Social Promotion VS. Retention Essay -- Essays Papers

Social Promotion VS. Retention Abstract Social promotion and retention are used for various reasons. Retention is implemented when students have not met the general requirements to begin the next grade. The question that will be addressed is how do social promotion and retention differ? The overall meaning of both will be addressed to give the reader a better understanding of the two. Social promotion is the practice of promoting a student to the next grade level even if the minimum academic factors have not been satisfied. Retention is the approach that is most widely practiced. This is the retention of a grade to reinforce academics. The pros and cons, static’s, and drop out rates will be discussed. All of these factors will be addressed so that the reader can be aware of the opinions on the issues. This critical issue of Social Promotion and retention is a hard one to figure out. Exactly what is social promotion? Social Promotion is the practice of promoting students to the next grade level regardless of their academic progress. How serious id this issue? It is so serious that California, Delaware, South Carolina and Wisconsin have all passed laws forbidding the practice and in effect requiring schools to reinstate retention. What exactly is retention? It is the practice of holding back students to repeat a grade if they have not successfully met the requirements to go to the next grade level. This has been the practice of school systems for many years and The National Center for Education Static’s show that 16.8% of seniors have repeated at least one grade. The most frequently repeated grades were kindergarten through second. Does retention work? In the majority of studies done they... ...es to Help Students Succeed, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Kelly, Karen (1) Kelly, K. (1999). Retention vs. Social Promotion: Schools Search for Alternatives . Harvard Education Letter. Albany, NY. Ruldolph, Angela (1) Johnson, D. and A. Ruldolph (2001). Beyond Social Promotion and Retention-Five Startegies to Help Students Succeed, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Teachers, American Federation of (1) Teachers, A. F. o. (1997). Taking Responsibility for Ending Social Promotion: A Guide for Educators and State and Local Leaders. U.S. Department of Education. Thompson, Charles L. - Cunningham, Elizabeth K. (1) Thompson, C. L.-C., Elizabeth K. (200-12-00). Retention and Social Promotion: Research and Implications for Policy. ERIC Digest. New York. 161.

The Racial Bias of Capital Punishment in America Essay -- Argumentativ

The Racial Bias of Capital Punishment in America   Ã‚   Throughout history, minorities have been ill-represented in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases where the possible outcome is death.   In early America, blacks were lynched for the slightest violation of informal laws and many of these killings occured without any type of due process.   As the judicial system has matured, minorities have found better representation but it is not completely unbiased.   In the past twenty years strict controls have been implemented but the system still has symptoms of racial bias.   This racial bias was first recognized by the Supreme Court in   Fruman v. Georgia, 408 U.S.   238 (1972).   The Supreme Court Justices decide that the death penalty was being handed out unfairly and according to Gest (1996) the Supreme Court felt the death penalty was being imposed â€Å"freakishly' and ‘wantonly† and â€Å"most often on blacks.†Ã‚   Several years later in Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976), the Supreme Court decided, with efficient controls, the death penalty could be used constitutionally.   Yet, even with these various controls, the system does not effectively eliminate racial bias.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since Gregg v. Georgia the total   population of all 36 death rows has grown as has the number of judicial controls used by each state.   Of the 3,122 people on death row   41% are black while 48% are white (Gest, 1996, 41).   This figure may be acceptable at first glance but one must take into account the fact that only 12% of the U.S. population is black (Smolowe, 1991, 68).   Carolyn Snurkowski of the Florida attorney generals office believes that the disproportionate number of blacks on death row... ...nfined† (As cited in Lacayo, 1987, 80).   With great effort, the judicial controls can begin to battle the racial bias of Americas Judicial system but to completely eliminate such a bias, the people involved in the judicial process must learn to look past the race of the offender or the value of the victim, and instead focus on circumstances of the crime.    References    Gest, T.   (1986 Oct. 20).   Black-and-White Issue?   US News & World Report,   101 (16), 24-25.    Gest, T.   (1996 July 8).   A house without a blueprint.   US News & World Report, 121 (2), 41-42.    Lacayo, R.   (1987, May 4).   Clearing a Path to the Chair.   Time, 129 (18), 80.    Seligman, D.   (1994, September 5).   Uh oh! More Stats.   Fortune, 130 (5), 113-114.    Smolowe, J. (1991, April 29).   Race and the Death Penalty.   Time, 137 (17), 68-69.

Disadvantages of television Essay

TV viewing takes away the time that your child needs to develop important skills like language, creativity, motor, and social skills. These skills are developed in the kids’ first two years (a critical time for brain development) through play, exploration, and conversation. A kid’s language skills, for example, do not improve by passively listening to the TV. It is developed by interacting with people, when talking and listening is used in the context of real life. TV viewing numbs your kid’s mind as it prevents your child from exercising initiative, being intellectually challenged, thinking analytically, and using his imagination. TV viewing takes away time from reading and improving reading skills through practice. Kids who watch a lot of TV have trouble paying attention to teachers because they are accustomed to the fast-paced visual stimulation on TV. Kids who watch TV more than they talk to their family have a difficult time adjusting from being visual learners to aural learners (learning by listening). They also have shorter attention spans. School kids who watch too much TV also tend to work less on their homework. When doing homework with TV on the background, kids tend to retain less skill and information. When they lose sleep because of TV, they become less alert during the day, and this results in poor school performance. TV exposes your kid to negative influences, and promotes negative behavior. TV shows and commercials usually show violence, alcohol, drug use and sex in a positive light. The mind of your kid is like clay. It forms early impressions on what it sees, and these early impressions determine how he sees the world and affect his grown-up behavior. For instance, children who are more exposed to media violence behave more aggressively as kids and when they are older. Kids who watch too much TV are usually overweight, according to the American Medical Association. Kids often snack on junk food while watching TV. They are also influenced by commercials to consume unhealthy food. Also, they are not running, jumping, or doing activities that burn calories and increase metabolism. Obese kids, unless they change their habits, tend to  be obese when they become adults. TV watching also affects a child’s health and athletic ability. The more television a child watches, even in the first years of life, the more likely he is to be obese and less muscularly fit, according to a study by the University of Montreal. Even though your kid does not aspire to be a football star, his athletic abilities are important not only for physical health, but predicting how physically active he will be as an adult. Television further restricts an individual indulging in alternative activities such as reading, sports, religion, and active hobbies. Televisions depiction of horror, crime and violence further anaesthetises an individual from the real life problem. As television competes with other activities and experiences in a child’s life, parents role in providing alternatives are crucial. Moreover their own attitudes and beliefs both about television programmes and about life in general are important determinants of children’s response to television. Television may be a socialising force but it interacts in complex ways with all of the other forces in a child’s life to determine the patterns of socialisation for that child.

Collapse of the Ussr

Stephen Wears Assess the mall factors of the break-up of the soviet Union The break up and dissolution of the soviet union on the 25th December 1991 heralded the end of the Cold War. It ushered In what had been termed ‘the new world order', furthermore, it was suggested by Francis Fauvism to have signaled the end of history and the battle of ideas which had dominated much of the twentieth century (Huntington, 1996; 31). The ‘clash of civilizations' had already seen the demise of fascism as a credible force in 1945, the close of 1991 would see the end of communism in Europe.The relatively sudden collapse of the USSR has compelled winkers and analysts to seek answers as to why the world's second superpower could collapse so quickly and so utterly. Can it be attributed to one single catastrophic event, or is it far more appropriate to place blame on a number of contributing factors? The controversy surrounding the collapse of the USSR has been compared to the collapse of the Roman Empire among others and will also continue to be interpreted and reinterpreted for many years to come (Liqueur 1993; 387).This essay will look at some of the factors which lead to dissolution and assess the importance of each. The key issues that this essay will assess include the problem of he nationalities, the Geographer factor, economic problems, and the social and political upheavals caused by Perestroika and Glasnost. The Geographer factor must be viewed In the context of state of the country he Inherited from his predecessors coupled with the effects of Glasnost and Perestroika. It has been suggested that Glasnost and Perestroika played key roles in hastening the collapse of the world's second superpower.Glasnost (meaning openness) allowed people to see the flaws In the system and questions were raised as to whether or not communism had been good for Russia. Perestroika (meaning restructuring) also highlighted flaws in the lattice and bureaucratic system that could not be given a quick fix. The economic problems of the USSR have also been cited as a considerable factor in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The command economy had stifled Innovation and its existence outside of the world economy had caused major problems. Further to this the USSR could not keep up with the military spending of the USA during the 1 sass.Competing against the military spending of the Reagan Administration as well as fighting a protracted war against the Munched in Afghanistan had all but exhausted the economy of the USSR. The nationalities provided a great problem for any ideas of national unity. It has been argued by Lord William Wallace that it would be very difficult for the European union evolve into a unified state because there is a lack of identity and little sense to shared history across the continent (Smith, 2005). This is the same problem facing attempts by soviet leaders to foster a single soviet nationality.The very same Issue had been faced by the Ts arist system before It. One of the few things the nationalities had in common was the centuries of Russian domination. Sitting on what 75 years before had been the Tsarist Russian Empire, the Soviet union faced same problem as had the Tsarist regime, namely the Incredibly republics of the USSR, was made up of many smaller semi-autonomous republics. Russians formed the biggest ethnic group at Just over 50%, followed by the Ukrainians with 15% of the total population. Other nationalities included Zebu; Biliousness; Khaki and Volta Attar among many others.The downfall of the Soviet Union gave an opportunity for peoples across the vast territory from Kampuchea to the Kola Peninsula to glamour for recognition (Dukes, 1998; 332). This suggests that the problem of the nationalities would continue to e a headache for the newly formed Russian Federation. The rise of nationalism added to the troubles faced by the Kremlin during the sass. The growth of the Transactions and Baltic Popular Front s had brought the problem of the nationalities to the fore when in 1989 the Red Army entered Tidbits to assist the Georgian authorities in putting down a rally.Soviet troops were also used to prop up the communist government of Azerbaijan under threat from nationalist forces (Chubbier, 2001; 195). The Baltic States did not Join the chorus of statements of sovereignty which had come from Astrakhan and Ukraine, this was because they regarded their incorporation into the USSR as an illegal act. They challenged the legality of the Molotov – Robertson pact of 1939 and achieved international support in the form of the American refusal to recognize the annexation of the region (Strayed, 1998; 152-153).The policy of Perestroika can be seen as the catalyst for the increase in nationalism as the planned restructuring of the USSR exposed fundamental flaws in the Soviet system. The policy of Glasnost also exposed corruption within the Caucasian and Central Asian republics, Geographer res ponded by replacing the Khaki Communist Party leader Sunken with a Russian. This caused a great deal of rioting in Almost (Strayed, 1998; 150-151). Further to the rise of popular front movements within the constituent republics, the Soviet Union was also facing a crisis with its East European satellites due in part to the policies of Glasnost and Perestroika.Glasnost and Perestroika are often cited as the most important factors in speeding the demise of the Soviet Union. Eric Hobbies claims that the only thing that made the soviet system work was the command structure of the party and the state which had been inherited from the days of Stalin (1995; 480). Once again it mimed that reform from the top was going to introduce fundamental change which was to be ultimately uncontrollable. Hobbies also suggests that ‘glasnost amounted to the disintegration of authority' and ‘perestroika amounted to the destruction of the old mechanisms which made the economy work' (1995; 483).P erestroika had to an extent legalized dissent, and groups in cities across the USSR began forming larger political groups known as ‘clubs of socially active citizens' (Chubbier, 2001; 190). This radical departure from the Soviet norm of suppressing membership of political parties other than the Communist Party was acclimated by the decision to stop arrests on the grounds of political activity. The release of political prisoners saw the growth of new organizations outside of the Soviet system, however by 1988 this opposition numbered Just a few thousand (Chubbier, 2001; 191).Glasnost played a major part in the unraveling of the Soviet Union. It brought forward into stark light the myriad of social problems which had 320-321). Part of glasnost and perestroika involved the relaxing of censorship of the press and other media. It was clear to Geographer that hard line censorship was a utile exercise given the increasing public access to western broadcasts, particularly in the after math of the Coherency disaster of 1986 (Acton, 1995; 320). It was recognized that reform of the economy and wider society could not happen under the current level of state censorship.Not even Lenin escaped criticism under glasnost, it was claimed that the October revolution had been an unmitigated disaster for Russia, leading the nation on a long road to nowhere (Acton, 1995; 323). Geographer and his policies of glasnost and perestroika soon faced serious problems with regards to implementation of the reforms. It seemed that Geographer was trying to do the impossible by marrying completely opposing concepts, ‘socialism with capitalism, totalitarianism with democracy'(Chubbier, 2001; 194). This was also known as the Geographer Factor.The Geographer Factor stems from the problem of the Soviet Union being too reliant on the top figure in government (Chubbier, 2001; 194). It was almost impossible to override the powers held by Geographer, even if it did mean following his lead to the destruction of the USSR. It can be argued that this same problem led to economic stagnation under Brethren and the less than successful schemes of Khrushchev. Regional fragmentation and the erosion of the USSR as a ‘political and economic empire' pushed the republics further towards secession, the communist parties in the Baltic States split from the main communist party of the Soviet Union (CUPS).This caused a wave of similar actions in other constituent republics and served to hasten the disintegration of the country. The process of demonstration initiated by Geographer set the Soviet Union on the course to oblivion for it allowed the republics to elect popular governments and vote to secede from the union via referendum. This most significant of these was the referendum held by Ukraine the results of which indicated the will of the people to leave the union. However this is at odds with the referendum set down by Geographer regarding the retention and reform of the USSR , which received overwhelming popular support.Nevertheless the simple fact that the largest republic in the USSR other than Russia had voted to leave the union could only have a catastrophic effect on the future of the country as a whole. Geographer had no choice but to accept these events, as there could be no return to Stalinist era of brutal suppression such as that en during the Hungarian Uprising in 1956. Geographer faced opposition to the introduction of restructuring and openness to the soviet system. The opposition came to a head in August of 1991, the central state bureaucracy made an attempt at regaining political control of the country (Chubbier, 2001; 193).A coup d'Â ©tat was launched in an attempt to reassert conservative values to the Soviet system. Geographer was put under house arrest in Crimea while attempts were made at reversing the damage done by perestroika. This however received no popular support from the public, prompting Boris Yielding to act to put a stop to the coup. Yielding, President of the Russian SF led a three day resistance movement which involved barricades being set up in central Moscow and around the ‘White House' to prevent the plotters from assuming power (Chubbier, 2001; 193).This proved to be Geographer's power almost completely eroded, a secret meeting of the leaders of the three main Slavic states declared that the USSR officially ceased to exist. Without a country to lead Geographer tendered his resignation on 25th December 1991. All but five signatures were present on the declaration of the end of the USSR. The Baltic tastes had long maintained their annexation was illegal, Georgia would sign later. The other noticeable absence was that of Mikhail Geographer (Chubbier, 2001 ; 194-195).This essay has given an assessment of the events leading to the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Although it cannot be said with any great certainty that any one factor was more influential than another, it must be noted that Gl asnost and Perestroika have not been too far away from any of the issues discussed here. The two flagship policies of Geographer had been intended to complement each other, in reality they had the opposite effect. Attempting to Join opposing concepts was a futile exercise which no doubt hastened the demise of the Soviet superpower.The problems faced by the Soviet government ran much deeper than appeared to the Soviet public. Years of economic stagnation and bureaucratic strangulation had left the Soviet Union a spent force by the late sass. Robert Strayed suggests that ‘tinkering with its fragile structures would send it [the USSR] spinning into oblivion' (1998; 88). One can't avoid this harrowing assessment being very similar to the assertion made by Doll Hitler shortly before launching Operation Barbarous, hat ‘one has only to kick in the door, and the whole rotten edifice will come crashing down'.Of course this was a statement of propaganda and should be viewed with t hat in mind. Ultimately the Soviet Union was broken by a series of intertwining events, both long term and short term, some more important than others but each playing a crucial role. Just as the USSR was established on the ruins of the Tsarist Empire, the newly formed Russian Federation is established on the ruins of the USSR, marked by the raising of the Russian Atrocious, watched by a small group of pro-communist supporters. List of References

Notes How Steinbeck develops the character of Curly’s wife Essay

Notes for controlled assessment: Examine how Steinbeck develops the character of Curly’s wife. INTRO. Develops through different themes and emotions through book. Introduced through males eyes negatively. Gives reader impression she is promiscuous and dangerous. ‘Tart, jailbait, tramp. First appearance in book describes her as flirtatious/temptress. As book progresses the views on the character change from initial perception. Tries to exert some power in the hierarchal structure on the ranch (Crooks). Above all is crying out for attention and company, loneliness seals fate. Themes in order: 1. No name/negative image. 2. Attractiveness/attention. 3. Loneliness. 4. Tragedy/victim/women in 1930s. 1. Introduced to the reader through the eyes/opinions of the males. Quote. Not once mentioned to have a name. Defined by her relationship, not an individual. No real meaning, existence no real identity. Disrespectful. Echo’s how women were treated in 1930s hierarchy (explain). No opinions/rights on matters; could’ve led to feelings of loneliness and victim of discrimination. Quote. Is above Crooks & uses that power. Quote. Sausages. Quote. Fashionable but described unattractive & negative. The way in which she talks. Quote. Portrayed as weak & delicate. Powerless. 2. Young. Probably doesn’t intentionally mean to come across as a tramp or tart. Bored, has nobody to talk to. Her sexuality, provocativeness & the way she portrays herself as a temptress leaves her considered dangerous. Attractiveness is her weapon, no use as no one likes her. Wears red. Quote. Red nails. Brazenness. Reminds reader of Weed & foreshadows things to come (death). In red when introduced and red when killed. Change of description at death. Quote. Sweet, young and innocence. Uses it for attention. Gets the wrong kind of attention. All because of loneliness. 3. From the start Steinbeck uses irony. Soledad/Spanish/solitude. Loneliness, isolation & seclusion how she feels. Quote. Wants company, lonely, doesn’t receive love and affection she needs/a young girl would want. Doesn’t understand why nobody will speak with her. Quote. Only female on the ranch. Demonstrates inner feelings, reader sympathises. Quote. In the end finally confides in someone, Lennie, leads to death. 4. Loneliness leads to her tragic death. Possible foreshadowing of death through loneliness- explain. Nobody will talk but then when Lennie does it results in her death Quote in a way putting her out of misery. Introduced as a girl quote no powerful presence from start, girl gives impression of vulnerability. Surrounded by all males/only female on ranch. Death that of tragedy as she tells of bright future promised quote felt betrayed by family to then settle with Curly. Women had no real career opportunities, heartbroken to end up a housewife like the rest, trying to live the ‘American Dream’ had hope and very nearly independence. CONC

Case Study Product Innovation at Bank of America

BANKING STRATEGIES Case Study: Product Innovation at Bank of America By Cindy Murray What ? nancial institutions can learn from inventions and innovations in other industries. owhere is innovation more essential to survival than in the banking industry. In the payments domain, for example, nonbank competitors less constrained by bank regulations and therefore more agile are changing the banking industry’s grip on the public perception of banks as the only trusted brand for holding and moving money. However, innovation is challenging for banks. Many products, like payments, are a commodity.A vast number of products and a complex infrastructure require continual upgrades to keep apace with technology advancements and comply with evolving regulations and security requirements. This article describes how Bank of America fosters a culture of innovation. Pivotal to an innovative culture is the direct engagement of clients in the innovation process. We highlight some of the ways that Bank of America achieves this. But ? rst we’ll look at the role of innovation process in building brand loyalty. N Build Brand Equity Through Progressive Transformation Change can occur by rede? ning a problem or rede? ing a solution. According to Robert Sternberg, a leading creativity expert,1 creativity is the ability to rede? ne a problem. Innovation can be viewed as the ability to rede? ne a solution. Successful innovation is a process over time—one that typically happens in increments rather than leaps. Rarely is a single innovation a game changer. In banking, 90 percent of innovation focuses on core competencies (that is, business-as-usual innovation), seven percent on game-changing innovation MAY–JUNE 2009 within core competencies and only three percent on leaps that signi? cantly shift the client experience.Outside of banking, an evolutionary approach to innovation is also the rule, not the exception. Continual improvements throughout a product’s life cycle build brand equity. Take the case of Nabisco’s Oreo cookie, the bestselling cookie in the United States. In 1912, Nabisco came up with the idea of two chocolate disks with cream ? lling in between. Since then it has released Double Stuff cookies with more ? lling; fudge-covered Oreos; holiday cookies, including Halloween and Christmas cookies; bite-sized Oreos for children; and reduced-fat Oreos. Oreos illustrate two important aspects of product innovation.First, Nabisco stayed close to its customers. It understood how needs varied among consumers and changed over time. The company developed its product to meet the needs of a continually broader set of consumers. Second, the example illustrates an incremental approach to innovation that focuses on advancing core products. The iPod was at once the next step in an evolutionary process and also a creative leap. This product integrated a number of capabilities in a portable device, but it was not the ? rst MP3 player. However, the concept of iTunes was a new business model that changed the way consumers could store and listen to music.The iPod was transformative, too, because it aligned with changing consumer behavior re? ected in trends of mobility and customization. Technology enabled a tipping point. Consumers were ready to embrace a leap. Cindy Murray is Head of Product Innovation at Bank of America. Contact her at cindy. [email  protected] com. COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW 35 Banking Strategies way that stays close to customers’ evolving needs. For example, through ethnographic research, we discovered a common practice among consumers of rounding up when writing checks. We took the idea of rounding up and turned it on its head—rede? ing Innovation is a process over time—an evolutionary the problem by associating payments with savings. path. An incremental approach to innovation mirrors How can we foster increased saving? With Keep the the gradual way in which people chan ge. Consumer Change, each time a customer pays using a Bank of behavior tends to change gradually. Successful innovation is customer driven. It gets as America check card, the bank rounds the payment close as possible to the customer’s current process. to the nearest dollar and transfers the extra change A deep understanding of how customers operate to the customer’s savings account. oday—and why they do what they do—gives inNow, instead of check writers rounding up, the sight into how to improve the process; how to create bank does it for them—but in a way that builds their a step forward for the customer. savings. The solution also facilitates increased use of Further, by directly engaging customers in the indebit cards, thereby supporting retailers’ efforts to novation process, they become deeply committed discourage check payments. It was also a timely soluto, and invested in, a solution, which took advantage tion’s evolutionary p ath. f evolving consumer beThis makes innovation a havior toward increased primary differentiator, ancard usage. Change can occur by rede? ning a other way of creating value Ethnographic research problem or rede? ning a solution. for customers by enriching has also been key to improvtheir experience and reining our electronic banking forcing loyalty over time. platform, CashPro, over Staying close to the customer is one of the most importime. For example, we designed an enhancement based tant attributes of a successful innovation process. on a typical client work ? ow for handling exceptions.By closely watching how 15 companies were posting their receivables, we identi? ed a common practice of Get Close to the Customer placing a sticky note on invoices when they did not match payment. Staff would then fax an invoice to At Bank of America, customers play a key role at the salesperson to inquire about the discrepancy. We every stage of the product innovation process. There incorporate d an electronic sticky note with email capaare a number of ways in which we directly engage bility in CashPro, so that clients could maintain their our customers throughout product development. ork-? ow process in the online environment. We use a range of formal techniques for idea generation. Formal techniques focus on gaining deepened client insight and are important when Amplify the we have limited information about an opportunity Voice of the Customer and the related customer need. Formal idea mining typically requires expertise through our internal innovation group or external specialized vendors. CashPro is a great example both of innovating in Ethnographic research is an important tool for increments to improve a product over time and of engenerating innovation ideas.Observation provides gaging clients in an evolutionary innovation process. insight into customer behavior and needs. ReturnWith CashPro, we established a customer advisory ing to the Oreo example, the idea for a bite-sized board, which has been closely involved in the prodcookie began to germinate when Nabisco researchers uct’s development. With CashPro, the innovation watched young children grapple with dunking the process becomes part of the client experience, thereby full-sized cookie in smaller cups. increasing customer satisfaction.For example, with Ethnographic research helps Bank of America CashPro, clients prefer self-service for upgrades. understand how to advance our core products in a They are fully vested in the change process. Engage Clients in the Evolutionary Path 36 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW MAY–JUNE 2009 Banking Strategies Our strategic client program, Treasury Exchange, At the other end of the spectrum, responsibility serves to amplify our voice of the customer research. for innovation can be centralized in a shared serClients are long-term program members in senior vice center.At Bank of America, we have dedicated treasury and/or ? nance roles within their o rganizastaff focused on game-changing innovations. At tions. They meet regularly—at frequencies varying the same time, our entire organization recognizes from once per quarter to yearly. The program enables the importance of ongoing process improvement participants to share insights on best practices and and enhancements. learn from each other, while helping us to better understand their challenges and needs. A detailed executive Work with Peers summary that identi? s key discussion themes helps pinpoint areas for deepening discussion and exploraTo maintain a competitive edge, banks increasingly tion. Conference calls exploring priority topics serve will look for ways to work with clients, technolas touch points between in-person meetings. ogy companies and other ? nancial institutions We also look to Treasury Exchange members to to combine strengths. For example, in May 2008, validate and ? esh out new product ideas and to Bank of America announced a partnership with provide validation at points in the product develWells Fargo called Pariter Solutions LLC.The opment cycle. Treasury 50-50 joint venture will Exchange members have operate the commercialsubmitted innovation ized ACH platform that ideas under the auspices will be leveraged by the An incremental approach to of the program. Customer two banks. The goal is to innovation mirrors the gradual way advisory boards and spegain economies of scale in which people change. cial client programs like and better position both Treasury Exchange augbanks to develop future ment our extensive voice products with a single of the customer research. nvestment in the underlying processing engine instead of duplicative investments. It’s a platform for growth and innovation. Cultivate a Culture of Innovation It’s important to be open to ideas from all sources. That’s part of cultivating a culture of innovation. At Bank of America, all associates are invited to collaborate in the innovation proce ss. For example, associates can submit their ideas online via IdeasZone, an internal intranet site. These ideas are funneled into the idea stream and receive equal attention within our innovation process.Collaborate with Technology Innovators In banking, technology is an enabler of innovation. Therefore, it’s important that banks collaborate with their technology providers. Bank of America’s collaboration with Microsoft is a great example of how we work with technology companies to develop innovative applications. Cash positioning and forecasting continue to be key client challenges. We spoke with clients to determine how they perform cash positioning and forecasting. Treasurers might use a treasury workstation, an Excel spreadsheet or a combination of tools.However, treasurers who rely on treasury workstations typically supplement their process with an Excel spreadsheet. Our research also con? rmed that many clients have dif? culty building a historical database of in formation for trend analysis to support forecasting. COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW Foster Employees There are different options for organizational structure to foster an innovative environment. At Google, it’s part of everyone’s job to innovate. There is a decentralized approach to innovation in which all employees are engaged and given incentives.It’s built into their objectives and re? ected in their salary increases and bonuses. MAY–JUNE 2009 37 Banking Strategies Bank of America worked with Microsoft to develop CashPro Accelerate. This tool accepts information feeds across all of a client’s bank accounts and automates the cash-positioning process. It also builds a historical database that clients can use for forecasting. Keep Moving Forward â€Å"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. †Ã¢â‚¬â€Thomas Edison With an inventor’s mind-set, the idea of failure is a fallacy.Some who know best ha ve even looked at failures as a continual path forward. Besides being the still-unrivaled record holder of 1,093 U. S. patents, Thomas Edison broadened the concept of the invention to what’s known today as â€Å"innovationinvention,† R & D and commercialization. 3 Innovative companies ? nd ways to leverage new insights to keep moving forward. The creation of 3M Post-it notes is a classic story of turning failure on its head and using creativity to rede? ne a problem. Spencer Silver was working on developing a strong adhesive but invented a weak one instead.Silver’s colleague Arthur Fry came up with a novel application for the weak adhesive, which became the basis for Post-it notes—a new vehicle for communication—which Bank of America used in its CashPro innovation. Sometimes the leap is in how we look at things. Build a Brain Trust In a September 2008 issue of H ARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, Ed Catmull, cofounder of Pixar and the president of Pixar and D isney Animation Studios, talked about how Pixar fosters collective creativity. One of Pixar ’s core operating principles is that, â€Å"We must stay close to innovations happening in the academic community. 2 It’s part of the company’s effort to eliminate boundaries between different disciplines. Earlier this year, Bank of America and MIT’s Media Laboratory announced the creation of the Center for Future Banking. Over the next ? ve years, Bank of America will contribute $3 million to $5 million annually. The center is a prototype for how business and academia can work together to invent the future of an entire industry. It will bring together researchers with radically different perspectives, including behavioral economists, social scientists, computer scientists, psychologists, designers and others.The goal is to trigger unexpected new ideas that lead to innovation leaps in banking. Test, Learn, Evolve This inventor mentality is at the heart of our test and-learn environment, in which we deploy an initial solution design to get ? rsthand feedback from clients on its usability and value. At this stage, the intent is to address any issues or opportunities in the next iteration of the design. The process enables us to evolve our product design before we get to the pilot stage. As an iterative process, the test-andlearn environment is a microcosm of the broader innovation process focused at a certain point in the development process.The Intelligent Cash Manager, a new end-to-end Bank of America solution, gives a live example of the test-and-learn approach. The solution concept germinated in a series of Treasury Exchange meetings, where clients identi? ed cash handling and deposit as a major pain point. It’s an ATM-like machine that counts cash, accepts it for deposit and provides safekeeping. An issue related to jamming surfaced in the test-and-learn environment, which will inform a solution redesign. MAY–JUNE 2009 Choose Winning Concepts Vetting ideas and building a business case are key steps in the innovation process.Bank of America uses a scoring technique as part of our process for vetting ideas. Scoring criteria include whether a concept matches to plan objectives, whether it has wide applicability, its level of innovativeness and complexity and the potential magnitude of its impact. At Bank of America, for example, out of 919 ideas received this year, 10 have been submitted for funding in 2009. Building a business case is a key step. An effective business case must describe the opportunity and its alignment with strategy and also describes the target client and market within the context of the competitive landscape.Finally, it outlines the proposed approach, the risk and the ? nancial opportunity. 38 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW Banking Strategies Storyboarding is a creative technique used in the early stage of ? lmmaking. Storyboarding can help speed time-to-market. By not building the entire p roduct—but rather using storyboards and prototypes in a test-and-learn environment—we retain ? exibility even as we move further into the product-development process. Flexibility enables us to prioritize the most important features and integrate feedback and new insights from customers.It helps us to make smart choices with our investment dollars as products take more tangible form. The Next Leap in the Innovation Process The ability to synthesize information into insights will be an increasingly important part of creating a valuable client experience—not only banks connecting to customers—but of customers connecting to each other for insight. Incubation and the cross-fertilization of ideas are important to the creative process. Bank of America is integrating online networking into its innovation process. For example, we are connecting participants in the Treasury Exchange program to an online forum.Our long-term vision is to link our various Treasury Exc hange client groups—which are based on industry, function and geography—into a clientcentric global collaborative network. We also plan to introduce online ideation as a way to collaborate with Treasury Exchange participants on innovation. More broadly, the idea of integrating social networking into the bank’s innovation process holds tremendous promise. With our consumer base of 59 million households, social networking can be a powerful tool for engaging customers ? rsthand in product development. hen the next step integrates multiple aspects to transform the end-to-end client experience. To cite an earlier example, the iPod integrates communication speed, mobility and storage capacity. All of these come together, along with consumer readiness for change and the introduction of the iTunes business model. Within the banking realm, clients increasingly want banking solutions to integrate into their flow—whether flow constitutes, for example, a mobile consu mer or the workflow related to a treasurer’s broader financial processes.The need to integrate payments in the broader customer experience will involve mobile technology in some form and the analysis of information to provide insight. For corporate customers, banks are already delivering time-sensitive information to personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones. Information analysis and synthesis could help treasurers to improve broader ? nancial processes (for example, accounts payable or receivable), help optimize working capital and minimize cost and use payment information to deepen insight into customer behavior.We are already seeing merchants, for example, use consumer payment information to tailor coupons to a customer ’s buying preferences. Banks can deliver robust information to consumers, for example, to help them weigh product features and engage in ? nancial planning to evaluate a purchase within a desired spending budget. Perhaps, ultimately, clients will want to take their bank accounts with them, storing virtual money inside their mobile phones. Banks have an opportunity to reassert their unique role as the trusted brand in storing and moving money.Innovation will be critical to our success. What Might Be the Next Leap in Banking? Successful innovation continuously improves aspects of the customer’s experience. Leaps occur Endnotes 1 2 3 Professor at Tufts University; research focuses on creativity. How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity, HARVARD BUS. REV. , Sept. 2008, at 71. The Edison Papers, http://edison. rutgers. edu/biogrphy. htm. MAY–JUNE 2009 COMMERCIAL LENDING REVIEW 39 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

Cell phones how have they changed us socially Essay Example for Free (#3)

Cell phones how have they changed us socially Essay Some people might find it hard to believe that there was once a time when cell phones weren’t around. Having to recall a time when letters were used to get messages back and forth from one person to another. Then slowly we added the addition of phones. In the beginning phones were just a way to contact people if they happend to be home when called. Then we invented cell phones. With them we can make and receive calls in almost any location and we can send text messages . Cell phone use has increased in the past years because is really easy and economic to have one. Year into year cell phones become better and better. Today , except making and receiveing calls and also texting messages, we can do a lot of interesting things with them. For example we can listen to music, record voice notes, make video clips, play games, take pictures, access the internet and many other things. But there is also a bad side of cell phones. They affected the way we socialize these days; if you notice people are starting to text their friends and family instead if actually speaking verbally. Many adolescents and also older generations spend more time sending text messages or chatting on Facebook than speaking You go out to dinner and look around and see people out with family but there is no conversations going on at the table mostly just huh†¦ yeah†¦ mmhm.., because they are busy texting someone not there on their phones. I feel human communicant is slowly disappearing among friends and family. You even see parent’s texting their kids when in the same house to discuss something with them. Our communication between each other is depending on a little electronic device. People use cell phones in public places, and during church. I have even seen ten-year olds walking across the street texting their friends instead of paying attention to the cars. Cell phones how have they changed us socially. (2016, Apr 19).