Friday, January 24, 2020
Womens Behavior in Coleridges Christabel and Brownings My Last Duchess :: My Last Duchess Essays
Women's Behavior in Coleridge's Christabel and Browning's My Last Duchess    Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Browning wrote in two different eras.      Coleridge's "Christabel" and Browning's "My Last Duchess" both deal with      women's sexuality. The women of the poems are both presented as having      sinned. Christabel's own belief that she has sinned is based on how a      woman of her time was supposed to behave. The Duchess's sin is that she      violates the code of conduct for a noble wife. Yet, can the modern reader      really feel these women did anything wrong? The only sin in these two      poems is that women are supposed to suppress their emotions. The real      problem is that they defied the idea that women are not supposed to be as      sexually open as men. A woman was only to behave as these two women did      towards their husband, and even with him do so behind closed doors. Women      were to serve as the "Angel in the House" both of these women defy that      image. That type of thinking is characteristic of Romantic and Victorian      standards of women. This is especially true of the upper classes to which      Christabel and the Duchess belong.       Coleridge raises the question: "What happens to a woman's self-image when      she defies social expectations?" Christabel struggles with this question      throughout the poem because she defies the standards for how a woman      should behave sexually. However, Coleridge is not trying to makes      Christabel a heroine for doing so. The poem has more to do with the effect      of breaking rules on women. Coleridge depicts Christabel as a young woman      discovering herself. She has no taste for convention, as one can see by      her wandering around in the woods at night. Apparently, this is not proper      behavior, as the poet describes her action in a scolding tone, "What makes      her in the woods so late, / A furlong from the castle gate?" (Coleridge      25-26). The reader is given the idea from the beginning that Christabel is
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Edward Jones’ original business model Essay
Executive Summary This memorandum addresses some of the key issues with Edward Jones, which includes the lack of an online presence, possible cannibalization from larger firms, and the inability to manage funds from institutional investors. I conclude that the most effective of all of the theorized strategies would be a combination of Edward Jones’ original business model with an online platform. This plan would allow Edward Jones to stay true to its fundamentals, as well as attract new clientele and provide better service to its existing clients. Introduction Edward Jones has become the fourth largest brokerage firm in the United States. By holding on to a fundamental business strategy based on the core concepts of close client relationship and long-term investment focus, Edward Jones was able to offer excellent service and performance. However, with the industry rapidly changing, Edward Jones must evaluate its core values to sustain its competitive advantage but in a manner that will allow them to expand its services, and continue to compete with the top players in the industry. Key Issues and Problems When observing Edward Jones Financial, I found three critical issues and problems with the firm. Edward Jones built its business model around creating an environment that would allow entrepreneurs to thrive and run their own businesses to a certain extent. This is what originally led to Edward Jones’ success when the company first started; however, it is also the catalyst for the issues of the firm that were present in 2006. Edward Jones’ three main issues were the cannibalization of its business by bigger firms such as Merrill Lynch, customers leaving Edward Jones to manage their own money via online platforms such as E-Trade (MITR, 2014), and the lack of ability to manage high net worth funds that are typically present with institutional funds such as pensions. Edward Jones built its business around meeting face to face with individuals in their homes and offices. This is a great model for an entrepreneur driven financial services firm. However, as the technology b ubble began to burst in the mid 2000’s, online brokerages such as E-Trade began to draw customers away from Edward Jones. The lack of an online presence on Edward Jones’ part made companies that offered this service more appealing due to lower fees (OBR, 2008). When examining Exhibit 5 (HBR,2007) , you can see that Edward Jones derived over 83% of its revenues from commissions and revenue from fees. Whereas, E-Trade generated only about 34% of its revenues from these categories. This shows that, online brokerage was advantageous to clients given that they could avoid expenses that were used to pay brokers, making it a significant problem for Edward Jones. The last major issue was that they were not suited to manage institutional funds. Despite building an excellent company around working with blue-collar individuals and families, it is clear that Edward Jones’ focus on the individual investor might have been a significant problem. By only working with individuals and not selling large amounts of stock and bonds to institutional investors, Edward Jones passed up significant amounts of manageable assets and subsequently, revenue. Exhibit 5 shows firms that were managing institutional investments such as pension funds had significantly higher profit margins than Edward Jones. In 2005 Edward Jones’ profit margin was 1.05%, while Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, were 27.8% and 26.33%, respectively. This also shows the average amount of assets in dollars per account at each firm. Edward Jones’ average assets per account were $45,556 while Merrill Lynch & Morgan Stanley was $163,667 and $137,111 respectively. Edward Jones leaves revenue on the table by not managing higher net worth institutional accounts. Available Strategic Options Edward Jones’ strategic direction in 2006 had to respond to competitors like Merrill Lynch if the partnership wanted to maintain its exceptional performance and growth. The first option focuses on staying true to Edward Jones’ small-town roots and demonstrating the value of strong personal relationships with one’s financial advisor in planning for the distribution phase of life (Faux, 2014). FAs can take advantage of face-to-face interactions and close relationships to communicate to clients the importance of planning for the distribution phase as soon as possible and hopefully encourage client referrals. Also, a professional advisor who personally knows the clients and their needs provides critical support to keeping long-term retirement plans on track while still focusing on time-sensitive decisions. This defensive move could stunt the firm’s growth, and if it fails, could leave Edward Jones even more vulnerable to cannibalization. The second option shifts the company’s original policies of strictly face-to-face interaction to a hybrid model, which includes online account and portfolio tracking and current news and research. This option adds value for existing customers because they can view all of their financial information in one place at their convenience. Additionally, this technology offering creates a minimally viable product for mass affluent â€Å"delegator†and â€Å"validator†type investors, and then entices those clients with the added value of a personal financial advisor. This option also leverages the firm’s existing research efforts into growing the business. The final option calls for a rapid expansion to institutional clients in an attempt to compete directly with competitors such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Wachovia. The success of these firms indicates that expansion is possible. If Edward Jones does not expand, it will forgo potential market share and the attendant revenue. However, expanding as its competitors did would likely mean compromising many of the firm’s established values and beliefs. Recommendations I strongly recommend that Edward Jones shift to a hybrid model of face-to-face interaction combined with online account and portfolio tracking and access to current news and research in order to retain existing clients as well as attract new clients. This strategy enables the firm to stay true to its client-centric roots and positions the firm for growth. When clients have instant access to their financial information and the latest news and research, they feel better equipped to face complex distribution decisions. Potential clients in the post-Internet bubble world expect basic technology offerings but also appreciate the benefits of a personal financial advisor. Being competitive in the future requires embracing technology as well as taking advantage of the firm’s close personal relationships with its clients. Works Cited â€Å"Online vs. Traditional Brokerage.†Money Is The Root. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. Faux, Zeke. â€Å"Edward Jones Trains Young Stockbrokers the Old-Fashioned Way.†Bloomberg Business Week. Bloomberg, 30 May 2013. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. â€Å"Stock Broker Account Transfer Fees.†Online Broker Review. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. Collins, David, and Troy Swith. â€Å"Edward Jones in 2006: Confronting Success.†Harvard Business Review. HBR, 21 Mar. 2007. Web.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The Origins Of Nathaniel Witherell - 1402 Words
The origins of Nathaniel Witherell date back to 1903 when Robert Bruce donated 9 acres of land and 4 buildings to the town of Greenwich to build the â€Å"Greenwich Hospital†(Owned and Operated by the Town of Greenwich†). There claimed mission was committing the facility to â€Å"treatment of contagious diseases†such as the Smallpox, Tuberculosis, the Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria. Later on in 1917, on Perry Ridge road, a new â€Å"Greenwich hospital†was opened and the hospital on Parsonage road was renamed â€Å"The Municipal Hospital†(Owned and Operated by the Town of Greenwich†). Due to medical advancements, common chronic diseases can be treated and cured, therefore modifying the facility s purpose in a way that meets of need of the residents of the town of Greenwich. Today, the facility is named Nathaniel Witherell, and is a short term physically rehabilitation center, long-term patient care center and a certain area merely focused on taking care of residents with Dementia (Nathaniel Witherell, Short-Term Rehab and Skilled Nursing Center). The facility specializes in Person-Centered Care†, meaning that they provide certain services to accommodate to residents quotidian routines, regarding their diets and religious obligations (Nathaniel Witherell, Short-Term Rehab and Skilled Nursing Center). Most importantly, the facility works to develop a healthy and happy environment by enriching the relationship between the residents of the building and the staff members (Nathaniel
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