The Ride-Sharing

The way people move from one location to another can be hard to satisfy their schedules, either because of congestion or the delay of the taxi that maybe far away. The ride-sharing is the current solution to overcome the problems caused by traditional transportation with the prime goal of splitting and reducing costs. The ride-sharing is concept where driver and passenger share the same destination. This project proposes (On my way) an android application to help improve one's mobility through sharing economy concept. This alternative will be a good way to save money, protect environment and quickly reach your destination. We will use ride-sharing Smartphone application, GPS and database system.IntroductionDespite the big revolution on car sharing services offering to people transportation from one place to another in their daily routine, reducing costs and traveling time. But, many areas doesn't have enough transportation networks, meaning that either they have a very low supply, having no public transportation at all in a certain time window, or the available options are too expensive. Certainly traditional ride-sourcing app like uber , careem are offering to people transportation from one place to another in their daily routine. At these traditional businesses, passenger have to go to the same destination every day, that mean that passenger have to meet up every day different driver going to the same location, wasting fuel, time, money and increase traffic congestion. Consequently, people (student, employee, etc.) does not know when which colleague is working at the same place, which impedes carpooling. In that subject, our idea came with a sharing economy concept to save us all from the horrors of pricey cab rides.ObjectivesThe objective of the project is to present a mobile application which provides a communication system between car owners and passengers. Objectives will be as: Design and develop an application server and a mobile application for users to access the ride-sharing service through their smartphones Design and implement a database that will communicate with our mobile applications to a ensure all features Provide some features like geo-localization, trip sharing requests, etc. The project will be treated by Waterfall Model. Waterfall Model is Cascade pattern which can be listed below consecutively. clarified requirements, systems and software design, implementation and unit tests, Integration and test of the system, Documentation and maintenance.Expected BenefitsReduce the ride costs both for driver and passengers.Passengers will be able to find for a ride, suitable to their situation.When reducing the number of cars on the road, our system will decrease pollution and the need for parking space and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (CO2).Avoiding lonely trips will make the ride more conform and less driving stressAs the mobility sector continuously supports the authorities in the organization of public transport and mobility in urban and rural areas, it is familiar with topics such as congestion reduction and carbon footprint. From this perspective, sharing economy concept will be the solution to reduce the number of single-person trips by car. In that f ield, a shared ride can simply be used to integrate with colleagues and discuss social subjectsRelated WorkFlinc app :Flinc is the free ridesharing app for daily use. You can find drivers and passengers on your way to work, to university and just for fun. If you travel together, you can meet nice people, save money and quickly reach your destination. Register now for free and organize your ridesharing for short distances.LyftThe Lyft app is cheaper than a taxi, faster than the bus, and easy to use. Travel anywhere you want to go without needing rental car services or figuring out bus routes – we'll give you a ride right to your destination.

How enduring were the changes created by the 1848 revolutions?

In 1848 Europe lived a time of uneasiness. Many revolts took place all over the continent, when the middle and working class istood upi. The only ones lucky enough to escape from revolution were England and Russia. France was under the power of Louis Philippe, a reactionary monarch who was against change. The Austrian Empire ruled by Metternich even though Ferdinand was the actual king. A lack of political change and social reforms bothered the people as the population increased. Education was available for more people but the economic system started to fail. revolutions took place in 1848 in Austria-Hungary, France and Germany. As a result the 1848 revolutions only left temporal alternations to the traditional system and ended up being a transfer of power. France as the most influential nation of all European nations had a strong liberal force, which opposed to the fact of being ruled by Louis Philippe. The French middle-class complained for the permanent rejection, and discrimination from the government, as they had no representation at all. After the army had killed 40 protestors, a crowd of discontent middle and working class was already on their way to the city, hours later broke Paris into open revolt. Noticing that it was already too late, Louis Philippe abdicated forcing the Parisians to create a provisional government. This short-term solution became an alliance between the middle class liberals, and the radical working classes. This coalition turned into a clear victory over the Monarchs, which wouldn't last long, before several problems aroused due to different interests and ideas each group held. What occurred was that the middle class, principally conformed by intellectuals, doctors, minor employers, etc, wanted several changes that were mainly based on their social interests, (e. g. the voting system, and the freedom of speech) above anything else. The working classes not only had the same interests, but also had others that extended to the economic side, which for the middle class wasn't as important. When the social interests from the middle class were partially reformed they didn't have much more to protests about, so they instead retired. This caused a huge discontent within the working classes that still expected other changes and weren't being supported by the middles class that had already achieved most of their purposes. Many changes took place in those first months the most important one was the instauration of the universal male suffrage that allowed men over 21 to vote. This increased the number of voters from 240,000 to almost 9 million. Other changes like the reduction of the working hours to 11 hours, and the opening of workhouses were made to help the unemployed. Thanks to these changes people from the provinces could get involved with what had being going around in Paris. The majority of the voters were people from the rural areas, and as a result the lections for the constituent assembly were in favor of moderate republicans or the conservative monarchs. The revolutionaries had won, in November 1849 during the second republic Louis Napoleon became president by popular election. Two months before the elections the 12 hour working day had been re-established, however the universal male suffrage still remained. In 1848 the Austrians heard form the revolutions in France and how successful they had been. Encouraged by this racial and social tensions as well as imperial repression of rights would influence revolts in the Habsburg Empire. Very similar to what happened in France forced by Ferdinand, Metternich who was in charge had to leave. Revolutionaries won but they had many disagreements between each other. What happened was that at the beginning both the middle class and the working class needed reforms. When these had been made middle class were satisfied but the working class felt that the Empire was still in debt with them. For this reason the unity came to an end. For the middle class the fact of having freedom of press, tax reforms, and an increase in freedom of religion was enough. The people still demanded to exclude non-Hungarian soldiers from the Hungarian army. This became possible once Ferdinand decided that Hungary should be an independent country. In Austria finally one of the constitutional changes established (the March laws) were approved, the nobility would loose their tax exemptions and the feudal system was abolished from the Empire. Due to the fact that the radicals and the liberals had very different interests there was also a nationalist conflict between certain groups amongst the empire. However the change that would endure the most after the civil revolt was the one that would eventually harm the revolution. This change had been dictated by the constituent assembly, and it was the abolition of serfdom (a member of the lowest feudal class bound to the land and owned by a lord). As a result the revolutionaries would be left without any real support from the peasantry, as they would have no cause to complain. Like the Habsburg Empire, Germany was also lead by the incidents that took place in France. In this case German States fell into a greater economic crisis than France. It seemed to be that reforms were simply one of the elements that the insurgents required and beside it came the acceptance of a concession which Prussia, Bavaria, Baden, and Wurttemberg agreed to. A meeting in Heidelberg (Vorparlament) was called to supervise the election to the German Representative Assembly. This assembly was formed not to impose their power, but to act upon the lack of it, a characteristic of March 1848. The assembly was mainly elected by the middle class, and one of the first measures that it took into consideration was the Universal Male Suffrage, with the support of one delegate for every 50,000 Germans. Germany had the urgency of finding someone appropriate to take control over all the state, and thought that the Habsburgs, a very important and well-known German family, lead by the Archduke John could be a good choice. In June the Habsburgs took control over Germany. For many working class Germans the poor less job that the Frankfurt Parliament had done to solve their problems didn't satisfy them. They thought that within meetings they could discuss many economic problems and find the appropriate solution to each one of them. Their requests were then brought up and demanded changes like: the limitation of the factory production, restrictions upon free economic and industrial growth, and the protection of the privileges for the old artisan guilds. The protests that took place afterwards were very big and in some cases the Parliament had to recruit Prussian and Austrian troops. Eventually the emergence of the of the national issue and the fear of working class violence, created the route to the re-establishment of the German Government, including the return of Friederich Wilhelm. The German troops helped by the Prussians and the Austrians were sent into Berlin. Once again Friederich Wilhelm was offered to wear the German Crown and he refused. Not accepting the German crown was enough to end with Frankfurt Parliaments big failure. Once the Austrian and Prussian delegates had left the Parliament it was dismissed by Prussian troops. At the end of the revolution some agrarian reforms still remained but in remark the liberal, constitutional revolution failed to succeed. We may clearly rely on A. J. P. Taylor who says: â€Å"There was merely a vacuum in which the liberals postured until the vacuum was pilled† Big revolutions took place in France, Austria-Hungary, and Germany in 1848. The government systems had been there for a very long time, each nation and the people wanted several reforms on those systems were becoming a huge pain. In France everything seemed to work fine, until Louis Napoleon declared himself Emperor. Terminating with the Universal Male Suffrage, which as other changes was thought to be enduring, but at the end it didn't result as expected. In Austria-Hungary even though problems weren't that bad, the fact that the results of the revolution in France had been successful, was enough for them to demand changes. The changes that took place were thanks to Lajos Kossuth and the â€Å"March Laws†. In Germany as discussed before, some say that the German disturbances cant even be considered as a revolution. At the end only Agrarian reforms survived out of the many changes expected. Many protestors didn't receive anything from the revolution that took me to the conclusion that it wasn't successful at all. Finally we can see how the 1848 revolutions failed, and how changes and reforms were not enduring at all. As Trevely says: â€Å"1848 was the turning point at which modern history failed to turn†. However France was in a much better situation than all the other countries, and like in 1918 at the end of the WW1 they were capable of surviving ahead from the others.

Monologue of a young boy Essay

*Kicks his football up against the house wall* I never used to be able to do this. I can do it now though obviously. Me and my dad spent a whole afternoon practising my kicking. â€Å"The side of your foot it goes long, the tip of your foot it goes high.† he would say. I never got what he meant at first. I could kick it far but not high. The first time I went to kick it high like dad told me to, I fell over onto my back. It really hurt. My eyes were watering but my dad always told me that big boys don’t cry. He grabbed the ball off me and booted it higher than my bedroom window! I can’t remember the last time me and dad spent the day together. He’s always working, or down the pub, or going out with his fancy bird Jenny. *George doesn’t kick the ball in time and it rolls behind him. He puts his finger up into the air* Emirates Stadium. Dad got us 2 tickets for the Arsenal v Man U match. Well 3 actually. Jenny came. She wouldn’t stop moaning! â€Å"David, I’m cold. David, how long until we can go home? David. David. David.† The moaning ruined it. She ruined it. The only time she shut up was when dad had his tongue half way down her throat. *Puts his fingers down his throat* BLERGH! He never used to do that with mom. They would always shout a lot. When I would go to bed I used to have to put my pillow over my head so I couldn’t hear them. It didn’t help. It sounded like I was under water and they were squawking like seagulls. *Shakes his head to get rid of the memories* She can do much better than dad. She’s really pretty and makes the best cheese on toast EVER! She puts that Worcestershire sauce on it. Mr Spink didn’t like it when he tried it though. Mr Spink is my teacher at school. He got a crush on my mom. When me and mom went to parents evening he kept giving her googly eyes. Mom didn’t like him that much. She was doing her â€Å"you’re a very nice man†¦.but no† face. While he was chatting mom up, I snuck off and changed the bell clock so it rang for the next parents to have their meeting. Mom noticed me by the bell as she left. She winked, took my hand and we walked to the car, not looking back at Mr Spink. â€Å"Cheeky Monkey.† She said to me as she got into the car with a smile on her face. I asked her if she fancied Mr Spink. She said I was as bonkers as Granny Cat Face. *Rolls his eyes* She’s dad’s mom. She’s really called Ermintrude but me and mom call her Cat Face because she’s spent so much time with her evil cats that her face always looks like a cat’s when it’s just drank some milk that’s slightly off. *Makes a face like Granny Cat Face’s. He scrunches up his mouth * We went round for Sunday dinner a while ago and she started trying to clasp one of those annoying teeny tiny flies that fly into your face in her big meaty hands. She looked just like a cat clawing a ball of yarn. Me and mom couldn’t stop laughing. We haven’t been invited back since. Mom’s making dinner now. Chicken nuggets, chips and beans. Mom doesn’t make fancy food. Dad used to moan about always having the same food. I don’t. I like chicken nuggets. Mom doesn’t seem to be as angry now as she was when dad was around. Her hair used to go all curly and her cheeks would go red but not now. Now she looks pretty and wears make up and has hair like David Beckham’s wife. *George’s phone vibrates. He checks his phone* Billy’s going to come and knock for me at 1 o’clock so we can go and play football round his. His big sister’s so cool. *Looks up at the camera then carries on kicking the ball* She’s called Kate and she’s 17. She spiked mine and Billy’s hair for us. Then she had to take some pictures of us for her beauty course. We started modelling in the garden for her. My foot got caught under one of the concrete slabs and I fell over. Billy’s sister took me inside, cleaned my cut and put a plaster on it. She said I was really brave and even the best models fall over at times. I don’t like Billy’s mom though. She makes me eat me eat vegetables when I go round and always asks how mom’s coping without dad and if they’re going to get back together. I hope they don’t. They weren’t very happy. It’s a bit sad not seeing both of them on my birthday but I get 2 lots of presents. And besides, mom said her and dad both love me but it’s just hard to stay together when you argue so much. *The door bell rings* Billy’s at the door so I better go. Don’t want to keep Kate waiting do I?

North Korean and South Korean foreign policies Research Paper

North Korean and South Korean foreign policies - Research Paper Example After the North Korean nuclear emergency of 2002, the amount of US aid has decreased significantly, and US has sent almost no resources to KEDO since the organization’s executive board chosen to stop oil consignments to North Korea during November 2002. Probably, the decrease in assistance levels has dropped the already small influence US aid had put on North Korean attitude, mainly with respect to China’s as well as South Korea’s sustained support and improved trade. 1. Introduction United States as well as South Korea usually considers eventual political incorporation of the Koreas in an egalitarian government from the South as unavoidable. Nonetheless, the type of association, that is, by North Korean failure or ongoing incorporation of the North and South, is still the issue of deep political argument and inconsistency between concerned groups, who take account of South and North Korea, United States, Russia, China and Japan (Cha, p. 102). ... North Korea's communist regime has governed a state-ruled financial system traditionally reliant on huge help from Russia as well as from China to carry on. In the same time, South Korea has grown into one of the world's most significant financial systems, utilizing â€Å"free enterprise† financial strategies as well as promoting a democratic regime. From the 1990s, North and South Korea have owned two symbolic meetings and improved financial collaboration to some extent, although reunification still appears to be a comparatively ‘far-off’ objective, barring unanticipated proceedings. The American armed forces concentrated on managing surrender of Japan. â€Å"Little changed at first in the administration of the south; officials then serving under the Japanese authorities remained in their positions. The United States dismissed the Japanese governor general in the middle of September, but many Japanese officials stayed in office until 1946. Those decisions angere d many Koreans† (Kim et al, p. 192). From the year 1948 until the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, North Korean armed forces continually initiated clashes on the border. â€Å"On June 25, 1950, Kim Il-sung sprung his full military force, with the backing of the Soviet Union, against the South† (Kwak & Joo, p. 118) to initiate the Cold War's earliest combat. The United Nations, driven by the United States, rapidly arrived for South Korea's security. The Soviet Union provides support the war surreptitiously whereas Marxist China sent a large number of armed forces for North Korea. The conflict fumed until July 27, 1953 when a peace agreement introduces a ceasefire that is still valid today. Economically,

Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau - Term Paper Example The paper "Henri Matisse, Femme au chapeau" discovers Henri Matisse and his art. This is in the context of an intricate hat, with a fan firmly held by a gloved arm. There is a clear expression from the vivacious hue in Amelie’s costume. The painting was among the very first developments that came with bright colored canvases. These bright colors depicted Matisse from an expressive point of view. The picture was created from a style that widely involved the use of brushstroke in a non-regulated manner. He used this artistic work to mark his change from the highly expressive styles, into one that involved loose brushwork, synchronized with non-naturalistic colors. This phenomenon depicted an unfinished piece of work that was sketchy in nature. The new idea was a source of surprise to many. Woman with a Hat,’ gives a strong sense of fauvism. Fauvism as a culture and a style began its endeavors and operated within 1900 and 1910. Matisse was the leader of the fauvism movemen t along with a companion painter known as Andrà © Derain. Matisse began his fauvism endeavors at the Ambroise Vollard’s showcase back in 1904, but achieved minute success from his latter works. He then endorsed in expressive and bright colors, which came out well pronounced in his preceding paintings. These included controlled lines and flat shapes. His fauvism culture became eminent between him and his workmates, where he achieved his peak quest with this painting. Woman with a Hat,’ initiated the famous quote by the then critic.

Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Ethics - Case Study Example s ethical dilemma has to do with meeting the needs of its affected customers as well as the public at large while also maintaining or preserving its good name. This is almost impossible to accomplish because informing the public about the risk of consuming its products would naturally negatively affect the organization’s reputation. However, informing the public about the danger of consuming other foods until they are further tested would be the ethical or moral thing for the company to do even if it would result in the damage of the company’s organizations. Naturally, the Nutrition Foods Inc. has to come up with ways of dealing with this ethical problem before it degenerates any further. In the first place, the organization’s executives have to conduct assessments into determining how its products are being handled (Willenken, 2012). In such organizations, the process of product distribution is where employees are most likely to infect the produce unintentionally. The organization also has to make immediate moves that show customers that they remain the main and first concern of the organization (Vickers, James, Smallbone and Baldock, 2005). To implement these principles, the Nutrition Foods Inc. has to come up with contingency plans that will address this issue while also preventing the possibility of such an ethical dilemma arising again. There are different theories that can be used in determining the steps to be taken in order to deal with this problem. Ethical theories of teleological nature are usually consequentialist (Ridge, 2009). This means that they tend to emphasize the importance of taking ethically correct actions which will create a balance that will re-instate good actions over the bad (Worsfold, 2005). To use this theory in making decision, the Nutrition Foods Inc. will have to consider different possibilities in dealing with the ethical problem if faces. For example, when considering whether to clean up the scandal internally without

Advice topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Advice topic - Essay Example The Chinese culture focuses on molding children into morally upright individuals of the society. Many life teachings as championed by early prominent persons such as Confucius are at the center of upbringing in the Chinese culture (Colson, 45). I have learnt many lessons from the teachings, which guide me in my daily dealings. For instance, Confucius’ teaching on unlocking personal excellence has propelled me to success and within reach of my full potential. Confucius says that â€Å"choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.† The Chinese culture has shaped me into a morally upright member of the society. Confucius lessons are instrumental in personal empowerment and decision-making on issues such as choosing a career path (Hall, Mod. 1). The sensitivity of an individual to other cultures is paramount in establishing good relations. The important aspects of the Chinese culture have made me sensitive to other cultures. Initially as I grew up, I ignored other cultures simply because they were not part of my life. However, after moving to America, I have been able to learn new things and life became more interesting as I integrated other cultures into my way of life. There should be no fear of other cultures and instead for individuals to reach their full potentials, they should explore the diversity of cultures (Hall, Mod. 1).The diverse nature of Chinese culture has helped me make formidable relationships with my peers from other cultures. The anxiety to learn from each other and empower ourselves has been the key driving force to this course. Due to different cultures, individuals have different personalities. This has made it easier to form all-round academic and social groups with friends and classmates (Hall, Mod. 1). Belief System and Discipline are important values of any culture. My parents use guan as the primary practice of valued discipline. Confucianism is a feature of

United States Policy Towards Syria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

United States Policy Towards Syria - Essay Example Assad’s troops then disgorged the common anti-Israel bile (Hersh, 2011). Therefore, Assad has proved to be very witty and stubborn to other nations like Israel. That is why the United States came in and it is now attempting to pull down Bashar Al-Assad from power. According to Timmerman Kenneth (2001), it has not been that easy because a few days ago Assad’s regime initiated mob assault on the French and American Embassies in Damascus meaning that he is already aware about their mission. Political stake in America is that President Obama is planning to command that Syrian powerful man Bashar Al-Assad steps down. The ultimate aim of this context is to respond to the question, will Assad leave the office as US is demanding and this will happen under what circumstances? The only way to pull him down is through pressurizing him using different tactics. Therefore, this context looks at different strategies through which Assad may leave. There are three main strategies of approach that the US needs to employ as we shall see later (Hook, 2010). The following is a map of Syria showing major regions that are affected by political instability in the country. Timmerman, Kenneth R. 2001 Document Outcome Before the United States declares forceful removal of Assad from power, it has to examine both sides of the case. It must ensure that once the process is through, all the Syria citizens remain happy and at peace and the US itself as well as the international community is happy with the outcome of the process (Hersh, 2011). This means that the Obama administration must consider the US national interest and Syria’s national interest before taking any action. Therefore, the policy objectives that they lay down must be consistent to the expectations of Syr ian citizens. The first policy objective to be considered is to ensure they employ a soft oratory scheme to avoid showing the world that they support the opposition group. Their focus should be on democratic principles and not just showing support to the opposition. If such a peaceful system is employed, the most probable outcome of US’s policy toward Syria will be a success in ensuring Assad is no longer in power, and people receive democracy (Hersh, 2011). Brief Background The gesticulate of Arab turbulence that began with the Tunisian rebellion of January 2011 extended all through to the Middle East Arab nations particularly to Syria in mid-March. During that time, residents of a diminutive city went to the streets to complain about the torment of students who had designed anti-regime graffiti. President Bashar al-Assad who inherited dictatorial leadership from his father pretended to be a compassionate leader at first since he hesitated in taking force and reform actions. However, in April 2011 after he had hosted the country’s decades-aged stratocracy, he initiated the first of what turned up to be a sequence of onslaught, sending tanks into restless cities and security troops began firing live bullets on students who were demonstrating. Note that later on, it was too hard to either stop the violence or take Assad’s political reform offers – neglected as impostors by remonstration leaders could end the political instability. According to Ze'ev Schiff (2002), the demonstrators have never managed to withstand direct physical attack from the military, armed forces. The conflict began as a small issue,

Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence - Essay Example These are analytical, experiential and practical intelligence. The above listed behaviours for both academic and everyday intelligence fit into Sternberg's theory. Academic intelligence corresponds with both experiential and componential intelligence, as defined by Sternberg. Experiential intelligence essentially refers to the capacity to comprehend tasks, even novel ones, and execute them efficiently. In relation to academic intelligence, it references the capacity to assimilate knowledge, comprehend abstract terms and apply that knowledge, including the translation of the abstract into the practical. As regards componential intelligence, it essentially refers to problem-solving which, in itself, is predicated on the intellectual analysis of the problem and the selection of the optimal solution. In others words, insofar as the behaviours listed for academic intelligence ultimately derive from the capacity to assimilate and apply new knowledge, they correspond to Sternberg's theory of intelligence. As regards the behaviours listed for everyday intelligence, they correspond with Sternberg's experiential and practical intelligence.

Analysing organisation. Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysing organisation. Wal-Mart - Essay Example A firm existence in the American market and exploitation of every opportunity and space during the initial establishment years has enabled Wal-Mart to enjoy a unique brand name. It was a successful strategic move for Wal-Mart to concentrate on the US market, and establish firmly on home soil. From the exploits of the home market, Wal-Mart had enough experience and sufficient resources to make investments abroad. Wal-Mart has coverage for retail business in more than fifteen countries today, with branches in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Japan, South Africa and the UK among many others (Wal-Mart, n.d.). This presentation highlights the various concepts that can be associated with Wal-Mart as a global player in the retail industry. SWOT analysis is relied upon in the design, with the initial part highlighting the strengths and opportunities that an insider at Wal-Mart would quickly give while the second section highlights threats and weaknesses that are critical to the company. General review is a biased outlook on the positives of the company as opposed to the critical review that criticises various business concepts and approaches adopted at the company. Data Collection Information on SWOT from primary and secondary sources made the bulk of research, with an explanation and discussion on the main issues making up the presentation. SWOT as the main theme of the paper identifies with the needs of understanding the operations from an internal as well as an external perspective (Broughton, n.d.). The discussion is not exhaustive on the SWOT analysis but only a selected few items picked formed the discussion on which to base the presentation. General Review (Strengths and Opportunities) Ownership Wal-Mart began and remained as a family business as Walton dedicated his entire to the service and development of the company. Such level of commitment for the management of business usually enables the manager to set organisational objectives above any other interest. Evidently, the success of the corporation as one of the main global players in the retail industry owes much to the man-management techniques that Walton applied (Walton and Huey 1993, p32). As an individual, the president of the United States recognised Walton’s contribution to business and awarded him for his achievement just before his death. This is a milestone achievement for an individual leading an important business player as Wal-Mart in the global economy. Walton retained great influence on the decision making processes at the company in many aspects, despite the fact that the listing of the company implied that he donated some of the leadership to the shareholders. His contribution to the running of the business is undisputed and perhaps, therefore, Wal-Mart’s successes owe much to his roles in the company. The demise of Sam Walton in 1992 paved way for another Walton, Robson who took over as chairperson of the Wal-Mart Board a few days later. Tradition Since its establishment in 1962, Wal-Mart has kept off temptations of changing the market approach from the initial vision of the pioneer (Frank 2006, para.6). Sam Walton envisioned a retailing busines s with a unique pricing strategy that would target the lower end markets by initiating price cuts. Targeting the specific market niche in the retail business and making it possible to stick to it was perhaps the strongest business ideas adopted by Walton. In the modern business strategy applied at Wal-Mart, pricing is a uniquely important tool implemented for the initial objective laid down by Walton several decades ago. In all the retail outlets

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely Essay

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely - Essay Example The worst thing about having power by a man is that he tends to forget what the people around him deserve and how he shall be doing his bit to make sure that the condition and plight of the people is enhanced. What he seems to do however is to fill up his own pockets and look after exponentially increasing his possessions and property. This is where absolute corruption starts to come in within the related equations. It is against ethics to manifest such a basis. Similarly, those leaders who believe in getting their own way done through power and misuse it for their own means are the ones who actually misguide the people under their folds. Ethically speaking, they think less of the organization as a whole and more about their own selves. This is an anomaly that needs to be taken care of, at the earliest. The need is to discern where power can be used for the betterment of the people and how it can further be transformed into something of value for all concerned. There are certain leaders who would not mind indulging in acts that go against the organizational practice. They aim to find ways and means through which their personal selves can be benefited the most. The subordinates working under them have to take the brunt, which is something that comes out as a corruption as Lord Acton points out. This corruption tells them that they are indispensable and nothing will be able to make them feel as such. They continue with their norms and create confusions for all and sundry, thus cashing in on the pretext that what has worked well for these leaders to date, will work wonders for them in the future as well (Quah 91-97). When corruption is understood from a management perspective, it is seen from an angle where there is a great amount of understanding available for the ones who would find it hard to do justice to others than to their own

Reinhard Heydrich Essay Example for Free

Reinhard Heydrich Essay When we remember or hear of the holocaust, the common names that follow , Anne Frank, Oscar Shinler, Hitler and so on, but has anyone hare Hitlereard of Reinhard Heitritch? Reinhard Heitritch is a man who played a very large role in the developement of the holocaust, he was the achitect who implemented the solution to the Jewish Question. He started out by joining the SS in 1931, and formed an organization for gathering information, the SD (Sicherheitsdienst), or SS Security Service. This organization was created to organize and gather information on those who were any threat to Hitler and all members of the Nazi Party as well. It started out small, with a single typewriter but it was not long before many others joined and expanded onto the organization. Because of the SD or SS security Service and its success, ReinHard Heydrich was sent the direction of his own personal success, power, and role in the hollocaust. From joining the SS as an ordinary SS member, to being promoted as SS Major by Dec. 1931 (the same year he joined), SS Colonel in 1932, and SS Brigadier General in 1933. In this highest position, Heydrich was now arresting, instead of gathering information on those who were any threat to Hitler. The number of people Reinhard Heydrich arrested was massive and lead to many being put into Dachau for there was no room left in the prisons. In between the arrests, Heydrich began using greater punishment to anyone against Nazism. Such as murdering and torturing suspect who he selected without careful judgement. As his power increased, along with the power of the Nazis, so did the darkness inside of him as a Nazi. Reinhard Heydrich had slowly become more and more involved in the developement of the first steps of the hollocaust, and also the seconf world war. As the Nazis took over Austria in March 1938, Heydrich opened an office there for Jewish Emigration. Its purpose was to give permits to Jews who wanted to leave Austria, and an estimate of 100, 000 emigrated. Reinhard Heydrich had also been part of Kristallnacht, what some say was the very start of the hollocaust. After the attack of the jews, 25, 000 Jewish men were ordered by Heydrich to be sent to concentration camps In 1941, Reinhard Heydrich had made the calls that killed a massive number of people. The half a million jews who died from starvation and murder in Ghettos such as Warsaw and Krakow were ordered by Heydrich to be sent there. By 1939, he was given complete control over the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA). This final group hed gained power over, involving the SD, Criminal Police and Gestapo was the group responsible for the unthinkable amount of deaths in Europe. While leader of this organization, hed now been attending important Nazi conferences. While at a conference on January, 20, 1942, Reinhard Heydrich declared the final solution to the Jewish question The usage of Zyklon-B had then been decided for the extermination of Jews at death camps after being deported to the east. The first camp that this methode began at was Auschwitz, where three million had been killed, most from gas chambers. That was Reinhard Heydrichs rise to power, his role and impact on the developement on the holocaust. Froming joining the SS to announcing the final solution at a Conference, its absolutely scary how simple it was for a man to reach the positions he did, and leave such an inconceivable mark in the history of the world. What is also just as terrifying and inconceivable is that Reinhard Heydrich also had a family that he loved very much and he played a very peaceful instrument. When learning that Heydrich had a gentle, innocent and loving side to him outside of his work, its very difficult to think he had it, while knowing what this man did. This is why i created this model, to demonstrate the two opposite sides to him, and my wonder (Like Mr. Jarvis talked about before) how he could switch his mind and heart when coming home to a normal life with his family, after designing a plan to kill an unthinkable amount of people. People who could have been almost identical to the people he loved at home. At the back, this is a picture of the car hed been assassinated in. The constant power hed been gaining along the way to the position where he declared the final solution, made him over confident, arrogant and stubborn. He one day decided to leave his house in his car without any security, and was assassinated by Czech underground agents who threw a bomb at his car. The bomb injured him badly and he died days later in the hospital from blood poisoning, he died on June 4 1942.

Buy American Act Analysis

Buy American Act Analysis Buy American Requirements Question 1 On his last day in office on 3rd March, 1933, U.S. president Hoover signed the Buy American Act which made it essential for the federal U.S government to choose products made by U.S manufacturers for procurement. Other parts of the rulings made similar compulsions on the procurements made through federal funds for transit and highway projects. Fundamentally, the Buy American Act is an endeavor to protect the welfare of local manufacturers and labors by giving direct partiality to U.S.-made products in the procurement made by government departments. The American goods defined in the act were placed is three broad categories; manufactured, mined and produced. Although the nativity of the manufacturer is not an issue according to the act however, American goods were defined as those products which are made from components manufactured in United States. Such components may be produced, manufactured or mined from within the country to qualify for being called American products. Moreover, the cost of foreign manufactured components used in the domestic product must not, in any case, go beyond fifty percent of the cost of all the components. However, there are a few exceptions to this act. Firstly, it becomes void if the procurement of American products is against public interest or entails irrational cost. Secondly, the act is not applicable on U.S projects outside the country or on the products which are not produced in sufficient quantities or acceptable quality inside U.S. Finally, the act is also not applicable for federal government procurements of less than $3,000. Moreover, the American Act provisions and restrictions can be over-ruled by the President of United States when it is envisaged that foreign products are likely to be given unfair treatment as compared to domestic products. Question 2 VectorCal and Efficient Technologies are both engaged with the control and monitoring of drone navigation systems. In addition, the companies can develop systems that make it possible to have total management and control of drone navigation systems, as well as providing adequate security when required. As it is already known that United States is engaged in war in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries along with its NATO allies, the use of drone technology has gained vital importance. This technology is not only advantageous in gathering information about the activities of enemy but also prove vital in launching attacks against them. In doing so a lot of national exchequer and human lives of friendly forces are saved. And the enemies are demolished without much effort or fear of launching attack through fighter planes. Keeping this background in mind, VectorCal and Efficient Technologies have much to gain from the Buy American Requirement. First and foremost is the possibility of providing the security agencies of the United States with state of the art defense navigation drone technology. This would not only assist the United States government in achieving its war related targets in an efficient manner but also in a cost effective manner as well. Another point worth noting here is that with the enactment of Buy American Requirement, the reliance of United States on foreign suppliers for defense related procurement would decrease. This would in-turn help the country in relying on its own products rather than relying on the imports from other countries who may oppose the U.S. defense policy and at some time may also want to withhold the defense related procurements. This scenario is vital for national security of United State especially when it is engaged in wars around the world. Keeping these facts in mind, VectorCal and Efficient Technologies would definitively profit from the Buy American Requirement regulations as U.S would be compelled to procure drone related navigational aids from these companies. This would obviously mean more business for the companies and more yield for the owners of the companies. This would also assist in expanding the business for the companies which would mean employment of more American workforce and added achievable targets. Question 3 The United States takes pride in economic and political freedom that it project amongst the comity of nations. The American way of life still projects a form of capitalism, although much has changed over the years. To many today, Americanism still means appreciation that free market trade both in international and domestic markets signifies the only way to prosperity of the country. Trade in international markets is not a war to be won but a form of increasing production worldwide and cooperating with others in the business to seek prosperity. In is a common knowledge that common trade advantages are fruitful for both the countries across the borders even if one of them is much more adept in manufacturing quality products. As denoted by the Comparative Advantage Law, free trade does not create boundaries but helps in eradicating unemployment. The free market trade does not depend on boundaries sketched on the map. International commerce provides the same kind of economic advantages as does the commerce between cities and towns across the country. Therefore, if intercity or across town trade is stopped for the reason that it is more patriotic to buy the product of only the local manufacturers, a huge trade deficit would be faced by the city or the town as was being faced by U.S. in almost every year in 19th century. Americanism is basically synonymous to individualism, if we take it to philosophical terms. This means that the rights of one person are his own and do not belong to a particular race or a nation. However, in case of collectivism, which is the prime notion of Buy American, Americans are supposed to look as suppliers and manufacturers of products as nations and not as individuals offering business. The country is required to accept goods of low quality at higher prices all in the name of nationalism. Mostly, the proponents of Buy American theory propagate motive behind the attitude is hostility towards the foreign products and foreigners themselves. This intolerant attitude is against the principles of capitalism and free market economy and can thus be termed as prejudiced. Some experts even believe that preferring American made products over Japanese or Chinese products is same behavior as preferring products of white people over non-white. It is a form of economic racism which tends to judge the products by the manufacturer who made it rather than the quality of product itself. In principle, the standards of living o the people of a state are raised due to enrichment of another country. This standard analogy is clear from the fact that the standard of living of our people has greatly increased due to our trade with countries like Japan. If America decides today to stop trade relation with Japan, it would not only be detrimental for our economy but also undermine our living standards to a great extent. Let’s look at it from another point of view. Due to Buy American Requirement, if Americans have to pay more for commonly used items domestic products e.g. shirts or shoes, then the country would have less money to pay for other needs—itâ₠¬â„¢s another way of sponsoring incompetent local manufacturers. These local American producers would not have any foreign competition to face and therefore would not have any reason to improve quality or cut prices. Secondly, if America refuses to buy Chinese products, same would be reciprocated by China which would include rejection of America’s top class iPods and computers. This would lead to a collapse in economic terms which was seen after enacting of Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930. This tariff added huge import duties on many items due to which retaliation was seen from European countries which ultimately deepened the Depression across the globe. Question 4 Basically, there are three main exceptions to Buy American Requirement. Firstly, a product or an item can be procured from foreign manufacturer if the product or commodity is not available in local market. For example, iron and steel are not produced in America in sufficient quantities and acceptable quality. The act therefore waives the requirement of procurement of these commodities from within the country on account of their non-availability in sufficient quantity and acceptable quality. The second exception to the act refers to inconsistency to the public interest. This basically entails that any procurement which is against the interest of public may be made from the foreign manufacturer. However, such requests are to be scrutinized by DoE on case to case basis. The third exception to the act entails that a waiver would be given to the procurements for public projects when it is envisaged that by abiding to the ac would increase the domestic project construction cost by 25% or m ore. This is particularly true for the products which are neither manufactured nor produced in the U.S. in sufficient quantities e.g. Iron and Steel. Free trade in world’s open markets is the hour of the need for the Americans. Otherwise the trade deficit would increase to substantially high value which would neither be controllable for the government nor acceptable to the public. The great Depression of 1930s is clear example of how U.S. imposed restrictions on the trade with other countries aggravated the financial situation globally. The Buy American Requirement binds the government to expend public funding on the procurement of only made in U.S.A. products. This restriction when waived by a few abovementioned exceptions gives some air to breath to the U.S. economy. For example, the Department of Energy waived off the restriction to buy energy efficient lighting products in 2010 for public roads and projects. This waiver was primarily granted due to the fact items e.g. traffic signals which used LEDs (light emitting diodes) technology are solely manufactured by Mexico and China. that products like compact fluorescent lig ht bulbs and traffic signals made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are manufactured almost exclusively in China and Mexico. A large number of suppliers petitioned that they were unable to find the suppliers for these items in the U.S. and those willing to supply were asking for too much money; in fact more than that allowed by Buy American Act. Moreover, the DoE had started $6.3 billion worth of energy efficient projects which were lingering due to lack of American manufacturers. The decision to waive off the restriction to buy only American products contributed a great deal towards saving the huge losses to U.S. economy in case of purchasing the items from local vendors. Moreover, this waiver was also directly related to the public interest exception as it expedited the completion of projects, resulting in the saving of trillions of dollars in energy consumption. Another such exception was provided by the DoE for the procurement of two 13 MW and three 7.2 MW diesel generator radiators in 2011. The exception was a specific waiver for Utilities Corporations (CUC) which cost a total of $2,99,0075 on the import of five radiators against a cost of $3,22,5000 from domestic suppliers which meant a decrease in cost of about 35%. Therefore, the benefits of the exceptions given by the government are really beneficial for the U.S. economy and for the public interest. Question 5 A number of advantages and disadvantages can be experienced by VectorCal and Efficient Technologies by abiding by the Buy American Requirement. Firstly, if defense and navigation equipment contracts are awarded to foreign investors, the benefit from local manufacturers is taken away. A focus on U.S. manufacturing companies e.g. VectorCal and Efficient Technologies by the Department of Defense would not only boost the profitability of the companies but would also assist the U.S. government in mobilizing the industry at the time of war. Should the government require to contracts to foreign manufacturers chips away at an already deteriorating manufacturing sector. If required by the defense agencies, both these navigation systems producing companies would be in a situation to react and provide sustained assistance throughout the period of conflict. This is already in practice in many European countries who maintain a subsidized defense industrial base. For example, France has patronized its Aerospace industry putting other countries at a disadvantage. An additional advantage that can be gained by the government through patronizing navigation systems industry is the matter of national security. The reliance of U.S. on other countries on navigation systems manufacturing would greatly decrease in case the other nations decide to restrict exports to the U.S. in case of policy disagreement. Although the argument pertaining to national security has some validity, it can also be abused for seeking protection of the industry. On the other hand, sticking to Buy American Requirement can also bring demerits to the U.S; mainly on economic grounds. According to economic principles, free trade and open market competition brings economic progress amongst the trading partners. As restrictions among the trading partners are lifted, manufacturers from around the world begin to invest in specialized industry e.g. production of navigation systems thus bringing competition on the U.S. soil. This would although bring in vast opportunities of technological advances in the country but at the same time would render the local manufacturing industry inept to provide support to the country at the time of need.

The Increasing Trends Of Smart Phones

The Increasing Trends Of Smart Phones With the emergence of new technologies and communication medium, the world is becoming borderless. This fosters desire to remain connected every moment. Every people like to share information across the world. The digitisation of data, voice, and video has fostered excitement within the customers. The advent of digital television, set-top boxes, MP3 players, mobile phones, digital cameras are entering into everyones home. The Internet with smartly connected appliances has given birth to digital revolution. One such revolution has been emerged in the cell phone industry. Earlier, when cell phones were launched, it belonged to the segment of luxury product. With the digitalisation, the analogue phones moved to digital mobile phones. http://gipscorp.com/blog/tag/mobile-trends/ Source: (Gallagher, 2009) This fostered clear and reliable calls. Additionally, provided features such as call waiting, gaming, global roaming etc. All these digital consumer devices are rising at exponential rate because of its ability to access, modify, and manage information at any time and anywhere in the world. Today, over 3.6 billion people own or use mobile devices i.e. 25% of worlds population and 1.1 billion people access internet through desktop PC. Cellular phones had the maximum growth among all digital devices including computers. Today, more people access Internet via mobile than through computers. With the emerging new technology, innovation, smart phones came in the market. The demand for smart phones is rising at exponential rate. 3. Smart phones Smart phones are the mobile phone having all capabilities of phones i.e. making and receiving phone calls, sms, and accessing the web. It provides computing feature along with connectivity. These are digital phones having features of PDA cellular devices. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a mobile device that has various computing features like: access to e-mail, store email, play games, exchange faxes and data, browse Internet, send and receives multimedia files etc. PDA allows user to do various computer related jobs such as editing documents, using spreadsheets and databases, preparing presentations etc. It has built-in or option to accept Wi-Fi capabilities, Bluetooth capability and may also offer infrared beam to transfer information between various devices. Smart phones helps user to access email wirelessly, allow communication via voice or text, browse Internet, connect to secure corporate network, synchronize appointments, contacts, and calendars. The smart phones are desig ned in a sleek and lightweight model; QWERTY keypad centric device and a common operating system. Smart phones ability to support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR beaming features makes it more demanding device. The smart phones are the fastest growing segment of the cellular phone market that consists of powerful processors, large screen, operating systems, and abundant memory space. The demands for smart phones are growing and have climbed to 55.2 million in Q1 2010. The growth of smart phones rose to 67% this year (Vincent Chang, 2010). Source: Vincent. (2010). Source: Vincent. (2010). Today, smart phones can be used for diversified purposes replacing the use of previous media, that too with unique and competitive benefits. The mobile can be used for making and receiving calls, it is used to reading text, email messages or books through mobile devices. It has expanded its scope from just communication to distribution of knowledge and absorption of information. It facilitates synchronization of reading positions, browse, download or purchase content over the air and interact with friends globally. It also helps in playing songs, watching movies, listening to radios, watching television etc. 4. Impact of smart phones on the various digital devices we own Smart phones are now become the most lucrative segment of mobile industry. North America and Europes smart phones shipment accounted of 25% of total wireless handset sales in 2009. By 2015, smart phones will increase by 47% of the wireless handset market. In addition to this, smart phones are becoming one of the main Internet access channels. According to a study done by Gartner, mobile phones are expected to overtake Internet access through personal computer by 2013. It is fact that smart phones provides diversified features of various standalone products, and will be owned by the consumers. Smart phones provide multiple features of various handheld devices that will affect the purchase standalone cameras, media player, gaming devices, personal computers etc. It is estimated that smart phones will become the single most common handheld devices in the near future. The feature of smart phones to allow browsing Internet and stay connected has fostered human to bypass even personal comp uters demand. The Internet browsing through smart phones provides faster access to Internet as compared to personal computers. It is more personal medium of Internet browsing. Because of this, smart phones has already bypassed personal computers demand in the recent years. The facility to edit documents work with spreadsheet, PowerPoint, and databases, has reduced the demand for PC. As smart phones are more handy and convenient to carry, people would like to use it in place of PC. Moreover, camera features are provided with smart phones that facilitate consumers to do photography as well as recording through the same device. Listening to music or radios from the air, downloading and uploading music or media files are facilitated through the same smart phones. Therefore, instead of possessing media player to listen music; PC to access Internet; mobiles just to make and receive calls; DVD to watch movies; cameras for photography, etc; it is simpler, easier, convenient, reliable and cheaper to carry one single device having all the above features i.e. smart phones. This will adversely affect demand and profitability of the various digital device producers. Even the craze of application on mobiles are growing and making mobile producers to add new features into the smart phones. The increasing trend of smart phones will subside the need of various digital devices but will also face with various implications. Security threat through mobile will increase; the increasing demand for smart phones will result in heavy traffic congestion that will result in slower and disruptive speed. It will lead to extra burden on the wireless networks. Moreover, advanced features of various digital devices are hard to be included in the smart phones and inclusion of all technology will make it more expensive. The increasing craze to have multi-feature smart phones will increase the demand and also increases its price. Thus, making more profit in growth and profitability to the producers. 5. Introduction to e-commerce Web Technology 2.0 In the era of rapid globalisation, more and more companies are gaining competitive advantage by using internet for direct selling and for communication with the suppliers, customers, creditors, clients, shareholders, partners, competitors who are normally dispersed globally. The use of Internet for the above purpose is termed as Electronic Commerce. Electronic Commerce or popularly know as e-commerce includes all electronically mediated transactions between organizations and the third party it deals with. It includes financial transactions such as buying and selling on the Internet. Also deals with request for some information by the customer or customer feedback through Internet etc. According to Kalakota and Whinston (1997), e-commerce has various perspectives. For instance: The delivery of information, product or services or payment by electronic media. The application of technology towards the automation of business transactions and workflows. Providing service delivery with increased speed and improved quality, along with reduce cost. Online buying and selling of products and information. E-commerce fosters organisation to sell products, advertise, purchase supplies, bypass intermediaries, track inventories, eliminate paperwork and share information. E-commerce helps to minimize the expenses and unwieldiness of time, distance and space involved in doing business globally. This helps to gain better customer service, high efficiency, improved products, higher profitability and increased competitive advantage. With the passing of time, Web Technology 2.0 was introduced. Web Technology 2.0 was the term coined by OReilly. It is transformation of Internet into Web platform having full-fledged computing. According to this, platform is characterized by open sourcing, greater interactivity between user and also providing facility for uploading or downloading anything user desires. For example, web logs, wikis, RSS feeds, social networking, Web API, Orkut, MySpace etc. the technology includes server-software, message-protocols; standards based plugins and various client applications. Some of the e-commerce hosting solutions having Web 2.0 features are: Free blogs many web-hosting providers give blogs free of charges. These are easy to use and friendly with the search engines. Social networking tools chatting scripts and bulletin boards provide power to create a community environment. Multimedia support Multimedia technologies such as Flash and Silverlight, can be used to enhance the experience of each site visitors. 6. Impact of E-Commerce and Web Technology 2.0 in Amazon Inc Amazon is an online retail website incorporated in 1994, USA. The company is listed at NASDAQ (listed in the year 1997 as AMZN) and has global operation in USA, France, Canada, Germany, UK and Japan. Amazon is the first company to sell products directly or becoming a platform for sale of various products. The Amazon was established with the vision to become Earths biggest bookstore but currently it has product portfolio that includes diversified items, ranging from books to household products. It includes music, videos, electronics, toys, beauty products, games, and apparels. The company also offers services such as self-publishing, e-commerce platform, online advertising and co-branded credit card. This global Internet company had around 64 million active global customers and reported revenue of 24.50 Billion in the last financial year. The company also reported 27.9% of sales growth (2009) and consists of 24,300 employees. (Yahoo Finance n.d.). E-commerce technology has been implemented at Amazon. The basic objective was to use Internet for buying books with high speed, convenience, and as enjoyable shopping moment. To have satisfied shopping experience, Amazon Inc created an e-retail infrastructure to meet the needs of the customers. For instance, demand for out-of-print book is fulfilled by, first checking its availability with the suppliers and then notifying customers through email for purchase conditions and price before shipping it. E-commerce implementation at Amazon helped them to have reliable, secure, scalable, better experience, transparent pricing etc (Amazon.com n.d.). Amazon success was achieved due to its loyal customer base and repeated purchases. This was achieved through easy to use functionality; prompt customer service, trusted transaction environment, editorial and customer reviews, manufactured product information and customized web pages with individual preferences, facilities for notifications and re commendations etc. With the help of Web2.0 technologies, its online community provides product reviews, one recommendations lists, buying guides, wish lists, wedding and baby registers. E-Commerce helped to reach customers globally as well as carry its operation in 24*7 modes. Moreover, at Amazon, it subcontracted most inbound logistics and operations, retaining only the order processing, billing and customer service functions. During 1999, it started building its own warehouses in order to have more control over logistics. This simple change I the value chain has a profound impact on the organisation and its cost structure. The firm infrastructure at Amazon id considerably smaller than a traditional retailers, as is the effort devoted to managing it. It requires far less real estate, no investment to build or remodel stores and no stores sales personnel when compared to the other value chains. Human resources has fewer people to hire and train, technology development focuses on the website for taking orders and not on sales systems for retail stores. Amazon has implemented a feature called one-click checkout. This states that if you have provided information earlier like shipping and billing address, credit card numbers, and the user can click on one button to checkout. 7. Impact of E-Commerce and Web Technology 2.0 in eBay EBay is a company formed in the year 1997, California U.S.A. The company is an auction company and also provides online shopping website. EBay holds 88% market share and fosters online person-to-person auction community. The eBay Inc deals basically in three businesses i.e. (Yahoo Finance n.d.) eBay marketplace it provides online e-commerce platform that fosters buyers and sellers interactions and trading with each other. It allows sellers to list items for sale on and auction or fixed price basis. The buyers are given options to bid for and purchase desired items. It also provides feedback forum, verified rights owner programs, safe harbour programs, loyalty programs, and customer support. Online payment services with the help of PayPal, it aims to create new global standards for online payments. It enables customers with an email address for receiving and sending online payments. This provides various services like: Bill Me Later transactional credit for U.S. online consumers at the time of sale, verification of PayPal, withdrawing of money by account holder, trust and safety programs etc. its safety programs are to reassure customers about the secure online service on eBay. Skype Internet Telephony The success of online auction industry depends upon expertise in technology, talented human resource, product innovation, after sales service, technical assistance, customer services, accurate billing, advertising and e-commerce. This also includes gaining a large customer base; retaining existing customers, secure payment and range of products. EBay offers collectibles, real estates, vehicles; office equipments etc. It fosters its customers to create personalized auctions and online stores for selling used or new products. Its peer reviews creates confidence and operation in global market opens new markets. The supply chain at eBay is: The eBay core competencies were bidding site, technical proficiency and usability. Its major focus is on connecting people and focus on community. Therefore, it exploits benefits of customer relationship management. Its revenues are from listing and commission on completed sales. The e-commerce helped eBay to establish worldwide electronic auction. This fostered amazing sales and profit growth over the previous years. The main product helped to increase profits were eBay motors, media and collectibles. E-commerce and Web technology 2.0 also fostered greater impact on the popularity of Amazon and eBay companies. The e-commerce helps the organisation to provide convenience to buyers and sellers. Here, every transaction or request is based on Internet, so buyers job is just to click the items to be purchased, add in the shopping cart and make payment. This helps to save time as well as compare products of different brands from different e-shopping stores. The e-commerce ability to provide safe and confidential transactions creates trust. The company offers to deliver safe and timely products and in some cases, full refund of money if goods are damaged. The web technologies 2.0 includes various social networking platforms such as Face book, orkut, etc. the Face book has 200 million users whereas orkut has 60 million users and Myspace has 110 million users. Among 200 million users of face book, half of the users login on the site each day. The integration of online market place with soc ial networks, provides higher satisfaction to the consumer as here, transactions are done with social friends. Web technology 2.0 allows consumers to play active role in as well as get involved in the website content. This helps the business to gain trust, credibility and popularity. It helps to create communities on the basis on existing products; building relationship and exploring new relationships with their customers. Web 2.0 technologies help to establish and strengthen brand recognition and allow customer to be retained. EBay has detailed feed back report that bridges the gap between organisation and customers. Face book platform is used to promote eBay business. EBay Auctions application helps to show auction listing on personal Face book profile. The customers can also browse friends auctions, search, creating wish lists, comment etc. Thus, e-commerce helped Amazon and eBay to gain competitive advantage through implementing e-commerce in their business as well as web techno logy 2.0 provides various social network platforms to the company. This social network fostered them to shift from static web pages to dynamic websites, where users can upload or give comment or their opinions freely. This ultimately helped the company to bridge the gap between firm and consumer and also fostered better understanding of their customer base, and as tools of promotions to their offerings. Thus, e-commerce and web 2.0 helped organisation to achieve its triple bottom line more efficiently and effectively.

Sleep Observations Related to Potential Errors at Work Report :: essays research papers

Sleep Observations Related to Potential Errors at Work Report   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ladies and Gentlemen better known as board members. This study was conducted to find if there is any correlation between sleep and errors made throughout the day. I took the privilege of making this report because we are in the business of saving lives. Everyone in this medical center wants to help all of our patients to the best of our ability. Over time we have overlooked the responsibility we have to the patients that enter our doors for care. We focus on having our best staff on duty whenever we can, the question I have is†¦ Are we asking our staff to do too much? I know how we all love our job and we feel we can take care of our clients, but the data I have collected and will discuss in this report will show what can happen if we do not get enough sleep.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is a sample of the data collected from willing participants for this experiment. The participants are college students from a night class at Eastern Michigan University. The students were told to record their sleeping habits on at least five different occasions. The students recorded; the time they got in bed, the amount of time it took them to get to sleep, and how long they slept. The second type of data collected was reactions the next day. When I say reactions, I am talking about their emotional and physical feelings. The students were asked to try to observe their mental errors the next day. The emotional and physical feelings were rated on the scale being –1 as feeling below normal, 0 being normal, and 1 being above normal. Below are some charts to show the distribution of the ratings for the entire class. The graphs show the frequency in which each emotional and physical feeling ratings were observed. The test also recorded days the students observed, their class level, and their gender. The data above is just to get you familiar with exactly what was done in the experiment and the type of data that was collected. The next chart is a comparison of the males versus the females in regards to their average sleep time per night. The chart above shows that on average females get about one more hour of sleep than males do. Who knows why this set of data shows this difference, males might do more partying than the females.

Buddha Essay -- essays research papers fc

Buddha The word Buddha means "enlightened one." It is used today as a title to the one who has given us more religious beliefs than almost any other human who lived in this world. However, he was not given this name at birth; he had to earn it for himself by undergoing long, hard hours of meditation and contemplation. Buddha has changed the lifestyles of many cultures with new, never-before asked questions that were explained by his search for salvation. He began an entirely new religion that dared to test the boundaries of reality and go beyond common knowledge to find the answers of the mysteries of life. India During the sixth century BC, India was a land of political and religious turmoil. It was an era of great brutality with the domination of Northwest India by Indo-Aryan invaders. Many people, influenced by the Aryan civilization, began to question the value of life and it's true meaning. Schools were opened because of this curiosity where teachers would discuss the significance of existence and the nature of man and held programs to reconstruct one's spiritual self. (Pardue, page 228) Background Near the town of Kapilavastivu, today known as Nepal, lived King Suddhodhana and Queen Maya of the indigenous tribe known as the Shakyas. (Encyclopedia Americana, page 687) Queen Maya soon became pregnant and had a dream shortly before she gave birth. In this dream a beautiful, white elephant with six tusks entered her room and touched her side. This dream was soon interpreted by the wisest Brahmin, or Priest of Brahmanism, that she was to give birth to a son that would, if he were to remain in the castle, become the wisest king in the world, but if he were ever to leave the castle he would then become the wisest prophet far into future generations. (Encyclopedia Americana, page 410) In around the year 563 BC, Siddhartha Gautama was born into a life of pure luxury. (Wangu, page 16) His father wanted to make sure that his son was well taken care of as he grew to prevent him from desiring to leave the palace. Suddhodhana, listening to the prophecy, kept Siddhartha away from the pain of reality so that he could follow in his father's footsteps in becoming a well respected leader. As Siddhartha grew, ... ... his teachings will be remembered for generations. He has sacrificed his total salvation so that mankind could be taught of the path to enlightenment. The Buddha has proven to be one of the wisest and giving men who touched the lives of so many millions of people. Buddhism will live on as a major impact on the cultures of the world and the Buddha will never be forgotten. "Everything that has been created is subject to decay and death. Everything is transitory. Work out your own salvation with diligence." -Buddha (Wangu, page 31) Bibliography "Buddha and Buddhism." Encyclopedia Americana. 1990. Cohen, John Lebold. Buddha. Mary Frank, 1969. Pardue, Peter A. "Buddha." Encyclopedia of World Biography. McGraw Hill, 1973. "The Buddha and Buddhism." The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 1990. Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Buddhism. New York: Facts On File, 1993.

Personal Reflections

Jeremiah learned a lesson that is its deep understanding of the limitations of human beings that we cannot live a decent and satisfying life without constant guidance of Almighty God. Through the book of Jeremiah, who first taught me is, how servants of God are called to serve Him and how the Almighty chose to serve his servant from the womb itself. â€Å"Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.† (Jeremiah 1: 5). Jeremiah the Prophet was commissioned from the womb of his mother for his sacred duty. There are some things here that is beautiful and wonderful, when we consider what it says about the knowledge of God. God told Jeremiah that he â€Å"knew† before he was created in the womb. He already knows the strengths and weaknesses of Jeremiah. He knew that Jeremiah would be what God wants to use during certain periods of the history of Israel. Every servant of God had their own commissioned to serve Him in various office. Strong Relationship with GodJeremiah has a long-term relationship with God. Over time, he learned to inspire and trust him with positive results from many experiments that took place in the office. The righteous prophets, who tell the truth about the national condition, are not human. Jeremiah has some real friends. But God is the first in the life of this prophet. He knows and obeys God as Creator. Jeremiah was chosen to record one of the deepest parts of the Bible by God. â€Å"Thus says the Lord:† Give to the wise not to praise his wisdom, not to give a strong glory to man in his power, nor to leave the glory of riches and riches? But he who glorifies this glory, who understands and knows me, who God is, makes love, judgment, and justice on earth. (Jeremiah 9: 23-24). Jeremiah the Rescuer Despite the different circumstances, the prophet Jeremiah lived in a period of national chaos at a time when it looked like the current climate of uncertainty and anxiety. The faith, according to Jeremiah, is supported and supported by God's personal commitment to him. Jeremiah says â€Å"Then the Lord returned his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said, â€Å"Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. Today, I have made all these nations and over the kingdom, destroy and exterminate, build and (9-10)†. We can see the contents of the book itself, which Jeremiah prophesied during the period of sudden decline and ultimately the capture of the country of Judah. This is a prominent voice in the expression of God's matter for his people. Over the course of about 40 years, Jeremiah prophesied during the reign of the five different kings of Judah by the worthy Josiah. Guide trouble with it, let Jeremiah learned a few lessons about the nature of God and the very human condition that men and women of the this century must understand and acknowledge the commission of God given to them and to save nations or people.Relying on  God alone.Most of the time we forgot to relying on God when the time of persecutions. But in this book teach us, despite the severe persecution of his people, Jeremiah knew that the Supreme Lord was the absolute control of these events. Many compatriots do not, and some of them continue to weaken their message, directly from the Creator. But God had said: â€Å"I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled† (Jeremiah 1:12,  NIV).Our Creator has a clear planning and purpose for the salvation of mankind. Some things in this world make sense only if we accept this fact. For all Judah, who were attending the day of Jeremiah, God promised them that he would bless them when they were captured in Babylon. â€Å"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the  LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you† (Jeremiah 29:11-12).Great commisionGod does not like to punish Judah for national and personal sin. He sent prophets to warn them in advance, but the nation has ignored. â€Å"In vain I have chastened your children; they received no correction† (Jeremiah 2:30). So, national captivity became a necessity. What are the teachings of our world today? What we can learn by this? Of cause it's become the reflection of today's world. Before the disaster of Judah, Jeremiah expressed repentance by the people for the people of his. â€Å"Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place† (Jeremiah 7:3). God calls people to conversion and personal Judah nations (verses 4-7), but it did not happen. We can get it that many benefits from the guidance of His constant regardless of how bad the country was left. â€Å"O Lord, correct me, but with justice; do with your anger, lest thou not think do not matter† (Jeremiah 10:24). Can pray the same prayer today for our country Malaysia? Yes we can because God the Almighty is the same yesterday-today- and tomorrow. Surely he will listen to our prayer. Accept the Rebuke.Jeremiah was human and had failings, but at least he honestly admitted them to God. Instead of piously covering up his true feeling, he pour out his heart to the Lord and the Lord answer him. He asks God, that he wonders why the pain and loneliness seem to be unending! He wonders whether God will fail him. Will God be like an unreliable and seasonal brook? God's answer may shock the prophet, for the Lord told him he needed to repent, if he repent God will restore him that he may serve the Lord, if Jeremiah utter worthy, not worthless, word, so that he may be the spokesman. The Lord always balance rebuke with assurance. He promised once again to make Jeremiah a fortified wall and give him victory over all enemies. Jeremiah had to learn to walk by faith, which meant obeying God's word no matter how he felt, what he saw, or what people might do to him. God never promised Jeremiah an easy job, but He did promise Jeremiah all that he need to do His work faithfully. God reminds Jeremiah that the suffering he has experienced is exactly like what God had told him. Jeremiah then, is not to crumble in the face of adversity but rather redouble his commitment to his prophetic vocation. Persecution has not derailed God's promise to deliver and vindicate (verse 20), and God reminds Jeremiah that his perseverance is the very vehicle by which the people are won over to repentance (verse 19). Conclusion Is it incredible for God's chosen servants to be weak and harm their own ministries? No. Because every servant of God is a human being and is subject to the weakness of human nature. Example; Moses became discouraged and wanted to die (No. 11: 10-15); Joshua was willing to stop and leave the land of promise (Jos 7: 6-11), Elijah even left his place of duty and hoped to die (1 Kings 19) and Jonah was angry and he refused to help the person he came to rescue (Jonah 4). God does not want us to ignore our feelings, because it will make us less than human beings, but He wants us to trust Him to change our feelings and to walk with faith in Him.The book of Jeremiah teaches that honesty and faithfulness in the midst of suffering are signs of prophetic service and a lesson that is its deep understanding of the limitations of human beings that we cannot live a decent and satisfying life without constant guidance of Almighty God. The announcement of the prophet to his initial call was a way in which God would carry out his redemptive work in the world and reaffirm the promises of liberation.

How Business Strategy and Hr Strategy Are or Should Be Linked Together

Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management Anna Morozova Essay How business strategy and HR strategy are or should be linked together? Moscow, 2011 Departments are the entities organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organization's goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. The forward thinking human resource department is devoted to providing effective policies, procedures, and people-friendly  guidelines and support  within companies.Additionally, the human resource function serves to make sure that the company mission,  vision,  values  or  guiding principles, the company metrics, and the factors that keep the company guided toward success are optimized. Of executives surveyed, 20% currently use the HR department as active and innovative business solution partners. 20% believe that the HR department should remai n as administrative overhead and only perform transactional work. But, 60% of the  executives are starting to expect the HR department to partner with others departments to improve the company’s core competencies and competitive advantages.Competitive pressure in a fast changing business world – pressures for sales, talent, and profits. Most CEO’s are held accountable for three general but powerful results: Increasing revenue, generating cash, and reducing costs. In order to focus on these three accountabilities, executives are discarding paradigms that no longer work as companies seek to stay in and grow their business. Many CEOs and CFOs are more interested in the payoff and are asking appropriate questions: What’s in it for the company? Where is the improvement in the revenue stream? How does this get us new customers and retain our current customers.Where is the proof of corporate performance enhancement metrics? Once they get solid answers to these questions from competent HR leaders, the CEOs are quick to change their thinking. To answer the payoff questions, recognize that a continual company-wide value chain analysis is critical to the success of any organization. Over the past decade, CEOs began demanding that their Human Resources departments deliver flawless functional work and become a knowledgeable partner with all other disciplines to advance the business plan of the company. Individual professional silos are breaking down.Disciplines such as finance, sales, marketing, operations, and HR no longer exist as stand-alone entities. They are inter-dependent with one another. Weakness of any one of the links inhibits other links from maximizing their efficiency and productivity. These three emerging concepts in the practice of HR bear examination: * What value does the HR department brings to the organization. Many HR teams lack a vision that includes their value to the organization. Do the HR department’s activitie s directly help the company achieve its broad business objectives?Are the HR team’s arguments for or against a business strategy credible to the other department heads at the decision making table? How are the HR department strategies that benefit the employees, the shareholders, the customers, and all other stakeholders in the organization, selected and implemented? * What value does the HR department generate for the customer – the end user of the company’s product or service? Sales and quality are no longer restricted to the sales and quality assurance teams. The HR department doesn’t just hire a salesperson based upon a manager’s request.The end result of HR’s recruiting and hiring efforts is that the customer who interacts with the new sales person receives continuing world class service from the company. HR shares the quality of the new hire with the other departmental silos to insure that the company is, or becomes, the vendor of choi ce for that customer. * The final of the three emerging concepts for the Human Resources Department is: What core business competencies must HR leaders possess in order to be credible strategic partners with the rest of the executive team?Each company and each industry can generate its own list of core business skills their teams must have that go beyond their individual specialties. This issue has become so critical that in graduate and undergraduate level business programs, new editions of Organizational Development textbooks are including chapters on financial calculations and ratios, corporate social responsibility, globalization, and major workforce diversity challenges, among others.The biggest barrier to profitability is ignorance – ignorance by many people about how the company makes money and how it achieves its objectives, and how all of the departmental silos are interdependent on each other. The myth that only finance people need to know about finance or that mark eting people are the only people who need to know about marketing is fast disappearing. In today’s business environment, profitable organizations require highly skilled employees who can solve complex problems using multi-disciplinary teams.Here are three examples how can HR be linked to profitability metrics: * A well known global company formed a group of HR professionals who developed processes and training programs in sales, customer service, workouts, project management, process improvement and leadership development that focused on critical performance issues for their internal and external customers. By partnering with operations, sales, and customer service they served as a catalyst to forge alliances, partnerships and agreements.Many of their efforts resulted in improved relationships that translated into â€Å"Preferred Provider Status†, which increased sales and lowered costs. All of their costs were liquidated by charging a fee for the service while creatin g net revenue. After two years, this HR group generated sales of $4 million and a profit margin in excess of 30% which was returned to the division budget at the end of each fiscal year. * Secondly, an HR team, partnering with the Audit staff, discovered that the accounts receivable turnover had moved from a preferred 30 days to 45 days during the past two years.They decided to let the chief credit officer go. The HR staff established criteria to identify candidates with the ability to reduce the ratio from 45 days back to 30 days. The HR staff recommended one candidate for hire. Within six months, the company’s DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) ratio was reduced to 35 days. * In a third case, while designing and negotiating a new health care and 401(k) plan, the HR leadership partnered with the sales and marketing team to determine if the cost of the program would erode the company’s market share and competitive pricing strategy.The resulting benefit program design achieve d its cost/benefit objectives without jeopardizing the company’s market share and pricing metrics. How do HR leaders and CEOs make the Human Resources Department to a Profitability Factor? Here are suggestions based on that the more employees become knowledgeably involved in the business, the better they will be able to become a more productive asset. * Develop a leadership development program that includes hands on training in all of the functional disciplines.For example, in the production department, identify the barriers that prevent managers from achieving efficiencies and savings; * Insist that Human Resources staff receive financial training so they understand the impact of cash flow, receivables, billing cycles, and so forth. If it is a public company, teach them how to read and understand company’s annual report. Reading the proxy statement is always informative – even if the information contained in it is reluctantly revealed, and occasionally masked w ith arcane accounting jargon; * Have HR staff participate in sales strategies, customer visits, and technology reviews.Encourage them to learn quality methods, process improvements techniques, terms and conditions, and contract negotiations with suppliers and customers. Engage them as process consultants (have them trained if necessary) so they can assist with growth initiatives; * Most importantly, hold all employees accountable for achieving the â€Å"critical numbers† established for your company. A superb HR department becomes irrelevant if the company is sliding into bankruptcy. The HR department's powerful value focuses on its contributions toward reversing the slide.It is important to Include HR employees as full business partners. They will rise to the occasion and surprise you by building your bottom line and becoming a profit center contributor as well as maintaining their traditional responsibilities – and they will be better at both. The intense and brutall y competitive business environment of our global and digital world needs the help of everyone in the company. Russian small enterprises do not practice the establishment of HR Departments in view of unprofitability of such a business organization.As the result, the majority of small enterprises do not develop any HR strategy. Thus I would like to present the unique HR strategy of Apple Inc. and how it is linked to company’s business strategy. Most firms strive to have a productive workforce. One of the best ways to measure workforce productivity is revenue per employee. Apple produces what can only be considered extraordinary revenue per employee; $2 million. A second measure of workforce productivity is profit per employee: nearly $478,000 for Apple (unbelievable considering it has a retail workforce).During 25 years Apple has been following the philosophy called â€Å"lean – management† which explains the prime drivers for Apple’s extraordinary employee productivity. For years, the leadership of Apple has followed the philosophy that having less is more, meaning that by purposely understaffing and operating with reduced funding, you can make the team more productive and innovative. Innovation at most firms is expensive because you must pay for a lot of trial and error.The lean approach, however, can improve innovation because with everything being tried, there simply isn’t enough time or money for major misses and re-do’s. â€Å"Unrealistic deadlines† at Apple mean that you have to get project problems solved early on, because there isn’t time to redo things over and over. Being lean forces the team to be more cohesive. Even providing a lean schedule forces everyone to be productive because they know there is no room for slippage. At Apple, the lean approach means that even with its huge cash resources, every employee must adopt the mentality of leanness.If you understand the lean concept and its advant ages, you shouldn’t be surprised that numerous innovations have been developed in â€Å"garages,† the ultimate lean environment. I have chosen an article â€Å"Human resource practices to attract and retain talents† by Hiltrop, 1999, because, in my opinion, it is very actual theme as businesses look for global growth, chronic skills gaps combined with a mismatch between demand and supply of talent means that getting (and keeping) the right people in the right places at the right time has never been more challenging.HR leaders need to mobilize talent to help businesses grow. This article explores one of the biggest issues and challenges now faced by large organizations: how to attract and retain a critical group of talented people. Getting talent management right means you can worry less about your talent problems and more about your business opportunities. It is very important to use a fact based approach to help identify the specific elements of talent manageme nt which drive the most value in your business and industry.It is needed to create a Talent Management Framework and Diagnostic to develop and implement strategies that deliver the right improvements – those that give you the best return on investment. So I can conclude that to win the war for talent, companies should figure out who they are aiming for, and then make sure the recruitment process and practices are tailored to the specific needs and expectations of the target group. I have chosen an article â€Å"Science and practice of HRM in small firms† by Mayson and Barret, 2006 because human capital (i. e. the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees) is one of the primary factors a business can rely on to differentiate their products or services and build a competitive advantage; however, few studies directly guide managers of small and growing firms through the people management issues that they will face through the lifecycle of their business. The recogniti on that human resource issues are important to small and growing firms is not new. For instance, in 1987 (Hess) was presented data that suggested that small business owners rank human resource related issues as the second most important management activity after general management.Further, was suggested that the majority of CEO's believe that human resource practices have a substantial impact on firm performance. Additionally, in 2008 were presented the results suggesting that sound hiring practices and training programs are considered important by small business owners who have 10 or more employees. A small firms' ability to attract, motivate and retain employees by offering competitive salaries and appropriate rewards is linked to firm performance and growth.Whilst the evidence does show that there is some form of HRM in small firms, it also confirms that the practice is characterized by informality. I personally think, that this is a problem, because informal HRM practices do not necessarily recognize the value of employees. Despite the recognition of the importance of HRM to small, growing and entrepreneurial firms, there is very little research in the area, there is even less research that explores the strategic nature of HRM in small firms.It is important to note, that properly developing strategic selection, training, and compensation programs takes time and financial resources. However, these short-term costs are almost always balanced by long term gain because the quality and caliber of employees (or human capital) within the firm improves. The improved caliber of employees and enhanced effort almost always has a positive financial impact for the organization.