Americana Group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Americana Group - Research Paper Example The group encompasses the most recognized brands globally and includes in its list of franchise brands worldwide known brands like Pizza Hut, KFC, Hardee’s Costa Coffee, Krispy Kreme, and TGI Friday’s; recently the group has took over the franchisee of Signor Sassi. In addition, with a proper understanding of the Middle Eastern taste the Americana Group has created 6 own brands which are also equally successful among its consumers as global counterparts of the aforementioned successful brands (Americana Group, 2012). The project critically evaluates the trends of marketing environment by using the PEST analysis, a complete market analysis is performed to gather information about the nature of product, market operations along with the type of strategy the firm has undertaken over the years and also determine the strategic option which is made available to the firm. Finally, a set of recommendation has been provided to America group stating the strategy that the company s hould adopt for its further operation considering the skills, resources and capabilities available to the firm. ... Americana Group deals in restaurants and holds franchise for some big brands globally and includes consumer food and food related products in its product category. It has been analyzed there exists a huge demand for Quick Service, Casual Dining and Fine Dining categories and with change in consumers taste and preference the fast food centers have gained a huge attraction and are expected to grow globally in the near future. Therefore, PEST analysis has been adopted to critically evaluate the marketing trends. PEST Analysis PEST is used to scan the general market environment and is referred to political, economical, social and technological factors. It helps to detect as well as monitor the weak signals that might affect the working of the organization (Henry, 2008, p. 51). Political Factor: Americana Group deals with restaurants and consumer food products and operates on international grounds and therefore the political factors plays an important role in dealing and setting up of fra nchise in foreign countries. Different countries impose different laws and it is important for the company to comply with the concerned rules and regulation to successfully operate in international countries. Economic Factor: When the countries perform well the business operating in the area also seems to have performed well and has an opportunity to increase its revenue and profit. Americana Group based in Kuwait has been operating in the MENA region and has tasted success over the years and has its operation franchised globally. It can be inferred that the economic condition are important while implementing the marketing strategies. For example, when Americana Group goes for international expansion along with the political factors

Patient Classification System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Patient Classification System - Essay Example This perception distinguishes important patient characteristics and helps in staffing procedures for fairness in patient staffing and enhancing excellence of care and performance. Information acquired with the use of the PCS can be used by nurse leaders to efficiently and impartially lobby for proper patient care resources (Harper, et al. 2007). To get the required care that is adequate to their uneven patterns of acuity, patients repeatedly shifted a number of times throughout their small of stay in hospital. Because of these shifting, patients some times miss or get their treatment delayed which in turn cause medication errors, patients falling, and personal contact with several caregivers or related health experts. This cause an enlarged workload index, responsibilities and physical movement, which is innate in existing nursing care models and it attach no worth to patients’ care outcomes. The majority of tools for gauging acuity do not reflect on the effects of repeated shifting of patients on healthcare centers or nursing units. However, the estimate of slanted procedures for patients’ acuity, transformed to a workload index, is the process the majority nursing division resources and plans the number of nursing hours per patient day. Present day’s customary nursing unit might move or discharge an astounding 40% to 70% of its patients each day. A rational workload index is a vital evaluator of withholding of nurses; therefore, it is a main area of prospect as it is linked to the flow of patients and the progress of innovative nursing care models. Throughout the last decade, the difference between critical care and medical-surgical care units was uncertain with a rising acuity of patients, ensuing in the development of progressive care units. Patients are admitted to progressive care units as the patients need immediate mechanical aeration, infusions of vasopressors, or physiological

China and WTO Essay Example for Free

China and WTO Essay Since 2001 the world has witnessed a rapid growth of China in terms of its economy. With the goods having a â€Å"Made in China† label becoming a frequent part of our lives, China paves its way ever on the road to success. The credit to such a boom in the country’s trade (peculiarly exports) goes to one key factor: Globalization. Cognizant of the World Trade Organization’s potential to let China fully practice Globalization, right after its membership of WTO China marked an instance of global significance. Today with the steps of China gradually turning the uni-polar world into a bi-polar one, the analysts of global trade and economy predict China to soon supplant the United States, wholly on the basis of its tenacious economic stand. Initially, this paper attempts to develop a comprehension of rudimentary concepts pertaining to the World Trade Organization, Globalization and China. The paper further elucidates the major argument by a conscientious analysis of China’s practice of Globalization, accession to WTO, different attitudes about a Globalized China and impacts of its WTO membership not only on the country itself but also on the whole world. Introduction: It is a datum of experience that in the scene of modern existence globalization has emerged as an inevitable process. With its instruments like the World Trade Organization, Globalization has profoundly penetrated into the roots of the modern economic system thereby affecting different nations differently. With WTO and economic globalization being in vogue in the business world, what remains the topic of a controversial debate is the entrance of China into WTO. Previously a member with average participation in the international trade, China has established itself as one of the top most economies of the contemporary world immediately after signing the agreement with WTO in the year 2001. As the concerned year marked a celebration for China, it also proved as a sinister for many other nations that had been dominating the international trade before China’s formal stepping into it. With a multifaceted nature of China’s WTO membership, there remain a number of ambiguities in terms of its corollaries on the world and the country itself. Globalization: Before laying the foundation of the paper’s major argument, it is mandatory to comprehend the concept of globalization. â€Å"Globalization is what happens when the movement of people, goods, or ideas among countries and regions accelerates. † In the contemporary world, all the aspects of life are touched by the ravishing presence of globalization. Once comprehended as a mere economic phenomenon involving the flow of goods and services across borders, the term has transcended to reach the exchange of language, culture and relationships among nations† . According to Suarez in ‘Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium’, the commencement and proliferation of globalization coalesces a series of cycles. Of them, the first cycle began in 1492 ending in the early seventeenth century whereas the second cycle embarked in the late seventeenth century. Globalization is often reckoned as an elusive concept keeping under consideration its dual prospects. This multi faceted view is clear in every aspect of globalization. For instance, international organizations like WHO, UNESCO and UNDP are trying to ameliorate the standard of life across the globe by attempts for eliminating poverty, improving health conditions and providing job opportunities etc. Such steps on the part of globalization provide its positive picture attempting to elevate the nations. On the other hand, the instruments of globalization like multinational companies are exploiting the world labour and have become a major source of collapse of many domestic businesses. Wal-Mart is one of the many examples in this concern. Not only feared by the smaller businesses of Non American countries, the domestic investors suffer the same threat. According to an interview (documented in the article ‘Rediscovering Uncle Sam’ of the book ‘Ambassadors of Peace) with the Mayor of Chestertown, Margo G. Bailey told how she has been fighting the Wal-Mart from entering into the small city of Chestertown for almost a decade because the invasion of Wal-Mart would mean a fiasco for the owners of the small businesses in the locality. This means that if globalization is elevating humans, it is equally abusing them. With the ascending power of globalization in the contemporary world, what becomes the reason of its achievement is three facts. First is the globalization’s role in the amelioration of technology. Twenty first century is considered as the hey day of science, technology and telecommunication. The second reason is the provision of integration of people across borders to get acquainted with the foreign cultures. This has specially marked a boom in tourism industry. Thirdly, the concept of free trade as advocated by globalization has increased the capital flow between nations who are now more interested in global trade without being interfered by the state government. Of many forces of globalization, World Trade Organization is considered its key instrument. World Trade Organization: Formed in 1995, World Trade Organization stands as the only hegemonic power ruling the trade in the international business market. WTO started to informally supplant General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that had been carrying on the same function in the global market since 1947. The working of WTO is based key principles which are available in the form of its written documentation covering almost every kind of activity happening in the international trade. One of these principles is to equally treat all the participating nations in the business market. This means that any policy framed by WTO would be implemented on all the nations alike irrespective of their status in the global market. Another principle of WTO advocates Free Trade which means the elimination of trade barriers like tariffs, regulation or other such measures of protectionism imposed by the government thereby impeding the process of liberal trade or smooth flow of goods and services among the nations. WTO also makes sure the transparency of trade policies by making all the nations cognizant of them through their 2300 paged of agreements providing every term in black and white. In the similar way, the negotiations regarding the policy matters are not made surreptitious thereby making the adjustments open to all the other members too. With a seemingly stringent frame of law, WTO also believes in providing flexibility to the developing countries in order to make their positive contribution possible in the competitive market. According to Article III of ‘Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization’ WTO is responsible for five major functions. These responsibilities involve, 1. Implementation, administration and operation of Multilateral, Plurilateral and its own trade agreements. 2. Providing a platform of negotiations between different member nations regarding their trade policies and agreements. It also assists them in implementing the decided policies. 3. Settling the disputes among the member nations. The nature of such disputes is generally trade-policy based where the WTO serves as an arbiter between the conflicting nations. 4. Facilitating and training the weaker members in order to create a balance in the global economy. For achieving the desired goal, WTO co-operates with World Bank and International Monitory Fund. 5. Monitoring the trade policies that have been implemented and to make possible the aspect of transparency in these policies. China in the contemporary world: It was about two hundred years ago that China was he ruling power of global economy. After years of a sleeping giant, China has rapidly raised its status in the global community in the wake of the last decade. This aggrandizing significance is specially marked in the growing performance of the country in terms of its annual economic performance. This is clear by analyzing the performance of China’s ship building industry. Considered as a poor quality manufacturer around 1980s, it has grown into a ‘bona fide’ world industry today. As a result of this boom in the economy, millions of Chinese previously living at the bottom line of poverty enjoy better standards of life today. For the very reason World Bank believes that â€Å"China achieved the fastest doubling of economic output ever from 1978 to 1987, far outpacing both early industrializers (e. g. , United Kingdom, United States, and Japan) and late industrializers (e. g. , Brazil, South Korea, and Taiwan) alike. It then repeated the feat from 1987–1996† and looks like continuing the same pace in the future to come. To restate, as a result of globalizing process China has doubled the per capita income for three times after 1978. Of the over all augmenting profits, China’s major gains also lie in its textile industry. Reviewing China’s consistent rise for the past many years, many analysts proscribe China most likely to supplant the position of the U. S. by becoming the most powerful economy of the world around 2050 as the former has already caught the high brow of the world. While talking to China Daily, Long Yongtu, Chinas former WTO chief negotiator said, â€Å"Because Chinas economy is more open, and Chinas economic size is much bigger, the world is more sensitive to whats happening in China. I think in that way China is really changing the world.

Internal Marketing in Banks

Internal Marketing in Banks Management Information System The worlds local bank About HSBC BANK Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organizations in the world. HSBCs international network comprises around 9,500 offices in 85 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With listings on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by around 200,000 shareholders in some 100 countries and territories. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary Receipts. Through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services: personal financial services; commercial banking; corporate, investment banking and markets; private banking; and other activities. History The HSBC Group has an international pedigree which is unique. Many of its principal companies opened for business over a century ago and they have a history which is rich in variety and achievement. The HSBC Group is named after its founding member, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe. Internal Marketing in HSBC BANK 1. Target Base Promotion Offers Under one of the Policies of the Bank, it provides the promotion depending upon the target which is met by the employees on the quarterly basis. The employees who will achieve the target get the Incentive and the next month foreign tours. For example on the target of the 8account opening, if any employee opens 10 accounts then he is given next month foreign trip. Thus the prompt target based promotion builds up employee’s motivation to give better services to the customer 2. Hierarchal form of Management HSBC BANK have a hierarchal form whereby each employee is answerable to one of the senior and this makes the obligation on the employees to motivate one to the other . The burden of business is transferred from one employee to the other in such a way that each one is responsible for the other performance. This way each internal customer is able be keep under the eye of its superior. Moreover the communication link which is important for a service industry is possible with the help of the this management system. 3. Event Management Under this head various events are organized from time to time in the banks to lure the high professionals for example Sales Tax Advocates, Income Tax Advocates and the Chartered Accountants etc so that external marketing could be more effective. Now the responsibilities of these events are on the internal customers and if they organize these events successfully it add on the credibility and the profitability of the internal customers and they are awarded with the various recognition prizes and awards for there effective leadership skills. This also helps to build up a relationship between the internal and external employees. 4. On The Roll Training High focus is always there on the training aspect of the internal customers. Training of the employees are given due importance from time to time and with the touch points of Human Resources for example whenever Bank want to design training schedule for its internal customers, it design it in the Five –star hotels with all the luxuries there out with all the facilities away from there routine work so this enables the internal employees to be stress-free and grasp the training modules practically. As an HR policy this enables the employees to increase in there efficiency and feel free from the routine work. As a result the employees will be able to add on more practical knowledge to it , when they return to there work. This is one of the prominent factor of the foreign Banks that they stress on the training module of the internal employees , which give them a chance to be more interactive with the other professionals of other branches and if they facing any problem they can sor t out with the help of the various training modules 5. Strong Management Information System Strong MIS base is one of the basic strength of any Foreign Bank, So in HSBC Bank also holds a good MIS system for example here the reporting system is so designed so as to provide no chaos among the internal employees and they can easily report to there seniors online only. 6. Online Tests/Quizzes/Learning Modules These tests are specially designed for every class of the employees in the HSBC so as to increase the handling efficiency of the internal customers with the help if of the case studies and the real life examples. Some of them are basic modules and they have to be cleared by the internal customers and some are there just to give them ranking by the HR professional which add-on to the character sketch of the employees and help them to be rated accordingly. 7. Systematic Employees coding Under this head the internal customers (employees) are given the Employee Code and the People Shop Code. Employee code is given to the employees so as to assess their performance, rating grading whereas the PS is given to the facility of the HR department so that the various online tests, HR activities n be handled conveniently. Thus we can see that how effectively the separate identification no for the Human resource convenience is given which benefit each and every internal customer separately. 8. Excellent Information Technology HSBC Bank has tied up with SAP in Asia to enhance the financial institutions bank corporate client integration system targeted for use globally. The improved system also has the potential to enable the exchange of richer information between HSBC and its business customers, according to the bank. HSBC currently offers a service that provides corporate clients access to an automated host-to-host system to facilitate secure transactions. Called HSBC Connect, the service enables the back-end systems of the bank and its enterprise customers to communicate seamlessly and securely. 9. Recreational Activities Time to time recreational activities are designed for the internal customer so as to decrease the stress of the employees. For example visit to Jim Corbett Park with full fledged facilities are provided to the employees. Thus as a foreign Bank internal marketing strategy they always focus on the Human resource aspect of the internal employees by provided the employee friendly environment with the help of the various recreational activities. 10. Employees Rating HSBC BANK has full-proof rating system whereby the employees are divided into the four categories as 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th .The level of the employees are rated according to this rating. Currently 1st batch rating is not given in HSBC India but it have been achieved by the international HSBC superiors. 11. Customer Friendly Environment As a internal customer friendly environment the internal customers are given flexible time allotment which makes the environment of the Bank more friendly. Basic amenities being a service sector is well considered in the foreign banks which actually amounts to the total increased efficiency American Express Service India Ltd Certain facts: A survey wad conducted by India Today in which 20 most reputed foreign banks were surveyed on certain parameters and American Express ranked 6th in Employee Satisfaction. (Source: India Today , June 2008 issue) American Express ranks 9th in the list of Fortune 500 companies.It comes under the A++ Category. Service Blueprint of American Express. Following are the steps involved in making their credit cards available to their customers:-1) Call to customer 2) Appointment 3) Meet customer 4) Documentation 5) Employee back to office 6) Prepare Dispatch 7) Send an E-mail to the processing department 8) Verification 9) Dump (rejection) 10) Card Approval 11) Card Issue 12) Payment 1) Call to customer :-A prior database is prepared of the prospective customers and they are called randomly by the tele callers of American Express. The details are narrated to them over the phone and those interested are promptly followed up. 2) Appointments :-The tele callers fix an appointment of the Relationship Officers with the interested customers. 3) Meet Customer :-A venue and time is decided according to the convenience of the customers and the Relationship Officer meets the customer as per the appointment fixed. 4) Documentation:- The Relationship officer asks the pre-requisites like personal details, type of credit card desired , what all are previously held by the prospect, etc. and the Relationship officer is required to verify all the details. 5) Employee back to office:-The relationship officer comes back to the office after collecting all the relevant details and prepares a summary of the case. 6) Prepare Dispatch :-The Relationship officer prepares a soft copy as well as a hard copy to be sent to the processing department. 7) Send an E-mail to the processing department :- The soft copy is mailed by the Relationship Officer to the processing department. 8) Verification:- The processing Department checks for the authenticity of the prospective client. They search their past records as to whether or not they have had any prior contact with the prospect. If in case it is revealed that their has been a prior association and the prospect was a defaulter in that case then they come in the category of â€Å"Cibil† clients. 9) Dump (rejection) :- The Cibil clients are simply rejected. 10) Card Approval:-A list of those customers is prepared who can be granted the credit cards. 11) Card Issue:- Thereafter, the card is issued to the customers. 12) Payment :-The bank sends the statement to the customers after one month and the customers are supposed to make their payment within a span of 45 days. Hierarchy of American Express Internal Marketing In American Express Bank The responsibility of dealing with the customers at American Express is on two people Recruitment: Both the telecallers and Relationship Officers are hired through consultants. However, holding an M.B.A. degree is a must for the Relationship Officer. In case the person does not hold an M.B.A Degree then he is expected to have served in the same industry for a period of not less than 3 years. The Relationship Officer is expected to have a dynamic personality, excellent Communication skills, good motivator, should have good convincing powers, etc. All these attributes are necessary because the Relationship Officer is the person who makes the direct contact with the prospective customers. He has the maximum â€Å"Encounters† with the customers. Training: The American Express bank has hired an International body, which provides training in Bangalore and Delhi in the five star hotels. The duration of training is 10-15 days. Training is provided at all the levels. The new employees are told about the history of the company, the company profile, their services, customer profile, area/location, market share, competitors and industry associates. It is basically a knowledge enhancing session. The trainer asks the new employee to deal with him as a customer. These will provide relevant insight as to how he reacts to customer queries and such training prepares him for crucial service encounters. Appraisal: The Appraisal System at American Express is Target Achievement oriented. The KPAs and KRA’s are predefined. A target of 21 points is given to them in a month on the basis of their dealing with the Externals and Internals. Externals are first time users and Internals are those that had a previous association. If a deal is done with Externals they get 3 -1/2 points and if with Internals they get 1 point. In the end their appraiser combines all the points and on the basis of that they are given rewards, promotions, demotions, counseling, training, etc, as the case may be. Employees are also appraised on the basis of the category they belong to: G TargetsM – Interpersonal Skills G1 M1 – Targets over achieved and excellent interpersonal skills.G2 M2 – 100% achievement of targets and good interpersonal skills.G3 M3 – 50%– 60% achievement of targets and average interpersonal skills.G4 M4 – Targets not achieved and poor interpersonal skills. Culture :-Core Culture :- Quality, cleanliness, service and price.â€Å" The paramount idiom in American Express is total customer satisfaction†.There is no job pressure and since the employees are highly satisfied and motivated sothey service they provide to the customer is also very satisfactory. Strategies for Internal Marketing Adopted By American Express Bank Ltd. FAIR PRACTICES CODE FOR CREDIT CARD OPERATIONS American Express Bank Ltd. (hereinafter referred to ‘the Bank’) has a reputation for customer service and sound compliance. The Bank has various policies and procedures that govern its business activities and operations. Further, the Bank has compliance and other internal programs designed to ensure compliance with laws and regulations of countries where it does business. This Fair Practice Code (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Code’) for credit card operations is designed to guide and demonstrate the Bank’s commitment to fair and ethical management of its business activities operations related to issuance of cards, customer service and other related activities. BANK’S VISION AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES Vision: To become the worlds most respected service brand. Operating Principles: We must provide a superior value proposition to Everything we do shouldØWe must achieve Best-in-Class EconomicsØcustomersØour BrandØsupport the American Express BUSINESS ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW The Bank and its employees shall ensure that ethical conduct shall permeate all our business dealings and relationships. In a rapidly evolving credit card business, the Bank and its employees shall ensure ethical conduct in offering products and services, business activities, operations and customer services. The Bank shall conduct its business in accordance with applicable laws and regulations The Bank has competent individuals managing regulatory affairs and advising business leaders about compliance requirements. The Bank has a sound compliance program to ensure high level of compliance to applicable laws and regulations. CARDS – SALES AND MARKETING The Bank shall provide full and complete disclosure of products and services, their features and costs to enable a prospective customer to make an informed decision / choice The Bank shall provide information on: Applicable fees Key features of our products and services particulars, Documents required with regard to identity, contact and other charges How a customer’s personal information §employment, financial standing, etc. Terms Details of Bank contact for seeking additional information shall be used billing and payment, and conditions related to fees and interest charges, other aspects related to maintenance and §renewal, termination procedures and card accounts. management of The Bank’s advertising and marketing campaigns shall use truthful and whole statements about Bank’s products and services The Bank shall ensure that the whole of an advertisement is truthful, shall inform customers of costs and obligations as well as benefits and features. The advertisements may not mislead by using tricky or clever wording. The Bank shall have a Code of Conduct for its agents and others who sell, distribute or otherwise market Bank’s card products. The Bank shall ensure that all agents who sell, distribute or otherwise market Bank’s card products have a Code of Conduct for their dealings with prospective customers and Cardmembers. The Bank shall have monitoring process in place to review the agent’s compliance to this code, at regular intervals. CARD OPERATIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE The Bank shall have effective processes and systems to ensure quality in operations and customer service The Bank shall maintain effective processes and systems to maintain quality in following card operations activities: Timely § Dispatch §decision to customers §processing for applications and communication of communication to inform about §of credit card in a secured mode and follow-up Availability of contact centers such as telephone service §issuance of card centers for customers to contact for information or queries on products, services and related subjects Timely dispatch of credit card statements Timely processing of payments received from credit card customers Receipt and satisfactory disposition of customer correspondences and complaints The Bank may have processes to honor customers’ choices and preferences during the period of customer relationship The Bank may have processes to honor customers’ choices with regard to the following, subject to certain terms and conditions: Change of payment modes within types offered by the Bank Opting out from receipt of Bank’s marketing and promotional materials Voluntary termination of credit card facility The Bank shall treat customers with respect and dignity during collection efforts The Bank has policies and employee training programs to guide employees to exhibit courteous and fair behavior during collection efforts. The Bank shall ensure that all collection and recovery agents have a Fair Practice Code for their dealings with the customers.The Bank shall have monitoring process in place to review the agent’s compliance to this code, at regular intervals. CUSTOMER PRIVACY The Bank shall safeguard the privacy, confidentiality and security of customer data entrusted with it. The Bank has privacy principles to ensure that the customer information collected is relevant, accurate and confidential. The Bank has adequate standards to protect customer accounts and information. These standards allow customers to remove their names from lists used for mail, telephone and online marketing. All employees shall be trained in customer privacy principles as appropriate to their work. FAIR COMPETITION The Bank shall comply fully with the letter and spirit of laws designed to preserve free and open competition The Bank strongly supports vigorous but fair competition. The Bank shall make completely factual and truthful statements about our own products or those of our competitions, whether in advertising or in speaking to customers or others The making of false or misleading statements about our competitors is inconsistent with our reputation for integrity. The Bank and its employees shall deal fairly and honestly with all customers and suppliers. COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE This is a non-statutory code and the Bank shall take efforts to adhere to it during normal operating environment. The Bank shall not be held responsible for non-compliance due to force major conditions and other reasons for which the Bank enjoys privilege and right over the code. This code does not in anyway prevent the Bank from exercising its rights and discharging its duties and obligations under law, regulations, agreement, terms and conditions, etc. in force and varied from time to time. Process Of On-Line Marketing through excellent Internal Marketing Practices At American Express Bank Information Collection If the customer is not registered for any online service from American Express, he can browse the Site anonymously. They do not collect personal information such as the customer’s name, address, phone number or e-mail address if you are only browsing this site. American Express does, however, use cookies to collect information about how our site is used. Information, such as the server your computer is logged onto, the customer’s browser type (for example, Netscape or Internet Explorer), and whether the customer responded to an American Express banner ad or e-mail is collected and tracked in aggregate and not linked to you personally. They use this information to measure response rates to banner ads and e-mail offers. Registration for Online Products and Services If the customers want to apply for or take advantage of our online products or services, the Bank will need them to give us some personal information, including their e-mail address and account number. The bank only collect information about the customer, which they need to process application, to service accounts and other needs, to offer new products and services, and to satisfy legal requirements. The Bank will also use this information for purposes such as correspondence, site registration, allowing customers to check your statement or other account details online, to make a purchase, or to participate in online surveys etc. The Bank will also share such information with our affiliates and other for the purposes described elsewhere in this Statement. Quality of Information The Bank uses advanced technology, documented employee procedures and internal monitoring to help ensure that the personal information is accurate and up-to-date. In addition, they require high standards of quality from credit reporting agencies and others who provide us with information about prospective customers or other services. Security Before you can send confidential personal information or account information to us on an American Express Web site, we require that a secure session is set up using Secure Socket Layer (SSL). About SSL and the safety and confidentiality of personal information transmissions over the Internet. They use a range of security processes to protect the confidentiality and security of your personal information CONCLUSION In this section, we attempt to review the important and role of internal marketing in foreign banks of India. Service sector contributes major part of gdp of India. And is one of the most sectors which have too much potential in the sector. There is approx 10% growth in financial sector every year. And hence it’s very important to have continues reforms in that area. India’s leading bank is SBI, there are number of public and private banks too having good market. Still a number of people didn’t want to go on for banks because of fear of all the different technicalities and other factors. It’s in mind of customers that they have to run from 1 place to other without any result and there money in not secure. So now banks are paying more stress in internal marketing. With the liberalization of economy few foreign banks have entered in India and with that new techniques of marketing are growing. This study is to know the internal marketing of foreign banks especially American bank and HSBC. Foreign banks pays quite stress on the internal marketing because in services customer have to deal with employees directly and its quite important to have a proper selection process too. In service sector more than marketing word of mouth plays important role, a satisfied customer will lead to many more customers. And foreign players are quite good in implementing this concept in there work process. Now Indian banks are laso using the concept of internal marketing effectively. Bibliography WEBSITES www.online.citibank.co.in www.hsbc.co.in https://home.americanexpress.com/corp www.db.com www.deutschebank.co.in www.teachermarketing.com www.poolonline.com/archives/iss5fea2.html

Graduation Speech: An Amazing Year! :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

To be completely honest, at the end of my junior year, I felt ready to be up here. I watched a lot of my friends go through their senior year and felt completely prepared to move on. I could hardly stand the thought of another year at County High School, in what I thought would be stagnant water. At that point in my life, I had no idea how much I had left to learn and how much one more year at County High would mean. It ended up being, collectively, one of the most amazing experiences I have even had. From the very beginning, it was not what I expected. Boys tennis, never a very strong team at County High, surprised me, and alone was an unforgettable experience. I never envisioned myself playing in the league finals, I was as surprised as anyone, and when I missed out on state, I was as disappointed as anyone. Other activities left their mark; finally being involved in art, finally playing with the jazz band, finally being completely done with pit orchestra. I also never imagined a thing called 'knowledge bowl' could be so much fun. Each activity, in itself, built a memory I will forever hold. More even than the activities, the people I became close to this year have grown to be cornerstones of who I've become. Most of my good friends graduated last year and I thought I would be lost without them. The situation ended up being the exact opposite, however, and I now cannot imagine what I would be like had I never become close to my good friends now. I have watched myself, and those around me become better, stronger people. I now can say that I would not give up a second of my time here for anything. The teachers here, the other students, the opportunities and the experiences have made me what I am today.

In Our Time :: essays research papers

The Nick Adams stories were my favorite of the collection because I got to know Nick through the reading. I started to understand Nick and I could anticipate the actions and feelings that he was feeling. I am not sure if this is because I became familiar with Nick or because I have done many of the things Nick has done and was able to understand what he was doing."Big Two-Hearted River: Part I and II" were the most enjoyable short stories of the ones I read. The language that Hemingway uses is ideally suited for describing Nick's activities by the river. Hemingway's simple declarative sentences are all that is needed to convey the wonderful scene of Nick struggling with his pack, setting up his tent, and cooking his food. I have also done all the things that Nick was doing by the river and I was able to understand his satisfaction at pulling up a sound tent. Little sentences like "He was careful not to let the hook bite into his finger" convey so much meaning to anyone who has ever tried to tighten a fishing hook on a line that you can only help but nod your head in agreement.I must admit that despite not being at the center of your course I could not help but think of how much Hemingway's content was influenced by his life. Many of the stories like "The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife" were based directly on personal experiences of Hemingway's life. Since it is not the focus of your course, I am trying to just accepted the content and concentrate more on writing style and the way Hemingway writes something. I have found it difficult to pay close attention to both the story and the writing at the same time and have had to reread several times.

Political Risk in Malaysia

†¢ The fact that Prime Minister Mahathir has seen fit to take a two month vacation is the strongest evidence in a long time that his position within UMNO remains unchallenged. The political succession issue also seems clearer now that Mahathir has permitted his deputy to assume the title of Acting Prime Minister. Such a privilege was not given to trusted lieutenant Ghafar Baba in 1989, when the prime minister was recovering from a coronary bypass operation. Anwar's performance will be watched closely in the coming weeks. Another test of the extent to which Mahathir is at ease with Anwar will be the degree to which the prime minister gives Anwar free reign to deal with any public controversies which arise while he is on leave. †¢ The by-election victory of the opposition Democratic Action Party in Perak in mid-May surprised many observers. However, it would be an exaggeration to suggest that the result portends a significant shift of ethnic Chinese support away from the government in the nation as a whole. Local issues were paramount in the campaign, and voters knew that they could support the opposition without threatening the National Front's two-thirds majority in parliament. †¢ The differing approaches taken by Malay politicians (who have been calling for a tough stand against Singapore) and the Chinese business community (which has been urging moderation) has not yet led to any appreciable rise in ethnic tension. However, the situation could change quite significantly should Malay leaders suggest that the nation's ethnic Chinese were siding with Singapore. Tension between Singapore and Malaysia has remained remarkably persistent, over the last few weeks, egged on by the semi-official press in both countries. An informal boycott of Malaysia by Singapore travel agencies during the school holiday season has been followed by a variety of tit for tat moves in Malaysia aimed at reducing Malaysian exports through Singapore and cracking down on Singaporean professionals working illeg ally on social visit passes. While politicians on both sides of the causeway have been more careful in their public statements, it is difficult to believe that the critical tenor of the reporting by the mass media of both countries does not have at least the tacit support of the two governments. Even so, things are unlikely to be allowed to get out of hand. †¢ Relations with the US, however, are improving. Once a staunch opponent of an American security presence in Asia, Kuala Lumpur now appears quite willing to cooperate with the US military in the region, with a number of US warships making high-profile calls at Malaysian ports in recent months. The policy shift appears to be related to efforts by Prime Minister Mahathir to woo US companies to invest in his pet project, the Multi-Media Super-Corridor (MSC). By providing facilities to US forces, Kuala Lumpur hopes to send a reassuring signal to the American companies it hopes to attract to the MSC. pic] Near-Term Outlook Steady as she goes Given a choice, Mahathir would probably very much like to concern himself with foreign policy issues in the coming months. However, it is very likely that domestic issues will continue to push their way to the top of the political agenda, forcing the prime minister to intervene belatedly to settle various issues which emerge while he is overseas. To the extent that the prime minister will want to sh ow any serious interest in domestic affairs, his attention will probably be focused on corruption. Mahathir appears to have concluded that graft — and Malaysia's growing reputation for it — is becoming an increasingly serious obstacle to his efforts to win the country the international respect and admiration he believes it deserves as a result of its economic achievements. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's grip on the finance portfolio is under threat, with rumors circulating in Kuala Lumpur that the prime minister is none too pleased with the way he has handled several matters in the last few months. A series of missteps by Anwar has certainly left many in the private sector wondering whether the deputy prime minister is really the most suitable man for the job. There is little doubt that Dr. Mahathir remains in firm control of the country. So much so that uncertainties regarding policy issues only seem to emerge when he is not around. With the UMNO partly polls out of the way and national elections not due for some time, Dr. Mahathir can be expected to spend an increasing amount of his time pursuing his long-held interest in foreign affairs in locations such as Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul while putting domestic matters on hold. This year, Kuala Lumpur plays host to two important ASEAN meetings, and the prime minister will want to make the most of them. The first (in July) is the ASEAN ministerial meeting and its accompanying ASEAN Regional Forum with the grouping's dialogue partners. The second (in December) is the ASEAN informal summit. In the run-up to both, Dr. Mahathir can be expected to make his views known on a variety of internationally controversial issues. Apart from a few more speeches about perceived Western arrogance, the prime minister will be pushing for the acceptance of Myanmar as a full member of ASEAN. There will also be more talk about the formation of a de facto EAEC, with Kuala Lumpur inviting participation from countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. With the prime minister traveling overseas quite a lot, it is possible to argue that the prospect of short-term government policy paralysis this year is greater than is generally realized. On several occasions now, the government has revealed a lack of decisiveness when faced with a controversial issue while the prime minister was out of the country. A case in point is Anwar's foot-dragging early last year over the implementation of the rotation system for the position of Sabah Chief minister. Yet another was the unfavorable High Court decision last June which forced a temporary halt to work on the Bakun Dam in Sarawak. In both cases, flagging political resolve only revived when Mahathir returned to take charge of events. The more recent furor over the uncomplimentary remarks of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew regarding the crime situation in the southern Malaysian state of Johore are yet another example of the same thing. Although the matter appeared to have been resolved before Mahathir left for Tokyo, ministers emerged from a subsequent Cabinet meeting chaired by Anwar to make off-the-record comments to the press to the effect that Malaysia had decided to â€Å"freeze† its relations with Singapore in the wake of remarks by Singaporean leaders that implied that Malaysia had overreacted. The resulting media reports shocked the business community in both countries, since such reports inevitably conjured up visions of the 1965 split and suggested that a wide range of business and political ties would be disrupted. Yet another possible source of uncertainty in the coming months relates to the extent to which corporate rivalries will continue to reflect an ongoing political rift between Dr. Mahathir and Anwar. Reports that Renong has come up with a proposal to build a high-speed train line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore — an idea which clashes directly with similar plans by DRB-Hicom — certainly suggests that they will. In the popular mind, Renong is associated with UMNO Treasurer Daim Zainuddin (a close Mahathir confidant), while DRB-Hicom is seen as being more closely linked with individuals associated with Anwar. The reality, however, is probably a little more complicated, with the late Tan Sri Yahaya of DRB-Hicom (who died suddenly in early March) arguably at least as close to Mahathir as he was to Anwar. Either way, the two companies have such powerful connections that the battle between them will almost certainly involve political as well as purely economic criteria. Local pundits may not have got it exactly right in the case of Renong and DRB-Hicom, but there is little doubt that policy differences between the prime minister and his deputy do have some impact on the corporate scene. A case in point is the recent refusal of the finance ministry to provide financial guarantees to Ekran, the company responsible for the construction of the massive Bakun Dam. Anwar has never really embraced the project, and it is not hard to conclude from this decision that the finance minister is determined to make things as difficult for Ekran as possible, despite the fact that the Bakun Dam is one of Mahathir's pet projects. Of more relevance to the business community in general, however, is Anwar's performance as minister of finance. With the economy doing well, it may be argued that the fact that he lacks a solid background in economics is of little consequence. All that is really required is an intelligent personality capable of taking advice from experts in both the ministry and the central bank. At this level, Anwar seems to measure up. However, a closer look suggests that he is also capable of making errors of judgment which could create quite serious problems in the future if they are made at a time when the economy is less resilient. Take the problem we mentioned earlier about the Cabinet decision regarding Singapore. Anwar could have ended the confusion over the freezing-of-relations reports as soon as they arose, but he chose not to do so. Instead, he issued a press statement which, while stopping short of announcing a trade and investment boycott, appeared to support widespread rumors that such a decision had actually been taken. In this way it may be argued that he allowed the alarm to spread though the business communities of both countries. As a result, the value of both the ringgit and Singapore dollar dropped overnight. Perhaps Anwar was trying to send a political message to Singapore. If so, it is worth noting that although Mahathir has had some high-profile tiffs with Western nations in the past, even he has never before sent such a blunt message to a neighboring country. Yet another apparent lapse in judgment concerns the way the central bank (technically under the control of Anwar's finance ministry) handled an announcement at the end of March about new guidelines aimed at reducing lending to the property sector. A vaguely worded statement to the effect that the authorities had imposed a new 20% limit on bank loans to the sector sent the stock market reeling, with property and finance stocks in particular taking a beating. The new policy also redefined lending for share purchases in order to curb what monetary authorities said was excessive share speculation. Left to draw their own interpretations, some banks stopped giving out such loans altogether while checking whether they had exceeded the new limits. Anwar did little at first to clarify the situation, merely informing the press that he was satisfied with the CB move. It was not until several days later when the monetary authorities released details of the new guidelines (which contained exemptions that significantly watered down the effect of the new curbs) that the market stabilized. Not surprisingly, the incident has pleased nobody, with a number of economists privately accusing the authorities of backing down on an important measure designed to reduce the exposure of the banks to the property market. For Mahathir, the timing could not have been worse. The prime minister is particularly anxious to ensure that the listing of the Bakun Hydro-electric Corporation in June comes off well. With foreign investors shying away from the project, the company is now relying on the domestic market to absorb a massive M$3 billion in new shares. This will not be easy to do on a falling stockmarket, and Mahathir will now probably want to make sure that he is still in the country in the run-up to the IPO so that he can settle any last minute hitches. Meanwhile, with a Cabinet reshuffle on the cards in the coming months, the Deputy Prime Minister's political opponents can be expected to once again press for Anwar's removal in favor of Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz. Since the beginning of the year, Mahathir has lost two senior figures who played an important role in promoting projects in which he is especially interested. The uncertainties created as a result of the sudden death of businessman Tan Sri Yahaya show the sort of thing that can happen as a result of current Malaysian development strategies which place heavy reliance on individual entrepreneurs to run major companies in strategic industries. Of particular concern now is the fate of Malaysia's national car project which Tan Sri Yahaya headed. The resignation of Selangor Chief Minister Tan Sri Tun Mustapha in mid-April as a result of corruption allegations is another case in point. The loss of Tun Muhamad was not a serious political blow to the prime minister, since the latter was not considered a key Mahathir loyalist. However, it has raised questions about the extent to which his successor will be willing to push the Multimedia Super Corridor project and support the development of Putra Jaya, the new administrative capital. The Sultan of Selangor does not appear to be especially interested in cooperating with Mahathir in selecting a replacement, and has instead made disparaging remarks about transfers of land ownership during Tun Muhamad's tenure. The loss of key individuals in other economic sectors could also upset the apple cart. The huge M$15-billion Bakun Dam project in Sarawak, for example, is very closely associated with Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing. The fact that he suffered a mild stroke last year cannot be regarded as good news for the hundreds of subcontractors — both local and foreign — which are expecting him to push the project through to completion. None of these problems, either by themselves or in combination, are likely to trip up a seasoned politician such as Mahathir, but they are going to be distractions from the foreign policy agenda the prime minister would rather follow. Two other developments are worth monitoring. The first concerns the degree to which the current anti-corruption drive can really be expected to take off, while the second concerns the (not entirely unrelated) political revival of UMNO Youth. The current anti-graft campaign really got going in the run-up to the UMNO party elections late last year when Mahathir ordered a blanket ban on campaigning in order to keep candidates from showering money and favors on delegates. Then, at the convention itself, he launched an emotional attack on graft, saying that it would destroy the party. The result has been that several corruption-tainted candidates competing in the party elections lost heavily. Since then, proposals have been tabled in parliament designed to increase the effectiveness of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the Selangor Chief Minister has been forced to resign, and no less than eight other senior officials have been placed under investigation. On this issue, Mahathir appears to have Anwar solidly behind him, although the latter has sometimes operated as something of a loose cannon, embarking on investigations that could ultimately implicate staunch Mahathir supporters such Works Minister Samy Vellu, for example. The latter development also points to a serious problem facing a national leadership wishing to pursue the matter further: how to launch a determined attack on graft without undercutting one's own political support. For this reason alone, it is a fairly safe bet that the current campaign will not be a comprehensive one. More likely, a few carefully chosen cases will be vigorously pursued in the hope that this will have a demonstration effect on other greedy individuals. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the newly elected leader of UMNO Youth, has not been wasting much time getting the once-influential organization back into the headlines. Although generally regarded as an Anwar man, Mr. Hamidi has an independent streak which could yet embarrass the deputy prime minister and see the youth organization setting off on a course quite different from that of the national leadership in the coming months. The violent way in which a conference on East Timor was broken up by Malay youths last year certainly put Anwar in the difficult position of having to distance the government from the actions of his political ally. Since then, Mr. Hamidi has taken on far less politically troublesome (for Anwar! ) issues such as the Australian racism debate, Singapore-Malaysia relations and Malay social problems. However, the ability of UMNO Youth to act independently in the future should not be underestimated. It would not be surprising, for example, if the organization turns out to be the prod that keeps the current anti-corruption drive alive much longer than many local politicians would like.