Netw360 Week 7 Lab

Kyle Pederson NETW360, Ben Brezinski 4/16/12 Lab #7 Hands on Lab Microsoft Network Monitor Introduction and Wireless Frames When we expanded frame 4 the signal strength was -60dbm, the data rate was 1mbps, and the SSID in the beacon frame was Amory. In frame 5, looking at the Hex Details, the BSSID for this access point was 00 15 E9 D1 48. The authentication status in frame 14 was successful. In frame 15, the Association Response status was in a successful state. When we tried to the Microsoft Network Monitor we were unable to pick up any management packets during our capture. SNMP management We were able to successfully ping 10. 7. 8. 80 to verify we had access to the â€Å"managed† device. The batch file was set up with the 10. 27. 8. 80 address and had commands to get information from that address. The name of the device was NPIF9460B and the status of it was â€Å"ready to print†. After we downloaded the MIB Browser and entered 10. 27. 8. 80 into the address field, we were able to get the sysUpTime which was 830 hours 13 min and 2 sec. Finding rogue access points When using the command â€Å"netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid† in the command prompt we were able to identify 17 access points. Out of the 17 access points 11 were not part of the DeVry wireless network.Using the FindAccessPoints. BAT we were able to identify 18 access points and 12 of them were not part of the DeVry wireless network. Opening the FindAccessPoints. vbs in notepad we were able to see the script and the basis of the script worked around the command netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid. After we set up our Linksys as a rogue access point we had no problem finding it using the batch file. This would be very handy to use at your home network, if you lived in a place where there is many access points, because you could pick up any rogue access points that someone has set up to attempt to capture any of your information.Logging Here is our log file from our Linksys a ccess point. [pic] Linksys Access point maintenance and troubleshooting The current firmware version of our Linksys access point was 1. 5. 01 and the current time was 2012/04/14 15:42:41. The current status of our access point was: †¢ Report Mode- BG-mixed †¢ SSID- net360 †¢ DHCP- enabled †¢ Channel- 1 Next we were able to backup our current configuration to our PC and then we reset the access point to the factory defaults. The factory defaults were set as: †¢ Report Mode BG-mixed †¢ SSID- Linksys †¢ DHCP- enabled †¢ Channel- 6Once set as the factory we were able to restore our original configuration by uploading the file we created earlier. As soon as that file uploaded our access point was set up the same as before. This was very straight forward to do and I feel it is a good idea to back up your configuration, just in case the access point gets reset. Wireshark Introduction and Examining Wireless Frames Lab Lab Report 1. Is Wireshark open s ource or propriety? (7 points) Wireshark is an Open-source program. 2. What is seen in each of the three panes that display the packets seen on a local area network? 7 point) The top pane is the packet list pane that shows each packet on a separate line and has five columns with the following information: the time that the packet came in, source, destination of each packet, the protocol being used with the packet, and information about each packet. The second pane is the tree view pane and it displays the headers of the various protocols captured in the packet and this is displayed in a hierarchal view from physical layer to the application layer. The third pane is the byte view pane that shows the raw data in a hexadecimal format. . What does a display filter do? (7 points) The display filter enables you to filter what you want to view when capturing your packets. So if you wanted to just view the packets that were using the protocol TCP you could filter those out. You can also use expression filters that lets you be more specific in what you want to filter. 4. What does the protocol column show? (7 points) The protocol column shows the highest layer protocol in the frame. 5. How do you expand the details in a layer of the packet in the middle frame? 7 points) To expand the details you must click on the plus sign. 6. In frame 1 what channel is being used? (7 points) Frame 1 is using channel 6. 7. In frame 1 what frequency is being used? (7 points) The frequency being used is 2437MHz. 8. In frame 1 what is the signal level? (7 points) The signal level in frame 1 is 11. 9. What type of frame is frame 1? (7 points) Frame 1 is a broadcast initiation frame to the access point 10. In frame 1 what is the beacon interval in milliseconds? (7 points) The beacon interval is 102. 4ms.

Effectiveness Audit Accessibilities for Senior Citizen Comfortability

EFFECTIVENESS AUDIT ACCESSIBILITIES FOR SENIOR CITIZEN COMFORTABILITY: ( A CASE STUDY OF THE HERITAGE RESIDENCES AND HEALTH CARE CENTRE IN MALAYSIA ) Abstraction Missing in accessible environment will curtail aged and handicapped individual to bask their life ( Tan, 2008 ) . Person with disablements ( PWDs ) will restrict by the physical barriers in a edifice. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze ways to better the degree of handiness in edifices for the aged and handicapped people in the built environment, particularly in infirmary and retirement Centre. This paper tends to place the degree of handiness in infirmary and abodes edifices in Selangor, Malaysia. This survey comprises literature reappraisal, informations aggregation, observations and table research to research on how to accomplish friendly and comfy entree for all particularly aged and handicapped. This survey tends to make full the spread of the old survey on the handiness of senior citizen and disables. The findings will let the edifice supplier to upgrade bing installations in order to suit accessible built environment for the aged and handicapped people. Findingss revealed t hat failings found are caused by hapless design, deficiency of policies and ordinance every bit good as limited guidelines. Final portion of this paper provides some recommendation in proposed guidelines in regard to the individual with disablements ( PWDs ) needs. Keywords: Accessibility, Person with disablements ( PWDs ) , Built environment 1. Introduction Malaysia is a underdeveloped state with a population of 29.62 million in twelvemonth 2013. Out of this 29.62 million, 1.56 million – 2.75 million are those aged and people with disablements ( PWDs ) . Although the population of Malaysia is considered younger than others developed states, nevertheless the ageing population is increasing twelvemonth to twelvemonth resulted from birthrate diminution. It is proven from the Statisticss of Malaysia that ageing population is increasing about 5 % each twelvemonth. Harmonizing to a old survey, it is estimated that the population of ageing and aged will increase to 15 % of the state population in the twelvemonth 2030. Health attention and residences edifices take on particular significance as the rapid increasing of ageing and disabled in our society is widely recognized today. As the aged and handicapped population grows, it is progressively of import to happen a more efficient service for this group. This survey can be a guideline for architecture, developer every bit good as authorities bureau in fixing the act and ordinance in reinforced environment. This survey highlighted that accessible design must do edifices more approaching and easier for come ining and utilizing. In concurrence to this, an accessible design must incorporate with the inside and outside of edifice elements. In other words, an accessible design should able supply a high degree of safety life and should let people to execute their day-to-day life and activity more freely. Last, accessible design must incorporate with a edifice ‘s map, layout every bit good as signifier. This seminar paper will discourse about the effectivity and process to carry on entree audit for handicapped comfy. The concluding aim of this authorship is to measure and happen another attack to supply a pleasant entree audit. In order to supply accessible environment for ageing and aged, it is of import to understand assorted group of individual with disablements. B asically individual with disablements can be divided into four major classs which are orthopedic, centripetal, cognitive and multiple. Orthopaedic This class is the people who are enduring orthopedic disablements such as locomotor disablements. Sensory This group of individual with disablements refers to people with centripetal disablements in footings of either hearing or ocular. However, this group of people normally come in both which mean they will endure both. Cognitive Peoples in this group refer to them who are enduring mental illness such as development or acquisition disablements. Multiple Multiple refer to those who are enduring with the combination of orthopedic, centripetal and/or cognitive disablements. 2. ELDERLYttriumAND PERSON WITH DISABILITY ( PWDs ) Elderly or senior citizens refer to those who are at age of higher than mean life span of homo. However, there is no formal boundary age for aged and senior citizens. It is vary from each state on how the state defined the boundary for aged and senior citizens. In Malaysia, elderly or senior citizens are those who are in age of 60 old ages old and above while individual with disablements are those who are enduring job in term of orthopedic, centripetal, cognitive every bit good as combination of these three. In order to protect the individual with disablements, Malaysia authorities has introduced Persons with Disabilities Act ( PWDA ) in 2008. In the twelvemonth 2006, around two hundred 1000s of handicapped people have been registered under the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia ( DSW ) . Graph 1 Population of Elderly and Disabled Person in Malaysia and Australia in 2009 Beginning: Wellness National Data 2009 – Institute of Gerontology, UPM Graph 2 Aging Populations in Malaysia from 1970 to 2020 Beginning: Department of Statistics, Malaysia 3. CodeOFPRACTICEON ACCESSFOR DISABLED Peoples: DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS In order to protect individual with disablements, Malaysia authorities has introduced Malaysia Standards on Disabled Person ( MS ) in 2002 and a more recent and powerful one which is Persons with Disabilities Act ( PWDA ) in 2008. Malaysia Standards on Disabled Person ( MS ) in 2002 is concentrating on supplying comfort environment and installations for handicapped individual in Malaysia. However, this is merely a criterion but non Acts of the Apostless, hence some garbage to follow the guidelines or the Standards. Therefore in 2008, Malaysia authorities introduced the Persons with Disabilities Act ( PWDA ) . Part of this act has written that those who did non obey or follow the act will be all right and gaol. There are fundamentally five elements to be considered in planing infirmary and abode edifices which are:Obstructions Figure 1: Obstructions Beginning: Sciverse ScienceDirectStreet furniture Figure 2: Idea dimension of tabular array that fits wheelchair users Beginning: Sciverse ScienceDirectCurb inclines Figure 3: Design of Curb inclines Beginning: Sciverse ScienceDirectParking Figure 5: Dedicated parking tonss design for the individual with disablements Beginning: Sciverse ScienceDirect 4. REVIEW OF EFFECTIVENESS AUDIT ACCESSIBILITIESHospital Sungai Long ( HSL ) Figure 6: Hospital Sungai Long Beginning: HSL web page at hypertext transfer protocol: //hospitalsungailong.com/web/contact-us/location-map.html Hospital Sungai Long is located at Pt 21147, Persiaran SL1, Bandar Sungai Long, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. This edifice consists of 6 floors with 60 beds available. This infirmary began its operation in 2012. An entree audit was performed in April 2014 for bing edifice and installations. Based on the observation and findings, this infirmary is non so accessible for aged and PWDs. Figure 7: Parking tonss of HSL Beginning: Case survey of HSL, Kajang ( 2014 ) This is the lone parking batch next to the chief entryway provided by Hospital Sungai Long which consists of non more than 10 tonss. In concurrence to this, there are 4 parking tonss provided for physicians and specializers staffs of Hospital Sungai Long. In fact they didn’t provide any parking tonss for aged and handicapped individual that should approach the chief entryway. It will take a long distance for aged to travel through the chief entryway. Besides that, there are no pronounced parking infinites across the site for those who are registered under individual with disablements ( a valid spine ) . In order to work outing this job, Hospital Sungai Long should supply parking tonss for aged and disabled that near chief entryway and painted in different colour from other tonss. Figure 8: Main entryway of HSL Beginning: Case survey of HSL, Kajang ( 2014 ) The figure shows the chief entryway of Hospital Sungai Long. Hospital Sungai Long is utilizing manual operation door and it is hard undertaking for aged and disabled to open the door particularly those utilizing wheelchairs. Other than that, it may make some uncertainness for aged and individual with disablement such as autumn down to floor and others. Therefore, it is recommended that Hospital Sungai Long should utilize automatic door for easy usage of aged and handicapped individual although it incurred a higher cost. Figure 9: Nerve pathway of HSL Beginning: Case survey of HSL, Kajang ( 2014 ) The tract provided from Hospital Sungai Long is excessively slanted. The tract has exceeded the Malayan Standard MS 1184: 2002 which is non more than 1:12. It is hard for aged and individual with disablements to acquire usage of it. Therefore, Hospital Sungai Long should supply a tract of gradient non more than 1:12. Figure 10: Toilet in HSL Beginning: Case survey of HSL, Kajang ( 2014 ) This is the figure of lavatory provided in Hospital Sungai Long. The lavatory is good equipped with inveighing that easy accessible for the aged and handicapped individual. However, the country is excessively little. The country is a spot narrow for wheelchairs users. Besides that, there is no haptic surface installed. The installing of haptic surface is to avoid those uncertainnesss such as autumn on floor and others. As a decision, Hospital Sungai Long should better installations provided for aged and individual with disablements by enlarge the size of lavatory and put in haptic surface. Figure 11: Lift installed in HSL Beginning: Case survey of HSL, Kajang ( 2014 ) The figure shows the lift installed in Hospital Sungai Long. Overall, the lift is user friendly. For illustration, the button is 1200mm from the floor degree and it is easy accessible for wheelchairs users. However, there is no haptic warning surface installed in forepart of the lift. Therefore, it is recommended that Hospital Sungai Long should supply tactile warning surface for vision impaired and a bigger lift that able to suit more wheelchair users.

The legalization of marijuana in united states Essay

The legalization of marijuana in united states - Essay Example Marijuana has devastating health effects on the user. Marijuana smoke has carcinogenic properties. Consequently, its use has deleterious impacts on heart rate, IQ (Intelligent Quotient), learning, psychosis, respiratory system, memory, coordination, mood and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, the neurocognitive performance is persistently impaired and may later reduce an individual to a zombie. What is scaring is the sheer fact that people who heavily use marijuana before reaching the age of 25 have a 75% chance of experiencing brain failure. Will legalization of such a substance not cause the population to be incapacitated health wise? Certainly it will and its legalization can only be equated to predicting disaster for the American society (Doug & peter 121). Statistics further indicate that approximately 9% of marijuana users become addicted and can hardly engage in any meaningful activity without using the substance. Legalizing marijuana will only increase the over 4.5 mill ion Americans who currently meet the clinical criteria for marijuana dependence, a fact that portends doom. What’s more, legalization of marijuana will lead to public safety being compromised. Use of the substance causes impairment which will in turn jeopardize the safety of users and other Americans at large, in the form of workplace injuries, traffic crashes, child neglect, and other such upsetting events. Evidently, not any of us would like to have an accountant, doctor, engineer or pharmacist who has to smoke marijuana before serving you. This is a clear indication that the about 50% of Americans who are against legalization of marijuana certainly understand the impacts that legalization of the substance will have and hence it should not be legalized. Additionally, legalizing marijuana for the mere reason that it has medicinal value is a mere rhetoric since scientific exploration does not uphold

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills Essay - 1

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills - Essay Example This paper looks at issues surrounding intercultural negotiations. Qualities of a Good Intercultural Negotiator A good cross-cultural negotiator should be a good observer and listener. He is able to observe how people from two different cultural backgrounds communicates and is thus able to develop a common ground where the two parties can understand each other. Another characteristic that a good communicator should bear is the ability to communicate clearly and precisely. He should be able to identify the root problem of the conflict and communicate it to the parties involved (JANDT, 2010: 65). He should then communicate the need to first deal with the root problem as a way of eradicating the problem completely. A good intercultural communicator should never assume anything. When in doubt about something, he should ask for clarification from the parties involved. He should also not shy away from paraphrasing statement to ensure that there is no misunderstanding Assumptions may lead t o the negotiator making decisions based on stereotypes and not fact. This would make the party which is affected by the cultural stereotype to be dissatisfied with the solution and the conflict is not amicably resolved. A negotiator should also be flexible in terms of negotiation (FISHER & PATTON, 1992: 32). It is okay to conduct a background research on the conflict and come up with ways of resolving the conflict before meeting the parties. However, a good negotiator should be able to change his solutions in line with new information acquired during the negotiation process. Self assessment on the Simulation of the role of an Intercultural Negotiator In the case I was negotiating upon as an MP of Dunston area involved convincing Spitzer UK Company to continue operating within the area. The company had invested in the area but was now closing its operations in Duston as it stopped some of its research projects respiratory and allergy. This move would result in 2400 people losing thei r jobs. This is against my promises to the people of increasing job opportunities. I resolved this problem by talking to Duston mayor to find a way that we could stop the company from leaving the district. A meeting was organized between the Spitzer company managers and the mayor. For the company to continue operating in the district, the mayor would provide the necessary infrastructure needed such as roads. He would also relax the tax requirements making this region attractive to Spitzer. This was with the condition that they retain all the employees. The company would then work on its existing researches in Dunston. Eventually the company agreed to continue with its operation but would have to reduce the current employees by 20% in order to cut on costs. One mistake that I made when going to the negotiations is that I believed that the only solution to the problem was having all the employees retained. However, after talking with the parties involved and almost repulsing the Spitz er company manager, I realized that there was another solution. If the company agreed to retain its operations in the district with 80% of employees, it would soon need to employ more people as it started working on new project. The deal may not be what I wanted at the moment but the company would employ more people in the longrun (GIBSON, 2002: 49). If the company refused the deal and moved its

Proportionality and discrimination are key concepts for jus in bello Essay

Proportionality and discrimination are key concepts for jus in bello. Examine the practical consequences of these concepts in th - Essay Example It differs from jus ad bellum in the sense that while the former refers to regulations and decrees issued during a war, the latter deals with legal justification and legitimate reasons for commencing a war (Orend, n.d. p. 105). This paper examines the principles of proportionality and discrimination and their present practices with respect to principles of jus in bello. Jus in bello According to war theorists, ‘jus in bello’ refers to the rights and regulations that are followed after commencement of a war. It is a Latin term, which for a large part also evaluates and justifies a nation’s reasons for entering into warfare. At the same time, it also justifies whether the war is conducted on a just manner or not. Under any circumstance, nations are not allowed to adopt perverse means to meet their objectives. Due to this reason, jus in bello is often referred to be an ethical parameter. Thus, principles of jus in bello function with the sole objective of maintaining a coherence between the means and outcome of an armed conflict. Added to these, jus in bello performs another important function. Its principle task is to limit warfare. This is a measure to control the ever- escalating destruction and cost of war (Henderson, 2009, pp. 3-4). Principle of proportionality: jus in bello The term ‘proportionality’ refers to adoption of methods which will not only be proportional to the ends of the war, but will also help in achieving just goals. From a narrower perspective, war theorists define ‘proportionality’ as the method that is adopted by combatants for fulfilling their respective goals, without inducing mass- massacre of enemy troops. Proportionality has often become a controversial issue for it often justifies violence to a certain degree. Though the principles of proportionality are pitted against general sense of humanity, it ensures that basic respect is paid for lives and privacy. Thus, the principle of proportiona lity demands the war commanders not to chase unattainable objectives or which were relatively unimportant by paying with lives of their own military troops. This brings the principles of proportionality in line with the codes of jus in bello (Shapcott, 2013 ). Though not itself the key consideration, the principles of proportionality hugely influences one of the key concepts- humanness, and is directed towards ensuring basic human rights. Proportionality imposes severe limitations on activities of States, especially when it adopts extreme means to save few soldiers by claiming more lives. It aims at saving more lives compared to those risked at war. This makes it a ‘consequentialist concern’. Three chief principles of proportionality are- firstly, when any aspect or objective has provisions for both good and bad, the ‘good’ must be chosen. Secondly, the effectiveness of good must be taken into consideration. Lastly, in case they are unequal, effectiveness b ecomes the decisive factor (May, 2008, pp. 117- 120). Principle of discrimination Civilian immunity is central to principles of discrimination which insist that when at war, discrimination must be practiced between the combatants and the ones who are not. Irrespective of war objectives, under no circumstances the military is supposed to make the civilian population a permissible target. The principles also incorporate certain chivalric codes of conduct and customary practices, in respect to the material characteristics of armed combat. The immunity

Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership and Management Paper Research

Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership and Management - Research Paper Example Management is not just confined only to organizations. Even political leaders need to have the knowledge and skills of a good manager in order to be successful in their careers. One leader with such qualities is the 34th president of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower who exhibited both managerial and leadership qualities. This paper looks at  Eisenhower’s qualities as both of a leader and a manager. Characteristics of a Good Manager A number of factors define a good manager. The ability to have a vision about the future means that a manager is future oriented. A good manager needs to show enthusiasm in his/her work as well as to have the ability to empower and motivate others to work enthusiastically. The decision making process of a manager should be defined by an ability to make quick and informed decisions. Words need to be backed by actions. Managers who talk too much by issuing orders rarely succeed in their careers as workers need to see how they can perform t asks as well. Characteristics of a Good Leader A manager should be a good leader which means that he possesses good leadership skills. A good leader is proactive and thinks about the future. They are flexible in their decisions and actions so they can easily adapt to any change that may arise. A good leader has good communication skills, and respects the subordinates. Confidence in both leading the team and believing in personal decisions is an important quality of a good leader. A good leader shows enthusiasm in work. The interest in the feedback from the subordinates is a concern for efficient leaders, while they exhibit good organizational skills and delegate duties to the subjects (Leatherman, 2008). Leadership and Managerial Qualities of Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower exhibited both leadership and managerial qualities in a number of ways. Having been a leader of the army during and after the First World War, he exhibited good leadership qualities by heading the army in war. At the onset of World War I, he immediately requested for an assignment overseas. This showed how dedicated he was in his job, showing one of the qualities of a good leader. As a hard working military man, he rose over the ranks to become Lieutenant Colonel in the National Army. As Lieutenant, he exhibited good organizational skills. He was able to organize members of the army during the war and draw placement programs of the personnel. His ability to approach members of the lower ranks and deal with them showed his commitment to the staff and his ability to effectively communicate with all the people in the military regardless of their position. His skills as a visionary leader were portrayed when he remained focused on the role of tanks in any war that would follow after the First World War. He showed his high level of commitment to his job patiently rising through the ranks of the military to become General of the Army Air Force. His dedication to work let him succeed in many assig nments such as in the invasion of Sicily. To promote democracy, he accepted the role of the President of Columbia and NATO Supreme Commander. His dream of becoming a president of the United States was supported by many people who felt that he had good leadership qualities suitable for the success of the United States. He chose to continue with Roosevelt’s plan of the New Deal for the United States and, thus, won a second term which

Juvenile Justice Written Assignment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Juvenile Justice Written Assignment - Coursework Example He believes that the kid will improve if given much support and attention when released from the court in order to avoid being reoffended. The defense attorney also believes that the kid can be involved in more productive activities of his family and society in order to make the best use of his energy and efforts. When the kid is engaged in constructive activities of the society, this will help him to divert his energy in helping the society. This will also help Marquese in doing constructive activities thereby developing life skills which may further help him avoid the criminal activities by appreciating the role of order and justice in the society. The defense attorney therefore claims that Marquese lacked the necessary institutions to help him change his behavior. The kid should therefore be provided with relevant institutions that will help him develop life skills and family nurturing in order to engage and concentrate most of his time and energy in the constructive activities in the society. He should also be given moral support and guidance in order to help him reduce time available and discourage such criminal activities. ... Marquese is referred to as a frequent flier by the system due to his repetitive acts of criminal offences in and out of the court. He was therefore branded a frequent flyer due to his frequent and repetitive cases in court pertaining to criminal activities especially theft. The system has failed this this child because it has taken much into consideration the nature of the child at home and school so as to help him out of such a situation. This name suggests that the child habit could not be reformed but in reality Marquese can actually transform when subjected to close family support and monitoring. This name shows that Marquese was not given the necessary rehabilitation support in order to transform his behaviors. This therefore indicates the failure of the system to provide the child with the necessary support and psychological guidance concerning his situation. This name also convince the child that he cannot change his behavior. The system therefore failed to understand the actu al problems Marquese is undergoing like the abuse of drugs which needs special attention. Marquese was branded with negative names which made him wilder thereby discouraging his change of behavior. Marquese also never received adequate assistance that could help him fit into the society after leaving the court. This child can be rehabilitated because his situation is due to lack of moral guidance and support. This is shown by the arguments of his attorney general. Marquese is said to be a good student in school and he also loves her mother a lot. This child can therefore be rehabilitated through provision of adequate and necessary parental guidance and support of the society in order to engage in productive activities. The child can also transform when

Critical Perspective on Contemporary Music Essay

Critical Perspective on Contemporary Music - Essay Example The purpose of this assignment is to critically assess the narrative of contemporary music. The critical assessment will be undertaken by using Bohemian Rhapsody by the rock band Queen as a basis of critique the narrative of contemporary music. Furthermore, different generalities of the course will also be included in the paper to create a background to assessment. Overview of the Course: The overall objective of the course is to understand the sociological, aesthetical and musical context to different genre of music such as jazz, hip hop, alternative rock etc. The outcome that have been predicted and to be achieved by the course is to develop effective critical perspective regarding history of music being produced in the contemporary era. The course allows critical evaluation of the factors that have had a great impact on the contemporary music. These factors include gender, race, class, aesthetics, technology etc (DeVeaux, 1991). Course Design: The course MUS 209 is a systematic le arning protocol regarding contemporary music and its origin. The progress of theoretical framework that backs up the trends in contemporary music is rooted in the history in a profound manner. It is due to this fact that the course involves assignments which allow brainstorming and critical approach towards learning about factors affecting musical trends (DeVeaux, 1991). Context: Likewise any other genre of music such as jazz and hip hop, rock genre has a splendid journey in terms of sound composition, stylistics, aesthetics etc. Rock history dates back to 1950s when the refinement of rock and roll was underway. Rock music was merely taken as a way to show aggression and solitude with high notes and intense lyrics. This majorly affected the way people followed musical trends. Rock stars were fan-followed in terms of fashion. A number of rock bands and artists have evolved over the time and ruled the music charts. Among different rock bands and music, Queen Band has gained significan ce in history of rock music with their single Bohemian Rhapsody. The song became widely famous because of its unusual manner of no chorus whereas songs of that era had chorused compositions. The song included three segments which have been composed as the guitar solo, ballad and operative hard rock section. The single was considered as the most expensive single as special consideration was given to the production of song. The rock Band became a success in different musical chart ratings as they introduced variation in the trend of rock music (DeVeaux, 1991). The sociological context of the song is that it reflects experiences of people who have been through times of need that they had to commit crime. The song was one of the influential songs of its time that a great deal of literature regarding crime and mental health made use of the lyrical message of the song. It was because the lyrics of song projecting a young man who murdered man out of circumstances and not for rivalry. The m urderer or the narrator of the song has been illustrated as a person who is apologizing to all for his act and assures that he did not want kill humanity. He has affirmed that he has killed and now his soul will is ready to be surrendered. The song Bohemian Rhapsody was written by Freddie Mercury which ultimately conventional manner of songwriting. The performance of the song was never observed live because there were number vocal parts of the songs that were composed

Is Europe an optimum currency area Literature review

Is Europe an optimum currency area - Literature review Example This phenomenon has allowed for a vantage point to the economists from where they can try understanding the possible problems and difficulties associated with economic integration. The objective of this literature review is to understand the criteria essential to the achievement of Optimum Currency Areas in the light of the existing academic sources and theories. This literature review also intends to understand whether the European Economic and Monetary Union are gradually shifting towards an Optimum Currency Area position. It is Robert Mundell who is attributed to be the pioneer of the theory of Optimum Currency Area. Vasiliauskaite and Vitakauskas (2007) have successfully identified certain criteria delineated by Mundell to be necessary for the existence of a viable currency union. As per Mundell, for a region to move towards an Optimum Currency Position, the labour mobility is a necessary and pivotal requirement (Vasiliauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). The labour mobility in this con text includes the physical ability and possibility on the part of the labour in a region to move from the depressed areas to the propitious ones. This mobility criterion also entails an absence of the cultural and political barriers to labour mobility and the existence of viable institutional mechanisms to facilitate mobility of labour (Vasiliauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). Besides, According to Mundell, the monetary union in a region required an integration of the financial markets of the member nations accompanied by a total flexibility of prices and wages across the region (Vasiliauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). Also, Mundell tagged to these criteria the need for a regional political integration making way for the fiscal transfer mechanisms for the redistribution of capital around an Optimum Currency Area (Vasiliauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). Besides, it is also imperative that most of the nations in an Optimum Currency Area have diversified economies and similar business cycles (Vasil iauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). Vasiliauskaite and Vitakauskas (2007) have concluded after an elaborate analysis of the existing data that though the European Economic and Monetary Union does qualify many of the criteria considered by Mundell to be essential for the creation of an Optimum Currency Area, the labour mobility in the European Union is much constrained as compared to USA. In Europe there exist many cultural and economic barriers that hamper the hassle free mobility of labour. Also the European Union, unlike America, cannot rely on Fiscal Federalism to iron out the regional economic disturbances (Vasiliauskaite & Vitakauskas 2007). In his seminal work in the context of the Optimum Currency Areas that is A Theory of Optimum Currency Areas (1961), Mundell discernibly appears to adhere to a Keynesian mindset. According to Mundell, in order to mitigate the shocks occurring in the private sector, whether originating from the supply side or demand side, the countries could resor t to the manipulation of national fiscal and monetary policies (1961). This nascent theory of Mundell was essentially based on stationary expectations pertaining to exchange rates, price levels and interest rates. The earlier Mundell was conclusively all for the Keynesian fine tuning of national fiscal and monetary policies, shielded by a floating exchange rate (1961). Mundell held that the diversified econ

Presidential Candidate Essay Example for Free

Presidential Candidate Essay Given the challenges of American society today, citizens shall now have the opportunity to showcase the facets of democracy and vote for the candidate that can help and create a better future for the country. With various differences and stand in one particular issue, it can be ascertained that the decisions of each person must come from the roots of each concern as it balances out the possibilities of improving their lives. In the end, it is still up to the public to decide which contender shall be appropriate and fit to rule the United States of America. The Choice  In choosing between the mainstream nominees John McCain and Barack Obama, one must look at their relative platforms and how they plan to achieve it. Addressing the important issues surrounding society today remains to be my main interest as I go out and practice my right. In my own personal opinion and after reading their respective programs, I feel that I will choose Mr. Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States. This primarily is due to his efforts to guide our country into a new direction facing the 21st century challenges with a raised head and determination to succeed. Why Obama? Similarly, I feel that his policies are redirected towards the pursuit of equalizing and redistribution. Obama seeks to harmonize the relationship between the American classes by proposing initiatives that is deemed to be more fair and transparent in nature. Likewise, he proposes that the government shall accommodate the needs of every Americans ranging from education, healthcare, economy, jobs, etc. Amidst the daunting challenges in today’s economy and way of life, Obama showcases an aura that hope and transformation is still possible. Impeding Issues With his election into office, there are numerous initiatives that Barack Obama shall address. First, he must cater to the current economic recession happening in the country. He must make proposals that will help boos the market and recuperate from this setback. Second, he also should focus on helping many jobless Americans get employment. Due to the rising cost of living, there must be action plans that will aide these individuals. Lastly, another important issue that must be tackled involves the issue of healthcare. Since the end of the 20th century, there has been a constant decline in the facilitation of related care. This has been caused by the rising cost of expenses incurred by the increasing number of retirees in the country. Models of Change Obama, if elected, shall cater to jumpstart the economy by providing several proposals he sees fit to cater the needs of Americans today. The first process involves lessening the tax given for working families. In here, â€Å"they will create a new Making Work Pay tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family† (BarackObama. com, 2008, p. 1). This tax relief seeks to shoulder the increasing expenses and help alleviate these people’s lives. The next process involves providing tax incentives. This particularly shall be applied to small and startup businesses by the elimination of taxes associated with new businesses to help encourage and revitalize job creation and innovation (BarackObama. com, 2008). Lastly, he seeks to promote and enhance trading practices among Americans. By adhering ethical standards within the market and companies, American can exhaust good labor opportunities and the promotion of a cleaner working environment (BarackObama. com, 2008). Another important process that Obama seeks to look into is the American tax system. He sees the need to make the processes fair and equal among citizens. He focuses on the important factors associated with the practice such as responsibility and accountability. By ensuring that these things are applied, policy differences can be seen. With this, â€Å"his tax plan will help restore bottom-up economic growth that helps create good jobs in America and empowers all families achieve the American dream† (BarackObama. com, 2008, p. 1). At the same time, the issue of healthcare shall be refocused and revitalize to suit the current needs of the American population. He plans to provide affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing healthcare system, and uses existing providers† (BarackObama. com, 2008, p. 1). Moreover, there is the strategy to lower the costs associated with healthcare. Obama seeks to use these payments to invest in greater opportunities wherein the services shall be enhanced and developed (BarackObama. com, 2008). Also, his desire to instill the notion that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is done by encouraging American awareness towards public health. Conclusion: What is it for workers? To conclude the election of Barack Obama shall be beneficial for workers in the United States. With his election into the White House, there can be changes in the way the government is facilitating care and protection among these group. Likewise, it shall seek to eradicate the inequalities happening within American society. His programs; aimed at redistribution and fairness, shall be a catalyst for the improvements in life by the working class. With all of these, Barack Obama shall transcend and lead the country to the New Hope he promises.

Radioactive Isotopes Essay

Radioactive Isotopes Essay Pranav Nagrecha Introduction: Radioactive isotopes are kind of isotopes, which have an unstable nuclide and react in assorted ways, they are derived from isotopes that also hold an unstable nucleus but they do not react as radioisotopes do[i]. These factors are categorized by the extra energy which is present in them and which would be used to react and produce some other particle. The reaction, which would result in various emissions of Gama, rays, alpha particles, beta particles. The reaction, which causes these emissions, is called radioactive decay (Radioactivity). The discharge of the radioactive decay is harmful in various ways, only due to the progress in technology now these disadvantages have been converted to advantages and now radioisotopes are used in several facial expressions, which also let in various medical aspects, which would be compensated in the report. The concept of Radioactivity was found by a French physicist, Antoine Henri Becquerel. As most of the discoveries, this also was by a very honest observation and accidental. During the research of phosphorescent materials (The elements which glow in black). Studying Uranium for his research, he kept the uranium on the photographic film, it was a routine for him to hold it under the sunlight for some days and then examine it later. On a cloudy day, he kept the film and the uranium inside. Later on some days he took an observation when he watched the video, the image of the uranium appeared in the film, from his experience, he concluded that it was not because of the sun and it was some reaction which had taken place and lead to this. [ii] After some rigorous testing, he came to know about radiation, which had this reaction. In 1903, he was awarded with a Noble prize for his discovery; Uranium is still the most radioactive element present. As all the reactive isotopes have some spirit, i.e. the time until they crumble, this phenomena is called as ‘Half-Life’. Half-life marks the time in which isotope mass reduces by half. For example, an isotope has a mass of 10 Grams and its half-life is 5 years, Five years later mass of the isotope would be 5 Grams, in the next five years, its mass would be 2.5 Grams and this procedure will decrease exponentially until the mass is Zero. [iii] As isotopes are available in nature, they are sorted into three main categories ‘primordial’ is the former type. Being naturally radioactive the people who exist on this planet release artificial radionuclides. However, the land was formed about 5 billion years ago with various unstable nuclides reacting with each other. The majority of the elements have decayed and formed into various stable elements, there are some who possess a long half-life and yet survive in nature; these isotopes are addressed as â€Å"Primordia l Isotopes†[iv]. The second type of isotopes is called â€Å"Radiogenic Isotopes.† These kinds of isotopes are derived from the format character. The Primordial Isotopes always decay and form radiogenic isotopes. Compared to the format they have a shorter half-life[v] . They hold a parent-daughter pair with the former type; their usage will always depend on the half-life of their parent isotope. The third â€Å"cosmogenic isotopes,† these kinds of isotopes is continuously created in the air. These are organized because of the cosmic rays and various human experiments, which include various reactions of radioactive isotopes; In addition, the nuclear explosions also lead to the formation of cosmogenic isotopes.[vi] Radioactive isotopes have various uses for example it is directly given to clean the lab equipment in which the radioactivity would sterilize the equipment and make it useful for the further experiments, compared to other cleaning methods this method is one of the most clever manner. Radiolabelling is a concept in which the original chemical compound is being altered by using scientific techniques, there are some changed made in the atom, as one or two atoms are put back by radioisotopes. The further study is done until the reactant transformes into a product. The tracers used in various plants and animals help us in studying the organs, cell, and various other aspects of the body. Example if we take a molecule of water and we want to modify it further, we modify one of the hydrogen atoms with a hydrogen-3 atom. This molecule will be a perfect replacement for the original hydrogen atom. Therefore, if we want to trace the atom it is possible, because Tritium atom (Hydrogen-3) is trace able using various radiation detection equipment’s. [vii] As explained above the study of cells become easy using this. Supposedly a scientist has to study the plant and find out how much a particular vitamin is used, he would particularly just modify that vitamin and then feed the plant with it, when the plant uses it up it simply could be discovered by a scanner. This will enable us to know where is a particular vitamin is used; the same can be done on animals. This technique helps in improving and discovering new medications. Carbon Dating is another concept, which is related to the radioactivity of carbon. This concept has helped us to solving the question when did the organism died. The amount of carbon-14 determined can tell us how old the organism is. It works in the following way, when a particular organism dies; there is a specific mass of Carbon 14 to Carbon 12, which is present in some ratio. Comparing both carbons 12 is more stable. Then, when we see an organism we would regulate the amount of carbon 14, because it must have disintegrated at a considerable pace, which is quite preditable. Using the concept of Half Life in this carbons half like is around 5700 Years, which will allow it to stay with the body for 5700 years. [viii] Smoke detectors are very useful and have become mandatory for everyone, have we ever wondered how do they work? Yes, it is because of the Radioisotopes, which make it possible. There is a negligible amount of americium-241, which makes it possible. Americium is an artificially created element. This element always emits a low amount of alpha and beta rays. These are mixed with some oxygen and are given a small amount of charge. The smoke detectors and two electrons in them, thus the voltage applied keeps the electron flow stable and continues. During the time of smoke, when it enters in the chamber the smoke particles are drawn towards the charged ions, this disturbs the current stream in between the two electrodes and therefore activates the alert. Using these substances for makes the detection of smoke faster compared to the older methods. The half-life of the isotope also makes it available for a long time and not is spoilt. [ix] Various radioactive isotopes are also used for security purposes, like detection of various explosives. The compound is as Californium-252 and Cobalt-60 are used for the detection for the explosives. They sense the nitrogen chemical compounds, which are found in major explosives and thus trigger the alarm. They also sense the gama radiations, wich enhance their capabilities.[x] Radioactive metals decay at a considerable rate, while this procedure they produce radiation, which consists energy that can break electrons, which would produce two different charged ions. The radiation also would cause damage to various human tissues. Some radiations are so harmful that they do not yet even possess a remedy. Various health starting from nausea to death are caused by exposure to radiation. They deviate from the quantity of radiation exposed to a special individual. [xi] Conclusion: Radioactive Isotopes have been useful for us in several ways, but this all has been to the jeopardy of our lives. For example: The isotopes of lead are very radioactive and have a direct effect on the brain and nervous system. Radioactive isotopes are the ones, which have yielded a wage hike to various bad and incurable diseases, but then also assisted us to heal them at the same time. The merits and demerits of this factor cannot be likened. [i] R.H. Petrucci, W.S. Harwood and F.G. Herring, General Chemistry (8th ed., Prentice-Hall 2002) [ii] Laboratory Safety and Management: An Introduction to Radioisotopes and Radioactivity. Laboratory Safety and Management: An Introduction to Radioisotopes and Radioactivity. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2014. http://laboratorysafetyandmanagement.blogspot.com/2011/12/introduction-to-radioisotopes-and.html>. [iii] Radioactive Half-Life. Radioactive Half-Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/halfli.html>. [iv] A. Martin, S. Mead and B.O. Wade. Nuclear Science and Technology. Materials Containing Natural Radionuclides in Enhanced Concentrations (1997): n. pag. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. [v] Gargaud, Muriel, and R. Amils. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. New York: Springer, 2011. Print. [vi] Beer, JuÃÅ'ˆrg, Ken McCracken, and Rudolf Von Steiger. Cosmogenic Radionuclides as Environmental Tracers. Heidelberg: Springer, 2012. Print. [vii] Science Clarified. Radioactive Tracers. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. http://www.scienceclarified.com/Qu-Ro/Radioactive-Tracers.html> [viii] Archaeological Dating. Archaeological Dating. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. http://people.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/nuclear/dating.html> [ix] Smoke Detectors and Americium. Smoke Detectors and Americium. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Non-Power-Nuclear-Applications/Radioisotopes/Smoke-Detectors-and-Americium/>. [x] Security Imaging / Security Inspection. Security Imaging Sources, Security Inspection Sources. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. http://www.qsa-global.com/sources/applications/security-imaging-inspection.aspx>. [xi] Health Effects. EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014. http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/health_effects.html>.

Cultural Funeral Practices Essay -- Culture

Globally, people celebrate or mourn the passing of loved ones in different ways. Because these traditions are engrained in cultural practices, some may not understand the reasons for death rites of passage. However, monetary challenges in reproducing these traditions can cause a change in tradition. This report addresses the different funeral traditions and offers a solution in the event of financial challenges. History Throughout history our primordial ancestors have believed in the after life. Such beliefs entail processes like burials and ceremonies, which some believed were used to be used in the afterlife or to be recovered in a later reincarnation. As Vicki Lensing cites Despelder and Strickland: Research indicates that as far back as 50,000 years ago, man exhibited concern for the dead. Neanderthal burials included food, ornamental shells, and stone tools. This implied a belief in the afterlife and a concern about life, death, and the rituals that connected the two. Other ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, the Greeks and the Romans also demonstrated beliefs and rituals about death and an afterlife (2001). Because these beliefs originated in antiquity, one may question the nature of these beliefs. The way of thinking 50,000 years ago was quite different from modern man. According to the late author and psychologist Julian Jaynes, there was no consciousness within man then. Man was vulnerable to auditory senses and hallucinations, the only sense that can not be irreversibly shut off. When analyzing the bicameral mind, primordial thought was completely centered in the right-brain (Jaynes, 1967). When examining tradition, it is important to question the origins; for they may not prove useful ... ..., L. (2009). Leading the world: The role of Britain and the first World War in promoting the â€Å"Modern Cremation† movement. Journal of Social History, 42(3), 557-579. Retrieved from SocINDEX with Full Text database. (NEED DOI) IF NOT PUT IN THE WEBSITE References Dorsey, J. (2008). 10 Extraordinary Burial Ceremonies From Around the World. Brave New Traveler - Online Travel Magazine. http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/06/25/10- extraordinary-burial-ceremonies-from-around-the-world/ Jaynes, J. (2000). The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. New York: Mariner Books. Kazmier, L. (2009). Leading the world: The role of Britain and the first World War in promoting the â€Å"Modern Cremation† movement. Journal of Social History, 42(3), 557-579. Retrieved from SocINDEX with Full Text database. (NEED DOI) IF NOT PUT IN THE WEBSITE

Essay --

The Gulf War was a United States and allied countries offensive against the country of Iraq that occurred during August 1990 to February 1991. Due to the United States involvement in the war, The Golf War was executed effectively and ended within 7 months. Due to the success of the Coalition Air Campaign, Operation Desert Saber (combined ground and air offensive on Baghdad), A cease fire was called which lead to the United States victory in Iraq. The Gulf War involved 24 nations and was led by the United States against Iraq in response to the invasion of Kuwait. It is considered the most efficient war in American History, during the time, the United States deployed 7 Army Divisions, 2 Marine Corps Divisions, 6 Carrier Battle Groups, 2 Amphibious Battle Groups, 1 Marine Wing and 15 Air Force Tactical Fighter Wings. Setting the Stage Iraq is located north of Saudi Arabia, and west of Iran, its borders are shared with the nations, of Syria, Jordan, Turkey and Kuwait. Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader, came up with the idea of invading Kuwait for many reasons, one of them being that they owed 14 billion USD to the nation. Kuwait was also exceeding oil quotas set by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), thus bringing more oil to the market and exceeding the demand. In result, the price of oil was at an all-time low and Iraq was losing a significant amount of revenue. Saddam Hussein claimed that Kuwait was stealing oil from Iraqi Reserves, claiming the use of ‘slant drills’, a machine that can drill an oil well at an angle. Saddam claimed Kuwait was doing this at Al-Rumalia Oilfield, a location very close to its borders. The nation of Iraq did not have direct access to the Persian Gulf and invading the nation of Kuw... ... also a media success, full coverage of the 100-Hour was broadcast to the world and the American People completely backed the decision made by The President. The effectiveness of the air campaign; the destruction of Iraqi air power and command infrastructure proved to be a critical point for the coalition against the Iraqi army. It destroyed iraq’s chance to even set a single plane in the air and ultimately lead the United States ownership of the air above Iraq, even out of the reach of Iraq anti-aircraft missiles. Iraq’s air force was nothing compared to the force behind the coalition. The ground war, all but guaranteed the coalition’s success in the war against the Iraqi Army. It was the efforts of the United States military’s that lead to the success of the War. Without the United States Involvement, Iraq could have possibly dominated the Arabic Peninsula.

Intuition in A Jury of Her Peers Essay -- A Jury of Her Peers Essays

Intuition in A Jury of Her Peers      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Though men and women are now recognized as generally equal in talent and intelligence, when Susan Glaspell wrote "A Jury of Her Peers" in 1917, it was not so. In this turn-of-the-century, rural midwestern setting, women were often barely educated and possessed virtually no political or economic power. And, being the "weaker sex," there was not much they could do about it. Relegated to home and hearth, women found themselves at the mercy of the more powerful men in their lives. Ironically, it is just this type of powerless existence, perhaps, that over the ages developed into a power with which women could baffle and frustrate their male counterparts: a sixth sense - an inborn trait commonly known as "women's intuition." In Glaspell's story, ironic situations contrast male and female intuition, illustrating that Minnie Wright is more fairly judged by "a jury of her peers."    "A Jury of Her Peers" first uses irony to illustrate the contrast between male and female intuition when the men go to the farmhouse looking for clues to the murder of John Wright, but it is the women who find them. In the Wright household, the men are searching for something out of the ordinary, an obvious indication that Minnie has been enraged or provoked into killing her husband. Their intuition does not tell them that their wives, because they are women, can help them gain insight into what has occurred between John and his wife. They bring Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters along merely to tend to the practical matters, considering them needlessly preoccupied with trivial things and even too unintelligent to make a contribution to the investigation, as Mr. Hale's derisive question reveals:... ...or her motivation; therefore, in hiding the bird, by their silence, they acquit Minnie Wright.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through the ironic situations in "A Jury of Her Peers," Glaspell clearly illustrates a world in which men and women vary greatly in their perception of things. She shows men as often superficial in the way they perceive the world, lacking the depth of intuition that women use as a means of self-preservation to see themselves and the world more clearly. Without the heightened perspective on life that this knowledge of human nature gives them, women might not stand a chance. Against the power and domination of men, they often find themselves as defenseless and vulnerable as Minnie's poor bird.    WORK CITED Glaspell, Susan. "A Jury of Her Peers." L~fted Masks and Other Works. Ed. Eric S. Rabkin. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan p, 1993.      

How the Food We Eat Reflects our Culture and Identity Essay

Ntozake Shange in her essay, What Is It We Really Harvestin’ Here? had taught her readers a very important lesson that is very vital in understanding one’s culture and one’s family. It is the simple truth that food is more than food. It was clearly communicated in Ntozake Shange’s essay that food is not just an arbitrary or random thing that arises from one’s culture or family. Rather, the local food of one’s culture and family is a reflection of his or her environment and his way of living. The food that we eat is a mirror to what the nature provided to us outside of our houses. At the same time, food is also the mirror of our own creativity and taste. Whether we prefer sweetness over spiciness, such preferences appear and manifest on how we prepare and how we cook our foods. Summing it up, food is a very important element that we must take a look (and taste) to have a good grasp or understanding of one’s culture or one’s family. The essay What Is It We Really Harvestin’ Here? can be regarded as a very important and significant piece of literature in proving the significance of food in understanding ones’ culture. In the essay of Shange, she told the story of numerous local delicacies that will convince us to the point that we are establishing. Take for example the Shange’s example of sweet potatoes. In the essay, she made a very good way of instructing his readers on how to grow quality sweet potatoes. Growing sweet potatoes require much dedication, patience and knowledge. As seen in Shange’s instruction on how to grow a sweet potato, it was seen clearly how one must work hard to be able to produce a good quality potato. In fact, as stated in the essay, â€Å"[one must ]Get your soil ready at least two weeks before planting. . . (Shange 111)† The entire procedure is difficult. As stated again, â€Å"The easiest thing to do with a sweet potato is to bake it† (112). These lines clearly showed that growing sweet potatoes is a tough job. This difficult method of growing such crops mirrors the characters of the people or group of people who happened to eat those crops. As growing a potato requires dedication and patience, we can also argue that the people that grow this crops are dedicated and patient. This is our first way of proving the point that we established above – that food is viable factor to see in understanding one’s culture or one’s family. Another notable proof of the relationship of food and culture is the case of the Carolina Rice. As discussed in Shange’s essay, rice, more particularly the Carolina rice reached a great demand in the 1700s. Because of this, the slaves who came from West Africa are priced better than their other counter parts. This is because of a more complex knowledge and skill that is required in growing rice. The slaves who grew from rice countries are priced better. As stated in the essay, â€Å"Plantation owners were perfectly aware of the superiority of African slaves from rice country† (114). Despite the complexity of growing rice, its cooking is much simpler than its cultivation. Again, this can be related to the simplicity of the lives of the people who adapt this kind of food. Rather than undergoing some complex process of cooking, rice are just simply boiled in water (116). Once again, this showed how rice that is very complicated to grow yet very simple to cook mirror its African cultivators who have a rich culture and tradition, yet living a simple life. The way we cook our own food tells a lot on our preferences and fondness. In the essay, it was written in the later part of it that North Americans does not prefer burnt rice at the bottom of the casserole. In fact, they find it scary. However for the people other people, rice, at least the bottom of it are preferred to be burnt. This burning made possible the cooking of very dry rice (116). In my opinion, these burnt rice preferences of the colored people remind them the colored of their skins. Sidestepping a bit from the literature to my own experience, being Hispanic also mirrored on my food tastes. My taste for a good food is determined by my background as someone who has a Hispanic descent. Coming from this particular background, I prefer foods that possess a great deal of flavor and variety. As common to all Hispanics, we prefer rice meals, chilies, spices and tomatoes. This in respect to our cultivation of these crops and fruits in the earlier times and of course to our rich cultural and historical past. Shange had successfully proved to us the important relationship of food and our cultural and familial identity. As we said in the beginning of this essay, food is not a random and arbitrary thing that just popped in our households. Rather, food is product of our experiences, our appeals, our desires that were smoothened by time. What we grow is who we are. What we buy is who we are. What we eat is who we are. Food is truly a mirror to our cultures and most importantly, a reflection of our humanity. Works Cited Shange, Ntozake. What Is It We Really Harvestin’ Here. p. 109-117

Successful implementation of ERP Systems: issues and obstacles

Introduction: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are packaged (but customizable) software applications, which manage data from various organizational activities and provide a fully integrated solution to major organizational data management problems. It integrates all data and processes of an organization into one single and centralized system. These systems comprise of many components of hardware and software, in order to achieve integration from various departments in the organization. With the development of new technologies it’s an essential part of their long-term competitive strategy. ERP software applications can be used to manage product planning, purchase, inventory, interacting with suppliers, customer relationship management service, and order tracking.Discussion: Enterprise resource planning (ERP) packages touch many aspects of a company’s internal and external operations. Consequently, successful deployment and use of ERP systems are critical to org anizational performance and survival. This paper presents the results of a study of the problems and outcomes in ERP, a project which was conducted under the sponsorship of an ERP systems vendor. Enterprise systems (or enterprise resource planning systems – ERP) have been instrumental in advancing efficiency in organizations throughout  the world.However, David Hebert of the Hackett Group stated, â€Å"Only a select few companies have gotten value out of their ERP implementations, and those are world-class companies†. Many companies are radically changing their information technology strategies to maintain a competitive advantage, become more responsive to change markets, and deliver better service at lower cost by purchasing off-the-shelf integrated ERP software instead of developing IT systems in-house. [1][2][3]ERP System: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are software packages that use relational database technology to integrate various units of an organ ization's information system. ERP systems provide several separate, but integrated modules, which can be installed as a package for any organization [4]. Many large corporations use several different and separate information systems, often because they have merged with and/or acquired other companies with varied systems. An ERP system integrates these separate information systems and results in improved data reliability and processing efficiency.ERP systems quickly became popular with large corporations that needed a seamless integration of their business, but are now frequently used by small to mid-sized companies. The excellent ability of ERP systems to simplify business transaction processing, eliminate work that adds little or no value, and simultaneously improve customer service are the main reasons for the outstanding success and popularity of these systems [5] ERP Model:Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are off-the-shelf software packages that support most of the key functions of an enterprise, such as logistics, sales, and financial management. These systems are generic, and the functionality they provide can serve a large variety of enterprises. ERP is a critical strategic tool to achieve business goals. However, ERP adoption is not always successful despite using substantial amount of time and human and material resources. To prevent ERP failures, proper adoption processes and selection criteria should be considered to minimize possible losses. To explain the ERP Fig: Modelin an easily understandable format you have to know about the 4ps marketing  model. Usually the 4Ps marketing model was a general marketing model where the 4Ps originally stood for people, product, promotion and price [6]. Over the years, this model has been changed to become a business model and was modified by replacing promotion and price with process and performance [7]. The modified 4P business model was created to architect the ERP Conceptual model because several people working in management are familiar with the concept of the 4Ps.The ERP model is made of 4 components that are implemented through a methodology. This figure demonstrates the integration between the components. Methodology encircles all four of the components to illustrate that each component is addressed and implemented in an integrated manner. [7] [8]ERP System implementation: With the development of new technologies many companies now consider technological improvements an essential part of their long-term competitive strategy, and consequently try to apply these technologies. Computer technology has brought about many benefits in helping the construction industry meet increasingly complex challenges. It has achieved a wide range of successful applications at the project level such as engineering design, project estimating, scheduling, planning and control, and integrated project management.H. Klaus and G. Gable analyzed the concept of ERP, in order to explain its origin. T hey consider that the designation is not related to the role and characteristics of this system. The integrated system of type ERP is not focused on the resource management and it is not very developed within planning area, as its name may suggest it. It is rather focused on the integration of all organization departments, functions and processes within a single computer informational system, capable of supporting all these areas, with their individual and specific requirements. [8]Design of Evaluation Model for ERP System: ERP allows employees to share information, query data, and run reports. This eliminates the need to store duplicate information in more than one place and reduces the amount of work necessary to gather and analyze information  [9]. ERP systems increase efficiency by freeing employees from performing time consuming, manual work. For example, legacy systems often require hours or days to run reports. With ERP, reports can be produced in seconds. These efficiencie s allow employees to spend time on other tasks; reducing operating expenses. Here’s a proposed evaluation design model for ERP system-The proposed ERP evaluation model [8]Issues in Implementing ERP: A Case Study: Information technology/systems play a major role in improving the competitiveness of organizations. There are numerous enterprise information software packages available in the market. One of them is enterprise resource planning (ERP). ERP can provide signiï ¬ cant improvements in eï ¬Æ'ciency across a company, but only when implemented correctly. Otherwise, an ERP system could be a curse and drag the whole enterprise into spiraling ineï ¬Æ'ciency.Planning for ERP systems and their implementations requires an integrated approach to meet the requirements of various functional areas. With a brief overview of ERP implementations, this paper describes some experiences of an ERP implementation in a water corporation. The case study reveals some of the intricacies duri ng the planning and implementation stages that may occur in any company in any part of the world. Suggestions are oï ¬â‚¬ered in resolving the issues of implementing ERP.The criteria for success (and failure): Whether a system is branded as a success or a failure is a judgment, usually made at some point in time by one or more people with the benefit of hindsight. Most people, for example, consider that the new system at Heathrow airport’s Terminal 5 was a failure when it opened in 2008. Now, however, that same system (more accurately, system of systems) is operating successfully with few reported problems on a day-to-day basis.[10] The judgment of whether a project has ‘failed’ is not a simple yes/no decision. It is common for systems that initially did not live up to expectations to evolve over time to deliver useful services. However, management usually regard a project tends as a success if it meets three high-level criteria:It should be delivered on time It should be delivered within budget It should deliver the expected functionalityIn addition to these should be added the considerations of the users, to make sure that the system fits in with their everyday working: It should be acceptable to the users (and hence used).If a project fails to satisfy one or more of these criteria when it is deployed, it is likely to be labeled a failure. If we closely examine the causes of system failures, we see that most of them are not attributable to failures of the technology. Instead, they are failures of the socio-technical system, often arising because the social and organizational aspects either have not been appropriately considered, or have been separated from the technological aspects.It is important that the social and technical aspects of the overall system are developed in parallel, because they are often interdependent. If they are developed separately, any mismatches may not be detected until late in the project when they are invariabl y expensive and time-consuming to correct, and can even lead to the project being abandoned.The most important problems of ERP system implementation: There are several studies dealing with difficulties in enterprise system implementation. The researchers use different concepts, which have various scopes and meanings. As a result, comparing and integrating their findings is difficult. The number of recognized categories of problems and issues experienced by companies adopting ERP system varies from two through three to five. The identified groups cover issues of various nature and scope, e.g., technical, operational, legal, business/economic, organizational, managerial etc. The respondents opinions regarding the problems observed in ERP system, divided into the described categories, are presented in Table 1. Within each category, various difficulties are listed together with a short description. [11]Table: Problems occurring during ERP system implementation [11] ProblemDetailsOrganiz ational problems: Project goalsLack of clearly defined goals of the implementation project; incorrectly defined goals; lack of prioritiesCompany’s conditionPoor company organization; unclear organizational procedures; unclear strategyCommunication Problems with communication and information flow; different understanding of the same ideas by different departmentsDecision makingProblems with decision making (e.g., regarding personnel); indecisiveness of company representativesPersonnel availabilityKey employees unavailable; workers’ lack of timeConflicts Conflicts between a company’s departments; conflicts during organizational changeImplementationMistakes in project management; lack of risk management; lack of implementation tasks’ coordinationmanagementOrganizational and ownership changes during the project; changes in requirements;Changes in a companychanges in company organizational structure imposed by the introduced systemTrainingInadequate training p hase of a project; cutting trainingSocial problems: Employees’ knowledge and educationLack of management competence; lack of personnel computer literacy; lack of knowledge about company operations, enterprise systems and their implementationTop managementLack of top management support and involvement; lack of project understanding by top managementImplementation teamLack of implementation team members’ commitment; inadequate composition of implementation team (e.g., too few people, people not empowered to make decisions)MotivationLack of employees’ motivation to perform implementation tasks and learn new skillsResistance to new systemResistance of middle management, IT staff, and system users; people avoiding implementation dutiesResistance to changePeople highly accustomed to existing solutions and unwilling to changeProject managerLack of a project manager; inadequate person appointed as a project manager; necessity of sharing time between implementation tasks and organizational dutiesSystem provider’s competenceConsultants lacking competence, knowledge, and experience; problems with the availability of system provider’s servicesProject acceptancePeople not convinced about the project; lack of general acceptance for the project; problem with project acceptance by people not involved in implementation dutiesPersonnel’s fearFear about possible consequences of implementation project: loss of job, position, and statusUsers’ responsibility Lack of responsibility and care among people entering data into the systemTechnical problems: DataProblems with completing and organizing system data; problems with transferring data from legacy systems to ERP systemSystem efficiencyUsers unable to enter data on-line; problems with customer and provider order handlingSystem drawbacksImplementers unaware of program’s errors and shortcomings; lack of efficient application testing;Economic problems: High costsInadequate finan cial budget for the project; loss of financial resources; lack of financial flexibility and resource allocationThe problems discovered in Table 1 refer to practically all stakeholders involved in the project: employees, implementation team members (who are functional departments’ managers in enterprise X), and top management representatives. Next, the organizations suffered from the high costs involved and problems connected with goals definition.Conclusion: There is no silver bullet that can be used to kill off the potential for failure of ERP system development projects. The proportion of failures remains stubbornly high, even though several of the factors that are associated with failures appear to be known. A quick look at several of the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Top 10† style lists of factors associated with failures (and successes) reveals that no two lists are identical, although there are several factors that recur on many lists.The lack of agreement suggests that the analyses of the reasons for failure may be overgeneralising, by treating all failures as being more or less the same, whereas there are really different types of failure that arise through different combinations of factors. Reference 1. Markus. L. â€Å"learning from adopters’ experiences with ERP: problems encountered & success achieved†, online journal , available at- http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.farrell-associates.com.au%2FBPI%2FPapers%2FERP%2520Research.pdf&ei=fWEdUPOyGIWIrAez_oGwAg&usg=AFQjCNFh8bwBuLBbiHMbCVvoLWoej1TJOQ&sig2=Oe695TrVDvjagLr3jWUNbA , accessed on 26th July 2012. 2. Marnewick. C. and Labuschagne. L. (2005),†A conceptual model for enterprise resource planning (ERP)†,Information Management & Computer Security, Vol. 13 Iss: 2 pp. 144 – 155, available at- http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09685220510589325 , accessed on 1st aug 2012 . 3. Hooks, A. (2002), â€Å"Change management: how to reduce the risk of change†, available at: www.internext-group.com 4. Bae. B. 2004. â€Å"Implemantation of ERP Systems† Journal. 5. Gibbs, Jeff. â€Å"The power of enterprise computing.† Internal Auditor . Feb. 1997. 6. Alexandrou, M. (2002), â€Å"Supply chain management (SCM) definition†, available at: www.marialexadrou.com/glossary/scm.sp 7. Marnewick, C. and Labuschagne, L. (2005),†A conceptual model for enterprise resource planning (ERP)†,Information Management & Computer Security, Vol. 13 Iss: 2 pp. 144 – 155 8. Bryson, K. amd William E. Sullivan, (2003),†Designing effective incentive-oriented contracts for application service provider hosting of ERP systems†, Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 9 Iss: 6 pp. 705 – 721. Available at- http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14637150310506648. Accessed on- 25th july 2012. 9. D.P. Goyal, Gurbinder Randhawa, (2007),†Design of evaluation model for ERP systems: an empirical study of Indian Industry†, Journal of Advances in Management Research, Vol. 4 Iss: 1 pp. 63 – 73 available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/972798108000125. Accessed on 28th july 2012 10. Kakouris, A.P. and Polychronopoulos.G, (2005),†Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System: An Effective Tool for Production Management†, Management Research News, Vol. 28 Iss: 6 pp. 66 – 78 11. Joseph R. Muscatello, Michael H. Small, Injazz J. Chen, (2003),†Implementing enterprise resource planning(ERP) systems in small and midsize manufacturing firms†, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 23 Iss: 8 pp. 850 – 871

Customers Switching Behavior Essay

Relationships and individuals’ bank switching behavior Abstract We examine the role of relationships between individuals and their banks in determining bank switching behavior. Using data from a survey questionnaire from a random sample of bank customers in the United States, we find that the variables measuring the various dimensions of a relationship significantly lower an individual’s propensity to switch banks. These include the duration of an individual’s relationship with her bank, whether or not she has had problems with her bank in the past, and aspects of the quality of the service relationship. An innovation of the current paper lies in incorporating finance/economic aspects of relationship with the various dimensions of service quality relationship collectively as determinants of an individual’s propensity to switch banks. The attributes capturing whether or not an individual feels that her bank is responsive, is empathetic and is reliable to her needs, are all significantly negatively correlated with her propensity to switch banks. Our results demonstrate just how relationships may help in limiting bank switching behavior and deliver a strong message to banks about the importance of relationships in retaining loyal customers. Our findings also underscore the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate disciplines to better understand the behavior and decision making of individuals and their banks. Author Keywords: Bank switching; Relationships

Five Forces Model for Industry Analysis Essay

New Entrants The online bookstore industry that Amazon.com has pioneered in was, at first, very hard to penetrate. There were different barriers such as distributing capabilities and the variety of the selection offered that are supposed to be hurdled. Amazon successfully solved the tricky parameters as being the first one to get into the whole idea of online retail. With being the first, they had the luxury to set what were the norms for the industry. Factors that may lower these barrier tactics would be a wider selection and the ability to go to an actual bookstore to exchange or return books or other products. This network of â€Å"actual† retail spaces makes it easier for the consumer to return or exchange the products they were not satisfied with. These handicaps of Amazon were the basis for the emergence of book retail giants Barnes and Noble and Borders in the online shopping industry. Industry Competitors The major competitors of Amazon are Barnes and Noble and Borders. Barnes and Noble is a retail giant offering books and CDs both in their outlets all over the country. It opened their online industry in 1997 and has become the fourth largest e-commerce sites today. Focused largely on the sale of books, music, software, magazines, prints, posters, and related products, the company has capitalized on the recognized brand value of the Barnes & Noble name to become the second largest, and one of the fastest growing, online distributors of books. Their â€Å"advantage† to Amazon is the brand name and the availability of actual retail outlets in which consumers could go in to exchange or return products easily. They also have an established book selection based in their retail operations. Borders is another multi-media retail store found in major cities around the country. Started out as a small bookshop in the college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, it has since expanded into one of the finest bookstores. In 1992,  Borders was bought by the Kmart group which further flourished the company into a Multi Media Giant with a wide selection of Audio, Video and Books found throughout the United States. The Online Bookstore industry have become a fierce business which involves discounts, varied selections and fast delivery in which all three companies are challenging each other. Buyers The consumers of this industry can be found in every corner of the population. These are mostly people who have had some form of higher education and have access to the Internet and computers. The segment of online shoppers has increased dramatically in recent years due to the convenience of shopping in the comforts of the home and the accessibility of the Internet. These developments have made it easier for consumers to log on and buy on the Internet. Consumers also tend to compare prices among the retail leaders such that buyers are able to buy products with very big discounts compared to ones bought in â€Å"actual† retail outlets. The bargaining power of the consumer is based on the competitive strategies of each active firm in the industry. Thus, consumers can challenge one firm for charging more than the other one such that the firm will beat the price of the competing firm. Suppliers Amazon’s suppliers range from the publishing and media houses to electronics’ manufacturers. Amazon buys all their books, videos and audio CDs from the multi media houses and publishing giants such as Time Warner, Doubleday etc. Amazon also has alliances with other bookstores to cover orders that they cannot serve. Substitutes The substitutes for Amazon and other online bookstores are the â€Å"actual† book  retailers and music stores such as Barnes and Nobles, Virgin Megastore, Tower Records, Sam Goody and other small mom-and-pop outlets. With the rise of online retail, there will be little impact from these substitutes. One impact would be some consumers who would like to hold or listen to their purchases prior to buying and those who are into the whole â€Å"shopping experience†. Barnes and Nobles have jumped into online retail and have succeeded into diversifying into the new e-commerce industry. Industrial Organization Model Degree of Competition Due to the shift of focus for Amazon, it has become the â€Å"Earth’s biggest anything store†. Its competitors have expanded from just online book retailers Barnes and Nobles and Borders to top audio retailers CDNOW.com and online auction house EBAY.com. Amazon has an overall lead of 40% market share against the other online retail firms. Their international business has more than doubled over the past 2 years and this growth increased Amazon’s share in the online business market. Life Cycle Amazon, in it’s first years, had negative income but the rise of e-commerce sites and being the pioneer made the succeeding years led to boom time for them. Their growth period was during 1994 to 1995 when they were the first of its kind in the world. They incurred very high costs in terms of distributions to customers. Still with a negative income, Amazon went public in 1997 and had one of the biggest IPOs of the time. With investors banking on future positive cash flow for this company, Amazon’s market value soared. Many people caught on with the idea of online shopping, thus, Amazon’s success. Amazon’s success as an online retailer prompted bricks-and-mortar rivals Barnes and Noble and Borders to join in. Competition decreased Amazon’s profitability so in the past couple of years, Amazon has expanded to more than books, audio and video to electronics and other retail concepts. Social Relevance Amazon’s products are marketed for every consumer possible. Books, audio, video and electronics are appreciated by majority of the population especially those who have access to the Internet. Amazon is active in pursuing literacy programs for young children by collaborating with the makers of the Dr. Seuss books. They have actively participated in the Dr. Seuss shops, story telling sessions and Dr. Seuss days. Degree of Globalization Amazon’s strength internationally lies within its networks in major ports and cities around the Globe. Amazon first started out in Seattle but as soon as they have established a niche market, they have opened shop all over the nation and in cities such as London, Berlin, The Hague, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore and many more. These branches overseas improves their delivery service to a wide consumer base. Extent of Government Control There has not been many government regulations regarding online retailing. A group of CEOs whose firms that are engaged in such practices have formed an organization called Global Business Dialogue. This GBD group supports the development of a seamless global system that delivers the broadest array of goods and services to the largest number of consumers at the most competitive prices. This work effort will: offer recommendations to the WTO, including making the moratorium on online tariffs permanent; and collaborate with governments to target and eliminate discriminations against, or other non-tariff barriers to global trade in, electronic commerce. This working group will also provide an avenue for the GBDs to consider and promote the growth of the electronic marketplace in an environment unencumbered by detrimental taxation. Degree of Vertical Integration Amazon’s primary value chain includes purchasing/sourcing, marketing, distribution and after-sales services, which includes returns and exchanges from unsatisfied customers. Their main focus is in the purchasing/sourcing and in the distribution of the products to the consumers. Their investments are therefore, geared towards warehouses in key points of high consumer demand areas and an efficient delivery and distributing system to service all its consumers. Thus, Amazon controls most of its distributing system that spans across borders. Inter Organization of Network Economics Amazon in its efforts to sustain its market leadership in the online retailing industry has tied up with various online organizations. Netscape Navigator and Amazon will offer members of Netscape Netcenter a co-branded storefront where Earth’s Biggest Bookstore will be easily accessed through Netscape Netcenter (home.netscape.com). In addition, Amazon.com has multi-year exclusive and premier bookseller relationships with 5 of the top 6 sites on the World Wide Web: AOL.com, Yahoo!, Netscape, GeoCities, and Excite. These partnerships widen Amazon’s presence in the World Wide Web. Sensitivity to Business Cycles The Online retailing business has a very quick cyclical growth. Amazon being one of the firsts to venture in this type of commerce are all ready in what seems to be in their decline stage where market share is declining. Therefore, Amazon is expanding to different industries within online retailing. Amazon and other online retailing firms are very sensitive to business cycles due to the speed of technology involved in the services they offer. Dynamics of New Knowledge Generation Online retailing relies on the work of an excellent distribution system. Amazon has invested their money into expanding their network of distribution centers around the globe. They also have investments in creating better  technology for tracking orders and giving efficient delivery systems for their customers. Amazon.com has remained on top of the online retailing business despite the entrance of giants such as Barnes and Nobles and Borders. Their success is attributed to two factors; timing and continuing to invest heavily into the inventory and distribution systems. Amazon, by being the first of its kind, has a big lead over the nearest competitors due to their experience and its reputation as the first movers. Their thrust remains on improving efficient delivery systems across borders and to build name recognition as the number one retailing firm in the Internet. They have also ventured into different retail options to keep that lead. Marketing, Innovative inventory and distribution systems, and name recall have helped Amazon build a sustainable competitive advantage. In order for any online retail company to remain prosperous and income generating, they must invest a lot of time and money into research and development of more efficient operations and distributions systems. This proved to be key for the Market Leader in online retailing, Amazon.Com.

Analyse the 2 articles about Amazon, consider how strategy is Case Study

Analyse the 2 articles about Amazon, consider how strategy is developed and implemented from an emergent and deliberate perspect - Case Study Example Article 1 essentially revolves around the work culture of Amazon. The article deals with the recruitment, selection and absorption process of the organisation. The company after setting its office in Rugely, started recruiting in huge numbers. The company hired Randstad as its major recruiting agency. The hired workers were known as associates and were kept under a training period of minimum three months before they were absorbed by the company. The main objective behind this strategy was to find the top performing temporary associates for the available permanent vacancy. The company achieved creative advantage by following the kaizan approach to increase the efficiency of workforce. Every warehouse was appointed with a continuous improvement manager whose job was to look for any kind of hindrance or delay, and solve them. The company also appointed mobile problem solvers who continuously patrolled the warehouse to look for issues slowing down the operational process and fix them. Am azon started its operations as an online bookseller. Once the company became a prominent leader in the online book selling category, it started diversifying its operations into other sectors. From article 2, it is clear that product differentiation and diversification has provided a competitive advantage to the company (Ehmke, 2010). The company has also invested in technology to remain competitive in the market. The products of Amazon are essentially simple and easy to operate, which increases the customer preference. The company’s continuous investment in new and creative areas such as technology, cloud computing etc., has provided a competitive edge to the company. Strategy Development and Implementation A strategy can be defined as a scope and direction for the organisation, which is profitable to the organisation in the long run, makes the best and most efficient use of the resources, meet the needs and demands of the market and satisfy the stakeholder expectations (Anon ymous, 2006). Different strategies are applied in different stages of business, such as corporate strategy, business strategy and operational strategy. Amazon is one the prominent leaders in the retail business. Article 1 reflects the overall operational strategy of the organisation. An operational strategy aims in efficient management of each operational unit of the company and to efficiently utilise the tangible and intangible resources of the company to generate maximum profits (Datta and Roy, 2011). To maximise the efficiency of its operational processes, the company has applied many strategies. The recruitment and selection process of the company is strict and rigorous. To optimise the efficiency of workforce and increase the cost-effectiveness, the company follows the strategy of recruiting and maintaining the best talent among the temporary job positions. Amazon’s efficient software helps workers to reach the target destination in least time and distance covered. To fu rther monitor the work flow in the warehouse, kaizan strategy has been applied extensively. In kaizan approach every warehouse was appointed with a continuous improvement manager whose job was to look for any kind of hindrance or delay, and solve them. The company also appointed mobile problem solvers who continuously patrolled the warehouse to look for issues slowing down the operational proces

Customer Retention Activities Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Customer Retention Activities - Case Study Example In the year 1981, Liggett introduced generics to boost market share. The market competitors of Morris were RGR as the brand used to sell branded cigarettes comparatively cheaper through cheap resources and advertising fees. RJR had the leading market share within the industry due to its adopted price-cutting strategy. Â  The price cutting discounted strategy actually has helped the organization to regain the faith and trust of the loyal existing customers. It is true that recession has affected the sales growth rate of the organization. In an addition, affected purchasing power due to economic recession influenced several consumers to avoid the purchasing of the expensive premium branded cigarettes and buy cheap economic priced cigarettes. Therefore, discounted pricing strategy or price-cutting strategy has helped Marlboro to support the affected purchasing power of the target customers. Therefore, it has helped the organization to increase its market share significantly. Â  Discounted pricing strategy or price-cutting strategy can affect the brand image of Marlboro among the customers. It is one of the leading organizations within the industry. In addition to this, low pricing can create a negative perception in the minds of consumers regarding the quality of the product. Drastically too much discount can force the customers to think about the fall of quality of products. It can cause reduce sales growth rate of the organization. Â  Marlboro Man has become one of the major advertising or promotional campaign that helped the organization to become one of the leading organizations within the industry. Most importantly, promotion can be considered as one of the important strategic marketing tools that can help an organization to create effective brand awareness among consumers.