Picture of a House

It is said that every family has skeletons in the cupboard. If only old houses could speak, they would tell a lot of fascinating stories about bad and good times of their inhabitants. At first glance, an old house in the picture may seem to be a mere building consisting of walls, windows and doors, but its atmosphere and every its part would mean a lot for several generations that were born and grew up in it.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Picture of a House specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A paved path leading to the terrace steps looks so inviting that it is hard to resist the temptation and enter the building. Stepping on this winding trail, a guest would inevitably think of those people who had walked this path millions of times day by day in the past. It is possible that these were small children who ran skipping along and perhaps even fell after stumbling over one of the stones on the path. These could als o be elderly people who went slowly because it was already difficult for them to walk. Young people could walk this path in a hurry from and to work without even noticing beauty of the house. With all these thoughts in mind, a guest would find himself/herself on a desert terrace. Knocking on the door, the stranger would imagine children playing games on this terrace and an elderly man sitting in a rocky chair. However, now there are no lights in the window and the terrace is desert. Nobody would open, and it seems that now only memories and family secrets live in this house. Not able to enter the house, a stranger would stay outside and walk in the garden. It is autumn, and the bare trees share the mood and loneliness of the house. However, there are no leaves on the lawn, and it means that somebody has collected them. Someone who is now invisible has gathered the autumn leaves and neatly cut the lawn. The presence of invisible but caring owners surround the house with atmosphere of mystery. The red tiling on the roof of the house and a gabled tower make the building look like a castle from a fairy tale. There is a small chimney on the roof, and obviously small children growing up in this house were waiting for Santa Claus to come through it every Christmas Eve. Children grew up and do not believe in miracles anymore, but a small chimney remains as a commemoration of those old good times. The large windows of the house are similar to somebody’s curious eyes and connect the inhabitants of the building with the surrounding world. It is obvious that there are even more windows in this house than it is necessary for lighting the rooms in a proper way. Most rooms of the house have two or even more windows which demonstrate the openness of the inhabitants and make the building look even more inviting. It is possible that previously the house was more hospitable than on this autumn morning and guests crowded on its small terrace and in its brightly-lit rooms. However, now the house looks desert and sleeps, hiding all its secrets behind thick curtains on the windows.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Looking at the exterior of the house in the picture, strangers can only make guesses concerning the lives of its inhabitants and the true meaning of the elements of the building. A winding path, bare trees in the garden and large windows would seem only the elements of the construction to a stranger, but would tell much more to people who have spent at least a part of their lives in this house. This essay on Picture of a House was written and submitted by user Jul1anKeller to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

An Overview of Territories of the World

An Overview of Territories of the World While there are fewer than two hundred independent countries in the world, there are more than sixty additional territories that are under the control of another independent country. There are several definitions of territory but for our purposes, we are concerned with the most common definition, presented above. Some countries consider certain internal divisions to be territories (such as Canadas three territories of Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon Territory or Australias Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory). Likewise, while Washington D.C. is not a state and effectively a territory, it is not an external territory and thus not counted as such. Another definition of territory usually is found in conjunction with the word disputed or occupied. Disputed territories and occupied territories refer to places where the jurisdiction of the place (which country owns the land) is not clear. The criteria for a place being considered a territory are fairly simple, especially when compared to those of an independent country. A territory is simply a external piece of land claimed to be a subordinate location (in regards to the main country) that is not claimed by another country. If there is another claim, then the territory can be considered a disputed territory. A territory will typically rely on its mother country for defense, police protection, courts, social services, economic controls and support, migration and import/export controls, and other features of an independent country. With fourteen territories, the United States has more territories than any other country. The territories of the U.S. include: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island. The United Kingdom has twelve territories under its auspices. The United States Department of State provides a nice listing of more than sixty territories along with the country that controls the territory.

Revolt on the Nile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revolt on the Nile - Essay Example Therefore it is prudent to say that the Nile shocks had been responsible for most of the social instabilities that existed at the time (Chaney). Throughout history, it is evident that partly the bad economic times have normally given way for liberalization and room for democratic changes that had been witnessed before. Despite this fact, not all changes along the democratic lines followed this line of thought. This is because of the rise of institutions which lead to support autocratic regimes like the religion through the religious leaders. Such institutions worked closely within the social frameworks and in agreement with the autocratic governments to suppress the people (Chaney). This therefore placed the religious institutions in determining the balance within the society in the manner they operate. This does not though have empirical data though its acts have been on record and can be proven. There is therefore a negative relationship between the Nile floods and the actions by the religious groups. This is because during the Nile floods the religious groups became stronger and since they worked closely with the oppressive governments of the day, they lead to the suffering of the people. This was strengthened further as the high judge had no probability of quitting office during such a time when the Nile outburst their banks. At the time when the Nile experienced the shocks, more religious institutions were formed and became stronger. As a result the political power of the religious leaders increased. This power made the high judge wield excessive power and exert such influence on the social hierarchy given that the political power itself was a product of the influence they possessed (Chaney). The Nile floods caused an environment of social unrest where the leaders such as the high judge could swim through heightened political power.

Religion Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religion - Personal Statement Example He fasted in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights (matt 4: 1-11), where the devil tempted him and he overcame all the temptation because he had faith and believed and worshipped one God (Hauer & Young, 2011). Some lessons learnt are, there is need for one to know the bible scriptures so well, as it’s a necessity in believers lives as it is full of temptations. Through the scriptures knowledge one can overcome all temptations as it acts as a weapon. Through prayers we can overcome temptation as it’s demonstrated by Jesus, and this made us to believe Jesus as the only begotten son of God as he had power to defeat Satan. Also we need to be obedient to God as we are not supposed to be swayed by the earthly belongings as in today’s times but instead obey God because with God everything is possible (Hauer & Young, 2011). There is need to trust in God because he is powerful and we do not need a spectacular thing so that you can believe. There need to wait for the perfect time of God to fulfill his plan, so as Christians we should not go for shortcuts in life but instead wait for the appropriate time (Hauer & Young,

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,

Bernice Bobs Her Hair Essay -- essays research papers fc

“Bernice Bobs Her Hair';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever at one time or another felt like an outsider? Many people do, trying desperately to fit in with their social counterparts. Whether it be in school, at work, or life in general, many yearn to be accepted by their peers and feel as though they are a part of some sort of “club'; that is viewed by others as the “in'; crowed. F. Scott Fitzgerald tries to express this turmoil with the short story “Bernice Bob’s Her Hair';. He attempts to show the inner workings of the popular youth and the means in which one can successfully enter it. By creating the distinct characters of Marjorie, Bernice and Warren, one can see the realistic lives of youth in America and what they do when it comes to achieving and successfully maintaining one’s popularity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the world of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie is portrayed as a self assured, popular young woman. This was shown very early in the story, during which a party was taking place. After noticing that Bernice, her dopey cousin, was consuming much of Oswald’s time, she proceeded to Warren to ask if he could take over being Bernice’s company and dance with her. Warren submissively said yes, even though he desperately wished to spend time with Marjorie. As he did so, Marjorie was whisked away by a boy to dance, the second or third of the evening. Her status gave her the convenience of asking favors, with the confidence of knowing that they would be carried out without resistance. This confidence also emerged after she told Bernice what a drag people like her are to be with. When Bernice went up stairs later on that day and announced to Marjorie how right she was, Marjorie's immediate response was “I know';(1). This “know it all'; attitude arose a gain when she declared that the reason Madonna did not smile in her world renowned portrait was because her teeth were crooked, even though it is widely assumed and most probable that it was due to that period in time; at that time is was very uncommon to smile for a portrait since it did not look dignified or proper. She also felt confident after noticing that her achievement in bringing Bernice into the popular realm started to surpass her own popularity. As she saw that Bernice was wooing W... ...are about such things as frivolous as that. People like Warren are too self conscious and would most likely grow up without a sense of identity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is said by many that it does not matter in life whether one is popular or not. I beg to differ. Sure, one does not necessarily need to be popular in order to be successful in life, but popularity does bring its advantages. For one thing, being likable can get one a better chance at career advances or even getting a job at all since employers tend to hire employees they feel most comfortable with. Also, being likable means being able to easily make friends which, in the working world, could mean an increase in the amount of connections one might make as well as an increase in one’s level of connections. No one should ever discredit popularity as being a cruel concoction created by children who wanted to feel better about themselves. It can indeed help one down the road of life if he or she uses it wisely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Works Cited: 1. Fitzgerald, F., Scott. “Bernice Bobs Her Hair';.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal Essay Essay

How the language of ‘We are going and ‘Let us not be bitter’ demonstrates Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s perspective on Aboriginal rights. Oodgeroo Noonuccal was an Australian poet, activist, artist and a campaigner for Aboriginal rights. Her poems ‘We are going’ and ‘Let us not be bitter’ conveys the loss of the Indigenous culture and how much they suffered because of this. Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s perspective on Aboriginal rights is impassioned, concern and worry for the loss of her family and home. She expresses these emotions using imagery, poetic structures and poetic techniques, such as inclusive language and symbolism, to strongly represent what she is feeling and how much the Indigenous people have suffered through. Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses vivid imagery to describe the environment around her and how the beauty of the land changed since the arrival of European settlers. The poet described her and her people as part of the land with this quote from the poem ‘We are going’; â€Å" We are nature and the past, all the old ways.† This emphasises that the Indigenous people were one with the land. But Oodgeroo also describes how she felt her people were being treated and how the white invaders took care of the sacred land; â€Å"Notice of the estate agent reads ‘Rubbish May Be Tipped Here’†. She says this to convey that the white men are not only treating the land like trash, but also the home of Indigenous people and their livelihood. The use of imagery shows Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s despair and misery towards what had happened to the treatment of the sacred land and the Aboriginal people. In the poem ‘Let us not be bitter’, Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses a poetic structure known as enjambment. An example of enjambment can be seen here from the poem ‘Let us not be bitter’; â€Å"Let us try to understand the white man’s ways / And accept them as they accept us†. The constant flow in Oodgeroo’s poem, ‘Let us not be bitter’, helps influence her people to move on and continue with life. This particular sentence shows her determination for her people because she urges the Indigenous to move forward and to unite with the white invaders even after all the hardship they had faced. Therefore, this particular poetic structure, enjambment, helps convey Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s willpower and passion for the uniting and  reconciliation between the Indigenous people of Australia and the European settlers, despite the hardship they had gone through. Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses poetic techniques such as inclusive language and symbolism to help present her strong passion of Aboriginal rights. Throughout both the ‘We are going’ and ‘Let us not be bitter’ poems, Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses inclusive language. This language technique uses words such as ‘we’, ‘us’ which includes more than one person. In the poem ‘We are going’, some examples of inclusive language are evident in the following phrases: â€Å"We are the corroboree and the bora ground, / We are the old ceremonies, the laws of the elders.† Not only is inclusive language used for emphasising the Indigenous people’s togetherness with each other but it also shows how they are one with the land and their culture. In ‘Let us not be bitter’, inclusive language can be seen this sentence: â€Å"Time for us stood still; now we know†. In these examples, inclusive language is used to show that no matter what happens, Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s people will always be together. It also explains how no one is left out – the act of Kanyini. Symbolism is another language technique Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses in both of her poems. An example of symbolism in the poem ‘We are going’ is; â€Å"Where now the many white men hurry about like ants†. Not only is there symbolism evident in this sentence but a language technique called simile is present as well. In ‘Let us not be bitter’, this sentence shows the use of symbolism: â€Å"The future comes like dawn after the dark†. Symbolism in ‘We are going’ helps convey the image of the European people probably on their way to work with blank faces. This also shows that the Aboriginal people consider them as ants due to the fact that they cant tell the difference from one European to another. This may be because the white people act like robots or machines in the way they work and act. In ‘Let us not be bitter’, symbolism is used to show and represent th at light was comes after the dark. It is used to show hope for the Aboriginal people. Oodgeroo Noonuccal is an Australian poet who wrote the poems ‘We are going’ and ‘Let us not be bitter’. Her perspective on Aboriginal rights is concern, passion and worry for her people and land. Using vivid imagery, poetic structure, enjambment for example, and poetic techniques such as inclusive  language and symbolism conveys these feelings to her audience clearly. Oodgeroo uses vivid imagery to show her despair and misery towards what had happened to the treatment of the sacred land and the Aboriginal people. She uses a poetic structure called enjambment to help convince the Indigenous people to continue to move on like the flow of her poem. An Oodgeroo Noonuccal uses poetic techniques such as inclusive language and symbolism to explain the Aboriginal people’s connection to the land how there is always light after the dark.