Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 26

Marketing - Essay Example As discussed earlier BMW is known for its luxury cars and primarily targets the premium market segment to generate its revenues. In order to successfully develop an effective marketing strategy, satisfying the needs and requirements of the targeted consumers should be given the topmost priority by any organization. Hence, the first step towards developing an effective marketing strategy of BMW would be to analyze the consumer behavior patterns followed by the company's potential target population. The key issues that are having a significant impact on the global automotive industry are the increasing rate of urbanization, environmental issues and the changing nature of consumer behavior. The two-tier concept of the industry is changing at a rapid pace. The mature automotive markets in US and UK are expected to converge with the emerging markets like that of China and India in terms of the needs and wants of the consumers regarding safety, reliability, and quality. Moreover, the autom otive market segments comprising of low-cost and premium prices vehicles are also expected to converge. This type of changing consumer behavior and market trends indicate that the available opportunities for the automobile manufacturers would increase in relation to the increasing demand for mobility services and electric vehicles. As regards the targeted customers of BMW, they look for high standards of performance, luxury and quality in the products. There is an increasing demand for hybrid electric vehicles in the market as well.

Recommendation report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Recommendation report - Assignment Example The director of the Global Client Collaboration department at Steelcase, Inc. asked for a research that would analyze the effects of current global economic crises (2012) on multinational corporations and evaluate possible solutions for the case of Steelcase, Inc. that would assist it to survive this economic environment. Steelcase is a company that manufactures furniture whose head office is in Grand Rapid, Michigan and is the biggest manufacturer of office furniture in the globe. The company has about eighty locations and over eleven thousand employees all over the globe in locations including Malaysia, Mexico and Romania, which are responsible for supporting the local Steelcase dealerships and offices. It also operates show rooms referred to as WorkLife Centers all over the US, Asia and Europe with manufacturing facilities being located in Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia. The company is mainly involved in designing and producing furniture , wall surfaces, technolog y tools, architectural products as well as ergonomic among other products. It sells its products online through more than eight hundred dealers in various locations while also offering workplace consulting services in some of its locations of operation. The economic and financial crisis resulted from issues in the US’s financial sector in 2007 that were characterized by unsound lending activities by financial institutions as well as unsatisfactory management of risk that prompted an extraordinary devaluation of assets along with credit squeeze as far as interbank lending was concerned. In a short time, the calamity escalated into a worldwide economic tremor that soon affected the real economies. In numerous economies, the crisis was an imported aspect since the countries in regions outside the US were affected in mid-2008 largely through export markets collapsing. The

The takeover of HBOS

The takeover of HBOS Introduction Mergers and acquisitions have become the most frequently used methods of growth for companies in the twenty first century. Nowadays the information about mergers and acquisitions (MA) can be seen every day in newspapers, internet, television MA can suddenly become a hot topic at anyones workplace because their company is going to merge with another. There are many sides to an MA transaction strategic, legal, financial, and technological to getting a deal done. One very important element to every deal is the human element, this should always be kept in mind. We are going to evaluate the challenges faced by the management of the new organisation in terms of Human Resource Management (HRM) with reference to the recent takeover of Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) by Lloyds TSB in September 2008. The evaluation will include the role of HRM in analyzing the Lloyds TSBs decision to make a takeover bid for HBOS, how this analysis related to Culture, Conflict and Change within the organisatio n and possible dilemmas facing Lloyds TSBs stakeholders. Background and purpose of the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB Background On 17 September 2008, very shortly after the demise of Lehman Brothers, HBOSs share price suffered wild fluctuations between 88p and 220p per share, which lost almost half its market value in the week, despite the Financial Services Authoritys assurances as to its liquidity and exposure to the wider credit crunch. However, on 18 September 2008 the terms of the recommended offer for HBOS by Lloyds TSB were announced. The two lenders also revealed plans to raise a combined  £17 billion under a government-funded recapitalisation programme aimed at strengthening the UK banking sectors capital reserves. The government backed the deal using a special national interest clause on the grounds that a collapse of HBOS would have had a disastrous impact on the UK. On 16 January 2009 the Lloyds TSB acquisition of HBOS was completed following final court approval and Lloyds TSB was renamed Lloyds Banking Group plc. Purpose of the takeover: The proposed acquisition of HBOS would combine two powerful financial institutions, and would be another significant and positive step on our journey to provide substantial benefits and value for customers and shareholders alike. Challenges faced by HRM in MA Organisational Behaviour Model Due to the resulting pressure for the MA to succeed, the management of the new organisation is forced to find new strategies as well as evaluate the additional challenges faced. To answer the question of how well the management performed during the integrating activity, it is useful to look at internal factors using the McKinsey 7-S framework. This framework was developed in the early 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. The basic premise of the model is that there is a framework which maps a constellation of interrelated factors that influence an organisations ability to change. The McKinsey 7-S model involves seven interdependent factors which are categorized as either hard or soft elements: Hard elements are easier to define or identify and management can directly influence them: these are strategy statements; organisation charts and reporting lines; and formal processes and IT systems. Soft elements, on the other hand, can be more difficult to describe, they are less tangible and more specifically related to HRM. These soft elements are as important as the hard elements. A conservative estimate is that roughly 10% of people at work at any one time are directly affected by transformations of this sort. Moreover, another 30% are closely related to those experiencing combination-related tensions and trauma (Buono and Bowditch, 2003). These figures show how the critical challenges faced by management in every MA relate specifically to HRM. The company that effectively addresses people-related issues up front and throughout integration will have a better chance of succeeding and gaining the competitive advantage it seeks. The challenges faced by management in term of HRM in MA. The HRM issues in the MA can be classified in two phases; the pre-MA phase and the post MA phase. HRM should be involved from the beginning and throughout all stages of the MA process. Due diligence is important in the first phase while integration issues take the front seat in the later phase, including: Cultural clashes: Each organisation has a different set of beliefs and value systems. The exposure to a new culture during the MA leads to a psychological state called culture shock. Dissimilar cultures can produce feelings of hostility and significant discomfort which can lower the commitment and cooperation on the part of the employees, therefore post-merger cultural clashes are often blamed for disappointing MA outcomes. According to Anders Spilling and Jarle Hà ¸ien, managers in BearingPoints Business Strategy and Transformation pratice, there are five areas of cultural conflict: Leadership: every companys leadership style can seem unique. When post-MA senior leaders sitting at the same table motivate their staffs and resolve conflicts in diverse ways the resulting friction often creates additional risks. Examples of these risks could be a lack of commitment to new company goals or a high level of turnover among key employee groups. Governance: effective corporate governance requires much more than a system to protect stakeholder interests. It must encompass the way decisions are made in each part of the company and across organisations. One problem that usually arises is the debate over whether the new organisation should adopt one merger partners governance model or define a different model. Communication: Attitudes about confidentiality, preferences for formal versus informal channels and the frequency of communications may all come into play. By anticipating these risks well in advance, the acquiring companys leadership can develop communication tactics that best support the merger objectives. Business process: most companies have distinct ways of developing, updating and enforcing core business processes which must be understood and respected during the integration phase. If changes in core business processes are not deliberately and systemically thought through during the integration phase, organisations face the risk of internal breakdowns and failures in delivery of products and services to customers. Performance management and reward systems: new organisation should include efforts to harmonize performance standards and compensation systems where possible, while explaining important differences when necessary. Newly merged companies must help employees understand that their different recognition and reward systems are fair, even if not always uniform across the organisation. Because cultural change involves both hard and soft issues, HRM considerations will include visible manifestations such as key performance indicators, communication styles, employee interaction, as well as less tangible corporate values and assumptions about how a company does business, such as how leaders drive and assess results and new organisation governance model These findings have important implications for how organisations can anticipate post-merger cultural clashes and tailor leadership programs to address their underlying roots, ultimately enhancing merger success rates. Uncertainty job security: The MA leads to duplication of certain departments, bring about the excess manpower and downsizing is, unfortunately, an inherent result. Hence talking about MA, the first set of thoughts that occur in the minds of employees are related to security of their jobs, changes in designation, career path, working in new departments and fear of working with new teams. The MA also changes future opportunities for the employees in the organisation. Some employees also have to be relocated or assigned new jobs. This may have an impact on the performance of the employees and cause the organisation to lose some talent. The enormous challenges posed by an MA to the HRM are keeping all employees informed of all crucial decisions as well as enhancing effective two-way communication by involving line managers; ensuring an equitable and fair treatment of employees and in case of lay-offs, HRM should offer outplacement services and fair severance packages. All these efforts from HRM can help build trust, quell the rumour mill, relieve anxiety, focus people on the business and its possibilities and lessen productivity loss. Inability to manage changes: Often there are rapid changes in the business environment after MA. Internally HRM will manage a bigger work force, externally HRMs industrial relations will be extended The role of HRM is to quickly develop a HR plan to lead the process for helping the company to achieve the synergies it needs. The HRM must fully be prepared for the significant role they will play throughout the MA process. The issues faced by HR professionals when supporting the MA are extremely demanding they require the creation of a single unified organisation with a clear purpose and set of values from two groups of people with different cultures. HRM should continuously update their knowledge and skills in managing, controlling and monitoring the enlarged workforce, HRM need the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, acknowledge the problems when they arise, improving communications skills, create training programme, explain new roles to employees, implement stress reduction programmes and orientation pro grammes, help post merger team building and feedback helpline for employees. The issues faced by HR during MA deals are enormous, yet it is clear that the key to the success of an MA is the management of people. By identifying the common challenges and finding solutions which work for the new organisation. The value of HRM in the MA should be realised early enough to enhance the chances of a successful deal. Analysing Lloyds TSBs decision in making a takeover bid for HBOS. Issues related to Culture, Conflict and Change: The theory mentioned above regarding issues related to organisation development in term of culture, conflict and change applied very closely to the general challenges faced by the new Lloyds TSB organisation in the post-takeover period. Culture The basis of corporate culture is shared values. These values must be stated as both corporate objectives and individual values, explicit or implicit fundamental beliefs, concepts, and principles that underlie the culture of an organisation. Lloyds TSB and HBOS were two of the UKs leading financial services companies, they have some similarities in organisational structure. According to Charles Handy (1985), who popularized the work of Roger Harrison (1972), has linked organisational structure to organisational culture, both Lloyds TSB and HBOS have Role culture in where people have clearly delegated authorities within a highly defined structure. Power derives from a persons position and little scope exists for expert power. Lloyds TSB and HBOS rest on the strength of strong organisational pillars-the functions of specialists, for example, customer advisors, banking advisors, personal financial advisors On closer inspection, each of them will have its own unique culture, and like most large businesses are likely to be something of a mix of culture and even, each branch, or division has its own culture. From table 1- Soft elements by McKinsey 7-S framework in Lloyds TSB and HBOS, while Lloyds TSB creates an exciting place to work with a lively and fun atmosphere, they affirmed on their website that they have a work hard, play hard culture. HBOS seems to have a more formal working environment with very professional attitude in their approach to work, results-driven, always looking for more ways to move forward and over-achieve. About leadership style, Lloyds TSB built a feedback and coaching culture with regular appraisals twice annually based on Key Performance Indicator system with hierarchy structure. HBOS employed a non-hierarchical culture where everyone was treated equally, fairly. The communication system in Lloyds and HBOS followed these styles as well, hierarchy and non-hierarchy respectively. I dont think these differences in leadership style and communication system were sufficiently considered in the takeover decision. Governance model of Lloyds and HBOS were almost the same, the core purpose was to make it better for their staff, customers and to maximise shareholders value over time. Both groups were led by a board comprising executive and non-executive directorswith wide experience.The roles of the chairman,the group chief executiveandthe boardand its governance arrangements, including the schedule of matters specifically reserved to the board for decision, were reviewed annually. Lloyds and HBOS had very different ways of doing business. Lloyds was very conservative, largely a consumer bank. HBOS was aggressively following the high risk business model, HBOS transformed their traditional banking activities into global trading and speculative operations with little oversight and policing. Although the way of doing business is very important in choosing a strategy for the organisation, the unexpected result of HBOSs strategy and the dominance of Lloyds in the takeover meant that the new merger organisation did not take time to affirm which business model should be followed, therefore this aspect was not critical in the decision making of the takeover. The performance management and reward systems: The Lloyds performance approach includes objective setting using a balanced scorecard, Lloyds has regular performance reviews with competitive remuneration package. HBOS has results-driven rewards, always looking for more ways to move forward and increase achievements. The salary they received is only the beginning because for every role there was a tailor-made total rewards package which was based around three key areas: Performance, Flexibility and Choice. Furthermore, remuneration package for each role, contributory pension scheme, share-save and share-plan schemes, numbers of holidays. are hard to match between the two organisations. These differences of culture will involve much due diligence to identify implicit as well as explicit issues and will require time to build up a proper plan for HRM. The outcome of this plan has an integral role in the decision of the takeover. As the result of the takeover, the above differences in culture mean that the exposure to a new culture is unavoidable. The employees of both Lloyds and HBOS not only need to abandon their own culture, values and belief but also have to accept an entirely different culture. The takeover also leads to changes in organisational climate, the main source of organisation conflicts, which are summarized below Conflict Post-takeover integration demands significant involvement in all level of organizations, both Lloyds and HBOS, causing conflict at work from individual level to organisation level. Organisation cultural: there is no doubt that Lloydss culture is dominant and may lead to feelings of superiority among some of the employees. The employees of non-dominating culture, HBOS, may also get feelings of loss of identity associated with Lloyds. The dissimilarity in the cultures can produce the feelings of hostility and significant discomfort, for example HBOS may feel uncomfortable with the hierarchy of organisation structure and the communication system of Lloyds. In case of hostility in certain environment, some teams may develop us versus them attitude which may be detrimental to the organisational growth. Conflict in maintaining stability: The need for reform in organisation structures, redefinitions of assigned duties and responsibilities, adjusting the procedures and methods of work after the takeover, can result in conflict in maintaining stability. There should be a commitment to maintain employment in those parts of the UK in which either HBOS or Lloyds TSB currently have significant operations. This should be backed by a commitment to take all possible steps to avoid involuntary redundancies in order to avoid the potentially devastating impact on local communities and economies of large site closures. Conflict in investment in resources: both Lloyds and HBOS have their own large resources that may already be committed to investments in other areas or strategies before the takeover. As this takeover had a short notice period, assets such as branch offices, CRM software, equipment and people which have just been invested cannot easily be altered, thence conflicts arise. Which invested categories should be dropped? In fact, HBOS had in-house call centre operations, while Lloyds had a policy to outsource or off-shore its call centre. Each call centre model has its own advantages and disadvantages, what operation model should be maintained? In the short term, HBOS calls for Lloyds TSB to review all existing and planned outsourcing or off-shoring of operations to maximise employment opportunities in the UK for current employees. Conflict with past contracts or agreements: Both Lloyds and HBOS entered into contracts or agreements with other parties, such as government, trade unions, suppliers, customers and their own employees. These contracts and agreements can conflict with the changes cause by the takeover. For example, there should be a statement from Lloyds TSB committing that HBOS employees pay, pension provisions, employment benefits will be protected. Also, there should be a commitment that if there are new terms and conditions of employment for HBOS and Lloyds TSB staff, those should be no less favourable than the terms and conditions applying before the acquisition. Conflict in power or influence: Another practical problem is differences in the grading or organisational structures. The organisational structures used have different designations for the employees. During the integration Lloyds need to develop a mechanism to remove the differences in the grading systems, bring them to equal levels between Lloyds and HBOS, introducing standard levels of control over decisions, resources or information. Lloyds TSB should make a commitment to dignity at work for all employees and commit to the highest standards in relation to equality, diversity, equal pay and future career development opportunities post-takeover. The reaction of the employees in conflicts can vary from anger to dejection and depression. There can also be a fall in the morale, commitment and loyalty which can lead to impaired performance. Identifying the conflicts in advance will help Lloyds TSB management decide on the takeover. I think Lloyds TSB management was confident enough in their ability to control the above defined conflicts and believed that they would get more chances of success in the changes below: Change: In the decision of the takeover bid for HBOS, Lloyds TSB management board had targeted the opportunity to change for a stronger Lloyds Banking Group. As a common reaction, every change in the enlarged Lloyds TSB is resisted at both the individual and the organisational level. According to Alvin Toffler (1970), people are naturally wary of change and suspicion is out of control. Besides the changes in strategic, legal, financial and technology, the changes in HRM should be carefully designed and proceed with gradual pace. As part of the decision regarding the takeover, Lloyds TSB had considered the strategy to overcome the individual resistance and organizational resistance. Monday 19 January is Day one, the two brands still remain separate. A spokesperson for Lloyds TSB said: It is business as usual. This statement helps to maintain the secure feelings in customers, shareholders and employees. From the early stage of the takeover, Lloyds TSB had set up a guiding team to provide change leadership and handle every steps of the change process. They have created a website to update on a regular basis to shareholders, employees and customers on the proposed acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB and to give them information about the Lloyds Banking Group in this rapidly changing environment.Divisional changes will be communicated via line management and divisional intranet sites. HBOS partner unions, Accord and Unite, will continue to play an important role as before in the new business. There will be no major changes for the vast majority of HBOS employees. The existing HR policies and procedures remain in place. The 2009 pay review will be in May as usual. There will be little immediate change to Total Reward. The current pension arrangements will continue for all employees. Initially, there will be no change to the HBOS performance management approach. Employees will be introduced to the Lloyds Banking Group performance approach during 2009. Lloyds TSB was aware of the default response of resistance during the change of the takeover decision. Therefore they had suitable response to manage the sustaining of a healthy climate in order to gain a commitment to change in the whole organisation. Dilemmas facing Lloyds TSBs stakeholders Lloyds TSB and HBOS had, on a number of occasions over the years since 2000, discussed the possibility of a merger. It was only the unique circumstances of September 2008 that enabled this transaction to happen with the nature of the Governments involvement in the banking sector. In particular, the purpose of Governments interventions that is to stabilise the banking system, provide liquidity and to encourage more lending. Following the collapse of Lehmans, closely followed by the nationalisation of the worlds biggest insurance company AIG and the spreading of the world recession meant that the Government needed to take swift and decisive action by taking the extraordinary step of waiving competitions concerns to get the deal done. Lloyds TSB management board was very aware of the compelling logic of this transaction, including the substantial market positions they would secure and the significant and substantial synergies, the opportunities for growth which a stand-alone Lloyds TSB might not have been in a position to deliver to the same degree. Furthermore, the opportunity to acquire HBOS only came about in the middle of economic adversity and in conditions which are unlikely to be repeated. Besides the support from Government and the opportunity for growth, Lloyds TSB management board was very mindful of the difficult economic backdrop to this transaction with the prospect of further declines to come. However, Lloyds TSB purchased  £17.9 billion of HBOS net asset value for  £7.7 billion so, they were very much convinced that this was the right transaction for Lloyds TSB. The short-term outlook was indeed difficult and problems with the finances of HBOS will not disappear overnight. However, the earnings potential of Lloyds Banking Group will be significantly improved in the longer term. Lloyds TSB directors also understood that after the takeover, to reduce the systemic risk in the UK banking system, the recapitalization scheme has already cost Lloyds its 240-year-old independence. The UK Government, as part of the capital raising process, has now become a 43.4 per cent shareholder in the group. As part of Her Majestys Treasury (HMT) recapitalisation scheme, the Group was required to suspend the payment of cash dividends to ordinary shareholders until the HMT preference shares issued as part of the scheme are repaid. This is considered as a noticeable contribution from Lloyds TSB shareholders in their favourable voting for the takeover. One big concern to the Lloyds TSB employees and unions is the redundancy issue during the global financial recession. Although Lloyds TSB and the government dismissed reports of redundancies involving one third of the workforce and pledged to continue using HBOS headquarters in Scotland, the union leaders believe the job cuts will be about 15,000 in one year out of a 140,000 workforce. This brings concern to the employees about the serious plan which is designed to protect the members jobs and terms conditions of employment. The governments dilemma is how to stabilise the banking system and maintain an equitable business environment. The management boards dilemma is how to continue growing and manage the burden of the ailing HBOS, between short term and long term outlook. The shareholders dilemma is the potential of future substantial share value versus waiving current dividends or the workforce redundancies. In the context of the economic downturn in autumn 2008, Lloyds TSB had to consider the weighting between the benefits and adversities of the takeover, it was really the hard dilemma facing Lloyds TSBs stakeholder in making the decision of the takeover. Conclusion: 2008 was a very difficult and challenging year for the banking industry, the deteriorated market conditions have continued into 2009, both in the UK and overseas, a prolonged period of economic difficulty for many households and companies. The UK Government had to intervene in the banking system by providing capital and liquidity where the markets had failed. At times of great economic and financial uncertainty, many apparently settled ideas come under great scrutiny. When Lloyds TSB announced it was acquiring HBOS plc; and now about a year since the transaction was completed (16 January 2009), the deal is still receiving ceaseless criticism. Critics should consider what would have happened to the UK banking industry and the UK economic situation if the takeover had not taken place? If HBOS had failed, how many HBOS branches would have closed? How many employees would have lost their job? How many bank accounts of customers would have been affected? As a bank with a strong focus on customer relationships, Lloyds TSB is committed to helping its customers wherever possible to manage their way through these challenging times. Without doubt, the Lloyds Banking Group have spent great deal of time to overcome the challenges faced and fulfilled all necessary obligations to society. Here, never forget to mention about the crucial role of Human Resource Management during the pre-takeover and post-takeover. With only a short period of time for preparation, Lloyds TSB Human Resource Management have tried their utmost to create new HR practices and strategies that meet the requirements of the takeover. Employment law challenges, culture clashes, talent retention, employee engagement, recognition and conciliation conflicts, the HRM of Lloyds TSB has harmonised all activities in all phases leading to the creation of a unified organisation with a mission, vision, a clear purpose and values from two culturally different groups. Although there a re some shortcomings due to subjective and objective factors, the job that Lloyds TSB Human Resource Management is doing for employees and company is very valuable and highly valued, and it managed not to cause a big disturbance in the UK labour market. Finally, the decision by Lloyds TSB to takeover HBOS appears to have been the right transaction for the company. The support from government was definitely necessary and the favourable vote from both Lloyds TSB and HBOS shareholders showed that they believed this to be the best solution to the problems of both banks. The short-term outlook for the enlarged Group is challenging. Whenever economic conditions do begin to normalise, however, we believe Lloyds TSB will be in a very strong position to reap the benefits. Their strong franchise across the whole range of product lines will enable them to do just that. One of the most important ways in which leading businesses differentiate themselves from their peers is through the quality of their people and their strong commitment and Lloyds Banking Group believes that they have the qualities and the right people to ensure the bright future. APPENDIX 1: Background of Lloyds TSB and HBOS Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a UK-based financial services group, which employed about 70,000 people. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810, creating Britains largest retail bank, over all, Lloyds-TSB would be the fourth-largest bank on the stock exchange in terms of assets. Lloyds provides a wide range of banking and financial services to personal and corporate customers. Its main business activities are retail, commercial and corporate banking, general and life insurance, pensions and investment provision. Its services are offered through a number of brands, including Lloyds TSB, Cheltenham Gloucester and Scottish Widows. Its UK turnover in 2007 was  £18 billion. HBOS is a financial services group, which employed about 72,000 people in the U.K., was created in 2001 in the 9.7 billion-pound merger of Yorkshire-based mortgage lender Halifax Plc and Edinburgh-based the Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland. It is the UKs largest mortgage lender. HBOS provides a range of banking, insurance, financial services and finance-related activities in the UK and abroad. Its UK turnover in 2007 was  £4.25 billion. The deal of takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB was concluded on 16 January 2009. The three main conditions for the acquisition were: Three Quarters of HBOS shareholders voted in agreement with the boards actions; Half Of Lloyds TSB shareholder voted to approve the takeover; UK government dispensation with respect to competition law. On 19 November 2008, Lloyds TSB shareholders voted 95.98% in favour of the takeover. They also approved plans to raise  £5.5bn by issuing new shares and special preference shares. On 12 December 2008, the takeover was approved by HBOS shareholders. A group of Scottish businessmen challenged the right of the UK government to approve the deal by overruling UK competition law, but this was rejected. The government has allowed the takeover of HBOS by Lloyds TSB to bypass normal competition rules. The exchange of HBOS shares for Lloyds Banking Group shares took place at an exchange ratio of 0.605 of a new Lloyds Banking Group share for every one HBOS share held. As a result, the UK Government through Her Majestys Treasury owned approximately 43.4% of the enlarged ordinary share capital of Lloyds Banking Group. Lloyds Banking Group is now the largest financial services franchise in the UK with a range of leading market positions in important product lines, such as savings, current accounts, mortgages, insurance and long-term savings. They are also a leading player in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and wholesale banking sectors. The Group clearly has a very significant retail banking footprint and, with approximately 3,000 branches, is present in more UK locations than any other financial institution. Lloyds TSB Chief Executive Officer Eric Daniels will be Chief Executive of the enlarged company, and the banks Victor Blank will be Chairman. References Mullins, L.J. (2007) Management and organisational behaviour. 8th edn. London: Prentice Hall Buono, A.F. and Bowditch,

The Geological Impact of Nuclear Testing at the Nevada Test Site Essay

The Geological Impact of Nuclear Testing at the Nevada Test Site The Nevada Test Site is an area designated by the United States Government for Nuclear Weapons testing. It is located in rural southern Nevada and is about the size of the State of Rhode Island. This location was founded in 1952 as one of 5 on land sites designated for this task. Above ground nuclear or atmospheric testing was conducted at the Nevada Test Site until 1958. There was a break in testing until the United States decided to begin underground testing in 1962. There were a total of 828 nuclear tests performed underground during these years. In 1963 a limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed by the United States that limited above ground tests world wide. These underground tests were performed until 1992, and nuclear testing in the United States seized all together in 1994 when the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed. The majority of the testing was conducted to further the efforts of the Cold War, as well as, to further general understanding of the effects and results of nu clear testing. This paper will discuss the history, geological aspects, and impacts of the Nevada Test Site on this and surrounding areas of Nevada. The history of atomic testing begins during the Second World War. The majority of testing during this period was done at the Los Alamos test site in New Mexico. All of the locations where testing was done have several key things that make them good locations for nuclear testing. They are all away from areas of large population density. For example the Nevada Test Site is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas but has little or no population in the immediate area. They are also in areas where there is little or very deep ground water aquifer... ...ically impressive, the atomic reservations are bleak compounds of windowless concrete reactors and factories and hasty government-spec architecture: places frozen in the 1950s and 1960s. (Seattle Times Company 1995) Works Cited "Estimated Exposures and Thyroid Doses Received by the American People from Iodine-131 in Fallout Following Nevada Atmospheric Nuclear Bomb Tests National Cancer Institute (NCI). 2002. June 2004. <http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter> Eckel, Edwin B., ed. Nevada Test Site. Memoir 110 Boulder, CO: The Geological Society of America, 1968 Nevada Test Site. Global security.Org. 21 December 2002. June 2004. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/nts.htm> Part II The Nevada Test Site. The Seattle Times Web Edition. 1995. Seattle Times Company. June 2004. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/trinity/articles/part2.html>

Of Mice and Men Essay Essay

Throughout the book, â€Å"Of Mice and Men† George is Lennie’s everything! From dusk to dawn he is Lennie’s caretaker, friend, and he also works in place of himself and Lennie, too! He doesn’t have the easiest job in the world, either. He is faced with many challenges throughout the book. I do believe that towards the end George was finally getting enough, and he was getting tired of watching Lennie struggle. It got the best of him in a way. George has a job as a ranch hand out on the ranch. He does a little bit of everything. From making sure that the animals are in good health, and to helping the boss with anything he needs. George even watches over the slaves, to make sure they are doing what they need to be doing and are staying away from the whites. He carries a lot of responsibilities! He is also doing Lennie’s job at the same time. As we found out very quickly, Lennie is not the best at doing the task, due to his mental illness. He doesn’t know his strength, and tends to hurt/kill people and animals. Lennie has a heart of gold, and means absolutely no harm. Because of Lennie’s mental state, he needs a caretaker. George has been the one to step up to the plate and take that position. They got kicked out of Weed because Lennie went to feel a lady’s dress, and she accused him of rape. George somewhat felt guilty because as his caretaker it is his responsibility to make sure and keep an eye on him. George has to keep a close eye on Lennie and make sure that he is doing right. Any wrong thing that he may do could easily fall back on George, and they can lose everything, such as their job and shelter. At the end of the book, George had had enough of watching Lennie do wrong. He knew that after killing Curley’s wife, it could be something much worse, and being the friend he was he couldn’t watch him go through that anymore! As a friend, George is Lennie’s everything! Throughout the book, George was Lennie’s only true friend. He understood him, when everyone else didn’t. George knew when he messed up, but he still treated him like a best friend. He was more than just a caretaker, he was like a brother! I give props to George! He had been around the world and back with Lennie and he still loved him for the person he was. Even when he killed things, he was still there  and didn’t think of him any less. Now that my friends, is a TRUE friend! This book was very touching, and sad. It helped open my eyes to realize that there really are people out there who do wrong, but don’t mean to. You may be proven guilty, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t innocent. George really was a great friend to Lennie! He had a lot of responsibility on his shoulders! He would be one to look up to. Next time you see someone do wrong, you need to stop and ask yourself, â€Å"Did they really mean that?†

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne ultimatum is about a guy that works for the CIA, but at the same time is trying to uncover his identity. The movie represents a variety of political messages that portray a corrupt government who through secrecy utilize their power to better the personage. The Bourne ultimatum shows a variety of political messages such as individuality, corruption, conflict, role of government, power and secrecy. However, the main theme portrayed throughout the movie is the involvement of corruption in the Central Intelligence Agency. Several individuals were portrayed as having too much power. To understand Bourne ultimatum you may need to watch the first movie (the Bourne identity) as well as the second movie (The Bourne supremacy). The Bourne ultimatum is a movie that transfers the corruption of the CIA. For example, the CIA officers, are officers that protect the nations and investigate terrorism so that it is ceased. How is it possible that there are officers that are complete hypocrites because they betray their nation. The movie also helped demonstrate how the corruption is served by betraying the country. As the film unravels the involvement of corruption only deepens and the relationship between corruption, secrecy, power and individuality seem synonymous. As the protagonist, Jason Bourne struggles to find his own identity, the involvement of corruption in the CIA worsens. According to Bourne’s head trainer Conklin, Jason Bourne is a â€Å"malfunctioning 30 million dollar weapon of the United States government†. He is a highly trained assassin who is suffering from amnesia struggling to find his own identity. Bourne was involved in a top secret program called â€Å"Treadstone†, which went wrong after the program attempted to alleviate a conflict by assassinating of a political leader. The second movie begins before the end of the events in (The Bourne Supremacy). Bourne Ultimatum ultimately reveals the total corruption involved in the CIA and Bourne’s true identity. Bourne then reads an article in The Guardian by Ross about Bourne, Treadstone, and â€Å"Operation Blackbriar. † He then arranges to meet Ross in London at the south entrance of Waterloo Station. Ross, however, is under surveillance because his use of the word â€Å"Blackbriar† in a phone call to his editor was tracked by Echelon, alerting the CIA. CIA section Chief Noah Vosen alerts his staff at the Anti-Terrorism Deep Cover in New York to find out any information on Ross, believing that Operation Blackbriar has been compromised. Vosen orders an assassin, Paz, to kill Ross and his source. Vosen's team identifies Bourne on a security camera and recognizes him as the original Treadstone assassin, and assumes he is Ross's source. While Paz gets into a position with a sniper and kills Ross, Bourne went to Ross body and gets his note and he run away. In this scene, the government’s agents received information that a British news reporter uncovered something about an operation called Blackbriar, so they tried to track him down by looking up his record. They were able to find his personal information including his address, cell-phone numbers, and job location. During this process the agents hacked into the news reporter’s email transactions and discovered that he bought a train ticket so agents were sent to the train station to capture the reporter. When the reporter arrived at the train station the agents monitored his every move from a room filled with high tech computers and TV screens that were hooked up to the surveillance cameras, and satellite communication system. Surveillance cameras are there to make sure that no shady activities are present. People recognize that they are there, but the CIA used the cameras to help them capture the reporter and Jason Bourne, so their secrets will remain secret. Later in the movie the CIA officials sent an assassin to kill the reporter, and the cameras assisted in locating the position of the reporter. When the assassin shot him, the security cameras were purposely turned off. This is not acceptable! The cameras are not there to aide murderers. The CIA is protected by the Patriot Act which allows them to access medical records, tax records, and information about the books that one buys or borrow without probable cause, and the power to break into your home and conduct secret searches without warning or probable cause (USA Patriot Act). The Patriot Act is aimed at terrorists or people that are potentially terrorists and it doesn’t give the government the power to kill innocent people. Even though the reporter was not a British Citizen, the CIA agents were from the US so they should follow American laws. Also the reporter in this movie was not a terrorist. He was harmless to society. He just happened to hear something that he wasn’t suppose to hear. This movie shows what the government is capable of doing, and they could be monitoring the everyday lives of U. S. Citizens, listening in on our phone conversations. Pamela Landy is asked to help capture Bourne. With Landy's help, Vosen and his team also determine that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. By implementing Landy in the films was a successful character, the director attempted to send an important message to his audience. I believe that he tried to instill the idea of separated Landy from the other male characters was corruption, Landy worked to answer questions and find truth. She was portrayed as the ideal CIA official. Vosen and his team also determined that Neil Daniels is Ross' source. They send a team to Daniels' office in Madrid, to kill her, but Bourne get first to save her and killing Desh Bouksani that was the guy they send to kill Daniels. Bourne later found out that Blackbriar was Treadstone’s â€Å"dirty little secret†, it provided a way for corrupt CIA officials to cover up their slip ups by sending Bourne to eliminate targets. This would allow the officials to keep their corrupt ways a secret. They utilized their power; Blackbriar, to carry out their own dirty missions. Bourne takes a flight to New York City, he calls Landy while observing her and Vosen from across the street, the same call that was shown at the end of the second movie. Bourne sends a text message to Landy to arrange a meeting. Vosen and his team intercept the message and follow Landy as she leaves the building. However, the meeting is simply a diversion to allow him to enter Vosen's office and steal classified Blackbriar documents. Landy gave Bourne the address of the Treadstone R facility in code when Landy gave Bourne his date of birth. Bourne meets Landy and gives her the stolen documents from Vosen's office before entering the building. Landy finishes faxing away the Blackbriar document that Bourne stole to the FBI. Landy realizes that the man she is working with to find Bourne is also corrupt. The CIA director Noah Vosen was Blackbriar’s â€Å"operational chief,† and DR. Albert Hirsch was the â€Å"alleged mastermind of the program† She wasn’t able to prove this if Bourne had acquired the files needed to prosecute the corrupt CIA officials. By achieving these files and confronting the officials Bourne was able to find his true identity. In this movie we have the opportunity of see how the CIA, works in their secrets case. I believe the director may want to teach the audience showing example of how the government works and as well making to see not matter how important can be the agency there still haven individual that there dishonest. Also the director included political messages and carefully placed cameras in order to capture the real life possibilities of corruption, secrecy, power in our government. The camera angles were set as if the movie were a documentary, everything was set up so that it all seemed real and was happening now. This method made the film seem more real and believable. It greatly highlighted the quality and sense of reality throughout the film. In the sense of corruption the film is pretty accurate in its representation of the political system. For example, corruption among high levels of government like those involved in the Watergate and the occasional CIA leaks that we see on CNN and FOX news channels are established in the Bourne movies. All of these ideas are introduced and incorporated into the Bourne films which furthermore increase the films realistic and documentary feel. In effect, the director successfully increases the validity of the film’s material. Another aspect The U. S. Government takes a lot of safety precautions to protect its property and people, but sometimes they go too far even as far as to invade the privacy of its citizens. In the new film Bourne Ultimatum many example of privacy invasion is demonstrated. Some of these examples of privacy invasion are acceptable under extreme circumstances, but others are not. Otherwise what increased the films reality was Bourne’s ability to use anything in order to complete his tasks. He worked with what he was given and it made the audience really appreciate his craft and skill with his ability to maneuver things to work in his favor. Another example are the fighting scenes, he was seen using not only guns, but also cords, towels, books, to defend himself and neutralize his opponents. He used whatever it took to get the job done and stay alive. This is important because according to field operation officers like Bourne were highly trained in areas such as, self defense, weapons handling, high speed driving, disguise, and secret writing communications, which all represent an entire array of what CIA calls the trade craft skills. A good fields’ officer makes anything his weapon. The more trained you are with weaponry, more missions will be completed. The film reflected a negative outlook on American politics. It demonstrated the U. S. government particularly the CIA as being a corrupt agency that utilized their reserved powers to resolve not only regular but also personal conflicts through secrecy to better their individual selves. The idea of imperfection, political messages like corruption, and from a general standpoint accurate portrayal of an operations field officer, qualifies the trilogy as a representative piece of American politics. The Bourne films give a realistic point of view; government is not perfect! Contrary to most films the Bourne movies show that the government too is vulnerable to issues like corruption, secrecy, and abuse of power. By filming as if the film were a documentary on Jason Bourne, the film ultimately delineates imperfection amongst our levels of government.