Modernization of NTUC income Essay Example for Free

Modernization of NTUC income Essay The problems that NTUC Income faced were that insurance processes were very tedious and paper-based. In Year 2002, their HP 3000 mainframe that hosted the core insurance applications as well as the accounting and management information systems still frequently broke down. Not only that, the HP 3000 backup system allowed restoration to only up to the previous day’s backup data. With experiencing a total of three major hardware failures, it resulted in a total of six days of complete downtime. The COBOL programs developed in the early 1980s also broke down multiple times, halted the systems and caused temporary interruptions. The IT team found that developing new products in COBOL to be quite cumbersome and time taken to launch new products ranged from a few weeks to months. Transaction processing for policy underwriting was still a batch process and information was not available to agents and advisors in real time. The problems that NTUC Income was resolved by the new digital system was that all applications resided on two or more servers, each connected by two or more communication lines, all of which were â€Å"load balanced.† A real time hot backup disaster recovery centre was also implemented where the machines were always running and fully operational. Under the new system, all documents were scanned and stored on â€Å"trusted† storage devices, secured, reliable digital vaults that enabled strict compliance with stringent statutory requirements. Q2:What types of information systems and business processes were used by NTUC Income before migrating to the fully digital system? Before migrating to the new digital system, the entire insurance process was operating manually. All filled up forms by the customers will be submitted by the agent through courier services to the Office Services Department and the collection schedule could delay up to two to three days. Office Services would then log documents, sort, and send to departments for underwriting while proposals were allocated to underwriting staff randomly. For storage, all original documents were packed and sent to warehouses where over two to three days, seven staff would log and store the documents. Whenever a document needed to be retrieved, it would take about two days to locate and ship it by courier and refilling would take another two days. The use of the HP 3000 mainframe was not reliable due to the frequent breakdown, decreasing productivity of the staff and wasted a lot of manpower hours. The COBOL program also encountered technical failures like not having up-to-date information which led to a loss of opportunities of cross product sales. Q3:Describe the information systems and IT infrastructure at NTUC Income after migrating to the fully digital system? After migrating to the fully digital system in June 2003 when Income switch to the Java based eBao LifeSystem from eBao Technology, The software comprised three subsystems which is Policy Administration, sales Management and Supplementary Resources. It has everything they are looking for, a customer-cendric design, seamless integration imaging and barcode technology, a product definition module that supports new products, new channels and changes in business processes. By May 2003, all customization, data migration of Income’s individual and group life insurance businesses and training were implemented and completed. New system was immediately operational on high-availability platform with multiple servers and communication lines. Further to it, its business continuity and disaster-recovery plans were revamped with a real-time hot backup disaster-recovery centre implemented as well. Data was transmitted immediately on the fly from the primary datacentre to the backup machines’ data storage so in the event of the datacentre site becoming unavailable, the operations could be switched quickly to the disaster-recovery site without the need to rely on restoration of previous day data. Lastly, they moved from a manual paper recording system to a totally paperless environment for easy access. Q4:What benefits did NTUC Income reap from the new system? NTUC Income reaped from the new system that the robust architecture had minimized downtime occurrence with all application resided on two or more servers and communication lines. With paperless environment, all documents were scanned and stored in digital vaults and as a result, about 500 office staff and 3,400 insurance advisors could access the system anytime, anywhere and staff members who would telecommute enjoy faster access to information. Because of the straight through processing workflow capabilities and flexibility, there is a 50 percent savings on both the time and cost needed to process policies. Time needed to design and launch new products was cut and reduced from weeks to just days using the table-driven rule based product-definition module. It has also allows Income’s to support agents, brokers and customers to do online services easily. Q5:Moving forward, how could NTUC Income leverage on social networks to acquire service and retain their customers?

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War During the Vietnam War, a rift between government officials and journalists emerged. The American government felt the need, for various reasons, to censor many war developments. In an attempt to act ethically, the press fought the censors, trying their hardest to report the truth to the general public. Despite claims of bias and distortion by several prominent government officials, these journalists acted completely ethically, allowing the general public to obtain a fair, informed opinion. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) provides a very clear and thorough Code of Ethics, which serves as a good definition of ethical journalism. According to this code, an ethical journalist must try to minimize any potential harm done to people directly involved with the event being reported. Such a journalist should also act independently of any personal biases, and be responsive to any criticism of their work. Finally, a truly ethical journalist must seek to find and report the truth (Society). Common sense reaffirms these guidelines. When one thinks of ethical behavior, one usually thinks along terms of being truthful, appreciative of others, acting responsively and using fair judgement. All of these concepts are explicitly stated in the SPJ's Code of Ethics. Minimizing harm done by journalism in times of war is a difficult task. Naturally, there are bits of information that the government needs to keep secret for one reason or another. There is also the danger of victims' stories being exploited and sensationalized. The SPJ's Code of Ethics recommends that journalists should "treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings worthy of respect" (Society). During the extreme... ...t 29, 1968: 71. Hallin, Daniel C. The Uncensored War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Janson, Donald. "Police Assault on 21 Newsmen in Chicago Are Denounced by Officials and Papers." New York Times August 28, 1968: 36. Kenworthy, E W. "Agnew Says TV Networks are Distorting the News." New York Times November 14, 1969: 1-2. Kifner, John. "On the Road to Chicago With Some Protestors." New York Times August 23, 1968: 22. Mitchell, Michael C. "Television and The Vietnam War." Naval War College Review 37.3 (1989): 42-52. Nixon, Richard. No More Vietnams. New York: Arbor House, 1985. Roberts, Steven V. "McCarthy Group Seeks to Put Antiwar Candidate on Ballot." New York Times August 22, 1968: 1. "The Parties Respond." New York Times March 17, 1968: E12. "Violence of Police Decried by Callers." New York Times August 29, 1968: 21.

Book Review: Human Communication as Narration

In perhaps his most important contribution to rhetorical theory and the understanding of human communication, Walter Fisher presents an explanation of his narrative paradigm in Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value and Action. This book essentially elaborates on and refines Fisher’s previous articles on the narrative paradigm and aims to present a more complete explanation of the theory’s roots, as well as its main tenets and relevant applications.Human Communication as Narration begins with an exhaustive examination of the history of narratives and logic, which includes his assertion that the logic by which human communication should be assessed return to the roots of the original meaning of logos: â€Å"story, reason, rationale, conception, discourse, thought† (p. 10). He asserts that Plato and Aristotle transformed the word logos into a specific term that applied only to philosophical/technical discourse, which launched a †Å"historical hegemonic struggle† that has lasted for more than 2,000 years (p. 10).Fisher explains that the positivist, â€Å"rational-world paradigm† that emphasized formal logic and reasoning (p. 58) is improved upon with his view of a more post-modern, ontological foundation where meaning is co-created through less formal structures like stories. In resurrecting the original meaning of logos, grounding his theory in ontology, and classifying human beings as â€Å"Homo narrans† (p. xi) , or storytelling animals, Fisher rejects the notion that technical logic is the only path to truth and knowledge, and argues that, as the ancients believed, all human communication is rational and contains truth and knowledge (p. 0). This more inclusive account of human communication together with the view that all human communication needs to be seen as stories sets the foundation for Fishers’ theory of narratives. In presenting the main points of his narrative theory ov er several chapters, Fisher explains that humans experience and understand life as a series of ongoing narratives, and that these stories are symbolic interpretations of â€Å"aspects of the world that [are] historically and culturally grounded and shaped by human personality† (p. 9). Given that stories are more than just a figure of speech and have the power to both inform and influence, Fisher establishes â€Å"narrative rationality† as a universal logic and means for the assessment for stories that is accessible by nature to all human beings (p. 47). This assessment is tested against narrative â€Å"probability (coherence) and fidelity (truthfulness and reliability)† (p. 47) – in other words, humans come to believe in and act on stories in so much as they relate to and identify with them.Going back to his assertion that human communication doesn’t have to exist in perfect structures of rhetorical arguments, he further explains that all humans po ssess the ability to reason and can therefore both communicate and accept truth as â€Å"good reasons† (p. 105). Perhaps an even better, more succinct explanation of this comes earlier in the book where Fisher states that â€Å"the materials of the narrative paradigm are symbols, signs of consubstantiation, and good reasons [are] the communicative expression of social reality† (p. 5). By including both formal logic and a logic of â€Å"good reasons† in the basis for argument, Fisher’s narrative paradigm contributes to rhetorical theory by expanding the meaning of persuasion just as Burke’s theory of identification did. Since the average person isn’t trained in formal logic, Fisher believed that the logic of good reasons (i. e. common sense), sits above all other persuasive means since it is universal and inherent in all human communication.Fisher goes on to assert that narrative rationality should also be â€Å"the foundation on which a com plete theory of rhetoric needs to be built† (p. 194). In this sense, the selection of stories we tell and come to accept is demonstrative of who we are and what we want others to believe about us. In the final section of his book, Fisher applies his narrative rationality in several real-world case studies including the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby and the philosophical discussion between Socrates and Callicles in Plato’s Gorgias.These examples provide a helpful demonstration of how narrative rationality can be used to assess the coherence, truthfulness and reliability of stories across a wide range of contexts. In conceptualizing and applying narrative rationality, Fisher contributes an important method for the study of narratives in a variety of communication contexts, which is one of the most important contributions he makes to the study of communication. Through Human Communication as Narration, Fisher provided a more accessible, u niversal means for communicating and understanding human truth.Drawing inspiration from the works of Kenneth Burke, Alasdair MacIntyre, Stephen Toulmin and Chaim Perelman, Fisher’s narrative paradigm argues that formal logic and the positivist view are inadequately prepared to account for the motives and values in human communication. He offers a broader explanation that all forms of human communication are driven by and evolve from our inherent need to determine whether an accounting of new knowledge matches up with what we already know.In the 30 years since Human Communication as Narration was first published, scholars and professionals from a wide range of disciplines have applied Fisher’s narrative paradigm in a variety of contexts. Narrative methods for rhetorical analysis and criticism have been used by Barbara Sharf (1990), Hollihan and Riley (1987), and Michael Cornfield (1992), among many others. In 1993, David Mains argued that the time was ripe for a move to ward narrative sociology, which asserted that â€Å"sociology’s phenomena is made up precisely of stories† (p. 2) as well as that sociologists are mainly narrators. The use of narratives as a means for persuasion in advertising and public relations has been widely documented in recent years by Cinzia Bianchi (2011); Barbara Stern, Craig Thompson and Eric Arnould (1998); and Melanie Green (2006). The narrative paradigm has also been deployed in interpersonal communication and organizational communication (Ashcraft & Pacanowsky, 1996). And a large body of research has been dedicated to the study of narratives as a strategy in conflict resolution as well (Gergen & Gergen, 2006; Sandole et al. 2009). These are just a few of the ways in which Fisher’s narrative paradigm still contributes to the understanding of human communication today. But while the narrative paradigm has enjoyed a renaissance of late with new research that refines and extends the theory (Currie, 2 005; Kirkwood, 1992; McClure, 2009; Stroud, 2002), largely due to its growing multi-disciplinary interest as noted above, it has also attracted much criticism. But while these scholars recognized its value, they have also demonstrated that it is not as useful for critical analysis as it aimed to be.Stroud (2002) found issue with the lack of account for contradiction in stories when assessing narrative rationality. Kirkwood (1992) felt that Fisher’s narrative rationality is limiting in that it doesn’t allow for the possibilities of new stories to be accepted and acted upon. He goes on to argue that a â€Å"rhetoric of possibility† presented through narratives can better account for how rhetors challenge people with â€Å"new and unsuspected possibilities of being and action in the world† (Kirkwood, 1992, p. 31).McClure (2009) also specifically argued that the narrative paradigm must also account for the â€Å"inventional possibilities of new narratives, t he rhetorical revision of old narratives, and the appeal and acceptance of improbable narrative accounts† (p. 191). He also asserts that by expanding the role of Burke’s identification, the narrative paradigm can become a more viable theory and method of criticism. While several scholars have both praised and criticized Fisher’s narrative paradigm, the part of his story that related to narrative’s origins, philosophical foundation and relevance to human communication rang true for me.In my study of rhetorical theory I, too, have often felt that the structures of formal argument are too constricting and limiting in their ability to interpret all forms of persuasive communication. When using Fisher’s own narrative rationality to measure the coherence and fidelity of Human Communication as Narration, I find it to be both coherent and true – especially from my viewpoint as a woman living in a post-modern, post-structuralist society who works in t he field of public relations where stories are the very fabric of our communication strategies.And while I recognize the validity of the proposed extensions of his theory by Kirkwood (1992), McClure (2009) and Stroud (2002), I feel they also serve as proof points for the generative power of Fisher’s paradigm in new ways of thinking about stories. References Ashcraft, K. & Pacanowsky, M. (1996). â€Å"A woman’s worst enemy†: Reflections on a narrative of organizational life and female identity. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 24, 217-239. Bianchi, C. (2011). Semiotic approaches to advertising texts and strategies: Narrative, passion, marketing.Semiotica, 183, 243-271. Cornfield, M. (1992). The press and political controversy: The case for narrative analysis. Political Communication, 9, 47-59. Currie, M. (2005). Postmodern narrative theory. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Fisher, W. R. (1987). Human communication as narration: Toward a philosophy o f reason, value and action. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press. Gergen, M. & Gergen, K. (2006). Narratives in action. Narrative Inquiry, 16, 112-121. Green, M. (2006). Narratives and cancer communication. Journal of Communication, 56, 163-183.Hollihan, T. & Riley, P. (1987). The rhetorical power of a compelling story. Communication Quarterly, 35, 13-25. Kirkwood, W. G. (1992). Narrative and the rhetoric of possibility. Communication Monographs, 59, 30-47. Maines, D. (1993). Narrative’s moment and sociology’s phenomena: Toward a narrative sociology. The Sociological Quarterly, 34, 17-38. McClure, K. (2009). Resurrecting the narrative paradigm: Identification and the case of Young Earth Creationism. Rhetoric Society Quarterly, 39, 189-211. Sandole, D. , Byrne, S. , Sandole-Saroste, I. & Senehi, J. Eds. ). (2009). The handbook of conflict analysis and resolution. Routledge: New York. Sharf, B. (1990). Physician-patient communication as interpersonal rhetoric : A narrative approach. Health Communication, 2, 217-231. Stern, B. , Thompson, C. & Arnould, E. (1998). Narrative analysis of a marketing relationship: The consumer's perspective. Psychology & Marketing, 15, 195-214. Stroud, S. (2002). Multivalent narratives: Extending the narrative paradigm with insights from ancient philosophical thought. Western Journal of Communication, 66, 369-393.

Something Worth Fighting For - 1407 Words

â€Å"The strongest reason for giving woman all the opportunities for higher education, for the full development of her faculties, complete emancipation from all forms of bondage, of custom, of dependence, of superstition; from all the crippling influences of fear, is the solitude and personal responsibility of her own individual life. To guide our own craft, we must be captain, pilot, engineer; with chart and compass to stand at the wheel; to match the wind and waves and know when to take in the sail, and to read the signs in the firmament over all. It matters not whether the solitary voyager is man or woman.† (Elizabeth Cady Stanton) Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s words ripple through time like a pebble in a pond. Stanton was among the first†¦show more content†¦The women were successful in their efforts to get the message out. Each declaration was passed, and sixty-eight women signed the document. The aftermath of the convention lead to great struggles and many debates. Elizabeth was referred to as a â€Å"professional lunatic.† Elizabeth’s provocative message, along with the fear of change outraged people. They did not want to accept or surrender to the requests of women. Despite the hardships, Elizabeth continued to struggle in her quest to help women. Later that year Elizabeth was successful in having the Married Women’s Property Act passed. This act granted women the right to acquire property. She also organized a national convention for Women’s Rights. After a successful national convention Elizabeth attended another anti-slavery rally where she met Susan B. Anthony. In 1851 Susan was very active in the pursuit of freedom for slaves. During their meeting Elizabeth presented Susan with facts from the national women’s convention and Susan agreed to take up the cause. While fighting this battle, side by side, Elizabeth and Susan became great friends. Susan was known as Elizabeth’s counterpart. 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The main thing that dict ates our nation’s attitude toward violence and war is the purpose in which we are fighting for. If the people of our nation feel that the issue is worth all of the repercussions that come along with war and it is something that needs to be fought for, then it will be largely supported. If it is something that thousands of people should not be risking their lives over, then it will be largely protested. Like stated before, the attitude towards