The Decline of Christianity in Europe - 1943 Words

The Decline of Christianity in Europe The twentieth century was a time of great flux and anxiety in Europe as the supremacy of Christianity in Europe was being challenged by the fronts of biblical criticism, and evolution. According to Rev, Andrew Greeley, a social sciences professor at the University of Chicago, belief in God has increased in Russia and Hungary and decreased in Britain, the Netherlands, western Germany and France. Atheism thrives in eastern Germany, Russia, The Czech Republic and France. Interestingly though, most European countries report denominational affiliation. According to Dr Greeley, there was a time when people were more religious than they are now. Secularizers like to point to the decline as†¦show more content†¦Darwin argued that those individuals that are well suited to their environment survive, prosper and give birth to new individuals that share their characteristics, while those less suited will die out. Any new characteristics with which an individual is born are likely to be passed on if it is useful. Species evolve and develop in a process that is not random, or determined by God, but instead follows natural laws (Towns). The theory of evolution contradicted fundamental Christian beliefs about humanity and sin. In 1871, Darwin published the Descent of Man, in which he argued that human beings evolved naturally from lower creatures stating that not only does life itself follow natural laws but also the human mind and soul are not some supernatural element breathed into the body by God. By eliminating God, Darwin was saying that they evolved from nothing thus eliminating the most important element, God. (Hill). The theory of evolution denied the direct creation of man by God and the greatest damage came from the application of that theory to the development of religion. Darwinism was born. God and the Bible were looked upon as the evolutionaryShow MoreRelatedThe Fall Of The Roman Empire1419 Words   |  6 Pagesa more important role than the other . The Huns and the End of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, written by Peter Heather and Storming the Heaven: Soldiers, Emperors and Civilians in the Roman Empire, written by Antonio Santosuosso’s, are interpretations of two historians both expressing varying ideas of what caused Rome’s decline. Both imply that internal factors are indeed the reason for the decline of the emperor, however, one could possibly agree more with interpretation of Antonio Santosuosso’sRead MoreThe Classical Period Directions, Diversities And Declines By 500 C.e1187 Words   |  5 PagesQuestions: Notes: The Classical Period Directions, Diversities and Declines by 500 C.E. 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English Literature Gender Awareness of Oscar Wilde

Question: Write about theEnglish Literaturefor Gender Awareness of Oscar Wilde. Answer: The aim of the following paper is to make a profound analysis of Oscar Wilds play Salome, in order to identify as well as evaluate the way the aspect of intertexuality operates in relation to the sexual identities in the play. More precisely, the present paper would elaborately identify the chief sexual identities presented in the considered play of Oscar Wilde and thereafter will identify the intertexual contents, which are relevant in understanding those identities. In order to accomplish the aforementioned motive of the present discourse, a brief overview of the plot of Wildes Salome would be required. Thereafter, the paper would concentrate on emphasizing over the characters drawn in the considered play to determine the sexual identities. Finally, the paper would focus on recognizing the same identical attributes in other literary creation and would attempt to identify what those relevant texts have influenced the theme of sexual identity in Salome. The thesis statement of following essay is to establish the fact that sexual identity is subversive if the play Salome can be seen through intertexual perspectives. Firstly, it is to mention that the play Salome has been considered as a tragedy that has evolved around sexual perversity. The play can be called a revenge tragedy considering the vengeful act of Salome for Jokanaan (Behrendt). On the other hand, the play has metaphorically represented the situation of female sexual identity of the contemporary society of the Victorian society instead of casting a medieval background with medieval character. The plot of Salome revolves around the story of a princess named Salome whose ethereal beauty captures male attentions including that of Salomes stepfather Herod. Initially the play depicts Salomes chastity, decency and her ignorance for all other male individuals who desire sexual pleasure from her. However, later as the play grows with lunatic activities and screams of Jokanaan the prophet kept imprisoned, the protagonist Salome became eager to know about Jokanaans identity (Bennett). The particular phase in the play can be considered as a c limatic sequence as after the meeting between Salome and Jokanaan, from being a descent princess, Salome becomes a vulgar entity fueled with sexual lust for Jokanaan. At the penultimate stage, it seems that Salome reaches to her ultimate rage of vengeance for Jokanaan and on behalf of her artistic presentation in front of her stepfather, she demands for the death of Jokanaan. After such terrible demand, when Herod finally brings Jokanaans head to Salome she comes occupies her ultimate attribute of lust and revenge, out of which she perversely kisses Jokanaans dead head (Calico et al.). Salomes attribute is considered as the metaphoric representation of an archetypal monster that provokes the potential male characters around her with sexual beauty and finally pushes them towards the premise of chastity, morality and most importantly of decency (Campbell). In terms of intertexual references on building the sexual identities in Salome, it is essential to look at the chief sexual identities represented in the play. In this context, it is essential to mention that the sexual identity as well as sexual orientation has become a staple subject for the attention of Victorian art, culture as well as music (Corra). Prior to find the intertexuality of the sexual identities of the considered play of Wilde, it is essential to mention that Wildes account of sexual identity in the play Salome is portrayed under the characterization of the protagonist Salome as understandably Salome goes through three sexual awareness phases. The sexual identity of the protagonist Salome is developed by three sexual awareness phases, which are pre-pubescent stage, sexual awakening stage and the sexual depravity stage (Cregan). More precisely, in the pre-pubescent stage, the protagonist Salome acts as a sexually unaware princess, while in the sexual awakening stage, she becomes able to discover her desires regarding sexuality. At the final stage of sexual depravity, the newly recognized sexual desires of Salome transform into a vulgar, violent and revengeful as well as perverse form that finally destroys Jokanaan as well as herself (De Vries). The transformation or in other words, establishment of the prime sexual identity of Salome is metaphorically responsible for the transformation of one of the predominant male characters of the play, which is the stepfather of Salome Herod. Therefore, it has been identified that the chief sexual identity established into the play is the sexual identity of the protagonist Salome (Edwards). Considering the essays chief motive of identifying the intertexuality, it can be said that the most significant intertexual reference for the plays sexual identity can be traced in the play - The Duchess of Padua by Oscar Wilde. In the play The Duchess of Padua by the same playwright, the violent kind of passion for love that, can be considered as the fruit of the sexual identity of the female character Beatrice (Iacob). It is true that the plot of The Duchess of Padua is not similar with that of Salome but in terms of having violent passion and intensity to get back the love or desire of their life, both Salome and Beatrices sexual identity can be considered the same (Im). However, it is also to consider in this respect that in The Duchess of Padua, the act of killing the duke of Padua to get Guido is for the cause of love and not only to satisfy her sexual desire. Unlike this, in Salome, the protagonist demands the head of the person from whom she desires both love and sexual plea sure (Kerr). Nevertheless, in terms of intertexuality related to sexual identity, the heinous act of violence drawn from the urge of love evoked from sexual identity is Salome has a great influence from The Duchess of Padua (Li and Li). On the other hand, the same affect of the exoticized aspect of womanhood is evident in the literary piece named - La Sainte Courtisane. The unfinished play by the same playwright centers on the character of Myrrhina, who desires to tempt the hermit Honorius (Rowden). The intertexuality related to the sexual identity is only limited within Myrrhinas act or violent attempt of tempting Honorius. However, nothing sort of perverse vengeance or uglified passion of womanhood has been depicted in the story of La Sainte Courtisane (Sammells). In this context, it is required to mention that after having a brief overview of some of Oscar Wildes chief works it has been understood that the playwright has attempted to mock the situation of women in the contemporary Victorian society (Wilde). By making a vulgar presentation of women characters and specifically women sexuality, the playwright desired to make a metaphoric indication of the possible consequence that, can take place in a society when a woman becomes vulgar for her desires. Considering the aforementioned percept, it can be said that the cultural as well as social marginality of women in the contemporary society of the Victorian age has been portrayed through women of disorder like Salome (Wilde). However, in terms of intertexuality of Salome in relation to the sexual identity, the Biblical reference of the character Salome can be cited as well. In order to understand the sexual identity and its significance, the biblical reference is found to be most relevant. Salome is considered to be a biblical character that appeared in the New Testament though there is no direct mention of her name (Rowden). Nonetheless, the point of intertextuality is seemingly Oscar Wilde has used the biblical reference of Salome in his drama but only has made slight difference by adding sexual desire and lust. According to the biblical story of Salome in the New Testament, Salome has been the daughter of Herodias, who danced in the banquet party for Antipas birthday to claim the head of John the Baptist for her mothers wish (Iacob). Salomes mother desired to see the death of John the Baptist who protested against the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Similarly, like the biblical reference in the New Tes tament, in Oscar Wildes play it has been identified that when Salome demanded for the head of Jokanaan, her mother did not protest as previously it has been seen that Jokanaan keeps cursing Salomes mother (Edwards). It should be also mentioned that the intertexuality of Salome with the aforementioned Biblical reference is considerable in relation to its sexual identity too (De Vries). It is because, may be the sexual desires are not there in the Biblical reference, though the request for making a dance performance to please Herod is related to a sort of physical pleasure. Salomes demand to have the head of John the Baptists on behalf of her dance performance in both the New Testament and in Wildes creation is indicative of the fact that the woman character Salome has utilized her sexual identity or physical attractiveness through the act of dance (Cregan). Besides, the aforementioned intertexuality it has been also found that in the illustration of Wildes masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, there is found a parallel act like Salome though in a mocking way (Wilde). First of all , it is to mention that both Salome and The Importance of Being Earnest reflects power, personal as well as sexual identity, gender paradigm, importance of art and language and influence of Utilitarianism. Interestingly, the death-dealing passion of women is found in both the aforementioned plays though the form for Salome has been tragic and that of The Importance of Being Earnest is mocking (Wilde). However, it is also required to mention that the level of intertexuality between Salome and The Importance of Being Earnest is not as strong as the similarities in relation to sexual identity in the Biblical text and in The Duchess of Padua. Through the portrayal of Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardews determination for love, a slight intertexuality can be recognized between two of the aforementioned dramas of Oscar Wilde (Wilde). On the other side, one of the most significant intertexual content can be seen in Roald Dahls short story Lamb to the Slaughter. In Roald Dahls Lamb to the Slaughter, the writer draws a character like Mary Maloney who resembles several features of Salome as well as her mother. After considering Roald Dahls Lamb to the Slaughter, it can be said that a huge amount of similarity can be seen between Salome and the aforementioned short story (Eden). In relation to sexual identity, it has been identified that like Salomes initial state in the play, Mary Maloney has been also a devoted and pregnant homemaker of Patrick whose sole concern at the initial stage has been to make a good household and make her husband happy. Like Salomes transformation and her desire to take revenge on the person, she loved dearly, Mary Maloney in Dahls Lamb to the Slaughter transform herself right after hearing that her love her husband wants to give her divorce (Eden). Further, like the ultimate revenge taken by Salome on Jokanaan, in Dahls short story, Mary Maloney seeks revenge on her husband and finally does so by killing him with the large lamb leg. In both of the context, the protagonist women kill the male individual to whom they have relationship of desire. However, it is also to mention that while the act of Mary Maloney has a consequence of rage, Salomes act has been drawn from a well-decided plan (Eden). Henceforth, it can be said that the in comparison with Mary Maloney, Salomes transformation of sexual identity has been more brutal, more perverse and more evil though the subversive attribute of womanhood of Salome can understood from the reference. However, not directly in terms of sexual identity, a slight intertexuality can be recognized in the scene of cutting a stallions head in The Godfather can be also considered. In the aforementioned scene, it seems that in order to show the dominance of power, a stallions head is cut and placed on the bed of the stallions owner. The scene is not completely irrelevant as the act of beheading a creature who is an object of love of the person to whom the revenge is directed is there in Wildes play - Salome too. However, in relation to the sexual identity, the abovementioned similarity cannot be considered here. On the other hand, in terms of intertexuality in relation to sexual identity can be traced in Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlincks Princess Maleine can be also considered. However, nothing sort of revengeful mentality revealed through the character of the protagonist Maleine, like Salome (Bennett). Nevertheless, the similar context that can be considered in this context is Male ines passionate love for Hjalmar who finally kills her, is quite similar with the passionate love of Salome for Jokanaan. Therefore, it helps in understanding the subversive nature of female sexual identity of Salome. Nevertheless, it is needed to be considered here that if the unfinished drama - La Sainte Courtisane, would have been finished or would have formed in other way, then the play could earn a potential resemblance with Salome (Alexandra). By driving her passion that has been centered on sexual temptation to divine chastity and religion, it can be said that Wilde has somewhere dominated the predominant attributes of the Courtisane in La Sainte Courtisane. In this context of intertexuality in relation to sexual identity, the poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning can be considered as well. In the poem My Last Duchess, the poet presents a Duke and his monologue that indicates the Dukes murder of his wife (Nichols). The poem refers the fact that behind taking the life of the Duchess, the reason has been her simplicity, goodness and chastity. In Wildes Salome, the ultimate victim Jokanaan has a pure and divine soul who has the power to make prophecy. In both cases, the murders killed their beloved ones as they have been rejected or failed to tempt their beloved ones (Li and Li). Only the difference between the two contexts is while Salome has been a female individual, the Duke of Robert Brownings poem has been a male individual. Therefore, it can be said that the revenge upon the beloved ones in form of killing makes the intertexuality between Brownings masterpiece and the controversial drama of Oscar Wilde in terms of sexual identity is relevant enough. From the above elaboration and evaluation, it has been understood that the plot of Oscar Wildes Salome revolves around the protagonist Salome who initially stays ignorant about her attractive beauty and sexual pleasure but later after recognizing it becomes violent. As a consequence of her increasing attribute of violence and perverseness, she desires to kill the person from whom she demanded sexual desire as well as love. The above discourse has indicated that the particular theme can be found in Oscar Wilds several dramas like the The Duchess of Padua and The Importance of Being Earnest. However, according to the above evaluation and discussion, the most significant relevance or intertexuality in relation to sexual identity and sexual orientation can be seen in the Biblical representation of Salome in the New Testament and in Roald Dahls Lamb to the Slaughter. Further, the above discussion has indicated the fact that the intertexual references can be seen in Robert Brownings My Las t Duchess and in the scene of beheading the horse in The Godfather and in Maurice Maeterlincks Princess Maleine. It can be concluded that the determining point of finding intertexuality in relation to sexual identity of Salome with other texts, is a womans urge to kill her beloved who has not responded as per the expectation to her sexual urges and love. References Alexandra, A. "Symbols and the Speaker in" My Last Duchess"."Docs. school Publications(2014). Behrendt, Patricia Flanagan.Oscar Wilde Eros and Aesthetics. Springer, 2016. Bennett, Michael Y. "Salomes TaleIokanaans TellingWildes Retelling: Historical Relativity and (Un) specificity in Wildes Salome."Narrating the Past through Theatre: Four Crucial Texts. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2013. 37-57. Calico, Joy H., Th Emil Homerin, and Matthew Brown. "Comic Book Opera: P. Craig Russell's Salome in a Production by Table Top Opera."The Opera Quarterly31.4 (2015): 289-307. Campbell, James. "Shades of Green and Gray: Dual Meanings in Wildes Novel."Oscar Wilde, Wilfred Owen, and Male Desire. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2015. 40-76. Corra, Stephania Ribeiro do Amaral. "The aesthetic movement in Oscar Wilde's plays." (2015): 240-f. Cregan, David. "Reclaiming the Body and the Spirit in Oscar Wildes Salom."Studi irlandesi. A Journal of Irish Studies5.5 (2015): 145-156. De Vries, Kees.Oscar Wilde and Postmodern Thought. Prifysgol Bangor University, 2013. Eden, Dorothy.Lamb to the Slaughter. Open Road Media, 2013. Edwards, Sarah. "The Female Student on Trial, 19101915: Dorothy M. Gladish versus University College Nottingham versus Oscar Wilde."Women's History Review(2016): 1-20. Iacob, Miruna. "Gender issues, sexuality and Aestheticism with Oscar Wilde."Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra?ov. Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies(2015). Im, Yeeyon. "A SERIOUSNESS THAT FAILS: RECONSIDERING SYMBOLISM IN OSCAR WILDE'S SALOM."Victorian Literature and Culture45.1 (2017): 163-175. Kerr, Aideen. "Re-considering Oscar Wildes Flamboyant Flop: Vera or The Nihilists."Ireland, Memory and Performing the Historical Imagination. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014. 55-68. Li, Yingyi, and Li Yi. "The gender awareness of Oscar Wilde: Comparison between his women characters and men characters."Journal of Language Teaching and Research6.5 (2015): 1020-1025. Nichols, Kenneth. "Case Study# 9: My Last Duchess by Robert Browning."Public Voices14.2 (2017): 137-155. Rowden, Clair, ed.Performing Salome, revealing stories. Routledge, 2016. Sammells, Neil.Wilde style: the plays and prose of Oscar Wilde. Routledge, 2014. Wilde, Oscar. "Salome. 1894."Trans. Alfred Douglas. New York: Dover Publications(2014). Wilde, Oscar.Salom. Broadview Press, 2015. Wilde, Oscar.The Importance of Being Earnest Other Plays. Boxtree, 2017. Wilde, Oscar.Wilde Complete Plays: Lady Windermere's Fan; An Ideal Husband; The Importance of Being Earnest; A Woman of No Importance; Salome; The Duchess of Padua; Vera, or the Nihilists; A Florentine Tragedy; La Sainte Courtisane. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014.

Managing Process and Projects in ANLG

Introduction The banking industry is just part of the much larger financial services market. Like all large retail banks, ANLG has had the task of improving the performance of its operational processes which are responsible for generating and providing the bank’s services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has had to be achieved while at the same time keeping some factors constant; the service delivery to the banking clientele remaining top notch and the costs incurred in the process kept to a minimal. In looking at this particular case of ANLG, the entire operational process yields both inputs and outputs which are based on the various activities involved in the process. The operational process is basically a link between inputs, outputs and resources and how the various activities involved transform the inputs into outputs. The sub ject of managing processes and projects basically looks into a system which is made up of various processes. In each process, inputs are transformed into outputs and all this involves planning and designing the production, the actual production of the item in question, delivery and all support variables, all which translate into the success of the objectives being met. The core functions are the development of the services and products that will be the outputs of the operational processes, the operations involved in the entire process as well as the marketing function which is somehow a subsidiary factor in the entire operation process. Support functions include the accounting and finance aspect, the technical factor, human resources function which looks at personnel or staff, and the function that relates to acquiring any relevant information to the given process. These are just a few examples which will vary with each operational process. Operational Processes The Call Centre Depa rtment This is a department run by the Call Centre Manager and its main operations are cantered on dealing with customer service enquiries which are basically requests for information on products or services that they need clarification on.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The calls received by the Call Centre Agents many times overwhelm them during the day and this is mainly because these are the operational hours for the banks. At night, not many people will think of making enquiries. The customers will want information on loans, their debit cards, various accounts operated by the bank and any services the bank may be providing (Ackoff). Fig. 1: Showing the operational processes in the Call Centre Department Facilities and staff are the major resources that are classified as inputs. In this case we have the call centre manager who manages and plans for the centre, the call centre agents who operate the calls, and equipment used to handle the calls such as the telephones and computers. The operator receives the call from the customer and first captures the caller’s details which may include, but are not limited to the customer’s name, customer’s account number if they have an account with the bank, their address and contacts. The queries presented by the customer are then entered into the system. Depending on what subject the caller wanted information on, they are given a feedback and in case the agent can’t provide satisfactory answers, they are rerouted to a more qualified person to handle the call, or are told to hold the line as their request is processed. For some cases, the Call Centre agent may have to call the customer back at a later time. Deliverables include providing the customer with answers to their enquiries and feeding the system with any information that may need to be looked into so as to improve the servi ce delivery (Davenport).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Limitations The Call Centre Manager can clearly view all the calls being received by the operators and those that are yet to be received. Any customer calling continuously for a given amount of time will eventually give up if their calls are not answered and may assume they are being ignored. With a limited number of operators, not all calls can be attended to and this cuts down on the efficiency of the department in satisfying their callers. Some of the callers fail to have their queries answered while others will probably receive unsatisfactory replies because the operators are trying to attend to the large number of callers. At night the exact opposite scenario is played. Operators are practically redundant with hardly any calls being received (Deming). Filling in any vacancies in th is department is no mean feat. It is both time and resource consuming. An operator has to have knowledge of the banking operations and should be able to handle 15 simple banking enquiries. The entire recruitment process and training of the operator takes up to 8 weeks, and in the meantime the Call Centre strains the meagre staff and resources it has. Recommendations An automated system could be put in place to capture incoming calls where the callers would leave their details and queries so that they can be contacted at a later time. This way, the operators running the Call Centre in the night can make a follow up of these enquiries. Customers are left feeling happy and well attended to and definitely and the bank retains its clientele. The Personal Credit Control Department The Manager of this department is tasked with overseeing that the staffs attending to customers, who have surpassed their overdraft amounts, either bounce any cheques that may have been drawn or send a letter in forming the customer about the state of their account or transaction. This department only deals with individual accounts because those belonging to corporate entities need more interpretation. They are therefore handled by a different Fig. 2: Showing the operational processes in the Personal Credit Control DepartmentAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Depositing cheques and drafts is actually a form of credit exchange. If the cheque drawn is valid, then the person whose name and details appear on the cheque is paid following instructions to the bank indicated on the cheque. When a draft is moved by authorization to a specific bank, it is deposited there and is equivalent to a cash deposit. In both cases, no actual money in the form of notes and or coins is used in the transactions so it is entirely of a credit nature. In the cases where the account against which the cheque is drawn has insufficient funds, the cheque bounces and as a result the bearer of the cheque is not credited. The department I thus tasked with informing them of the state of the transaction. Such a transaction is not detailed and involves very few components as opposed to dealing with corporate accounts which could have many transactions in one particular account (Jams hid). Limitations Having each line of business operation, in this case, personal credit con trol and corporate credit control running as separate entities means that the activities are not centralized. More resources are needed to effectively run each entity yet the outputs are similar. Without restructuring the back office operations, operating costs are exponentially increased. The same methodology of running the processes is employed in all processes and efficiency is reduced. Recommendations Most banking institution has developed into target retail institutions in as far as the operations of the bank are concerned. Many of the operations are centralized and are structured such that particular service centres have both shared functions and services. All operations run by the bank are part of this structure. As a result you will find that whether it is personal banking or corporate banking, they will all be part of the shared Services Centre. The only exemption probably might arise in cases where one service for example, personal banking has just been introduced. It may operate remotely for a period of time, but should be merged with other centralized operations within a given time frame. Another solution to having similar operations running with up to half the cost would be to manage operations, for example IT Operations, that sustain back office processes as a distinct and separate function that needs a separate structuring (Juran). The Voucher Processing Centre The centre is equipped with machines that translate cheques. The cheques are delivered to the centre from various branches of the same bank in a given location. Since the banks are closed during the weekend, Mondays, which mark the beginning of the business week, are quite hectic as they record a large number of deposits. The fact that the machines have such a big work load, they are likely to breakdown more often and this greatly affects the running of the centre. With fewer machines to work with, many customers’ transactions are left pending and this creates a backlog. Fig.3: Sho wing the operational processes in the Voucher Processing Centre Fig.4: Showing the additional operational processes in the Voucher Processing Centre The cheques are received and the information displayed on them is encoded or converted. The output which still comes in form of the processed cheques enables the relevant accounts to either be credited or debited. Limitations The inputs in this particular process are limited and this greatly affects the entire process because the transformation aspect is greatly restricted. The encoding machines are the main facility that runs the entire process, apart from the staff that operates them. Having even one machine down affects the outputs and as such customer feedback is not expected to be encouraging. Recommendations Another system apart from wholly relying on the voucher encoding machines should be introduced. This way, even if one of the machines breaks down, or even when the workload is large, the entire process is not affected. In th e end, the output is what matters, I this case, that the customers receive the services they expect. High Net worth Banking In some cases, it is also referred to as prestige banking. A service provided by the bank for its wealthy clientele who pay to have all the banking services offered at their beck and call. The bank therefore has to be extremely flexible to meet their demands. To give the entire aspect of High Net worth Banking, the personal touch it is characteristically defined by, particular banking personnel is assigned a number of accounts to attend to and this way gets familiar and â€Å"personal† with the customer, but maintains all the professionalism expected. Limitations Banking personnel just like any other employee will be required to have leave days or probably attend training sessions organized by the bank. In such cases, when a particular customer calls wanting the services of a particular agent who is either not in office, or engaged elsewhere, the â€Å" personal† factor is subject to being affected. Some customers may become adamant and even threaten to withdraw their accounts, citing that they are not getting their money’s worth. Other times, their demands may seem too much when they force their contacts within the bank to run all over the place to attend to them, be in at their homes or places of work. Recommendations Customers should be made to understand that the entire theme of personal banking means that the bank gives then extra attention, but maintains that any available personnel can attend to them. Two or even up to three people can be assigned to one particular account. This way the personal theme is not entirely corroded. The ‘4vs’ approach looks at four factors in the operational process and these are volume, variety, variation in demand and visibility. Looking at the above back office operations in terms of volume, the Call Centre is swapped with very many calls and each staff of the centre i s kept bust especially during the day when the volume of calls is highest. As a result there is a low unit cost in the department, higher systemization and high repeatability of processes which involve the calls received and the information exchanged. The Credit Control department specializes in cheques and drafts so their volume is only relevant to these two processes. It is relatively low and each staff member performs more as pertains to the task at hand and less to do with the entire system. As such there are higher unit costs. The voucher processing centre handles only cheques, but at a high volume and therefore experiences the same implications as the Call centre. The Prestige or â€Å"High Net worth’ subsidiary company experiences fewer customers, hence a fewer volume of operations. The implications are similar to the credit control department (Ludwig). With regard to variety, the call centre and voucher processing centre is more complex and flexible and as much as th ey may incur higher unit costs, they are able to meet customer demands. The credit control department and subsidiary company dealing with rich clients on the other hand both handle less in terms of variety. They experience well-defined routine, properly standardized procedures that are regular and all at low unit costs. Variation in demand in the call centre and voucher processing centre is dependent on the capacity that can be handled. This is also affected by the facilities in place and personnel available. One main advantage is that any changes in demand can be anticipated, though a downside is that it all comes at a high unit cost. The credit control department and subsidiary company dealing with rich clients on the other hand, experience a stable schedule of events, high use of available resources, resulting to low unit costs. Visibility focuses on the outputs of each process. There is a very short time frame between requesting of services or products and when they are expected to be delivered and this causes a short tolerance in relation to what is expected. In the call centre and ‘high net worth† company, contentment by the customer is based on what they observe and perceive. Personnel in these departments should be equipped with the relevant skills needed to handle customers in these instances. Proper communication skills are an asset in both cases. A high unit cause is however realized. The voucher processing centre is also reliable to a great extent on the visibility aspect which will bring about similar implications as seen in both the call centre and prestige banking company. In the credit control department there is a time frame between production and delivery of the services to the customer. Low skills in customer handling are required and most of the process doesn’t really rely on the input of the staff. Higher unit costs are expected. Other similarities that can be noticed in all the four back office units are the fact that a ll operational processes make use of some form of technology. For all the operations, some form of telephone activity or computer related task is involved though to different variations and volumes. The voucher processing centre also incorporates encoding machines. All four back office units have response issues of some kind. These are either within the department or between one department and other. In other scenarios it also involves the customer who in most cases is the final recipient in the complete process. These four operational processes also forecast on demand, otherwise the performance objectives cease to be relevant. Measures are also put in place to monitor capacity and location concerns that directly affect the operations of the departments. These of course vary from one back office to another. for instance, the call centre doesn’t have to be near the customers calling in to handle their enquiries, but the â€Å"high net worth† subsidiary company has to pu t capacity and location in mind to be able to provide that personal touch it thrives on to maintain its clientele. All operations have both contractors who provide the products and services needed to be able to meet their objectives as well as customers who are the final recipients of the products and services after they have undergone the transformation process. In the For the call centre it is telephones and computers, whereas the credit control and voucher. All these back office operations also have planning and recruitment issues in relation to their activities and staff. Common sets of principles therefore apply only when the performance objectives of any given process are similar in respect to certain factors. The quality of services or products has to be even. Some services like the call centre are to all customers of the banking institution irrespective of the account you hold or how wealthy you are. The â€Å"high net worth† department on the other hand is for only t he rich clientele. Another factor is that the speed at which the services or products are delivered has to be at par. For some it is fast depending on the customer being attended to, while others it is slow. Dependability is another element. Some services are dependent on time, others facilities, staff or other resources. Flexibility should also be considered. Some processes follow a fixed routine and schedule while others can be manipulated with to suit the output required. Cost is a very important component as well because it is directly proportional to how productive a given process is and whether at the end of the day it was a worthwhile venture (Senge). To â€Å"fine tune† the improvement of business processes in relation to the operations the different skills and approaches that are probably being referred to are the â€Å"4vs†; volume, variety, variation in demand and visibilty as well as the common sets of principles. This is because if flexibility, quality, sp eed, dependabilty and cost are considered, the capturing, transformation and delivery of services ad products will be greatly improved because these factors greatly affect operation processes. Works Cited Ackoff, Russell. Ackoff Centre for Advancement of Systems Approaches, 2009. Web. Davenport, T. H. Process Innovation: Reengineering work through Information Technology, Harvard Business School Press, 1993. Deming, W. Edwards. The New Economics for industry, government and Education. Second Edition MIT Press, 1994. Jamshid, Gharajedaghi. Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity A Platform for Designing Business Architecture. Elsevier Inc., 2006. Juran, J.M. Juran on quality by design. The Free Press, Division of Macmillan Inc., 1992. Ludwig, Bertalanffy. General Systems Theory George Braziller Inc., 1968. Senge, Peter M. The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Random House, 2006. This essay on Managing Process and Projects in ANLG was written and submitted by user Emersyn M. 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.

The U.S. And Great Britain Special Relationship

The U.S. And Great Britain Special Relationship The rock-solid relationship between the United States and Great Britain that President Barack Obama described during his March 2012 meetings with British Prime Minister David Cameron was, in part, forged in the fires of World Wars I and II. Despite fervent wishes to remain neutral in both conflicts, the U.S. allied with Great Britain both times. World War I World War I erupted in August 1914, the result of long-standing European imperial grievances and arms races. The United States sought neutrality in the war, having just experienced its own brush with imperialism that included the Spanish-American War, 1898, (of which Great Britain approved), and the disastrous Filipino Insurrection that soured Americans on further foreign entanglements. Nevertheless, the United States expected neutral trade rights; that is, it wanted to trade with belligerents on both sides of the war, including Great Britain and Germany. Both of those countries opposed the American policy, but while Great Britain would stop and board U.S. ships suspected of carrying goods to Germany, German submarines took the more dire action of sinking American merchant ships. After 128 Americans died when a German U-Boat sank the British luxury liner Lusitania (surreptitiously hauling weapons in its hold), U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and his Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan successfully got Germany to agree to a policy of restricted submarine warfare. Incredibly, that meant a sub had to signal a targeted ship that it was about to torpedo it so that personnel could debark the vessel. In early 1917, however, Germany renounced restricted sub warfare and returned to unrestricted sub warfare. By now, American merchants were showing an unabashed bias toward Great Britain, and the British rightly feared renewed German sub attacks would cripple their trans-Atlantic supply lines. Great Britain actively courted the United States- with its manpower and industrial might- to enter the war as an ally. When British intelligence intercepted a telegram from Germanys Foreign Secretary Arthur Zimmerman to Mexico encouraging Mexico to ally with Germany and create a diversionary war on Americas southwestern border, they quickly notified Americans. The Zimmerman Telegram was genuine, although at first glance it seems like something British propagandists might fabricate to get the U.S. in the war. The telegram, combined with Germanys unrestricted sub warfare, was the tipping point for the United States. It declared war on Germany in April 1917. The U.S. enacted a Selective Service Act, and by Spring 1918 had enough soldiers in France to help England and France turn back a massive German offensive. In Fall 1918, under the command of General John J. Blackjack Pershing, American troops flanked the German lines while British and French troops held the German front in place. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive forced Germany to surrender. Treaty of Versailles Compared to France, Great Britain and the United States took moderate stances at the post-war treaty talks in Versailles, France. France, having survived two German invasions in the last 50 years, wanted severe punishments for Germany, including the signing of a war guilt clause and the payment of onerous reparations. The U.S. and Britain were not so adamant about the reparations, and the U.S. loaned money to Germany in the 1920s to help with its debt. However, the U.S. and Great Britain did not agree on everything. President Wilson forwarded his optimistic Fourteen Points as a blueprint for post-war Europe. The plan included an end to imperialism and secret treaties; national self-determination for all countries; and a global organization- the League of Nations- to mediate disputes. Great Britain could not accept Wilsons anti-imperialist aims, but it did accept the League, which Americans- fearing more international involvement- did not. Washington Naval Conference In 1921 and 1922, the U.S. and Great Britain sponsored the first of several naval conferences designed to give them dominance in total tonnage of battleships. The conference also sought to limit a Japanese naval buildup. The conference resulted in a ratio of 5:5:3:1.75:1.75. For every five tons the U.S. and British had in battleship displacement, Japan could have only three tons, and France and Italy could each have 1.75 tons. The agreement fell apart in the 1930s when militaristic Japan and fascist Italy disregarded it, even though Great Britain tried to extend the pact. World War II When England and France declared war on Germany after its invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the United States again tried to remain neutral. When Germany defeated France, then attacked England in the summer of 1940, the resulting Battle of Britain shook the United States out of its isolationism. The United States began a military draft and started building new military equipment. It also began arming merchant ships to carry goods through the hostile North Atlantic to England (a practice it had abandoned with the policy of Cash and Carry in 1937); traded World War I-era naval destroyers to England in exchange for naval bases, and began the Lend-Lease program. Through Lend-Lease the United States became what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called the arsenal of democracy, making and supplying materiel of war to Great Britain and others fighting Axis powers. During World War II, Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill held several personal conferences. They met first off the coast of Newfoundland aboard a navy destroyer in August 1941. There they issued the Atlantic Charter, an agreement in which they outlined the goals of the war. Of course, the U.S. was not officially in the war, but tacitly FDR pledged to do all he could for England short of formal war. When the U.S. officially joined the war after Japan attacked its Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Churchill went to Washington where he spent the holiday season. He talked strategy with FDR in the Arcadia Conference, and he addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress- a rare event for a foreign diplomat. During the war, FDR and Churchill met at the Casablanca Conference in North Africa in early 1943 where they announced the Allied policy of unconditional surrender of Axis forces. In 1944 they met at Tehran, Iran, with Josef Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union. There they discussed war strategy and the opening of a second military front in France. In January 1945, with the war winding down, they met at Yalta on the Black Sea where, again with Stalin, they talked about post-war policies and the creation of the United Nations. During the war, the U.S. and Great Britain cooperated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany, and several islands and naval campaigns in the Pacific. At the wars end, as per an agreement at Yalta, the United States and Britain split the occupation of Germany with France and the Soviet Union. Throughout the war, Great Britain acknowledged that the United States had surpassed it as the worlds top power by accepting a command hierarchy that put Americans in supreme command positions in all major theaters of the war.

Management strategy and policy research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Management strategy and policy - Research Paper Example The net revenue of the company in the financial year 2011 was $701.29 million, which reflects a reflecting a strong financial situation of the company. Aramex is a publicly traded joint stock company registered under United Arab Emirates laws and its shares are traded in Dubai financial market. The company is currently headquartered at Amman, Jordan and has its business wings spread all over the world. The organizational structure of the company is well defined and is managed along two tracks - 1) by service 2) geographically, with the help of, country managers, regional senior managers and cross?functional country?based‘Aramexteams’ that is providing harmonization of all Aramex services on a modified basis to Aramex customers (â€Å"About Aramex†). The organizational structure of the company is presented below: - Organizational structure of Aramex and how it impacts the design and implementation of Strategy Figure 1 – Corporate management Structure of Aram ex (Source: Aramex, â€Å"Sustainability Report 2006† 8) The above chart clearly points out about the departments or divisions of the organization. In addition, the chart also sheds light on the way Aramex is carrying out and managing its business functions. Presently the company has 4 major departments namely marketing, IT (information technology), finance and the operations departments. Each of the departments is being headed by the VP’s (Vice Presidents). From the organizational chart it has also observed that the company has appointed VP’s in different location. Most of them are responsible for managing the operation of the allotted areas. The structure followed by the company is therefore clearly divisional structure. However, these VP’s do not report to any of the departmental heads, rather they directly reports to the CEO of the company. Apart from them, other business heads such as the chief technology officer, chief marketing officer, group finan cial controller, Sr. VP finance and CFO, VP logistics and ground operation, Sr. VP cargo, VP express, chief strategy office, vice president, as well as the in front managing director. Hence, it is obvious that the company has been able to streamline its business process with this organizational arrangement. On the contrary, if the arrangement wouldn’t have been appropriate the performance of the company was sure to be negatively impacted. However, the financial results of the company clearly points out that the company is doing well in the market place. The flat and decentralized management structure of the organization is one of the key drivers of success for the company. The simple and flexible structure of the organization has allowed them to empower the employees of the organization and also make decision pertaining to the enhancement of the company’s service offerings irrespective of the location of the organization and the level at which they are operating (Arame x, â€Å"the age of entrepreneur† 4). Nevertheless, a number of studies reveal that the organizational structure has a strong impact on the design, formulation and implementation of the organizational strategies. Organizational strategy and structure are highly related as the organizational strategy of a company helps them to describe, identify and build the organizational structure. This is the reason why the organizational structure of a company is based on the outcome of the analysis of the

The Rationality of the American Voter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Rationality of the American Voter - Essay Example Can charisma alone be enough to win an election when faced with a public that is generally ignorant of the political process and the important issues at stake By improving the education of the voter, we can elevate the level of leadership in politics. In the absence of information, a candidate's charm, likeability, and charisma all contribute to an image that the voter seizes upon to make their electoral decision. A candidate's ability to project an image of almost super-human proportions resonates well with a public that is caught in times of crisis. Wars, a bad economy, depreciating social structures, and cultural turmoil all play into the hand of the charismatic leader as voters look for relief from their hardships and despair (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p.64). During these periods of political upheaval, voters are less interested in the issues and more interested in salvation from the looming dire situation. Candidates will take this opportunity to exploit the current situation or negatively characterize the opponent's alternatives. The 1992 election saw a charismatic Bill Clinton defeat the incumbent George Bush. Bush was characterized as a 'wimp' and Clinton was able to capitalize on his charming appeal with the slogan 'it's the economy stupid'. Had there been a booming economy, the American voter would have been more reluctant to change and would have been more likely to stay with the stabil ity of the sitting president (Alvarez & Nagler, 1998, p.1362). In addition, Clinton was able to portray the economy in bleaker terms than the voter understood. The slight economic downturn of 1992 was enough to create an opportunity for a charismatic candidate. The education of the voter, as portrayed by the candidate, was less important than the situation that they were caught up in. When voters are ignorant on the issues, under-informed, and generally politically naive about the electoral process, charisma can be an overriding factor. Media outlets that have a political agenda that they promote often influence voters, but offer limited information. Talk shows, pundits, radio talk show hosts, and pop culture all contribute to an air of confusion and irrationality for the average citizen. It is more likely the case that a voter loyal to a party will may make a decision based on who informed them rather than if they were informed. Therefore, the effect of charisma on the voter will be most heavily felt among the independents that will ultimately decide the election. According to Silva and Costa (2006), "rational ignorance is not to explain the behavior of the entire population of voters, but rather only that of swing voters" (p.39). Widely known figures will emphasize their accomplishments and record, but a relatively unknown challenger may have to rely on image an d charisma (Miller, 1990, p.530). Silva and Costa conclude that, "factors like the candidate's image and charisma may dominate a rigorous evaluation of his performance" (p.40). Often, uneducated voters cannot delineate between the truth and the fiction in political campaign ads. In today's climate of ideologues, characterizations, and partisanship, charisma can be a deciding factor in a close election. To rely on charisma alone to carry a candidate to victory is dependent upon a voting public, particularly the independent middle, which is

Establishing a Planned Giving Program Essay Example for Free

Establishing a Planned Giving Program Essay Charitable institutions play an important role in society, now more than ever, as socio-economic issues mount. The essence of charitable institutions is to facilitate the sharing or transfer of resources from those with excess to those who are wanting. The culture of giving emerged as a means of ensuring overall social welfare by pulling excess resources to segments of the population having more than they need to people without resources. Charitable institutions develop fund raising activities and schemes to encourage philanthropy as well as manage funds to translate this into programs for the targeted beneficiaries to fulfill this role effectively and continuously. The philosophy of fund raising for charitable work is that philanthropy plays an important role in democratic societies and fund raising is inevitable to philanthropy so that fund raising becomes an absolute necessity to democratic societies. (Kelly, 1998) Over the years, charitable institutions developed many fund raising processes or systems to ensure the short and long-term flow of funds necessary to support their important function. Planned giving is one long-term fund raising program that emerged. This works by providing donors with the option, other than outright giving, to defer giving to charitable institutions years after expressing the giving behavior, usually upon the death of the donor. This then focuses on assets instead of income as the measure of the capacity of donors to give. (Kelly, 1998) The rationale for this option is to facilitate the passing of assets from one generation to another through a system that allocates assets from their estates to charitable institutions upon their death according to their preference (Harrington, 2004). If people elect to pass their assets to charitable institutions then they can do so through planned giving. This also finds support in the governance system by providing incentives to philanthropy in the form of tax exemptions. II. Review of Literature A. Important Concepts and Definitions in Planned Giving Kelly (1998) conceptualized planned giving as the managed effort by charitable institutions to raise funds from gifts of assets of donors utilizing estate and financial planning processes and tools. The purpose of planned giving is to generate major gifts by offering donors with another option aside from outright giving. This fund raising scheme expands the prospect pool of donors by centering on assets, instead of income, as the determinant of the capacity to give. The sole concern of planned giving is facilitating the philanthropy of individual donors as compared to the other fund-raising efforts directed at the public. Previously, this fund raising method was known as deferred giving because financial benefits for the recipient charitable institution usually are postponed until years after the donor has set-up the gift, usually upon death resulting to the appropriation or management of the estate. The description explained planned giving in terms of the implications to charitable institutions and donors of the benefits from financial planning and incentives for planning giving. Weinstein (2002) defined planned giving, also known as charitable gift planning, as the giving of charitable contributions with some level of professional guidance. Most planned gifts have the effect of reducing the estate taxes, income taxes, and/or capital gains taxes of the donor. Charitable gift planning supports the charitable intentions of the donor while at the same time helps donors better manage their assets for their families and loved ones. Usually, planned gifts are bequests, which mean deferred actual receipt by charitable institutions. Non-profit organizations receive the bequest after the death of the donor. There are also other planned gifts, such as donations of appreciated stock, which accrue current contributions for the charitable institution. This definition focuses on planned giving as a process or system and the manner this works in supporting the fund raising activities of charitable institutions and asset management of donors. Hopkins (2005) explained that planned giving ideally concerns â€Å"long-term capital gain property† (p. 245) that is likely to increase in value. The greater the increase in value, the greater would be the charitable deduction as well as the income from tax savings. Value appreciation comprises a core concept in planned giving so that a planned gift is essentially interest in money or an item of property of the donor. Planning giving involves the transference of partial interest in property based on the concept of property as having two interests, which are income and remainder interest. The income interest from an item of property depends on the income generated by the property at the current time while the remainder interest from an item of property pertains to the projected value of the property, or the property produced by reinvestments, at some future date. As such, the remainder interest is the amount equal to the present value of the property when received at a subsequent point in time, which is higher than the income interest assuming that the property is appreciating. Measuring these two types of interest in property is through the consideration of property value, donor’s age, and the period when the income interest will exist. An income interest or a remainder interest in property could be subject to charitable donation. However, a deduction is almost never available for a charitable gift of an income interest in property. By contrast, the charitable contribution of a remainder interest in an item of property will likely give rise to a charitable deduction with compliance of all technical requirements. This provides an explanation of the manner that the system works and serves as an elaboration of the previous definitions. The explanation also provided a rationale for planned giving since remainder interest, which accrues in the future is usually always subject to charitable deductions when compared to income interest accruing at present. Hopkins (2005) further explained the two basic types of planned gifts. One is legacy or charitable giving contained under a will. This is a gift coming out of the estate of a deceased as a bequest or devise. Planned giving in the form of a legacy works through the inclusion of a charitable institution as a beneficiary of the estate of the donor with entitlement following the death of the donor. As such, this perpetuates the philanthropy of individual even in death. The amount assigned to the charitable institution comprises a tax exemption that decreases the estate tax. The other is a gift made during a donor’s lifetime, using a trust or other agreement. An example is charitable gift annuity that commences when a donor gives a charitable institution a certain amount of money that the institution can use, similar to a premium paid for insurance, but with the condition that a beneficiary receive payment of a certain amount every year. The amount given by the donor is subject to tax exemption. After the payment of annuity ceases such as with the death of the beneficiary, the charitable institutions gains the amount paid and all other interest accruing from its appropriation. This explains the options available to donors, with options supporting the charitable intentions of donors and providing them with convenient options for financial planning. B. Basic Steps in Establishing Planned Giving Program for a Non-Profit Organization Establishing planned giving program for a non-profit organization should involve some basic preparatory steps similar to a business plan in profit organizations. The first step is preparation. This involves an assessment of the capability of the organization to manage a planned giving program to determine areas requiring improvements to accommodate the program. Another must do is obtaining the feedback from the board over the development of the planned giving program since the board’s support determines a successful program. This step also involves a feasibility study to determine whether the intended program meets two criteria. One is whether the leaders and members of the organization together with donors believe in continuing its existence in the long-term and the other is whether donors express their belief in the longevity of the organization through significant gifts. (Barett Ware, 2002) In satisfying these criteria there is a higher probability of success. Second step is planning. This step covers the identification of goals and specific objectives of the program, the changes in organizational structure including the creation of committees and sub-committees and assignment of leadership positions and tasks, the plan for staffing such as part time or full time, the budget to cover all aspects of the program, and the timetable for the phases of the planned giving program. (Dove, Spears Herbert, 2002) These areas should receive focus to cover all planned program to support viability. The third step involves the identification of the program’s core and specific features. The idea of planned giving is to provide givers with various options on the ways through which they prefer to actualize their charitable intentions and manage their assets in the process. This means the need to identify the particular planned giving options that the non-profit organization would make available to its donors together with the details of how these works. (Ashton, 2004) This is for the benefit of the staff who would be directly dealing with donors and for the benefit of donors wanting to learn more about giving options offered by its preferred charitable institution. The fourth step is policymaking. Guidelines and protocols are inevitable in actualizing the planned giving program. Policies should cover issues such as legal advice, confidentiality of information, conflict in interest and authority in negotiations. Guidelines should also thoroughly explain procedures in executing and accepting planned gifts, valuation of donations, according of credit for planned gifts, investing managing and administering of planned gifts, and limitations and terms of planned gifts. Lastly, the policies should also establish the functions and roles of the committees and administrators. (Barett Ware, 2002) The fifth step is promoting the planned giving program to individual potential donors as well as the community in general. There are a number of ways for non-profit organizations to promote their planned giving programs including the handouts or leaflets, newsletters and other widely distributed publications, hosted events, seminars, and personal testimonials or referrals. The important thing is to introduce the program to people as a means of developing interest in planned giving and reaching out to existing donors who could be interested in different options. (Reiss, 2000) The sixth step is prospecting. This involves a two-fold consideration. On one hand, this involves the determination of the likely uptake of the program by considering potential donors including the involvement in planned giving by members of the board themselves. This results to identification of anticipated long-term fund raising position of the organization. On the other hand, this also involves the determination of the impact of the program including the possible issues and problems to support contingency planning. (Rosso, 2003) C. Establishing Goals and Objectives for Planned Giving Program Goals comprise statements of the position or outcome that the organization wants to gain while objectives set out the manner of achieving this position or outcome (Lewis, 2006). Establishing the goals and objectives of the planned giving program also goes through a series of interconnected cyclical processes. The first process is communication and clarification of issues, problems, challenges or opportunities that provide a context for establishing the program. These support the determination of goals. If a challenge is giving options then the goal would be diversified giving options for donors and the objective is the development of a planned giving program. (Lauer, 1997) The second process is evaluation of alternative solutions to express needs and requirements into goals and objectives through measures of success that would also constitute the criteria for evaluating the extent of fulfillment of the goals and objectives. (Lauer, 1997) The third process is articulation by drawing the participation of all stakeholders in providing perspectives over the areas for improvement and drawing consensus on actions (Lauer, 1997).