational division. This will strengthen the branches, improve communication, human cooperation, encourage team work and eradicate staff/line conflict. Linstead, Fulop and Lilley (2004)

Shakespeare :: essays research papers

William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was baptized on April 24, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. He was the third of eight children born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. John was a well-known merchant and Mary was the daughter of a Roman Catholic member of the gentry. Shakespeare was educated at the local grammar school. According to history, Shakespeare was the eldest son, and he should have been the apprentice to his father's shop so that he could be taught everything his father knew and soon take over the business. But instead he was the apprentice to a butcher because of the trouble in his father's financial situation. Another story says that Shakespeare became a schoolmaster. Shakespeare was allowed a lot of free time when he was young. This was suggested by historians that his plays show more ideas of hunting and hawking than do those of other play writers. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer. He was thought to have left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park of Sir Thomas Lucy. He was a local justice of the peace. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway had a daughter in 1583 and twins- a boy and a girl- in 1585. The boy however, eventually did not live. Shakespeare apparently arrived in London around 1588 and by 1592 had gained success as an actor and a playwright. Shortly after that, he secured the business of Henry Wriothesley, 3rd earl of Southampton. The publication of Shakespeare's two poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) and some of his Sonnets (published 1609), established a reputation for him as a talented and popular Renaissance poet. The Sonnets describe the devotion of a character to a young man whose beauty and charm he praises and to a mysterious and untrue woman with whom the poet is afraid. The following triangular situation, resulting from the attraction of the poet's friend to the woman, is treated with passionate intensity and psychological insight. However, Shakespeare's modern reputation is based mainly on the 38 plays that he wrote, modified, and collaborated on. When in his days, these plays frequently had little respect by his educated friends, who considered English plays of their own to be only tasteless entertainment. Shakespeare's professional life in London was marked by a number of financially beneficial arrangements that allowed him to share in the profits of his acting company, the Chamberlain's Men, later called the King's Men.

Wars Of The Roses :: essays research papers

In the late 1400’s the House of York fought the House of Lancaster for the English crown. Because Lancaster’s heraldic badge was a red rose and the Yorks was a white rose, the long conflict became known as Wars of the Roses. The real lives of the main participants of the Wars of the Roses will be displayed in this paper. In Shakespeare’s Richard III the participants in the Wars of the Roses were not suitably displayed. The participants in Shakespeare’s Richard III were Henry Tudor, Clarence, Edward V, Richard III; Queen Margaret will have their lives displayed in this paper. In the Shakespeare play Richard III was depicted as a malformed mean, ill looking, tyrant. But this was not the case. Richard III was a nice and handsome man. Shakespeare only did this so that Queen Elizabeth would be pleased with what she saw when she went to watch the play. Because Queen Elizabeth was a Lancaster, Shakespeare wanted her family to look noble. Richard III couldn’t have been deformed as Shakespeare said that he was, because in real life Richard III was a knight that fought in battles. He couldn’t have been deformed if he were a knight because he would have to fight with his sword and shield. www.yahoo.com search stated that in the play Clarence was a good guy who loved everybody, but in real life Clarence was jailed and executed for committing treason. www.altavista.com search engine said that in the play, Shakespeare said that Richard had Clarence killed so that he could have an uncontested line to the throne. Shakespeare also said that Richard killed young Edward V and his brother so that he could be next in line for the crown. But that is not true for Richard really didn’t do it. There is a lot of speculation about rather Richard did it or not. There is more evidence supporting Richard. Some scholars believe that Richard didn’t trust the Southern English so he sent young Edward V and his brother up north to be guarded by one of Richard’s consultants by the name of Sheriff Hutton. www.richardIII.com stated that Shakespeare also said that Richard married Lady Anne but later killed her. In real life Clarence, disguised as a guardian, hid her in a London bakery. Richard later found her and brought her to a church sanctuary so that they could have a legal marriage, in which they later did. Shakespeare also said that Richard was always plotting ways that he could become king such as killing his brother Clarence and killing young

The Iliad and the Fate Of Patroclus :: Iliad essays

The Iliad and the Fate Of Patroclus      Ã‚   Throughout The Iliad Of Homer, the constant theme of death is inherently apparent.   Each main character, either by a spear or merely a scratch from an arrow, was wounded or killed during the progression of the story.   For Zeus' son, Sarpedon, it was a spear through the heart, and for Hector, it was the bronze of the mighty Achilles through his neck which caused his early demise.   It seems that no one could escape an agonizing fate.   Of these deaths, the most interesting and intriguing death of all is that of Achilles' dear friend Patroclus.   Although his life was taken by the mighty Hector's spear, who was truly liable for his death?   The intricate story line of The Iliad makes many possible answers available, but only one possibility accurately explains the actions and events that led to this gruesome episode. Patrocles was responsible for his own death.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, Patrocles was responsible for his own death because he requested his insertion into the battle, fully knowing that the Achaeans were being unmercifully defeated.   In Book XVI , Patroclus said,      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   " Send me forth now at the head of the Myrmidon host   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That I may be a light of hope to the Danaans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And let me strap on my shoulders that armor of yours   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   That the zealous Trojans take me for you and quickly   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Withdraw from the fighting."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because Achilles refused to help the Achaeans battle the Trojans, a discontented Patroclus took the matter into his own hands by requesting activation into battle disguised as Achilles in the hope of sending the Trojans into a full retreat from the sight of him.   It is apparent that Patroclus was willing to fight although the odds were greatly against him.   His vehemence towards the Trojans coupled with his disappointment of Achilles gave him the drive to conquer the Trojan army with or without the aid of Achilles.   In doing so, Patroclus took an enormous risk that the Trojans would fall for his trick, a risk with his life as the stakes.   Essentially, while pleading to Achilles for battle, it was his own dark death for which he plead.

Projects and Project Management Essay

Organizational leaders are facing complex challenges through a rapid rate of change in both the technology and government which has then created pressure in new and existing organizations. As a result, the traditional structure for managing is giving way to a new form of management (Kerzner, 2003). This form is project management. How can this be? Projects have been around since the building of the pyramids (Dobson, 2003). In 2650 B.C., the step pyramid was built by Imhotep for the pharaoh Zoser in Egypt. The building of Stonehenge occurred about 150 years later. In another 2,500 years, the Mayans began building pyramids throughout Central America. These were the very first projects in history. The builders of these structures used simple tools and did not have paper or software programs (Lewis, 1995). The beginning of project management as a discipline began in the 1950Â’s and 1960Â’s in the United States but was not generally accepted until today. The purpose of this initial lecture is to help you in: 1.Recognizing projects. 2.Developing an understanding of project management. 3.Recognizing the project management process. This lecture will support these objectives by providing you with definitions, examples and descriptions of projects and project management. Additionally, the lecture will conclude with a brief description of the project management process. ProjectsIn business today, there are many types of projects with endless possibilities. A project can be:Developing a new product or service. Implementing a new business process. Developing a marketing plan. Completing an assignment. According to Lewis (1995:2) a project is: “a one-time job that has definite starting and ending points, clearly defined objectives, scope and (usually) a budget.” The key words in this definition are underlined to aid you in differentiating between a project and a repetitive process or operation such as order processing or production. Operations and projects share characteristics. They are both:Performed by people. Constrained by limited resources. Planned, executed and controlled (PMI, 2000:4-5). However, a project can be differentiating from an operation by its distinctive characteristics. As the Project Management Institute (2000: 4-5) explains: “a project is a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service.” In this definition, temporary refers to the definite beginning and end while unique refer to the difference of the project from others. For seemingly repetitive actives like building houses from the same blueprint that are always unique features and problems. For example, the climate may vary or there could be special restrictions for zoning. Another view of a project is provided by (Kerzner, 2000:2) as a series of tasks that:Have a specified objective to be completed within certain specifications. Have a defined start and finish. Consume human and nonhuman resources (such as money, time, expertise, equipment). Are multifunctional (they cut across functional lines such as marketing, design, development, production and so forth). Project ReviewA project is a one-time job. This is:Temporary. Unique. With a clear start & finish. Consuming resources (human and nonhuman)Budgeted, if appropriate. Multifunctional (cuts across different functions). A quality expert, Dr. J.M. Juran, defines a project as a problem scheduled for solution. From this perspective, a project is conducted to solve a problem for an organization. The problem(s) are solved by project work teams and the project manager (Lewis, 1995). Project ManagementThe best way to learn about project management is to understand what it is not. Project Management is not software and it is not just scheduling (Lewis, 1995). Project management has two aspects (Heerkins, 2002: 6):The art Ââ€" leading people on a project. The science Ââ€" defining and coordinating the work to be done. According to Lewis (1995:4-5), project management is the: “planning, scheduling, controlling of project activates to achieve performance, cost, and time objectives for a given scope of work using resources efficiently and effectively.” As a project manager you will always manage competing demands for people, money and time to meet specified project goals and requirements. Sound tough? It can be. It can also be challenging and help you to develop your management skills. There are both ProÂ’s and ConÂ’s of being a project manager (Heerkins, 2002: 3). ProÂ’sIt can be a steeping stone to promotion. It provides a strong sense of accomplishment. ThereÂ’s variety: no two days are alike. ThereÂ’s significant freedom of choice. It affords the opportunity to effect change across the organization. ConÂ’sIt requires significant tolerance for politics. It requires significant tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty. ThereÂ’s a lot of responsibility, but little or no affordability. You may feel “disconnected” from your technical discipline and prior work experiences. You may be perceived as not having a “real job.”The advantages and disadvantages of project management as outlined by Kerzner ( 2003:3) are:Potential BenefitsIdentification of functional responsibilities to ensure all activities is accounted for in the project. Measurement of accomplishment against tasks. Improved capability for future planning. Identification of:oTime limits. oMethodologyPotential BarriersProject complexity. Special requirements and changes per customer. Organizational restructuring. Project risks. Changes in technology. Project management calls for the creation of a small organizational structure Ââ€" the project team. This team is often multifunctional and is representative of the larger organization (Heerkins, 2000). For example, the project team may consist of a data analyst from research, a customer service representative, a person from finance and so forth. Also, as the learning team is your partners in learning, the project team will be your partners throughout the project management process. This process involves:Defining the goal of a project. Determining the results you expect from your project. Working within a budget. Setting-up a schedule. Selecting your teams and establishing roles. Making sure tools and technology are in place. Monitoring on-going process. Maintaining team morale. Dealing with problems that may arise. Keeping stakeholders (such as customers, clients, and executives) informed of your progress. Brining the project to a conclusion. Accessing what went right and what went wrong (Mintzer, 2002:5-8). It is important to note that these activities within this process are iterative in nature because there will be progressive elaboration on each activity throughout the life cycle of the project. As the Project Management  Institute describes, “project management is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements (2000:6).” In summary, project management is an emerging profession that is both art and science which follows processes to bring about the successful completion of a project. Project Management ReviewProject Management depends on a project team that is:Cross-functional and diverse in experience and expertise. Representative of the larger organization. Motivated to bring the project to a conclusion. Project Management is:An art and a science. The planning, scheduling and controlling project activities. The measurement of accomplishment against goals and requirements. An emerging profession with the goal to bring projects to completion on time and within the budget. SummaryThis lecture has covered both projects and project management. It will give you a basis for understanding the complexities, challenges and opportunities of the project management process. This lecture was developed to help you in: 1) recognizing projects, 2) developing an understanding of project management 3) and recognizing the project management process. References Dobson, M.S. (2003). Streetwise Project Management, How to Manage People. Processes and Time to Achieve the Results You Need. Avon, MA.: Adams Media Corporation. Heerkens, G.R. (2002). Project Management, a Briefcase Book. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kerzner, H. (2003). Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 8th Ed. New York: Wiley. Lewis, J.P. (1995). Project Planning, Scheduling, and Control, A Hands-On Guide to Bringing Projects in on Time and on Budget, Chicago: Irwin Professional Publishing. Project Management Institute (2000). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, PPMBOK Guide. An American National Standard, ANSI/PMI 99-001-2000. Newton Square, PA.: PMI. Mintzer, R. (2002).The Everything Project Management Book, Tackle any Project with Confidence and Get it Done on Time. Avon, MA.: Adams Media Corporation.

Advantege and Disadvange Fo T.V

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement: If parents want their children to do well at school, they should limit the time their children spend on watching TV. With the rapid development of our society, there are an increasing numbers of people who are concerned about whether parents should restrict the amount of time their children spend on watching TV. Some people assert that the watching TV could stimulate children’s learning and creativities and it would not cause any harm to children, yet it’s not surprising that others have opposite attitudes toward this controversial issue.Despite many diverse opinions aired by different people based on their personal stance, there can be no doubt that watching too much TV programs would lead to adverse effects on children. The first reason I want to put forward is that there are too many inappropriate images and violent content on TV and those programs would impact children and teens negatively. For instance, student s may consider that violence is acceptable behavior to solve their problems in school.In this way, misbehaving students undoubtedly would interfere with their peer’s learning and add additional stresses on teachers. Studies also show that children who watch too much TV programs would become more aggressive and violent, and perform poorly in study. As you can see, parents should prevent their children from wasting too much time on TV owing to students may imitate the unsuitable behavior on TV. Another reason worth mentioning is that students who spend most of their time on watching TV would result in their reluctance toward school works and outdoor activities.Watching animated cartoons and fascinating movies is the most crucial part of their daily life and children from those indulgent families don’t want to put effort into their studies which is less attractive to them. In order to prevent children from being coach potatoes, parents should reduce their child’s a ccess to TV and encourage them to get some exercise which could help them to refresh their body and mind. There is no denying that adolescents who watch too much TV program would crowd out their study time. Finally, students who spend less time on TV would have more chances to get along with peers.Since human can’t live without interacting with other people today, students have to learn how to cooperate and communicate with others in their early stage. As you can imagine, child who engages in school activities or joins some associations would feel they are part of the groups and this is expected a crucial impetus that spurs students to perform well in school. By and large, students would gain more benefits while they spending less time on TV programs and parents have to assist them to avoid from indulgent lifestyles.After taking all aspects into consideration, I firmly believe that parents have to set rules to limit their children’s TV time and it’s not an exagg eration to say that adolescent who follows this rule would have better performance and achievement in school. Parents should limit children’s time watching TV and playing computer games, do you agree or disagree? Though they may love it, parents should limit their children’s time watching TV and playing computer games due to the bad effects upon their children.In contrast, they should encourage their children to read books. Today’s TV programs and computer games are often fit with violent behavior such as abuse, kidnap, murder, fights and so on for commercial purposes. Children who view these events are likely to believe that the world is scary and something bad will happen to them. This fear is simply caused by the inability of children to tell the difference between the fantasies presented on the TV and the reality. Besides, children may also imitate the bad behaviors and attitudes shown through the TV programs.Therefore, children should be discouraged from wa tching TV and playing computer games. Meanwhile, watching TV and playing games are said to be unhealthy Based on research, the obesity level has increased among children because they are inactive while watching TV and playing games as they do not exercise or play outdoor games. Moreover, fast food and junk food advertisements such as soft drinks which are shown in TV also influence children to consume them and similarly leads to obesity due to high cholesterol and sugar level.Conversely, parents should encourage their children to read more books for it is benefiting. In fact, reading can increase the ability of children in understanding new subjects and information. Reading out loud also exposes children to proper grammar, phrasing and language skills. On top of that, reading books can also allow children to enlarge their knowledge of fractural information, learn more about the world and increase their understanding of humanity.All these positive influences from the right books supp ort parents to insist their children to read books instead of watching TV or playing computer games. In conclusion, parents should insist their children read books instead of watching TV or playing computer games. Accordingly, parents can actually set up a schedule for their children to ensure that they spend their leisure time in the right way by reading books and have a limited time to watch TV and play computer games.This could indirectly discipline their children too. Television and Childre Why and to what extent should parents control their children’s TV watching? There is certainly nothing inherently wrong with TV. The problem is how much television a child watches and what effect it has on his life. Research has shown that as the amount of time spent watching TV goes up, the amount of time devoted not only to homework and study but other important aspects of life such as social development and physical activities decreases.Television is bound to have it tremendous impa ct on a child, both in terms of how many hours a week he watches TV and of what he sees. When a parent is concerned about the effects of television, he should consider a number of things: what TV offers the child in terms of information and knowledge, how many hours a week a youngster his age should watch television, the impact of violence and sex, and the influence of commercials. What about the family as a whole? Is the TV set a central piece of furniture in your home!Is it flicked on the moment someone enters the empty house? Is it on during the daytime? Is it part of the background noise of your family life? Do you demonstrate by your own viewing that television should be watched selectively? Since television is clearly here to stay. it is important that parents manage their children’s TV viewing so that it can be a plus rather than a minus in the family situation. Violence on Television It has not yet been definitively proven that viewing violence on television will lead a child into violent behavior.But even experts agree that it’s not good for a child to be exposed constantly, several hours a day, day after day. week after week, to television violence. Research has shown that such exposure has at least four effects: children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others; they may become more fearful of the world around them; they may be more likely to behave in an aggressive manner toward other people; they may get an unrealistic sense of the amount of true violence that exists in the world.One interesting theory is that children choose active violent programs because it gives them a feeling of activity with all the sensations of involvement while enjoying the safety and security of total passivity. They are enjoying a simulation of activity in the hope that it will compensate for the actuality that they are involved in a passive, one-way experience. http://www. english-test. net/forum/ftopic75922. html http://www. jamesabe la. co. uk/exams/sampleanswers/Parentingessay. pdf