Market Structure Essay Example

Market Structure Essay We can classify firms by the roles they play in the target market: leader, challenger, follower, or nicher. Suppose a market is occupied by the firms shown in Figure 1. 1. Forty percent of the market is in the hands of a market leader; another 30 percent is in the hands of a market challenger; another 20 percent is in the hands of a market follower, a firm that is willing to maintain its market share and not rock the boat. The remaining 10 percent is in the hands of market nichers, firms that serve small market segments not being served by larger firms. . 1. Market Leader Many industries contain one firm that is the acknowledged market leader. This firm has the largest market share in the relevant product market, and usually leads the other firms in price changes, new-product introductions, distribution coverage, and promotional intensity. Some well-known market leaders are Microsoft (computer software), Intel (microprocessors), Gatorade (sports drinks), Best Buy (retail electronics), McDonalds (fast food), Gillette (razor blades), UnitedHealth (health insurance), and Visa (credit cards). . 1. 1Market Leader’s Objectives Remaining number one calls for action on three fronts. First, the firm must find ways to expand total market demand. Second, the firm must protect its current market share through good defensive and offensive actions. Third, the firm can try to increase its market share, even if market size remains constant. 1. 1. 1. 1 Expanding The Total Market The dominant firm normally gains the most when the total market expands. We will write a custom essay sample on Market Structure specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Market Structure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Market Structure specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer If Americans, for instance, increase their consumption of ketchup, Heinz stands to gain the most because it sells almost two-thirds of the countrys ketchup. If Heinz can convince more Americans to use ketchup, or to use ketchup with more meals, or to use more ketchup on each occasion, Heinz will benefit considerably. In general, the market leader should look for new customers or more usage from existing customers. NEW CUSTOMERS Every product class has the potential of attracting buyers who are unaware of the product or who are resisting it because of price or lack of certain features. A company can search for new users among three groups: those who might use it but do not (market-penetration strategy), those who have never used it (new-market segment strategy), or those who live elsewhere (geographical-expansion strategy). Starbucks Coffee is one of the best-known brands in the world. Starbucks is able to sell a cup of coffee for $3 while the store next door can only get $1. And if you want the popular cafe latte, its $4. Starbucks has more than 7,200 locations throughout North America, the Pacific Rim, Europe, and the Middle East, and its annual revenue for 2002 topped $3. 3 billion. Its corporate Web site gives a peek into its multipronged approach to growth. Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment—primarily through its company-operated retail stores. In addition, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group and supermarkets. Additionally, Starbucks produces and sells bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drinks and a line of premium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships and offers a line of innovative premium teas produced by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tazo Tea Company. The companys objective is to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world. To achieve this goal, the company plans to continue to rapidly expand its retail operations, grow its specialty sales and other operations, and selectively pursue opportunities to leverage the Starbucks brand through the introduction of new products and the development of new distribution channels. MORE USAGE Usage can be increased by increasing the level or quantity of consumption or increasing the frequency of consumption. The amount of consumption can sometimes be increased through packaging or product design. Larger package sizes have been shown to increase the amount of product that consumers use at one time. The usage of impulse consumption products such as soft drinks and snacks increases when the product is made more available. Increasing frequency of use, on the other hand, involves identifying additional opportunities to use the brand in the same basic way or identifying completely new and different ways to use the brand. In some cases, the product may be seen as useful only in certain places and at certain times, especially if it has strong brand associations to particular usage situations or user types. To generate additional usage opportunities, a marketing program can communicate the appropriateness and advantages of using the brand more frequently in new or existing situations and/or remind consumers to actually use the brand as close as possible to those situations. The wine industry launched a number of initiatives in the late 1990s to attract Gen-Xers and convince them wine was a casual, every day libation to be drunk like bottled water, beer or soda. Another potential opportunity to increase frequency of use is when consumers perceptions of their usage differs from the reality of their usage. For many products with relatively short life spans, consumers may fail to replace the product when they should because of a tendency to overestimate the length of productive usage. One strategy to speed up product replacement is to tie the act of replacing the product to a certain holiday, event, or time of year. Another strategy might be to provide consumers with better information as to either: (1) when the product was first used or would need to be replaced or (2) the current level of product performance. Each Gillette Mach3 cartridge features a blue stripe that slowly fades with repeated use. After about a dozen shaves, it fades away, signaling the user to move on to the next cartridge. The second approach is to identify completely new and different applications. For example, food product companies have long advertised new recipes that use their branded products in entirely different ways. Given that the average American eats dry breakfast cereal three mornings a week, cereal manufacturers would gain if they could promote cereal eating on other occasions—perhaps as a snack. Product development can spur new uses. Chewing gum manufacturers are exploring ways to make nutraceutical products as a cheap, effective delivery mechanism for medicine. The majority of Adams chewing gums (number two in the world) claim health benefits. Aquafresh and Arm Hammer are two dental gums that both achieved some success.

Johnson Surname Meaning and Origin

Johnson Surname Meaning and Origin Johnson is an English patronymic name meaning son of John (gift of God). The name John derives from the Latin Johannes, which is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning Jehovah has favored. The suffix meaning son, creates several different variations of the Johnson surname. Examples: English son, Norwegian sen, German sohn, and Swedish sson. Jones  is the common Welsh version of this surname. The JOHNSON surname may also be an Anglicisation of the Gaelic surname MacSeain or MacShane. Johnson was a very popular name among Christians, given the many saints named John, including St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Surname Origin:  English, Scottish Alternate Surname Spellings: Johnston, Jonson, Jonsen, Johanson, Johnstone, Johnsson, Johannsan, Jensen, MacShane, McShane, McSeain Fun Facts About the Johnston Surname Johnston/Johnstone combined was the 10th most frequent surname at the General Register Office of Scotland in 1995. Famous People with the Surname Johnson Andrew Johnson - Americas 17th PresidentLyndon B. Johnson - Americas 36th PresidentCaryn Elaine Johnson - AKA Whoopie Goldberg, African American ActressShawn Johnson - 2008 Olympics gymnastics gold medalist Genealogy Resources for the Surname Johnson Search Strategies for Common Last NamesUse these strategies for locating ancestors with common names like Johnson to help you research your JOHNSON ancestors online. 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Johnson Johnston Johnstone Surname DNA ProjectJohnsons around the world are having their DNA tested in order to learn more about their family origins, and connections to other Johnson and Johnston families. History of the Johnston/Johnstone ClanThere were a number of Johns towns in Scotland but the earliest record of the surname is a John Johnstone at the end of the 12th century. Johnson Name Meaning Family HistoryAn overview of the Johnson surname meaning, plus subscription-based access to genealogical records on Johnson families around the world from Ancestry.com. FamilySearch - JOHNSON GenealogyExplore over 37 million historical records and lineage-linked family trees available for the Johnson surname, and variations such as Johnston, on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Johnson Family Genealogy ForumSearch this forum for the Johnson surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Johnson query. Theres also a separate forum for the Johnston surname. DistantCousin.com - JOHNSON Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Johnson. The Johnson Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Johnson surname from the website of Genealogy Today. Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. - References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Philosophy of Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy of Nursing - Essay Example But then she must first learn to walk, and so when she runs she must run with patience. (Most people dont even try to walk.) But I would also say to all young ladies who are called to any particular vocation, qualify yourself for it as a man does for his work. Dont think you can undertake it otherwise.† (Nightingale,1869) We are all equals, doing our assigned task. But, we must not only do the task, we must do it well. In doing the task well, we must in the words of Madam Florence Nightingale â€Å"qualify yourself.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦qualify ourselves. Nursing is most truly said to be a high calling, an honourable calling. But what does the honour lie in? In working hard during your training to learn and to do all things perfectly. The honour does not lie in putting on Nursing like your uniform. Honour lies in loving perfection, consistency, and in working hard for it: in being ready to work patiently: ready to say not "How clever I am!" but "I am not yet worthy; and I will live to deserve to be called a Trained Nurse.†(Nightingale, 1873) To qualify ourselves means to be prepared spiritually by determining if you are called to render assistance; mentally for the difficulties of learning, biologically for the rigors of training; emotionally, psychologically and socially to be able to love perfection, consistency and hard work. The paradigm of nursing consists of person, environment, health, and, nursing (Stark State College Nursing, 2001). To be able to determine the role and relationships that are embodied in the concept of nursing from my perspective, it would be best to react or give my input on the other concepts of nursing. Madam Nightingale in using the term â€Å"qualify yourself† meant preparing holistically – mentally, emotionally, biologically, psychologically and socially. All these facets make a person who he is. In order for one to develop

Individual business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual business report - Essay Example Arnott’s seeks to expand its market by sourcing and manufacturing the entire product in Greece since biscuits and snacks are too peripheral to any country’s economic needs to feature saliently in import-export trade. Other alternatives to this mode of expansion is bound to expose Arnott’s to the government-imposed rigours of import-export trade, since the Greece government like any other, will seek to maintain a favourable balance of trade. The report will discuss the feasibility of Arnott’s desire to go to Greece, in respect to Arnott’s current status and Greece’s socioeconomic, political, legal and environmental conditions. Parts 2.0- 6.0 of this report discuss Arnott’s prospects in light of the political, legal, economic, socio-cultural and technological conditions in Greece. Part 7.0 discusses Arnott’s prospects by using SWOT analysis. Part 8.0 is the recommendation section. Greece’s political stability is underscored by it being a parliamentary republic, having the President as the head of the state and the Prime Minister as the head of the government. The constitution of Greece with its 120 articles allows for the separation of powers among the legislature, judiciary and the executive. This political stability will help Arnott’s to thrive. Likewise, taxation and regulation of trade will be carried adroitly, since separation of powers readily co-occurs with bureaucracy (Kizos and Iosifides, 2007, 66). Bà ¢rgà £oanu, Negrea and Dascà £lu (2010, 35) explain that Greece joined the European Union (EU) in 1981 and represents 41.5% of the EU’s deadweight tonnage. Greco-Australian relations are very close. This closeness dates back to World War I and II and the Korean War where Australia fought alongside Greece. Therefore, the Grecian government is naturally predisposed to encourage Greco-Australian trade (Vogiatzoglou, 2007, 53). Arnott’s must sign articles of

Discuss the positive and negative social impacts of staging Major Essay

Discuss the positive and negative social impacts of staging Major events - Essay Example Event management and marketing is an important strategic part of the marketing strategic planning within any industry. The role of marketing and event marketing becomes a key element of success for a company strategy in the phase of the life cycle that is near launch and after launch. Event marketing, in the last decade, is increasingly dealt within an integrated marketing communications perspective. Event marketing and management provides a superior competitive advantage when managed within the integrated marketing communications framing. Events are described by O’Toole and Mikolaitis as â€Å"a means of communicating corporate messages†1. Pickton and Broderick describe how events are means of targeting and positioning within a given market. The authors show how the message passes across and maximizes its leverage through an integrated marketing communications approach. Events organized directly or indirectly by pharmaceutical companies for example must be held in the towns and offices chosen for logistics, scientific and organizational reasons and be characterized by an appropriate participation of physicians and by an expert scientific program. Town with an exclusively tourist vocation must not be used as venues. The participants invited to meetings must be chosen on an international, national or at least regional basis. This indeed forms the societal link of staging events in different areas and should be understood as such. The positive impacts of staging major events include the fact that they bring in value and ability that can easily be showcased across the board. People will get to know what kind of talent exists and thus comprehend how major events are held within their close proximity. They will also find out how people can dress up, show their own selves and bring out the very best of skills and abilities. Different event management regimes therefore learn from these quarters because they want to tell the people that the world is their own stage and that they can show them what they are made up of what their real worth is, in the long run. The positive impacts of staging major events are that they look classy and have a special demeanor about their own selves. This is one of the reasons why staging major events in the time and age of today is the ‘in’ thing, and the same will develop even further in the coming times. The staging of major events goes down well with the event management companies and organizations which have drafted policies that take care of the details that go along well with the management and staging of such events. There is a discussion that centers on the premise of comprehending how these major events should be tackled and what are the repercussions in the case of an anomaly that might arise in the future. What needs to be understood here is the fact that major events are a source of confidence and encouragement for the audiences and more than that the people themselves who are staging them in the first place. Much research goes within the domains of major events as regards to their staging and management regimes, and one needs to comprehend all of these in order to move ahead further. More than anything else, there is a dire need to realize the true potential of these major events which can literally make or break careers of individuals as well as put the organizations within the industrial concerns of today. The major events also

Pros And Cons Of Internet Banking Information Technology Essay

Pros And Cons Of Internet Banking Information Technology Essay The rise of the Internet has fueled an important question across the banking industry of whether it is time to renounce to the branches and provide banking products services solely over the Internet or combine clicks n bricks. The objective of the paper is to compare two business models: the click and mortar model that complements both classical branch banking and online facilities with the one that aims using exclusively cutting-edge Internet technology, the so called: pure Internet banking. Keywords: Internet banking, performance, client orientation Introduction The current global economic situation determined banks to focus on performance and on increasing the revenue brought by the existing customers. Given the context, banks tend to reorient towards the cost effective distribution channels, in order to minimize distribution costs. Probably the most important cost effective distribution channel for the banking sector is the Internet. That is why, since the rise of Internet, bankers had to decide whether it is time to renounce to the branches and provide banking products services solely over the Internet or combine clicks n bricks. Both alternatives have strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages. The set of advantages that the use of Internet might bring for banks is quite consistent. Among them (see fig. 1), we mention: the almost unlimited mobility that such channel offers to the banks clients; the multiple possibilities that exist in terms of interconnecting the Internet-based financial platforms with other systems; the reduced costs that such a distribution channel implies etc. On the other hand, the complexity and dynamism of the Internet also implies considerable risks. Internet banking products bring a high level of transactional risks, particularly if such a line of business is not adequately planned, implemented and monitored. [2] Transactional risks are mainly arising from fraud, error and the inability to properly manage confidential information. Fig 1. Internet Banking s main advantages [1] Nowadays, all Internet banking applications must meet a minimum set of security requirements, such as: communications confidentiality and integrity datas integrity and confidentiality authenticity for all parties involved in transactions protection of personal data protection against identity substitution and informations transmission under false identity protection against interception of information transferred between the client and the bank traceability of transactions business continuity for all services offered to customers prevention, detection and monitoring all unauthorized access in the system restoration of the systems information in case of natural calamities or unpredictable events etc [3] In considering the merits of branch banking, we cannot do better than remember the advice given to bankers by Mr. Rae in his excellent work, The Country Banker. He remarks that no bank ought to open a branch unless possibly for the following reasons: 1st. It should be advantageous for the customers of that bank. 2nd. There should be a possibility of new business being obtained. 3rd. That the branch may act as a connecting link to other branches. Possibly the greatest use of branches is that they find an outlet for surplus capital. Thus if money cannot be employed to advantage at one branch, yet there might exist a demand for capital at another, and consequently none of the resources of the bank remain unemployed. If the surplus funds of a bank can always be utilised at a profit, it follows that a higher rate of interest can be given for deposits.[4] For small towns a branch is more advantageous than any other method of gaining market share, because a limited customer environment can be better served by a focused and personalized approach. Also, there is no doubt that the establishment of branches by the existing banks can be a method of preventing competition from opening branches in the same area. Above all, security issues can make customers consider that branch banking is superior to Internet banking, because there is better trust in the traditional transactional system. Body of Paper Pros and Cons of Internet banking Pros: Lowered transaction costs: Internet is probably the most important cost effective distribution channel for the banking sector, primarily due to two factors: widespread Internet access and its low costs, which minimizes transaction processing costs, and the reduction of the number of brick and mortars branches required to service an equivalent number of customers, which dramatically lowers overhead costs [5]. Convenience: Unlike a banks branch, Internet banking sites never close; theyre available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and theyre only a mouse click away.   Ubiquity: If a money problem arises while clients are out of their residence state or out of the country, they can log on instantly to the Internet banking application and take care of business-24/7.   Transaction speed: Internet banking sites generally execute and confirm transactions at or quicker than ATM processing speeds.   Efficiency: Clients can access and manage all of their accounts, including Individual Retirement Accounts, CDs, even securities, from one secure site.   Effectiveness: Many Internet banking sites offer sophisticated tools, including account aggregation, stock quotes, rate alerts and portfolio managing programs to help clients manage all of their assets more effectively. Most are also compatible with money managing programs.[6] Higher loyalty rates: Pure Internet bankers show slightly higher loyalty rates than their multi-channel counterparts. According to a study conducted in 2000 in the USA, 84 percent of Internet bankers had only one banking relationship, while 79 percent of multi-channel bankers had one relationship.[5] Younger public: Pure Internet bankers are more youthful than the multi-channel bankers. In accordance with the above mentioned study, forty-four percent of pure Internet bankers were 35 and younger, compared to 30% of the multi-channel bankers.[5] Cons: Trust: Trusting an Internet banking system is an issue for two main reasons: identity theft and operator error. If clients use a non-secure wireless Internet connection, it might not be a good idea to use online banking. Its quite easy for a savvy ID thief to view the personal information of the clients. In regards to operator error, some users worry that they might have pushed the transfer button too much, or not enough.[6] Risks: Internet banking sites bring a high level of risks, such as: operational, legal, reputational or systemic risks and even strategic risks. Internet banking does not necessary open up new risk categories, but rather accentuates the risks that any bank faces. Security controls: Security controls need special attention because of the open nature of the Internet and the pace of technological change. Specific focus areas include: Authentication-This means ensuring customers are verified and their identities established before conducting business over the Internet. Passwords, biometric methods, challenge-response systems, public key infrastructure are some of the ways of strengthening authentication. There is a growing trend towards single-sign-on applications, where the customer needs only a single ID to access his entire relationship. These increase the risk of compromise. Nonrepudiation-Banks should make certain that customers who transact on the Internet cannot later deny having originated the transactions. Using techniques like PKI (digital certificates), strong nonrepudiation can be achieved. However, legal enforceability in many countries is still suspect. Segregation of duties-As in any traditional process, segregation of duties is vital to prevent perpetration of fraud by any one individual.[7] Delays in account activation: Customers may need to face a waiting period between signing up for Internet banking and receipt of the ID and password necessary for account activation and also make other arrangements in case their access is temporarily denied because of various reasons. Also, the clients might need some time to get accustomed with the banks website and set up account information. Delays in processing the payments: Even if the Internet banking platforms can be accessed 24 hours / day, the majority of the payments are processed only within the working hours of the banks. That is why, if clients choose to pay bills online, they have to make sure that recipients are capable of processing electronic payments in time. Otherwise, it may take several days for the payments to be credited to the right accounts, which could result in accumulated late charges. Lack of official proof of payment: If something goes wrong with the online money transactions (errors, late charges etc), clients might need official proofs of the payments they did. The fastest way to obtain such a proof is by printing out a hard copy of the payment order directly from the system. Unfortunately, in most of the cases, the printings are not considered official proofs so in order to get some; clients will have to visit the nearest banks branch. Technical problems: Any system that comprises complex technology needs maintenance and it is prone to occasional technical problems. Under such circumstances, Internet banking applications might be temporarily unusable, which means that the clients cannot access their accounts. Rapid obsolescence of the sites layout: Internet banking sites change very fast. Even the largest banks, periodically upgrade their online programs, adding new features in unfamiliar places. In some cases, clients can be perplexed by such changes. Lack of human touch: There are many devotees to community banking to say that such ways to interact with a bank are not successful because people are dependent to face-to-face banking services. In their opinion, the lack of human contact is frustrating to customers.[1] Pros and Cons of branch banking Pros: Security The branch banking is less risky than Internet banking and has greater capacity to handle risks. The losses incurred by some branches may be offset by the profits earned by other branches.[9] Diversification A branch banking organization can easily diversify its sources and uses of funds among various users. It can direct funds into a market requiring financing. Deposits are received from the areas where lots of savings and loans are extended in those areas where funds are scarce and interest rates are high.[9] Large-scale operations Under branch banking system, a bank with a considerable number of branches usually processes huge financial resources and enjoys the benefits of large-scale operations. Over the Internet, clients tend to operate only with smaller amounts of money. Low degree of customers specialization Traditional banking implies less-skilled and less affluent clients than Internet banking. It is a fact that in order to be able to use Internet banking applications clients need the right technical facilities and minimal Internet and computer knowledge. Legislative stability State laws governing the organizational structure of branch banking are stable and clear compared with the legislative framework that governs the virtual environment. In terms of the internets legislative framework things can be radically different from one country to another. Specialized consultancy Community banking implies the presence of highly trained and experienced staff in the branches. This personnel is appointed to certain categories of clients and contributes directly to an increased efficiency of the bank client relationship. Cash transactions are possible Even perpetual declines in the demand for cash transactions are a reality, such phenomenon pose no real threat to the traditional methods that involve paper money. Those kinds of transactions (cash based) continue to be an important part of each and every economy. Higher rates of deposit attraction: Based on the lack of liquidity that occurs at the international level, one of the highest priority items right now for bankers is the deposit attraction. It is much efficient to attract deposits through physical branches than it is by using remote deposit capture (RDC  [1]  ) systems. Tradition: The classical branch banking is hard to compare with the Internet banking in the field of establishing close personal relationship with the customers, owing to considerations such as: the short term experience and tradition that Internet banking has; the differences in the cultural backgrounds of the clients etc. Cons: Costs bank branches are not cheap to set up. Depending on the  banks development goals and the jurisdiction the bank chooses, new branches may need to be started. Setting up a new branch may mean steep legal fees, corporate or account registration fees and in some cases banks are even required to own property (immobile) in the country in which they intend to operate. Insufficient parking spaces extensive urbanization is largely responsible for one of the most common todays problem: insufficient parking spaces in downtown and suburban areas of cities. If we add traffic congestions to it, we might find a good reason for customers to renounce visiting a banks branch. Personnel risks: The vast majority of staff in any bank is trustworthy and honest. However, banks are now beginning to realize and understand the scale of the threat posed by the small proportion of staff who act dishonestly and defraud their employer [10]. Following recent complaints, Brasov Police (Romania) applied to Credit Europe Bank a penalty of 50,000 lei and ordered to repay the stolen money to the injured clients within 15 days. It has been determined that the local director of operations, three operators and a cashier made fraudulent banking transactions on behalf of the banks clients, diverting more than 2 mil Euros in the past 7 years.[11] Insufficient specialized personnel: Sometimes, the expansion of banks in certain new locations exceeds the possibilities that the local labor markets have in terms of specialized staff. Under such circumstances banks have to headhunt local specialists, relocate internal employees or train new ones. All those solutions involve considerable costs. Conclusions The choice of whether or not to renounce to the click and mortar model of banking in favor of banking online, depends on many variables. Although the benefits of online banking are undeniable, there are some inconveniences and concerns of which bankers should be aware before making such an important strategic move. A comparative study conducted by the Research Institute of Applied Economics in 2008, over four important European countries (Finland, Spain, Italy and the UK) shows that the performance of different online banking models over the period 1995-2004 are not worse in terms of average returns to assets (or equity) than the ones obtained by the branch banking models. The study also reveals the fact that Internet banks are hard to distinguish from banks that adopt both click and mortar strategies. Country specific features appear to be more important in explaining differences across banks. That is why the researchers explain the performance of banks by a group of selected bank-specific features, but also add country-specific macroeconomic indicators and information technology related ratios. The strategic initiative of banking groups to incorporate internet banks seems to reflect some competitive edge that these banks have in their business models. The management of these banks is generally more capable of handling personnel and other costs. Personnel expenses are comparatively low, but the costs for IT are disproportionately high.[12] Others studies show that multi-channel banks draw highest traffic rates on their Internet banking platforms than the pure Internet banks, due to their off-line channels, brand awareness and existing customer base.[5] Under the same current of opinion there is a thesis according to which clients interested in value added products still prefer interaction with a physical branch. It is a fact that Internet banks need to reach a minimum dimension in order to become profitable. That is why good client adoption rate is a must for the Internet banks. Unfortunately this rate does not depend solely on the skills of the initiators but also on some external factors to the banking industry (egg: the percentage of households with access to internet at home, mass access to the specific technology, a higher broadband penetration rate etc). In terms of client adoption rates, trust is also very important. Even if the clients can see the benefits of Internet banking, they may be unwilling to subscribe if they do not trust or have much experience with the Internet. On the other hand, people may only sign up for limited services like account viewing. This will save them from safety concerns but will still give them daily access to account activity.[13]Under the circumstances, we should expect that the impact of Internet banks may not be strong enough to affect the branch banking system as a whole. However, Internet banks certainly contribute to increase transparency on specific products, like current accounts, allowing for comparisons among banks that were previously more difficult. [12]

Greatness :: essays research papers

When a Jewish girl living in Krakow under false papers visits Schindler, she asks that he hire her parents to work in his factory. He is infuriated with the girl and she runs from him, fearing her life and liberty. Schindler expresses his rage at Stern, whom he accuses of harboring Jews in the "haven" of a factory. Schindler is not angry at the idea of his factory as a haven, but the fact that such activities are illegal. However, as the atrocities of the Nazis become more apparent, Schindler begins to see the great opportunity he is presented with. He hires the girl's parents. Although there is no dialogue to give the viewer any direct clues, the scene in which Schindler observes the liquidation of the ghetto at Krakow hints at the change that begins to overtake him. He appears to be gripped by the stark realization of what the Nazi's are actually doing. He watches from a hill overlooking the ghetto, as Jews are massacred and children are oblivious to what is happening. The horror of it all overtakes his mistress, and she begs him to leave the tragic scene. Later, the change that has overtaken Schindler becomes more apparent. In a conversation with Hauptsturmfuhrer Amon Goeth, Schindler expresses his feelings about the relationship between that Nazis and the Jews. Goeth states that the reason the Jews fear the Nazi's is because they have the power to kill. Schindler believes otherwise. He says that the power to kill is a punishment to be used in exercising justice, but the real power lies in exercising mercy. According to Schindler, to have every justification for killing someone and letting him or her go demonstrates real power. This idea leaves an impression on Goeth, who begins to practice "mercy" the next day in his dealings in the concentration camp. Unfortunately, practicing mercy does not leave Goeth with the same fulfillment as murder, and he reverts to his old habits. This demonstrates a fundamental difference in the way Goeth and Schindler see the Jews. Goeth views them in typical Nazi fashion. His deep-rooted resentments, hatred, and perhaps even sadism, do not allow him to treat the Jews in a humane fashion. He sees them as a scourge to be eliminated, and at the very least a means to an end. He finds joy in shooting innocent Jews from his hilltop villa, and from exploiting them in cruel and unusual ways. He even finds pleasure in beating his maid.