Questions on Short-Term Finance

What can managers do to control the cash cycle? What are the tradeoffs In shortening the cash cycle? Know how to calculate: Elements of the cash cycle and the operating cycle Managing the Working Capital Cycle (Chi. L) For what aspects of working capital does financial management have responsibility? What are the two key areas of working capital policy set by financial management? What are the objectives In setting working capital asset policy? What Is the difference between temporary current assets and permanent current assets? In what ways can working capital assets be balanced? What is spontaneous financing of working capital assets?How is the amount to be used determined? What should be considered in choosing between short-term and permanent financing sources for funding working capital assets? What are the tradeoffs? How can the lifetime of assets be matched to the maturity of funding sources (I. E. , what Is a restrictive working capital financing strategy)? How can working cap ital assets be financed more flexibly than with a restrictive strategy? How can they be financed more aggressively? Cash Management (Chi. L & Chi. 2) What is the focus of short-term financial planning? What are the steps of the short-term financial planning process?How are cash collections forecast? How are cash disbursements forecast? What are the elements of a typical cash budget? Why is short-term debt appropriate for covering short-term cash deficits? What are the typical sources of short-term funds? What Is a line of credit? What are the tradeoffs in cash? What is â€Å"cash†? How are borrowing reserves and marketable securities like cash? What is float? What types of float exist? Why do we care about float? How do we deal with float? What tools can we use to manage float? What is a locker arrangement? How do we compare costs and benefits of a locker?How does using a locker help us to manage risk? Elements of a cash budget Float time, float balances; Costs and benefits o f lockers Credit and Inventory Management Managing Accounts Receivable/Setting Credit Policy (Chi. 3) What are the elements of a receivables management program? What are the components of a credit policy? What are the tradeoffs in setting credit policy terms? How does competition affect the optimization of credit policy terms? How can a vendor have a lending cost advantage over other banks and finance companies? Why might a vendor be able to charge a higher price for goods and services by offering reedit?When might a vendor find it necessary to offer credit in order to establish reputation? What are the advantages/disadvantages of open account billing over invoice billing? What factors affect the ideal credit period? What factors determine whether or not credit (early payment) discounts should be offered? What are the five Co's of credit? What tools are used to monitor receivables? How is the impersonal nature of collection agencies both good and bad? In what forms can credit be off ered to customers? How does a firm offering credit to customers finance its own receivables? What is acting of receivables?What are the advantages/disadvantages of factoring? What elements of a credit policy decision can be quantified? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with inventories? How may a change in credit policy affect the costs associated with receivables? In what two ways can projected bad debt losses be affected by a change in credit policy? What are the costs/benefits of offering discounts? Annual percentage costs of credit discounts Costs, benefits, and net benefit of a change in credit policy Break-even probabilities and percentages for a change in credit policy

How Chris McCandless Died Essay

Krakauer’s Into the Wild analyzes the whole story of Chris McCandless, a young fellow, who in 1992 strolled profound into the Alaskan wilderness and whose SOS note and withered body were discovered four months after. Globally top rated creator Jon Krakauer investigates the fixation which drives a few people to examine the outer furthest reaches of self, abandon human advancement and look for illumination through isolation and contact with nature (Krakauer, Pp.160). Chris argued that †The essential center of a man’s living soul is his obsession for the enterprise. The delight of life originates from our experiences with new encounters, and thus there is no more prominent bliss than to have an unendingly evolving skyline, for every day to have another and diverse sun.† (Chris McCandless). McCandless looked upon some literary figures that influenced the decision into leave behind everything that the parents provided and go on an adventure in dangerous Alaska. T he literary heroes discussed below had a complete influence from the books they wrote that Chris read and hence getting motivated about the journey. Chris had a similar connection to Leo Tolstoy since Chris’ was an outstanding group of Old Russian Nobility. The connection with Leo was acquainted with Chris’ Life (Madjid, Pp.131). The connection they shared influenced Chris to admire Leo as his legend. In spite of the fact that, He viewed Leo’s way of life, he additionally read books from Leo which influenced to admire what Leo had felt. For Example, a book composed by Leo Tolstoy called Anna Karenina, Leo expressed that †Every single cheerful family is similar; each despondent family is troubled in its way.†(Leo). Chris’ life can be associated with the character into the story since McCandless was additionally despondent with family because Chris’ folks had furnished with all that was needed; it is the thing that made Chris is miserable inside family. The family had felt that giving everything fulfilled Chris’ desires; however, concerning Chris’ view it didn’t ma ke a happy life. Amid Chris’ enterprise, he had gazed upward to many characters (Merkley, Pp.163). However, one that emerges the most was Leo Tolstoy; this was on account of Chris had life and perspectives like Leo. Chris required motivation, from the saints and Leo Tolstoy turned into a most noteworthy legend all through McCandless’ trip. Tolstoy influenced Chris profoundly in the path of asceticism and seeking an alternative to middle-class living. Henry Thoreau was a notable figure in the American philosophical movement of Transcendentalism. This philosophy revolved around the possibility that the foolish congruity of the encompassing society was not sufficiently adequate in life (Harms, Pp.126). Undoubtedly an ideal approach to wind up plainly a visionary is to forfeit your living close by and frame a stable bond with the nature around you. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer displayed Christopher McCandless, a man who was propelled by these early visionary figures, and before the finish of the trip, Chris is tantamount to Thoreau. McCandless discovered the truth in introspective philosophy. A visionary has solid convictions in evading human connections, realism and grasping mysticism. The primary thing Chris did was surrender family, the general population that was nearest. This was the initial phase of turning into a visionary since they trusted that human connections meddled with the capacity to associate with nature genuinely ( Vera, Pp.52). Chris additionally turned out to be exceptionally irritable and ambiguous with the general population that came crosswise over as he bummed a ride, making a point to maintain a strategic distance from human connections. Chris once stated, †You are incorrect if you think Joy radiates only†¦from human connections. God has set everything around us, and you should simply go after it.† (79). Chris had a disposition that influenced it to appear as though clearly nature is the subordinate of happiness. Chris didn’t have time for human connections just like Henry. †Jack London is King† this was cut into a piece of wood found at the transport where Chris McCandless’ body was found. Chris McCandless appreciated Jack London as a man and an essayist (Brandt, Pp.189). Chris went into the wilds of Alaska to demonstrate that he could live off the land, with no advanced accommodations, and no human contact. Jack London composed stories about men and creatures encounter the earth, and survival against hardships, which were composed of his own life. His works included independence and the investigation of the laws of nature. Chris needed to investigate his own independence, his identity, and how he was to carry on with whatever is left of his life. London, a communist, and drifter, lived and worked among poor people and lower classes and related to their predicament. He tramped for a period, as did McCandless. McCandless, similar to London, searched out and related to minimizing individuals living on the social edges (Brandt, Pp.190). Chris’ aspiration in life was to be unified with nature and investigate. He needed to find the world for himself. It didn’t make a difference to him on the off chance that others viewed as foolish; pursuing his fantasies made a difference more to him than taking into account others’ reactions. †ANY MAN WHO WAS A MAN COULD TRAVEL ALONE.† McCandless basically did not trust that there was have to rely on others to survive. For the duration of Chris’ life, he overlooked relations with family and declined to be too sincerely associated with anybody met on the journey to Alaska. McCandless blossomed with independence and one’s capacity to make his own particular way. †YOU CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR MOTIVATION; YOU NEED TO FOLLOW IT WITH A CLUB.† (Hanssen, Pp.195) As confirmation from the book, Chris ends up being an extremely willful and firecracker individual. Chris is certain beyond a shadow of a doubt of objectives and won’t l et anything block on them. Conclusion Chris had a life philosophy that life is more of interaction with nature and sharing the happiness but not just the family relationships. McCandless demonstrates this veneration in one of the most recent days of his life when he composes a short farewell to the world: †I HAVE HAD A HAPPY LIFE AND THANKED THE LORD. FAREWELL, AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL!† (199). In the last snapshots of McCandless’ life, he communicates actual inclination about the long excursion by lauding God alongside every other person in his life. This demonstrates profound regard to God for brave and satisfying life by saying thanks to the sky (Krakauer, Pp.195). McCandless regularly discusses religion is putting trusts that God has taken a substantial part in making life so energizing and in this manner feels thankful for it. Christopher McCandless takes the Transcendentalist way of life by disengaging himself from society, living with just basics and following transcendentalist religion full-hearte dly. Chris’ life decisions and philosophical thoughts are demonstrated through the voyage to Alaska and take after the perfect Transcendentalist life to an adequate degree, which is the reason such a large number of Transcendent adherents alike and not-alike end up noticeably charmed by his character and his story in Krakauer’s Into the Wild.

Aegean, Roman, and Greek Cultures Essay

Aegean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age in Greece and the so-called Aegean Age. Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were among those civilizations in the Aegean that has made its zenith during this era. Minoan civilization developed on the mountainous areas of Crete. Crete naturally possessed a wide-range of harbors which made it possible for the Minoans to settle and establish permanent livelihood as traders and merchants. From 1700 BC, they were involved in various trades including the important tin trading that is used to make bronze. Minoans focused their belief on female deities (note that Minoan women were usually appointed officials – a symbol of respect and authority). Many archeologists believed that the Minoans have equal treatment to men and women. Evidences from Minoan artworks showed that the equal status of men and women. Minoan artworks also showed evidences of the development of the Minoan civilization (three periods of Minoan civilization – EM, MM, and LM). Among the surviving Minoan arts is Minoan pottery. Different periods of Minoan civilization also showed different modes of design of their ceramics which include spirals in the Early Minoan, natural designs like flowers and birds during the Middle Minoan. After the demise of the Aegean civilization (during the Hittite invasion of Asia Minor), Greece began to make advances in culture. The development of the city-state allowed the propagation of culture across geography – enabling city-states to develop its own cultural tools. It can be said that the zenith of Greek culture was during the Hellenistic period (lasted for about 200 years). The Greek Hellenistic period span from 323 B. C. up to the Battle of Actium in 31 B. C. The Hellenistic period paved the way to many transformations of Greek art. Though the Classical concepts in art were not thoroughly abandoned, the birth of the Hellenistic period made the artists create different and unique art concepts. The artists during this time explored and manipulated their imagination on their subject. It was also during this period that higher degree of Naturalism took place as a logical conclusion to great sculptors like Praxitelis and Lysipos whose works demanded for the art representation of the human figure. In a Greek art (Boy Jockey), the bold expression of energy and power during great pressure was represented. The change of focus of the Hellenistic art from religious and naturalistic ideas and concepts to human expressions, psychological concern and theatrical background, paved the way to the sculptures that includes the natural physical surroundings with creative landscaping and theatrical groupings. The Nike of Samothrace is a sculpture that embraced the true meaning and understood the world through the application of certain techniques and aesthetic conventions. The winged goddess with her outstretched wings gracefully prevents the stone from falling due to gravity. The sculpture also represented the physical human presence and the external force within it. The representation evidently speaks for the Greeks acceptance of the physical power of human being and all other external forces acting on it. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, a new power was on the rise. Roman expansion to the East resulted to: 1) consolidation of the Greek peninsula under Roman rule; 2) the destruction of Macedonia, weakening of the Seleucid Empire, and the incorporation of the states of Bithynia and Pergamum to Rome; and 3) increased Greek influence on Roman culture. Although Roman art is essentially a derivation of Greek art, it is different in two respects. First, Roman art is generally a modification of Greek art. The invention of concrete during the 1st century A. D. greatly advanced Roman art and architecture. For example, the simple amphitheatre of the Greeks was transformed into a colosseum. Concrete allowed the construction of more complex structures. Second, Greek art was essentially religious in character (this is assertion is debatable for some historians). Roman art and architecture was a mixture of religious and political philosophies. The Roman poet Ovid often referred to the Greeks as the champion of religious authority – the center of religious worship in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Romans as the bearer of Greek culture. Here, Ovid was essentially arguing that Roman culture cannot be solely religious in nature. As the forerunner of ancient democratic institutions, Rome must distinguish itself politically from its subject peoples. With Roman domination of the Mediterranean, Greek culture spread to all parts of the Roman Empire. In the East, it became the ethos of a new cultural revival – Greek in orientation. This revival was essentially the last if not the least of Hellenism prior to the rise of Christianity as the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. Before the Christian culture, Greek culture was the predominant mode of humanistic endeavor. However, one must understand that Greek culture was a partial derivation of Aegean culture – a culture which is embellished in myth, tragedy, and greatness. Here, one can clearly see the development of Western culture – a result of the transfusion of Greek culture and Christian learning.

Selection Strategy for Merino Textiles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Selection Strategy for Merino Textiles - Essay Example This essay stresses that an effective HR Department will provide the company effective people to man the sensitive jobs of selecting qualified personnel for the various jobs of machine operators and an effective workforce for the different machineries in the production of textile and fabric products of the company. The role of the human resource department is significant to the attainment of the organisation’s goals and objectives. The manager has to maintain a good and effective rapport with his employees. The employees too have to establish an effective communication with the customers. Meeting the needs and wants of customers is the job of both the manager and employees. This paper makes a conclusion that the human resource department has to focus on identifying and selecting persons capable of implementing the organisation’s plans. HRD should maintain employee performance and see to it that that they are highly motivated. Without motivation employees cannot function well. Other HRM functions include job analysis, appraisal, and performance standards. Human resource management also determines the number and type of employees needed in the team and where the labor supply should come from. Recruitment, training and development, and assignment of people should all be in accordance with the organisation’s objectives. The organisation’s objectives are crucial to the staffing process.

Chapter Analysis Theistic Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter Analysis Theistic Realism - Essay Example The term ‘theistic realism’ was defined by Gutek to describe this kind of approach (Hart, 2006: 56). Man is perceived as a rational being with free will exercised through choice and capable of acquiring knowledge of reality. Human conduct is thus guided by objective truth and values. Reality though is accepted as both material and spiritual. Having free will and conscience also means people are responsible for their own behaviour (Young et al., 2007: 84). Under theological realism, the teacher would likely employ a range of methods with an emphasis on helping to develop skills of observation and critical reasoning. The teacher would also provide copious facts and guide the student to becoming knowledgeable about the world around them as a route to self-realisation. The lecture method would therefore be common with skilful use of audio-visual aids, and teachers would encourage discussion among students. The teacher is very much sympathetic towards her students, and students in turn would be given choice in the activities they can engage in. As John Locke advocated, the children would not be pushed beyond their ability or natural inclinations. To assist students in their learning, the use of objects features prominently, which includes pictures and illustrations. This practice was promoted by the theologian and educator Comenius who also stressed on learning by doing (Gordon & Browne, 2010: 10). The overall objective is to perfect students’ natural abilities through training their senses. Also, rather than stressing on memorisation, students learn by understanding and applying knowledge. As Thorndike in the empiricist tradition believed, this higher level thinking ability in students develops from the aforementioned basic habits (Cox et al., 2009). The curriculum emphasis under theological realism is on subjects that are deemed practical and useful. In particular, the study of nature would be considered as very important,

Discussion Board 4-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Discussion Board 4-1 - Assignment Example Suppression and denial of emotions leads to withdrawal and even development of antisocial behaviors that may spill to affect the nature of relationship with a family. The approach can be effective in treating a family with a depressed and withdrawn adolescent daughter who is experiencing first menstrual circle but fears to tell parents who discourage discussions about sex and sexual developments. In this case, the depression and withdrawal of the adolescent daughter may be the only causes of the presenting family problem. Parents may feel uncomfortable with emotional shifts in their daughter and opt to invite a therapist. Applying Experiential Therapy will enable a therapist directly and spontaneously interrogate the daughter about her concerns and reasons for emotional shift. Structural Therapy will not be effective because it can be possible that parents only prohibit discussions about sex with their children but encourage other topics. Interpersonal boundaries can be comforting to every member, and it may be difficult noting any inefficient boundary within the existing family

Human Resource of SCG Limited Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource of SCG Limited - Coursework Example Armstrong (2009), Foot and Hook (2005) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) emphasize that the process of performance evaluation should be based on the organization’s goals and objectives. Condrey and Perry (2010), Armstrong (2010) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) express that the process should be based on job performance as it motivates the employees to work hard. Communication is one of the key features of an effective appraisal system as noted by DeIpo (2007), Armstrong and Applebaum (2003) and Armstrong (2009). Armstrong (2010) further reinforced on the significance of communication in this process. Employee participation is vital in the process as it shows their worth and impact in the business operations as stated by DeIpo (2007), Foot and Hook (2005) and Marquis and Huston (2008). The employee performance evaluation should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner as asserted by Marquis and Huston (2008), DeIpo (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010) further expl ains that there should be no personal bias in the process. The process should be conducted in accordance to set rules and regulations as explained by DeIpo (2007), Lyster and Arthur (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010), DeIpo (2007), Warner (2002) further add that an effective appraisal system should be standardized. External appraisers may also be involved to reinforce its reliability and credibility. Armstrong and Applebaum (2003), Armstrong (2010) and Condrey (2010) assert the need to train appraisers to eliminate the number of errors in the process. Analysis and Discussion SCG is an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is... The intention of this study is SCG as an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is making preparations to do her first performance appraisal. She has taken the necessary measures before the procedure by communicating to the staff members. This is by use of a standard performance appraisal form to be completed before the review meeting and a document containing the date and time of the process as expressed by Condrey and Perry. One of the longest serving employees in the department has received the documentation and is not pleased with the idea of the formal meeting. He had an excellent working relationship with the previous manager and his performance was outstanding as reflected in yearly salary increments. He considers himself as more than competent and has worked well in the previous years. He does not understand the purpose of the company’s strategy and targets fo r the following year and fails to understand how they relate to his job. The manager fears that other employees share the same sentiments as she overheard their discussion. These opinions held by employees worried her as they would have a negative impact on the performance appraisal process. The previous system lacked the features of effective performance appraisal. The new manager, on the other hand, introduced a system where the activities of the employees were governed by a system based on management’s objectives as explained by Armstrong and Applebaum.

See word Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

See word - Assignment Example e parasite cannot come out from the oyster body, the oyster will continuously produce crystalline substance called the nacre around it until it completely covers the parasite or the irritant, and the result is glossy pearl. Akoya is one of the cultured pearls carefully farmed in an enthralling combination of art and science. They are grown in cooler ocean temperature of Japan during winter periods where farmers wait for the Akoya’s premium prize creation. The healthy and vibrant Akoya that has successfully formed the pearl is processed using a technology and the oyster is set aside for a meal. Fossilized plants and animals in rocks formed through high pressure and temperature produced by sediments and results to the creation of amber. Amber is classified into five different classes depending on the chemical constituents. The video explains that Amber preserve creatures like insects in a unique and a fashionable way. It seems that the organisms’ resins are resistant to decay and this makes it possible for the formation of amber. Amber came from the rocks on the seabed and discovered after it washes up on the shore. The process of extracting gold or gold ores from the ground may define what exactly gold mining is. It is a process that involves a lot of techniques to carry out. There several methods that are used in mining such as pan, large drilling, and explosives with the application of different techniques depending on the method. In the video, Anthony used digging and later found out some of the methods that people rarely apply. Through the video, I have learned that it is always better to stick to designated gold bearing rock areas and dug through. As for the other methods, the video was brief and accurate to shallow mining of gold. The mining process starts from where samples are taken for testing to the point of tailing disposals. The process depends on the method used in the mining; however, the processes are divided into four main groups that include

I will attach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

I will attach - Assignment Example It limits employees from inquiring about various issues such as marriage, age, terminal disorders and bank statements. According to the law, all Americans are entitled to privacy regardless of their circumstances (Loenen and Rodrigues, 1999). The ‘EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION’ oversees complaints regarding discrimination in the employment sector (Dol.gov, 2014). The anti-discriminatory laws prevent employers from hiring on racial, sex orientation and healthy basis (Seaquist, 2012). According to the laws, it is illegal to obtain information on the employee’s private life regarding their marital status, race, country of origin, age and medical conditions. The purpose of the essay is to apply the anti-discriminatory laws in advertising for a job position. The essay also identifies various legal and illegal questions directed to employees by employers (Seaquist, 2012). The Administrative Assistant will undertake various confidential, technical and administrative tasks within the department. The Administrative Assistant supports several teams in company including the Intellectual property department team, procurement marketing and advertising groups in the company. The assistant will also open new legitimate reviews and obtain responses on business deadlines by pursuing the subject matter in question. In addition, the Administrative Assistant will communicate and advise both internal and external customers on legal requests that relate to communication review, advertising, and appropriate guidelines on trademarks The assistance administrator processes documents, evaluates the legality of the company’s undertakings and researching on law infringements issues in the organization. Moreover, the assistant is responsible for filing patents, infringement and trademarks documents. The assistant administrator prepares internal customers’ reports and works on special project within the organization. Moreover, he or she maintains the

Contemporary Asia Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Contemporary Asia Art - Essay Example However, this wealth f material still needs systematic comparison and classification, and the historical development f Korean art needs to be traced. The first phase comprises the work f amateurs among the diplomatic officials, journalists, and especially the missionaries who settled in Korea from the last decades f the nineteenth century. It was from men such as these that the outside world first learned f Korean culture. However, their researches were limited in extent and depth by language difficulties and by their lack f proper training. In addition, their interests lay more in literature than in art. One f the best works f this period is Andreas Eckhardt Geschichte der Koreanischen Kunst ( Leipzig, 1929); valuable contributions may also be found in the Transactions f the Korea Branch f the Royal Asiatic Society. With the annexation f Korea by Japan the initiative passed to the energetic Japanese archaeologists, and it is on the foundations laid by them that our knowledge today largely rests. Kim Soo Ja played an important role. During this second phase interest was focused mainly on the prehistoric era and on the archaeological approach to historical times. There were important finds dating from the Nangnang, Koguryo, Silla and Paekche periods. Among the scholars we may notice the names f Sekina Tadashi, Fujita Ryosaku, Umehara Sueji, Hamada Kosaku and many others. Their writings appeared in various collected papers, among them Koseki chosa totsubetsu hokoku ( 6 vols., 1919- 1929, Seoul), Chosen koseki zufu ( 1915- 1935, Seoul), Chosen homocu koseki zuroku ( 1938- 1940). Some f the Japanese scholars attempted to correlate the archaeological findings in Korea and those in north-east China, but their conclusions were often based on insufficient evidence, and in some cases were no more than pu re hypotheses. After the Second World War some scholars continued working in Japan. Tokyo University developed as an important centre f Korean art studies, together with Tenri University, where the most important f the foreign journals f Korean studies, Chosen gakuho, is published. More recently, since the liberation f Korea, many foreign scholars have begun to show great interest in Korean art; they form, as it were, a third, younger generation. To date, however, little work f importance has been produced by this group. Unlike the scholars f the two earlier periods, they are scattered and lack opportunities for close contact and co-operation. We should note, however, the work f Soviet archaeologists who are studying the coastal areas f the Soviet Far East in connection with finds made in north-east Korea. In England and America the main interest has been in Korean ceramics. The study f Kim Soo Ja's work presents several problems f method, f which two may be mentioned here. Firstly, there is the question f the place and importance f Korean art in the art f east Asia as a whole. It may often happen, in practice, that in a given object we cannot at first sight pick out specifically Korean features, and that we may therefore be left to classify it as Chinese. It is only

What are the Strategic Issues Facing Marks & Spencer and what strategy Essay

What are the Strategic Issues Facing Marks & Spencer and what strategy should they follow next - Essay Example The two merged to form a chain of small penny stalls under the retail name of Marks and Spencer plc. Michael Marks was succeeded by his son Simon Marks in the running of the stalls. Simon Marks, soon turned around of the bazaars into fully fledged stalls and introduced the St. Michael’ Logo which was used as a distinct sign of quality on all the Marks and Spencer products. With over 885 stores in 40 territories,600 in the UK and survey data showing that one in every three British women were wearing on of the Marks & Spencer range of bras, Marks and Spencer was officially recognized as being the largest clothing retailer in the UK. In 2010, a new CEO was appointed to head the company and the CEO was immediately besieged with a myriad of issues associated with continuing the challenges of strategic change and reassessing the company’s competitive strategy. Challenges Facing Marks & Spencer. Some of the internal issues facing Marks and Spencer include insufficient levels o f communication between the Board and the investors. Examples of this situation include the announcement by Stuart Rose in April 2008 declaring his taking over the joint role as both the company CEO and also as the chair of the board of directors. This move proved to be quite unpopular, since it was in breach of the advice that the company got from the combined code of corporate governance. The body provides a, code that is voluntarily followed by most of the FTSE 100 companies. The moved proved to be immediately unpopular with investors, who deemed that Rose was now holding too much power. This is especially since the move by a single person, to hold the combined roles, had previously proved to be dangerous. There were also fears that it could prove to be detrimental once again. Rose overlooked all these concerns and proceeded with the appointment (Hill & Jones 2010). In the first half of the year 2009, Rose and his marketing director awarded themselves an enormous ?1 million packa ge in the form of bonuses and shares. The move was opposed by investors and, Rose and his Marketing Director were forced to give up the package in order to try and appease the discontented shareholders. Louise Patten also came under fire, and there was a motion to block her reappointment for signing off the bonuses. In the July 2009 AGM, Rose narrowly survived a motion of no confidence by investors who were concerned about his joint role as both the company CEO and Chairing the board of directors. Over 40 percent of the investors had voted against the reappointment of Rose as Chair. Rose was in the limelight once again when in May 2010, the investors expressed their frustration with the board after, when without any shareholder consultations whatsoever, the board negotiated an impressive golden hello deal for the new CEO Bolland, amounting to ? 7.5 million in the form of cash as well as shares. The deal was criticized by many critics as being excessive and credited with giving Bolla nd a less than perfect start to his tenure at Marks and Spencer plc. (Collis) Among the corporate issues facing the company include the announcement by Rose in July 2009, stating his intention to stand down as the company CEO, but not as the Chair of the board until 2011. This move was seen by investors as having the probability of creating an almost impossible leadership task for Mark Bolland, the incoming CEO with Rose and the Marks and Spencer plc board looking set to remain in their capacities for the medium term. The inability by Marks and Spencer to break into the mid-age demographic, and its over reliance on the 55years+ demographic which comprised of nearly two thirds of its customers was also criticized by Tony Shiret in 2009. The launch of the (GIVe) range of

HIV- Infected Surgeon and a Duty to Disclose Essay Example for Free

HIV- Infected Surgeon and a Duty to Disclose Essay In Case 12 a doctor, Dr. M, has learned he is infected with HIV, should he disclose to his patients that he has HIV or even discontinue his practice of performing surgery on patients? In a study that was taken 2.5 times for every one hundred surgeries performed about one-third of those procedures the patient is touched with the surgeons’ blood. In the same study they have found that for every one hundred surgeries that a surgeon performs with HIV only three patients will contract HIV from the surgeon. Dr. M does not have an obligation to refrain from performing surgery due to the low risk of contracting HIV from him and with any surgery there are risks, such as death that have to be taken into consideration. While Dr. M doesn’t have the obligation to terminate his profession of a surgeon he does hold the obligation to disclose to his patents he is HIV positive. If he discloses this to them this allows for the patent to decide whether or not to continue the procedure with him. When he discloses this information to them he will also need to provide the facts and information to them of the low risk they have of contracting the virus from him. Just as Dr. M is obligated to disclose his information of the virus he carries to his patients so does this patents hold the same responsibility to provide that information to him. The patient providing this information to their surgeon is more critical then the surgeon providing it to them for the simply fact a surgeon has more exposure to blood than a patient does. For most patients the fear of the unknown is the worst disease of all but at times information is hard to attain. As a health care provider you should never allow the fear of not knowing what disease you have that could be passed along to your patients be in their minds. With the chosen profession of being a physician imposes a set of duties and obligations, which raise additional questions and concerns. As a physician you have accepted the obligation of do no avoidable harm, be as skilled and knowledgeable as possible, recommend and do what is best for the patient, and be honest with them. Along with these duties they also assume the responsibility and challenge of providing the facts that the patient needs in order to give a voluntary informed consent for the surgeon to perform surgery on them. As a surgeon they need to know whether it will impair their ability to perform their tasks safely and competently. They also need to know if it will pose any significant risk to their patients now or in the future. If the surgeon is or will become impaired they need to resolve the impairment. If this is not possible they may need to limit or change the kind of surgery they perform. The risk of HIV acquisition from an infected surgeon appears much lower than the risk bacterial infections, even those with deadly potential. These rates vary by surgeon and institution. It is not in the practice for surgeons to disclose their personal health information to potential patients. Similarly, most surgeons don’t openly disclose the number of similar cases they do annually, another factor associated with complication rates. Given this practice, it seems inappropriate to require disclosure of a lower-risk condition. That may change as risk-adjusted institutional and even surgeon-specific data become publicly available. Until then disclosure of HIV status seems inappropriate. It may arouse anxiety unnecessarily and have no practical effect on risk reduction. It may be that some patients would be more fearful of a low risk of HIV infection than of a serious adverse drug reaction, postoperative hemorrhage, or sepsis, but that is not a strong argument for routine disclosure. It is a reason to answer a direct question truthfully. While there may be an understandable hesitation to answer a patient’s pointed question about their surgeon’s HIV status, medical ethics and respect for persons demand an honest answer, just as they would to a question about training, experience, or complication rates. Therefore, surgeons should pose to patients the risks real and potential in a generic way and how they should be managed. Obtaining fully informed consent is morally necessary in order to acknowledge and respect an individual patients autonomy. Truth disclosure is an integral part of this acknowledgement. Accusations of paternalism may arise from decisions to restrict information to patients. The caring professions require patients trust in order to deliver care effectively. Being seen to care for a culture of openness may enhance patients trust in the professions while the appearance of concealment would certainly diminish it. In a society with an increasing culture of openness, and where the right to information from governments and official bodies is receiving attention, it would seem desirable to provide comprehensive information about risks. Patients have a right not to be harmed by their medical practitioner. This right is cherished in the concept of non-maleficence. While it is the duty of a doctor to do good to patients (benevolence), a particular treatment may not help all individuals. Thus, the least that a doctor should do is to do no harm. By not informing patients of their exposure, transmission might not be recognized, thus patients would be harmed by the denial of appropriate treatment. Moreover, if patients are infected, they constitute a transmission risk to those around them. Health care providers should not adopt the paternalistic approach of deciding for their patients what level of risk is acceptable, but should consider patients views. Autonomy and truth disclosure are important influences on this decision. In deciding whether to inform patients, a balance must be struck between their desires to know of past exposure to risks, and the professional view that when risks are negligible, patients need not be informed. It is strongly suggested that patients needs should be given greater weight.

Organized Crime: The Social Perspective

Organized Crime: The Social Perspective Regardless of which form of organized crime takes place, abundantly clear organized crime is showing no signs of slowing down or even being remotely under control. The continued growth and diversification of organized crimes continues to be a major problem for law enforcement and for law abiding citizens as a whole. Organized crime existed even before there was any real understanding of it as something distinctive. After all, organized societies breed organized crime. To an extent, this reflects the greater opportunities in such environments; to an extent, it is acknowledged as more effective state law enforcement develops. Thus, classical Rome suffered from organized and crossborder smuggling, protection racketeering, and piracy, while the pirates of the Spanish Main were part of a relatively complex transnational criminal economy. In western Europe, organized crime began to emerge at the time of the Renaissance, especially in Italy and Netherlands, themselves the cradle of the new, organized society. In China, secret societies had been operating as criminal enterprises throughout the history of the empire. However, the twentieth century saw a phenomenal growth in the scope, power, and effectiveness of organized crime as the state became increasingly powerful and intrusive. In particular, the more states try to control particular commodities and services they consider dangerous and immoral or apply taxes or regulations that drive up costs, the more they create markets for organized crime. Thus, Prohibition in the United States in the 1920s and early 1930s, the more limited Soviet anti-alcohol campaign under Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s, and the illegalization of narcotics throughout the world all contributed dramatically to the markets and thus profits for organized crime. Social institution is a group or organization that has a particular purpose, goal, or task, and accomplishes the successful completion of this goal, purpose, or task by influencing and persuading individuals in a community to participate, and assist with achieving this objective. Social institution applies to organized crime in numerous ways. According to Warren (1973), criminal organizations develop in geographical locations that display a portion of individuals residing within the jurisdiction desire a product criminal organization is offering. This is crucial as it allows the organization to successfully produce, distribute, and consume the product (University of Phoenix, 2010). In addition, criminal organizations focus on a communitys social structure, control the community has socially on its members, and the level of participation each community member has among the rest. Moreover, criminal organizations form tight-knit relations with legitimate businesses and owners willing to participate in the organizations success (University of Phoenix, 2010). The alien theory states individuals involved with organized crime in Sicily and Italy had produced criminal organizations known as the Sicilian Mafia or Costra Nostra. These individuals migrated to the United States in an attempt to escape detection and apprehension by law enforcement in their own country, and to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that existed within the United States both legally and illegally. once in the United States these groups of individuals developed, organized, and operated numerous criminal organizations, carried out minor and serious criminal offenses; and were believed by many professionals and Americans to have been the primary cause for the establishing a criminal culture (osmosis, 2003). The social control theory asserts that an individual who is involved with a community and has strong family relations will be less likely to engage in illegal activity than those who do not. If an individual is capable of establishing a positive rapport with community members, becomes involved and participates in community programs, such as youth, elderly, religious-spiritual, and anti-crime, the individual will most likely refrain from engaging in criminal activity or at the very least consider the consequences of a criminal act prior to committing the act (Psychological Glossary, 2010). The differential association theory considers ones social group and environment as the fundamental explanation for ones criminal behavior and the formation and joining of criminal organizations. An individual who socializes with a group or other individuals who have a history with the legal system or who engage in illegal activity are at an extremely high-risk to conform to the norms of that particular social sub-group. A prime example is a teenager who becomes involved in delinquent criminal behavior and activity as a result of peer pressure. These juveniles are susceptible to withdrawing from school, joining criminal organizations, such as street gangs, and experimenting with illegal substances and alcohol, all of which continues the juvenile down a path of addiction, career criminality, and a long criminal history into adulthood (Sutherland, 1978). The strain and anomie theory believes that individuals who engage in criminal activity do so as a result of wanting a piece of the American dream or to obtain materialistic items of value. A majority of individuals within the United States never experience the luxury of owning a fancy vehicle, house, business, or property. Most individuals residing in the United States are forced to work labor intensive jobs, receive a low paying wage, are parents who must provide and support families, such as children, and do so through legal means. Unfortunately, the desire to achieve items of value, provide a better life for ones children, such as the purchasing of school cloths, vacations, and after-school activities can force one to conduct illegal business for the purpose of gaining an additional income (Agnew, 2007). The empirical and speculative theories discussed throughout this paper, such as the alien, social control, differential association, and strain and anomie theories can assist researchers, society, professionals, and law enforcement with understanding the elements that exist in different criminal organizations and criminal behavior. Each theory is supported by research, statistics, strong arguments, and facts that can be used by law enforcement in numerous ways. Theories as such display characteristics and mannerisms common in criminal behavior, along with what geographical locations are susceptible to the development of criminal organizations and activity. Furthermore, jurisdictions, in which its citizens are antisocial prove to be breeding grounds for many types of criminal wrongdoing that exists.

Changes in the Family Institution

Changes in the Family Institution Evaluate the impact changes to the family have in a social and political context In order to discuss the changes the family as an institution has gone through and the impact that these changes have had, it is necessary to define the ‘family’. The term ‘family’ is often used to mean a nuclear family, for example two parents, usually married with one plus children. This definition however, in no longer relevant to twenty first century Britain. Factors including ageing populations which result in households containing no children; the delay in having children due to the increase in popularity of career minded independent women; single parenthood caused by divorce/separation; single women conceiving; and finally household division, in other words separated parents remarrying or cohabiting with other partners and their children, known as the reconstituted family. Policies are viewed by some as trying to reinforce this ‘normal’ view of the family. Many policy makers made the assumption, as Dean points out â€Å"the ‘traditi onal’ family consisted of a breadwinning husband who could expect to enjoy life-long full-time employment, earning a wage sufficient†¦to support a dependant wife† (2001:268). They argue that this model never did ‘fit’ society’s reality and as a result, many families who do not fill this mould could have cause to feel estranged from society and its ideology. Kiernan points out that ‘few developments in family life have been quite as dramatic as the recent rises in unmarried cohabitation and having children outside of marriage’ (2002:3). She also states that we should celebrate the family in all its diverse forms and match legislation to support this. Explain the relationship between family structure and Social Issues. Teenage pregnancies, often portrayed as a socially ‘deviant’ act are currently on the decline. Lisa Aria puts forward reasons why Policy makers are explaining the occurrence of teenage pregnancies. With contraception and abortion readily available, they suggest that early childbearing must caused by low expectations of mothers. In other words due to poor educational opportunities â€Å"they see no reason not to get pregnant† (Aria, 2003:200). Aria however, puts a positive spin on this theory when she states that â€Å"many young mothers have a weak attachment to the education system or paid work before pregnancy, and mothering, for them, is a meaningful vocation† and that it â€Å"should not be read as a sign of immaturity, buts its reverse† (212-213). State Intervention. The introduction of the welfare state was originally designed to support a small group of single mothers who were either abandoned or widowed. As Primus and Beeson point out â€Å"welfare has evolved to serve mostly families headed by divorce, separated, or never married mothers† (2002:191). The rise of claimants in these categories, and the growth of cohabitation as an alternative to marriage, has caused â€Å"policymakers and researchers to question whether welfare and tax policies influence a range of decisions about family, including decisions to marry, have children, or cohabit† (Primus and Beeson, 2002:121). This concern over whether means-tested benefits are subconsciously persuading single parent families is reflected in new legislation. Perhaps in a attempt to distance means-tested benefits from single parent families, Dean remarks on how the government has only just â€Å"stopped short of directly compelling mothers to work† (2001:271) with the implemen tation of compulsory ‘work-focused interviews’ for single parents on income support. Evaluate the impact of key family legislation on: Mothers. The main legislation to effect mothers is related to the National Childcare Strategy put forward in 1998. Jane Lewis points out the aims were â€Å"linked to the attack on poverty and social exclusion† and this included subsidised childcare (2003:219). As Dean points out, these policies can be â€Å"fuelling personal moral dilemmas† (2001:274) as policy makers are sending out mixed messages. For example, the government proposed that we â€Å"place greater responsibility on parents for the behaviour of their children† (Kroll and Barrett, quoted in Dean 2001), however the pressure on parents, especially mothers to become involved with paid employment is persistent. Dean’s qualitative study entitled â€Å"Working Parenthood and Parental Responsibility†, found that due to this pressure to find employment encouraged by means-tested benefits such as the Working Tax Credit and the notion of ‘family friendly companies’, cause women to take up e mployment that is temporary, most often part-time and poorly paid. As Bryson and Marsh point out â€Å"recipients of in-work benefits seldom move on to higher paid jobs† (1996:272) and often are unable to dedicate more time and effort into the paid position due to familial responsibilities. Dean does claim however, that some mothers stated that they viewed their â€Å"lack of responsibility as a positive advantage in so far that their employment†¦did not interfere with those commitments that are for them of greater ontological significance† (2001:276). Fathers. Dean summarizes his research on working parenthood by stating, â€Å"men (should) have the same incentives as women to combine employment and parental responsibilities† (2001:283). In 2005, the government announced the proposals of a plan to extend Paternity allowance as a manoeuvre in this direction. As Susan Smillie (2005) states in the Guardian, â€Å"fathers could receive up to three months statutory paternity pay if their partner returns to work after six months†, on top of the two weeks paid leave known as Statutory Paternity Leave. This is a move in the right direction from a father’s perspective. While this would suit many career-minded women who earn more than their partners do, many mothers would perhaps not be so willing to leave their four/five month old baby with their partner if this was a first child. It has been noted by Dean however, that further developments in maternity allowances could seek to disadvantage women in the workplace if they are no t matched by paternity allowances for men, as â€Å"employers might otherwise become increasingly reluctant to engage women† (2001:282). Children. The Child Support Act (1991) is another major legislation that has affected families and their wellbeing. This legislation affects fathers and mothers, however it is the child(ren) at the centre. The aim of the Child Support Act is to recover ‘maintenance’ from the father, which is then paid to the mother. The Family Law Reform Act (1987) and The Children’s Act (1989) make a clear link between â€Å"a father’s obligation to make a financial contribution for his children’s care and his right to have contact with them† (Burghes, Clarke and Cronin, 1997). However, as Bagilhole points out, where the Child Support Agency retrieved money from â€Å"absentee fathersit did not benefit many lone mothers and their children because if they were dependent on benefits the child support they received was deducted pound for pound from income support† (1997:124). Analyse the effect of the media on family values and family structures. William Douglas has outlined the representation of the family and the values it promotes in his study cited in Television Families. He states that Post-War television portrayed a family consisting of women who were sexual but predominantly domestic. May (quoted in Douglas) points out that â€Å"motherhood was the ultimate fulfilment of female sexuality† (1988:140). Douglas states that this could have influenced the rebellion against familial constraints in the 1960’s as after the war there were numerous women in work, which did not coincide with the family ideology portrayed in the media. He states that the domestic roles within the household portrayed in contemporary television with regard to chores and child rearing, are more equally weighted that in prior decades. Women are usually portrayed as being in paid employment and that spouses are more openly intimate. He does state however, that unlike modern society, divorce is rare as â€Å"spouses simply do not divorce, even when relational and/or economic stress appears acute† (2003:112). He states that the ideology present in contemporary media has altered dramatically from the past as it now emphasises â€Å"personal ambition and achievement rather than family life and family relations† (2003:134). Works Cited: Aria, L. (2003) ‘Low Expectations, Sexual Attitudes and Knowledge: Explaining Teenage Pregnancy and Fertility in English Communities’, The Sociological Review, vol. 51, May, pp.199-215. Bagilhole, B. (1997) Equal Opportunities and Social Policy, Essex: Longman Ltd. Dean, H. (2001) ‘Working Parenthood and Parental Obligation’, Critical Social Policy, vol. 21, pp 267-286. Douglas, W. (2003) Television Families: Is There Something Wrong with Suburbia, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Kiernan, K. (2002) ‘Cohabitation in Western Europe: Trends, Issues, and Implications’, in Booth, A. and Crouter, A (ed.) Just Living Together: Implications of Cohabitation on Families Children, and Social Policy, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Lewis, J. (2003) ‘Developing Early Years Childcare in England, 1997-2002: The Choices for (Working) Mothers’, Social Policy and Administration, vol. 37, June, pp 219-238. Primus, W. and Beeson, J (2002) ‘Safety Net Programs, Marriage and Cohabitation’ in Booth, A. and Crouter, A (ed.) Just Living Together: Implications of Cohabitation on Families Children, and Social Policy, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Smillie, S. (2005) ‘Paternity Leave’, The Guardian, 19 October. Internet Resources: Burghes, L., Clarke, L., Cronin, N. (1997) Fathers and Fatherhood in Britain. www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/sp120.asp Unknown Author, An Introduction on Social Policy: Welfare and Society. http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/society.htm

Creative Story: Day The World Turned Black :: essays research papers

Creative Story: Day The World Turned Black Everyday the sun would rise and the moon would set and everybody would wake up to a new morning. Today was a special day in October, for the sun did not rise and the moon did not set and everyone woke to a full moon. During the night the sun had mysteriously vanished and this inscrutable incident enervated the most brilliant of minds . This caused aberrant behavior throughout the globe. Nevertheless there were a few vivacious individuals brave enough to find out what happened. They start their adventure by taking off in a space shuttle destined for outer space. As they reach orbit they witness the most amazing thing that any of them have ever seen. They watched the sun being sucked into nothing and something pushing it in. They change their course and follow the sun. As they get there, they realize that they are also being pulled in along with the sun and that their decision is at this point irrevocable. The funny thing was that the sun emanated no heat and that the moon started to glow much brighter than normal. It turns out that the moon was now supplying the earth with the heat that was needed to keep most happy. The sun, and both ships are now closed up in the thing and are increasing their velocity as they head for some minuscule object way in the distance. The team of explorers decide to catch the other ship but it is on the opposite side of the sun. It takes them a few days but they finally reach the other ship. The only thing that they cannot figure out is how to make contact with the other ship. They have exhausted every possibility and the only thing they have done is wasted time. They are floating in nothing, the scenery looks black and the only thing that they can see are the sun, the other ship, and the thing that they are flying towards. The ship surroundings are so amazing that they would whet your imagination beyond belief. Nevertheless, they are anxious to reach it in order to find out what it is. After doing nothing for two days they finally receive some contact with the other ship via Morse code. Using this to talk, they establish audio communication. Talking for a few hours they realize that both sides have no idea where they are headed. The only instructions that the other ship had received, were to push the sun into the hole and wait till they reach the end of the tunnel.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King Essay exam

The Concept of Fate in Oedipus Rex  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the first-time reader of Sophocles’ tragedy, Oedipus Rex, it seems that the gods are in complete domination of mankind. This essay will seek to show that this is not the case because the presence of a tragic flaw within the protagonist is shown to be the cause of his downfall.    In the opening scene of the tragedy the priest of Zeus itemizes for the king what the gods have done to the inhabitants of Thebes:    A blight is on our harvest in the ear, A blight upon the grazing flocks and herds, A blight on wives in travail; and withal Armed with his blazing torch the God of Plague Hath swooped upon our city emptying The house of Cadmus, and the murky realm Of Pluto is full fed with groans and tears.    The power of the gods seems quite awesome in their ability to inflict great injuries such as these on the population. King Oedipus, seeing Creon returning from the oracle at Delphi, addresses a brief prayer to King Apollo as the ultimate source of assistance in time of trial: â€Å"O King Apollo! may his joyous looks /Be presage of the joyous news he brings!† Creon brings to Thebes the message of the gods from the oracle: â€Å"Let me report then all the god declared. /King Phoebus bids us straitly extirpate /A fell pollution that infests the land, /And no more harbor an inveterate sore.†    The gods know that Oedipus is a â€Å"pollution,† a â€Å"sore,† which must be gotten rid of, expelled from Thebes. Charles Segal in Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge supports this view:    In his growing strength Oedipus begins to act as the ritual scapegoat, the pharmakos, the figure who is ritually laden with all... ...s Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.    Segal, Charles. Oedipus Tyrannus: Tragic Heroism and the Limits of Knowledge. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1993.    â€Å"Sophocles† In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984.    Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Spengler, Oswald. â€Å"Tragedy: Classical vs. Western.† In Sophocles: A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by Thomas Woodard. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Van Nortwick, Thomas.   Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1998.   

Current Applications Of Software Agents Essay

If you have made a purchase at Amazon, you would have noticed that as soon as you complete your purchase procedures, Amazon presents you with a list of books that customers who purchased the same item as you did also bought along with this item. During your next visit, you will find a list of books that are similar to the ones you purchased previously that you might be interested in buying. Another popular site eBay displays a list of similar products that other customers who did the same search looked at. The above two sites are examples of two ways of implementing software agents. A software agent is a computer program that is capable of intelligently and autonomously executing a given task based on the instructions provided by the user. It basically operates on behalf of its owner. The goal of a software agent is to maximize the owner’s interests which it does by maximizing a particular utility function. Most software agents can learn from experience and adapt themselves based on the feedback obtained from the environment thus making it an autonomous process with no human intervention. A multi-agent system involves multiple software agents. Software agents are ideally suited for a wide variety of applications, in particular, process and workflow automation, electronic commerce, distributed problem solving and Internet applications (Acronymics, Inc. 2004). Some application examples include agent-based supply chain management, personal or user agents, e-business systems, e-market, e-banking, and e-investments, etc. Merchandise management in the retail industry is one area of application of the software agent. Merchandise management involves selection of desirable merchandise, disposal of slow-selling ones and ordering and distributing them appropriately. The competition is fierce with the eCommerce making it even more difficult due to diverse customer preferences low merchant loyalty. The only way to tackle this problem is by understanding the changes in customer demands quickly and responding appropriately through merchandise management. However, due to the sheer number of merchandise and brands, managing merchandise effectively becomes an impossible task. This is where software agents are helpful by performing the merchandise managers’ jobs autonomously, continuously and efficiently. These software agents help in evaluating and selecting merchandise and predicting seasons and building purchase schedules autonomously. An effective merchandise management helps reduce the inventory level while increasing sales and profits. (Jae Heon, P. , Sang Chan P. 2003) Rob Meijer describes the following commercial applications in his article: 1. Watcher agents – These autonomously look for the specified information and provide personalized versions based on the end-user’s preferences, an example is personalized versions of newspapers. To generate a personalized paper, a user must first provide with relevant personal information, preferences, and special interests. The agent then provides personalized news based on these details. With each visit, the agent improves and provides personalized newspaper without much human intervention. Fishwrap (MIT) and Newshound are examples of Watcher agents. (Meijer, R. 2005) 2. Learning agents – Based on the behavior of their user, they can learn to tailor their performance. Examples of the same are Firefly, Similarities Engine, WegHunter, Open Sesame, and InterAp. Similarities Engine was a Web-based music recommending system that worked similar to Amazon’s recommedations of new books; the technology has now been purchased by Microsoft. (Meijer, R. 2005) 3. Shopping agents – These agents are capable of comparing and finding the best price for an item. BargainFinder is an example of Shopping agents that searches the inventory of vendors on the internet to find the lowest prices on the desired product helping you save both time and money. (Meijer, R. 2005) 4. Information retrieval agents – These agents search for information intelligently and are capable of summarizing the information as well. Netsumm is an example that can provide an abstract of the most important sentences of a web page. (Meijer, R. 2005) The Intelligent Software Agents Lab (The Robotics Institute – Carnegie Mellon University) has created an information retrieval agent for Aircraft Maintenance. Considering the searching of relevant information along with time constraints, the mechanics are provided with wearable computers based on RETSINA infrastructure. When a discrepancy is encountered, all he needs to do is fill out a form on his computer and the agents would seek relevant information. â€Å"The advantages of wearable computers with agents include automatic location and retrieval of information relevant to repairs, utilization of historical repair data, increased efficiency of access to information from manuals, and reduction in average time for repair. The overall result is timely, quality maintenance. † (The Intelligent Software Agents Lab, 2001-2009) Another example on their site is WebMate which is a personal digital assistant that â€Å"provides URL recommendations based on a continuously updated user profile; offers ever more relevant web documents based on the ‘Trigger Pairs Model’ approach to keyword refinement; responds to user feedback by selecting features from documents the user finds relevant and incorporating these features into the context of new queries; compiles a daily personal newspaper with links to documents of interest to the user. † (The Intelligent Software Agents Lab, 2001-2009) 5. Helper agents – These are generally used for network management and standard maintenance functions. LANAlert is an example of Helper agent. (Meijer, R. 2005) Agents can also help automate the bargaining process i. e. based on the user preferences, products and services along with related conditions (like warranty and delivery time) can be made flexible to meet the client’s expectations. (Gerding, E. H. 2004) Google AdWords is an example of such an agent. On typing search keywords, it provides recommendations to users as sponsored links. First of all, there are limited ads that can be displayed on a search result page. The ads are displayed only on certain keywords selected by the advertiser. Also, since limited ads are there and also the order of displaying the ads (from top to bottom) makes a difference, advertisers have to compete for these spaces. This is done by choosing the best keywords based on the information provided by Google regarding search counts and setting an upper limit on the amount that you would pay if you have a visitor. The advertiser with the highest bid wins in this case. Gary Anthes provides the examples of the following companies who have been successful in utilizing software agents for complex processes: †¢ Procter & Gample Co. (P&G) used software agents to convert their supply chain management into a supply network connecting to 5 billion consumers in 140 countries saving $300 million annually. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Southwest Airlines Co. optimized cargo routing using software agents. †¢ For Air Liquide America LP, software agents helped reduce both production and distribution costs. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Software agents helped Merck & Co. find more efficient ways to distribute anti-HIV drugs in Zimbabwe. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Simulation of buyer preferences using software agents helped Ford Motor Co. come up with car options that â€Å"optimized the trade-offs between production costs and customer demands†. (Anthes, G. 2003) †¢ Software agents helped Edison Chouest Offshore LLC to optimize service and supply vessels deployment in the Gulf of Mexico. (Anthes, G. 2003) Supply Chain Management through software agents not only help save costs but also help in inventory management through reduced inventory, and improved customer service. (Anthes, G. 2003) Gary Anthes also explains how software agents have helped P&G. Basically, each component of the supply system from trucks to drivers to stores was represented by a software agent. Using rules, they defined the behavior of each component that represented its actual behavior such as â€Å"Dispatch truck when full†. P&G then used the simulations to perform what-if scenarios and checked out inventory levels, transportation costs and in-store stock-outs. Many alternate rules were considered such as on ordering and shipping frequencies, demand forecasting etc. (Anthes, G. 2003) Through the use of these agent-based models, P&G realized that while sending trucks with less than full loads increases transportation costs, frequency of in-store stock-outs often resulting in lost sales is reduced. Similarly P&G relooked into many of its rigid rules and relaxed them to improve the overall performance of the supply chain. They also had to be more flexible in manufacturing – instead of one product at a time, they had to be able to produce every product every day, reducing stock-outs. Flexibility in distributing products within 24 hours instead of the customary 48 to 72 hours was another change that software agents helped P&G realize and change. (Anthes, G. 2003) References Jae Heon, P. , Sang Chan P. 2003. Agent-based merchandise management in business-to-business electronic commerce. In Decision Support Systems (Volume 35 , Issue 3 , June 2003). Elsevier Science Publishers B. V. Amsterdam. http://portal. acm. org/citation. cfm? id=794070 This article explains how an agent-based merchandise management system can help retail companies better manage their merchandise. Gerding, E. H. 2004. Autonomous Agents in Bargaining Games: An Evolutionary Investigation of Fundamentals, Strategies, and Business Applications. PhD thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. http://eprints. ecs. soton. ac. uk/15640/ This article explains how autonomous software agents could be used in the bargaining process and some of its applications. WebMate. The Intelligent Software Agents Lab. The Robotics Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. http://www. cs. cmu. edu/~softagents/webmate. html This article explains WebMate, a personal digital assistant, a real-life application of software agents. Aircraft Maintenance. The Intelligent Software Agents Lab. The Robotics Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. http://www. cs. cmu. edu/~softagents/aircraft. html This article explains how the aircraft maintenance issues have been resolved using software agents. Anthes, G. 2003. Agents of Change. In Computerworld. http://www. computerworld. com/action/article. do? command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Software+Development&articleId=77855&taxonomyId=63&pageNumber=1 This article provides examples of successful implementation of software agents by several companies and how it has helped them improve their processes as well as their thinking. Meijer, R. 2005. Intelligent Software Agents: Perspective for business. In The IPTS Report (Issue 5). http://ipts. jrc. ec. europa. eu/home/report/english/articles/vol05/art-it1. htm This article provides types of commercial applications of software agents along with implemented examples. Acronymics, Inc. 2004. Why, When, and Where to Use Software Agents. http://www. agentbuilder. com/Documentation/whyAgents. html This article provides an overview on software agents.

European Union and Stricter Environmental Protection

PEST – Analysis This analysis is a helpful tool to take a closer look at the general environment. Although the PEST analysis rely on past events and experience, it can be used as a forecast of the future (Wilson and Gilligan, 1998). Political factors The political environment is good. The government is stable and reliable, even if Britain fails to achieve total agreement with some EU policies from time to time. At the present no EU directives are known which will have a direct effect on the UK clothing retail industry in the near future.Due to the EU membership a trend can be seen towards stricter environmental protection legislation. This may have a direct or indirect effect on NEXT or his suppliers. Economic factors Looking at the economic environment, it is somewhat tricky since on the one hand there is the strong sterling compared to the Euro. Euroland encourages imports and endeavours to hold domestic prices at an attractive level. But on the other hand it is difficult fo r the UK to be competitive outside its boundaries because of the high pound sterling exchange rate against the Euro.As NEXT sells about 96% in the UK marketplace, this may currently only have a limited effect, but could be more important in the future when thinking globally. Fig. 2 This can also be seen on the â€Å"Big Mac – Cross Rates† table, where hamburgers sold in the UK are more expensive than in most other countries. So an investment outside the UK might be very attractive – also speaking of â€Å"reimports† to transfer the goods back into the domestic market. Source: see Chapter 7 Another issue is the falling unemployment rate. For the UK population this is good news but for companies like NEXT, this has different implications.For NEXT it means higher expenditure on wages, as well as greater difficulties in recruiting good employees. Social factors Speaking of the socio-cultural future it should be mentioned that people retire earlier these days, as well as working shorter hours. Average working hours per week have decreased over the last 20 years. As a result many people have more spare time. This means they have time to compare prices in the High Street and the quality of goods and services from retailers. But as a result, they spend more time in the shops.Another issue these days are the â€Å"Green environmental issues†. Because people have more time and have ample access to the media via the TV, radio, as well as newspapers and the Internet, the consumer is better informed and therefore this awareness of environmental issues challenges him to care. He wants more than just a product. He is interested in the production process. He wants to know if the factories are environmentally friendly or not, where his product was build and under which circumstances etc. etc. So one problem in the clothing retail sector could be child labour.There are companies who rely on it in order to be competitive in their domestic marke t, for example Marks and Spencer. Marks & Spencer had been accused of using child labour in Indonesia in 1999. But once the customers becomes aware of such practices, companies get into real trouble if they do not respond immediately. Consumers who are looking for a best price purchase, may however not be prepared to consider the economic price which their social conscience inflicts on those companies whose products offends their ethics and which they consequently shun.Technological factors Another issue is the speed of technological transfers which also has an impact on the industry – it is not comparable with the fast growing internet business – but nevertheless it is important. New technology allows new products to be developed, e. g. Lycra ®, Supplex ® or other synthetic material. Existing materials can be produced quicker and cheaper. Adopting these technologies can be a decis ive factor as to whether a company is ahead of his competitors or whether it lags be hind.

Arecanut and Cocoa Production and Marketing Aspects Essay

Arecanut is an important commercial crop in India which plays a prominent role in the religious, social and cultural functions and economic life of people in India. The present production of arecanut in the world is about 0.854 million tons from an area of 0.702 million hectares. India ranks first in both area and production of arecanut Arecanut industry forms the economic backbone of nearly six million people in India and for many of them it is the sole means of livelihood. Both area and production of arecanut in India have increased tremendously during the last three decades. The area under arecanut in India has increased from 0.167 million hectares during 1971 to 0.4 million hectares by the year 2010-11 with an overall growth rate of 2.2%. During the same period the production has increased more than 3 times from 0.141 million tons to 0.478 million tones with a growth rate of 3.2%. As of now, cocoa is one of the important commercial plantation crops in India and it is mainly cultivated in four major southern States viz., Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. India produces 12954 tonnes of cocoa from an area of 46318 ha (DCCD, 2010). The cocoa industry in the country had expanded to a considerable extent in recent years. At present, more than 15 industrial entrepreneurs and firms existing in the field demand nearly 30,000 tonnes of cocoa beans, of which the present domestic availability is only about 40 percent. Considering the market growth in the chocolate segment in India, which is about 20 percent per annum, cocoa, has a great potential to develop in future years. Recent area expansion in Andhra Pradesh (16969 ha) can be taken as a positive response to the demand-supply fissure. We can further, strengthen the Transfer of Technology (ToT) activities to encourage the cocoa cultivation as an intercrop in arecanut and coconut to meet the challenges r egarding supply of cocoa in the future. Economic impact analysis of arecanut based cropping system An impact analysis of arecanut based cropping systems in South Karnataka has been carried out. It was observed that, farmers are predominantly following three cropping systems which were, 1) arecanut + banana 2) arecanut + cocoa and 3) arecanut + banana + pepper. To estimate the economic impact of different cropping systems, we have calculated the average cost per hectare, average yield and the net returns of each system. The quantification of economic impact of each system has been worked out by combining the difference in net returns of each system from the arecanut monocrop, and percentage of adoption of each cropping system. The total economic impact due to adoption of cropping systems in the region was found to be Rs 680 million. Economic impact analysis of improved arecanut varieties The analysis was based on a field survey of 120 arecanut farmers in South Karnataka. To estimate the economic impact of improved varieties we have calculated the weighed average cost per hectare, weighed yield and net returns of the released varieties. The weights are assigned according to the estimated percentage area of each variety in South Karnataka. The total area of arecanut in the district was multiplied with the percentage adoption of improved varieties in the region to arrive at the total area under improved varieties. The difference in net returns will give the additional benefit we would have obtained, had the area been under released varieties. It was observed that 13.6% of total area in southern Karnataka is under released arecanut varieties. The economic impact of released arecanut varieties in monitory terms was found to be rupees 141 million per year. The presence of improved varieties was more prominent in the young plantations. The holding wise observations revealed that the presence of released varieties was more in small holding groups. Cost of production of arecanut and cocoa According to the study conducted by the Institute, the cost of production of one kilogram of arecanut in a well-maintained garden was found to be Rs 104.20 Here we have considered the economic life span of the palm as 35 years and average annual production as 2700 kg/ha The average maintenance cost (from 8th year to 35th year) was calculated at Rs. 168765/ha. The cost of production of cocoa grown in arecanut garden was found to be Rs74.42/kg of dry beans and average annual maintenance cost recorded at Rs 55268/ha. Marketing The chali and the red are the two main varieties of arecanut consumed by the people mostly as a habit. Chali or the white supari is used mainly in the pan or beedas and the red variety is used both in the preparation of pan and value added products like pan masala, ghutka, sweet supari etc. From production to consumption level both private traders and the co-operatives play an important role in India. Here, the share of the cooperative is around 15 per cent and remaining is under the control of the private traders. Among the cooperatives The CAMPCO, a nodal agency has its own purchasing and sales centres throughout the country Disposal pattern: A study in Dakshina Karnataka showed that 80 percent of the farmers, who dispose the produce immediately after harvest, were small cultivators. Remaining 20 per cent who disposed the produce when the prices in the market are favorable, were large farmers. It was observed that indebtedness and lack of proper infrastructure facilities for storage compel the small farmer to dispose the produce at the earliest. The majority of the farmers (63%) sold chali supari to traders, who reportedly paid two rupees extra of the market rate per kg of chali sold. Stagnating market prices and increasing cost of production, especially the skilled labour charges in the recent times have generated livelihood concerns of arecanut farmers in India. Surging imports, which is around 12 percent of the domestic production, certainly has a significant role in price stickiness. Market studies reveal that around 75 percent of the arecanut trade is in the hands of private trades, which has provided ample scope for hoarding and resulted in market imperfections and low price realization. In the case of cocoa the current supply is only around fifty percent of the actual domestic demand and hence, there exist a huge scope for area expansion with the supply of elite seedlings/grafts. Effective dissemination of technologies through trainings, on-farm trials, demonstrations and seminars are being carried out by the Institute. Nevertheless, the price stagnation of the crop for a long period has caused disinterest among arecanut farmers. Therefore, in the case of arecanut a vicious cycle was formed in the pattern of ‘depressed prices + shortage of labour–crop negligence–diseases /pest attack–low yield/production’ and this in turn especially has adversely affected the small and marginal arecanut farmers who are solely dependent on the crop.

Kohlbergs Theory Essay

PSYCHOLOGY 112 Table of contents: * Introduction * Definition of Kohlberg’s Theory * Advantage in Kohlberg’s Theory * Disadvantage in Kohlberg’s Theory * Opinion * Recommendation Introduction Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development constitute an adaptation of a psychological theory originally conceived by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. The theory holds that moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental stages, each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor. Kohlberg determined that the process of moral development was principally concerned with justice, and that it continued throughout the individual’s lifetime, a notion that spawned dialogue on the philosophical implications of such research. For his studies, Kohlberg relied on stories such as the Heinz dilemma, and was interested in how individuals would justify their actions if placed in similar moral dilemmas. He then analyzed the form of moral reasoning displayed, rather than its conclusion, and classified it as belonging to one of six distinct stages Kohlberg’s six stages can be more generally grouped into three levels of two stages each: pre-conventional, conventional and post-conventional. Following Piaget’s constructivist requirements for a stage model, as described in his theory of cognitive development, it is extremely rare to regress in stages—to lose the use of higher stage abilities. Stages cannot be skipped; each provides a new and necessary perspective, more comprehensive and differentiated than its predecessors but integrated with them. Kohlberg’s Theory The stage of Moral Development/Moral Reasoning 1. Pre-conventional level 2. Conventional level 3. Post-conventional level ..Psychologist, studied the reasoning ability & recognizing where a child is at according to stages can help identify how child may feel about illness ,moral reasoning & cognitive stages of development. LEVEL| STAGE/YEARS| CHARACTERISTICS| Pre conventional| Stage 1(2 to 3 y/o)Stage 2(4 to 7 y/o)| Obedience and punishment orientation(How can I avoid punishment?) A child tell him the right thing because he was told to do so to avoid punishment.–Self-interest orientation(Paying for a benefit)Child caries out actions to satisfy his own needs rather than the society’s.The child does something for another if he gets something in return.| Conventional| Stage 3(7/10 y/o)Stage 4(10/12 y/o)| Interpersonal accord and conformity(The good boy/good girl attitude)A child follows rules because of a need to be good person in own eyes & in the eyes of the others†¦Authority and social-order maintaining orientation(Law and order morality)A child follows rules of authority figures as well as parents to keep the system working.| Post conventional| Stage 5(older than 12y/o)Stage 6(older than 12 y/o)| Social contract orientation(Utilitarian Law Making Perspective)A child follow standards of society for the good of people†¦Universal ethical principles(Principled conscience)A child follows internalized standards of conduct.| Advantages of the Kohlberg’s theory The ability to empirically test the individual for where they are in their moral development, along with offering a basic structure for creating â€Å"just communities† applicable both within and outside student affairs. Moreover, Kohlberg’s model offers insight as to why an individual may be seeking out justice based on what stage they are in. 2. Kohlberg’s theory essentially provides a roadmap for moral thinking that otherwise did not exist. 3. It inadvertently offers benchmarks for where one might be in their moral development based on their life situation. 4. Offering a structure for â€Å"just  communities.† It was Kohlberg’s hope that he would employ his theory to create communities that were collaborative, held each other accountable, and had philosophical and educational discussions to further both the individual and the group in their moral development (Kohlberg, 1971, 1972). It offers a venue for individuals to discuss a number of hypoth etical or moral dilemmas while simultaneously furthering development through cognitive dissonance. Disadvantages in Kohlberg’s theory Gender differences that affect moral reasoning; cultural differences in regards to the Western cultures versus the non-Western cultures; the model being a hard stage model; the focus of justice over care and finally the use of hypothetical decision making over real life dilemmas in the assessments. 2. Gender differences in moral reasoning. Carol Gilligan (1982/1983) was strongly opposed to Kohlberg’s model mainly on the basis of gender. As stated, Kohlberg originally based his theory on a study of young male individuals excluding women. Gilligan (1982/1983) argued that Kohlberg’s theory incorporated a gender bias directly into the theory as well as the assessment tools. Moreover, she argued Kohlberg ignored a women’s moral orientation to a response of care. Some studies have shown that looking at responses to the Rest’s Defining Issues Test (DIT) (Rest, 1986a) and Moral Judgment Interview (MJI) (Colby, et al, 1987), men tend to be more justice oriented and women more care oriented, and especially so when they take on the traditional gender roles (Rest, 1986b; Walker, 1984). This is concerning since Kohlberg’s theory is truly justice oriented. It may be more difficult to get an accurate answer about where a woman is in moral development in regards to Kohlberg’s stage model than a male. 3. Cultural and Religious. Religion can play a major factor in an individual’s personal and moral development. Both Rest (1986) and Dirks (1988) found that a number that religion was a factor in moral decision making. Rest (1986) found that those coming from a liberal perspective tended to score higher in moral development than others. Dirks (1988) found that those with an evangelical belief system are less likely to enter into the post conventional stage. In terms of cultural differences there is likely a difference in moral reasoning in Western cultures versus non Western cultures. The value systems  often differ vastly and as such may not be able to fit in to one particular stage in Kohlberg’s theory. Western cultures tend to be more indivi dualistic (Miller & Bersoff, 1992). While this problem may seem minute, the validity of a theory must be tested across gender and culture. In this regard, Kohlberg’s theory is not as applicable to other cultures because it is based off a values system that is very much Americanized. Ironically, a theory that seeks to promote universality is not as universal as it should be. Opinion Kohlberg’s Theory covers the moral development stages of an individual and I think this theory is a huge help for a person, especially those who have children. Kohlberg’s theory may serve as guide on how a parent would treat their child’s behaviour. Parents would understand why their child is behaving in such manner and they can make disciplinary action or decision on how to correct or improve unpleasant behaviour. And guide them in developing their sense of morality. And make them an honest and morally mature person. By knowing this theory we can also examine ourselves. Reflect and think of situation we encountered in our life and how we reacted to it. By doing so, we will know what level of morality we fit in. I think morality depends on a person’s point of view. We can only say it’s wrong if it’s against the law but the morality issue of the person really depends on what his conscience tell him. Recommendation Lawrence Kohlberg theory of Moral Development gives a detailed explanation on how a child develops morally. This theory is remarkable because we now have an overview about morality and we now have guidance if we are on the right track or not. We can now assess our level of morality. And we can now choose what level we want to be. Report by: Mr.Dennies Dela Cruz Ms.Iris Vi P.De Jesus BSC â€Å"Morality is the ability to see an issue from points of view other than just your own.† — Lawrence Kohlberg—

Religious Journey Essay

The religion that I was raised is Baptist. I have heard that southern Baptists are very strict but I did not ever have to do anything strict. My parents took me to church when I was younger but after about the age of 10 I rarely went again. They got divorced and it was really hard for my mom to raise us and work all the time, so I guess church went out the window. However I have always believed in God and I try to always do the right thing. I pray at night, but I still do not attend church even though I would like to. For a while I did analyze religion too much and I questioned if he was real, but after the stories I’ve heard of people dying and being revived they say they went to heaven. This made me a strong believer and that is why I pray for my family and everything else. If I had not gone to church during my parents’ divorce it would have been a lot harder for me to understand and get through it. It was a very nasty divorce and the custody battle lasted two long years. Going to church not only helped me understand but it gave me something stronger to believe in. The divorce was very hard on me. The religion that I practice now is just being a Christian. I do not really know the difference between Baptist and Christianity. I just know that I believe in God and try to live my life the right way so that one day I can go to heaven hopefully. I always admit my sins and ask for forgiveness. I pray for my family and friends sometimes the whole world. It makes me feel better because it is something bigger than me. I really feel like sometimes God will test us, but he always seems to make it better. I would definitely say that religion and believing in God has made me a stronger and happier person. I couldn’t imagine not believing in anything I know that life would be a lot harder. The reason I decided to be a Christian instead of Baptist is because I do not know the difference for one, but I also want the freedom to believe in God the way I want to. I feel like Christianity gives you more freedom to believe in God your own way. I do not go to church, but that’s not the point. Being a Christian just felt like the right way to go in life.

Cloud Computing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cloud Computing - Assignment Example Cloud computing might be the frontier in business computing and service delivery, but it does not actually differ from the traditional file hosting and network given that they both use the same technology. The significant difference that makes cloud computing more striking exists in the execution of the technology; virtualization. Virtualization avails clients with unlimited resources given that it allows for large scalability. Cloud computing allows businesses to enter new markets and to get closer to customers thus easy delivery of new services. Cloud technologies are commonly used by businesses, as a catalyst, to implement new processes and systems that free organizations to maximize not only business results but also the functional metrics. The paper examines the difference that exists between cloud services and then traditional networks and hosting. (Ivanov, 2012). Cloud services offer a number of business and economic benefits to an organization such as the access to a highly scalable infrastructure while reducing the cost of operation and maintenance. Servers in traditional networking and hosting set ups are fixed in hardware meaning that an organization has to spend more money in upgrades in case it wants to scale up in order to cater for more users than the current hardware can support. This proves to be costly with minimal benefits given that the upgraded hardware is still limited to a number of users. (Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2010). Cloud services, on the other hand, has its servers and other infrastructures virtually installed in place enabling for scalability from small needs of users to massive corporate needs. The ability for cloud computing to easily scale resources with minimal cost makes it more affordable than the traditional hosting system since users only pay for what they use. Server and infrastructure upgrades are done by the cloud service providers rather than the business organization thus ensuring

Reflecive journal inspired by different kinds of media practices and Essay

Reflecive journal inspired by different kinds of media practices and ideas related to my module - Essay Example It is regarded as a recent style as such mechanical potential is very newly set so that low cost and extensive execution can be performed. It allows the effective use of space and potential by allowing various functions to be executed on an individual device. Convergence further has two wider ranges of description and they are technological convergence and media convergence (Arenaza, 2010). Technological convergence is the procedure in which the prevailing machinery that integrates in to new configurations that bring about various kinds of applications and media. Recent appliances and machinery generally manage a particular instruction or to execute some primary jobs (Wise Geek, 2014). Technological convergence allows different devices to collaborate with a broader arrangement of media kinds. With technological improvement, brand new versions of the devices may compromise extra characteristics which were not available in the previous one (Techopedia, 2014). Media convergence is the fact that includes the linkage of communication and information technologies, media material and computer systems. Media convergence is the immediate result of the digitalization of media content and the fame of the Internet. It alters prominent organizations, services and work execution and allows absolutely new designs of content to appear (Flew, 2014). Such advancements can be used both ways either for the good or for the bad. The good is always appreciated by the people and especially the government as it makes their work easier while the bad is always criticized by the people and especially the government as it increases their work to maintain law and order. To make sure that media is not being used for the bad, governments make rules and regulations which restrict the media to a certain limits and ensure that the limits are not being crossed. The communication and media organizations are now few of the major industries of the society. After the