Standardization of Accounting Regulations Essay

Standardization of Accounting Regulations - Essay Example As a result of this, the effect of standardization of accounting must be regarded beyond capital market settings; therefore, these effects should also be examined on other areas, including flows of information, policies and people. Although the way standardization of accounting affects accounting information more especially on the internet is rather vague, these transfers are relatively unstructured and unregulated in current accounting practices. "However, technologies in accounting are legitimizing certain sets of information, and give attention to certain voices in the quest for global attention." (Graham & Neu, 2003) Such a body is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it assist the international governments handle tackle the economic, social, and governance challenges of a global economy. They scrutinize government and help examine such performance indicators as laundering, transportation, and pension. Also, they help to review process performance measurements both to observe and to direct government performance. The funding of internet information is provided largely by the U.S Department of Defense in the 1970s and 1980s, for the purpose of developing advance communications networks linking the U.S. militaries and universities, this is shaped by standardized accounting in the development of informational technical infrastructure. "Some other agencies that have helped fund Internet communication, like (The National Science Foundation and the Advanced Research Projects Agency) have also relied on accounting technologies to balance technical and economic goals." (Graham & Neu, 2003) Flow of policy Standardization of accounting has also helped to regulate foreign policies; accounting practices are most times imposed on distant sites. By and through the terms of lending conditionality, the receiving counties are coerced, albeit co-operatively, to adopt and accept mainstream neo-liberal financial policies. This scenario is evident in most third world where they are made to abide by the conditions of the lending countries. And I such cases financial assistance is given by IMF. Accounting technologies make visible certain problems, offer certain solutions, and make these solutions operational. In most cases, practices from international sources are thus mixed with resident financial practices of the country in concern so that the problem could be solved. Ultimately, this flow of policies will produced economic survival. Flow of people The standardization of Accounting has helped to keep track of people as they move from area to area. Movement of people are monitored and analyzed as they cross borders, and accounting is deemed to be a major player in the immigration policies and practices of many countries. For instance, an accounting system which manages loans to immigrants is in operation Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) makes loans to immigrants in order to assist them in various ways, and such includes transportation, proving admissibility, and general assistance (Government of Canada, 2003, as cited in Graham & Neu, 2003). Thus, the movement of people into Canada are enabled and enhanced by accounting technologies. More also, these people are monito

Defining the Nature of Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Defining the Nature of Happiness - Essay Example The happier you are, the better your life is going for you. Yet the nature of happiness remains controversial. Some claim that happiness is fundamentally a matter of sensory pleasure and pain - if you are experiencing a favorable balance of pleasurable sensations over painful ones, you are happy. Others say that to be happy is to be getting your desires satisfied, whatever these desires may be. Still others say that to be happy is to be satisfied with your life as a whole."1 There are many ways which a person can do to himself to feel happy. Everybody is in the pursuit of happiness and in my view there is no way that person feel ultimate happiness. Some aspect of art and some of science are necessary for sense happiness for short time period. Nothing is forever neither happiness; it doesn't mean that the person feel guilty or sad because of that thing which made him happy. Everybody after sometime will have new aim to fulfill which they think will make them happy. Satisfaction leads to happiness, so in whatever condition we are we should do ignore our bigger aims and concentrate on little things which will make us happy on daily basis. We should count all our blessings and write it in a journal which will give you satisfaction. You should practice some acts of kindness like give charity or help someone genuinely. Relish joys of life, remember all the good moments of your life which will make you smile in less happy moments. If there is a mentor who has helped you in any way which had made things better in your life, thank him. Forgive a person who has hurt you by writing an email or giving him a phone call and it will help you a lot to move on. Personal relationship should be developed like visit family or spend time with friends; you will not feel lonely and sad. There is nobody who hasn't seen hardships of life, so religion will be your savior and believe in 'this shall too pass'. You have to take a lot of care of your body because healthy life is necessary to be happy, irregular timings of sleeps and meals will lead to sickness and you will be worried. Take plenty of sleep, practice smiling and exercise to feel better3. One of the greatest delusions related to happiness is that one need money to be happy. But if you study people around then you will feel there is not much truth in it, as rich people do not automatically become happy if they get money and poor people do not automatically unhappy if they don't get money4. Another big misconception about happiness is that one needs someone else to be happy. Happiness comes from within oneself and a person can himself control their happiness. The third big misconception about being happy is that one needs to be lucky to be happy. Happiness doesn't depend on luck. Happiness is to open oneself to happiness and to look for places where one can find happiness. So one should have a positive approach towards life; one should not wait for happiness to come to them but you have to open your life to be happy. There are many realistic benefits which can cultivate higher levels of personal importance, satisfaction and happiness, besides just "feeling

ICT Security Issues And Concerns

ICT Security Issues And Concerns ICT security issues and concerns are becoming more prevalent and increasingly complex as the pace of technology implementation continues to accelerate. How this phenomenon has affected the public sector and the private sector in our country. Discuss Each e-government project has its own version of the framework, where elements within the four components may differ according to the individuals agencys business or technical needs. List and explain the function of the components. 1.0 Introduction: ICT is the technology needed for information processing, in general, the use of electronic computers, software applications and communication devices to convert, retrieve, transmit, process, protect and store information from anytime, anywhere. Information and communications technology also known as (ICT) it is the sectors that process information which includes capturing, transmitting, and displaying information using electronic systems. Information communication technology sectors dont stop transforming our everyday life and economy. This sectors Core industries contain: Communications systems contain broadcasting, cable / broadband, telecommunications, and other program that distributes the systems. Computer systems including, network engineering, robotics, electronics, technical support and computer engineering. Software and digital media contains Internet security, web portals, web design, data management, computer animation, simulations, computer games, video games and computer programming. Information communication technology is the technology that needed for information processing such as for the creation, manipulation, storage, retrieval and communication of information. They are of immense value in a world in which there is an information explosion, and where knowledge is complex, ever-changing and cross-disciplinary in nature. Many of the skills of ICT are important aspects of Information Literacy, which relates to the ability to select, organise, analyse and use information effectively. Quick and effective access to information is regarded as essential for everyone in contemporary society; and the ability to construct knowledge from the information gathered has become crucial in Hong Kongs knowledge-based society. Citizens in the 21st century need to understand and be able to use ICT in order to function efficiently in modern society. To maintain the competitiveness of Hong Kong in the world economy, we need to develop interest and nurture talent in our students i n this area. The importance of ICT does not lie in the technology as such, but in its enabling function for access to knowledge and for communication with others. Rapid advances in ICT have continued to drive economic change, restructure businesses, affect education and employment, and contribute significantly to growth and wealth creation. (NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA) 2.0 Answer Question 1: Ways severely harm your businesss effect 2.1 Virus: Computer viruses may be benign and result only in amusement or slight annoyance. The best known examples of such a virus are some versions of the Stoned virus which simply write Your computer is stoned on the monitor. Other viruses are more malignant and malicious, destroying or altering data. Once a virus is active in a host computer, the infection can spread rapidly throughout a network to other systems. A virus may attach itself to other programs and hide in them. Or it may infiltrate the computers operating system. All computer operating systems, (for example, MS- and PCDOS, Unix and Macintosh OS) are vulnerable, some more than others. Viruses enter computer systems from an external software source. Just as flowers are attractive to the bees that pollinate them, virus host programs are deliberately made attractive to victims. Often the attraction will be a new game made available for downloading from a computer bulletin board. Or it may be disguised as an executable file attached to an electronic mail message from a friend or business associate. Aside from viruses, there are other threats to user systems, including: Worm and Logic Bombs. (McAFEE Network Security Management) 2.1.2 Worm: Viruses are far from the only maverick programs that can disrupt a computer system. Worms are constructed to infiltrate genuine data processing programs and destroy or alter the data. Often what people believe is a virus infection is, in fact, a worm program. This is not as serious because worms do not replicate themselves. But the damage caused by a worm attack can be just as serious as a virus, especially if not discovered in time. For example, suppose a worm program instructs a banks computer to transfer funds to an illicit account. The fund transfers may continue even after the worm is destroyed. However, once the worm invasion is discovered, recovery is much easier because there is only a single copy of the worm program to destroy since the replicating ability of the virus is absent. This capability may enable it to re-infect a system several times. A worm is similar to a benign tumour while a virus is like a malignant one. (NC STATE UNIVERSITY) 2.1.3 Logic Bombs: Writing a logic bomb program is similar to creating a Trojan Horse. Both also have about the same ability to damage data, too. Logic bombs include a timing device so it will go off at a particular date and time. The Michelangelo virus is embedded in a logic bomb, for example. Other virus programs often include coding similar to that used in logic bombs, but the bombs can be very destructive on their own, even if they lack the ability of the virus to reproduce. One logic bomb caused major problems in the Los Angeles water departments system. Logic bombs are usually timed to do maximum damage. That means the logic bomb is a favoured device for revenge by disgruntled former employees who can set it to activate after they have left the company. One common trigger occurs when the dismissed employees name is deleted from payroll records. On one occasion, a student left a logic bomb timed to explode and wipe out his universitys records well after he had collected his degree and was long gone. This example illustrates the pernicious nature of logic bombs which can be written literally decades before they explode. (Virus Removal Support) 2.1.4 Phishing: The phishing is a common term for the creation and utilize by criminals of websites and e-mails, created to show people they come from well-known, trusted businesses and legitimate, government agencies and financial institutions attempt to gather personal, sensitive information and financial information. These criminals scam Internet users into disclosing their financial and bank information or other personal data for example passwords and usernames, or into unwittingly downloading malicious computer code onto their computers that can allow the criminals subsequent access to those computers or the users financial accounts. Nowadays most people wont reveal their credit card number, password and bank account to just anyone, extra action need to be taken by the phishers to trick their victims into giving up this information. Most of people trust automatic processes nowadays, believing them to be free from human error. However, many messages claim that a computerized audit or other automated process has revealed that something is amiss with the victims account. The victim is more likely to believe that someone has been trying to break into his account than believe that the computer doing the audit made a mistake. (HowStuffWorks, Inc ) 2.1.5 Pharming Besides, there is another threat called Pharming. Pharming means using technical means to redirect of an individual to an illegitimate entity, typically is Web site. Pharming collects personal information via redirecting Internet domain name of people requested to false Web sites. The sites can collect the information and there may be used to commit fraud and identity theft. For instance, an Internet user wishes to log in to his personal online banking account via the banking website, he/she is not really accessing the banks Web site if he/she was redirected to an illegitimate Web . Static domain name spoofing: A person or entity, normally called Pharmer, who tricks Internet users into inadvertently visiting the pharming Web site with advantage of slight misspellings of the domain names. For instance, a pharmer may use maybnk.com instead of maybank.com to redirect user. (Websense, Inc.) 2.1.6 Hacker: A hacker is someone who experts using electronics or computer systems and professional in programming. Hackers like to learn and explore how computer systems function and finding method to make them do what they do better, or do things they werent intended to do. Hacker is separate in two types which is White Hat and Black Hat: White Hat: These are considered the good guys and computer security experts. White hat hackers do not use their hacking skills to hack other people computer or some illegal purposes. They normally help other users protect from the black hats. Black Hat: These are considered the bad guys and they like to hack into other people computer to steal information such as deface websites, steal credit cards or hack bank. Black hat hackers like to use their hacking skills to do bad things for illegal purposes. A hacker can easily hack in the computer to steal information and look into the private things. The benign hacker is the person who likes to get into his/her own computer and understand how it works. The malicious hacker is the person who likes getting into other peoples systems. The benign hackers wish that the media would stop bad-mouthing all hackers and use the term attacker instead. (Introduction to Ethical Hacking) 3.0 Answer Question 2: E-Government: Terms used in this research are defined in this section to facilitate smooth and clear reading for all categories of readers. Some of the terms defined are e-Government, e-Government value chain and stakeholders, effective e-Government, and efficient e-Government. A number of definitions for e-Government have been offered in existing literature. Many terms such as digital government, inter-networked government (Tapscott, 1995) and government online has been used. The researcher deems all these terms to be synonymous. E-Government in simplest terms can be described as the use of ICT within government to make operations more efficient, improve quality of service and offer an easy access for citizens to government information and services (Kraemer and King, 2003). Kraemer also cited that Senators Lieberman and Thompson defined e-Government as a wayto better use IT advances to achieve greater effectiveness and to provide citizens easy, electronic access to government programs, services and information. (Axelsson, Karin, Linkà ¶ping University) The term e-Government also refers to the planned and coordinated use of ICT to strengthen the core functions of public institutions. Not every computer in use in the public sector amounts to e-Government. When electronic data processing emerged on a more widespread basis, its initial focus was on isolated and targeted modernization efforts in a limited number of key sectors. Today, however, the focus is on the networking of workplaces, administrations, and political institutions as well as on Information and Communications Technology based communication with customers or citizens. This calls for concepts that are geared to integrating the modernization goals and investment planning of various institutions and based on a thorough examination and analysis of service portfolios and the demand for public services. The implementation of e-Government requires strong leadership and a vision. It also requires a comprehensive strategy that is not only benchmarked on global best practices, but also sensitive to existing political and economic conditions and realities. For E-Government to become a reality, governments, in consultation with stakeholders, should follow a common nationwide strategic framework, which articulates the governments vision, targets and milestones, technical approach and standards for e-Government systems. Such a framework should also address information privacy, security, maintenance, and interface standards. (Axelsson, Karin, Linkà ¶ping University) 3.1 Four main components of E-Government: An implementation framework is designed to guide and manage the execution of the E-Government strategy. This framework is an adaptation of Accentures Business Integration Framework and can be broken down into four main components which are Programme Management, Technology, Process, and Strategy. Each E-Government project has its own version of the framework, where elements within the four components may differ according to the individual agencys business or technical needs. 3.1.1 Programme Management: The Program manager of E-Government chooses an initiative to be implemented and establish the strategy and goals that is aimed at accomplishing through this initiative. Next, the government agency that would lead this initiative is identified and agreed upon. The agreement or commitment gained from the chosen agency and governing body, acts as the green-light to go ahead with the implementation. With this, the project committee can begin to assess the policies that are dependent on the initiative. Policy amendments that are possibly required are highlighted. The framework is where all the planning processes are placed. A project plan will be planned and documented by the Program managers. Functional areas that will be targeted are identified. Critical success factors for this initiative are identified in order to maintain a focus on the objective and goals. Policies that were identified to be amended will be planned for according to relevant standards and regulations. New infrastructure that will be required are identified, planned for and scoped. With the policies in place, the program managers would now need to assess whether in-house skills and staffing resources are sufficient. Otherwise, alternatives such as short-term contracting and outsourcing would have to be selected. This is where procurement planning comes into place. (Roslind Kaur) 3.1.2 Technology: Although e-Government is often defined as online government or Internet-based government, many non-Internet based e-Government technologies can be named in this context, including telephone, fax, personal digital assistants (PDA), short messaging service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), and third-generation technology (3G), general packet radio service (GPRS), WiFi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Bluetooth. Other technologies can include closed-circuit television (CCTV), tracking systems, radio-frequency identification (RFID),road traffic management, biometric identification, and regulatory enforcement, smart cards, identity cards, and other communication applications, polling station technology (for non-online e-voting), television and radio-based delivery of government services, online chat, electronic mailing lists and newsgroup, online community facilities, email, and other messaging technologies. Other aspects of technology to be considered in the implementation of e-Government are enablement, interoperability such as the e-Government interoperability framework (e-GIF) and semantic web issues, legacy technology, and implications for software choices (open source or proprietary software, and suitable programming languages). (OOH KIM LEAN) 3.1.3 Process: In contrast to traditional government processes, e-Government is characterized by extensive use of communication technology, the impersonal nature of the online environment and the ease of information can be collected (data-mining), processed and used by multiple parties (Warkentin, Gefen, Pavlou Rose, 2002). However, e-Government has the implicit uncertainty of using an open technological infrastructure for transaction via the newness of the communication medium interact with a government website. This would indirectly increase the spatial and temporal separation between citizens and government; more uncertainty and concern about the reliability of the underlying Internet and related government infrastructure interfaces. As overall these unique differences increase uncertainty and reduce perception of citizen control, imposing a barrier to e-Government adoption. (OOH KIM LEAN) A number of research papers in e-Government were published in recent years to help practitioners to improve government service quality, responsiveness, convenience and accessibility to both citizens in urban and rural area. Their effort can be categorized into few issues: (i) The concept, theories, history, structure, initiatives, policy, key principles, impact, challenges, and development success factors of e-Government; (ii) The technology application, 13knowledge spillover, innovative efforts and approach to facilitate e-Government implementation and evaluation; (iii) Management support or implementation strategies such as framework for managing the lifecycle of transactional e-Government services to facilitating the e-Government services. To provide more intuitive and maintainable lifecycle for electronic tax submission (one of the e-government service to citizens), government must overcome shortcoming happen during the lifecycle such as implicit knowledge, user interaction, code reusability, communication with back-end system, business reengineering required to upgrade to workflow flexibility and resolve security issue (Vassilakis, Laskaridis, Lepouras, Rouvas Georgiadis 2003) (iv) the assessment, measurement of e-Government services provided to public sector and its effects on economic, social benefits of the implementation; (v) key factors affecting acceptance , expectation and usage intention of e-Government services. (OOH KIM LEAN) 3.1.4 Strategy: The process of adopting advanced ICT solutions for the transformation of e-government faces many challenges. Due to the complex nature of these projects and the sheer number of stakeholders involved, effective visualization and management of such initiatives is highly critical but needs to be simple in order to accelerate understanding off and buy in into the framework. However it is important that the framework represent all important aspects of the e-government strategy. That said, despite years of governmental efforts to implement e-government initiatives, there are no commonly established methods and frameworks for the visualization of an overarching e-government strategy. A comprehensive framework needs to account for how the different supporting and impeding forces impacting projects being implemented as a part of such a strategy. Given that such a framework will also have a long lifecycle and encompass a broad scope, the framework also needs to remain applicable regardless of changes in the environment. As most projects go through much iteration of technical and process changes, any changes within the ecosystem should not risk the validity of the strategy framework. Hence the framework needs to be adaptable to changing environments and should be defined in a technology neutral manner. Such an approach will also allow the framework to act as the bridge between decision makers and implementers, thus reducing the mismatch between the expected versus realized outcomes. (Roslind Kaur) 4.0 Conclusion and Recommendation: In my opinion, Information is the life wire of todays business organizations, institutions and industries. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) covers all advanced technologies in manipulating and communicating information. Information is an organized, meaningful and useful interpretation of data. However, Information and Communication Technologies is very important and much of benefit. Viruses are designed to proliferate and propagate. This means each and every contact between your system and any other system is an opportunity for infection. That can include floppy disks and contacts via modem (or other network connection). Be especially careful of users who frequently use a number of different systems outside your company. Hacker is also dangerous to all the computer users, a hacker can easily hack in the computer to steal information and look into the private thing. Governments around the world have pursed e-government programs seeking to electronically govern internal and external operations and to provide coherence between the various administrative government units so that they work to complement and complete each other. However, and despite the fact that many governments have injected substantial investments, most e-government initiatives in our view have not delivered the transformation environment sought from their implementation. This research study was developed to support the United Arab Emirates in pursuing its objective towards e-government transformation. It presented an innovative framework developed from a government practitioners viewpoint and in light of the existing literature in the field. The recommended approach is an amalgamation of learnings from various e-governments initiatives across the globe.

The Shifting of Pangea :: essays research papers

The Shifting of Pangea Have you ever noticed that a map of the world looks like a puzzle and the continents look like the pieces that would fit together to complete the puzzle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German scientist and an adventurer, came up with a theory that the continents had once been part of a â€Å"supercontinent†. Wegener proposed that, over 200 million years, what he called Pangea had separated and became individual pieces. Pangea means â€Å"all lands† in Greek, and that is what Pangea was, a very large landmass when all of the continents were connected. When Wegener first proposed this idea in 1912, people did not buy into this theory. One of the problems that Wegener faced was that he believed that the continents had drifted apart, but he couldn’t explain how they had drifted apart. Another problem was that there was a theory already in place called the â€Å"Contraction Theory†. This theory stated that the Earth was once a molten ball and in the process of cooling, the surface cracked and folded up on itself. One of the problems with this theory was that it suggests that all mountain ranges w ere the same age, and this could not be true. Wegner’s explanation was that continents shifted and these shifting plates would collide, encounter resistance from one another, compress, then fold upwards to form mountains near the edges of the plates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eons ago India and an ancient ocean called the Tethys Ocean sat on a tectonic plate. This place was shifting northward towards Asia at a rate of 10 centimeters per year. The ocean got progressively smaller unit about 55 million years ago when it collided with Asia. There was no more ocean left of lubricate the subduction and so the plates formed the High Plateau of Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evidence that Pangea may have existed can be found in land animals, vegetation, mountains, and the climate. Fossils and plants that are the same, can be found on different continents, across oceans. Assuming that the land was once connected, animals could have walked across the large land mass and not have to swim. For example, the mesosauras (a land animal) could not have traveled from South America to Africa because of the Atlantic Ocean. Yet, there are fossils of this animal on both continents. Another example is there are trees in South America, Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica that are of the same origin.

Internet Marketing

1. What makes marketing on the Internet different from other forms of direct marketing media? The Internet is an interactive marketing medium for direct marketers offering information access and two-way communication with customers in real time via the computer. Interactivity is what makes marketing on the Internet different from other forms of direct marketing media. 2. What are some advantages of interactive media? i) Wide reach-The internet reaches a worldwide audience of millions of consumers and enables small companies and entrepreneurs to be transformed into global entities instantaneously. i) Convenience-The Internet is almost like a global trade show that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and any time of the day or night. iii) Low cost- Direct marketers pay for the Internet based on local phone access, not on how widely they distribute their message. iv) Flexibility- he Internet offers great flexibility and permits changes in offers and direct response communications ins tantly, instead of waiting until the next printed catalog is published to change prices or other features. 3. Explain the evolution of e-business. Stage 1:Brochureware- In this stage, organizations began to use the Internet as a bulletin board for brochures, employee telephone directories, and over time for more critical documents such as catalogs and price lists. Stage 2:Customer Interactivity-This next phase is when companies created an interactive dialogue with their customers, encouraging them to inquire, request, register, and online. Stage 3:Transaction Enabler- In this stage, companies began using the Internet to expand transaction. selling products, procuring supplies , enabling internal processes) Stage 4:One-to-one Relationships- This is when the Internet began to be used to create customized silors of interactivity. Because web technology allows companies to deal with customers on a one-to-one basis, product pricing became fluid, dictated by individual customers, often in an auction process. Stage 5:Real-Time organizations-Zero latency organizations are able to plan, execute, a nd aggregate buyers and sellers in a virtual arena. These companies understand customer needs and deliver value in real-time. Stage 6: Communities of Interests( COINS)- The Internet helps companies create communities of common interests that closely link various partners in a value chain. Example, eBay where consumers who possess common needs or interests can competitively bid on a given product. 4. What are the requirements of interactive media? i) Consumers must be able to control when they view the products and which types of products they are viewing. i) Consumers must be able to control the pace at which they review products. iii) Consumers must able to place an order or request additional information directly via the medium rather than having to order through another method. 5. How has technology changed marketing research? Technology has made marketing information readily available, easy to access, current and relevant marketing activity. Much of the information available online, such as government reports, is free of charge, w hich enables marketers of any size to access and obtain this valuable market data. The main cost involved in conducting online market research is the human resource costs, because it requires manpower to surf the Web and identify and download relevant information. 6. What are four of the many strategies to maximize â€Å"click-through† rates? i) Ask for the click-through action- The easiest way to increase click-through is to simply ask for it. ii) Animate a banner advertisement- Animation increase the likelihood that the advertisement will draw the user’s attention and also generates more clicks than static banners, all else being equal. ii) Involve the audience- Engage the viewers to allow them to personalize advertising to their needs. Involving the viewer allows the advertiser to get to know them better, one of the primary goals of direct marketing. iv) Change creative messages frequently- The nature of the Internet means that responses occur quickly, on the first few impressions. 7. Discuss some of the strategies companies use to increase Web site traffic. i) Ask and you shall receive. Ask visitors to bookmark the web site. i) Offer a chat room or provide a bulletin board to open communication among consumers and give them a reason to come back. iii) Create an e-business card that accompanies each e-mail message. Be sure to include the URL in hyperlink format. 8. Identify and explain the three different types of search engine marketing. i) paid placement- Sometimes referred to as † pay-per-click† (PPC) or â€Å"cost-per-click† (CPC) paid placement advertising uses text ads targeted to keyword search results on search engines through programs such as Google AdWords and Yahoo. i) paid inclusion- paid inclusion entails the practice of paying a fee to search engine and similar types of sites such as directories or shopping comparison sites, so that a given web site or web pages may be included in the service's directory, although not necessaril y in exchange for a particular position in search engine listings. iii) Organic search engine optimization- This form of optimization includes the use of a variety of techniques to improve how well a site or page gets listed in search engines for particular search topics. 9. Name some of the characteristics that make a blog an effective tool for marketers. Provide an example of a blog that you think is especially creative. Characteristics that make a blog an effective tool for marketers i) Keep It Simple-Don't get caught up in the length of your posts. They don't have to be long. They can be random thoughts or tidbits of news regarding your industry. The key is to make them interesting. ii) Fast-loading pages: A page should load in 20 seconds or less via dial-up; at more than that, you'll lose more than half of your potential visitors. ii) Quality photography: A simple way to increase visual appeal is to use high quality photography. High quality product images are especially important for online retailers. An example, Twitter is the fastest growing network with more than a 40% increase in active users over the last 9 months , Facebook continues to grow with more than a 37% increase in active users from 2012 to 2013 and Google is not far behind in growth with 35% growth in 9 months. 10. What are some positive and negative characteristics of mobile marketing? Positive characteristics of mobile marketing : ) Personalization: Marketers can personalize text messages based on the consumers’ local time, location, and preferences e. g. , directions to the nearest vegetarian restaurant open at the time of request. ii) Location: Mobile phones amplify two key arguments for electronic commerce, location independence and ubiquity. Consumers increasingly expect tailored and location-based services, thereby underlining the importance of personalized mobile marketing. Negative characteristics of mobile marketing: i) Mobile is hot. Mobile’s high penetration and usage means there’s a lot of clutter and competition. Internet Marketing The effectiveness of social media advertising by means of using Facebook by Practical 2 presented to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Partial fulfilment of the requirements for the subject of Advertising and Sale Promotions of the National Diploma: Marketing in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Lecturer: Campus: Cape Town Due date: Declaration I, Tom Brown (210000007), declare that the contents of this assignment represent my own unaided work, and that the assignment has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification.Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. SignedDate Table of Contents Declarationii 1. Social media advertising effectiveness†¦ (full title)1 1. 1Internet usage in SA 1 1. 2Social media 1 1. 3Instant messaging (social networks for Facebook) 1 1. 4Facebook 1 1. 5Advertising/marketing communications on Faceboo k 1 1. 6Current research on Facebook 1 1. 7Generation Z 1 1. 8Hierarchy response models 1 Reference list2 Appendices Appendix A: Safe Assign report 3Appendix B: Integrating multimedia semantic content analysis of MXit 4 Appendix C: The talk uploaded: MXit and the technicity of the body 5 Appendix D: Fat stigmatization on MXit: A content analysis 6 Appendix E: Flaming on MXit 7 Appendix F: MXit, Critical Pedagogy, and Media Activism 8 Appendix G: MXit as a source of information 9 Appendix H: MXit: an opportunity for consumer narrative analysis 10 Appendix: I: Advertising Effectiveness and marketing Potential on MXit 11 Appendix J: Predicting the Determinants of Users’ Intentions for using MXit 12 Appendix K: Social Interaction with MXit 13 1.The effectiveness of social media advertising by means of using Facebook 1. 1Internet usage in SA A resent study has shown 6. 8% (6,800,000 people) of South Africans have access to the internet and 4,822,820 are Facebook users. ( www. inte rnetworldstats. com ). 39% of urban South Africans are using their mobile phones to access the internet. That is 20 million South Africans aged 16 and older. (Anonymous, 2011). 1. 2Social media Social media (also known as social networking) is the share of information and resources as a result in the communication by people, made possible by different online technology tools.This can be done by means of text, online video, blogs, images, podcasts, and other multimedia communication. (Doyle, n/d ) 1. 3Instant messaging (social networks for Facebook) Instant messaging is a feature of facebook that allows you to send or share information with your Facebook friends. The feature can be used at any time to communicate with other people on facebook. There is a bar on the right bottom corner of the screen where one can choose with whom one wants to connect and communicate with. (Reiss, 2010) 1. 4Facebook Facebook is the most popular Social network website on a global scale (www. cmag. com) and second most popular social media website in South Africa (The Mobility 2011 research project). Facebook is a free site that makes most of it’s revenue by means of advertising. The site was first used as a means for Harvard students to get acquainted , but in 2006 the sit became available to everyone who wanted to join. The site has over 500 million users. (http://www. pcmag. com) 1. 5Advertising/marketing communications on Facebook Facebook has a number of advantages and disadvantages to use for your business.Some of the focus Facebook can provide is on branding, customer engagement, reputation management, new customer acquisition, client retention, to drive web traffic to your website, the viral effect, a feedback mechanism, brand repositioning. (Jody, n/d) Because Facebook makes marketing fast and easy, it means that the company should keep up with marketing trends. â€Å"It can also act like a media to leverage your brand and get more authority so users can trust you. † ( Anderson, n/d) 1. 6Current research on Facebook Companies or everyday users can collect data from facebook pages that they have created, through means of Facebook polls.The polls are a graphical illustration of the people who visit your page. It illustrates active page visits and users, showing their age, gender, geographic location, giving one the ability to strategically improve ones marketing mix and to identify the target audience. (facebook. com, n/d) 1. 7Generation Y In a resent study showed that the majority of the generation Y, in South Africa, prefer Facebook over other social media mediums. As a result Google lost a 50% of their market share to facebook, due to user choosing Facebook as a search engine over Google.Mxit is still more popular than Facebook, but lack the loyalty Facebook users. The study shows people spend five times more hours on Facebook than on Mxit. Further studies have shown that generation Y, when given a choice, will choose the Internet over magazines, cell phones over using the Internet and tertiary education over using their cell phones. (Saunders, n/d) 8. Hierarchy response models REFERENCE LIST Doyle, A. n. d. cial Media-Socia Media Definition. http://jobsearch. about. com/od/networking/g/socialmedia. htm [1April 2011]. Fakhar, K. 2009.Benefits of Marketing Through MXit. http://webupon. com/marketing/benefits-of-marketing-through-MXit/#ixzz1I4mh0DZG [30 March 2011]. Haridakis, P. & Hanson, G. 2009. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Social Interaction and Co-Viewing with MXit: 317-318, March 30. Laco, A. 2010. History of MXit. http://www. articlealley. com/article_1482289_81. html? ktrack=kcplink [30 March 2011]. Smith, D. 2010. Five million now online as web access grows in South Africa. http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2010/jan/14/internet-five-million-south-africa [1April 2011]. Verna, P. 010. Pros and Cons for MXit’s Business in 2010. http://www. emarketer. com/blog/index. php/pros-cons-MXit-b usiness-2010/ [31 March 2011]. Ward, S. n. d. Social Media Definition. http://sbinfocanada. about. com/od/socialmedia/g/socialmedia. htm [30 March 2011]. Zawarski, Z. 2010. Happy 5th Birthday MXit. http://www. zadling. com/2010/05/happy-5th-birthday-MXit/ [31 March]. Appendix A: SafeAssign Report Appendix B: Integrating multimedia semantic content analysis of MXit Only attached the first page! Appendix C: The talk uploaded: MXit and the technicity of the body, etc, etc†¦

Cancer Diary of Osteosarcoma

SUBMITTED BY: ARAGAW GEBEYEHU SUBMITTED: DR. FLORES ROZAS DATE OF SUBMISSION: 04/16/1801/26/12 My name is osteosarcoma. I am highly malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin and the second most common primary malignant bone tumor .I am originate from mesenchymal cells. I have spindle shape and hyper chromatic nucleus. I have been formed when osteoblasts cells secreted malignant osteoid. I am like osteoblast (bone forming) cells, but I cannot make strong matrix like them. You know that osteoblasts originate from immature mesenchymal stem cells. So my ancestors are from those. But I am already modified in to osteosarcoma cell. I can occur at any bones found in the body. I am more frequent at sites of the most rapid bone growth; those are extremities of long bones near metaphyseal growth plates. From the sites that I frequently choose ;distal and proximal end of femur (42%),proximal end of tibia(19%), proximal end of humerus (10%), pelvis skull and jaw(85%) and pelvis( 8%). I can be appearing 1 to 3 million people per year. Off course, I am rare compared to other types of cancer. I can attack any age as primary osteosarcoma but mostly between 10-25yrs. I can also come at older individuals as secondary osteosarcoma. I affect males little bit more than females. I am most common in patients with Fraumeni syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, Bloom and Werner syndromes. Exposing to Paget disease and ionizing radiation give favorable conditions for me to develop our colony. Fig 1. Osteosarcoma genesis and osteogenesis When I was changing to osteosarcoma, there was a mutations of MDM2 amplifications which led to p53 gene inactivation. Another controller gen which is called retinoblastoma (RB) genes was also altered. I become safe because there is no more check point and control for me .But the normal bone cells have several check points in their cell cycle. In the presence of RB mutations I will occur at an incidence 500 times that of the normal population. Normal cells are always worrying for G1/S check point but I am not, because the p53 and Rb genes are already mutated (lost their function). I am preparing more DNA and for that I am also synthesizing mRNA and important proteins. During my replication time I gained chromosome number 1 and lost chromosome 9, 10 and 13. Till now I am successfully dividing and I am forming other similar cells. In near future I will have my own colony of cells and my own sarcoma tissues01//14/2014As usual I was preparing to divide but the proteins detected a damage in my DNA. The damage was too big to be repaired. Even if it is bigger damage I will not go to programmed cell death called apoptosis. Because this is not my character. My only goal is to survive and proliferate more. This is my unique behavior. Of course I was not like this, I was following the normal path of cell cycle and programed cell death. This thing happened after I lost my DNA sequence that triggers cell death pathway.5/18/15Recently I got another mutations and my FOS and Jun proteins are up regulated. Those proteins are components of activator protein1 complex (AP-1). AP-1 his regulator of cell transcription. Now I am getting additional energy because my transcription regulators are out of service. I can proliferate freely and destroy bone cortex and extend towards bone marrow cavity and soon out wards towards adjacent soft tissues.10/17/15I am now thinking why not I visit other organs. I have information lung, liver and also other bones are the safe place and more fertile to me . When I become more organize, I can migrate and live there. I am already resistant to programed cell death (anoikis) and can exhibit anchorage independent growth (AIG). Abnormal integrin? v6, Rho, ATPase e.g. Racl and Cdc42 upregulated p13 kinases which in turn inhibited proapoptotic factor Bad and this protected me from apoptosis even when I am not attached to any membrane. Now I have bigger size with hypoxic and acidic environment. So I need supporting blood vessels to obtain oxygen and nutrients I have done angiogenesis for my sustained growth and further metastasis. My intrinsic conditions have to lead to stimulation of von Hippie Lindau protein. It releases hypoxia inducible factor-1? (HIF-?)which further up regulates several VEGF gene such as VEGF A through VEGF E. This further releases Nitric oxide (NO) from endothelial cells and results in vasodilation and increased vascular permeability. By doing those processes I got leaky and irregular vasculature.3/14/16 I am starting flight to lung. I am using integrin proteins, which found in my surface ,in attaching to matrix proteins (fibronectin).For my signal transduction and interaction with other cells, I use integrin along with ezrin protein ,foal adhesion kinase (FAK),protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho GTPase. They also help me for my conformational changes. Besides to this matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) are helping me in my sojourn through blood vessels and tissue renewal process. Now I have reached the lungs and I am growing, multiplying and consuming all nutrients. It is like as I heard .I like it.10/10/2016Today, the patient could not resist me .He took me to hospital. Because I create sever pain and swelling. I was diagnosed by radiograph as high grade sarcoma. Additionally they did CT scan, RI and biopsy and confirmed my stage. They are now discussing to fight against me.Yes they have started chemotherapy (high dose methotrexate, doxorubicin and cisplatin). I have been fighting against those drugs for the last three months and I am now getting old, starving and feeling weaker day by day. Oh those drugs become treble for me. Methotrexate is a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, it can block folic acid supply which is needed for my RNA and DNA synthesis. Doxorubicin which is also a drug that interact with my DNA and inhibits biosynthesis of macro molecules. Cisplatin causes damage to my DNA. I have to create solutions, because I am no longer able to make RNA efficiently. But I am struggling to continue my life. I got another mutations which is alteration in reduced folate reductase (RFC) protein Leu291pro.Yes I did it. This alteration unable carrier to transport methotrexate towards me .Besides to this, membrane pump-glycoproteins (P-gp) is also helping me with pumping out these drugs. Due to this I start dividing and spreading slowly but steadily. Other worse situations are happening to me, they are using high energy rays (x-rays) to kill me. I am no longer able to grow. I am shrinking. 4/14/18The worst thing are happened on me. Now, they are performing surgery and removing me as cancerous tissue. I was sending my daughters to afar to lung. By myself I am highly depressed and weak due to huge loss my colony. I try to grow and spread again by my reserve soldiers and by those immigrant members. They are still in dilemma to administer chemotherapeutic agent after surgery. The people are always struggling to combat me and other friends. If they post-surgery chemotherapy no more survival .I say good bye I will not be there anymore. REFERENCEBiomarkers in osteosarcoma, Colin Kong, M.S and Marc F. Hansen, Ph.D.Biology and therapeutic advances in pediatric osteosarcoma, Nayssa Marina Et.al,The oncologist ,2003Novel therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma targeting osteoclast differenciation, bone reabsorbing activity ,and apoptosis pathways.The molecular pathogenesis of Osteosarcoma; A review, Matthew L. broadhead, sarcoma, 2011.Current strategy for chemotherapy in Osteosarcoma, Dorothy carric, International Orthopedics, 2006Osteosarcoma: A review of diagnosis ,management and treatment strategies, David S. geller ,MD, and Richard Gorlic MDSwitch from ?v?5 to ?v?6 integrin expression protects squamous cell carcinomas from anoikis, S.M. Janes ,Journal of cell Biology,2006.Analysis of molecular mechanisms of osteosarcoma using bioinformatics approach ,Jaxon yang ,oncology letters,2016.

Discuss the main issues in defining and measuring intelligence. The WritePass Journal

Discuss the main issues in defining and measuring intelligence. Abstract Discuss the main issues in defining and measuring intelligence. AbstractMain BodyConclusionReferencesRelated Abstract The study of intelligence began in the late 1800’s, and despite rigorous investigation, the scientific community remain divided over its exact definition and appropriate measurement (Weinberg, 1989). In its most popular sense, intelligence has been defined as the ability to learn new information, and apply such information to manipulate one’s environment. Other definitions include adaptability to new environments and changes to the current environment, the ability to reason and evaluate, to learn quickly and from experience, or even the capacity for innovative thoughts and ideas. However despite this intellectual quagmire, two broad schools of thought have emerged. The first believes that all intelligence comes from a single, general factor. The second believes there is more than one type of intelligence, although proponents of this view have yet to agree exactly how many types of intelligence exist. The purpose of this paper is to discuss each school of thought in turn and identify both their contributions and shortcomings. Furthermore, as theories of intelligence vary, so do the proposed methods of intelligence measurement, and these too will be critically examined. Main Body The oldest theory of intelligence was proposed by Charles Spearman in the early 20th century (Spearman, 1904). Employing a statistical approach, he observed that children’s school performance appeared to correlate across seemingly unrelated subjects. Spearman reasoned that such correlations indicated a single underlying general mental ability, affecting performance across different mental tests, which he coined the ‘general’ or ‘g’ factor. In addition, he argued for the existence of ‘specific’ or ‘s’ factors which related to narrow and task-specific abilities, such as vocabulary range or mathematical skill, although Spearman and his subsequent followers placed more emphasis on the importance of g. Proponents of uni-factor theories of intelligence draw upon the phenomenon of the positive manifold (Spearman, 1904) as support for the concept. Simply put, it is the fact that different tests of cognitive ability appear to correlate together highly. Although early critics of Spearman’s approach challenged his model with newer methods of analysis (see Thurstone, 1938), it has remained hugely influential, leading Kane and Brand (2003) to conclude: â€Å"Spearman’s g, through custom and empirical evidence, has become the ubiquitous cornerstone of empirically based theories of intelligence. It is the reference point for most studies conducted over the past ninety years. Every factor analytic study of cognitive ability has yielded a g, provided the data were analysed in such a manner as to allow a general factor to materialise†(Kane Brand, 2003: 12) The major criticism of Spearman’s theory was levelled at its simplicity. Several theorists subsequently proposed that intelligence in fact comprised several separate abilities that did not correlate with each other. Amongst the earliest challenge to Spearman’s unitary concept of intelligence was Louis Thurstone’s (1938) Theory of Primary Mental Abilities. Thurstone proposed that intelligence arose from seven primary independent factors, which included verbal comprehension, numeric ability, spatial relations, perceptual speed, word fluency, memory and inductive reasoning. Using a revolutionary psychometric approach, multiple factor analysis, Thurstone analysed the results of mental reasoning tests from a sample with similar IQ scores, and found that they had different profiles of mental abilities. However, similar analyses of data from a more heterogeneous population did not support a seven-factor model; instead it provided evidence for a single-factor model, or ‘g’. Conceptualising intelligence as a single general factor led to Spearman’s hypothesis that intelligence could be measured using a mental aptitude test and scored with a simple numerical value. This became the forerunner of the modern intelligence quotient. In contrast, proponents of multiple intelligences agree there is more than one single type of intelligence, although theorists do not agree on exactly how many different types exist. Gardner (1983) proposed a multi-factor model of intelligence, differentiating eight modalities which were weakly correlated at best. These factors included linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence, and could account for individuals who were, for example, simultaneously good at language tasks and poor at spatial awareness tasks. This new concept of intelligence was born out of the criticism that standard intelligence tests were biased towards North American and European culture, and crucially Gardner felt that traditional tests of intellect provided measures of linguistic, logical and spatial intelligence, and ignored factors such as musical ability and athleticism. However, Gardner’s formulation has had a minimal effect on intel ligence testing, primarily because the type of quantitative factor analytical study that is required to validate such an approach has never been undertaken (Benson, 2003). Following Gardner’s work was Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence (1985). Like Gardner, Sternberg agreed that intelligence was more than a single general ability, but felt that Gardner’s theory merely described talents rather than defined intelligence. Sternberg defined intelligence as â€Å"mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one’s life† (Sternberg, 1985 p. 45) and described three major components; practical intelligence (an ability to adapt to one’s environment), experiential intelligence (the ability to think in novel ways) and componential intelligence (the efficient processing of information). Using this model, he was able to describe individuals who were talented in one area, but less so in the other two, similarly to Gardner, but avoided aligning specific components of intelligence with academic disciplines. Sternberg’s approach has won particular acclaim with reference to real-life situations (Carraher, Carraher, Schliemann, 1985); indeed it is Sternberg’s practical dimension of intelligence that can account for cultural discrepancies present in other methods of intelligence testing. G-theorists however argue that practical intelligence represents little more than ‘job knowledge’ and can be better explained by g (Jensen, 1993). Conclusion Even in contemporary psychology, considerable debate over the exact nature of intelligence is ongoing, and definitive conceptualisation (and therefore measurement) remains elusive. Two distinct schools of thought remain; uni-factor and multi-factor theories of intelligence. Both have particular strengths and weaknesses, but given that considerable debate about the nature of intelligence remains, and no single approach is accepted by all, there is still room for improvement on any given theory. References Benson, E. (2003). Intelligent intelligence testing. Monitor 43, (2) 48 – 56. Carraher, T. N., Carraher, D., Schliemann, A. D. (1985). Mathematics in the streets and in schools. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 3 21-29. Jensen, A. R. (1993). Test validity: g versus tacit knowledge. Current Directions in Psychological Science 2, (1), 9-10. Kane, H Brand, C. (2003). The importance of Spearmans’ g as a psychometric, social and educational construct. The Occidental Quarterly 3 (1) 7 – 29. Spearman, C. (1904). â€Å"General intelligence†, objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology 15, 201 – 293. Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Thurstone, L.L. (1938). Primary mental abilities. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Weinberg, R. A. (1989). Intelligence and IQ: Landmark issues and great debates. American Psychologist 44 (2), 98-104.

ALWAYS IN 1787, 1820, 1833, AND 1850, THE NORTH AND THE SOUT essays

ALWAYS IN 1787, 1820, 1833, AND 1850, THE NORTH AND THE SOUT essays Throughout the late 1700s to early-to-mid 1800s, with the stability of the union being frequently challenged over every, occasionally petty, disagreement, somehow, both the north and south have found a common ground. Yet, it was only a matter of time when all these so-called compromises revealed their true color as a series of patchwork, or house of cards, that with every addition makes it that much more unstable. Not until the early 1860s did the house of cards finally give way and it was quite clear that neither the north nor the south was able to find that ever so frequent common ground. In the late 1700s to early 1800s, most of the disputes were over taxes, land settlement, states rights, and legislative representation, though controversial, these were quite a bit easier to deal with and settle as opposed to the slavery issue that would eventually overwhelm society with the introduction of Eli Whitneys cotton gin in 1794. This precipitated a long era of dispute, but fortunately, for men like Henry Clay and John Adams, the cards of the Missouri and the 3/5ths compromises for the most part silenced both parties on terms of slavery for the time being. These times were no stranger to instances of violence such as Shays Rebellion, so in domestic terms, life was not very happy-go-lucky. It was becoming apparent that under the surface of mild sectional strife there was something greater brewing. Maintaining the union was considered as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection especially the years after the Treaty of Ghent of the War of 1812 which brought a nd cemented a greater feeling of unity/nationalism, so people would be less apt to try to challenge and threaten both the safety and stability of his/her country. Therefore, it was no surprise that an agreement had been hastily reached. The mid 1800s brought, along with economic growth and nationalism, a wave of social, intellectual, and re...

An Empty Hook

As the years go by and new technologies come and go, the world seems to be moving at a constant frantic pace. In our modern, consumer driven society its sometimes hard to find the time to stop and appreciate what we have. The American working world is thriving and competitive, every obstacle we face consumes us, making it easy to get trapped in the seemingly non-stop race of life, forgetting what really matters. For our own sake, it is time to take a step back from our frantic life style and learn to appreciate the little things in life. Its a commonplace story to hear of the work alcoholic man or woman who worked and worked until they were old and rich, and then realized they had nothing in the end. If more people took the time to appreciate the little things, more often then not they’ll find life is a lot more rewarding. Of course that reward can comes in many different forms: Love†¦memories†¦fish. Fishing is a fine art. It takes the refining of cast off methods, and the honing of the proper technique to fully master the art of the reel in, not to forget lots of patience. Nothing is slower than waiting for that subtle tug at the end of your line. My dad taught me how to fish. My twin brother and I used to practice in the front yard with a rod and a weight in the place of a hook, fishing for twigs. Ive caught lots of things before, grass, rocks, other fishing rods, but never a fish. After spending some time with a fisherman you learn that they mean serious business and youre mad to think that theyd share tips or bait. Over the past summer, my dad and grandma and I went fishing together. We needed a break from the constant rhythm of our everyday life. I was having my usual luck, which is no luck at all, and my dad had already caught three fish, my grandma, one. Wed been fishing for hours and still no luck I was sun burnt and riddled with mosquito bites. Id cast off my line and reeled it in hundreds of times and my patience was wearing thin. My dad suddenly felt a jerk in his line, another fish. He was starting to reel it in when he called me over. He handed me the rod. I was excited and scared at the same time. After several c lose calls I finally managed to reel in the fish. My dad came over and untangled the hook from the fishs mouth. My grandma replied, thats true love, meaning my dad must really love me to have let me reel in his fish. Even though this took place in the span of a few minutes, now when I look back I can remember in great detail the feel of the fishs scales and the resistance as I pulled it in. I can recall these moments with more ease and meaning than what happened last week or who did what to who. With applications and auditions upon me I dont look back on my frantic, routine school days but moments like this that are singular and unique. Catching a fish may seem like a small thing but Ive often found that it is the little things in life that make hardship worth while and when you take the time life is given purpose, however whimsical a purpose that may be, but if I constantly cast off and reel in all Ill pull out is grass and an empty hook.

Palliative Care Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Palliative Care - Term Paper Example In order for an individual to have a better experience, a holistic approach should be taken by the medical staff. The therapeutic intervention by nurses should address the following parameters; psychosocial, physical, cultural and spiritual. Several studies have been carried out that showed that nurses at times are unaware of the above mentioned parameters and are unable to entirely meet the needs of the patients (Aziz et al., 2012). Nurse Patient Relationship Evidence has been found that at times the patient’s quality of life may continue to deteriorate despite the fact that they have been admitted to palliative services early on in their illness. It was however discovered that the relationship between the nurse and the patient was the determining factor in the improvement of patient’s quality of life. This factor was found to create trust ad better communication between the two individuals (Aziz et al., 2012). The first aspect of palliative care that nurses should add ress is establishing trust with palliative care patients and their families in order to alleviate and reduce their worries towards the inevitable outcome of their terminal illness. Patients who are suffering from terminal illnesses often present certain symptoms of distress. However, these symptoms need specified management between each patient and this can be largely dependent on the cultural and religious views. These have been found to adversely affect the severity and nature of the symptoms if they are not addressed properly (Aziz et al., 2012). A nurse can familiarize herself with these aspects by better communication with the patient (Mok & Chiu, 2004). Despite the necessity to maintain professionalism, at times a nurse has to place the needs of a patient before her professional opinion .(Boog & Tester, 2008).Autonomy enables a patient to decide his or her medical care, and hence gives him the ability to refuse treatment. The intimate detail of this procedure may be altered de pending on the dynamics of the patient’s family (Boog & Tester, 2008). The nurses also have to address the emotional and physical burden that is placed on the patient’s family (Mok & Chiu, 2004). They need to create a supportive system which is addressed towards both the patient and his or her family. This has been found to be more effective by adopting good listening and communication skills. A study that was carried out showed that palliative care patients have a better quality of life when they are viewed as people separate from their terminal illness (Boog & Tester, 2008). The evident from this survey also states that the dying process can be made more bearable for the patient, family members and caregivers by nurses implementing the above mentioned attributes of palliative care (Aziz et al., 2012). In depth analysis of holistic palliative care Costello estimated that approximately one million people die every week. These figures further emphasize on the importance of palliative care in the community. The initial principles of palliative care emphasize on the care for any individuals facing the end of life. Therefore, these principles have been based on holism and looking at each individual as a whole unique entity. The model for this type of palliative care is known as the whole person care model and is popular among nurses worldwide. As mentioned above, this model creates a healing and nurturing environment which enables each individual to be

Analytical reserach paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analytical reserach - Research Paper Example This debate has been of interest since it attempts to unearth why there is a growing number of social networking sites and users all over the work. As a matter of fact, the last few years have seen a huge growth in the number of social networking cites such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, blogs and Badoo, just to name but a few. Facebook users lead the pack, spending over 10.5 billion minutes on the site. Research also reveals that over a billion people are currently connected to the Internet either via computer and mobile phones, among other gargets. A majority of the Internet users argue that the Internet has brought them closer to other people. Some argue that without the Internet, they would not be able to connect with their friends and families who are spread all over the world. They also claim that social networking has enabled them to make friends and communicate with individuals whom otherwise they would not been able to meet without the Internet (Consalvo and Ess 56). People from the corporate world also argue that the Internet has enabled them manage relationships with their clients more effectively and faster. In this regard, they note that through e-commerce and online banking, they have been able to communicate and transact with a lot of ease with their clients and customers without the hustle of having to present themselves physically (Internet Communication par. 2). Those who oppose the argument that the Internet help bring people together also have a strong point, which must be considered. Firstly, they argue that the Internet has done away with interactions that used to be there before its establishment. In this regard, they state that shopping online or searching information on the Internet has done away with dialogue or face-to-face communication, which used to bring friends and families together. As such, they dispel the argument that the Internet has

E-Business Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-Business Final - Essay Example The layout or web design of any website plays an important role in the success of e-business. Websites should be user-friendly, well designed, attractive, easy to navigate and search-engine friendly. Qatar Airways have considered all these features in their website. Business to business transactions helps in building new and strong relationships with other companies worldwide. They are reducing the costs and providing best services with the help of their Oracle ERP project and partnership with other airlines, hotels, travel agents and car rental services. For Qatar Airways ethical issues are very important. It is part of their ethics to take care of confidentiality and security issues of customers and to provide the information that does not hurt the emotions of their global customers. Qatar Airways, an airline company, was established on November 22, 1993 and it formally started its operations from January 20, 1994. It is one of the most competitive and fastest growing airlines in the world. In the span of thirteen years, QA has achieved tremendous growth by serving 100 destinations worldwide (Middle East Aviation, n.d.). Due to the advancement in Information and communication technologies, companies are now using latest technologies to remain competitive (Beheshti & Sangari, 2006). Click and mortar model is employed by the Qatar Airways. According to this model company sells through internet as well as through the traditional ways of selling. Qatar airlines have commenced an extensive Oracle ERP system to link or centralize different departments. Although, it is a costly plan but it will help in increasing the efficiency in the long run. Qatar Airways is reducing its expenses by providing many online services. These include Online Booking, Online Time Table, Online Route Map, Flight Status Information, Information via SMS, Online check-in, SMS check-in, Phone check-in,

The Victims Of Domestic Violence Feelings Essay

The Victims Of Domestic Violence Feelings - Essay Example The feminist cultures progressively and constantly defend the women against critical issues including domestic violence. The belief that women can cause violent activities is relegated and quashed because it is believed that they are the victims. The defense of the women of the society makes it difficult to speak about men being victims of domestic violence. The portrays women as non-perpetrators of family violence. Most resources are often directed to the perceived victims who are the women. The narrative of men being victims is never discussed, and neither are resources allocated to create awareness concerning the challenges facing men in various partnerships.   The inconsistencies that are manifest in dealing with domestic violence makes it difficult to voice the violent propensities that males experience. The recognition of a problem commences if the society acknowledges a crisis and works towards resolving it appropriately. Violence against men in heterosexual or same-sex rela tionships is prevalent in several jurisdictions yet the stakeholders are not keen to improve on the situation. Men find it difficult to share their issues because they believe the society does not recognize domestic violence against them and minimizes its proliferation. The degree or measure of violence in a relationship cannot be underestimated or tolerated because of gender socialization.   It is difficult to talk about males as victims of domestic violence because of stigmatization.  

How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Research Paper

How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - Research Paper Example The purpose of writing this paper is to analyze how the history of freight trains in America reflects on the subjects of operation management. In order to understand the subject, I will analyze the train freight process. First we have the order perspective and train perspective. The order perspective involves receiving orders, booking trains for the particular orders and receiving containers and invoice. The train perspective involves finding the desired train depending on the cargo that needs to be transported. In the paper, I will show how the strategic operations of the freight railway systems have made the industry competitive and profitable. I will also discuss how specialized freight scheduling system is used to streamline the operations, control the cost and to respond to changes in demand in the railway industry. It is important to note that most of the transformations in the freight train industry occurred during the industrial revolution. The trains from the different parts of the world arrive at the bailey train yard where they are sorted and reassigned to ensure they arrive at the desired destination. Everything that is produced in the United States is transported through the railway system. All the train activity in the railway yard is monitored from the computer screens of the command centre. In the command centre scheduling takes place where the movement of the trains is coordinated to ensure efficient operation of the train yard. By utilizing the latest computer control software, the command centre monitors all the traffic in the yard. Scheduling ensures the times the freight trains spend in the yard to be minimized by ensuring that traffic is controlled and sorted out in the shortest time possible (Aalam, 2014). The trains are then sorted in the classification yard where the incoming trains are reassigned to their intended

Gleevac Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gleevac - Essay Example It has four pKa values; 1.52, 2.56, 3.73, 8.07, very soluble in buffers of PH 5.5 and slightly soluble in neutral/alkaline aqueous buffers. Gleevec recognizes the auto inhibitory conformation of the activation loop of the protein that regulates the kinase activity. The structure of inactive state is distinct between different kinases. It has a half-life of 15 hours and allows daily administration. Gleevec is used to treat the chronic phase of CML though applications have been found in Advanced and blast crisis phases. Its efficacy has been found to reduce with phase progression.Most patients that don’t respond to gleevec are in advanced stages of CML at the initiation of treatment. Failure rate of imatinib in patient with chronic phase CML remains low(at less than 15%at 18 months) in patients who did not respond to interferon. In the 1980’s and 90’s much skepticism prevailed first on the development of compounds with specificity among protein kinases. Secondly, the targeting of singular molecular defects seemed insufficient in the treatment of highly heterogeneous cancer [11]. Gazit in 1989 reported low molecular weight tyrosine kinase inhibitors with selective activity towards EGFR. These inhibitors were called tyrophostins. Tyrophostins were useful in selective antiproliferation agents for proliferative diseases caused by hyperactivity of protein tyrosine kinases. Though tyrophostins were not clinically developed, they provided the proof of the principle of selective inhibition of tyrosine kinases by using small molecules [16]. Subsequently 2 phenylaminopyrimidines were reported as selective inhibitors for protein kinases C (PKC), Abelson (ABL) and platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) kinases [3]. Tyrosine kinases mediate many of the signaling pathways by which cancer cells prom ote their proliferation and survival. They control cellular function and are thought to be too similar to be inhibited in-vivo [15]. Overall imatinib shows

How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Research Paper

How History of Freight Trains reflect OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT - Research Paper Example The purpose of writing this paper is to analyze how the history of freight trains in America reflects on the subjects of operation management. In order to understand the subject, I will analyze the train freight process. First we have the order perspective and train perspective. The order perspective involves receiving orders, booking trains for the particular orders and receiving containers and invoice. The train perspective involves finding the desired train depending on the cargo that needs to be transported. In the paper, I will show how the strategic operations of the freight railway systems have made the industry competitive and profitable. I will also discuss how specialized freight scheduling system is used to streamline the operations, control the cost and to respond to changes in demand in the railway industry. It is important to note that most of the transformations in the freight train industry occurred during the industrial revolution. The trains from the different parts of the world arrive at the bailey train yard where they are sorted and reassigned to ensure they arrive at the desired destination. Everything that is produced in the United States is transported through the railway system. All the train activity in the railway yard is monitored from the computer screens of the command centre. In the command centre scheduling takes place where the movement of the trains is coordinated to ensure efficient operation of the train yard. By utilizing the latest computer control software, the command centre monitors all the traffic in the yard. Scheduling ensures the times the freight trains spend in the yard to be minimized by ensuring that traffic is controlled and sorted out in the shortest time possible (Aalam, 2014). The trains are then sorted in the classification yard where the incoming trains are reassigned to their intended

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay Example for Free

Stakeholder theory as an organisational management theory supports good corporate governance Essay ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as an organisational management concept supports good Corporate Governance models. Discuss whether stakeholder theory assists in determining good corporate governance models for a company. The recent increase in awareness surrounding Corporate Governance partly arose from what was considered to be some of the ‘darkest days in business’ during the early 2000’s when numerous multi national corporations unexpectedly collapsed. People the world over were greatly effected by these events, which brought into question the role of good business practice in today’s society. Freeman’s (1984) seminal work â€Å"Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach† describes ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as a structure that supports effective Corporate Governance by way of protecting and looking after not just its shareholders, but all stakeholders that have a vested interest in the company. Central to the discipline of Corporate Governance is the ethical behaviour of corporations (Crane, 2004), ‘Stakeholder Theory’ is the most influential and popular theory to emerge thus far that addresses the role of ethics in business (Stark, 1994). This essay builds on the idea that ethics, business, sustainability, responsibility and the environment are no longer separate (Freeman et al., 2010) in today’s global business world. Critics of Stakeholder theory claim that the shareholder’s ability to gain maximum profits are compromised, however recent research has shown that by creating value in a responsible manner whilst taking all constituents into account actually leads to a more profitable company, whilst encouraging long term outcomes (Donaldson, 1995). Critics also claim that stakeholder’s interests are so varied its impossible to give equal fairness to all. Whilst it is impossible to make every stakeholder’s interest equal, three key areas are assessed to determine the attributes and relevence of each stakeholder within the company’s ethical codes; power, legitimacy and urgency (Wickham, 2009). The term ‘Stakeholder Theory’ whilst in use from the 1960’s was further developed by Edward Freeman in the 1980’s and has vastly grown in popularity in recent years. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to employees,  creditors, consumers, suppliers, whilst also incorporating the extrinsic interest of Governments, competitors, the community, environment and society at large (Buchholtz, 2012). Refer to figure 1. Fig 1. A firm and its stakeholders (Polonsky Michael, 1995). The Australian Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Council guidelines (Australian, 2007) identify’s eight key priciples relating to the rules, relationships, systems and processes within and by which authority is exercised and controlled in corporations. By applying the eight principles to monitor and assess risk, optimise performance, create value and provide accountability. ‘Stakeholder Theory’ addresses these principles by concentrating on the moral responsibilities of business organisations in terms of the scope of fiduciary obligations towards their stakeholders. Researchers from Bologna’s University set out to determine whether stakeholder management actions could bring strength to internal legitimacy, thereby creating better working conditions that lead to improved company competitiveness, developed by company employees (Longo, 2008). They began by conducting two surveys on the employees of a leading Italian agricultural company who had been implementing ‘Stakeholder Theory’ for many years and had received numerous awards in recognition for their processes. They were asked a multitude of questions surrounding their roles in the workplace, their feelings toward their colleagues, employers and their work environment in detail. The researchers were then able to define quantitative measures of the system of resources to determine the role of stakeholder policies in the development of the intangible resources (Longo, 2008). Those intangible resources being, â€Å"the capacity to motivate employees† (Donaldson, 1995), â€Å"the capacity to attract and keep professional and qualified personnel in the work market† (Turban, 1997), â€Å"the ability to develop internal and external company relationships† (Post, 2002). The results indicated that the companys social policies had a significant influence particularly when it came to trust, job satisfaction, networking and communication, ability to work in a group and low turnover propensity† (Longo, 2008). Since 1983 Herman Miller the furniture manufacturing company has incorporated an employee as stakeholder program, employees carefully monitor and know how their  roles contribute to the profitability. Employees review the numbers, particularly their EVA performances, an indication of their contributions to the long-term value of the company. â€Å"We are part of the company, we think and act for what’s best for the company, and we share in the fortunes of the business, like owners. We also work hard to understand our opportunities for long-term profitability and growth† (Miller, 2010). Effective corporate governance structures encourage companies to create value, through entrepreneurialism, innovation, development and exploration, and provide accountability and control systems commensurate with the risks involved (Australian, 2007). According to a study conducted by the University of Northern Iowa, effective stakeholder management results in transparent financial reporting (Mattingly, 2009). By ensuring that decision making processes are transparent and the organisation is accountable to all its stakeholders, the effect on financial performance is a direct result of stakeholders having an active role in organisation governance. Additionally, organisations that exhibit stronger commitments to both institutional and technical stakeholders are more conservative in their accounting practices, a direct function of responsive corporate governance (Mattingly, 2009). As part of UPS’s 2011 Sustainability Report, Chairman and CEO Scott Davis spoke of the company’s financial reporting, â€Å"We are disclosing more information than ever before†¦ this process spotlights which issues are at the nexus of UPS’s own business issues with those of external stakeholders, which helps guide us in the future toward creating more sustainable, longer lasting relationships (UPS, 2011). Businesses are contributing to society more than ever before, how they contribute and make decisions raises significant ethical issues, ‘business ethics’ can be said to begin where the law ends (Crane, 2004). Additionally, companies are having to look toward creating not only sustainable organistations but environmentally sound and socially responsible establishments (Wolfe, 2007). The controversial economist Milton Friedman once said, â€Å"the only social responsibility of business is to maximise profits† (Friedman, 1962) . This way of thinking is inline with traditional ‘Agency Theory’, where the manager’s only obligation is to shareholders  (Crane, 2004). However, there is inconsistency with this argument, from a legal perspective and an economic perspective. Firstly, it is simply naà ¯ve to say that the only group who has a legitimate interest in the corporation is the shareholder. There are a multitude of groups that hold a legitimate ‘stake’ in the corporation through legal binding contracts that stipulate certain rights and claims on the corporation (Crane, 2004). For example there is legislation in place that protects workers’ rights in relation to pay and conditions, therefore from an ethical point of view the corporation has an obligation to their employees (Freeman, 2008). Secondly, there are external ramifications when a corporation ceases to consider the broader implications of it stakeholders, for example if a corporation closes down one of its factories in a small community and lays off the employees, the effect on the community is widespread, from the local business owner who loses customers, public services being cut, in turn the whole community is effected (Freeman, 2008). Recognising that the stakeholders interests have intrinsic value (normative approach), it makes not only ethical sense, but economical sense that the company takes responsibility to meet the stakeholders needs (Argandona, 2007). At Fuji Xerox responsibility and responsiveness to stakeholders is a key driver to ensure long term to sustainability. Managing Director at Fuji Xerox Nick Kugenthiran says â€Å"We manage our sustainability performance across seven areas of accountability; Business profitability Longevity, Corporate Governance compliance, Satisfying Customers, Providing a responsible solution, engaging employees, influencing sustainability outcomes and minimizing environmental impact† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). A transparent disclosure to their stakeholders is evident in their sustainability reporting, and ethics and integrity are key corporate values. Their strong commitment to corporate citizenship demands exemplary legal compliance at a minimum. â€Å"We are working to integrate sustainability more explicitly into our governance and planning frameworks, and see an opportunity to improve our approach to risk management† (Fuji.Xerox, 2011). More and more businesses are recognising and working toward a model that incorporates corporate social responsibilities, which encourages a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees,  communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Refer to figure 2 Fig 2. Carroll’s four-part model of corporate social responsibility (Crane, 2004). The critics of ‘Stakeholder Theory’ argue correctly that you cannot give all stakeholders equal interest in the business, however the process of ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ is applied as a means of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account. When developing and/or implementing a policy or program, the qualities being assessed are Power, Legitimacy and Urgency, these qualities help distinguish and assign priority to the appropriate stakeholders for any given project (Winkler, 2009). Refer to Figure 3. This method best recommends how management can give due regard to the interests of those groups. In other words, it attempts to address the principle of â€Å"Who or What Really Counts† (Freeman, 1984). Figure 3. Salience Stakeholder Model (Hseih, 2009). In Conclusion ‘Stakeholder Theory’ assists in shaping good Corporate Governance by addressing the ethics of managing an organisation. The companies corporate strategies consider the interests of their stakeholders, groups and indivduals who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of the organisation’s purpose (Freeman, 1984). Furthermore, businesses are now under more pressure to become sustainable, transparent, ethical, environmentally responsible organisations and the most effective orgainsational management approach is ‘Stakeholder Theory’. By utilising the ‘Stakeholder Analysis’ process, organisations are able to determine which stakeholders interest are a priority. Like many theory’s, Stakeholder theory is not without its flaws, additional research needs to be conducted along with further criticism in order for the theory to evolve and advance the way organisations carry out Business. By creating an holistic framework for which company’s govern and protect not only its shareholders, but the wider constituents of the organisation, namely the stakeholders (Mallin, 2004),  business and society are now forever intrinsically connected, and with ‘Stakeholder Theory’ continuing to take a larger role, businesses will be better off, ultimately society too. REFERENCES: ARGANDONA, A., AYUSO S. 2007. Responsible Corporate Governance: Towards a Stakeholder Board of Directors. Post Doctural Research Fellow. Professor of Economics, University of Navarra. AUSTRALIAN, S., EXCHANGE (ASX) CORPORATE GOVERNANCE COUNCIL. 2007. Coporate Governance Principles and Recommendations [Online]. Available: http://www.asxgroup.com.au/media/PDFs/cg_principles_recommendations_with_2010_amendments.pdf. BUCHHOLTZ, A., K. AND CARROLL, A, B. 2012. Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management, Australia, Cengage Learning. CRANE, A., MATTEN, D. 2004. Business Ethics, United States, Oxford University Press. DONALDSON, T., LEE, E. PRESTON 1995. The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications The Academy of Management Review, 20, 65-91. FREEMAN, E., R; HARRIS, J. 2008. The Impossibility of the Seperation Thesis. Business Ethics Quarterly, 18, 541-548. FREEMAN, R. E. 1984. Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Pitman Boston. FREEMAN, R. E., HARRISON, J. S., WICKS, A. C., PARMAR, B. L. DE COLLE, S. 2010. Stakeholder Theory : The State of the Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. FRIEDMAN, M. 1962. Capitalism and freedom, p.x1 FUJI.XEROX. 2011. Sustainability Report [Online]. Available: http://www.fxasustainability.com.au/2011/index.php. HSEIH, M. 2009. Human centric knowledge seeking strategies; stakeholder perspective. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13, 115-133. LONGO, M., MURA, M. 2008. Stakeholder management and human resources: development and implementation of a performance measurement system. Corporate Governance, 8, 191-213. MALLIN, C., A. 2004. Corporate Governance, United States, Oxford University Press. MATTINGLY, J., E., HARRAST, S., OLSEN, L. 2009. Governance implications of the effects of stakeholder management on financial reporting. Corporate Governance, 9, 271-282. MILLER, H. 2010. Herman Miller: A better world  report [Online]. POLONSKY MICHAEL, J. 1995. A stakeholder theory approach to designing marketing strategy. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing, 10, pp29-46. POST, J. E., PRESTON, L.E., SACHS, S. 2002. Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organisation al Wealth. STARK, A. 1994. Whats the matter with business ethics? Harvard Business Review, pg 38-48. TURBAN, D. B., GREENING, D.W. 1997. Corporate social performance and organisational attrativeness to prospective employees. The Academy of Management Journal, 40, 658-72. UPS. 2011. Logistics at the Core: Corporate Sustainability Report 2011 [Online]. Atlanta Georgia. Available: http://www.responsibility.ups.com/community/Static Files/sustainability/2011_UPS_CSR_Report.pdf. WICKHAM, M., WONG, T. 2009. Stakeholder Management Capability: Exploring the Strategic Management of Dissenting Stakeholder Groups. University of Tasmania. WINKLER, I. 2009. Stakeholder Salienc in Corporate Codes of Ethics [Online]. Available: http://ejbo.jyu.fi/pdf/ejbo_vol14_no1_pages_4-13.pdf [Accessed 1 14]. WOLFE, B., D., SHETH N, J., SISODIA, S R. 2007. Firms of Edearment: How world class companies profit from passion and purspose.

Topshops Commitment to the Environment

Topshops Commitment to the Environment Topshop is a British clothes retailer with stores in over 20 countries and online operations in some of its markets. Topshops sales primarily come from womens clothing and fashion accessories. It is part of the Arcadia Group, which owns a number of other retail outlets including Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge. The chain was founded in 1964 as Peter Robinsons Top Shop, a young fashion brand within the Sheffield branch of the Peter Robinson Ltd ladies fashion store chain (former department store chain). The first standalone Topshop store was opened in 1974. In 1978, Topman was created as a spin-off brand to cater for male customer and is now run as a separate chain, although some stores are co-located. The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California. A specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies. With more than 134,000 employees and about 3,100 company-owne d stores and 175 franchise stores, our presence is felt around the world The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta. As of September 20010, Gap, Inc. has approximately 135,000 employees and operates 3,076 stores worldwide. Gap Inc., seek to make lasting, positive impressions on the people and communities where the company operate Next. is a British retailer marketing clothing, footwear, accessories and home products. The company has over 550 stores throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and 50 franchise branches in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Next has three main outlets: Next Retail, a chain of 500+ retail stores in the United Kingdom and Eire; Next Directory, a home shopping catalogue and Website with more than 2 million active customers, and Next International, with 180+ international stores. Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Galicia. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Stradivarius and Bershka. It is claimed that Zara needs just two weeks to develop a new product and get it to stores, compared with a six-month industry average, and launches around 10,000 new designs each year. Zara was described by Louis Vuitton fashion director Daniel Piette as possibly the most innovative and de vastating retailer in the world. Zara has also been described as a Spanish success story by CNN. As of 2011 Zara stores have mens clothing and womens clothing, each of these subdivided in Lower Garment, Upper Garment, Shoes, Cosmetics and Complements, as well as childrens clothing (Zara Kids). The Environmental Protection Act 1990 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that as of 2008[update] defines, within England and Wales and Scotland, the fundamental structure and authority for waste management and control of emissions into the environment. Duty of Care Every store has to waste properly and prevent it from harming the environment and also ensure that all waste collected from the stores is transferred to an authorised person such as the local council or a waste contractor. Packaging waste regulations These apply to larger stores and require them to recover and recycle a certain percentage of their packaging waste. The regulations currently apply to companies with an annual turnover of over 2 million and which handle more than 50 tonnes/year of obligated packaging. Landfill tax The Government imposes a tax on all waste sent to landfill. This tax is designed to penalise the excessive use of landfills and to encourage businesses to reduce and recycle waste. This is one of the reasons why the cost of trade waste collections has gone up and will continue to increase. Topshop COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: Reducing impact on the environment and Endeavour to limit consumption of valuable resources. constantly developing ways to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption in companys operations. Reducing packaging Gap,inc. COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: the product groups who seek sustainable design solutions. store managers who conserve energy and reduce waste. the denim laundries that meet high wastewater standards. Next. COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use. minimise waste produced and increase the quantity recycled. increase the efficiency of our delivery fleet. Zara COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT: to develop in-store sustainability and energy efficiency standards. to install sources of renewable energy, such as wind energy, solar photo-thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, at the companys distribution hubs and reduce energy use to a minimum. to create, in as-yet-to-be-determined locations, the forest biomass needed to absorb 100% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the use of electricity at Zara headquarters. Inditex has just opened its 5000th Inditex store as the flagship of its 2011-2015 Sustainable Inditex Plan. Inditex new global benchmark in eco- efficiency is housed in the Palazzo Bocconi (Rome), a building whose history dates back more than 120 years. Just some figures: this is a store which consumes 30% less energy with regard to the annual average consumption of a conventional store, saves 50% of water consumption and avoids the emission of over 150 toms of CO2 per year. The Inditexs Strategic Environmental Plan 2007-2010 achieved various certifications in 3 of its stores including a first of its kind in Europe with Zara Barcelona being awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. This new concept of boutique hides behind a faà §ade that makes use of three key elements: shop windows and geometric composition with big metal and glass squares, and a large-format logo. The new-look shop interior comprises an extensive range of grey tones which contrast with its black furnishings. The sales area is spread over five stores. Highlights of features contributing to the stores eco-efficiency include automatic monitoring of the stores indoor air quality (CO2 levels, humidity, light intensity, noise), to ensure the comfort of employees and shoppers; motion detectors to turn lights on and off in low-traffic areas and a an air curtain system at entrance doors, equipped with special sensors that continuously monitor outside temperatures to prevent abrupt indoor air temperature changes, thereby reducing the need to run heating/cooling systems. Besides and in order to lessen the nocturnal light pollution which plagues cities, the establishments lights are programmed to dim by more than 50% when the shop is closed Companies of the dimensions of HM can have a big impact on the environment, its a responsibility of HM to reduce his impact. By our research the company has to minimize his impact at every stage of the products life cycle from how cotton is grown to the way the customer use the garments. The first major advantage of working with secondary data is economy: because someone else has already collected the data, the researcher does not have to devote resources to this phase of research. There is also a savings of time. Because the data are already collected, and frequently also cleaned and stored in electronic format, we can spend the our time analyzing the data. The second major advantage of using secondary data is the breadth of data available. Few individual researchers would have the resources to collect data from a representative sample of adults in every state in the United States, let alone repeat this data collection process every year, but the federal government conducts numerous surveys on that scale. Data collected on a national basis are particularly important in environmental issues. The third advantage in using secondary data is that often the data collection process is informed by expertise and professionalism that may not available to smaller research projects. For instance, many of the Government environmental surveys discussed in this research use a complex sample design and system of weighting that allows the researcher to compute population based estimates of health conditions and behaviors. One major disadvantage to using secondary data is inherent in its nature: because the data were not collected to answer your specific research questions, particular information that you would like to have may not have been collected, or it may not have been collected in the geographic region you want to study. In any case, you can only work with the data that exist, not what you wish had been collected. A second major disadvantage of using secondary data is t hat because the analyst did not participate in the planning and execution of the data collection process, he or she does not know exactly how it was done. More to the point, the analyst does not know how well it was done and therefore how seriously the data are affected by problems such as low response rate or respondent misunderstanding of specific survey questions. Sometimes it is readily available; for instance, many of the government data sets have extensive documentation of their data collection procedures, refusal rates, and other technical information available on their websites or in published reports. SECONDARY DATA Secondary Data is existing information that has been gathered for some purpose outside the planning process. Obtaining Secondary Data in practice normally means desk or library research. Information can be obtained from the data that is routinely collected by the planning organisation or from external sources. External data are gathered by other organisations either for their own use or for commercial use. General sources of external data are, for instance, various computerised databases, associations, other government agencies and different published sources such as libraries and newspapers. A computerised database can provide information on a wide range of topics, and lists of commercial databases are normally available in public libraries. Librarians can also be invaluable in the search for specific information for planning. Among the potentially useful data provided by government agencies are demographic data, employment data and special reports on industries. Other examples of s econdary data are historical information and census data. Associations may have valuable information about conservation or social aspects. To estimate the relevance of information for the planning process it is essential to know how and why the information was produced. Burns and Bush (2000) claim that a researcher should examine five factors when evaluating a piece of secondary data. These are: The reason the study was undertaken. Sometimes a piece of research is not independent in nature but has been carried out to support a specific point of view. Obviously, an organization should try to avoid taking decisions based on information that has been produced as a result of a biased piece of research. The credibility of the organization or individuals who undertook the research. What specific information was collected and what method the researcher employed to measure or evaluate the data. How the data was collected. There are many different methods for collecting data, which will be discussed later in this chapter. Each method may have an affect on the quality of the findings of a piece of research. The consistency of the findings of a piece of research with other studies. If several studies report similar results, that may provide support for the reliability of any findings. If a report contradicts a number of other studies it may be an indication that the research is not reliable. However, in both cases the researcher has to evaluate a specific piece of research across all criteria and not merely agree with or discount a reports findings on the basis that it does not agree with the majority of the results from other secondary research sources. Secondary data can be obtained from a number of sources BENEFITS OF SECONDARY DATA The major advantages of using secondary data are: Cost. It is much less expensive to obtain information from existing sources than to develop entirely new data. These existing sources may require a nominal charge for the information, but it will be much less than the cost of undertaking primary data collection. Timeliness. Secondary data are available almost instantaneously. A manager can have access to data very quickly and therefore does not have to wait weeks or perhaps months for primary data to be collected, analyzed, and summarized. By using secondary data whenever possible, a manager avoids the frustration of developing the research methodology design, designing the data collection instrument, pretesting the instrument, devising a sampling plan, gathering the data, checking all data for accuracy and omissions, analyzing the data, and summarizing and reporting the results. Instead, a manager can merely locate the appropriate source and access the information desired. This process can be completed in a few hours or days, whereas primary data collection can take weeks or months to complete. LIMITATIONS OF SECONDARY DATA However, secondary data collection does have the following disadvantages. Limited applicability. A manager has no assurance that information gathered by others will be applicable to a particular hospitality operation. For example, information obtained in New York about the popularity of a specific menu item is not necessarily useful to a manager operating in another part of the country. Information that pertains to one operation may apply only to that operation and be of limited value to anyone else. Information may be outdated. Managers need current and accurate information on which to base decisions. All too often, secondary data are not as useful as they might be merely because they are not current. For example, the results of a consumer attitude survey conducted by a restaurant four years ago would be of limited value to a manager making plans today. During the four years, a number of changes in consumer attitudes are likely to have taken place. These changes in attitudes will make the original data outdated and useful only in a historical sense. If a hospitality manager makes use of less-than-timely data, the results are likely to be less than satisfactory. Reliability. Whenever a hospitality operator uses secondary data as the basis for a decision, the manager runs the risk that the information may not be reliable and accurate. A manager would do well to determine who collected the data and what method of data collection was used. Information is only as good as the individuals who collect it and the methods they use. If a study is administered in a haphazard manner, the results and conclusions should be viewed with caution. SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA There are two main types of secondary data that can be used by managers within a firm (see Figure 6.2). Internal data exist within the firm and can be obtained with minimal time and effort. Advances in computer technology have made it easier to obtain this information and provide it to managers in a form that is useful. External data are not readily available within the firm. Managers must obtain this data by spending more time and/or money contacting outside sources. The Internet has made this a much easier task, but there is still a fair amount of effort involved. The various sources of internal and external data are discussed below. INTERNAL DATA. The component of a marketing information system that is the simplest to design and implement is an internal system, or the component designed to collect data from within the organizational environment. When considering the organizational environment, management needs to be concerned only with information available from within the physical confines of the organizations units, whether they are hotels or restaurants. This component of a marketing information system requires less time and money than does the competitive environment or externally generated marketing information. The internal component of a marketing information system is very valuable to management because it provides a wealth of information. Management has three main sources of internal marketing information: guest histories and sales data, employees and management staff, and customer feedback. Employees and management staff. All too often, hospitality management ignores the wealth of information that is informally gathered by hourly employees such as front desk personnel, telephone operators, restaurant service people, and hosts and hostesses. These individuals are in constant contact with guests, yet they are rarely asked to relay customer comments and reactions to operational changes, such as new menu items or guest room dà ©cor changes. These employees represent an excellent source of information, although the information they provide may not be totally objective. It is a good idea for management to meet with employees on a regular basis to discuss problems and opportunities. Employees crave recognition from their supervisors; this recognition increases the employees satisfaction and commitment to the organization. All employees need to be exposed to some motivational techniques, although managers often ignore the simple and basic needs of employees as individuals. Customer feedback. The focus of the marketing concept is the hospitality operations clientele. All aspects of the entire operation should be aimed at satisfying these individuals. The purpose of using an internal marketing information system is to solicit opinions and comments from the current clientele. This can be done in a number of ways, such as having the manager talk with a few of the customers or having service personnel check with the customers. One method used frequently is the comment card. These cards are placed in guest rooms or are provided to the guest upon checkout or when they have finished a meal in a restaurant. The purpose is to solicit their opinions and comments concerning the operations quality. All three internal sources of marketing information are very valuable. Together they can provide a great deal of useful information with which to make decisions. Historically, hospitality managers have failed to use these sources to maximal advantage, but the current competitive situation in the hospitality industry dictates that all sources of information be used to gain a competitive advantage and to earn maximal financial rewards EXTERNAL DATA. Although externally generated marketing information is extremely valuable, it is normally not collected on a daily basis, as is the case with internally generated marketing information. This is due to a much larger investment of time, money, and other scarce resources required for externally generated information. Management should consider using a wide variety of sources of external marketing information. Literally thousands of sources are available, and these sources are limited only by managements own efforts to locate them. A few typical sources of external marketing information are: Trade associations. Many industries form trade groups that provide data for their members. These trade associations collect information from their members and then provide industry averages that can be used to measure a firms relative performance. Some of the popular trade associations for the hospitality industry are the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel Lodging Association, and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. Two of the more popular tourism associations are the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). However, most of the data for the tourism industry are collected by government travel bureaus. Travel bureaus. Cities, states, and countries usually form organizations that are responsible for promoting travel to the area. Most cities have a chamber of commerce that is responsible for promoting business in the city and, in some cases, tourism as well. Larger cities and regions form convention and visitors bureaus for the sole purpose of promoting business and leisure travel to the region. A chamber of commerce has member firms from all types of industries, whereas convention and visitors bureaus tend to have member firms from travel-related industries such as lodging, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Finally, most states and countries have government travel and tourism bureaus that are responsible for promoting travel to that state or country. Trade journals and periodicals. Many industry, or trade, journals are available to firms. Trade associations often publish their own journals, but many other organizations publish periodicals covering certain industries. Some of the more popular hospitality publications are Restaurants Institutions, Restaurant Hospitality, Nations Restaurant News, Restaurant Business, Lodging Hospitality, Lodging Magazine, and Hotel Motel Management. The articles in these publications provide information on new products and advertising campaigns, as well as current trends in the industry. These articles also provide a valuable resource for case studies involving successes and failures of industry firms. Other Periodicals. In addition to trade journals that specialize in a certain industry, other publications cover business in a variety of industries. Some of the more popular business publications that cover the hospitality and tourism industries are Business Week, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Barrons, and Forbes. Internet. The growth in both the quantity and quality of information available on the Internet is well documented. Using one or more of the available Internet search engines will uncover information, some of which will be highly valuable for managers. A key consideration for managers is being able to determine the accuracy and usefulness of information gathered from the Internet. University sources. Universities and colleges have well-stocked libraries that can be a valuable resource for firms in the area. These institutions often have access to many of the other sources of external data. In addition, universities and colleges form centers to research specific areas such as hospitality. This information is often free to the public or available for a reasonable fee. Government sources. Local, state, and federal governments maintain detailed data on all aspects of the economy; the data are free or available for a nominal fee. The United States Census gathers detailed information about the population and retail business, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States contains similar information in abbreviated form. Census and statistical documents are now available in electronic form, enabling quicker searches and data retrieval. The federal government also collects information about foreign countries and provides specialists to answer specific questions and address inquiries. Syndicated services. Firms such as Harris and Gallup polls, Target Group Index, Nielsen, and W. R. Simmons specialize in collecting and distributing marketing information for a fee. These syndicated services provide information about consumer profiles and shopping behaviors, consumer responses to sales promotions and advertising, and consumer attitudes and preferences. This information is useful in focusing on market segments using aggregate data. These services often advertise in trade publications and marketing periodicals. Guides, indexes, and directories. Other valuable sources of external information include guides, indexes, and directories that are available at most university libraries and larger public libraries. Guides such as the Business Periodicals Index provide references by subject matter for articles