Through outsourcing and strategic alliances

At the beginning of 1992, the computer hardware industry had become completely vulnerable to commoditization. This resulted in a vicious price war which took market share away from premium priced brands like Apple.As a result, the company had to formulate new strategies in order to build and maintain a competitive edge. In this respect, Apple stood in a unique position because its level of vertical and horizontal integration was matched only by IBM’s and IBM was competing in a different market.One of the strategies that the management undertook was to open its system to other standards and expand market share that way. This strategy was implemented through outsourcing and strategic alliances.Through outsourcing and strategic alliances, the company was able to not only minimize costs but also to differentiate its product line in order to widen its market appeal. However, as mentioned before, Apple stood in a unique position to exercise a considerable level of impact on the indu stry whether competing with a closed system or an open-ended one.Porter’s five forces before opening the systemWhen Apple had first started selling its computers, the threat of new entrants had been minimal because the company was implementing a proprietary technology. However when IBM entered the industry with its open-ended systems, most manufacturers could manufacture clones at a fraction of the cost.This increased the threat of new entrants. Because the threat of new entrants was high, the threat of substitute products was also high. In this context, Apple began to lose market share because even though it was generating considerable value through packaging hardware and software together, the fact that it manufactured all the components in-house meant that the company was forced to sell its products at a premium price.This was a severe disadvantage for the company as competitors could offer the same level of features in their products at a fraction of the cost. Because of the high threat of new entrants and substitute products, the threat of competition was also very high.The competitive strategies that major players in the industry were implementing at the time were based on both hardware and software. In this respect, Apple’s graphical user interface had gained considerable market share because of its ease of use. However Microsoft had also been developing the Windows operating system which had competing features and which had the additional advantage of greater market penetration.Competitive strategies in the computer hardware industry in the mid 80s started to focus more on software as hardware was becoming increasingly commoditized. This meant that the only way for hardware manufacturers to develop a unique selling proposition was to package more software features into the hardware.The hardware manufacturers could not incorporate the Apple operating system because it was not compatible with any hardware specifications other than those man ufactured at Apple. This resulted in increased market penetration for Microsoft’s operating system. However because Apple was developing a proprietary technology, it could not take advantage of the fast growing size of the market. As a result, the company was forced to confine its marketing and selling operations to the existing clients.However the availability of low priced competitor products meant that Apple was losing even its existing customers to the clone manufacturers. In this respect, the most profitable customer group was that consisting of corporate clients. However this segment of the market was price sensitive and therefore prioritized cost considerations ahead of other product features.This was the reason why Apple had been experiencing decreasing returns at the beginning of the 90’s. In spite of the nature of its organization structure which enabled it to offer complete solutions, Apple began to suffer a distinct disadvantage from its high prices.The fac t that there was a high threat of new entrants and substitute products resulted in a high threat of bargaining power from the customers. Clone manufacturers like Dell did not have to engage in extensive research and development activities in order to manufacture new products. Instead they manufactured products based on standards pioneered by IBM.As a result, cost of production was considerably lower for these companies than they were for companies like IBM and Apple which had to conduct capital-intensive research and development activities periodically in order to bring out new product lines. With Dell for example, the competitive advantage lay in its unique distribution structure which cut costs further. This enabled clone manufacturers to offer a wide variety of product offerings, in the process facilitating a considerable level of bargaining power for the buyers.The bargaining power of suppliers was medium because most hardware manufacturers tended to maintain a joint venture fra mework in developing their products.For example, IBM had a partnership with Intel for sourcing the latter’s microprocessors. This partnership meant that manufacturers and their suppliers did not have to negotiate prices every time they developed a new standard. Therefore the industry was favourably positioned in terms of the bargaining power of suppliers for those manufacturers who maintained open standards.

1984 †Reflection Paper Essay

Our postmodern society has become dependent upon twenty-first century technology. This technology is developed to make our lives easier, more efficient, to encourage communication, and to enhance the quality of experience. Our society craves the latest technological fads and Internet crazes. We’ve become addicted to an entity that promises us a bigger, better, & brighter future. However, while technology appears to have made our lives easier in some respect, it has raised numerous issues that challenge the moral framework of every major corporation and government. Orwell’s 1984 is a haunting vision of a future with no future. A future where technology controls every aspect of an individual’s life. Orwell introduces the concepts of The Ministry of Truth, The Thought Police, and BIG BROTHER. These omniscient entities continually monitor the movements, speech, and writings of every citizen. See more: The stages of consumer buying decision process essay Since Orwell’s book 1984 written in 1948, we have developed methods to produce more advanced and less costly computer technology. Value Added Networks continue to rise in popularity. Data warehousing (information availability) and data mining (information analysis) have become hot topics in today’s world. Personal data that has always been available, but not easily accessible, is now computerized and merged with larger databases. These databases are linked to form massive data repositories. This practice is not limited to the private sector; government databases such as the Department of Motor Vehicles and criminal records are accessible to those willing to pay for access. The ability to desegregate personal information and profile individuals is easier than ever. George Orwell’s vision of the world is depicted primarily through the omni-present tele-screen. This piece of technology not only allowed BIG BROTHER to broadcast propaganda, but also monitored individual activities. Similar surveillance technology actually exists throughout the United Kingdom. Intelligence is gathered using inexpensive hardware cameras. Specialized software handles the storage, analysis, and correlation of facial images to a central database. Modern examples of large central data banks are already under development. Microsoft’s .NET web initiative entails the compilation, storage, and distribution of an online customer’s personal information. Such a venture is only possible with the latest hardware running Microsoft software technology. This technology includes the use of XML code to withdraw selected information from a central bank of database servers. The positive aspects of such an intelligence endeavor includes: Access to valuable information that might save your life; information such as allergic reactions to medication etc; the ability to transfer or withdraw bank funds from your mobile phone; the ability to account for controlled substances such as chemical & biohazard materials; and combat international terrorism and crime. The often overlooked negative consequences of technology include: Criminal profiling; medical profiling by insurance companies; telephone & electronic mail privacy intrusion; tracking credit card & other personal spending patterns to target marketing and sales; tracking travel via passport, airline ticket sales, license plate scanning, & facial algorithmic surveillance. Orwell describes an extreme in isolation and control. A place where government agencies use technology to propagate normal thought. Technology is used to unite millions; however, it has the capacity to isolate one part of the world from another. Winston Smith, a worker for The Ministry of Truth, not only falsifies history by writing people out, but also creates non-existent historical figures. In Orwell’s 1984, control is enforced/exercised by censoring information and even rewriting history. A frog that is placed in a pot of cool water and slowly heated is said to never notice the danger until it’s time for soup. In Orwell’s 1984, what seems, may not be. The logical might be illogical. What is right could be wrong. What was intended for good could become unjust. Most critics shot down Orwell’s ideas when the book was initially  reviewed in 1948. However, with the advent of modern technology, I feel overwhelmed by the thought of personal information abuse. Abuse not only in a ubiquitous government, but extending to the private sector. Ironically, concepts from Orwell’s 1984 are referenced in everything from modern day advertising, such as Apple Computers, to The Simpson’s Cartoon Halloween Special. Therefore it is evident that technology can be used to restrict basic freedom and civil rights. With the risk of losing important freedoms, we must fully understand the implications of new technology.

Social Impact of Technology

The Social Impact of Technology There is no doubt that technological change brings about social change. The Industrial revolution saw many people displaced from their land, to find work in crowded city factories. Serfdom was abolished and the population shifted from villages to the cities. Strong family ties, self sufficiency and the right to occupy land were replaced with uncertain tenancy of land, dependency on trade and a weakening of the family unit. Economically, goods and money abounded, and trade flourished.The merchant class profited from the wealth that was generated on the backs of the displaced population of urban workers. Children were sent to work in factories, in order for families to make enough money to live. The peasant class worked long hard hours in poor conditions with no security. The Industrial revolution led to the alienation of the working class and although many union battles have since led to the adoption of better working conditions, the effects of the Indu strial revolution remain.The family unit is even more vulnerable today with soaring divorce rates, high rates of teenage suicide, most of society are either heavily mortgaged to banks or paying high rents, and no one can be self-sufficient in a world governed by free wheeling free trade. Advances in technology, is generally not equitably shared within society. People with money have more opportunity to aquire technology, which enables them to acquire even more wealth. It is also important to remember that war has been and will continue to be the driving force for technology and innovation. Power and wealth are intrinsically tied together.Technology leads to greater social economic division. Laborers are viewed as commodities and expendable. Technology leads to alienation because it can create jobs that require no specialist knowledge. To date, since the industrial revolution we have seen technology used to the detriment of society. The right to occupy land has become a privelege tha t must be worked for and earned and now the battle is on to control all the world's food and textiles through genetically modified seeds and animals. The insidious part of GM is that there is no recall once it is released into the environment.Salmon that will grow ten times faster than normal salmon will destroy river systems, as their unfair genetically modified advantage will see all smaller life forms extinguished, and genetically modified crops that are dependent on pesticides will contaminate organic, heritage seeds that have sustained people for thousands of years. Seeds will no longer be able to be harvested and replanted but the farmer will have to buy new seed every year from GM seed makers. This fight is more important that the fight over open source because it involves the right of people everywhere to have clean, safe food that has not been genetically altered.Essentially GM is a tax on everyone because a patent will be on every seed and seeds are made to be sterile the following year. This is something to become angry about. The greedy corporations and individuals that want control over our food, water and land, do not care about the irreversible damage to the environment. people and animals that they cause. We have the right to eat tomatoes that are free of fish DNA, meat and milk that is free of human DNA, pigs that haven't been grown to harvest anthrax antibodies. They will never be able to prove the safety of GM food and no long term studies have been done.Nor will GM solve the problem of soil erosion, and pollution of rivers from artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Only a return to responsible organic and biodynamic farming practices will solve these problems. The 50 harmful effects of GM food Courts are not keen to pursue pesticide makers for poisoning farmers, or GM seed makers for monopolizing the world's seeds through patents, (through genetic engineering that not only renders the seed worthless for replanting the next year but also co ntaminates non-GM crops by cross pollination.Already the majority of the world's seed stock is controlled by a handful of corporations – see http://www. cqs. com/50harm. htm and http://www. seedsavers. net ) The internet in its current form was developed as a free exchange of information, unregulated by any one government or owned by any one person or company. In its raw form it was the playground of hackers and computer geeks, who challenged the status quo. It brings about a new era, the technological revolution.The free flow of information, has brought about technological advances at an unprecedented rate and has made many rich and brought companies who failed to adapt to a standstill. How will this technological revolution impact on our society? If the industrial revolution is any thing to go by, there will be winners and losers to technological revolution. E-commerce will affect the middle man and allow direct trade with consumers. Efficiency brings about lower prices for the consumer, but it is more accurate to argue that efficiency brings about greater wealth for shareholders, directors and owners.The intrinsic weave of social interactions of trade, can be disentangled and made into a horizontal supply chain. E-commerce will create efficiencies that effectively remove the need for a long supply chain but at the expense of social relationships. The effect of e-commerce, and the internet will impact on every society on the earth. Already, the barriers of trade between individuals in different countries are non-existent. Company contact details are searchable through powerful search engines, and trade can commerce between two individuals who would otherwise never have met.The internet dissolves national boundaries, and the consequences for cities that have developed as centers of administration and trade will be disastrous, if they do not embrace the technological advances in communication and trade that the internet brings. While at the same time, f ree trade means fierce competition without the protection of award wages. People are reduced to consumers and suppliers. Resisting the tide of technological change is impossible. Of course it is possible to do business without a website or email or mobile phone or a fax machine.People have been doing business well before any of these gadgets were invented. But business today is about competition, and technology is about leverage. Technology can lead to alienation if it is not widely dispersed in society. The Industrial age saw the concentration of technology in the hands of the rich and powerful, allowing them to dominate and subdue the population into harsh working conditions and the social impact of the internet and computers is only just beginning, will it challenge the status quo or will it lead to greater population control?The latter is probably more likely, and many will look on this time as the golden age of the internet. Already technology like digital TV is being pushed in the guise of better quality but the benefits to those who own the systems is that they will be able to track what you watch, when you watch it, whether or not you switch off an ad, and perhaps even whether that pizza ad makes you pick up the phone and call for a pizza.Knowledge is power, and with access to tapping phone lines, reading emails, reading your credit card statements, knowing by GPS where you are by tracking your mobile phone, it can be a scary world, if all that knowledge and power were to be used to oppress and control. On the upside, technology has made the developed world a richer place to the detriment of the environment. Machines have allowed people to move away from physical work, so that now in Australia there is 100,000 accountants and 85,000 farmers.Perhaps, technology has gone too far, and there are more people counting beans than growing them ! Impact of technology on government The legal system is dependent on local jurisdictions under common law. Historical ly, one has to remember that before the age of the internet, airplanes and telephones, the vast majority of business was done locally. Technology has rapidly changed the way people do business but there has not adapted to the changes. There is no one body that governs international trade. What are the implications?If you buy a product from a local supplier in your State, and it turns out that the item is faulty, you can go back to your supplier to work out repair or replacement and if they don't help you, you can take the matter to local Trades office or file legal action in your state. If however, you buy a product outside your jurisdiction, you must file a claim in the State, where the supplier is located. You can only use a lawyer in the State where you file your action, your local llawyer can only act as a consultant and has no authority to represent you in court or to serve papers.Therefore, we have a world which is governed by local laws and yet the businesses and individuals are now actively trading outside of their local area. Governments are trying to make laws about content on the internet but have no jurisdiction to enforce those laws. This has created havens in small developing countries, that are happy to accept companies that want to run online gambling websites that may be outlawed in their jurisdiction or companies that wish to reduce their tax liabilities by opening up bank accounts in developing countries.We see arising now a homogenizing of local laws on issues like SPAM, and even sending a international letter from anywhere in the world involves the completion of almost identical forms, Governments are making agreements, in an attempt to be relevant in a world where people are able to trade more freely and where digital communication has enabled businesses to work, almost without physical boundaries. Business names and the Internet In the beginning, it was easy to start a new business.You would go to your local business registration office in your State and apply for a business name. If it was taken, you would choose another name. Most people do not realize that a business name is only valid for the State that it is registered in and the only way to protect your business name is to incorporate a company. In Australia, you would lodge forms with ASIC to incorporate a company and you then have rights to use your business name exclusively in Australia and its territories.However, with the birth of the internet, your Australian company name may be the same as the name of a company overseas. This has resulted in legal action being taken, as companies tussle of business names and the rights to use those names and a court system that is unable to deal effectively with international disputes over business names and has resulted in greater costs to people who want to start a business as they must register multiple domain names, take about international trademarks and find a name that has not already been taken.Even if they con tact lawyers to register all the domain names and trademarks to avoid disputes(both local and international), legal action can still be taken against them. And when it comes to justice, money wins almost every time, unless companies want to relocate to safe havens in developing countries where they cannot be pursued in court. Conclusion Technology has allowed man to move from manual labour of the fields to cities and machines. It has allowed huge cities to arise, because of the urban poor that have migrated to cities for improved services and job opportunities.Technology has spawned the growth of modern society but it is also now used to control the population, in a way the Roman Caesars could only have dreamed of The economic impact of information technology has been a subject of a great deal of debate. For business economists, it is useful to identify how information technology (IT) is likely to impact the economy, because IT (defined as computer and communications technology and its applications) is likely to have a substantial impact on the economy's growth during the coming decades.The reason for this is the use of IT by nearly all industries in the economy's base, so that IT becomes a universal input to nearly all other outputs. If IT costs decline, they can create substantial economic gains for many of the industries that use IT, because money spent on IT can be invested in other inputs and improvements in production or services. Furthermore, because business relies upon IT to do a wide range of tasks and to create competitive advantage, by facilitating these tasks for end users, important gains are achieved that are difficult to measure in a classic input-output framework.In addition, IT, seen in a larger context, should have even wider impacts on the economy, because new channels of communications, such as the Internet, cellular television, and broadband applications, will provide business with new channels to reach customers and suppliers. In the pas t, the economic impact of IT has been subject to much debate. The productivity paradox was first proposed by Steven Roach, the chief economist at Morgan Stanley, who found that BLS data on investments in computers had a clear negative rather than a positive impact on productivity gains in several major industries.Roach's paradox appeared to be valid because quite a few service industries had negative productivity gains between 1977 and 1984. Some tried to explain this paradox by noting that it was difficult for workers to adjust to computers. Others noted that few computer applications made significant improvements in the amount of work most workers could do. Still additional commentators felt that the paradox was a product of poor statistical measurement.Because this paradox was driven by the negative productivity results for several service industries, one approach was to see if the service productivity figures were accurate. One study, by Joel Popkin and Company for IBM,(1) found that the BLS productivity statistics Roach used for several service sectors had important shortcomings. Most importantly, the BLS productivity data relied on output measures that did not truly reflect the changes in the nature of work in some service industries. If these are corrected in several important service industries, two things could be shown.

Theory of Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Theory of Justice - Essay Example In the ancient period, we have both Plato and Aristotle giving their attention to society not in isolation but always in relation with the question of morality. And this tradition of looking at the interweaving question of morality with queries regarding morality has been the practiced. Thus, great thinkers from then on have injected the question of justice as both political and moral question. Variegated answers have been raised in order to account for it. Some may be correct, others may still be closer to truth (if there is one) or perhaps if one is stationed a an events that denies comprehension and understanding of which then one may come up with nihilistic appropriations. But, nevertheless, what is important is the idea that the coming together of human beings to form a society need be understood before we can come up with a viable solution and hopefully that this answer will be our guide as we address the question "what is justice" It is in this light that this paper is embarked on. And the philosopher that we put under the light of scrutiny is John Rawls' Theory of Justice. Perhaps, one may find one's self-asking the question, if we are going to look into justice why the need to introduced the concept or notion of society. Perhaps, it may not be too much to say that in trying to understand what justice is, it is by far better to look at the larger picture wherein justice can be found - state (Plato, 1955, p 102). But perhaps, the pressing question that ought to be first address is "what is it in people coming together that demands some principles that would enable them to establish a particular society" The question of justice normally arises the moment that people have seen the logic and rightness of living within a particular society. Thus it is often stipulated that since the main basis for entering into a social contract is to be able to lay down ground rules or principles that will allow people to live together in harmony thinkers like John Rawls tried to find or look for the particular principle which all people will adhere to the moment that they become members of the society. And just like some other thinkers, Rawls uphold the idea it is basically the notion or concept of justice that will sanction all human endeavors as people try to live harmoniously with one another. But Rawls' difference with other thinkers is that he laid down a new appreciation of justice but this new notion of justice is more encompassing and comprehensive that it is not only workable in the theoretical level but is technically applicable in the practical application in the public sphere. Thereby, not only presenting theoretical grounds for social cohesion but also addressing and offering possible practical connotations as people embark to live together in harmony within a particular public sphere. John Rawls' theory on justice is grounded on the assumption that intrinsic in human nature is the attribute of rationality. This ideation of how human beings are perceived is basically not something new. Since, the notion that human beings are rational animals has long been accepted as part of one of that common knowledge pertinent in understanding humanity. Supposing that indeed it is rationality that enables human beings to be humans then it is but apt that we try to understand rationality. For, the very

Organizational Innovation and Change - Critical Thinking Mod 8 - The Essay - 1

Organizational Innovation and Change - Critical Thinking Mod 8 - The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters - Essay Example Both the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters were a result of weak organizational cultures along with other critical factors. After the Challenger disaster of 1986, the Rogers Commission came up with a number of recommendations for NASA which included a restructuring of the management structure as well as a change in the organizational culture in order to carry out a more centralized decision making for effective safety measures. As a result of these measures and recommendations, NASA changed its organizational culture by focusing more on the implementation of safety measures and by assigning more professionals for these safety and quality assurance measures. However, the aftermath of the Columbia disaster revealed that NASA was unable to sustain these effective changes as it had actually implemented downsizing policies in response to a lack of funding. Instead, of employing specialized and trained labor from within the company for these delicate and critical safety measures, NASA instead resorted to outsourcing these responsibilities. Furthermore, the emphasis on the safety measures was reduced as the pol icies were directed towards cost reduction rather than on development and safety measures. The policies adopted relied on the past success of NASA and the problems associated with safety, rather than researched upon, were ignored. Instead of scheduling meetings for further improvements and developments, the management focused on short term operations. In order to gain competitive advantage and sustain effective changes in the organization, it is important to invest in long term opportunities and carry out long term planning. It was also observed that NASA missed a number of signals and if these would have acknowledged, the disasters of Challenger and Columbia could have been avoided (Oberg, J. 2013). NASA also faced problems in terms of its hierarchy and organizational control.

Exemption(s) for Certain Conveyances of Family Farms or Family Essay

Exemption(s) for Certain Conveyances of Family Farms or Family Business - Essay Example For exception of land transfer tax for conveyance of farmed land from individual (i.e. Father, Part 'A') to Family farm corporation (i.e. Son, Part 'B' (Owner of a Farm Corporation)) regulation 697 specifies the following requirements: First the transfer of land should me made between family members in which part 'B' is the owner of a farm corporation. Second requirement is that after transfer of farmed land the farm corporation will use the land for farming purpose only. No other use of the land is permitted. The first & second requirements of regulation 697 are similar to both individual to individual & individual to Family Farm Corporation. The Third requirement of regulation 697 is different in transferring the farmed land from individual to family farm corporation. In this all share holders of family farm corporation should be related to individual (Part A) who is transferring the land. Family Farm Corporation should have 95 % farming assets. During determination of farming asse ts the value of interest in the land being conveyed shall be included as an asset of the corporation. According to this regulation 697- there are some exemptions in land transfer tax that belongs to the same family it means if an individual transfer business land to its family member

Business Ethics - Ethical Issues in International Business (U5DB) Essay

Business Ethics - Ethical Issues in International Business (U5DB) - Essay Example When reading the statement above, it does seem clear that paying a large tip to secure a better table in a restaurant is the same as offering a bribe in business to secure a contract. Merriam-Webster (2008, pg. 1) defines ‘bribe’ as â€Å"money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust or  something that serves to induce or influence,† so it definitely fits the definition. How is your response to this assignment consistent with the moral philosophy you described in the Unit 1 discussion board assignment? Explain. If it is not consistent with that philosophy, explain why your philosophy has changed. My response to this assignment is different from the moral philosophy I described in the Unit 1 discussion board assignment, where I based my response on consequences. In offering a tip to secure a better table is considered a bribe and is, thus, morally wrong, people who do so are not basing their actions on consequences because the consequences in this case are favorable for them. Rather, the moral philosophy in this case is based on rights. Some people believe that they have the right to secure a better table since they are offering money when others are not, so they choose to do

CAPITAL INVESTMENT ANALYSIS - TWIN FALLS HOSPITAL Article

CAPITAL INVESTMENT ANALYSIS - TWIN FALLS HOSPITAL - Article Example Reduction in the sales would require a strategy to increase their revenues - setting up an outpatient centre so as to increase the revenues earned. If the hospital opened a centre for outpatient surgeries, they would help increase the revenues. This would create a balance as the inpatient surgeries earned the community hospital less revenue and the outpatient surgeries would bring in more revenue. (Muth, 2002). To avoid competition, it was advisable to market their outpatient centre and ensure that all their patients realized that they now conducted outpatient surgeries so that all people in the area could visit the community hospital more than other hospitals in the area. This would lead to an increase in total net income for the hospital a they marketed their new centre. If the community hospital invested in the total amount put in, as shown above, due to fluctuations in the prices of equipment each year, they would expect $11,223,557.62 if they increased the amount at rate of 3% per year due to irregularities. The best they could get from the invested amount per year if the rate increased the same way would be $11,483,660.76. The worst case if the rate of income due to irregularities became lower at the same rate per year would be $9,591,959.65. The worst scenario in the analysis above would help the community hospital to gauge whether or not they were willing to bear the risks from the invested amount. The worst case would happen if there were other hospitals in the area that offered more quality services for their outpatient surgeries thus posing great competition for Twin Falls. Another loss would occur if the prices of equipment increased at a very high rate in a year thus leading to more charges for everything they require to purchase. Also, if the market of outpatient surgeries decreased over the years, which was very unlikely, they would have the worst case scenario. The worst case scenario analysis would enable the hospital

Coal to Liquid Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coal to Liquid Technology - Essay Example Although, renewable energy is an alternative it takes time and additional resources. Some countries are very poor but have coal in abundance. It therefore means that clean technology has to be found to produce energy from coal. Several methods of transforming coal to liquid are available. Some of these are low yield in comparison to others that have yields of up to 70%. The task is to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions is kept low in order to save the environment for the next generation. 2.0 Coal consumption and reserve of the world and the US According to the EIA (2012) the total coal consumption of the world for the year ended December 2010 was 7,994,703 million short tons. EIA (2012) also provides data for the year ended December 31, 2008 which indicates that the amount of coal reserves in the world was 948,000 million short tons. The tables labeled Table 1 shows comparative figures for coal consumption for those years and four (4) years prior to those years. Table 2 shows figures for coal reserves for 2008. Consumption of Coal Description 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 World NA 7,994,703 7,318,283 7,327,554 7,014,934 USA 1,003,066 1,048,295 997,478 1,120,548 1,127,998 US as a percentage of the world 13.11% 13.63% 15.29% 16.07% Table 1: Coal Consumption USA and the World (source U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) The table indicates that USA alone accounted for approximately 14.33% of the world’s coal consumption between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 the US accounted for 16%. Although the world’s consumption of coal increased in 2008, coal consumption in the US declined by a small margin. Both world consumption and US consumption declined in 2009. However, while the world consumption declined by negligible amounts (9,271 million short tons) the US consumption declined by approximately 11% (123,070 million short tons). In 2010 the US consumption increased by approximately 6% while world consumption increased by approximately 9%. The US accounted for 13% of the world’s consumption in 2010. Coal Reserves 2008 Description 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 World 948,000 USA 260,551 Table 2: Coal Reserves USA and the World – Source U.S. Energy Information Administration The table shows that in 2008 the US held 27% of the world’s coal reserves. This is a very high percentage and indicates how beneficial coal would be if a way is found to reduce its effect on the environment. 3.0 Arguments against the use of coal Many arguments have being put forward against the use of coal. They include: i. Health and safety hazard ii. Large quantities of water are used in coal mining iii. High levels of pollution (Hansen 2009) iv. Destruction of mountains v. Accidents caused from coal mining 3.1 Health and safety hazard Coal is hazardous to the health and safety of all who come in contact with it, especially coal miners. The Center for Disease Control (2012) indicates that between 1998 and 2007, 8,111 persons died from Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis. Most of them were male (8,010), white (7,865) and age 65 years and over (7379). Although the death rate has been declining, it is still cause for concern. A number of accidents have also resulted from inadequate safety measures as miners are left to risk their lives at some mining operations. In fact, in an article entitled Justice for Upper Big Branch, The New York Times (NYT) (2012) indicates that 29 miners died from an explosion at a mine in West Virginia.. In relation to this case a United States attorney filed fraud charges against a Superintendent of the Massey operated Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia of plotting to conceal hazards, doctor’

ECONOMICS AND GOVERNEMNT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ECONOMICS AND GOVERNEMNT - Assignment Example The federal government’s other transfers include Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing programs which help less prosperous provinces and territories. These provinces have comparable levels of taxation as other more prosperous provinces. Thus raising tax rates is not feasible. 5. The Great Depression was decade-long economic downturn that was witnessed by practically every country of the world. It is considered to be the deepest depression of the 20th century. The long contraction and agonizingly sluggish highlighted the need for an expanded role for government. Hence the Great Depression is linked to the growth of government in the developed world. 6. ‘If the prices are right, people will respond correctly’ indicates that if people feel the payment that they will shell out for a product or service brings in commensurate benefits to them and is thus of value to them, they will go ahead and buy that product or service. Thus right here means ‘fair’ and ‘correctly’ refers to the decision to buy. 7. Global warming refers to the constant warming up of the Earth’s atmosphere due to increase in the levels of the greenhouse gases. This increase in temperature has occurred as humans continue to use more and more fossil fuels in their day to day lives. While this usage helps in business and trade, there is a cost involved, cost that neither the buyer nor the seller bears, but we as a nation (for that matter, the World) collectively bear. Thus global warming or climate change can be termed as one of the biggest market failures as the market forces did not allocate scarce resources to generate the greatest social welfare. Failure to adopt stringent emissions reduction targets, excessive deforestation, adoption of technology at the expense of the environment are all market failures relevant to the problem of global climate change and relate to the world-level policy failure regarding global warming. To correct the problem, the world has

Thesis for POS Systems Essay Example for Free

Thesis for POS Systems Essay ABSTRACT Several threats affect the survival of small, independent retail companies. Adoption and use of Point-of-Sale (POS) systems may offer important benefits to counter these threats. POS systems are not widely used by these retailers, however. This research investigates the determinants of the adoption of POS systems using a conceptual model based on existing adoption theories. Based on this, a survey has been held among 37 Dutch small, independent retailers, to answer the question what the most important determinants for POS system adoption are. This study furthers theory on IT adoption, specifically for small organizations. The practical relevance is that its findings may help in improving POS system adoption. . INTRODUCTION The Dutch retail sector consists for 94% of small retail organizations (≠¤10 employees), altogether employing around 250,000 persons. The retail sector is noticeably present in the trade-driven Dutch economy and acts as an intermediary between industry and consumer. The sector is an important and relevant subject of study from an economical, social and cultural perspective. In this paper we focus on in-store retailing. The environment of this type of retail trade is under pressure. Several interacting threats, like globalization, demanding consumers, increasing administrative burden and an economic recession force the retailers into action. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a double-edged sword in this context (cf. Turban, King, Viehland and Lee, 2004). On the one hand, it can be a threat to smaller retailers for its disintermediation effects and competition through e-tailing (cf. Chircu and Kauffman, 1999), and by its supply chain management effectuation of the larger(franchise) organizations (cf. David, 2008). On the other hand, ICT likewise provides opportunities to smaller retailers, like opening up new sales channels, reducing administrative tasks and/or enabling strategic management of their enterprise (Turban et al., 2004). A specific type of retail ICT that can be employed to achieve effective store management is a ‘Point-of-Sale’ (POS) system. POS systems are defined in many different ways. On Wikipedia, a retail POS system is defined as â€Å"a computer, monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, customer display and a barcode scanner†. Webopedia.com defines a POS system as â€Å"the capturing of data and customer payment information at a physical location when goods or services are bought and sold†. YourDictionary.com defines it as: â€Å"A comprehensive computerized checkout system that includes a bar-code scanner, receipt printer, cash drawer, credit and debit card scanner, monitor, and inventory management software. A point-of-sale system tracks sales and identifies inventory levels in real time†. There are many different types and brands of POS systems available. eBay.com and BuyerZone.com provide a web-based ‘Point of Sale System Buying Guide’, containing over 4,000 different POS equipments for retailers, and 91 different types of POS software. The POS system market in The Netherlands contains no less than 150 vendors, each offering their own ‘unique’ software package. POS systems enable retailers to consult more detailed management information compared to traditional cash registers and Electronic Cash Registers (ECRs). As this management information is based on sales figures, retailers can improve their business by maintaining a better product strategy and pursuing a more efficient replenishment process matching customer demand, alleviating what is often referred to as the ‘bullwhip effect’ (Lee, Padmanabhan and Whang, 1997). This enables inventory optimization, minimizing storage space and ‘sold-out’ situations. Moreover, cash slips can be stored electronically and the results can be brought up in the POS system immediately, both reducing time spent on administrative tasks. This is specifically relevant for The Netherlands, where the administrative burden for SMEs has increased through regulations LITERATURE REVIEW: ADOPTION MODELS In this section we review eight different studies on the adoption of information systems, which were found through literature study. The meta literature search focused on theories and models concerning IS/IT adoption, more specifically of small businesses, retail and/or POS systems. Below, as a result, we first describe two generic adoption models with regard to IS/IT adoption. Next, we discuss six models that address adoption within the retail or small business domain. Generic models The first generic adoption model we refer to here is that of Rogers (2003). His Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory describes the adoption of innovations over time. He ascribes the dynamics of adoption behaviour in terms of different groups of people, like innovators and laggards. His theory also indicates how an individual or organisation (i.e. any decision-making unit) decides to adopt (or not) an innovation. This adoption process consists of five different stages: knowledge acquisition, persuasion, adoption, implementation and confirmation. Rogers specifies three groups of determinants that influence this process: characteristics of the decision-making unit, characteristics of the innovation and information channels. Based on DOI theory, factors concerning the decision-making unit that positively influence adoption are e.g. high social status, low age and financial flexibility. According to DOI, important characteristics of an innovation include: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability (the degree to which it can be experimented with), and observability (the visibility of its results). Information channels (personal and mass communication channels) are required to spread knowledge of an innovation. The second generic adoption model is based on Venkatesh, Morris, Davis and Davis (2003), who reviewed technology acceptance models, among which the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1986) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985). They used elements of each model for a new unified model, called the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Contrary to Rogers’ model, UTAUT concentrates on the adoption behaviour of individuals. In this model, four constructs are defined as determinants of a user’s acceptance and behaviour. Performance expectancy relates to the degree to which the technology is expected to improve job performance. Effort expectancy concerns the ease of use associated with the technology. Social influence is defined as â€Å"[t]he degree to which an individual perceives that important others believe he or she should use the new system† (Venkatesh et al., 2003). Finally, the construct facilitating conditions deals with the degree to which a support infrastructure for the technology is believed to exist. In addition, these four constructs are modelled to be influenced by four so-called moderators, i.e. gender, age, experience and voluntariness. Retail and SME-specific models We will discuss six main studies and their adoption models below. First, the study by Julien and Raymond (1994) can be mentioned. Their technology adoption model for the retail sector proposes eight organizational aspects as determinants of technology adoption: centralization, complexity, size, status (i.e. independent/affiliated), sector, and assertiveness, rationality, and interaction of the organizational strategy. These determinants were identified in earlier research on technology adoption in small organizations. Technology adoption in this case concerned the use of hardware (business computing, POS systems and telecomputing) and software. In the study 79 firms in food, hardware and clothing were assessed through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Clothing firms and large firms were less apt to use POS systems, while firms that had a longer organizational planning horizon used POS systems more often. Secondly, Chau (1995) researched which factors are important for small businesses in software selection. His research focused on packaged software, as small organizations usually do not buy custom developed software, due to their limited resources. Chau argues that owners/managers of small organizations are less focused on budgeting techniques like ‘net present value’ or ‘internal rate of return’ to make decisions on software investments. Instead, they focus more on criteria aimed at the functionalities and popularity of the software. Also, opinions of vendors, employees, consultants or acquaintances are believed to influence decision making. Based on empirical research among 122 small businesses, he found that the importance of selection criteria varied between owners and managers. In general, owners seem to focus more on technical aspects, while managers focus more on non-technical aspects. Third, Thong and Yap (1995) developed a model based on the notion that the adoption process of small businesses differs from that of large firms. CEOs play a major role in small firms as they are the primary decisions makers. In their research, the authors developed a causal model, which assumes that the following factors are positively correlated with the likeliness of IT adoption for small firms: business size, competitiveness of the business environment, information intensity, innovativeness, and attitude towards adoption of IT and IT knowledge. SYNTHESIS: CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESES In the previous section, a total of eight models for adoption have been discussed. Most models view the (retail) organization and/or its owner as the decision-making unit. In small organizations, the owner-manager/CEO almost by definition determines IT investments and the IT strategy. Thong and Yap (1995), Ekanem (2005) and Chau (1995) all point out this phenomenon. Therefore, we consider personal variables of the owner (like age and gender) as key determinants of POS adoption by retailers. In addition, organizational characteristics (like size and competition) can be considered as additional, contextual determinants of the IT adoption decision.

Old People Essay Example for Free

Old People Essay Nepal, being a village-dominant country has almost quarter of its population comprising older people (60+ age group) according to the census report and it is found that the population of older people is gradually increasing. The 60+ aged group people are called dependant and inactive people . Elder people are a vital part of the society where we live in. But it is also a bitter truth that older people are not treated well so far in the family or in a society at present context. The world is dynamic or changeable. We all become old after definite period of time. This is continuous and natural process. In fact, when a man grows older, he/she becomes physically as well as mentally helpless and week. As a result, his/her working capacity gets decreased physically. It is beyond a mans control to grow older. As Nepal, a developing country is moving along with this ever changing and inevitable modernization at great speed, it is neglecting the fact that elder people are to be respected. Obviously, older people are much more experienced about the most things we talk about in our daily lives. They had lived their life through many ups and downs than we, so called modern human have done so far. We might call ourselves a literate and modern people but do keep in mind that only getting multiple degrees do not make a man wise, honest and intellectual. They (elders) might be illiterate but they have far more knowledge than us. There is the condition of being alone for the old people in todays society where people wish to have modern nuclear family. It is also due to their busy life, their dream to be rich quickly, generation gap and so on. Being a successful business man, a son doesnt like to live with his old parents. He suddenly forgets the hard labors of parents for getting their son to a boarding school, forgets the words he kept while his father walked him around carrying on shoulder about giving happiness like no one ever have imagined, forgets the warmth of his mother and that pat on shoulder of his father. He doesnt even bother to ask what his parents wish for to keep them happy. This behavior of every grown up children has compelled every old parents to enter elderly homes. So many old people having their sons and daughters in their family have to live separately. Despite having physical facilities at elderly homes, there is not emotional attachment between grandparents and grandchildren as it is experienced at homes. Old age in itself is not a problem. Peoples activities create problems for old people at this age. Due to this reason, old aged people have become a great problem in recent world. Older people are the creator of the society. Social and cultural traditions area transmitted to new generation by them. They do have their needs and wishes. They also have the right to live their life comfortably. Society as well as country should address this issue as the first priority. But foremost each individual must be aware about treating elder people. Academic courses should be provided with the roles importance of elder people in the society. Elder people when given suitable opportunities can be creative. We have read many great novels, literatures written by senior citizens. They should be motivated in doing productive works during their leisure time. Families play an important role. Most elders live their life alone doing nothing at all but instead they should be made socially active so that they can share their views among others. As older people becomes physically weak, they should be provided nutritious balanced diet, their health should be checked up time and again, they should not be involved in hard work, etc. Change is inevitable and it should start from us and since, Action speaks louder than words, our good act will lead to success.

ISO 27001 Standard Summary

ISO 27001 Standard Summary A blueprint of ISO 27001 There are no less than two forms of ISO/IEC 27001. The 2005 form and the 2013 adaptation. Both renditions are very comparative with some minor contrasts, in light of changing master bits of knowledge between the years 2005 and 2013. For this synopsis we utilize the most recent adaptation, variant 2013. This standard addresses the accompanying subjects (section numbers in sections): The hierarchical setting (4) Involvement of the initiative (5) Planning and targets (6) Support including assets and correspondence (7) Operational viewpoints (8) Evaluation of execution (9) Continuous change (10) Each of these themes portrays some portion of an Information Security Management System or ISMS. The ISO 27001 standard is centered around the larger amount objective of ensuring that associations have a structure (called an administration framework in ISO-talk) that guarantees that the association enhances data security. This ISMS is not an IT framework, but rather a portrayal of procedures in your association. It comprises of objectives, assets, arrangements and process portrayals. Just these more elevated amount components are required by ISO 27001. Basic ideas There are two thoughts that are not unequivocally said in ISO 27001 but rather that are essential for understanding ISO 27001. We prescribe concentrate these thoughts before perusing the genuine standard report. The primary thought is that of hazard administration: before making any move, groups ought to comprehend what the advantages are that merit ensuring, what the dangers are and how these dangers are controlled. See this article on resource stock and this one on hazard administration for further points of interest. The second thought that you have to comprehend keeping in mind the end goal to actualize ISO 27001 is the arrangement do-registration cycle. Before making a move, you need a reasonable objective (arrangement) and think how you will check if the activity works and what to do after the check. See this article on nonstop change utilizing arrangement do-registration for further subtle elements. Point by point necessities and documentation For each of the themes recorded over, the ISO 27001 standard determines definite necessities. On the off chance that you have not done this as of now and you need to get ensured, we prescribe you to peruse the real standard first. The following is a short agenda of all things that are portrayed: Organisation setting depiction (4.1) Stakeholders/invested individuals in data security (4.2) The ISMS scope (4.3) Commitment from top administration (5.1) Availability of a data security arrangement record (5.2) Roles and obligations regarding data security(5.3) Determining dangers and openings (6.1.1) Defining and executing a procedure for hazard assessment(6.1.2) and chance treatment (6.1.3). Some portion of this is to make an announcement of relevance that demonstrates which best practice controls are or are not actualized Creating quantifiable security targets (6.2) Resources for the ISMS (7.1) Appropriate preparing/skills for the staff in charge of the ISMS (7.2) Awareness for all staff in degree (7.3) Communication get ready for inward and outside correspondence about data security(7.4) Sufficient documentation about your ISMS including size of your association, intricacy and ability of individuals (7.5.1). It must be refreshed properly (7.5.1) and controlled (7.5.3) Planning and control of operational angles. Fundamentally this is about doing arrangement do-registration and demonstrate this utilizing documentation. (8.1) Planning a security chance appraisal at normal interims (8.2) Implementing the treatment arrange (8.2, for treatment arrange see 6.1.3) Monitoring the viability of the ISMS, by checking whether the objectives are achieved (9.1) Planning and execution of general interior reviews (9.2) Planning and execution of general administration surveys (9.3) Taking administration activity if things dont go as arranged (10.1). Once more, this is a piece of doing arrangement do-registration accurately Making beyond any doubt there is ceaseless change (10.2). This is about arrangement do-registration as well as about gathering criticism on each meeting from members and comparable change steps. Some regular misguided judgments In many organizations that utilization ISO27001 for data security, one hears proclamations, for example, It is required to change passwords each quarter or ISO 27001 obliges us to update our firewall. This is in fact not genuine. The ISO 27001 standard does not specify any solid controls. ISO 27001 requires that you have data security objectives, assets, approaches and forms (the ISMS). You ought to execute these procedures. Contingent upon which resources and dangers the data security group distinguishes, you can in principle settle on your own choices about which controls you execute and how. Practically speaking, numerous associations do tend to actualize comparative controls. There is a little arrangement of controls that is broadly acknowledged as best practices. There is really a moment standard, ISO 27002, that is a gathering of these best practice controls. This standard is authoritatively an only for-data standard, yet by and by many individuals utilize this standard as an agenda to check whether they are doing whats necessary. Formally anyway you ought to settle on your own choices and just actualize these controls if there is a real hazard. Another misguided judgment about data security, is that it is an IT theme or IT duty. ISO 27001 requires the association of the entire association, not only the IT division. For example the top administration must set the objectives and give spending plan and assets, and HR is regularly required in settling staff related dangers. In the event that data security is restricted to the IT division, you are not consistent to ISO 27001. A third confusion that regularly happens, is an over-concentrate on the real number of controls and measures that is executed. You are agreeable with ISO 27001 on the off chance that you have a working ISMS prepare. ISO 27001 is a procedure standard, and you ought to concentrate on executing the procedure. Actualizing most or all controls is not an objective or prerequisite. Consistence and affirmation Numerous associations utilize the standard ISO 27001 not on the grounds that they need to make the best choice, additionally in light of the fact that they need to get a security testament. There is an unobtrusive distinction between being agreeable to ISO27001, and acquiring a declaration. Any association that will put in enough responsibility, time and assets can wind up noticeably agreeable to ISO27001 by simply taking the necessary steps. You are not required to procure any official master. When you meet all necessities, you can call yourself consistent. To wind up noticeably guaranteed, there is an extra stride: You have to locate an official gathering that is authorize to do ISO 27001 confirmations, and request that such gathering do a survey of the ISMS. Regardless of whether accreditation is justified regardless of the extra time and expenses differs per association. We would say, the cost and exertion of full ISO 27001 accreditation is viewed as costly by numerous associations. Hence we built up the more coordinated Security Verified standard. The Security Verified standard depends on similar standards or best practices, yet has openly accessible necessities and a quicker and more effective audit prepare. The models are perfect. One can begin with actualizing a decent ISMS, get a Security Verified authentication once every one of the nuts and bolts are set up. You can keep enhancing your ISMS and get an ISO 27001 declaration later on when the less critical stuff is likewise set up and you have more experience running your ISMS. In any case, we and every other master prescribe anybody to consider data security important. It is justified, despite all the trouble to put resources into building an ISMS, paying little mind to what confirmation you choose to seek after. Concentrate the standard ISO 27001 is an imperative initial phase toward this path .

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - Caliban and Trinculo :: Shakespeare The Tempest

Psychoanalytic Analysis of Caliban and Trinculo of The Tempest  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a psychoanalytic perspective, both Caliban and Trinculo of Shakespeare’s The Tempest are interesting characters. Caliban is very sexual and bitter, while Trinculo is at odds with everything: his situation of being washed ashore and wrongly accused of saying things when he did not utter a word, as well as Caliban’s worship of an unkingly man, his drunken friend Stephano. Caliban has obviously not had all of his desires trained to stay within him, despite Prospero’s punishments and Miranda’s schooling. Trinculo, on the other hand, wastes his emotions in a bottle of liquor and knows better than Caliban who is and is not fit to worship. Caliban is rude, crude, ugly and lazy. Speaking in a psychoanalytic manner, Caliban is going to be remembered as bitter and obsessed with sex. This sexual desire is going to be coincided first with thoughts of his mutation-- a feeling of inadequacy-- and then more significantly with the absence of his mother. That he had no parents on which to form an Oedipal complex and knows only who his mother was (nothing is mentioned of his father) makes for interesting observations on how he deals with sexuality. We learn that he does not deny that Prospero is the only barrier between him and the rape of Miranda. It is clear that he has developed only so far as Freud’s theory of id, with small touches of the superego. Caliban’s development of the superego is evident only when he does not wish to receive Prospero’s pinches and cramps. He is otherwise all for anything that will bring him pleasure. Being free of Prospero, fulfilling his sexual desires with Miranda and drinking liquor are all on his menu. Trinculo is unable to forget, as the butler Stephano does, all of his woes into the bottom of a bottle. He is upset by the way that Stephano allows himself to be carried away by the worship and praise of Caliban. He is also dismayed in the unjust treatment Stephano dispenses on Caliban’s behalf as Ariel plays Puckish tricks. Clearly, there is no problem with this jester’s ego. He wants himself to be taken care of. He does not appreciate the way he is treated on the monster’s behalf, because he knows he has done no wrong. Later, Trinculo’s id takes over somewhat as he becomes more intoxicated and no longer has the will to let his ego control his id.

Solutions to the Foreclosure Crisis in Cleveland Essay -- Economics

Cleveland, Ohio faces a vacant property crisis. Steady abandonment of vacant properties, both residential and commercial, has diminished stability, property values, and public safety in the city of Cleveland and its neighboring suburbs. This multi-faceted problem of mortgage loan delinquency and bank walk-aways in Cleveland has generated an extensive legal discussion concerning pressing public policy matters. The foreclosure crisis in Cleveland has imposed significant financial burdens upon taxpayers and area residents who have been forced to shoulder burdens that are rightfully the responsibility of borrowers, mortgage lenders and others that are direct parties to the mortgage transaction. Indeed, â€Å"the failure of borrowers and lenders to pay the full social costs of nonprime lending also leads to perverse market effects, as less-than-scrupulous lending organizations overextend credit to highly foreclosure-prone borrowers.† Economic conditions and predatory lending in Cleveland have hindered the city from being able to effectively respond to the crisis. However, Cleveland has been successful in its property acquisition tools for revitalization, namely its city land bank. The use of the city land bank has been a key element in the successful efforts of community development corporations (CDCs), but as economic conditions and challenges have plagued the Cleveland housing market, this tool is no longer as effective in generating a sufficient pipeline of properties for redevelopment. Recognizing that reinvigorating the city’s land bank was a key measure to pursue in light of economic changes, the Cleveland Housing Renewal Project (CHRP), a non-profit organization subsidiary of Neighborhood Progress Incorporated (NPI), filed an ac... ..., and if and when foreclosure does occur, the banks, not the municipalities, should be held accountable for property-code violations on those homes. To promote economic development and to assist low-income communities in the midst of this housing crisis, laws must be strengthened to make it harder for banks to flip homes to out-of-state LLCs like Interstate Investment. In terms of litigation, housing courts should consider the order by Judge Pianka when deciding who should bear the burden of paying foreclosed and distressed residential properties. Cleveland is a location where real estate development is needed to overcome the crisis of foreclosure. The remedies will not be quick, but holding lenders accountable for their properties and developing legislation to discourage conveyances to foreign LLCs are some important ways to turn abandonment into opportunity.

Fit to be tied :: essays research papers

There are two types of human: married and unmarried. Marriage is good and singleness is good too, but most of the people who are still single, of course want to have a spouse. But many of them do so for wrong reason. There is such thing as a pressure from the outside of single one's life, says to them that there's something wrong with them which forces him/her to get into marriage. There are many married people who are lonely, but singles choose to marry because of this wrong thinking, that they will be lonely no more. I agree with the author that ultimate peace, joy comes only from our Lord God. Another myth why people, who have been wounded during childhood, marry is because they think their spouse will heal their brokenness. They seemingly look for spouses but actually they need healers. They will go into any available relationship, but eventually there is more pain. But singles should first face the problems that they experience, and then choose the partner very carefully. Marri age is also not the guarantee to happiness, unless Christ is the only center in the lives of both. And marriage is not for everyone. Well, if I will be single, then I can spend more hours with my Lord. When we have the buying mood we can buy very expensive car, just if it has a soft seat. People hate when somebody gives them advice they don't like, especially if you're believer marrying unbeliever. They reject those advices, and eventually marry spiritually incompatible partners. Spiritual compatibility is very important; you could share together the Greatest Treasure - Jesus Christ Lord. It causes a lot of problem if in the marriage each spouse has his own plan for each other, but only in Bible, we can find a single solution, a single blueprint for the marriage. It is very important when spouses face life problems; both of them have common strength - prayer to God. Only He can strengthen when very painful times come up. When you are away from home you shouldn't worry what your spouse teaches your kids, to prevent that it is better to have spouse who will have the same Lord as you are. It is not enough just to be with the same belief, but it is very important also to have spiritual oneness, where your ideas fit with your spouse’s ones.

King Lear essay, exploring the notion of hope

In the world of King Lear, being a shakespearean tragedy, suffering, loss, and injustice are all factors often expected before an audience enters the bottomless pit of complicated characters, varying agendas, and Shakespearean english these productions usually employed. However, despite its melancholy undertone and lack of warmer lighting gels on stage, King Lear is not without hope. Shakespeare in Lear, presents the notion that characters in great authority force suffering upon others in an effort to retain power, admiration, and status.Initially, Lear himself demonstrates this, appallingly treating Cordelia with an irrational snap judgement when he is embarrassed in court by his youngest daughters silence and lack of praise; â€Å"Here I disclaim all my parental care. † (1:1:107) This unjust sentence is highly ironic, especially for the audience, as dramatically we see transparent farce of Gonerill and Regan’s dedications of love, and the total truth of Cordeliaâ€⠄¢s.Due to the â€Å"infirmity of his age† (1:1:284) (Lear) the unjust pain Cordelia endures for his mistake is greatened, and due to this dramatic irony the audience is forever hopeful for some form of justice and resolution to come. Hope comes in many forms in King Lear, and at first arrives in the character of Kent. Like the audience, Kent is able to see the mistaken ways of Lear, and is the first to step in and address Cordelia’s suffering. â€Å"See better, Lear†¦ Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least.† (1:1:146-153)In one dramatic interpretation of the play, Kent is positioned between Lear and Cordelia, symbolizing perhaps, a link between the mistaken mind of an old King, and the â€Å"more ponderous† (1:1:73) love of a young heir, furthermore acting asâ€Å"the true blank of thine eye† (1:1:153) for his decrepit King. Kent brings the hope for justice to a tantalizingly close reality, however through Lear’s blind desire f or admiration and respect of status, the audience is left with a even greater sense of bathos, and desire for resolution, when yet again our hopes our berried by more pain and disappointment.This again portrays the notion that authority and all that follows leads to the lower statured characters enduring unjust suffering, and that â€Å"nothing comes from nothing† (1:1:85) linking back to the notion that suffering cant come from nothing. Hope can also presented in King Lear, in the way in which directors stage the characters on set. In one dramatic interpretation of the play, in act 1 scene 1, Lear is sat down solitary with Gonerill and Regan at his side. This not only portrays the Kings increasing age, but also the manipulative power Gonerill and Regan initially have over him.During this first scene we see the gap between Cordelia and Lear increase progressively, again portraying a physical representation for their relationship and love for one another growing further and fu rther apart. After this distancing, Cordelia, positioned front stage right, has both Kent, The Fool, and towards the end of the scene, France. The dramatic effect of this is clear to the audience; it physically highlights the allegiances of the characters, and is used also to portray other various notions in a more physical manner, one of which is hope.Hope is presented in the way in which The Fool, Kent, and France side with Cordelia, implying to the audience she is not alone in her banishment, and that perhaps these characters may have a role in returning Cordelia later in the play. This idea is further backed up in act 1 scene 5 upon where we see The Fool speak the truth to the king; â€Å"Thou shouldst not have been old till thou hadst been wise† (1:5:36) presenting hope in that the king might listen.The allegiances formed in this scene contrast one another, clearly demonstrating to the audience their various agendas, and allows the audience to understand the alliances of characters without any dialogue required. Following on from this notion of unspoken alliances, characters relationships inspire hope in the audience as well. While Lear is initially the main spark of suffering for the other characters, and despite the fact that his own suffering is self inflicted, the audience does sympathize for his position amongst the rest.The â€Å"infirmity of his age† (1:1:284) results in his malicious, self satisfying, daughters manipulating him with ease, and abusing the power he entrusts onto them. But in the same way we see Kent step in for Cordelia, we see him return to aid Lear at this stage in the play as well. The strength of there relationship is seen in Kent’s unfaltering loyalty for his King: â€Å"If thou canst serve where thou dost stand condemned, so may it come thy master, whom thou lov’st, shall find thee full of labours. † (1:4:6) and as a result does instill hope into the hearts of the audience that Kent may in fa ct put things right.Suffering comes in many forms during King Lear, however despite the darkly lit stage, black costumes of the characters, and general tragic story Lear follows – hope is always a present emotion amongst the audience. Dramatic irony, stage setting, character relationships and proxemics are all dramatic devices employed by the director of one particular dramatic interpretation of the play. They contrast the darker elements of Lear and without them, the play would loose the very key to its brilliance.That key, that unlocks the particularly controversial entertainment value, being hope within the audience. Without the subtle hope shakespeare and modern directors try and install into the very weave of King Lear, the audience would find themselves simply enduring this seemingly deepening pit of death, despair, and disappointment. This is why I am able to conclude that by considering a few of the dramatic effects used in King Lear, despite the ever present tone of suffering, hope is always ingrained within the audience. Forever seeking resolution to the slope on which they travel down.

Sociological perspectives

I have been observing the political events of many countries as they unfold. Among the most fascinating of all was that in Kenya, a country in Africa which drew attention of the whole world after being highlighted as a result of the post election violence. I watched the campaign rallies as they were captured by the TV stations that were mainly dominated by three political parties; the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the Party of National Unity (PNU) and Orange Democratic Movement of Kenya (ODM – K). I then focused on the whole country as a social system and finally narrowed down my observation to the close competitors who eyed for the presidential seat( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-8434875422533573659 ) This paper examines all my observations as pertaining to the above highlighted situation through ‘a sociologist eyes'. As I watched the campaign rallies, I noticed that among the major political parties, there were common agenda. This were poverty reduction, job creation, fight against tribalism and inequality. In my quest to know more about the reason behind having common agendas, I realized that this country was stratified into different groups based on tribes, religious background and economic status. Economically, there were two major groups, the poor and the rich. The poor blamed the rich for accumulating large amounts of wealth through corrupt deals. They pointed out some major scandals that led to poor economic growth which resulted to increased poverty in the country. Examples of such corruption scandal include the â€Å"golden berg† and the â€Å"Anglo leasing†. The poor claimed that they were exploited by the rich, a situation that they said led to marginalization of some people and widened the gap between rich and the poor. The rich were supporting the political regime that existed at that time and they supported President Mwai Kibaki whom they said was the best president that people should support if they intend to achieve a high economic growth rate. Of course these were the owners of means of production and they intended to maximize on increasing their wealth. The poor were supporting Mr. Odinga who unveiled his plan to reduce poverty and inequality – something that the wealthy class in the country termed as a threat to investment( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-4385739074127652954 ) These two groups divided the country's population into two antagonistic groups and initiated conflict between themselves. The campaign took a different dimension when two tribes in this country came came out to out do each other and muscle out their way to compeat for the prestigious political position, the presidency. These tribes included Kikuyu and the Luo(http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=6778777698786778125) As a result a debate for introduction of â€Å"Majimbo system† what can be referred to a Federal government came up. The two groups were once in another conflict since those behind PNU did not support a Majimbo government while those behind ODM and ODM -Kenya did( http://video. google. com/videoplay? docid=-5553237563976614777&q=kenya+politics+on+tv-+kibaki+and+raila&total=22&start=10&num=10&so=2&type=search&plindex=5&hl=en . As the election neared, another conflict came up. This time round, it was the Muslim community versus the Christian community where the Muslims wanted to get freedom to exercise their Sharia Laws. They claimed that they were never given freedom like the Christians who are the majority in the country. The Muslims therefore chose to support the ODM leader, Raila who had promised to address their grievances. The Christians rejected Mr. Raila ‘s proposal and threatened to demand their Christian laws to be enacted into state laws if the Muslims were given that â€Å"Special treatment† ( http://video. google. om/videoplay? docid=-1185250696841707886 This reminded me of the social conflict theory which holds that no society can exist without conflict (http://www. allfreeessays. com/student/Consensus_Conflict_Perspectives_in_social_theory. html ) As I watched the political campaigns, it was clear that these political leaders wanted to create a positive image of themselves in order to win many votes. In the â€Å"Front stageâ⠂¬  as Erving Goffman calls it in his theory of impression management or dramatical approach to social interaction, they gave all sorts of good promises. They promised to create jobs, reduce poverty, fight tribalism and inequality. In the â€Å"backstage† they would go to their tribes and call for their support, promise their tribes how they would benefit more than the other Kenyans and how they will appoint people from their tribes in government offices, something which was contrary to what they were promising the citizens in general. Challenging each other in political arenas and their respective credentials further worsened the relationship between the â€Å"actors† When chaos erupted in the country and things seemed to run out of control, the former UN Secretary General, MR. Koffi Annan together with Graca Machele and Benjamin Mkapa led Mediation talks. The two political leaders, Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki appeared in Televisions as a way to inform the Kenyans that they were not enemies and were working together to put things in place. This was just a â€Å"front stage† since later on they both accused each other for what was happening in the country and clearly brought out a good picture of the ‘back stage'. These kind of actions by Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki is what Goffman said was analogously equated to theoretical drama. In this case, Mr. Odinga and President Kibaki together with their close supporters were the actors while Kenyans became the audience. This is the theory of symbolic interaction ism(Herman N, Reynolds L, pp. 76) Kenya is a society that is made up of individuals and groups of people who interact with each other and espouse a sense of ‘we feeling'. They share many things in common including laws, the presidency among others and they all work together to improve their welfare and the country as a whole. Within the system there are sub systems which include political system, religious system, education and economic system among others. All these have a function to perform in order to ensure the social system functions properly. It is important to note that all societies consist of social structures which play different roles but must depend on one another. In the case for Kenya, the disputed election results led to chaos. This paralyzed all sectors of the economy. Many families were forced to break especially where the Luo intermarried with the Kikuyu. This was a state of anarchy and anomie that led to high levels of insecurity and deaths of thousands of innocent Kenyans. All learning institutions were closed down churches were burnt down and in general there was social disorganization in the country. All structures that bond Kenya as a society were weakened and if it were not for the mediation talks led by the international society Kenya would have been torn apart. I observed it and the theory of structural functionalism crossed my mind. According to the structural functionalism school of thought, any society comprises of social structures. These social structures play specialized and important functions that bind the members of the society together. (Robinson W, pp 314)

Stuttering Paper

According to Singular's Pocket Dictionary of Speech-Language Pathology â€Å"stuttering is an articulatory or phonatory problem that typically presents in childhood and is characterized by anxiety about the efficacy of spoken communication, along with forced, involuntary hesitation, duplication, and protraction of sounds and syllables. † Stuttering can be witnessed in the rate, pitch, inflection, and even facial expressions of a speaker. The cause of this problem is not set in stone, which leads to countless theories as to why people stutter. Along with numerous theories as to why people have this disorder, there are also limitless treatment methods that can be used to help a speaker with a stuttering problem. Stuttering has been a controversial topic among professionals for hundreds of years, and we are still learning what works and what does not work for this curious disorder. The etiology of stuttering is not certain to this day. Many professionals are torn between the psychological and neurological theories as to why people stutter. There are many theories which explain stuttering as a psychosomatic problem that can be dealt with by using psychotherapy. The â€Å"Repressed Need† hypothesis explains that stuttering is a neurotic symptom which is fixed in the unconscious. The repressed need is said to come from a longing for either oral or anal gratification. The stutterer is able to satisfy their anal erotic needs by the â€Å"holding back of words that may represent a hostile expulsion and retention of feces. † This theory is closely related to Freud’s Oral and Anal stages. Some theorists believe that stuttering is caused by the â€Å"Anticipatory struggle†. The anticipatory struggle hypothesis explains that p63 â€Å"stutterers interfere in some manner with the way they are talking because of their belief in the difficulty of speech. † The stutterer is so frightened of making a mistake during speech they in turn avoid, brake, or interject their words and sentences. Stuttering is thought to be a variant disorder, meaning it can affect a person in certain situations that bring them great anxiety or fear. Using a phone and speaking in front of a group of people are examples of this . Although many signs point to a psychological explanation for stuttering, genetic and neurological problems have also been tied to stuttering. Early theorists, like the Roman physicians believed stuttering was related to an imbalance of the â€Å"four humors†, and humoral balance treatments were used to treat stuttering until the late eighteenth century. A more modern explanation of a neurological problem that causes stuttering would be the â€Å"cerebral dominance theory†, that explains conflict between the two hemispheres of the brain is the cause of stuttering. Stuttering has many different types of specified dysfluencies. Although there are hesitations and interruptions found in all speakers, the disfluency found in stutterers seems to be more severe. There are several forms of dysfluencies when dealing with stuttering including interjections, repetitions, and revisions. A stutterer can encompass one or many dysfluencies ranging from minor incidents to very extreme episodes of stuttering. Interjections occur frequently in both fluent speakers and dysfluent speakers. An interjection occurs with the speaker uses â€Å"uh† or â€Å"er† while speaking. Repetitions also are common for stutterers. Repetitions can occur in part of the word ,† wh wh what† in the entire word, â€Å"what what what† and in phrases, â€Å" what do what do what do you want? † Revisions during sentences such as,†I was, I am going† also happen often, along with broken words; I was t—alking, and prolonged sounds like the â€Å"wa† sound in what are also usual in stuttering. Like other speech disorders, stuttering mainly occurs in children who show no evidence of having any other type of disorder. Stuttering comes in many shapes and forms and can be slight to extremely severe, making the all characteristics of this disorder always subject to change. Stutterers encompass hesitation, interruption, revisions, broken words, and prolonged sounds in their speech making it hard for people to follow. While most of the characteristics of a stutterer are only apparent when listening to them speak, there are also many secondary characteristics a stutterer may have. The secondary characteristics vary from person to person, however most of them occur in the face or hand motions. Visible characteristics include tension in the face, which can be seen when the speaker is talking and their face seems to turn sour and flushed. Stutterers also may frown, jerk their head, move their eyes erratically, or wrinkle their foreheads during a speech interruption. Stutterers show secondary characteristics in their hand movements and gestures as well. When stutterers feel tension which is usually caused by frustration of speech, they sometimes react by waving their arms and hands. This can sometimes help the stutterer to get out a word, phrase or sound they are trying to express. Vocal abnormalities are also present in some stutterers, including abnormal inflections in tone, and sharp pitch level shifts. A person can begin to stutter at any time, however most cases are recorded at a young age; most frequently between the ages of two through six. An estimated fifteen million individuals world wide, including three million Americans stutter. A child can be diagnosed from eighteen months, when words starts to progress into more fluent speech. The median age of onset according to a study done by Daley (1955); which included fifty young stutterers recorded that the median age of onset was 3. 87. Occurrence becomes less frequent with age, and seems to be tied to the development of language. Although there are millions of stutterers in the United States most of them will â€Å"recover† by adulthood. According to Andrews and Harris’s (1964) research that included 1,000 stutterers; 79% of children will stop stuttering by the age of sixteen. Boys are three times more likely to develop a stutter then a girl would according to the 3-1 ratio concluded by â€Å"US Nationwide, 1-12† Hull el at (1976). Assessing a stuttering disorder can be done in many ways including, recognizing the frequency of the specified disfluency type, calculating the mean duration of stuttering, speech rate, and articulation of the person’s speech. When measuring the frequency of the stutter, the speech pathologist can try to account the percentage of moments of stuttered words or syllables. This is a popular way of diagnosing a stutter, since it is easily reportable. Speech pathologists can use electronic counters to measure the number of syllables stuttered during a speech session. A speech pathologist can also evaluate a patient by checking their speech rate. Checking a speech rate is done by the examination of abnormalities in the respiration, like disordered breathing, and phonation, such as breath holding. A professional can also make assumptions on a patient by listening to how long a stuttering block lasts for. An average duration of a stuttering block is one second, and in some severe cases of stuttering a block can last for an entire minute. When dealing with the treatment of a speech disorder like stuttering, the patient has many options, which may or may not work for them. Since stuttering usually begins at a young age, behavior therapy has been a popular method of treatment that may halt the progression of stuttering in children. In behavior therapy for early stutterers, the clinician can recommend the child to speak slower and smoother by teaching them a relaxed pattern of speech. Modeling and mimicking are excellent ways to help a child with a stutter to over come their impediment. Psychotherapy is another modern way of treatment among professionals. Psychoanalytical therapy can help the stutterer to over come their anxieties of speech, and give them the confidence that they lack. Speech therapists play a role in the treatment of stuttering by helping the patient modify their speech patterns. It seems that most stutters are able to talk in song, so the speech pathologist can teach the patient to speak rhythmically. Helping a person speak rhythmically can be taught by using hand and finger movements to assist the stutterer â€Å"move along† their fluency. While this is an effective treatment for stuttering, some patients might relapse and their learned hand movements become useless and the learned tendency can then become an abnormal secondary characteristic. Although the effectiveness of therapy is unclear, the patient has the option of many treatments, and eventually a stutterer may find something that will work for them or as in many cases, the person might recover spontaneously. Stuttering is classified as a speech disorder, however there is much more to this disorder that meets the eye. Researchers are still trying to pinpoint the exact cause of stuttering but one thing they can all agree on is that the emotional pain a person with a stutter lives with can affect them for the rest of their lives, even after the disorder subsides. Aside from the anxiety, shame, and fear that go along with this speech problem, many people go ahead to live seemingly normal lives. Through out history there have been countless successful individuals who stutter, ranging from Winston Churchill to James Earl Jones which goes to show that while stuttering can be difficult to overcome it does not deter a person from reaching their fullest potential.

The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsement in Advertising

Advertising is one of the most effective strategies of non-price competition, that’s why it is closely associated and widely used in terms of monopolistic competition. Companies in monopolistic competitive market can not sell more of their differentiated product without lowering the price. Thus, advertising is a great instrument to gain more customers and increase the sales without cutting the price. Despite of different views on economic effectiveness of advertising, modern large companies in monopolistic competition spend millions of dollars for promotion of own brands, goods or services. It is a known tactic to employ celebrity endorsement for advertising own product. In particular, for many years Michael Jordan has been appearing in Nike ads, and the products of this company are associated with Jordan on global scale. Many companies use a celebrity or athlete for advertising its goods or services because celebrity endorsement attracts more attention of target audience, as well as it increases credibility and improves reputation of the brand in customers’ eyes, leading eventually to higher sales. Specialists comment that celebrity is already a known brand, and his/her endorsement of the product helps to make it more popular. â€Å"You have the core brand and then you have the celebrity brand, and, when that confluence is positive, the impact can be tremendous† (Storey, 2006). In my opinion, participation of professional athletes in ads of certain brands can be considered quite convincing and effective from two perspectives. First of all, only successful powerful companies, which offer mostly first-class quality products, can afford inviting famous sportsmen (like Michael Jordan or David Beckham) to advertise their goods. Besides, sport is a passion of people of different ages. Both children and adults around the world love sports very much, and that’s why target audience of such advertising is very large. Nevertheless, recently British specialists found out that currently the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement is firmly decreasing (BBC News, 2007). References Celebrity Ads' Impact Questioned. (2007, February 27). BBC News. The British Broadcasting Company. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from ;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/somerset/6400419.stm;. Storey, L. (2006, October 12). Seeing Stars. The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2008.

Abusive child labor in China

News correspondent David Barbosa of the New York Times Magazine has published an article on May 1st 2008, entitled: ‘China Says Abusive Child Labor Ring Is Exposed’. In his news article, Barbosa uncovered more in-depth analysis surrounding the incident of child labor in China, in which according to him acknowledges child labor abuse at the heart of China’s export economy. This paper will discuss Barbosa’s finding on the plight of Chinese children amidst extensive economic production. Article Summary Who was involved? Based on Barbosa’s news article, child labor ranges from the age of 13 to 15 which have been deceived and possibly kidnapped by a child trafficking syndicate then sold to employment agencies. To cite, the series of crackdown by Chinese authorities has found rampant child labor employment from Western Sichuan Province of Liangshan that supplies the children to factories in Guangdong, wherein forced labor engages about 300 working hours monthly (Barbosa, 2008). Result of the crackdown The summary of result on crackdown of child labor rings has prompted the Chinese authorities to enacting more enforcement, which according to Barbosa has put China in significant scandal and embarrassment [aside from the political issue with Tibet who rejects China’s massive preparation to the forthcoming Olympic Games]. With the incoming Olympic event, Chinese authorities has doubled its efforts in enforcing the strictest possible campaign against child labor traffickers, wherein the April 30th 2008 crackdown to various legal and most specifically illegal employment agencies [or simply child traffickers] have been arrested and initially rescued about 100 children-laborers from Dongguan City where major electronic manufacturing firms are located. Behind child labor issue    According to Barbosa, child labor and abuses depicts China’s scarcity of laborers as a result of soaring inflationary rates and foreign currency devaluation that decreases profitability of both small and medium manufacturers that resorted to move quickly in the â€Å"edge† of competitive manufacturing and mass production; that involve cheap labor of children and adult laborers [of both men and women], wherein the Chinese labor law has even reduced the legal age requirement from the age of 16. Barbosa insinuated that may be the â€Å"political issue† involving Tibet’s [rejection and defiance to holding the Olympic Games in China] may have attributed to the seeming crackdown of human trafficking for cheap labor, in general. As cited, the earlier cases of child labor and human trafficking incidents could have been picking up â€Å"loose response† of enforcement, apparently becoming â€Å"stiff and tight† on the current dates. The critical issue behind the rampant child labor and human trafficking in China espouses the fact of looming poverty incidence in Southern and Western localities of China wherein continuing increase of   production and raw materials costs are insignificant to cost-cutting measures. To cite, even the renowned transnational Wal-Mart company have been charged with child labor, wherein similarly other foreign firms in China were illicitly engaging. In related child labor issue, Barbosa pointed out the observation of Professor Hu Xingdou from Beijing Institute of Technology who quoted that ‘China’s economy is developing at a fascinating speed, but often at the expense of laws, human rights and environmental protection’.   Further to cite, local government encourages incentives to grow their economy and thereby encouraging participation of cheap labor forces that includes children. Postscript in the report Journalists have jointly advocated pursuing the progress of Chinese authorities’ campaign against child labor and human trafficking.   According to Barbosa, the Southern Metropolis newspaper (in Beijing, China) conducts fact-finding mission in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan Province wherein indigenous families resides and being targeted by child labor recruiters. Barbosa stressed that journalist may access and could uncover the truth brought about by the scandal of child labor and abuse. As quoted by Barbosa; â€Å"journalists could discover the facts by secret interviews in a few days, since how could the labor departments show no interest in it and ignore it for such a long time?† Reference Barbosa, D. (2008). ‘China Says Abusive Child Labor Ring Is Exposed’. The New York Times (Asia Pacific) Electronic Magazine. Retrieved 08 May 2008 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/world/asia/01china.html?pagewanted=1_r=1