Strategies for Management Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategies for Management Improvement - Essay Example These are what to sell and whom to sell (Stone, 2001). It is entirely related to the markets and products. In this matrix, there are four quadrants that represent four courses of action that could be considered while making any strategic decisions regarding the growth of the organization. The matrix is shown below. In this growth strategy, existing products of the organization are sold in the existing markets. There are four major objectives that could be achieved by adopting market penetration strategy. These are increasing or maintaining the current market share of the existing products, securing dominance in the growth markets, restructuring a grown-up market and finally increasing the usage of the existing products by the existing customers. Increasing or maintaining the current market share of the existing products: this objective could be attained by adopting more competitive strategies regarding pricing, advertising. Putting in more resources into personal selling might also be helpful in achieving this objective. Restructuring a grown-up market: Any mature or grown up market could be restructured by driving out the competitors. Innovative pricing strategies need to be designed so that the competitors consider the market as an unattractive one. Again extensive promotional campaign would work as a catalyst in the process. In the ‘market development’ growth strategy existing products are sold into new markets. Implementation of this strategy would include selling products in new geographical locations, establishing or finding new distribution channels and designing innovative pricing policies. One of the most effective growth strategies is introducing new products in the existing markets where the organization already has its presence. New competencies are required to develop in order to adopt this strategy. Organizations can either develop entirely new products or simply modify the existing products in order to get the attention of the customers in the existing markets.

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt Essay

The Role of Religion in the United States and Egypt - Essay Example US Puritan ancestors believed that men were born evil but had the potential to be good, through self-control and self-motivation. The Protestant religion teaches that self-discipline and hard work contribute to the "godliness† of individuals (Chapter 9), which is reflected in the beliefs about human nature, and in the attitude towards work. Similarly, the Islamic belief proclaims hard work as a cherished virtue (Chapter 10). Muslims believe that people are born good and develop into positive directions (Chapter 10). The Americans view time as a key resource (Chapter 9). Their present efforts and resources are oriented to the future. Unlike the US, the time has different dimensions in Egypt; it is not a linear adherence to schedules and deadlines, but rather an abstract mixture of people and transactions (Chapter 10). The equality in the United States is proclaimed by Constitution, while the Islamic guiding document proclaiming equality is the Koran (MS Encarta, 2003). Still, st atus and financial power in both cultures are the sources of social inequality. The United States places a strong emphasis on status-defining factors like money, and power (Chapter 9). Similarly, the Egyptian society comprises of the ruling minority of Afrangi, high government officials, and academicians, and the ruling majority of natives, Baladi (Tehuti Research Foundation, 2003).The individualistic American society is much different from the group-oriented Islam, where family traditions are highly cherished (Chapter 10).

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment Research Paper

Adam Smith During the Scottish Enlightenment - Research Paper Example On graduating, he successfully delivered a number of public lectures at Edinburgh. Those lectures led him eventually to cooperation with David Hume during the period of Scottish Enlightenment. Sharing both rationalist and humanist outlook of the European Enlightenment of the same epoch, the key thinkers and doers of Scottish Enlightenment maintained the fundamental importance of the reason combined with a rejection of all the authorities that cannot be vindicated by reason. They clang to an optimistic belief in the ability of a man to make changes for the better in both nature and social life, being guided solely by the reason. It was this very feature that added the Scottish Enlightenment the peculiar flavor that has distinguished it from its counterpart from over the Continent. Furthermore, Scottish Enlightenment was characterized by an extremely thorough empiricism and practically where the main virtues were held to be a practical benefit, improvement, and virtue itself of both societies a whole and an individual. By the middle of the 18th century, Scots had become hardly the most literate nation of Europe. Its level of literacy was estimated as high as 75%. Yet it was not many of them who were making Enlightenment. The whole culture of that time Scotland was oriented to books so spirited discussions were held at such places of intellectual gatherings as The Select Society and The Poker Club. Those places, in fact, were crucibles from which lots of ideas distinguishing Scottish Enlightenment developed. When teaching moral philosophy at Glasgow Smith received a chair, and during within this period of time, he published his work The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Later he received a tutoring position allowing him to travel over Europe where he used to meet other prominent intellectuals of the Enlightenment epoch.  

Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students Essay - 1

Awareness of Identity Theft among Mature Students - Essay Example Identity theft has been a serious issue. It has become one of the fastest-growing crimes in the US and in the UK. A 2007 report shows that in the UK, GBP 1.7 billion is lost annually and about 10,000 fell victims in 2006 (Staff Writer, 2007). In the US, though the figure has decreased, still about 8.4 adult Americans are victims of identity fraud (Javelin, 2007). Serious and rampant as it is, awareness of this type of crime was not immediately high. Identity awareness drives had to be conducted to inform more people of the danger of falling victim to the frauds. It is important that we become aware of their existence before they steal who we are. It is important, most especially for students, to know when and when not to give away certain personal information. But before giving precautions as to how to avoid identity thieves, it is necessary to have a figure as to what fraction of the population is actually aware that frauds like these exist. A look at the history of fraud cases migh t help measure the level of awareness that has come to arise throughout the years. The number of identity fraud cases in the UK has continued to rise since eight years ago. From a mere 9,000 cases in 1999, the number increased to 24,000 in the 2001, 46,000 in 2003, and almost doubled to 80,000 in 2006. As recorded, dealing with this crime has cost the UK government GBP1.5 billion in 2005 (CIFAS). In other parts of the world, particularly the US, fraudulent activities are more rampant and damaging. For instance, US lenders were reported to have lost about USD 1 billion. In Canada, a loss of about CAND 21.8 million was recorded in 2003 because of the 14,526 cases (Report on identity theft). Looking back at a 2005 investigation by the Which! Magazine, results showed that about one-fourth of UK adults had been victims of identity fraud. This has cost the UK government about GBP1.3 billion annually. The same investigation found out that awareness of the crime has increased, with two-thirds of the individuals now concerned with the crime. "Which found that 33 per cent of adults don't take any precautions to beat the ID thieves, while 18 per cent shred their documents but still use a single password for all online banking; a similar number don't shred documents but make use of several different passwords, while 31 per cent take both precautions" (Best, 2005). After looking at statistics of how the number of identity fraud cases has continued to rise, it is then important to take a look at how people usually fall victim to frauds, and how personal information are given away. There are several ways by which a fraudster can acquire information needed to steal your identity. For one, phishing occurs over the internet. This is an easy way for thieves to get away with important account numbers and such. This may be obtained through online dating services and even job applications online. Phishing scams happen when thieves pose as employees of legitimate companies verifying information over the phone or online. And as a study shows, 92 per cent of people in London will give information to a stranger (Thomson, 2005). Another way is by engaging in casual conversations. It may

Our War On Drugs Essay Example for Free

Our War On Drugs Essay A drug can be described as a chemical substance that influences how an individual’s body and mind works (Rees 2005 p. 5). It is uncommon today to hear the word drugs on televisions and read them in magazines. Drugs are virtually everywhere and there is continual development of these drugs. They are used by people for various reasons ranging from medicinal to recreational purposes. Drugs that are taken as medicines include antibiotics and penicillin among others. However some drugs are illegal. They include: cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, cannabis, heroin, crack, methamphetamines, LSD (acid), alcohol and magic mushrooms. These illegal drugs are also known as recreational drugs and many are gotten from plants growth in various parts of the world. Amphetamines are drugs that can be inhaled, or eaten in form of tables. Heroin is smoked or taken as an injection. Marijuana on the other hand consists of a brown resin. It is mostly smoked in cigarettes and it can also be eaten (Rees 2005 p. 30). Abuse of drug use is known as drug addiction. When a person constantly takes these illegal drugs for recreational purposes this addiction develops as a process and not instantly. Addiction to drugs affects individuals of multicultural, geographically diverse, across gender and racial classes. The initial steps are very moderate but their increased use results to a state of life threatening situation. Withdrawals are hardly achieved as the issue becomes of medical concern. Those who abuse drugs have their various reasons. They argue that drugs help them alleviate stress, boosts their morale and confidence, makes them feel good about themselves among many other things. Drug abuse has various adverse effects. Some of the effects include rises in blood pressure, vomiting, impairs memory and judgment capability of an individual. Other effects are poor decision making, accidents, impaired health and poor relationships. The consequences of these are physical, psychological and emotional instability on the drug abuser. The individual hence suffers from depression (Rick 2005 p30) A large number of people who abuse drugs decide to quit at some point but this is often difficult since once a person is addicted to drugs, it is almost impossible to avoid taking them as they mostly experience withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms are for instance body aches, sweating, and flu in the case of heroin. Nicotine on the other hand results to fatigue and premature aging affecting the skin, body shape and body weight. On the other hand, fast withdrawals could result to dangerous impacts. For instance tranquilizers could be dangerous resulting in high blood pressure, vomiting, temperature and stomach cramps (Rees 2005 p. 42) Our War on Drugs The war on drugs is a move undertaken by the United States including help from other participating countries whose priority is to eliminate trade in illegal drugs. It traces its origin way back in 1880 where there was a memorandum of understanding between United States and China to prohibit trade in opium between the two countries (http://www. nh-dwi. com/caip-213. htm). Today in America, mostly the youth experiment with these illegal drugs and they do it for various reasons. Some do it for recreational purposes whereas others are simply addicts as they cannot do without them. The United States government and the general public have become concerned about drug abuse and addiction. The government became more concerned about the issue in the 1960s when the youth mostly college students protested against the Vietnam war and in the 1960s and 1970s they began using licit and illicit drugs on a large scale for the first time (Fleckenstein Hanson Venturelli 2005 p. 125). As a starting point the United States government introduced new strategies for tackling this issue of drug use and abuse. These strategies include demand reduction, inoculation, supply reduction, interdiction and drug courts. The use of drug courts has become a common strategy. The supply reduction is a strategy aimed at reducing and controlling supply of illegal drugs. Demand reduction aims at reducing the individuals’ tendencies to abuse drugs especially the youth. It places emphasis on reforming behaviors. Inoculation on the other hand attempts to protect drug users by informing them on their responsibilities. Drug courts on the other hand integrate incentives, sanctions, treatment and ensure that nonviolent drug addicts are placed in rehabilitation programs. Lastly interdiction is a policy aimed at stopping the supply of these illicit drugs (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 25). In the United States of America, there are quite a number of law enforcements Acts on drugs that have been established to control drug abuse. They include: Harrison Acts that looks into the production, sale, importation and distribution of opium. The other Act is the Narcotic Drug Import and Export Act aimed at alleviating use of narcotics but it is exceptional for medicinal and other legitimate use. Heroin Act of 1924 prohibited the manufacturing of drugs. The Marijuana Tax Act also controlled the production, sale and distribution of marijuana. The Opium Pappy Control Act restricted the cultivation of opium poppies in the United States except if one is licensed to do so. Narcotics control act on the other hand intended to establish suffer penalties to individuals who broke the marijuana or narcotics laws. Drug Abuse Control Amendments (DACA) was established to adopt stuff controls over barbiturates, amphetamines, LSD among others moreover; the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act (NARA) was established to rehabilitate drug addicts in the three programs that is voluntary, sentencing to death addicts who are convicted and the pretrial civil commitment. In 1988, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act introduced the office of National Drug Control to oversee policies on research controlling drug abuse. Lastly the 2000 Drug Addiction Treatment Act gave a go ahead to physicians to prescribe narcotics for the treatment of oploid addiction (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 135). The white House National Drug Control Strategy in 2006 declared it stand and wish to balance the reduction in supply and demand of illegal drugs in the United States of America. It also outlined programs intended to curb abuse of drugs. In the same year, the National Drug Control Strategy pointed out its aim of supporting random student testing, intervention, screening, prevention, treatment and support for drug courts examining methamphetamines and making the United States southwest border secure (uninfo. state. gov/xarchives/display. gtm/? p. ). Another regulatory law enforcement body concerning drug abuse in the United States is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Its mission is to control drugs and provide laws and regulations regarding drug abuse. The National Drug control Strategy established a ten year plan to reduce drug abuse. It also aims at reducing America’s demand for drugs by offering treatment and supply through law enactments (http://www. usembassy-mexico. gov/bbfbfdossier-combDrogas. htm). The above drug laws indiscriminate use of drugs and it is through the legislation that licit and illicit drugs are determined. The government of the United States tries to meet public needs and control pressure through these rules and regulations. Due to the advancement in technology in today’s society, trained experts and government agencies provide information and protection on drug abuse. Are we winning the war on drugs? In my opinion, I do not believe that we are winning the war on drugs. I have based my judgment according to various reasons. Since the prohibition of drug abuse in 1937 in the United States of America; marijuana once considered for Mexican immigrants has been actively used by 20-37% of the youth in the United States. The same applies to the use of cocaine, ecstasy and methamphetamines (World Drug Report, 2000). The continual trade in drugs is also another factor that has severely affected efforts by the government to prevent drug abuse and addiction. The United States of America is largely affected more so because of its population and largest budget that focuses on enforcement. President George W. Bush in February 2002 established a National Drug Control Strategy based on the Principles of stopping the usage of drugs, disrupting the market and curing America’s drug addicts (Policy and Program Development, 2002). Evidence also shows that the criminal law in the United States has had only small success in preventing drug abuse. It is approximated that in 2004, 39% of students in the 12th grade used an illicit-drug, 34% was marijuana, cocaine 5% and LSD 2%. Also, those aged 12 and above who use illegal drugs as estimated by National Survey is 19. 5 million in the United States (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 140). In the United States, family structures have changed considerably having half of all women working outside home and the divorce rate is quite high. This has affected the nurturing of children by all these single parents. Family and friends have also contributed to the increasing drug abuses since they are ready to bail out and offer excuses for those who have been convicted (Fleckenstein, Hanson Venturelli, 2005 p. 40). To conclude, it is therefore evident that the war on drugs is still far from being over. It is therefore essential that the society works hard to stop abuse of drugs which is causing deaths on a massive scale. It is essential for individuals to know that the effects of drugs on the social life, economic life, emotional and spiritual life are adverse. The extreme case of addiction to these drugs is the exposure of the individual person to death.

An Analysis Of Nespressos Strategy

An Analysis Of Nespressos Strategy Since 1970, Nestlà © has been endeavoring to search for a brand-new method in order to meet the rapidly growing demands of the gourmet specialty coffee. After an effort of many years development and preparation, the Nespresso System was founded in 1986 along with a lot of patents. After that, Nespresso gradually grew to represent a unique coffee concept designed to enable anyone to create the perfect cup of espresso. The irreplaceable Nespresso â€Å"trilogy â€Å"unites the worlds highest quality Grand Crcoffees with smart and stylish machines and exclusive, personalized services. Table 1: Impressive continuous growth 2000 2009 2010 Turnover in CHF 210million 2.77billion 3.20billion Cups per minute 868 10,000 12,300 Coffee Systems MS%(Units) 6% 19.5% 20% Global Club Community 600,000 8million 10million Global Boutique Network 1 191 223 Nespresso Employees* 331 4,500 5,500 *70% in direct contact with Nespresso customers In 2010, Nespresso reached sales of more than CHF 3 billion with a growth above 20% compared to the year of 2009. 12,300 cups of coffee were consumed every minute. Additionally, Nespresso keeps doing well in generating its leading market share in coffee machines to about 20%. Moreover, the number of the Nespresso Club Members has been increased by over 20% to 10 million. In order to deliver and retain its exclusive personalized services, 1000 more employees were recruited by the company; more than 70% of the 5,500 staffs are facing the customers in direct contact. In 2010, Nespresso started a series of expansion, with 32 more new boutiques opened in Brussels, Miami, Shanghai and Sydney, from Europe to Asia; so far Nespresso has 223 boutiques in total all over the world. Consequently, 63% of the markets are occupied by the Europe, and the rest is divided into Americas and Asia. Winning Strategy Nespresso is becoming a global player and always wants to be outstanding of the competitors. In order to enhance their competitive advantages as well as building on their core competences, Nespresso has been working on the strategy for the past two decades. As a result, thanks to the creation and perseverance of the formula, the company is now as a pioneer and one of the fastest growing operating units of the Nestlà © Group. There are six crucial factors attributes to the success story of Nespresso, these include: Unsurpassed coffee quality and coffee specialists. The company has its own unique sourcing of finest coffee around the world. For many years, the Nespresso coffee experts have been exploring the world in search of the best coffees from the best producer countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Togo, Kenya and so forth. According to their findings, only the top one to two percent of the worlds green coffee crop meets the Nespressos high quality standards. At the same time, the company makes every effort to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships with the local farmers who produce these precious beans. Table 2: Nespresso Quality+ Aroma Profile Unstoppable drive for innovation distinctive design Nestlà © is always in pursuit of the perfect products with the creative ideas. From the perfectly portioned Grand Crcoffee, the advanced coffee machine to the creation of the Nespresso Club, the company is obsessed about innovative and distinctive minds, compulsive about the fine details and passionate about the combination of high technology and avant-garde design. To date, the brand owns more than 1,700 patents. Passionate global brand community with direct consumer relations Nespresso is expanding their network over the globe. Currently, according to the companys annual report, the statistic shows that more than fifty percent of all new Nespresso Club Members first experience the brand through existing members. Update to the year of 2010, the total number of Nespresso Club Members worldwide has increased sharply from 600,000 in 2001 to more than 10 million, with an incredible amount of 2 million new members added in 2009 alone. Inspiration, iconic global brand The involvement of George Clooney makes Nespresso become the most charming and attractive coffee brand overnight. The slogan can be seen everywhere: Nespresso, what else? It seems that, for true coffee lovers, perfect coffee is not just an indulgence, it is a lifestyle. That is the main idea Nespresso trying to convey to their loyal clients. As a result, Nespresso has become the first global roast and ground coffee brand, moreover, since 2008 it is among the top 20 risers in brand value ranking. Exclusive route-to-market Table 3: Nespressos Sales in% by channel Internet 50% Customers Relation Centre 20% Boutique 30% Nespresso has the biggest shop window: www.nespresso.com. It is recorded that everyday seven millions visits in 2009 with an average time spent of 6 minutes. Consumers can purchase coffee, machines and accessories through the internet without any difficulties in terms of payment or customer service. In addition, the existing 223 boutiques are now possible for all the fans to go and enjoy the perfect espresso. Holistic approach to Sustainable QualityTM development The remarkable â€Å"Creating Shared Value† is the the Nestle Group key principle and obviously Nespresso is a loyal supporter. To further development, Nespresso carries out the strategy of Ecolaboration. The Nespresso EcolaborationTM aims to improve the sustainability performance of the Nespresso value chain. Under this circumstance, Nespresso brings their partners, stakeholders and also the coffee producers (local farmers) together to achieve a goal of the perfect fusion of: highest quality beans, economic viability, and respect the environment. There are three commitments the Nespresso is trying to achieve by the year of 2013: Source 80% of the coffee from Nespresso AAA Sustainable QualityTM Program certified by Rainforest Alliance (achieved 60% in 2010 already) Triple the ability to recycle the used capsules to 75% (achieved 60% in 2010 already) Reduce the CO2 footprint per cup by 20% (between 2009 and 2013) Conclusion Looking to the future, there are still many growing issues waiting for Nespresso to face with. For the moment, the strategy leader team needs to concern about five key issues: How to attract new customers (â€Å"away-from-home† V.S home consumption); Whether to introduce lower-cost system, compare to the current competitors; How to wider the market and then serve; Whether to invest in non-coffee market, diversify the products; How to gain an advantage over a competitor.

The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire lasted from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 467 A.D. to 1453 A.D., when Constantinople was lost to the Ottoman Turks. In its thousand year history Byzantium had many important rulers although Justinian and Theodora were perhaps the greatest among them. After Western Rome fell the Eastern emperors still saw themselves as rulers of all of Rome. In the year 527 Justinian, succeeded his uncle as emperor and Justinian make this a reality. After many campaigns lead by his best general, Belisarius, Justinian had conquered all the territory Rome ever ruled and could now truly call himself a Caesar. Justinian did not rule the empire alone, his wife Theodora also worked with foreign leaders, passed laws, and took part in politics. In 532, during the Nika Rebellion, Theodora convinced Justinian to stay in the city when he had wanted to flee to safety. To rule his vast empire Justinian created a set of laws know as the Justinian code. Justinian created the code from old Roman laws that still applied for Justinians time. Byzantium was constantly attacked from its beginning to its end. Thus, the Byzantines became skilled warriors and shrewd diplomats. They employed tactics such as diplomacy, bribery, and military power to fight their foes. Like the fallen Eastern Empire they found that they could trust mercenaries, sometimes even more than their own soldiers. A company of Scandinavian mercenaries known as the Varangian Guard remained under the control of the Byzantine emperor and they could be trusted far more than Byzantine soldiers. The Byzantine Imperial flag is yellow with a double-headed eagle wearing black crowns. The double-headed eagle was the symbol of the Palaiologos, the last Byzantine dynasty to rule from Constantinople from 1258-1453. The double-headed eagle symbolized the dynastys interests in both Asia and Europe, and was kept despite the fact that nearly all of the Empires Asian possessions were seized by the Ottomans. The two headed eagle would eventually become identified with the empire itself, and with institutions outside the Byzantine Empire that were connected to Constantinople. Thus, it is not surprising that the flag was in use by the Russian Czars and the Greek Orthodox Church. Another flag of the Byzantine Empire is a combination of the St. George cross (which is a red cross on a white field) and the arms of the Palaiologos family (yellow crosses on a red field). The four symbols in the corners of the two crosses in the arms of the Palaiologos family could be either firesteels, which were used in badges of the Order of the Golden Fleece, or as the Greek letter Î’, which makes up the initial letters of the Paleologuess motto: Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦Ãâ€š Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€°ÃŽ ½ Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦Ãâ€°ÃŽ ½ Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ which means: King of Kings, ruling over Kings. The Byzantine Empire also developed its own unique culture that separated it from its Roman ancestors while still preserving Greco-Roman culture and its many great works. Justinian worked to beautify Constantinople by repairing buildings and building a stone wall along its Western half. He also built the Hagia Sophia, which was considered to be the greatest church built in medieval times and still stands today. The Hagia Sophia symbolizes the union of Church and State in the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine art was heavily influenced by its Roman ancestors, which was influenced by Greek art. Therefore Byzantine artists never lost sight of their classical heritage. Because of this, the Roman art of creating mosaics was retained by the Byzantines. Byzantine art, while influenced by its ancestors, had developed its unique style. Byzantine painting and mosaics use many colors and figures but the figures were typically seen as stiff or flat. The figures have large eyes with golden or gold tone d backgrounds and were mainly produced for churches and as such the art often portrays people as somber and solemn. Byzantine art also shows only a small attempt made at creating realism. Throughout the centuries Byzantine emperors issued coins in gold (the solidus), silver, and copper. Their picture and name would be imprinted on the coins. The main function of coins was the collection of taxes. Works Cited American Museum of Natural History. American Museum of Natural History. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Awesome Planet. Www.awesomeplanet.org. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Constantinople. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Democracy frontline. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Globe Hoppers. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Harris, Jonathan. Byzantium and the Crusades. New York and London: Hambleton and London, 2003. Print. Herrin, Judith. Byzantium The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2008. Print. The History Guide. Steven Kreis. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Planetfigure. Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Sherrard, Philip. Byzantium. New York: Time-Life Books, 1966. Print. Timothy Ministries. TimothyMinistries.org. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Treadgold, Warren. A Concise History of Byzantium. New York: Palgrave, 2001. Print. Weider History Group Online. Weider History Group. Web. 26 Dec. 2009.