Barclays Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Barclays - Coursework Example It has 140, 000 employees located in over fifty countries. It accepts deposits, transfers, protects, lends and invests money for its customers that are located in different countries. The financial organization has a long history. In 1690, two goldsmith bankers; Thomas Gould and John Freame would move from one place to another bearing the sign of the black spread eagle and would accept gold deposits from anyone visiting Lombard Street in the city of London. The black eagle sign was convenient to most people because majority of the population could not read. In 1736, the son in law of John Freame, James Barclay became a partner to the business. Years later and in 1864, the first banking house was erected in Lombard Street and the gold saving and lending business has since evolved into a classic form of financial services organization which is today known as Barclays Bank Plc in UK and that has a global banking branch network. Financial Services Barclays offers a wide range of financia l services. For instance, Barclay’s capital is responsible for managing interest rates, foreign exchange, and equity and commodity risks. Barclay’s capital specializes in three core areas namely; private equity which provides clients with the opportunity to buy privately transacted equities from private companies located in different parts of the world; credit which is comprised of investment grade and high yield bonds and loans; interest for equity products, money markets, fixed income, emerging markets, prime services and commodities. Products offered include; savings accounts, insurance, debit card, online banking, loans etc (Pang, 2009). In general, Barclays deals with retail and commercial banking, investment banking, credit cards, investment and wealth management services. The financial company offers commercial and residential mortgages to individuals and businesses and has flexible terms of repayment. Investors can obtain short term funding by the way of overdr afts which helps them avoid high exchange rate and interest costs. Overdraft provides investors with a more flexible and convenient source of working capital with a repayment period that is renewable upon expiry (Andreeva & Branda, 2009). By linking the interest rate of the overdrawn amounts to the Barclays base rate, the client is cushioned from high but fluctuating interest rates. The bank also offers standby letters of credit of financial guarantees to individual’s who would want to support their trade, corporate or personal related activities with other financial institutions. These guarantees that can also be tailor made include; bonds, maintenance guarantees, performance guarantees, retention money guarantees, advance payment guarantees, indemnities, acceptances among others (Dixon, 2009). The bank also offers a wide range of foreign exchange products including; spot exchange, forward exchange contract and option dated forward exchange contract. Besides these, the compa ny gets to provide a wide range of other financial products and services through mergers and acquisitions. Recently, Barclay’s combines its merger and acquisition and corporate finance divisions into a single unit. The move was intended to bring create a bond between coverage bankers and Mergers and acquisitions bankers who are part of corporate finance team to attract more business to the bank by driving revenue growth and offering strategic financial and investment advisory services. It also provides global ATM services by partnering with five international banks (Deering, 2004). The bank acquired Absa in

Nintendo, sony, video game case Essay Example for Free

Nintendo, sony, video game case Essay The video game industry has gone through six generations of consoles, and the seventh is now underway with new consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Atari led the first generation of the video game industry. They were able to create the first home video game Pong in 1972, and they were the first to develop the interchangeable cartridge and the joystick. The creation of the interchangeable cartridges allowed for third party independent video game developers to enter the market. Atari failed to develop a system that controlled who could develop games for Atari consoles, so the company eventually failed when low quality games created by independent developers flooded the market and caused prices to plunge. Nintendo was able to become the leader of the video game industry in the next generation by entering licensing agreements with third-party game developers and by instituting a â€Å"Seal of Quality† policy where no game could be published without Nintendo’s approval. Nintendo’s success with developing popular in-house games like Super Mario Brothers also contributed to their success in the second generation. However, Nintendo let Sega enter into market and take over as the next leader in the industry when Nintendo mistakenly delayed the release of their 16-bit console to avoid cannibalizing sales of the 8-bit console. Sega took advantage of Nintendo’s mistake by offering lower prices for their new console and games. Sony took control from Sega as the leader in the video game industry from 1988-2005 by targeting more mature audiences for their video games and being the first to install DVD-playing capability and Internet connectivity in the consoles. However, Nintendo was able to take over the lead in the most recent generation from â€Å"forward looking† Microsoft and Sony by being able to attract demand from younger and older audiences. This has caused Sony to reevaluate their strategy for the upcoming new generation of video game consoles. Sony’s target market has traditionally been core gamers, Males aged 14-34. The Wii, while popular with a wide audience, was unpopular with this core demographic because it did not feature the games core gamers loved like Grand Theft Auto and Halo. The Playstation brand is strong because it’s the most powerful system available with the best graphics and games that core gamers love. The poor sales of the PS3 thus far are attributable to Microsoft’s first mover advantage and release delays, similar to Nintendo’s problems in the 16-bit generation. Now that the PS3 has been released, Sony can make its push towards industry leadership by focusing on this core demographic, offering exclusive games, and using its superior graphics and system power as a competitive advantage over Microsoft. While games for more mature audiences should be Sony’s focus, they cannot ignore the expansion of the video game industry into new demographics. However, marketing the PS3 too heavily to these new audiences could dilute the PS3’s cool factor to core gamers by casting it as something their grandparents can play. The Wii has already captured the cool factor for non-typical gaming demographics, and pushing the PS3 in this direction would alienate its core users. Instead, Sony should allow third-party developers to create games for younger audiences so that the younger siblings and kids of core gamers will not be left out on the PS3, but avoid focusing marketing campaigns for the PS3 on these new demographics. This would make the console inclusive for new demographics, but avoid alienating core users while pushing for dominance in the core gaming market. Sony should also continue to move the PS3 towards being a digital living room hub. The Xbox 360 is marketed as an all-encompassing living room experience that replaces the need for movie and music players, and sometimes PCs. Not recognizing this shift in how consoles are used in the home would be harmful to the PS3, and they could lose buyers based not on their video game experience but because it is lacking digital hub features that are becoming basic. Sony should expand their living room experience by allowing third party downloadable apps that add on to the digital hub, and take advantage of Blu-Ray’s industry victory by packaging the system with movie discs. Sony can regain its industry lead by becoming the go-to console for core gamers and pushing for games that are inclusive of all demographics. This can be accomplished by heavily marketing the system as the most powerful system on the market while offering an extensive catalog of games, especially their exclusive game catalog.

Case study: Psychoanalytic Theory

Case study: Psychoanalytic Theory This paper will describe an in depth analysis of the psychoanalytic theory. The paper covers the origins of the theory and its creator Sigmund Freud. This paper looks to examine what the theory is and how it affected psychology of its time and how it has progressed throughout time. Also discussed are the strengths and weaknesses of this theory. Another part to this paper looks to examine how psychoanalytic theory relates and diverges from Christian principles. And finally this paper will discuss some personal observations and thoughts on the theory. Psychoanalytic Theory What is psychoanalytic theory and who is its creator? Where did this theory originate and why is it important to psychology today? What are its strengths and weaknesses? How does it influence psychology today and how does it compare to Christian principles? The psychoanalytic theory is a complex and multifaceted idea that still commands for study and revision to this day. This paper is going to look at this complex and multifaceted theory in hopes of answering all the previous questions and to bring a greater appreciation for the groundbreaking theory that set psychology into a new era of knowledge. Discussion Creator/Origin According to Rangell (2006) In the hundred-year history of psychoanalysis, a new science and therapeutic discipline reached a peak, suffered a decline, and has settled down to have its permanent role objectively assessed (p.217) And because of this turbulent history its probably best understood by starting where it began and by first examining the life of its creator, Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud started out life in 1856 and was the first child of eight in his family. His parents lived in poverty and shortly after Freud was turned 4 years old they moved and settled in Vienna. Freud would go on to attend a prominent high school and was an excellent student and graduated with honors. Although his parents were poor his parents did everything they could to help provide him with the best possible education. Following high school Freud went on to study in the medical field. He worked with Europes finest and most well known neurologist, Jean-Martin Charcot. It was while working and studying with Charcot, Freud would find himself most attracted to the practice of medical psychopathology. Charcots specialty was in hysteria and hypnosis. Freud although greatly respected Charcots work would ultimately reject the idea of hypnosis and would turn toward favoring ideas such as free association, dream analysis, and talking through problems. Around this time he would marry his wife, Martha Bernays and open his own medical practice specializing in neurology. Shortly after doing so he began to work with his neurotic patients and this work would lead to the development of terms like repression and psychosomatic, and eventually the development of the psychoanalytic theory. Psychoanalytic theory is a theory that came out of a time when there was very little known about the study of human behavior and how it related to the human mind. Psychoanalytic theory was the first theory that brought attention to the complexity of the human mind and human behavior and how those two related to one another. Sigmund Freud developed this new concept after going through his own self analysis of his personal life. In many ways you might say that it was Freuds own self discovery that this theory was originated. Only by looking back at his own childhood was Freud able to discover his repressed memories and feelings toward his parents. It was this self discovery that laid out the blueprints for the basis of the psychoanalytic theory. Freud was able to develop a theory that looked to combine personality and therapeutic techniques to help explain ones thoughts and actions to ones unconscious motives and conflicts. Sugarman and Kanner (2000) reported, Thus, psychoanalytic theory allows one to organize and to describe a meaningful relationship among pieces of data that might seem separate and unrelated without such a model. (p.5). Freud was the first to develop a psychological therapeutic technique from his psychoanalytic theory. He did so by putting forth a theory that looks at bringing repressed feelings from the unconscious to the conscious. Thereby giving insight into the origins of their disorders and a way to help them come to terms with their feelings and grow from the experience. Weaknesses In spite of all that this theory has contributed to the study of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, it still has many weaknesses. One of its greatest weaknesses is that it lacks empirical evidence to support the theories complex nature. Critics of this theory argue that the theory relies so heavily on therapeutic achievements and therefore has less credibility in the scientific community. Another weakness that psychoanalytic theory faces is the types of methods or techniques used, such as dream analysis, free association, and interpretation. The final weakness that Freuds psychoanalytic theory faces is that many believe that its not a science and much of its key principles which its based on are inaccurate or simply have no empirical evidence to support it. Strengths However, in spite of the theories many weaknesses it continues to this day to provide the foundation for the many new psychotherapy techniques used by therapists today. One of the psychoanalytic theorys greatest strengths is how it has stood the test of time and continues to be an innovative and a revolutionary theory. In addition this theory has helped to lead to the development of new theories and is a comprehensive theory that can in most cases fit with other theories. Also this theory can be used and applied in a practical way and is still recognized by others in the field to this day. Personal Evaluation After much examination into the psychoanalytic theory, I think the greatest flaw I have found in my evaluation was on how the theory itself was originated. The fact that Freud developed such a theory from his own personal self discovery of looking into his childhood interactions with his family to say the very least is lacking a degree of objectivity. Looking at your own personal memories and attempting to be objective is difficult to say the least. Much of what you can remember can easily be manipulated or misrepresented. My thoughts are mixed on this because in one hand I see how that has helped him create a theory that propelled psychology to a whole new realm of study, but I also see it as a huge leap without any scientific basis or objectivity. Another flaw I found after researching Freuds views on religion and God was that in spite of the fact that Freud did not believe in the existence of God, he still intentionally or unintentionally incorporated Christian principles in his work. Freud in spite of his attempts to base his theory on biological and instinctual assumptions, much of his work reveals Christian principles. For example when Freud discussed the concepts of unconscious and conscious he referred to the unconscious as the evil self and the conscious as the moral self. Both Freud and Christian principles acknowledge that man is sinful and are afflicted by the unconscious or evil self. And both Christianity and Freud provide a means to redeem or guidelines to overcome the unconscious or evil self. Another example of a parallel between Freuds work and Christian principles is seen with the concept of moral law. In the Bible, it discusses how man has built into them the knowledge of knowing right from wrong and that no man can live up to this moral law and therefore no man is perfect. And this is basically what Freud is talking about with his concept of the id as a self seeking potentially destructive entity of the human psyche. These two concepts essentially are the same idea only worded so that God is essentially hidden in the background. Parallels like these can be seen between Christian principles and Freuds psychoanalytic theory and throughout much of his other work. All in all Sigmund Freud was a pioneer of his time. Freud developed the first of what would become the basis for psychotherapy and the future development of new theories designed to help further the psychology field. In many ways without Freuds insights into his own personal life and memories, we wouldnt have progressed as far as we have today. In many ways we owe Sigmund Freud our professional respect and appreciation for his many contributions to psychology.

Solar Energy Essay example -- Environment, Solar Panels, Solar Water S

Solar energy can be used in different ways during the construction of houses in order to conserve energy. Solar energy comes as a gift of nature and this makes it even more economical to use in our buildings. It is not only free but unlike other sources of energy; it also limits the amount of pollution caused to the environment. When building our houses the goal according to David Johnston and Scott Gibson is to create a house that consumes at least fifty-two percent less energy than one built conventionally with a corresponding reduction in the heating and the cooling cost.(Johnston, Gibson 252)This can be done through use of solar panels, solar water systems and photovoltaic. The above all rely on one source: solar energy which comes as a gift of nature. Solar energy can be used to determine different things about our housing,† Solar energy figures out where our houses are to be located, the orientation towards the southern sun, where different rooms are and the size and placement of window overhangs.†(Johnston, Gibson 250)This small factors can determine how heated up our houses are or how easy it will be to cool our houses. It can also determine the amount of lighting that reaches our houses. â€Å"Sizing south glass to capture as much sunlight as possible. Blocking summer sunlight with roof overhangs, shades and trees or vegetation. Choosing building materials for their mass and their potential to store solar heat in winter and to keep houses cooler in the summer.......† (Johnston, Gibson 252) Solar water systems can be used to reduce the amount of energy used in the production of electricity in our homes. It is commonly used in countries like Australia, Japan and China. They are usually made in such a way that they del... ... of the government especially in the developing countries. The governments in some countries are trying to control this problem by giving rebates and tax returns to people who install energy conserving equipment. The cost of their installations may sometimes prove to be a major drawback. However, the actual benefit is realized as the years pass by because the electric bills will decrease significantly. In conclusion, solar energy is being used in production of electricity in our homes. It is also being used in different ways to try to minimize any energy use. There are both the advantages and drawbacks of using this source of energy but the pros usually out do the cons. Solar energy should be viewed as one of the sources of energy that we can rely on the future because unlike other sources, it will never be depleted the only thing we have to do is to apply it.

Coming Home

They say that there’s no place like home, and I would say nothing much comes close. People here, there and everywhere dream of a place, abroad or locally to go to. But for people like me who grew up at the province and are now studying in a different place, we reminisce the times we were with the people who we grew up with. Yes, the place I would like to visit is my hometown of GeneralSantosCity. The place that I will forever cherish in my memories In the days coming before the semestral break, a friend asked me, â€Å"Are you going to go back to Gensan? † and I said â€Å"yeah†. Then she asked me why, at first I didn’t really know what to say. I just had this overwhelming feeling all semester that â€Å"I need to go back†. To go back to the place I spent sixteen years of my life, the place that molded my being, that taught me so much and gave me so much to bring with me here in Cavite. My quick answer of course was â€Å"because it was where I grew up†, at the time I felt it was sufficient but, as I thought about it more, I realized it was a pretty shallow answer. I mean, who doesn’t want to go back home? But then again what is a home? For some it doesn’t even exist, and for some they say it’s just a memory. Some say it is the place where you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to come back. Still others say it is where we belong, it is not a physical structure but rather for me it is a sense of well being. You just feel right, when you’re there, I don’t know, I don’t have the wisdom to elaborate further, but I’m sure there’s a place where you’ve felt it too. For me, its just different there, I feel so calm, so relaxed, so at ease, so at home, it’s the place I feel I can let my guard down. Well its not that I didn’t have problems while I was in Gensan. Believe me, there were things that I regretted doing there up until now. Ang rami ko ngang kapalpakan noon† as I say in our native language. But after dealing with my new environment here, nostalgia is a welcome visitor. As the lyrics of a song says:†I'm coming home, I'm coming home,Tell the? world I'm coming home, Let the rain wash away, all the pain of yesterda y,I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes,I'm coming home,I'm coming home,Tell the world I'm coming†¦ â€Å". Because you see as time passes by you will come to laugh at the most bitter of memories, even the most hurtful, because I believe there will come a time when all we will have is our dear lives and our failing memories.

Kudler Fine Foods Essay

Kudler Fine Foods is a specialty foods store in the San Diego metropolitan area. Like many businesses, Kudler must adapt to the changing needs of the market and the organization itself. The sales department of Kudler Fine Foods faces the need for changes within its operations. These changes will provide important opportunities for the organization. There are four dimensions that will manage this change and apply specifically to these modifications. The project management approach allows for control of the change and support for this proposal comes from expected return on investment. Kudler’s next enterprise is following purchase behavior of individual customers and encouraging large incentives with a loyalty points program (University of Phoenix, 2011). Tracking this information will allow Kudler to better assist its customers and offer products and deals that are best matched to its customer’s needs. Being a specialty store, the Kudler customer is most concerned with the quality of the product and its uniqueness and availability in the local market. To match the tastes of its customers, Kudler’s loyalty program offers its customers with rewards such as high end gift items, airline first-class upgrades, or other specialty foods (University of Phoenix, 2011). In order to adapt to this new incentive program, the sales department at Kudler is going to need change. The sales department must add another program to the repertoire of sales at Kudler Fine Foods. Pushing the loyalty program needs to integrate itself into the everyday sales message. In order for the program to become successful and achieve its goal of increasing revenue, the sales department eeds to be on board with the changes. There is a need for increased training surrounding the loyalty program and its benefits and offers. A bonus program for employees that garner participation by customers in the loyalty program is also a tool that can assist in implementing the change. There are four dimensions of change that leaders must consider when implementing a successful transition or change. Strategy, resources,systems, culture and their interrelated components makeup the key elements of change management as it relates t using the project management approach. Linking the dimensions f change and the project management approach allow the organization to proceed in a systematic and organized manner that ensures performance gals and objectives are met (Leban & Stone, 2008). Assessment of the needs of Kudler Fine Foods reveals a need for increased training in the sales division regarding the loyalty program. The new way of operating in the sales department leads to learning about what the new organizational objectives really are and what they will demand as far as attitudes, behaviors, and skills. This learning process and interaction between dimensions of change eventually align the organization’s culture and strategy (Leban & Stone, 2008). The project management approach slows control over the development of the changes and adds flexibility for the plan to evolve as the organization sees fit. Constant monitoring of the plan can keep alignment between time, costs, and quality objectives. The comp,any is also interested in the return on investment and an deviation from this expected result. Kudler Fine Foods expects to increase revenue from its loyalty program. Tis may only occur f the entire organization is aligned on the objeives and proper training is given to employees in the sales department. Investing in the training for sales as well as offering bonus incentives aims at motivating employees to see how the loyalty program can improve customer satisfaction and also benefit employees. By taking the time to invest in employee knowledge and skill level, they can feel the support from upper management. Tips program is being rolled t with the support ad backing of the organization with the intent to help employees excel and succeed. The loyalty program itself has an outlined expected revenue lift. Quarter one to include employee training expects an initial revenue lift of . 25%, followed by . 50% in quarter two, 1. 75% in quarter three, and 2. 25% for the fourth quarter (University of Phoenix, 2011). The expected revenue lift totals 4. 75%. This return is expected to come directly from the frequent shopper loyalty program, a direct result of the motivated sales people behind it. Today’s global economy and business world is changing rapidly due the redesigning of systems to reduce costs, the need to develop products faster, and the focus on increasing customer satisfaction.. These types of changes support the use of project management as a way to introduce change to an organization. Kudler Fine Foods may utilize this approach for transitioning its sales department into an increasingly customer-oriented fashion. Not only will the company seek higher quality products better matched to its customer’s needs, but it will provide the necessary training for its employees to be successful. Sales will be trained on these loyalty programs, including in-depth training on data analysis. The management of this change is an integral component to the future success of Kudler Fine Foods.