A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot Essay - 4739 Words

A Character Analysis of Sir Lancelot Sir Lancelot, from the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, has become by far the most popular and well-remembered knight. Through Malorys rendition of traditional materials, we have inherited a character that has become the image of the quintessential knight. How is it that the outsider, the foreigner, the upstart who wins Arthurs heart and Guineveres body and soul (Walters xiv) has taken the place that, prior to Malory, was reserved for Sir Gawain? Malory has made this character larger than life. Of the grandeur of Lancelot, Derek Brewer says, In the portrayal of Lancelot we generally recognize a vein of extravagance. He is the most obsessive of lovers, as he†¦show more content†¦Therefore, it is best to begin with book six, entitled Lancelot du Lake. There appears to be some inconsistency in how the book is to be divided, whether in books or in tales. The reader should be advised that these two terms are not synonymous, and that while there are only eight tales, there are twenty-two books in Le Morte DArthur. Drawing from many sources, Malory develops Lancelots qualities of self-control, rectitude, and humaneness...the third tale (Lancelot du Lake) concentrates on Lancelots chivalry inspired by a yet unconsummated passion. Undertaking his quest because of Gwenyver, he becomes the best knight in the world (Walters xxix). One need not look far into the sixth book to find examples of Lancelots character. In the beginning of the tale, we are introduced to Sir Lancelot very abruptly with Of all his knights one was supreme, both in prowess at arms and in nobility of bearing, and this was Sir Lancelot, who was also the favorite of Queen Gwynevere, to whom he had sworn oaths of fidelity (Malory 118). It is here we are introduced to Lancelots two primary character traits: that of his being a great knight and that of being faithful to Guinevere. He is not yet the best knight, or the perfect lover, as he has not yet been tested. Lancelot soon feels bored with his life at court, and so searches out a dventure. It is during these adventures thatShow MoreRelatedGuinnevere of the King Arthur Legends1226 Words   |  5 PagesModred, other knights, and even Arthur himself. (Guinevere) With the help of Lancelot, she escapes a number of predicaments, including kidnapping by Sir Meliaguant, burning at the stake, and later marriage with her step son. (Guinevere) In Malory she flees after Arthur’s death to Amesbury, where she becomes a nun, as well as â€Å"abbess and ruler, as reason would.† (Guinevere) Guinevere was developed into a major character in the story of Arthur by Chretien. (Lace 63) She is surpassingly beautiful andRead More King Arthur Essay1428 Words   |  6 PagesKing Arthur Character Analysis The character of King Arthur is unique in literature. Most characters are known through their actions and words as described by the author of a story. Arthur, however, is a conglomerate of characters described by many different authors over a fifteen hundred year span. There is no single depiction of him, and one cannot trace his origin to a single author for the definitive description. As such, the character of Arthur is different depending on the era, cultureRead More Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur and Monty Python and the Holy Grail2221 Words   |  9 Pagesfemale seduction in Malory’s story of King Arthur is crucial to the story as a whole, the student follows with an equally serious analysis of Monty Python’s parody of the female seduction motif in what may be the most memorable and hilarious episode of the film. Much of the humor in Monty Python and the Holy Grail derives from the pure absurdity of its characters and situations. King Arthur roams the British countryside on an imaginary horse, evil enemies can only be appeased with offerings ofRead More King Arthur Essay1157 Words   |  5 PagesKing Arthur Character Analysis Although King Arthur is one of the most well-known figures in the world, his true identity remains a mystery. Attempts to identify the historical Arthur have been unsuccessful, since he is largely a product of fiction. Most historians, though, agree that the real Arthur was probably a battle leader of the Britons against the Anglo-Saxons in the sixthth century. In literature, King Arthurs character is unique and ever changing, taking on a different face inRead MoreBook Report/Character Analysis on the Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck5483 Words   |  22 Pages She also requires that the man be of noble blood and of good repute. Arthur, along with many other great and honorable knights, attempt but fail to take it from her hold. Sir Balin, who had been held prisoner for six months, asked for a try at the sword. He is poorly dressed, and she is reluctant to let him try. Sir Balin draws the sword effortlessly and all around him are astonished. The damsel asks for the sword back, but Balin refuses, saying he will not give it up until someone takesRead MoreEssay on The Many Versions of The Legend of King Arthur1202 Words   |  5 PagesThe Many Versions of The Legend of King Arthur There are countless versions of the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Most English versions are based on Sir Thomas Malorys Le Morte dArthur, but where did these tales originate, and what different interpretations are there today? This essay seeks to examine the roots and different renditions of the various legends circulating today. The first section deals with the origins of the legend. The second sectionRead More Analysis Of Sir Gawains Character Essay1100 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis Of Sir Gawains Character In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the character of Sir Gawain, nephew of the famed Arthur of the Round Table, is seen as the most noble of knights who is the epitome of chivalry, yet he is also susceptible to mistakes. His courtesy, honor, honesty, and courage are subjected to various tests, posed by the wicked Morgan le Fay. Some tests prove his character and the chivalrous code true and faultless, like the time he answers a challenge although it might meanRead MoreThe Noble Chivalric Code And The Middle Class1489 Words   |  6 Pagescontinues to be, in a constant state of change (Leffert).† Marie De France wrote â€Å"Lanval†, a lay, in 12th century A.D., which was during the Anglo-Norman period. â€Å"The lais combined realistic and fairy-tale elements, and their author was skillful in the analysis of love problems and often showed a keen interest in contemporary life (Legge).† Feudalism, the exchange of land for food and money, was extremely prevalent dur ing the reign of Henry II. The way the French/English division of class operated heavilyRead MorePictorialism in the Victorian Era; Essay example2442 Words   |  10 PagesChapter 2 - Julia Margaret Cameron†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..............................5 Chapter 3 - Madame Yevonde†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......................................6 Chapter 4 - Analysis of Photos†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.................................7 -10 â€Å"Mountain Nymph† Julia Margaret Cameron 1866.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 â€Å"The Parting of Lancelot and Guinevere† Julia Margaret Cameron 1875.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 â€Å"Mrs. Richard Hart-Davis as ‘Ariel’ Madame Yevonde 1935.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 â€Å"Lady Dorothy Campbell as ‘Niobe’† Madame YevondeRead MoreRomanticism, By Charles Baudelaire1235 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Waterhouse, the subject of the painting is a woman, sitting alone in a boat. It takes inspiration from a scene from a poem of the same name by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The poem tells the story of the young woman and her unrequited love for Sir Lancelot. Even though the focus of the image is the sorrowful woman, the composition of the background makes for a picturesque painting. The background elements work together to symbolize the emotional elements of the poem from which the painting takes

My Own Device ( Byod ) And Risks Associated With It

Abstract This paper is about Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and risks associated with it. The conditions for risks to occur, the managerial and technical solutions to such risks are discussed. Introduction BYOD or Bring Your Own Device refers to the policy of permitting employees to bring personally owned mobile devices (laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and to use those devices to access privileged company information and applications (Bradley December 20, 2011). This concept is a growing trend for the information technology and many more business sectors. Businesses that appreciate Bringing Your Own Devices have some advantages over the others. For instance, the costs tend to shift towards the BYOD user instead of†¦show more content†¦However there are an equal amount of risks involved with this. Security has been the primary concern. A superior authority monitoring the employees all the time is impossible. The manager has no right to access the devices of the workers as they are private. Also this might reduce productivity if the employees lose focus on work and use their devices for entertainment or personal benefits. Using and misusing data, network or resources in the workplace for personal gain. In some cases, data can be stolen from the organization using such devices causing loss or theft of data. Hence there is lack if control and potential malware threats (Pillay, Diaki et al. 2013). Trend Drivers for BYOD BYOD is gaining high popularity and growth which is evident from the Ovum’s research paper published in 2012. Respondents in the emerging, â€Å"high-growth† markets (including Brazil, Russia, India, UAE, and Malaysia) demonstrate a much higher propensity to use their own device at work. Almost 75% of users in these countries did so, compared to 44% in the more mature developed markets. The research revealed that 79% of employees in high growth markets believe that constant connectivity with work applications enables them to their job better, versus 53.5% in mature markets. There is a distinct lack of BYOD management – everywhere. On average only 20.1% of employees who use personal devices have also signed a policy governing that behaviour. USA and India are nearer to 50%. The

Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for Doomed Youth Analysis Free Essays

Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for a Doomed Youth is exactly that, an anthem ( a solemn song) to commemorate the innocent youth, whose lives were taken to soon by war. By using the word anthem, he calls to mind the glory and honor of a national anthem, however; he goes on to explain that there is no honor or glory in death, pairing the words doomed and youth together creates so much sorrow as well, it provides a woeful impression as it foretells of young people having no hope. Written in sonnet form, it is an elegy for the dead. We will write a custom essay sample on Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for Doomed Youth Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now The octave deals with auditory images of war and death and the sestet deals with more visual images. Wilfred Owen masterfully uses both imagery and figurative language to convey his lament for these young people who died. In the octet of this poem (the first eight lines), Owen catalogues all the images of death, such as â€Å"passing bells†, â€Å"anger of the guns†, rattle of guns, funeral prayers, â€Å"wailing shells†, â€Å"bugles and sad shires†. Many of these images are personified as well, such as the rattling guns and wailing shells. These images will be the funeral that the boys get, not the real one that they deserve. This personification contributes to the harshness of the images and creates auditory images for the reader. The reader can hear the sensory images. However, these images are also set directly against religious imagery, to further emphasize the destructiveness of war. The passing bells, prayers, choirs, and candles emphasize the preciousness of human life. Owen may go so far as to suggest that even religion is helpless against such a powerful destructive force as war. This tone is suggested by the fact that prayers and bells are set against a word like â€Å"mockery†. Just the term â€Å"hasty orisons† has a somewhat disrespectful tone. Owen’s use of both similes and metaphors further emphasize the meaning of the poem. The first line jolts the reader with the simile that these young people â€Å"die as cattle†. The description depicts multitudes of people being slaughtered and the nature of war to be full of mass deaths. The similes showing how the soldiers are no more important than cattle which are lead to the slaughter without feeling. Owen gives the sonnet a powerful, negative connotation from the very beginning. He implies with this phrase a dehumanization of the soldiers as well as the fact that war causes human beings to treat each other as less than human. In line three, the reader can hear the sound imagery of the â€Å"stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle†. The word â€Å"anger† in line 2 also emphasizes the destructive hatred of war. â€Å"Choirs of wailing shells† is a powerful metaphor in line 7 contrasting the world of war and the world of God. For the rest of the poem various religious images abound. For example, the word candles would call to mind the church candles, but they also mean the candles lit in rooms where coffins lie. â€Å"Holy glimmers of goodbyes† (line 9) combines religious imagery with the idea of death. In the pallor half rhyme of line 11, these two words combine in one line to show the seriousness of the situation. Young people are dying in war, and it is tragic. The â€Å"flowers† of line 11 are also a double-edged sword. Flowers are given on very happy, momentous occasions, but they are also in abundance at solemn occasions like funerals. Furthermore, Owen compares the events of war to traditional burial rituals and describes how those who die in war do not receive proper funerals. In the first stanza, Owen references the â€Å"monstrous anger of guns† to â€Å"passing-bells† and â€Å"rifles’ rapid rattle† to â€Å"hasty orisons†. Usually at funerals or ceremonies for the dead there are bells ringing and prayers being said, but Owen shows that in war there are only the sounds of guns being fired. In war, instead of honoring those who have fallen, more are being killed by the same weapons. The last line in the sonnet remains the most powerful in re-affirming the themes and images of death in this poem. The â€Å"dusk is slow† and the â€Å"drawing-down of the blinds† signifies the ultimate death. The use of a traditional form like a sonnet only serves to emphasize the seriousness of the subject. Wilfred Owen masterfully juxtaposes images of war and church in order to emphasize the solemnity of the death these boys had faced. He uses metaphor and simile as well as auditory and visual images in order to allow the reader to truly experience what these boys faced in death. Maddi Cameron-Clarke How to cite Wilfred Owen’s Anthem for Doomed Youth Analysis, Essay examples

The Boys from Brazil Essay Example

The Boys from Brazil Essay The boys from Brazil| Written by Ira levin | A horrible plan is devised by former Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele. Journalist Yakov Lieberman, Jewish journalist, and Nazi hunter, discovers the plans of Mengele. His plan is to kill the fathers of the 94 boys, who are made by Joseph Mengele himself by cloning the DNA of Adolf Hitler. The two hunt each other, which comes to a climax at the home of one of the children, namely family Wheelock. Mengele’s experiment is about making clones of Adolf Hitler himself, and with this terrifying plan, Joseph Mengele would like to take over the world with clones of Hitler.My research question: Is Mengele able to dominate the world by using clones of Hitler? The question now is what does Mengele want to achieve? First, Joseph Mengele is an old Nazi-doctor, who worked in a concentration camp in Auschwitz during the second world war. Mengele wants to take over the world, making a fourth Reich, with the goal to continue the ideas of Hitler. The ideas are that the world has to be inhabited by people who do not have any deviations. This is based on the relieve that Mengele and his comrades see the German people as the purest and most beautiful race on earth, and what needs to be brought back.The way in which Mengele wants to achieve this goal is complicated. He wants to get his hands on the world, by cloning the genetic material of Adolf Hitler in 94 boys . The boys arise and live in a simulated environment, where their parents have the same jobs as Hitler’s parents did have. Mengele thinks this will increase the chance for the arise of the new Hitler. But why this way? First by using of clones, the offspring who has the same genetic characteristics as the cruel dictator.The idea is that when you have the same DNA, you are identical and to your predecessor, with the same characteristics. Second, during the reign of the Nazis, Hitler won the votes of the people by praising them. He impressed the people by telling them they w ere strong and said tha other people made the Germans worse, he created a perfect situation to come to power. Mengele wants to achieve a Fourth Reich in exactly the same way, therefore he needs a descendant of Hitler. The murders all took place under conditions and with a reason.The gruesome plan of Mengele now is to murder the fathers of the boys at the time the boys are 12 years old, because Hitler lost his father at the same age, according to Mengele this moment in Hitler’s life would have been decisive for the development of the beast in him. Lieberman discovers Mengele’s plan , and he immediately takes action. This story takes place in 1976, almost 30 years after the Second World War. After the war, Joseph Mengele fled to Brazil and adopted a different name. Because Mengele is underground, he is free to free put his plan into practice.Namely the people all over the world think that Joseph Mengele no longer exists, that the Nazi regime was ousted, and gone forever, so they thought they did not have to worry about a new rise of the Nazi regime. But will Mengele’s plan succeed? Mengele will not able to take power in this way, and I will explain why not. First, Mengele is chasing Lieberman, because Lieberman has discovered the plan of Mengele to kill a next victim, Mr. Henry Wheelock. Lieberman is doing everything to prevent this murder. But Mengele spied Liebermann and knows to visit Wheelock earlier.When Mengele is trying to persuade and cajole the son of Mr. Wheelock, by saying that he is a descendant of Hitler and he is the greatest, he gets an unexpected answer: â€Å"Who are my parents? He challenged ‘Who am I? ’ â€Å"Your father is Adolf Hitler† â€Å"You know what? † the boy said. â€Å"You are the biggest nut I have ever met! † The son of Wheelocks has been to school and had lessons in History. He knows better than to believe just a strange guy. The son did not think about the possibility of re combination techniques. If even one child says its an idiot plan, it says enough. Everyone is conviced Mengele is crazy.Second, the plan is a big gamble. It is impossible to create a cruel person like Hitler by cloning his DNA and raise the boys in slightly similar conditions. It is impossible to form a new leader. That Hitler developed such radical ideas was a combination of character, living conditions and social events, such as the economy of Germany and the First world war. It is simply impossible to replicate the conditions and therefore it will not be possible to create a new Hitler as Mengele tells himself. Mengele thinks because genetic material is present in the boys, they start acting like Hitler.But what it important is that genes do not control the mind. The boys will not get extreme ideas only by the genes. Even if they were not told what happened to their genetics and that their fathers were murdered. The main character of the book, Yakov Liebermann is a survivor of th e concentration camps and knows the infamous Joseph Mengele. He also knows what happened with twins in Auschwitz, and what role Mengele has played in it. Lieberman will do everything to stop Mengele to perform his horrible plans for he learned from history. He does everything to thwart the plans, so that history cannot repeat itself.Finally, everyone in the world has learned from the Second World War except Mengele. However, that Mengele comes up with this plan to the lines of Hitler and this strategy again, this but will never work. It is not possible to grasp the way Hitler did, namely power winning over and then make afraid. After the war there are innovations, more control and intelligence which make it all that much harder. It seems like Mengele played the role of the famous wizard Catweazle, who also suddenly comes into the modern era and has to deal with major changes.Mengele does not realize that the world has changed, that the world has learned from the horrors that have h appened. Mengele didn’t learn from the mistakes, and now he made a mistake again. Conclusion The conclusion is that in addition to DNA, there are other factors in the formation of someones personality. The plan was good, but he was too naive like to forget what happened in the past. He only thinks about his target, is concentrated too much, and lost the conspectus. Mengele is a dedicated man, but his plan would not work, that is clear.He has everything figured out, but he did not think about the opponents. The story is exciting and it draws you into the story quickly. But the points that make the story and the plan of Mengele are clearly difficult to get out. Furthermore, the book is well written with many exciting pieces that make you think, like why Mengele now need exactly the clones? Very interesting for a discussion, for instance. I must say that the story is very good, exactly what I expected of it. Sources: The boys from Brazil by Ira Levin. life of Hitler: http://nl . wikipedia. org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler.

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter and PESTEL) of Goldman Sachs The WritePass Journal

Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter and PESTEL) of Goldman Sachs Introduction Strategic Analysis (SWOT, Porter and PESTEL) of Goldman Sachs IntroductionBackgroundPolitical Factors.Economic Factors.Sociocultural Factors.Technological Factors.ReferenceRelated Introduction Background Goldman Sachs is a global investment banking, securities and investments managements   firm that provide financial services to a substantial and diversified client base, includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net worth individuals. Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman who was a German immigrant to the United State of America (USA). Mr Goldman started his business as a Major issue of short-term loan (Commercial paper) to entrepreneurs in the USA. Goldman Sachs joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 and then in 1986 the firm joined London and Tokyo stock exchanges. Goldman Sachs headquarters are located in New York and has offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centres around the world. Goldman Sachs has around 35,700 employees, and the firm generated a total annual revenue of   $39.161 billion in 2010.The firm is   heavily   involved in recruiting top graduates from leading business schools around the world and most of its ex-employers are holding top management jobs in governments around the World. Goldman Sachs Group in a nutshell   INDUSTRY BankingFinancial Services    REVENUE(2010) $39.161 billion FOUNDED 1869 OPERATING INCOME(2010) $12.892 billion FOUNDER Marcus Goldman NET INCOME(2010) $8.354 billion HEADQUARTERS New York City TOTAL ASSETS(2010) $911.000 billion EMPLOYEES(2010) 35,700 TOTAL EQUITY(2010) $74.257 billion Transition of the orientations 1.)   Pre-2007 Sales Orientation Goldman Sachs is a service company which was more focused on Investment Banking activities, the firm had a huge reputation of being a risk taking company and not a customer focused company. The firms senior partner Guy Levy was once credited with a companys philosophy   of being long- term greedy Endlich, L. (1999)which simply meaning that the Goldman Sachs was more interested and focused in making money   over the long term and any trading losses in the short term were never to be worried about. At Goldman Sachs customer were never been put into the centre of the companys strategy, the firm was more focused on sales and profits. Jobber explained that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A sales-orientated company has little focus on customer needs and wants, and does not try hard to create products or services that are suitable for their customers needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jobber, D. (2007) This sales strategy had put Goldman Sachs into the highlight of the media during 2007, and the firm has been heavily criticised with many financial issues, the major issue being the America’s sub-prime mortgage crisis. Despite the mortgage crisis Goldman Sachs was able to profit from the collapse in subprime mortgage bonds by short-selling subprime mortgage -backed securities. The firm initially avoided large subprime write downs and achieved a net profit due to significant losses on non-prime securitised loans being offset by gains on short mortgage positions.(The telegraph) Its sizeable profits made during the initial subprime mortgage crisis led the New York Time to proclaim that Goldman Sachs is without peer in the world of finance. As the crisis was begun to unravel the firms image and   reputation was badly damaged to the extent that an article in The Telegraph Newspaper quoting   Rolling Stone magazine   compares  Ã‚   Goldman Sachs with nothing else but   a   Vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money(The telegra 2.) Current Marketing Orientation Goldman Sachs realized that its sales approach didnt do any good for the company and there is a crucial need to focus into a marketing orientation strategy. As one of the firms partners was quoted in the Telegraph saying that: ‘Only looking back could we see the real risk, the risk of arrogance. We didn’t see it then, but it was there and it was growing. The firm was at the top. We had always been the best   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   – always the top students and the best athletes and the class leaders. And now we were the best firm – in our self-appraisal. But that was the first step towards arrogance.’ (Wilson, H.(2010) The bank that thought it rules the world. The Daily Telegraph London. 19 April, pp 19) According to Jobber, D, (2007) Marketing orientated companies are best described as those which focus on customer needs and do recognize when change is needed. Goldman Sachs is currently trying hard to clean up its image and is more focused into marketing, society and ethical issues. The firm is more involved into helping and giving back to the society that it has once been involved on damaging. The firm has understood the importance of consumer right issues and it has been stressed by Jobber that:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consumer has the right to expect the product to be safe, for its performance to be as   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   expected and for communication of the product to be truthful and not misleading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jobber, D. (2007) Jobbers words above can be linked into the quote from Goldman Sachs website saying that:   Goldman Sachs as a global financial institution has understood the need to protect,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   preserve and promote human right around the world and has accepted that it is    their responsibility to bring positive impact on economic, social and environmental   Ã‚  Ã‚   challenges that are facing society today.( Goldman Sachs web site). Goldman Sachs has 14 clear operating business principles that outlined on the companys website with a slogan saying Progress is everyones business .But it has given more emphasise to its very first business principle as being the value to their client, ’our client interest always comes first, our experience shows that if we serve our clients   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   well, our own success will follow’   {After the diagram the above looked odd, so we can replace the above highlighted part with the one below, } Goldman Sachs has 14 operating business principles listed on their website. We have handpicked few of them which we think will play a very important role in their current marketing orientation. {Feel free to add/edit any principle which you think is more relevant}    Other 13th Goldman Sachs Business principles   are as follow; Our assets are our people, capital and reputation Our goal is to provide superior returns to our shareholders We take great pride in the professional quality of our work We stress creativity and imagination in everything we do we make an unusual effort to identify and recruit the very best person for the job we offer our people th opportunity to move ahead more rapidly than is possible at most other places we stress teamwork in everything we do. The dedication of our people We consider our size an asset that we try hard to preserve We constantly strive to anticipate the rapidly changing needs of our clients and to develop new service to meet those needs We regularly receive confidential information as part of our normal client relationships Our business is highly competitive, and we   aggressively seek to expand our client relationships integrity and honesty are at the heart of our business. {References for these and a better way of presenting them} NEWSPAPER   (Wilson, H.(2010) The bank that thought it rules the world. The Daily Telegraph London. 19 April, pp 19). Arlidge, J.(2009) Im doing Gods work meet Mr Goldman Sachs. The Sunday Times on line. 8 November, Visited on 12 March 2011. BOOKS Jobber D.(2007) Principles and Practice of Marketing. Mc Graw Hill. 5th edition. Endlich, L (1999) Goldman Sachs- The culture of success. Little brown Company. Section 2 – Audit of the Organization Defining Marketing Audit   In words of David Jobber- ‘ The marketing audit is a systematic examination of a business’s marketing environment , objectives, strategies   and activities with a view to identifying key strategic issues, problem areas and opportunities.’ The Aim of Marketing Audit It will provide us with an in depth view of existing marketing practices used by Goldman Sachs. It can be used as a baseline for performance measurements to maximize positive external perception. As the customers’ preferences and requirement keep on changing and so are the marketing trends, it will provide us an interim report card on the company’s performance level. It will highlight the key problem areas like Weaknesses and Threats for Goldman Sachs and can help invent strategies to overcome them by using their strengths and possible opportunities. It will help to assess the importance of macroeconomic factors by analyzing the extent of their impact on Goldman Sachs’s operating scenario. Understanding Marketing Environment for Goldman Sachs at Micro and Macro Levels It is very important that an organization considers its environment before beginning the marketing process. In fact, environmental analysis should be continuous and feed all aspects of planning. The organization’s marketing environment is made up of: Microenvironment ‘It is the immediate environment that affects its capability to operate efficiently in its chosen markets’. Jobbers   Following are the main components of Goldman Sachs Microenvironment The Companies Internal Environment Goldman Sachs is extremely selective when it comes to the resources. It is a well known fact they employ the Best Brains in the Industry and their resources are claimed to be one of the main assets that the Company has, the other 2 being capital and reputation. Suppliers/Vendors Goldman Sachs believes that by broadening its supplier base it will gain access to new ideas, increase competition and receive better value for money. To qualify as a vendor to Goldman Sachs, prospective suppliers are evaluated on several criteria, including: quality products and services excellent customer service   competitive pricing   ability to assist us in meeting our business goals environmental and social impact. realising-potential.org/stakeholder-factbox/suppliers/ Customers Goldman Sachs customers include high-net-worth individuals, Corporations, Financial Institutions, Institutional Investment Consultants, Insurance Companies Multi-Employer/Union Benefit Plans, Not-for-Profit Institutions, Public Pension Funds. Competitors The major direct market competitors for Goldman Sachs include JPMorgan Chase Co, Merrill Lynch Co. and Morgan Stanley whereas; Bank of America Securities LLC, Deutsche Bank AG etc also compete with Goldman Sachs in terms of Investment Banking. The macro-environment Macro-environment It comprises of a number of broader forces that affect not only Goldman Sachs but other microeconomic factors corresponding to the firm. The components are Demographic forces/ Social/Cultural Forces Consideration of demographic changes is a commendable exhibition of business farsightedness by Goldman Sachs. A lot of vigilance and effort has been incorporated to enumerate the consequences of possible changes regarding to the population like the purchasing drifts, spending patterns, inclination towards certain specific classes of financial services. Also, Goldman Sachs strives to leverage what it calls the most underutilized asset for any country –women. â€Å"Womenomics† demonstrates how a country can unleash its economic potential – and increase its long-term growth and prosperity – by employing more women and narrowing the employment gap between men and women. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/ideas/demographic-change/demographic-dynamics-doc.pdf http://www2.goldmansachs.com/ideas/demographic-change/womenomics-2011/index.html Economic Forces These factors would include changes in interest rates, unemployment, inflation overall economic growth and exchange rates. All these factors have a significant impact on the performance of Goldman Sachs. oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199296378/01student/additional/page_12.htm Political Forces Goldman Sachs’s close connection with the US government has been an issue of economists’ concern since the Wall Street Subprime Incidence of 2007. A Lot of employees of Goldman Sachs were appointed by the US Government at powerful posts of Treasury and Federal Reserve Players. Macro-environment (cont.) Technological Forces The technology infrastructure for Goldman Sachs is indeed sound having in view its impact on the cost and the quality of the services offered to the clients. ‘Our technology footprint is primarily driven by business growth and regulatory obligations’. Goldman Sachs is bound to use the latest technology like computers with fast microprocessors to meet the computational requirements and to provide internet based services to their clients. However, compliance of maintaining standard technology footprints is one of the major responsibilities that cannot be over ruled. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/environment/env-progress-2009.pdf Natural Forces Global Warming, Climate Changes, renewable energy issues, carbon footprint and attention to clean energy are some of the natural forces that require attention from the environmental point of view. Goldman Sachs’ Environmental Policy Framework embodies their commitment to finding effective, market-based solutions to address climate change, ecosystem degradation and other critical environmental issues, and to creating new business opportunities that benefit the environment. The above diagram shows the carbon emissions from Goldman Sachs hub offices, central offices and data centers. The firm has tried to maintain its carbon emissions in the central and hub offices. The data centers show an increased carbon emission every year, the same is accounted for elevated computational requirements and internet services for the clients. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/environment/env-progress-2009.pdf SWOT ANALYSIS GOLDMAN SACHS   ‘A critical set of steps in a planning exercise is to perform internal assessments (including an analysis of performance against previous plan) and external assessments (including an analysis of the operating environment) that result in the identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities.’ www.unisa.edu.au/pas/qap/planning/glossary.asp SWOT MATRIX FOR GOLDMAN SACHS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental Factors Own/Internal Factors External Opportunities   International Expansion- Emerging Markets- Cross Selling Opportunities Industry Consolidation Reduced Competition- rivals bankruptcy    External Threats Credit Market Crisis- High attrition Rates- Mortgage Issues Increase in Interest Rates Government Intervention Own Strengths -Global Market Leader, Brand Establishment-International Reach-Best Brains resource infrastructure -Innovative Work Culture -Government Support SO Strategies-International Expansion in emerging markets.-Using Government Support for Industry Consolidation SE Strategies Risk/Crisis Management Measures using the resource intellect-Security Planning against Subprime Mortgage. Own Weaknesses Concentrated in Few Key Products-High Attrition Rates-Blotted Public Image (Subprime Mortgage Fraud) Low perception of Social Responsibility OW Strategies  -Diversification of the products-Education, social investments, community involvement TW Strategies  -Increased job security for resources-Using Government support to survive the Subprime Mortgage Crisis. Strengths Global Market Leader Brand Name Being in a leading position and the brand value that it has earned in the market have brought many benefits to Goldman Sachs. Higher margins, because it charges premium prices for goods since customers perceive a higher standard of quality from companies with strong brands. -Ability to raise debt at lower cost. -Because of its established Brand Image, Goldman Sachs has a more stable business than its competitors and is more likely to acquire other businesses as opportunities. International Reach The international reach of Goldman Sachs has a big advantage over rivals especially when its clients conduct a lot of business in different countries. For instance, majority of business travellers need to access their money in another country. They prefer a bank/investment firm that has branches in that country, rather than working with a third party, which will increase they fees and lower their productivity.   Global access of Goldman Sachs means that a consumer from one country can feel comfortable banking at any of its branch across the world. Non global companies cant match these advantages; therefore, Goldman Sachs has strong advantages over rivals. Best Brains and strong resource infrastructure According to Warren Buffett, ‘Goldman has the best brains in the business.’ This statement implies that they have a better risk management, quicker and more effective action on the opportunities received and a strong market position. The recent most evidence is that even ‘Subprime Mortgage Meltdown’ case with the SEC and the new financial regulation reform has failed to dent these assets. In addition to having the best people, Goldman Sachs has a clear, well distributed corporate structure. Divisions Finance Global Compliance Global Investment Research Human Capital Management Internal Audit Investment Banking Investment Management Legal Merchant Banking/Private Equity Operations Securities Services Technology Advisory Services Insurance Strategy Global Portfolio Solutions Customized Beta Strategies Innovative Culture Goldman Sachs strives to maintain an innovative culture which effects production of new and inventive products. An innovative culture has helped in boosting Goldman Sachs’ brand value, because consumers start associating its brand name with the latest products. These products, besides providing the brand boost, have helped Goldman Sachs to stay competitive in the ever expanding markets. Possessing the best quality product in one segment directly helps Goldman Sachs to gain a better market share in that segment. Weaknesses Concentrated in Few Key Products/key clients The fact that Goldman Sachs lacks diversification is considerably risky, because if one or more of its main products collapses, then the business could face serious issues or maybe even bankruptcy. Also, loss of one client who is using multiple services of Goldman Sachs would eventually lead to loss of a considerable amount of business to it. Low perception of Social Responsibility/ Blotted Public Image As per the ranking released by Fortune, Goldman Sachs stands 7th in the Social Responsibility which depicts the fact that it undermines social cause to a large extent when compared to other aspects of business like People Management and Financial Soundness where it ranks 1st and second respectively. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostadmired/2011/snapshots/10777.html The Subprime Mortgage Incidence/ SEC lawsuit against Goldman Sachs April 16, 2010, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Goldman Sachs for selling an asset to banks whose returns depended on a group of home mortgages being repaid by home loan borrowers. The alleged fraud foundation laid in the fact that Goldman Sachs did not inform the banks that those specific subprime mortgages were recommended by another Goldman Sachs customer. And that same customer planned to bet against the same mortgages ever being paid by the home loan borrowers. The public stance for this fraud was -Hosting a poker game for your friends knowing the dealer was bringing stacked cards and not at least informing your friends of the dealer’s intention. Opportunities International Expansion Strong international presence and expansion should increase growth and profits. Expansion over abroad brings synergies to a company, because they would have a larger customer base. Expansion leads to more financial stability, because while one country may suffer economically, other countries may not have the same issues. Additionally, expansion could help a company discover synergies in marketing expenses and new ideas through experimentation that may work well in one market. Emerging Markets Demand from emerging markets is helping growth and margins. Emerging markets create new opportunities to expand products from the developed world. Paper products, computer services and other industries will all benefit as emerging countries increase demand for industrial and agricultural products. Cross Selling Opportunities Goldman Sachs has many related business lines; they have the opportunity to cross sell to consumers who arrive for one specific need, but leave with many different products and services. Cross selling is particularly lucrative, because it will allow Goldman Sachs to earn extra money from consumers without having to specifically target them with advertising or other promotional material. Explanation Consolidating Industry Goldman Sachs provides advice on a diverse range of strategic transactions, including mergers, sell-side and buy-side advisories, leveraged buy-outs, joint ventures, strategic alliances, anti-raid and raid defenses, fairness opinions and spin-offs, split-offs, divestitures and other restructurings. Goldman Sachs has been offering its merger advisory services since 1997. Some of its major instances are listed below -: Altria,  on its spin-off of  Philip Morris International  ($113bn), 2008 Pfizer, on its acquisition of Wyeth  ($64bn), 2009 Schering-Plough, on its sale to  Merck Co.  ($46bn), 2009 http://www2.goldmansachs.com/services/advising/mergers-and-acquisitions/products-and-expertise.html Reduced Competition after Wall Street Collapse Reduced competition from an economic slowdown and competitor bankruptcies should increase the profit margins of all firm who avoid bankruptcy. Less competition means higher prices and more money for remaining competitors. Include any journal reference for this incidence Threats Credit Market Crisis ‘Goldman Sachs had slumped into the red and its effort to defy the credit crunch had been futile. It revealed a fourth-quarter loss of $2.12bn ( £1.38bn) today. It still achieved a $2.32bn profit for the full year to November, but this was sharply lower than last years $11.6bn.’ guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/16/goldman-sachs-loss The credit market crisis increases the cost of borrowing for financial firms. This increasing cost lowers margins and decreases the free cash flow to shareholders. As free cash flow rises, so does the value of the firm. If costs are high, then loan growth slows down and further weakens cash flow for the business. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/ideas/global-economic-outlook/perspectives-on-market-conditions.pdf Risk of High Attrition Rates High attrition rates can be a problem, especially if Goldman Sachs’ best talent is leaving for other opportunities. Employee attrition means a company must go through the expense of hiring new employees, training those employees, and finding the right niche for them in an organization. When these employees move to other firms, they take their knowledge and expertise with them. Mortgage Issues Though Goldman Sachs managed to escape the Subprime Mortgage Crisis,   still the potential threat of losses on outstanding mortgage obligations could force bankruptcy and a government takeover. This means that the existing equity investments in the Goldman Sachs will stand worthless. Mortgage loans are not worth what was paid for them, but their value remains uncertain in the market. Apart from increasing uncertainty risk for the company, they also increase the discount rate applied to future cash flow. Thus the net value of the stock is reduced. Sharp Rise in Interest Rates A sharp rise in interest rates (most likely to stop inflation) seriously damages the profit margins of businesses like Goldman Sachs that rely on raising money to finance their expenses. A rise in rates would most likely hurt the financial sector, which profits from borrowing money at low rates and lending it out at higher rates. PEST ANALYSIS PEST analysis stands for ‘Political, Economic, Social, and Technological analysis’ and describes a framework of macro-environmental factors used in the environmental scanning component of strategic management. It is a part of the external analysis when conducting a strategic analysis or doing market research, and gives an overview of the different macro environmental factors that a company has to take into consideration Political Factors. The political arena has a huge influence upon the regulation of businesses, and the spending power of consumers and other businesses. US Government and Goldman Sachs – 1-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There can be no doubt that Goldman owes its uncanny success as much to its political connections as to its financial acumen. As long as that remains the case, Goldman will doubtless remain on top, to the perplexity of those who fail to grasp the significance of the Goldman Sachs-D.C. pipeline. Only by restoring the wall of separation between Wall Street and Washington, forcing investment firms like Goldman Sachs to stand or fall on their own merits, can America’s financial sector shake off the taint of political cronyism that men like Sidney Weinberg were happy to encourage. thenewamerican.com/index.php/economy/sectors-mainmenu-46/4025-the-government-and-goldman-sachs 2-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the New York Times explained last October, the presence of Goldman Sachs alumni in virtually all of the top government financial posts is so great that their team is dubbed Government Sachs. The New York Times pointed out that Goldman alums include: Former treasury secretary Hank Paulson Paulsons bailout chief Neel Kashkari Interim Treasury investment officer Reuben Jeffrey Key Treasury players Dan Jester, Steve Shafran, Edward C. Forst, and Robert K. Steel Key New York Federal Reserve players Stephen Friedman (head of the New York Fed board of governors, who sat on Goldmans board and owned a substantial stake in Goldman while he was making official decisions) Head of the New York Feds unit that buys and sells government securities William C. Dudley and E. Gerald Corrigan (charged with convening a group to analyze risk on Wall Street) http://georgewashington2.blogspot.com/2009/04/does-goldman-sachs-rule-world.html Economic Factors. For a firm like Goldman Sachs which focuses on international marketing, the marketers need to consider the state of a trading economy both in the short and long-terms. 1.) Implications of Inflation in US and UK -The investors belief in US is that unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus can lead to US Dollar depreciation and higher inflation. In the United Kingdom, the investors fear that the bank of England’s reluctance to raise the interest rates might act as a catalyst for inflation. Inflation is the greatest concern when we talk about investments like pension funds and related endowments. Current Goldman Sachs strategy for these countries- Inflation Linked bonds Inflation linked bonds, also termed as ‘linkers’ are high quality securities issues mostly by governments that provide income and total return which adjusts itself to keep up with the inflation rates. Inflation-linked bonds, such as US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) and UK inflation-linked Gilts, can help hedge this risk because their principal is adjusted to reflect changes in inflation. Following is an illustration of how inflation linked bonds will provide the return, taking principal amount of 100 million Dollars. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/gsam/docs/instgeneral/general_materials/primer/reference_guide_to_inflation-linked_bonds.pdf Implications for unemployment   The impact of unemployment on the performance of Goldman Sachs can be understood with a simple example that if any firm is running at its full capacity, there is more pricing power for business. If there are no unemployed workers, Goldman Sachs will have to pay more to hire a worker away from someone else, often called ‘Poaching’. So far, Goldman Sachs has been quite accurate in its predictions regarding the unemployment scenario. Below are the illustrations. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/gsam/docs/fundsgeneral/general_education/economic_and_market_perspectives/wp_economic_outlook.pdf 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Long-term prospects for the economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita    The Goldman Sachs Commerce Department timely reviews the current economic environment, tailwinds that could support the recovery and potential risks for the economy. Then it provides a summary of our projections for the economy in the coming year. Sociocultural Factors. The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. It is very important that such factors are considered. Factors include: Investing in a clean energy future Each of our businesses has an important role to play in furthering market-based solutions to meet the environmental and societal challenges we face. To encourage the responsible flow of capital, have a positive impact on the communities where our clients and we do business, and drive attractive returns for our shareholders, we look for opportunities to invest in and finance transactions that have social and environmental benefits. We take the same disciplined approach to these investments and market opportunities as we do with our traditional investments and markets: all must meet the interests of our clients and generate long-term value for our shareholders. The guidance provided by our Framework helps us to evaluate market opportunities across our business activities and areas. Since the inception of the Framework in November 2005, we have invested nearly $3 billion in clean energy, providing critical funding that these emerging industries need to ramp up and achieve the economies of scale that will help them become cost-competitive. In 2009, we: Significantly expanded our investments in solar energy with the acquisition of Sunray Energy, Inc., through our subsidiary Cogentrix Energy. Sunray owns and operates Solar Energy Generation Systems I and II (SEGS I II), the first two utility scale solar trough plants in the world, which have a capacity of approximately 43 megawatts and deliver electricity to Southern California Edison. We are in the process of implementing a capital investment program to retrofit and upgrade the delivery capability that will enhance the efficiency and reliability of Sunray’s solar installations. Signed a power purchase agreement to construct and operate a wind project in Puerto Rico. The power plant will have a capacity of 50 megawatts. Continued to develop run-of-river hydroelectric projects. As a result of the ongoing developments, we recently completed our first run-of-river hydroelectric generating plant that has 23 megawatt capacity. Three additional run-of-river hydroelectricity projects are under development totaling 165 megawatts. Continued to actively pursue solar development projects in the southwest U.S., which have enabled us to put into an advanced stage of development 120 megawatts of solar energy as of mid‑2010. Increased our investments in solar photovoltaic cell manufacturers Suniva and SpectraWatt, building on our initial investments in 2008. Became a founding member of the Green Exchangeâ„ ¢ venture, which trades environmental futures, options and swap contracts for markets focused on solutions to climate, renewable energy and other environmental challenges. This new exchange offers effective and innovative financial tools to consumers, industrials, project developers, investors and others who wish to participate in these developing markets. This builds on earlier investments that aim to build market infrastructure for environmental commodities, such as APX and Markit. Technological Factors. Technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. Managing technology footprint Goldman Sachs takes a multifaceted approach to sustainability with our technology, a significant component of their operations. Our technology footprint is primarily driven by business growth (the need for more computation) and regulatory obligations. In response, we have adopted three principles that help us make commercially sound decisions while minimizing our environmental impact. 1. Influence vendors to provide products and approaches that reduce or maintain levels of energy consumption and/or increase utilization, including: Lower energy-demand computer chips. V irtualization software for increased utilization. We also encourage companies to invest in virtualization to foster market competition and increased functionality. Denser, high-performance disks. More efficient network switches and increased use of PoE (Power over Ethernet) technology. 2. Influence engineered solutions that maximize resource efficiency: Encourage hardware manufacturers to reduce system-wide energy use. Encourage more energy-efficient hardware designs, such as variable speed fans and power systems that distribute resilience at appropriate levels. Work with established and start-up vendors to develop functionality to support the management of technology capacity across compute farms, extending the capability of our global server footprint. Increase the use of employee-owned remote-access technology (handheld, home office or laptop) for corporate purposes through investment in Software as a Service, desktop virtualization and enterprise security. Make significant investments in our virtual desktop infrastructure to:  » Reduce power and cooling needs.  » Reduce the need for dedicated remote access servers, workstations and laptops for Business Continuity Planning.  » Increase trading floor seating density to reduce the overall number of floors and associated power costs. 3. Drive internal behavior to incorporate sustainability firm wide by: Defining a system architecture that significantly increases utilization. Designing a Holistic Data Center that minimizes energy requirements at any given level of business function. Reducing server purchases and related energy consumption by using the contingency of our server farms to offset ad hoc demand, managing their capacity to maximize utilization and applying an upgrade-in-place philosophy. Including space and energy consumption in the managed costs of our servers. Implementing a structured server reuse program, instead of automatically discarding old servers and upgrading to new ones COGENTRIX-   generating power more efficiently Cogentrix is a Goldman Sachs subsidiary and a US-based independent power producer. As of 2009 year-end, Cogentrix had minority interests in 13 power plants and full ownership in four plants. The portfolio consists of a balanced mix of power facilities, including highly efficient gas-fired combined-cycle, rapid-start peaking, solar thermal and more efficient coal-fired power plants. Together these plants have a total generation capacity of approximately 3,350 megawatts. http://www2.goldmansachs.com/citizenship/environment/env-progress-2009.pdf Analysis of the Marketing Mix Marketing’s purpose is ‘the achievement of corporate goals through meeting and exceeding customer needs and expectations better than the competition’ (Jobber, 2007).   Goldman Sachs is classified as a company whose services are directed at intangible assets (Lovelock, 1983). The service industry augments the marketing mix, the tool used in achieving customer satisfaction and competitive advantage, above the traditional 4p’s of Product, Price, Place and Promotion with People, Physical Experience and Process.   An effective marketing mix should be well blended; matching customer needs with corporate resources and create a competitive advantage.   We will identify, describe and evaluate Goldman Sachs’ effectiveness in key areas as they relate to our own internal and external audit. Spotts and Weinberger (2008) identified that corporations with high brand evaluations are more susceptible to publicity, both positive and negative.   This publicity has a direct effect on the Corporate Brand Opinion and the Corporate Reputation.   Fortune (2011) magazine lists Goldman Sachs in the top 50 most admired companies.   Therefore, the negative publicity Goldman Sachs received in the wake of the global financial crisis should cause some concern for the effect on its corporate reputation.   Being referred to as a ‘vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity’ is not a sign of positive brand opinion. Analysis of the Marketing Mix (cont.) Goldman Sachs long standing company and brand history allow it weather the effects of the crisis well.   However, they have not ignored the potential problems of continued bad publicity and have launched a new set of marketing efforts in response.   On Fortune’s list, Goldman Sachs was top two in their industry in all categories (innovation, people, global strategy, etc.) except for social responsibility, where they ranked seventh out of ten.   Their new marketing efforts specifically target this deficiency and encompass key pieces of the marketing mix, while meeting corporate goals. Product Goldman Sachs has changed its product offering to include more socially responsible initiatives.   They have expanded their core competency of business advising to include environmental markets and their core competency of asset management to include emerging markets.   In addition, Goldman Sachs has opened a range of services in the United States under the heading ‘Citizenship’.   These services include investment and development for women and small business owners, respectively titled the ’10,000 Women’ and ’10,000 Small Businesses’ initiatives.   The company also no longer offers securitised derivatives in the United States. Environmental Market Services Traditionally, marketing using the environment has been primarily in the manufacturing industries.   Recently, there has been a gradual shift in emphasis of green advertising from business to consumer buyers (Leonidou and Leonidou, 2009 ) placing a higher importance on service firms like Goldman Sachs to respond to the pressures from government and other stakeholders. Goldman Sachs Environmental Markets Group deals with all facets of environment and business.   They invest in clean energy companies, trade in environmental commodities, offer environmental advisement, and insure their own company meets environmental standards. Goldman Sachs also has a set of guidelines they use for every deal or transaction they undertake.   These guidelines are referred to as the ‘Environmental Framework’.   The first line on that section of the website states that ‘a healthy global environment supports the growth of economies and communities’.  Ã‚   We note that economic growth is listed before communal growth. Effective marketing must meet company objectives.   The new products in Environmental Markets align with the corporate slogan ‘Progress is Everyone’s Business’ and meet the corporate objective of wealth building through effective investment.   Our concern is that while these services are designed to increase Goldman Sachs corporate reputation, they do not directly address the true reason for the low scores in social responsibility.   Goldman Sachs complicity in securitising predatory mortgages and subsequent complacency after realising the financial dangers is why the public rates them as an irresponsible company.   We recommend that in addition to the offer of environmental advising services, that Goldman Sachs install new metrics to rate the effectiveness in public opinion of the firm. Asset Management Emerging Markets Goldman Sachs has begun expanding their asset management business into emerging markets such as India and China.   In the United States, giving economic assistance to these nations is a common way of appearing socially responsible.   However, while assisting newly developing countries with investment advising is seen as culturally helpful, Goldman Sachs new services are targeted only at the wealthiest individuals in the country. Product (cont.) Asset management is most easily described as full service investment advice.   Goldman Sachs efforts are primarily focused on reaching out to current advisors in the emerging markets, and training them on Goldman Sachs products and services.   This type of expansion is much different than investing in the regions. In our analysis, we identified wealth management and global presence as strengths for Goldman Sachs already.   Therefore, while these new services are useful for Goldman Sachs to increase profit, they do little to address the weaknesses or threats that the corporation faces.   We recommend that they continue to offer asset management in emerging markets, but do not consider them an effective part of their new marketing strategy.   One of the key definitions of a service firm is that the product is variable.   This variability needs to be carefully controlled when dealing with foreign markets.   We caution Goldman Sachs to be cognisant that investment regulations may be looser in emerging markets and to maintain their focus on being cautious and responsible with customer’s investments. 10,000 Women Goldman Sachs has taken a recent interest in changing their male dominated employee and customer image.   They have increased the number of female Managing Directors by 12% from 2001 to 2009 (Fortune, 2011) and have begun an investment and education initiative in woman owned businesses in the United States and around the globe, referred to as the ’10,000 Women’ programme. 10,000 women is a five year initiative that combines business investing with education.   Goldman Sachs has partnered with 70 academic and non-profit organisations to provide education and funding to women in business.   It reflects an overall corporate commitment to diversity and support of economic growth in underappreciated markets. The 10,000 Women initiative directly addresses the weaknesses we identified of not having a diverse product set.   Though they are reaching a different demographic than usual, they remain in line with the company objectives of investment and progress.   We recommend that Goldman Sachs continue the 10,000 Women programme. 10,000 Small Businesses Growth in the small business sector has a direct positive effect on the overall economy.   Over 60% of all new jobs in the United States are in small businesses (U.S. Economic Census, 2007).   In a similar initiative to the 10,000 Women (both under the ‘Citizenship’ banner), Goldman Sachs is also investing heavily in United States Small businesses. Product (cont.) The 10,000 Small Businesses program includes several dimensions.   It includes investment in local academic institutions for practical business education to the selected owners.   It also includes Goldman Sachs directly providing capital to the approved small businesses to help them grow and develop.   Goldman Sachs will also offer advising to any small businesses that are a part of the initiative in order to help them maximise profitability. 10,000 Small Businesses diversifies Goldman Sachs product offerings as recommended in the SWOT Analysis.   Also, small businesses account for 64% of the layoffs in the current recession (U.S. Economic Census, 2007) so these services directly affect a demographic that was negatively impacted by the credit crisis.   In addition, it also follows the Goldman Sachs corporate objectives.   We recommend they continue with the 10,000 Small Businesses. Goldman Sachs lists the 10,000 Small Businesses and 10,000 Women under the category of ‘Citizenship’.   This category is primarily made up of philanthropic initiatives.   However, neither of these measures is purely philanthropic as there is an expected return on the investment that Goldman Sachs is making.   It is confusing to consumers when a service product is listed with the charitable causes.   We strongly recommend that Goldman Sachs move these two programmes under the title of ‘Services’ moving forward so they are not falsely misinterpreted as charities. Securitised Derivatives One of the largest culprits in the recent financial crisis was securitised derivatives that were financed with sub-prime mortgages (New York Times, 2007).   Goldman Sachs was an active trader in securitised derivatives and as we looked at before, their participation is the main reason for their low image of corporate responsibility.   By no longer offering securitised derivatives in the United States (they are still available in some EU countries, though presumably not financed with sub-prime mortgages) Goldman Sachs is directly changing their service offering to be more socially responsible.   Bloomberg (2010) is concerned that Goldman Sachs is only changing this publicly as a way to clean its image.   We recommend that Goldman Sachs continue to be responsible in their investments and not offer high risk investments in the United States. Summary Goldman Sachs has effectively developed several products that address the weaknesses we identified.   If these services are carried out in a responsible way and conform to our recommendations, they will have a net positive effect on Goldman Sachs overall corporate image.   However, if this new product set is treated merely as a quick image fix, their effectiveness will be lost and the impact could potentially end up more negative than before. Promotion In conjunction with their new service products, Goldman Sachs has also changed the way they approach promotion.   We know that a traditional promotion mix includes advertising, internet/interactive marketing, publicity or public relations, sales promotion, word of mouth promotion, and personal selling.   A successful Integrated Marketing Approach aligns all these communication efforts with corporate goals (Schulz, 2004). New Campaign Prior to 2010, Goldman Sachs relied almost exclusively on word of mouth and personal selling because of the nature of their products.   In September of 2010, they launched a new campaign utilising more traditional mass media.   They launched their first television, magazine, newspaper and online advertisements. According to David Wells, spokesman for Goldman Sachs, the new campaign is ‘expanding our communication to a broader audience in an effort to promote a better understanding of who we are and what we do’. From this, we can infer that their advertising objectives are to create awareness and correct misconceptions. Print, Television, Online The newspaper, magazine and online advertisements are all focused on the new service product in the Environmental Markets.   They feature a field of wind turbines juxtaposed with a man in a hard hat.   The headline is the aforementioned slogan ‘Progress is Everyone’s Business’ and a description of how investments in clean energy lead to job creation.   The message appeals to the feelings and emotions as well as the logical, rational minds of consumers. The television advertisement however, is completely different in tone.   It appeals primarily to the feelings and emotions.   It features artistic, black and white shots of men and women in various outdoor scenes punctuated by a clear ball with a glowing interior.   The voice over mentions concepts like, ‘security’, ‘heart’ and ‘focus’.   The ad concludes with a call to visit the Goldman Sachs website. The Goldman Sachs website functions as part of the promotional mix and is designed to feature further detail on all of their products and services.   When first logging on to the website, the first page says ‘Progress is Everyone’s Business’ and features links to what Goldman calls ‘Stories of Progress’.   These stories are about investments that revitalised urban areas, or helped launch small businesses. Also on the website, a customer can view extended video advertisements describing the ’10,000 small businesses’ initiative, or read a vivid brochure about ’10,000 women’ on their micro sites.   The Environmental Markets micro site gives a full description of all their services as well as links to Case Studies and Environmental Reports on the company for each year. Promotion (cont.) Summary and Recommendations Goldman Sachs developed these new campaigns as part of a revamped promotional mix in an effort to create a better understanding of who they are as a company.   The campaigns are focused around the new products and are designed to increase public and ultimately brand opinion.   We feel that independently, each campaign has strengths.   The print campaign effectively promotes their new product diversity and appeals to consumers in multiple ways.   The television advertisement is striking and designed to stand out amongst the noise.   It also rightfully drives people to the website.   The Goldman Sachs website is informative and entertaining, creates a strong brand image and promotes the new products in an easy to navigate layout. However, successful integrated marketing aligns all three of these.   The print and television advertisements are disparate and unrelated.   The print ad does not support website traffic.   The primary weaknesses that we identified in our SWOT analysis are a lack of product diversity and poor public image.   Goldman Sachs has created the diverse and socially responsible products, and we recommend that their promotional campaign highlight those particular products in an integrated way.   The television, print and website should all highlight the Environmental Markets, ’10,000 women’ and ’10,000 small businesses’.   If they are all aligned and designed in support of each other, it will help inform consumers about these products and create the awareness, correct the misconceptions and ultimately raise the Corporate Brand Opinion of Goldman Sachs. People Because the customer and the service provider must interact for the service to happen, the customer satisfaction is mostly dependent on the service provider (Fisk, 2008).   Ã‚  Therefore an essential ingredient to any service provision is the use of appropriate staff and people. Recruiting the right staff and training them appropriately in the delivery of their service is essential if the Goldman Sachs wants to obtain a competitive advantage.   Tierney et al (2003) stated that ‘the best service companies understand that their people are their only products’. Consumers make judgments and deliver perceptions of the service based on the employees they interact with. Employees We identified Goldman Sachs employees as one of their top strengths in our audit.   According to Fortune (2011), Goldman Sachs has an unusually thorough hiring process that may include up to ten interviews.   The recruiting stresses creativity and teamwork.   We also previously noted that Warren Buffet referred to them as the ‘Best Brains’ in the business.   In addition, most of Goldman Sachs’ 14 business principles are focused on the handling and diversity of its people. Goldman Sachs places an emphasis on employing people who will reflect the diversity of the communities and cultures in which it operate. According to Vault/InRoads Guide to Corporate Diversity (2010), they engage in minority outreach programs, providing scholarships for university and business school students, and diversity leadership training for its current employees. At this point, it seems that Goldman Sachs continues to effectively recruit, train and hire.   It’s important that they maintain the ability to employ the best people, but we see no current threat to them losing their hold on the top personnel in the United States financial services industry. As part of the inseparability of service provider and customer, Fisk goes on to say that customers are often a co-producer of the service rendered.   Therefore it is paramount that Goldman Sachs engages the diverse people that their new service products are designed for as those customers are critical to the success. Customers We believe that Goldman Sachs has effectively segmented the consumers most in need of their services and developed investment and education products to suit their needs.   For example, the company initiated a group of women dealing with small businesses with the aim of raising a shared economic growth.   From the ’10,000 women’ micro site: ‘Investing in women is one of the most effective ways to reduce inequality and facilitate inclusive economic growth. Investing in education for women has a significant multiplier effect, leading to more productive workers, healthier and better-educated families, and ultimately to more prosperous communities’.   Ã‚  As long as they continue to reach the right people, they will successfully increase the perception of corporate social responsibility. Place, Process and Physical Evidence The service setting and service process are less important in Goldman Sachs business than product, promotion and people.   Yet it is important to note that the place, process and physical evidence have changed in accordance with the new products. Order Takers Goldman Sachs place used to be unknown to most of their customers.   The service process took place over the phone or email.   At the rare times that a customer needed to meet face to face, they would physically go to a Goldman Sachs branch. As they have launched a new product and promotion effort, Goldman Sachs has also changed the place, process and physical location that they do business.   There is a much larger element of pro-active selling than there was before. Client Engagement As a part of the new initiatives, Goldman Sachs service providers are spending more time engaging clients face to face.   The Environmental Markets campaign requires representatives from Goldman Sachs to visit every business they are considering investing in or advising.   The 10,000 Women has Goldman Sachs employees giving seminars and participating in outreach programs to encourage attendance in the academic pieces of the initiative.   10,000 Small Businesses is similar in the fact that it now requires Goldman Sachs employees to actively seek out small business investments.   In addition, the company’s overall service process has transitioned more to meeting customers as opposed to phone sales. The transition from order taker, to outside sales firm is one that we completely support.   If Goldman Sachs truly wants to engage the consumer and increase its Corporate Brand Image, meeting customers face to face is an important step.   We have already established the advertising goals are to create awareness and correct misconception.   We have also established that in a financial services company, the only product is the people.   Therefore, we strongly recommend that Goldman Sachs continue to meet customers face to face whether through client visits or mass seminars.   Having their people communicate the advertising message is an example of putting the most powerful resource behind their biggest need. Reference Leonidou, C. and Leonidou, L. (2009) Research into environmental marketing/management: a bibliographic analysis. EuropeanJournal of Marketing, 45 (1), pp. 69-103. Spotts, H. and Weinberger, M. (2010) Marketplace footprints: connecting marketing communications and corporate brands.   European Journal of Marketing, 44 (5), pp. 591-609.

Overview of the Sentencing Stage in Criminal Cases

Overview of the Sentencing Stage in Criminal Cases One of the final stages of a criminal trial is sentencing. If you have reached the sentencing stage, that means that you have pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a jury or judge. If you are guilty of a crime, you will face punishment for your actions and that is usually sentencing by a judge. That punishment can vary widely from crime to crime. In most states the statute that makes the action a criminal offense also establishes the maximum sentence that can be given for a conviction- for example, in the state of Georgia, the maximum  fine for possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana (a misdemeanor) is $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail. But, judges often do not give the maximum sentence based on a variety of factors and circumstances. Pre-Sentencing Report If you plead guilty to a crime, whether as part of a plea deal or not, sentencing for the crime is usually done immediately. This is particularly the case when the crime is an infraction or a misdemeanor. If the crime is a felony and the defendant is facing substantial prison time, sentencing is usually delayed until the judge in the case can hear from the prosecution, the defense,  and receive a pre-sentencing report from the local probation department. Victim Impact Statements In a growing number of states, judges must also hear statements from the victims of the crime before sentencing. These victim impact statements can have a significant influence on the final sentence. Possible Punishments The judge has several punishment options that he can impose during sentencing. Those options can be imposed singularly or in combination with others. If you have been convicted, a judge can order you to: Pay a finePay restitution to the victimGo to jail or prisonServe a time on probationDo community serviceComplete educational remediation, counseling, or a treatment program Discretion in Sentencing Many states have passed laws that provide for mandatory sentencing for certain crimes, such as child molestation or drunken driving. If you are convicted of one of those crimes, the judge has little discretion in sentencing and must follow the guidelines outlined  in the law. Otherwise, judges have wide discretion in how they form their sentences. For example, a judge can order you to pay a $500 fine and serve 30 days in jail, or he can just fine you with no jail time. Also, a judge can sentence you to jail time, but suspend the sentence as long as you complete the terms of your probation. Special Probation Terms In the case of alcohol or drug-related convictions, the judge can order you to complete a substance abuse treatment program or in the case of a drunk driving conviction, order you to attend a driving education program. The judge is also free to add specific restrictions to the terms of your probation, such as staying away from the victim, submitting to a search at any time, not traveling out of state, or submitting to random drug testing. Aggravating and Mitigating Factors Several factors can influence the final sentence the judge decides to hand down. These are called aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Some of them may include: Whether or not you are a repeat offenderWhether or not someone was injured during the crimeYour background and characterIf you express remorse or regretThe nature of the crime itselfImpact statements from the victims The background report the judge receives from the probation department can also have an influence on the strength of the sentence. If the report indicates that you are a productive member of society who made a mistake, the sentence might be much lighter than if it indicates you are a career criminal with no real work history. Consecutive and Current Sentences If you were convicted or entered a guilty plea to more than one crime, the judge can impose a separate sentence for each of those convictions. The judge has the discretion to make those sentences either consecutive or concurrent. If the sentences are consecutive, you will serve one sentence and then begin serving the next. In other words, the sentences are added to each other. If the sentences are concurrent, that means they are being served at the same time. The Death Penalty Most states have special laws regarding the imposing of a  sentence in a death penalty case. In some cases, a judge can impose the death penalty, but in most cases, it is decided by a jury. The same jury that voted to find the defendant guilty will reconvene to hear arguments for and against the death penalty. The jury will then deliberate to determine whether to sentence the defendant to life in prison or death by execution. In some states, the jurys decision is binding on the judge, whereas in other states, the jurys vote is merely a recommendation that the judge must consider before determining the final sentence.

Theory Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Theory - Lab Report Example This is affected by electron intensity. If for example the intensity of the electrons is significantly high, there may be a lot of scattering which may produce a result which is far from what is expected. This is used to estimate the formation porosity and the formation density. Through the use of the litho-density the fluid type can also be established. The pore space of the oil and gas is also measured through the litho-density log. This refers to the amount of pores that are in a volume of a solid which is porous in nature. In this case, the value of the porosity is measured as a percentage. However, the true porosity includes the volume of the pores that are sealed. Clean formation is usually more than shales. As a result of this the bulk density will read less than the actual density. Therefore, the density porosity which is computed will be higher in terms of shales as compared to the actual porosity. The SP and GR log complement each other in the sense that Sp log uses electrical charge for the purpose of recording whereas the GR uses Gamma rays. Both of these measure different attributes which are existent in the well. These logs would not be advisable in situations where there is excessive radiation or electrical charge in the well. This is because these may cause fault in the equipment. They are, however, advocated in situations where the quantities of such attributes are average. The quality of caliper in this section will be low. This is because the porosity will take away a significant amount of materials from the region. The result of this is reduced quality of rock and