Small system practice - social work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Small system practice - social work - Assignment Example es are unequal to the larger student community thus as a social worker you may use inequality to promote a higher level of equality in the access of limited resources hence giving them a slightly better chance than the other student community. Using the ERS system it may give many conflicting rules and thus ethical principles may apply. For example, Principle 6-confidentiality and Principle 7- full disclosure both seem to act but the rank in the EPS system dictates the preceding principle gains priority(Ralph & Harrington & Frank 66). This way will ensure ethical practice dilemmas related to immigrants are handled carefully and mindfully.. 4. Building a community partnership strategy. The social student worker will be obliged to bring the families of the deported parents together and through their voices and hearing their wishes and needs advocate for providence through facilities such as foster homes. Bringing together community stakeholders and making it clear of their roles in that it will include giving where the return will be improvements that will propel the lives of the children and families as well as support their

Mergers and Acquisition Essay Example for Free

Mergers and Acquisition Essay Why are there mergers and acquisitions? Mergers and acquisitions take place for a number of reasons, such as refinancing for a better price, amplifying expansion, and submerging risk through diversification. New entities may drag behind after a merger takes place due to the higher cost of matching different and unconnected economic activities. Diversification by business groups may also reduce technical effectiveness. When a merger takes place, a bigger business groups emerges from the two which usually will have more economic and political influence In this paper, we will assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms, including sensible and dubious reasons for, and benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions. We will also be sure to examine the financial risks of merging with or acquiring an organization in another country and how those risks could be mitigated. First we will we will assess the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms while also touching on the benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions. Who gains from mergers? Typically, the selling firm tends to be impacted favorably by the merge and/or acquisition rather than the firm acquiring the selling firm. Studies demonstrate that most of the benefits from mergers and acquisitions were earned by the selling firm, not the acquiring company. For example, recent research found that holders in the acquiring firm earned an estimated 4% return on their investment with the completed acquisition in contrast to the holders of the target firm whom typically received a 30% return on their investment. So, to imply that mergers and acquisitions do not create benefits would not be correct because the acquiring firms are paying too much money for their acquisitions. There are many sensible and dubious reasons for mergers and acquisitions. Many times the reason for acquisitions is for expansion. Expansion that is not limited by internal resources means there is no reduction of working capital which crates many benefits such as; stocks can be exchanged faster, assets can be purchased more quickly rather than building, better technology can be gained as well as resources and skills, and the tax benefits can sometimes give the new company better operating leverage in their particular market. Smaller firms will usually always gain from merging with larger firms because larger firms have better equipment, resources, and technology. The aforementioned reasons make the merged firms more effective in daily operations, which in turn, make the merged firms more alluring to their current and potential clients. Mergers and acquisitions also help reduce the merged firms risk by diffusing their debt and risk among the various companies with the firm. Oftentimes firms will merge in order to gain a larger market share within their perspective fields. For example, ATT recently merged with Cingular Wireless to become the nations largest telephone network and gain the highest market share of customers in telecommunications, thus trying to eliminate competition. Now, we will discuss the financial risks of merging with or acquiring companies in another country. There are many financial risks of merging or acquiring companies in another country. One, oftentimes there are culture clashes between the foreign firm and the home firm. These cultural clashes sometimes lead to losing valuable managers and workers to other firms because they do not desire to live in another country. Two, there may be a conflict of intentions in two different countries which could spell disaster for all firms involved. Other financial risks can include; foreign exchange rates, lawyer, banker, and brokers fees. Firms must know foreign banking and business laws such as the proper filings they must report with the SEC and foreign officials. Many consideration must be taken when considering merging /and or acquiring a foreign firm. In this paper, we assessed the impact of mergers and acquisitions on firms which we found to be more beneficial to the smaller of the merging firms due to their gaining of better equipment and resources. We found that there are indeed many sensible and dubious reasons for, and benefits and costs of, cash and stock transactions which include risk diversification among the merged firms. We examined the financial risks of merging with or acquiring an organization in another country and conclude that mitigation can be done by ensuring that the proper laws and culture differences are overcome before merging. References Brealey, R., Myers, S., Marcus, A. (2004). Fundamentals of Corporate Finance. Chapter 22: Mergers, Acquisitions, and Corporate Control. Retrieved from the internet on April 22, 2007 from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary/content/eReader.h#Investopedia.com.(2007). Retrieved from the internet on April 22, 2007 from www.investopedia.com/university/mergers/mergers4.asp 36k

Destructive Relationships in Wuthering Heights :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Destructive Relationships in Wuthering Heights Many people in the world are trying to find a perfect companion. Some of these may marry and not know what their new husband or wife is like. This kind of situation often leads to separation or hostility. Other situations may develop between two friends that stem from jealousy, desire for revenge, uncaring parents, etc. Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights displays several characteristics of destructive relationships. Three of these are uncaring parents, marriage without knowing the person, and jealousy. Uncaring or unsympathizing parents are shown throughout this story to be an element of destructive relationships. Because Heathcliff gained all the attention from Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley became disassociated from his father. This separation continued until after Mr. Earnshaw had died. Another example is between Hindley and Hareton. Hindley became such a drunk and a gambler that he could not properly care for young Hareton. This led to a separation between Hareton and his father as well. One primary example of an uncaring parent is shown between Heathcliff and his son Linton. Heathcliff did not even want his son for anything except enacting a part of his revenge. This is shown by Linton's fear of Heathcliff and Heathcliff's enmity toward his son. Linton even says "... my father threatened me, and I dread him - I dread him!"(244) to express his feeling about Heathcliff . The hostility and separation between father and son in this book shows that uncaring parents can cause serious damage in relationships with their children. This element of destructive behavior may stem from an unhappy marriage in which the husbands or wives don't know each other. This had happened between Isabella and Heathcliff. Isabella did not really know Heathcliff when she married him, but after she had married him she saw that Heathcliff was not a gentleman at all. To declare her feelings she wrote " Is Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil? I shan't tell my reasons for making this inquiry; but I beseech you to explain, if you can, what I have married ..."(125). Another example of this is when Catherine married Edgar Linton. Although she had been happy at the beginning of the marriage, she thought having parties all the time was

Its Time to Reform American Health Care :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Health care advancements in America are notably the best in the world. We continually strive for preventions and cures of diseases. America has the best medical scientists and physicians that specialize in their medical fields. According to Joseph A. Califano Jr. (2003), "what makes America health care system great is its ability to attract the finest minds in our society," that can help the sick by preventing and curing medical complications. (p. 18). We are noted worldwide for our medical care and physicians from other countries jump at the opportunity to join the American medical system.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, our system is based on money. The more money you have to spend, the better medical services you will receive. ?According to the Bureau of Labor education at the university of main (2003), America spends more money oh health care than any other nation, "$4,178 per capita on health care in 1998?, compared to the average of $1,783. (BLE., 2003, p.23). Still an estimated "42.5 million Americans are living without health insurance", which prevents them from receiving medical treatment. (Climan, Scharff, 2003, p.33). The numbers of un-insured Americans continue to rise. Tim Middleton (2002) states, ?insurance premiums grow at a rate greater than wages,? when you have a low-income job. ( ¶ 9). With our current economy recession, taxes are rising and small business employers are unable to purchase health plans for their employees. Employees are realizing that they are unable to gain insurance from their jobs and beginning to speak out about the high price of he alth care.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American Medical Student Association (2004) stated that ?Between 1945 and 1970, America?s economy was strong and booming?, they owned about 60% of the world profit.? ( ¶13). During this time employers were able to cover their employees and the employers were also able to ?write off the health insurance as tax-deductibles for the company.?(AMSA, 2004,  ¶ 11 ). As time progressed our economy began to unravel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the 70?s the world entered a recession because ?the cost of economic growth of other industrialized nations began to rise rapidly?, the United States felt the effect. (AMSA, 2004,  ¶ 14). With the development of other nations, came lose of industrial production for the United States of America. American Medical Student Association (2004) stated ?In 1950 we had 60% and by 1980 we only claimed 30% of the world production?, this brought higher prices as well as loses of jobs.

Advertising and promotion strategy Essay

Since the inception of the company’s first outlet in Cleveland, Mississippi in the year 1987, Back Yard Burgers depended mostly on the word of mouth publicity to spread awareness and promote its home cooked burgers. New outlets that opened in the subsequent years expanded not only the company’s consumer base and revenue but also stressed the need for aggressive marketing strategy to sustain the increased cost of operations. Back Yard Burgers started advertising on the television in the year 1993. The initial advertising campaigns were titled â€Å"the great burger wars† that took a punch at the competitors. In June 1994 the company launched a series of campaigns that featured Dennis R. Phillipi, a popular comedian in Memphis who soon became famous as Dennis the â€Å"Back Yard Burgers Guy†. The commercials projected the burgers as bigger, tastier, and healthier than those offered by the competitors due to its grilled cooking method that melted most of the fat. The advertising campaigns were effective in increasing sales and raising the revenue by 10 to 15%. Launch of new products and subsequent commercials on the television featuring Dennis Phillipi was an effective strategy. The company used the audio of these commercials in radio advertising that was cheaper. In addition the company also used direct mail advertising. The company collects 1% of taxable sales from each franchisee and company-operated restaurants that goes to the national advertising fund. 50% of this fund is utilized for marketing promos through various channels like radio, television, and print media. The rest 50% is used for market research, new product testing, and development, improvising on the operational front. The company’s marketing director monitors product launch and new restaurant opening promotions and marketing managers with a well-trained staff. The management works in collaboration with the franchisees towards advertising and promotion of its restaurants. The advertising fee earned by the company increased from $314,000 in July 1, 2006 period to $318,000 in June 30, 2007 period. The $4000 increase over the earlier period is accounted to the 1% of sales that goes to the national advertising fund as per company policies. The company also recorded an increase in the advertising expense from $668,000 in the July 1, 2006 to $814,000 in June 30, 2007 that attributes to approximately 5% of the net restaurant sales on advertising in the past year. (see annexure for the comparative income statements). The company has been stressing on the advertising and promotion strategy but it has not been very effective. There are some important points that can be highlighted in this respect. †¢ The company has not been able to create brand loyalty and brand awareness in spite of good quality products and effective marketing strategy. This could be attributed to low brand visibility. This can be remedied with aggressive market campaigns that aim at the younger generation since this is the biggest consumer segment for the fast food industry. Strategies that aim for deeper market penetration, fun logo that people can relate to enjoyable food and moments are essential for brand positioning. â€Å"Fun logo† is a concept that the consumers can equate with good times. The simple logo of McDonald’s is easily identifiable and children and youngsters can spot it from a distance – this is one of the best examples of effective brand positioning. †¢ The other concept that the Back Yard Burgers can adopt is the use of bright color-coding for their outlets and the signboards. A bright color scheme attracts the younger generation and gives it an inviting look. The uniformity in look and feel of the franchisee restaurants and the other company-operated restaurant is essential to make an easily identifiable picture in the consumer minds. †¢ In running a successful brand promotion campaign the essential point is to identify the consumer segment. Who are the consumers and the target focus group for this chain of restaurants? The children and adolescents who form a major chunk of the consumer group typically favour the fast food industry. The working people segment is another segment that will stop by for fast and filling food in their office hours. Fast service food is ideal meal for this segment. Campaigns attracting these two segments will create brand awareness and spell higher revenues for the company. †¢ Last but not the least the quality of food and service efficiency is the crux of the fast food industry. A good and satisfying meal will have the consumers returning for more. The satisfied and happy customer will not only promote brand loyalty but will have high recommendations regarding the food and service to their friends and families. This is the greatest form of publicity that a fast food outlet can expect.

Building Security Essays

Building Security Essays Building Security Essay Building Security Essay Do not prop open doors under any circumstances. An open door is an open invitation to intruders. Whether you are bringing items into the building, smoking by the doorway or simply talking to someone while standing by a doorway, PLEASE either step inside or go outside and keep the doors closed at all times. 2. Wear your security badge during normal business hours! All Burke Properties employees have a security badge. Please make sure your photo is adhered to this badge and wear it somewhere visible on your person. This is a major way we (any one of us) can tell whether or not a stranger is in our midst. We have clips and lanyards available for your use when wearing your badge. 3. Any visitors coming into our facility will be required to wear a visitor pass while on premises. Please be sure that your clients/customers comply with this security procedure. Our receptionist will do her part as well to hand out these passes to all incoming personnel. . Be sure to always lock up your belongings in your cubicle or office whenever you walk away from your area. Keeping your valuables locked up is the most reliable way to protect them. Note: If you ever spot someone without a security badge or a visitor pass, please either question the person about his or her intentions or notify someone in the Facilities Dept. We will take the appropriate steps from there. It is very important that you report a suspicious person or activity that you think might be taking place. We need to be proactive in keeping this a safe and fearless environment to work in. Please remember that any one of us in Facilities have our cell phones on daily and will be glad to assist in the event of a security-related matter. Are the instructions. Please save them for your use. M. -6 P. M. ), please write your name and the extension number where youll be working on the whiteboard located at the employee entrance. 2. If you leave the building and there are still names on the whiteboard and it is apparent that other people are still in the building (like the cleaning crew who are here until approximately 11 p. M. ) Just erase your name off the whiteboard. 3. If you are ready to leave and there are no names on the whiteboard AND it appears that the building may be empty (cleaning crew gone, etc. ). Then you need to make a page at the phone near the employee entrance indicating that you are ready to leave, and plan to alarm the security system if they dont phone you back at that extension to indicate that someone is still here. 4. If someone responds, please write their name and extension on the whiteboard for them and then you may simply exit the building. If no one responds, you need to arm the system. If for any reason you are having difficulty arming the system, the phone number for the security company is on the security card.

The eNotes Blog How I Learned to (Finally) Appreciate Romeo andJuliet

How I Learned to (Finally) Appreciate Romeo andJuliet The first time I read Romeo and Juliet, I was a freshman in high school. And, like many other high school freshmen, I hated every minute of it. When I was first introduced to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, I was already exhausted by the oversaturation of Romeo and Juliet in pop culture- everything from Leo DiCaprio’s 90s portrayal of a gangster Romeo to the 2013 film Warm Bodies seemed fixated on reinventing a story that had gotten old. It felt like every love story was measured against Romeo and Juliet, and as a freshman, it made me gag. It wasn’t until I read the play again in college that I realized how closed-minded I had been. I studied Shakespeare again in my freshman year of college, and my professor introduced Romeo and Juliet by teaching us about Shakespeare’s sonnets. Before he had us read the play, he showed the class act 1, scene 5, the scene where Romeo and Juliet meet, and he pointed out the sonnet embedded in the text: Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My two lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss. Romeo: Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? Juliet: Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. Romeo: O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. Juliet: Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake. Romeo: Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take. Thus from my lips, by thine my sin is purged. [Kisses her.] I was blown away, to say the least. In the middle of the scene were Shakespeare’s signature fourteen lines of iambic pentameter (the last line not counting as part of the sonnet). It had an ABAB rhyme scheme and ended with a heroic couplet and the lovers’ first kiss. As it turns out, there are three sonnets total in the play: one in the opening prologue, one at the beginning of act 2 (both recited by the chorus), and one in act 1, scene 5, where Romeo and Juliet first meet. Learning the context and history of Shakespeares sonnets added a new dimension to the play and made it more interesting than it had been before. Sonnets are much older than Shakespeare and go back to Italian love poems from the thirteenth century. They are traditionally declarations of unrequited love, so to see the two characters meet each other in a sonnet is like seeing them engage in a dance. But sonnets are supposed to be about unrequited feelings- the lovers aren’t supposed to get together in the end. The speaker is never supposed to get his love; the love object is never supposed to speak in the first place. It all goes against tradition. This particular sonnet in act 1, scene 5, breaks all the rules by allowing both Romeo and Juliet to participate and even kiss, an act that ultimately leads to their tragic fate. The sonnets really made the tragedy of the story sink in- I finally saw how deep the story went. The love and the tragedy were embedded in the poetry of the play, so it no longer mattered how different interpretations dressed it up or down. The romance was no longer repulsive because it was connected to a history of tragic love stories that I had been completely unaware of. Romeo and Juliet has been told and retold and reimagined so many times that it’s understandable to feel like you know the story before you’ve even read the play. It’s easy to roll your eyes at iterations of â€Å"wherefore art thou, Romeo† and â€Å"what light through yonder window breaks† and miss the poetry printed on the page. So if romance isn’t your thing, that’s fine- this play, full of keen language and a rich lineage of heartbreak, has so much more to offer.

3 Examples of Dashing to the Rescue

3 Examples of Dashing to the Rescue 3 Examples of Dashing to the Rescue 3 Examples of Dashing to the Rescue By Mark Nichol When commas are employed to set off a break in thought, or are used to set off more than two distinct sentence elements, the result is often a flat or confusing sentence. To properly signal an abrupt syntactical change or clearly indicate syntactical hierarchy, consider replacing one or two commas with a dash or two, as described in a discussion and shown in a revision following each of the examples in this post. 1. When issues strike unexpectedly, and they will, the head of the department can expect to engage in swift troubleshooting discussions. The bracketing commas are not incorrect, but they’re lackluster and ineffectual in emphasizing the point of the key interjection; dashes are more successful: â€Å"When issues strike unexpectedly- and they will- the head of the department can expect to engage in swift troubleshooting discussions.† 2. The disclosure of data, even, or especially, to law enforcement, is a hot topic.   In this case, the reader will likely have to backtrack to diagram this sentence in his or her mind to process that â€Å"data, even, or especially† is not a list and that even is the beginning of a two-layer parenthesis; frame the outer parenthesis with dashes to distinguish it from the inner parenthesis: â€Å"The disclosure of data- even, or especially, to law enforcement- is a hot topic.†Ã‚   3. When you write for a newspaper, you actually can change the world, well at least a corner of it, for some people. The problem here is similar to that of the previous example, in that well must be set off from the rest of the parenthesis of which it is a part. To distinguish between the punctuation used to do so and the punctuation employed to emphasize the parenthesis itself, promote the quotidian commas to distinctive dashes: â€Å"When you write for a newspaper, you actually can change the world- well, at least a corner of it- for some people.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?How to Punctuate with â€Å"However†Trooper or Trouper?

Human Resource Management in its Environment Essay - 2

Human Resource Management in its Environment - Essay Example These are based on opposing views of human nature and managerial control strategies. Employers have been accepting a range of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ people-centered practices associated with human resource management (Cunningham & Hyman, 1999). HRM can thus be interpreted as a ‘soft’, developmental humanist approach or a ‘hard’, situational contingent approach (Kane, Crawford & Grant, 1999). Storey distinguishes between hard and soft forms of HRM, typified by the Michigan and Harvard models respectively (HRM Guide, 1997). The Harvard model of HRM or hard HRM by Beer et al focuses on the resource side of human resources and the control lies in the hands of the management. It is quantitative and costs are calculated in the form of headcount. In this approach, contend Truss et al, the human resource practices and policies are closely related to the strategic objectives of the organization (external fit) but are also coherent among themselves (internal fit). The soft model proposed by the Michigan School is a strategic approach and endorses management’s views (Gill, 1999). The soft HRM thus deals with the ‘human’ aspect of HRM and is concerned with communication and motivation. It deals with the utilization of individual talents and McGregor’s Theory Y perspective on individuals, which means developmental humanism (Truss et al). This is based on the assumption that people should be led rather than managed. This implies that people should be so motivated that commitment springs from within. The behavior becomes self-regulated rather than be controlled or imposed. Hence people do not work under external pressures and there is an environment of mutual trust within the organization. Soft HRM is also associated with goals of flexibility and adaptability where communication plays a great role. The soft version assumes that employees will work best when they are committed to the organization. They would not

Diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Diabetes - Essay Example Additionally, the paper gives a clear outline of the management, complication, and multi professional diabetes services that are relevant to type 2 diabetes. 1.2 Case Study Sarah is 39 years old lady admitted to the ward due to abdominal pain, loss of weight, dehydration, and generally feeling unwell. On admission, Sarah does not have past medical history but genetically has diabetes and heart disease. Through examinations such as chest x-rays, ECHO, blood and urine test, it is clear that there is glucose in the urine, with further investigations showing that she has type 2 diabetes. Finally, the study gives evidence on the evaluation of education strategies in relation to the effective self management on Sarah, and evidence based knowledge with regard to assessment, treatment and management based on the best treatment. ... Apparently, type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic factors that are related to the secretion of insulin, resistance of insulin and environmental factors such as lack of exercise, over eating and aging. Besides, type 2 is a disease that is caused by multi factors that entail multiple genes and environmental factors, which vary depending with the situation (Barnett, A., 2011). None the less, the advancement of type 2 diabetes is purely associated with a family history of diabetes like in the case of Sarah. The considerable higher concordance rate between monozygotic twins as compared to that between dizygotic twins indicates the involvement of genetic factors. Hence, it is assumed that pathogenesis is involved in the genetic abnormality, in the molecules related to the regulatory system of glucose metabolism. The role of environmental factors such as aging, obesity, insufficient energy consumption among others are independent risk factors that are associated with type 2 diabetes. Impaired secretion of insulin and its actual resistance contribute to the advancement of path physiological conditions. Essentially, impaired insulin secretion is a reduction of the response of glucose, which is present at the onset of diabetes. The tolerance of glucose is induced by reduction of glucose response in the early phase of insulin secretion, over and above, the reduction of insulin secretion after any meals (Winter et al., 2002). This reduction is crucial as it plays a basis path physiological change especially when the disease is at the early stage. If not treated it results to a decrease in pancreatic and cell mass in a human being a situation that affects the long term of blood glucose, (Williams

Review article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Review - Article Example rcadian process or organization is not influenced by the absence of environmental periodicity; these biological processes continue taking place with regularity at a 24 hour interval. The goal of this research paper is to analyze that which among ‘retina’, ‘pineal’ or ‘parietal eye’ is mainly engaged in the generation and control of circadian rhythm of the body temperature. In order to come to any conclusion, an experiment is carried out on ‘iguana’. Iguana is a genus of herbivorous lizards. According to previous research, In order to check for same objectives, experiments were carried out on other species as well, experiments on Sparrows showed that removal of pineal abolishes circadian body temperature, while experiments on pigeons show that circadian rhythms of locomotor activity and body temperature is abolished by the removal of pineal and the retinas. Different studies showed different results. This study analyzes the circadian system in lizards and its affect by the environment. This research paper evaluates the experiment of seven adults and twenty five juveniles which are put under observation. All lizards are experimented differently, some of them were experimented after the removal of parietal eye, some of them were observed after the retina and pineal surgery. One of the major significance of putting the circadian system under observation is that the study of circadian system is important for determining sleep patterns, hormone release, body temperature and body functions. The results showed that ‘pineal’ is centrally involved in the control of circadian system of the lizards. Apart from coming to the conclusion that among ‘retina’, ‘pineal’ and ‘paternal eye’, ‘pineal’ is the central part that plays an important part in the generation of circadian rhythm of the body temperature it also detects that ‘pineal’ is marginally involved in locomotor rhythmicity. Thus, to conclude it can be said that the study also

Assessing the Cardiovascular System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assessing the Cardiovascular System - Assignment Example Losing weight might also aid in reducing medications required to regulate high blood pressure. If a person is overweight, then they should talk to their doctor concerning a healthy weight loss strategy (McArdle 45). The most appropriate manner of losing some kilos is through moving around more. This will help you burn more calories than you absorb through normal activity or exercise. Normal exercise, at least 30 minutes every day, can also aid lowering blood pressure, as well as strengthening someone’s heart. Maintaining a food diary or written record of a person’s daily food intake is the most appropriate way of knowing what to eat on a daily basis (Ross 108). Writing down the foods someone consumes, including the amount or size, can let you observe "the true facts" concerning someone’s food consumption (Lee and Nieman, 278). For a patient with an elevated blood pressure, he or she can start cutting back – decreasing portion sizes and calories -- to lose significant pounds and manage their weight, as well as blood

Factors Affecting Decisions Involved In Menu Planning Assignment - 3

Factors Affecting Decisions Involved In Menu Planning - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that menu card if effectively designed and is conveying all relevant information provided by it, can be used as both sales and marketing tools. Menu card also is the source for generating sales transactions and as stated above if it is conveying all relevant information, it can also lead to increase in the number of customers. Hence, automatically increasing sales volume. How the menu looks, reflects as to what the company’s mission and objective. So the menu should be designed in such a manner that it is in accordance with theme and values of the company. Core objective and image of the company should be in line with market dynamics. Factors which can affect customers can vary from market to market. These can be how readable content on menu card is, overall physical scheme, outline, and font styles. As for other factors in communication, it is the presentation that is more important rather than what content has be en presented in the menu card. Example of this can be fast food restaurants where they have limited items presented in the menu. However, they sell in bulk quantities. The concept of common counters is present in fast food chains. Hence separate menus aren’t required for each customer. Class of customer coming too fast food chains doesn’t require descriptions of each product as they are familiar with products being offered. If a description is present in the menu it would only serve to slow down the decision-making process. In these common menus on common sales points, only product name, price, and other add ups are being shown along with the enlarged picture of a product being sold. For avoiding reputational risk, fast food chains need to keep the original product as being shown on sales point. This overall strategy which has been implemented across fast food chains leads to quick service and limited products available at the same price at all units of a fast food cha in.Alternatively, when we move towards restaurants which present sophisticated theme, class, and group of customers being catered change and with its overall theme of menu changes. The number of food items being presented on the menu also increases.

Assessing the Cardiovascular System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assessing the Cardiovascular System - Assignment Example Losing weight might also aid in reducing medications required to regulate high blood pressure. If a person is overweight, then they should talk to their doctor concerning a healthy weight loss strategy (McArdle 45). The most appropriate manner of losing some kilos is through moving around more. This will help you burn more calories than you absorb through normal activity or exercise. Normal exercise, at least 30 minutes every day, can also aid lowering blood pressure, as well as strengthening someone’s heart. Maintaining a food diary or written record of a person’s daily food intake is the most appropriate way of knowing what to eat on a daily basis (Ross 108). Writing down the foods someone consumes, including the amount or size, can let you observe "the true facts" concerning someone’s food consumption (Lee and Nieman, 278). For a patient with an elevated blood pressure, he or she can start cutting back – decreasing portion sizes and calories -- to lose significant pounds and manage their weight, as well as blood

How Service Providers Ensure Consumer Retention Essay

How Service Providers Ensure Consumer Retention - Essay Example This is because it is only through customer retention that these service providers can gain a competitive advantage over other firms in the same industry. Nevertheless, the question is, how does these service providers ensure this? The purpose of this paper is to explore the strategies employed by service providers to ensure customer retention. One key element of customer retention is ensuring that customers are provided with quality goods and services (Buttle 12). It is noted that many service providers tend to strive towards the provision of quality good and services as a way of keeping their customers loyal to the company. This is because no single customer would be willing to come back to get the products or services of a company that they had previous been dissatisfied. Buttle notes that many customers would only be willing to remain loyal to those companies that provide quality products and services to their customers (14). This is one of the reasons as to why companies such as Walmart, Target and Kroger among others have large customer retention base. These retail shops attribute its customer loyalty to the fact that it provides better quality products and services, which has kept their customers coming again and again. Research shows that customer retention is not only based on provision of better quality products and services, but also on creating awareness on the existence of the products and services (Hennig-Thurau and Hansen 102). Many service providers are aware of this fact, and as a result engage on extensive advertising campaign to inform their customers of the existence of their products and services, as is the case with Walmart one of the largest grocery retail shop in the US. Walmart, for instance, does this through mailing list, local advertising, video marketing, email list and facebook among others. Customer retention is also very much dependent on customer service (Lamb 44). As a result, to ensure that customers remain loyal to the compan y, service providers always ensure that customers are provided with optimal customer service. This involves extending a helping hand to the customers all the time irrespective of the place and time. Technological advancement have made this easier to service provider as they can now do this through social media networks to keep in close contact with their customers as is the case with Target retail. This ensures that customer’s queries and problems are handled in time making them feel valued, thus building loyalty. In addition, many service providers ensure that those employed at the customer care desks are professional with etiquette, hospitable and able to handle their customers well. This is because these are the people who mainly come into close contact with customers first. They, therefore, their first impression with the customers can impact greatly on whether the customer will remain loyal or not. Take for example a situation where a customer makes an important call to the company and it is not picked by the customer care employee in time. Such behaviors makes customer feel less valued by the company and as such will seek the services of competitors who can handle them well. Making a customer feel special and valued is another factor that contributes immensely to customer loyalty. Many at time, customers prefer being valued and treated in a special way for them to remain loyal.

Stinky Laundry Business Analysis Essay Example for Free

Stinky Laundry Business Analysis Essay Table of Contents Table of Contents2 1. Background4 The general nature of this business activity4 Benefits to society in terms of need satisfaction4 Why we chose this business venture5 2. Idea description6 The nature of our products and services6 Reasons why consumers will buy our products/services7 Our special services7 3. Idea feasibility8 4. Location11 7 important site selection factors11 Location of business12 How location factors apply to our business12 5. Enterprise Forms13 Type of enterprise13 Factors of selection of enterprise13 Legal name of business13 6. The Environment14 Internal environment14 Market Environment15 Macro environment of South Africa17 ? 1. Background The general nature of this business activity The cleaning of garments and other fabrics, that get dirty from everyday use, has always been a difficult task. Machines have reduced the labour but not much has changed in the three basic functions of laundering: cleaning, drying and finishing. The commercial laundry business offers laundry services to customers and is a very reliable and profitable investment. It requires minimum supervision and low operating costs. It has a typical return on investment of about 20-30% and classified as one of the safest investments with numerous benefits. It is a great part-time venture that requires a small amount of or no prior experience and can be located almost anywhere. It is highly profitable especially when located in minority communities and low-income neighbourhoods. It is also one of the most recession-proof investments. Many households use Laundromats on a daily basis with the key customer representing the fastest growing segment in the nation. Benefits to society in terms of need satisfaction The predominant benefit of the services offered by a Laundromat is convenience. People make use of this service because getting their clothes and other garments cleaned is a basic need satisfied by services on offer by Laundromats. People whom lack the time or money to do the washing at home prefer a quicker and easier way to getting it done. Students and other individuals staying in non-permanent residences like hostels or apartments mostly make use of this service. Other examples include organisations that make use of uniforms that is dirtied on a daily basis e. g. Mechanics and butchers. Another benefit is people who struggle to get their garments dry due to bad weather conditions (in winter) can dry-clean it at Laundromats. Lastly, it saves money that would otherwise have been spent on detergents and appliances. ? Why we chose this business venture We chose this business because there is always a need for Laundromats. It is cheap and easy to start and it is very sustainable because people need to use this service throughout the year regardless of the change of season. Innovative ideas can easily keep you ahead of your competitors like having specials. It is a very profitable venture and is very stable. Students would always want to make use of this service because it is quick and easy and removes the hassle of having to deal with your laundry. The laundry business is very stable, and unfailingly profitable. Families need clean towels and sheets regardless of other economic factors. People need clean clothing in summer and winter, on vacation or working, whether they are newborns, teenagers or retired ? 2. Idea description The nature of our products and services Our coin operated, self-service, washing and drying machines will serve as the base of services. Each load off washing ash will cost our clients R8 and for every load dried, we will charge R9. 50. Customers have the convenience of coming into our shops doing their laundry, enjoying the benefits of our other services. Our other services include: †¢Ironing or pressing of clothes. On request, our customers can get their clothes ironed or pressed by our attending staff at a fee of R10/kg. †¢Selling laundry products. We will be a retailer of washing powder, fabric softener and bleach to our clients if they wish to buy. †¢Selling laundry equipment. Our business will act as an intermediary between companies selling washing machines, tumble dryers, etc and clients wanting to buy laundry equipment. We will display a catalogue showing the equipment available and if bought through us we will make a commission on the sales. †¢Executive dry cleaning. We will offer extra care dry for clothing that are extra delicate or just needs a bit of extra care. Our executive dry cleaning will be at an extra cost to customers but we will call in our trained staff specialising in delicate clothing care to handle the items. This service will also come with a guarantee for immaculate attention to detail. †¢Pick up service. Our store will run a pick up and drop off service to UWC and CPUT Wednesdays and Saturdays. We will have one pick up and drop off point at each campus for students to get there laundry done with ease at an extra charge off 10%. †¢Arcade section. If our clients do bring their children along our arcade game section will keep their children busy while they wait for their laundry, create more convenience for our clients and creating wealth for our business through charging R1 per arcade game token. ? Reasons why consumers will buy our products/services Stinky laundry offers convenience to our customers our floor layout, products and extra services are for their convenience. In addition, a conventional home washing machine holds around a maximum weight of 120kg taking an hour to complete the load. At Stinky, our industrial sized washing and drying machines take four times the load and does it in half the time. Our innovative products and services will quickly gain an outstanding reputation for exceptional quality while our arcade friendly staff free reading material and free washing powder will do the rest. Our special services †¢Innovative ‘laundry package’ contracts. Our clients can buy washes, drying and ironing services before hand in bulk saving themselves money and time †¢Pick up service. Our pickup and delivery service to students will take a time consuming chore away from students at affordable prices ? 3. Idea feasibility Technical Where sustainability is concerned the equipment should be of good quality so that the business does not have to deal with unforeseen circumstances such as the equipment malfunctioning. The development of a business venture of this nature has is minimal. The materials the business will make use of include detergents and equipment such as washing machines and tumble-dryers. This is reasonably easy to get access to and if there is liaison with suppliers, you could possibly get these products at a cheaper rate than the competitors could. Labour would be cheap and easy to control as there is not much the employers have to do in a Laundromat business. Transportation can be easily provided to clients when they need their garments delivered i. e. clients with huge contracts who need their huge quantities of garments to be delivered. A technical feasibility study is an excellent tool for trouble-shooting and long-term planning. In some regards it Legal There are many legal implications that this specific type of business has to deal with. Some of the many different laws that would affect such a business venture are as follows: The labour relations act Consumer act (sales and service) These laws affect the business in such a manner that all your actions within the internal functions of the business have to comply by treating the employees and customers correctly. ? Financial This specific business venture is very sustainable as there will always be a need for it. If all the proper financial procedures are followed, there should be no future problems. The area where your business is situated plays a major ole on the financial credibility of your business. Long-term contracts would provide sustainable income and you would have a guaranteed return on investment Market There is a huge market for this type of business, as everyone needs to wash his or her clothes e. g. the hospitality industries, health industries. The specific industry described in the type of business is a service industry. A Laundromat provides a service to the public. After doing a thorough market analysis you can determine what target market is the most lucrative. The competition in such a business is very feisty as this a very successful business venture. Prices should be as cheap as possible but still maintaining a good profit. Organisational When it comes to the organisational part of this type of business, it is important to look at the management function. There should be someone overseeing the basic activities involved in the daily running of the business. This will be possible if all duties that are assigned to the employees involved in the different functions of the Laundromat. Making certain the form of the business model follows desired outcomes and functions. An effective governance structure should be in place and the right constituencies should be represented. All the people involved should be in the right people. ? Physical and environmental feasibility Site considerations, architecture, engineering, and community and neighbourhood planning have to be looked at thoroughly. There are not many challenges, but many opportunities regarding site and physical infrastructure considerations. There will be no impacts to the quality of water, air, and soil during the course of the running of the business. With regard to other ecological considerations, the business has to take into consideration factors that could harm the environment. Once this is done correctly, no future problems will arise. Competitive A Laundromat business has a very competitive market, as it is a common business and is reasonably easy to start. Competitors in this market will raise and drop prices easily and have many specials to prove to consumers that there Laundromat is the better of the two. ? 4. Location 7 important site selection factors †¢Accessibility of human resources. Where will employees come and how much will be paid in terms of the quantity and quality of the education they received. Owners can’t run the business alone employees need to be accessible to help with the daily running of the business †¢Distance of competitors and market share. How close companies delivering the same services or selling the same products. Of what degree of quality are the products or services of the surrounding competitors and will this influence the consumer market. If there is too much competition for the business and the market share of the business is too low business will never thrive †¢The frequency and price of transport. By what means will products, external services and employees reach the business, road, rail, air or water. How often do those services run to the business. Transport to the business is crucial, if customers, employees or external services, like repairs, cannot reach the business frequently business will not exist at all. Availability of buildings and the costs involved. Buildings need to fit a required size and must be appealing to customers as well as be placed in the right area for business. If the business is too far from resources needed to run the business cost of getting them will exceed what they need to be and if customers don’t get a good feel for their surroundings i. e. in the building, they will always feel uncomfortable doing business there. †¢Adequacy of electricity, water, and the costs thereof. Enough electricity and water must flow to the business. Utilities are needed in order to satisfy customers without business will come to an idle. †¢Building and health regulations and the behaviour of those enforcing them. What are the cost of renovating, what are the laws regulating building in an area, like building regulations and property rates, and what are the costs abiding to them. Costs of certain areas may be higher than others and that cost may be hard to catch up with in terms o gain on investment †¢The state of surrounding business. Will surrounding business aid in growth. For example is there repairs and health care near the business location. Location of business Bellville Mall, corner of Strand Road and Bill Bezuidenhout Avenue, Bellville How location factors apply to our business †¢Accessibility of human resources. Bellville is rich in human resources, there is a high demand for labour and the best suitable for the job can be hand picked †¢Distance of competitors and market share. There aren’t too many Laundromats in Bellville, the majority of the laundromats those in the surrounding areas are of low quality and the business that have the ability to compete with Stinky Laundry don’t have the proper infrastructure or proper don’t have better innovations to compare. The frequency and price of transport. There are a number of ways to get to Bellville, those are train bus taxi. All three services run frequently throughout the day, but the most efficient way to travel to the laundry would be by car as there is enough infrastructure and better for carrying the load. †¢Availability of buildings and the costs inv olved. Buildings in Bellville are sufficient in the cases of expansion or move. Costs of the buildings may run a little high for the quality of the buildings but with the big influx of people it won’t be a bad investment †¢Adequacy of electricity and water and the costs thereof. Being the busy place that it is electricity and water won’t be a problem because of the already available networks, the cost of electricity in SA is on the rising but its an expenses any business must deal with. †¢Building and health regulations and the behaviour of those enforcing them. Being a constantly developing area Bellville is regulated with a strong hand but the city is eager for new development so developments will not be a problem. †¢The state of surrounding business. Bellville has enough of everything in the area gaining nothing in Bellville will be a problem. 5. Enterprise Forms Type of enterprise Close Corporation Factors of selection of enterprise †¢With 1-10 members of the C. C. , start up capital will be easier to raise. †¢More than one member will provide a wider range of knowledge. Different members might have different areas of expertise. †¢Close corporations are relatively easy and inexpensive to start. Compared to other forms of ownerships C. C. are easy to start all they need is an opening statement and they are ready to start. †¢Members of the C. C have limited liability, meaning the members can only lose what they invested in the business not their personal belongings. †¢The C. C. as unlimited continuity. The ownership of the business can be transferred easily and if a member dies the business goes on Legal name of business Dirty Laundry C. C. ? 6. The Environment Internal environment Stinky laundry will be managed by its owners and will employ several workers to help with the daily running of the business. Open seven days a week from 7am t ill 7pm business. Some of the main aspects affecting our business are: Staff tasks. Staff will have the tasks of dry cleaning, ironing, maintenance, repairs, cleaning Equipment. The equipment of our business will be bought in bulk to save us money. The main sort of equipment required are washing machines, tumble dryers, irons, clothes pressers and washing baskets. Perishables. Our perishables, namely washing powder, fabric softener, etc, will be supplied by Surf on condition that we advertise and sell their products exclusively. Vision and mission statement Vision of Stinky Laundry: Stinky laundry wishes to become a profitable Laundromat, offering a reliable service to all customers and expanding the business by opening more Stinky Laundry branches across South Africa and revolutionise the way South Africans do laundry. Mission Statement: Stinky laundry is a local Laundromat that strives to achieve the status of the most recognised Laundromat in South Africa by offering cleaner, softer and a more affordable laundry service than any other Laundromat. Our ambition is to expand Stinky Laundromat and transform the business into a franchise that will be recognised all throughout South Africa. SWOT analysis of stinky laundry: Strengths- The cost of service of stinky laundry is cheaper than the average Laundromat, our staff is friendly and competent and we are situated in a fairly busy location in Bellville. Weaknesses- Technical difficulties arise occasionally regarding the washing machines, the repair costs tend to be costly and when a machine is out of order we are making less money. Stinky laundry is also under exposed. Opportunities- We can increase the exposure of Stinky laundry by means of advertising, take opportunity of all the lazy students who need their washing to be cleaned. Threats- Stinky laundries main threat would be other older Laundromats, because of their experience and loyal customers. Strategic objectives of Stinky laundry: †¢Create relationships with customers which will create more loyal customers †¢Make sure all customers are satisfied †¢Advertise at university residence Market Environment The target market for our particular service would be that of students, who have no time to do their own laundry. We try to keep our prices to a minimum so that it is affordable to the students, because they don’t have a particularly strong buying power due to the fact that majority of students don’t have income. Need satisfaction. We will satisfy consumer needs by providing a service to students and the general public who find doing laundry a waste of time. Being a retailer of cleaning products we satisfy needs of consumers specifically looking for laundry products Buying power and market share. Offering an all round service to the community we expect a larger market share because of the wide range of needs we satisfy. This intern brings us a large turnover and greater buying power to save on purchasing of new equipment. In order to maintain our low prices we have searched for the most cost effective suppliers, Stinky Laundry is also very much about quality, so it was difficult to locate a supplier that offered good quality washing powder at a low price. Suppliers. Our main supplier cleaning products would be Surf. We advertise their name and in return we save on the purchasing of their product. Since Stinky laundry offers a service we don’t really have intermediaries, because they is no need for a bridge between manufacturer and consumers. We will however need a bank, Bellville has a Absa branch in the area which we could deal with. Cleaning products could be bought from the nearby retailers in Bellville. Competitors are pulling out all the stops to compete with our business by trying to lower their prices and offering specials, but Stinky Laundry strives to be the best Laundromat, so that means we have to be a step ahead of our competitors, we do that by allot of advertising making sure that all residence in our area know who we are and are familiar with what the Stinky brand offers. Threats are rife in all of South Africa but Bellville is a busy place and police are aware of that. A security gate will be installed at the entrants to the building. The security gate can only be opened from the inside. ? Macro environment of South Africa South Africa, like many other countries, have lots of issues influencing the outcome of the growth of the country. Some of the main areas affecting us today are: Technological environment: †¢In South Africa we have experienced an rapid increase in technology and it is impacting business greatly. What these technological advances do is they help improve productivity of a business and can also even help improve the quality of your product/service. The negatives of technological advances are that if a competitor obtains more superior technology than you, you are then put at a disadvantage. If the buying power of your company is not big enough it is at risk. On the other hand technology aids businesses exponentially by decreasing production time and increasing profits †¢ The most important technological advances in South A frica would be water technology, Mineral technology, marine technology, agricultural technology, medical technology, transport technology and electrical technology. Economic environment: †¢Rates govern earning and profits made by individuals and businesses alike. Inflation rates of SA is now at 7. 5% which is good recovery after the world economic debacle. †¢ Unsteady growth of our economy is due to the high employment rate in SA. Inactive communities are only a burden on tax payers and do not contribute to economic growth but hinder it. †¢The exchange rate in SA is at an low to the dollar proving a good game for imports to our country. This saves us money and brightens our economy. ? Social environment: Demographics are even spread in employment. Previously disadvantaged are now being given a chance to prove themselves and women are showing that they are great assets to our country. †¢Distribution of wealth is still a huge factor in SA. The rich tend to make more money off their assets while those struggling get left behind †¢Values of South Africans are changing. They expect better for their lives and want better livin g conditions. This intern brings about new entrepreneurs wanting to better their lives and thus bringing new innovations to our country. Physical environment: †¢In some parts of South Africa we do see new infrastructure being built to help South Africans. Like the new buses and trains. The amount of South Africans using the new forms of transportation is rising. †¢The environments around us do need changing but more and more we do see businesses and individuals changing their life styles to help fight climate changes. Environmentalists often speak to us about trying to preserve the earth and people are starting to catch on.

compare and contrast the cultures of the uk and your own country

compare and contrast the cultures of the uk and your own country Compare and contrast the cultures of the UK and your own country It is imperative that every country should promote citizens to protect their cultures and identities. This is because recognition of a nations civilization is extremely important. Every country has a different culture because of national differences and history. Culture can be defined as the values, beliefs and perceptions of a group of people. History, tradition and religion are the main influences on culture. Even though there are some comparisons between the cultures of Saudi Arabia and the UK, there are an even greater number of differences. This essay will analyze some of the main aspects of the cultures such as people, business, sport, food and use of the internet. As far as people are concerned, in both countries the majority of people tend to be friendly and helpful. In the University of Glamorgan it has been seen that all the teaching staff do the best they can to help their students, as was found in previous staff at a university in Saudi Arabia. One of the good cultures of British people is that they tend to smile at passersby. This is also one of the major characteristics of Saudi Arabian culture, partly because of Islam. However, one of the major differences is that in the UK children do not respect older generations. This is likely to be because of their upbringing, where parents did not teach them about respect. (Vexen, 2004) In addition to upbringing, the media plays an influential role by celebrating famous people who behave inappropriately. The contrast is that in Saudi Arabia children must be respectful of older generations. This is because of religious reasons and a good upbringing from their parents. It is important that people i n the UK address the way they raise their children. In relation to business, the similarity between Saudi Arabian and UK businesses is that their objectives are to grow their sales internationally. As a result, business trade is increasingly prevalent between Saudi Arabia and the UK. Despite this similarity, misunderstanding culture can have a detrimental effect on business relations. This was illustrated where, according to â€Å"an Accenture study, two-thirds of 200 US business executives said that miscommunication arising from cultural differences has caused problems when outsourcing offshore.† (Silicon.com, 2006) This study shows an example of a possible impact of not understanding each others cultures in business and trade. Regarding sport, people in Saudi Arabia tend to play football, as do people in the UK. There are many beautiful stadiums in the UK such as the new Cardiff stadium, and the same was found in Saudi Arabia for example King Fahad stadium in Riyadh. The majority of the people watching football in both countries also tend to be interested in playing football. However, it is not allowed for women in Saudi Arabia to play football for religious reasons. Meanwhile, in the UK, England is one of the best womens teams in the world. (Ezine Articles, 2007) Although at the moment there are no women playing football in Saudi Arabia, it is likely they will do in the future with specific circumstances. In terms of food, the majority of people in both countries tend to eat fast food. This is because life is getting faster and busier, meaning people have less time for cooking. For example, people go to McDonalds and KFC to have a quick lunch in both Saudi Arabia and the UK. One of the major influences is globalization. The main contrast is that Halal meat is absolutely essential in Saudi Arabia for religious reasons, while any meat can be eaten in the UK. Halal meat is killed in a humane way, and the UK could adopt eating Halal meat to be more respectful to animals. (Executive Planet, 2007) With reference to use of the internet there is a great demand in both countries. This is because the internet is essential for modern life, covering all needs. In particular the internet makes the world into a global village through easy and fast communications. However, there is a clear contrast between using the internet in the UK and in Saudi Arabia. This is because the media in the UK is almost free of restrictions but in Saudi Arabia the media is under control of the government. For example, according to Alfred Hermidas article, research from the Harvard Law School discovered that 2,000 websites were blocked by the Saudi government. Alfred Hermida writes that â€Å"Most of the blacklisted sites were sexually explicit or about religion. But also caught in the net were sites about women, health, drugs and pop culture.† (BBC, 2002). The reason websites about women, such as iVillage, were blocked was for cultural and religious reasons. It is not allowed in Islam to describe t he bodies of women in general. It is also likely that the websites contained swearing which is also forbidden. Websites about drugs will have been filtered because the use of drugs is prohibited by the law of Islam. Sites containing pop culture are likely to be restricted because they can lead to extra marital relations according to Islam. This is believed to happen because mainly young people will be influenced by the people in the content. In the UK it has been observed that internet users are free to use almost any website they wish. Some websites are dangerous for children, in particular pornographic websites, and it is logical for parents and governments to control them, to protect our children. In conclusion, even though there are some clear similarities between the cultures of both countries, there are also many differences. These differences are largely because of religion and history. In the future it is likely that the relationship between the cultures will change. It is very probable that in the future women in Saudi Arabia will campaign for more human rights, similar to those women in the UK enjoy. Furthermore, in the future we will undoubtedly find more Arabic restaurants in the UK. These changes will be most probably influenced by the internet, hi-tech and migration between Saudi Arabia and the UK. One of the most valuable recommendations is that if we respect each others cultures we will live in an ideal community. My wish is that every citizen in Saudi Arabia and the UK will live in a satisfactory way. References BBC (2002) Saudis block 2,000 websites. Available from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2153312.stm [accessed 18 August 2009] Executive Planet (2007) Your guide to Saudi Arabia. Available from: http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Saudi_Arabia [accessed 20 August 2009] Ezine Aticles (2007) Englands Womens footballers 12th Best In The World? Available from: http://ezinearticles.com/?Englands-Womens-Footballers12th-Best-In-The-World?id=565503 [accessed 18 August 2009] Silicon.com (2006) Cultural differences cause offshoring problems. Two-thirds of execs say its the main reason deals run into trouble Available from: http://services.silicon.com/offshoring/0,3800004877,39160348,00.htm [accessed 23 August 2009] Vexen (2004) An analysis of UK trash culture. Available from: http://www.vexen.co.uk/UK/trashculture.html [accessed 22 August 2009]

An Introduction To Fiber Optics Technology Essay example -- Technology

An Introduction to Fiber Optics Technology Throughout time, speed and efficiency in the telecommunications industry has progressed at a rapid pace due to fiber optic technology. In 1979, AT&T revolutionized the telecommunications industry by producing a medium for data transmission which used light, called fiber optic cable. This medium created a bandwidth of 44.736 Mbps and could multiplex 672 trunk circuits onto one fiber (Cole, 2000). However, this invention was only the beginning of a great addition to telecommunications, one that would change the industry forever. Even though AT&T introduced fiber optic technology in 1979, they weren't the first company to think of such a creative idea. The concept of exchanging data by the use of light was thought of by Alexander Graham Bell in the late 1800's. Bell always thought of possibilities that pulses of light could transmit voice signals, but Bell never had a dependable light source to test the idea (Cheo, 1990). In 1880, Bell patented a phone using optical transmission called the Photophone. Bell's invention failed because it used air as the medium to transmit light, rather than the glass fibers that are used today. Copper wire was simply more reliable than Bell's invention at the time, leading to the failure of his Photophone (Hecht, 1999). Expanding on Bell's idea, English scientist John Logie Bard and United States scientist Clarence W. Hansell patented the idea of using hollow glass pipes to transmit television images in the 1920's. However, the tubes patented were very poor quality and experienced signal loss very easily. Bard and Hansell also ran into the same problem Bell did, not having a constant, intense light source (Hecht, 1999). Solving Bard and Hansell's p... ...singly being used in every aspect of communications. When AT&T started using fiber optics in 1979, telephony was revolutionized. Today, the fiber optics industry is growing faster and faster. Over 90 % of long distance calls are now transmitted via fiber optics (Concise, 1994). Hopefully, someday there will be no limit to speed in the telecommunications industry because of fiber optics. Works Cited Cheo, P. (1990). Fiber Optics and Optoelectronics: Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Cole, M. (2000). Introduction to Telecommunications: Voice, Data, and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. (1994). Fiber Optic Systems:OVERVIEW. Available WWW.http:// www2.hawaii.edu/~rubio/fiberoptics/overview.htm Fotec. (1996). Lennie Lightwave's Guide To Fiber Optic Jargon. [Online Web Site].

The Vulnerability of Man Essay example -- essays research papers

The Vulnerability of Man   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature dwarfs us. The jungle absorbs us. Struggling to survive in the middle of an enticing jungle, one truly challenges his own restraints to the temptation of the jungle – of the horror of an abyss which lies so closely beneath us. All of our days and ways are a fragile structure balanced agitatedly atop the hungry jaws of nature that will effortless devour us. A happy life is a daily amnesty from this knowledge. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now share a common theme where the feeble human cannot restrain the domination of the jungle. Those who live in a fool’s paradise will die in a fool’s paradise, and those who discover the horrors of life will die in the jungle. Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and Captain Kurtz in Heart of Darkness have both been lured into a â€Å"God-like† life in the jungle. Willard and Marlow both travel a long way down a river to attempt to rescue Kurtz, or kill him. The Kurtz in both stories have lost restraint to the wilderness, while Willard and Marlow fight hard to keep theirs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening scene in the movie captures a distraught Willard having just returned from the Vietnam War. Willard is pouncing around in his hotel room as though a savage. Only later it is revealed that he is resisting the temptation of returning to the jungle. â€Å"When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there all I could think about was getting back in the jungle† (Captain Willard). This scene suggests Willard’s strength to resist temptation. Having already escaped from Vietnam once, he will do it again. The matter is however, the difficulty of withstanding the jungle is like pulling two burly magnets in opposite directions. Willard himself deals with a desire to escape into the jungle. He is uncertain of his reasons, but his physicality and mentality demands it. In Apocalypse Now, the Vietnam War only plays a surface role, a parallel for the jungle, in which both display the effects of corruption and destruction on man. The true significan ce of the story lays beneath the surface, as the horror of existence, the horror of strength, and the horror of an ability to kill without feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, Marlow and four other Englishmen are stranded close to the mouth of the Thames Riv... ...ad put his restraint to test eventually swallowed him whole. As does in Apocalypse Now, both Kurtz’ die saying â€Å"The horror. The horror.† While the definition of this â€Å"horror† is clearly defined in Apocalypse Now, it is left unclear in The Heart of Darkness. These words might have no larger meaning at all. Though there is a constituent of madness to Kurtz, he's remained coherent enough for the audience to wonder whether in casting off all restraints in the jungle, he has discovered some dark truth about the world, a truth that horrifies him. His words might be a pronouncement on the universe we all inhabit, as in Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kurtz’s discovery of how fragile men live their lives is easily tempted by the wilderness, and most will fall into this trap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the stories contain symbolic imagery of the all-too-powerful nature against the defenseless man. Both stories contain a horror of which one has been given a definition, and the other left for the audience to define. The stories examine a man’s capacity for evil and madness, and the level of self-control necessary to survive the manipulation of nature.

Individual Learning Project Essay

The organization selected for analysis and evaluation is American Lake Credit Union. This organization is composed of two main branches, both located in Tacoma, Washington. In contrast to banks, Credit Unions are smaller organizations and are directed by members who are selected via a vote to serve in an all-volunteer board of directors for the organization (Scott, and Johnston, p.2, 2011). Specifically, this credit union was founded in 1948 and has grown since then. (C. Fitzer, personal communication April 7, 2014). For instance, although the organization is small in size through a partnership with a credit union network, it is able to provide general financial services at diverse locations throughout the country (CO-OP Financial Services, 2013). In addition, the active CEO Fantz (2013) asserted that the organization’s mission is to â€Å"provide a variety of quality services to a diversified membership while maintaining financial soundness†; additionally, they current ly reported close to 50 billion dollars in assets on organization’s balance sheet. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Arumugam, Chang, Ooi, and The (2008), emphasized that in order to facilitate the drive towards high performance, many companies are using self-assessment tools to measure their current position and develop strategy in order to asses where they are and where they want to be within their industry. (p.141). SWOT analysis is one of this tools or processes. Boone and Kurtz (2006) defined the concept of SWOT analysis as a methodical approach to develop strategy as it compels managers to do an internal reality check, and an analysis of the external environment (p.274-275). This assertion is echoed by Blocher, Stout, Juras, and Cokins (2013) in which the scholars lectured the process of SWOT analysis as a process that provides the opportunity to methodologically examine internal and external factors in order to complete a self-assessment of the organization, and examine the environment in order to create a solid foundation for sound strategy for the organization (p. 36-38). The general quadrants of a complete SWOT analysis are strengths, weakness,  opportunities, and threats. These are listed in Table 1 for American Lake Credit Union. Table 1 Strengths -High quality aggressive employee training programs parallel with organization high audit and regulatory compliance rates -Membership to CO-OP Shared Branch Network 1 -Local Market Position/Community Relations Program -Cost Advantage and Pricing compared to banks -Physical Locations -Strong and Experienced Managers Weaknesses -Employee Turn-Over -Requirements to become a member -Lack of Market Differentiation as it relate to financial Services2 -Only two physical branches -Lack of a business/Market Development Section -Technology, bad turn around in communications equipment repair, need to redo contract for local IT Support Opportunities -Online Market -Branch Expansion -External Training Program -Rotating Customer Base in the local installation -College population in nearby universities -Available location for Branch at Air Force Location Threats -Military drawdown (long term), affect main target market -More exposed to economic issues (recessions) than bigger organizations due to limited size -Loss of one segment of the market with the deactivation of 4-2 Brigade Combat Team -Columbia Bank Plans to Open Facility in the immediate area 2 -Cyber Crimes External Note. Lists Adapted from (C. Fitzer, personal communication April 7, 2014) with the exception of: 1. CO-OP Financial Services. (2013). What is CO-OP ATM and CO-OP Shared Branch?. Retrieved from http://co-opsharedbranch.org/participating-cus/ 2. (C.H. Chapman, personal Communication April 8, 2014) This source is a marketing consultant for non-profit organizations, has worked closely with the American Lake Credit Union, and provided fresh feed back into the credit union during the interviews. A brief discussion of Table 1 is provided below: In the area of strengths the one of the most important strengths provided during the interview was their current training program for federal  regulatory compliance, this put the organization at an advantage even with more developed organizations In the area of weaknesses, the biggest challenge was employee turnover. Even with the recession and the current job market good talent could and can be found, but it is hard to retain with the current compensation and benefit plans offered In the area of opportunities, the online market presents a strong market that the organization has not exploited as much as they could In the area of threats, the main target market of the American Lake Credit Union is the current drawdown within the Department of Defense structure, in the short term, the population have currently lost 1400 service members and their families, in the long term more loses in market are expected (C. Fitzer, personal communication April 7, 2014) American Lake Credit Union Balanced Scorecard Soderberg, Kalagnanam, Sheehan, and Vaidyanathan (2011) presented the balance scorecard as a strategic planning procedural tool used by organizations to balance financial concerns, customer concerns, process concerns, and innovation concerns with the main purpose of developing appropriate strategy in favor of a more favorable market position (p. 689-690). Similarly, Lawrence and Webber (2008) illustrated the process as a concoction of focused key quadrants, people and knowledge, internal, customer, and financial indicators with the main purpose of developing metrics to measure all areas of performance (p.79). In the case of American Lake Credit Union, interview and analysis with C. Fitzer and C.H. Chapman provided enough data to produce the balanced scorecard depicted in Table 2 below. -Reduce Exposure to default Loans -Cash Flow/Balance Sheet -Selected cost savings in utilities and materials -Reduction in days for accounts receivable -Customer Service/Satisfaction -Customer Loyalty -Trend in Customers that transferred direct deposit accounts -Customer Surveys (Measured Quarterly (QTLY)) -Mystery Shopper feedback to manager -Trend in returning customers – Number of Customer complaints -10 new customers a week (Account Holding) -10% increase in market share by end of fiscal year 2015 -95% Satisfaction on surveys per quarter -100% satisfaction in mystery shopper experience -Less than eight percent customer complaint rate quarterly -Participate in community awareness events -Sponsor small activities for customers -Provide Western Union Services at discount to customers with direct deposit to the institution -Open new Branch at local AF Base -Implement Secret Shopper Program -Implement Customer Service Training Table 2 (continued) General Quadrants Critical Success Factors/Goals Metrics/Measured Trends Towards Goals Goal Initiative Internal Process -Processes Efficiency and Quality -Productivity when doing direct customer interactions -Number of errors in financial processes -Cycle time/customer wait time -Time spent doing internal tasks -Less than 5 errors per shift -Less than 10 minutes from check in to check out for customers regarding of the time of the day -Decrease time doing internal tasks by 25% without loss of quality -Implement lean six sigma principles -Sustain compliance Training Program -Integrate yearly refresher for all employees (training will be employee led) Learning and Growth -Skill Development and Sustainment -Competitive Benefits/Compensation -Employee Access and Input in Strategic Planning -Number of errors in financial processes -Employee Surveys -Employee Turn-over rates -90% employee satisfaction rate in surveys -Minimize employee turnover rate by % by 50% FY 15 -Integrate yearly refresher for all employees (training will be employee led) -Implement a more comprehensive benefit package for employees, main target is well performing and those with longevity -Involved Employees in strategy development and asked for feedback on current decision Note. Lists Adapted from (C. Fitzer, personal communication, April 7, 2014) with the exception of: 1. CO-OP Financial Services. (2013). What is CO-OP ATM and CO-OP Shared Branch?. Retrieved from http://co-opsharedbranch.org/participating-cus/ 2. (C.H. Chapman, personal communication, April 8, 2014) This source is a marketing consultant for non-profit organizations, has worked closely with the American Lake Credit Union, and provided fresh feed back into the credit union during the interviews. Discussion of Critical Success Factors (CSFs) Blocher et al. (2013) defined critical success factors as â€Å"measures of the aspects of the firm’s performance that are essential to its competitive advantage and therefore to its success† (p. 898). Tables 2 depicted the selected CSFs within the standard four quadrants of the balance score card, and these are discussed in detail below. Financial The financial success factors are important because these defined the aspect of the main purpose of a business, to make a profit. The specific CSFs within the financial quadrant and the rational for their selection are explained below. Increase Gross Profit. This was selected by the interviewed organization representative because in her professional opinion it was the best way to determine the effectiveness and financial health of the organization (C. Fitzer, personal communication, April 7, 2014). Furthermore, in accordance to Bloomsbury Information (2009), this an important factor to consider because a high gross profit margin ratio, high gross profit margin ratio indicates that a business can make a reasonable profit on sales, as long as overheads do not increase. Investors pay attention to the gross profit margin ratio because it tells them how efficient your business is compared to competitors. It is sensible to track gross profit margin ratios over a number of years to see if company earnings are consistent, growing, or declining. For businesses, knowing your gross profit margin ratio is important because it tells you whether your business is pricing goods and services effectively. Reduce exposure to default loans. The concept implies reduction of credit risk. The term credit risk is illustrated by He and Xiong (2012), as the risk the organization takes when issuing a loan; furthermore, if the organization’s loan or debt market deteriorates, and loans go into default the organization would take loses in its investment (p. 391). This is important because if this risk is identified and mitigated in an effective way the organization will not be as exposed to financial loses. Customer Factors This specific quadrant addresses the customer and objectives to increase or develop value and differentiation from the point of view of the customer (Beard, 2009, p. 279). Specific CSFs for the organization in this specific quadrant are as follows. Prospective customer perspective towards the organization- This refers specifically for that segment of the market that are not customers of the organization yet. Lautenslager (2003) reported that aachieving a good perspective from this outer segment will allow the organization to attract new customers, expand its market, and build the  organization as an attractive brand which can translate in to new business and profits. Customer Service/Satisfaction- This term refers to the extent that the clientele is pleased with the product line or service provided by the organization. As a general concept this is important because if the customer is unhappy is likely that he would not comeback; furthermore, it is likely that he will walk away, repel other prospective customers, or even existing customers (Naik, 2011). Customer Loyalty- This objective is one of the fundaments of many business organizations. This is extremely important for any organization because once customer loyalty is achieved, these customers will purchase the organization’s products and services repetitively, the more loyal the customer, the harder it will be for a competitor to draw him, and they can provide a good source of advertising and new customers by word of mouth. (C.H. Chapman, personal Communication April 8, 2014). Internal Process Internal processes are another part of the quadrant that when disregarded can cost the organization in terms of effectives, quality, gross margin, and revenue. It refers to those processes that are internal to the organization, like appraisals, self-audits, customer interactions, and quality checks for example. Processes Efficiency and Quality- This area refers to the internal processes of the organization, for example, it was mentioned during the interviews that that one employee on the organization creates a weekly balance sheet, and that job usually takes about one hour. Streamlining this and similar other processes save the organization on employee hours that could be used for customer care or employee training (C. Fitzer, personal communication, April 8, 2014). Productivity when doing direct customer interactions- This refers to the amount of time that it takes to do a customer transaction from the moment that they enter the facility until they are complete. It may take a customer about 20 minutes during the busy time of the day to perform the transaction due to crowding. Altering the way the organization conduct some of this processes will allow for the â€Å"line† to move faster, and affecting the customer satisfaction factor. Learning and Growth The quadrant of learning and growth is fundamental to the American Lake Credit Union because of the environment in which financial organizations operate in our time. Constant changes to the financial regulations at the state, and federal levels, added to the technological advances call for continuous organizational development in order to remain relevant with the environment. Therefore, developing a learning collective workforce and retaining this work force is fundamental to any business organization today. The specific CSFs on this quadrant are discussed below. Skill Development and Sustainment- Currently, the organization has a very strong training program in the areas of federal compliance. The intent is to sustain this strong program, and enhanced it by adding employee training in new technologies, internal processes, and customer service; moreover, ensuring the program is employee led and centric, thus, giving a sense of ownership to the workforce (C. Fitzer, personal communica tion, April 8, 2014). Competitive Benefits/Compensation- C. Fitzer (personal communication, April 8, 2014) mentioned that this was one of the main employee complaints in regards to the employee programs within the organization. Implementing, a more comprehensive benefits/compensation plan will ensure that employee turnover rate is minimized and allow the organization to retain the experienced employees. Employee Access and Input in Strategic Planning- Allowing employees to have more impute on the decision making process for the organization will give management a fresher perspective that can be valuable when making those decisions. Plus, it will give sense of ownership to the workforce constraining any resistance to strategic changes. Evaluation of American Lake Credit Union in Achieving its CSFs Financial Any for profit organization is always on the look to increase its profit and solidify or expand its market position. Firstly, the risk reduction initiatives of education and member involvement combined with market expansion should facilitate the current goal of 10% increase in gross profit margin by the end of FY 15 (personal communication, April 8, 2014). Examining the balance Sheet quarterly will allow the organization to follow up and address trends that would constrain this goal. Currently, on the last quarter they were down by 2% from the quarter before, but on this quarter they are up 4% (personal communication, April 8, 2014). This may sound like a wave of percentages, but taking other factors into consideration as the  proposed expansion to the local AFB, cutting unnecessary costs on internal processes and supplies, initiatives to reduce cycle time for accounts receivable, and other initiatives within Table 2 an increase of 10% gross margin by the end of FY 15 is a realisti c and achievable goal for this organization. Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction will be measured monthly, analyzed and evaluated quarterly, taking in to consideration trends in customers that transferred direct deposit accounts, customer surveys, mystery shopper feedback, and trends in returning customers (C. Fitzer, personal communication, April 8, 2014). Currently’ the organization have a high customer satisfaction rate with survey results depicting up to 88% on all customer surveys and only three formal complaints last quarter (C. H. Chapman, personal communication, April 8, 2014). This fact combined with the implementation of the secret shopper program on the first quarter of FY 15, and the customer care training program initiatives will give a customer care advantage to the organization over other local competitors (C. Fitzer, personal communication, April 8, 2014). On the other hand, although the process for customer complaints seemed to be effective at the collection and solving states, there was no current intent on adding these as part of the customer care training program. This was recommended by this author to the manager under interview. Using an objective approach, after taking into consideration the current customer satisfaction trends and rates, the upcoming initiatives, it can be assessed that the goal of 95% customer satisfaction rate will be achieved and likely surpassed by the end of FY 15. Internal Process American Credit Union is looking to reduce errors in internal processes, increase effectiveness in customer processes, and decrease the time doing internal tasks. The current goals of less than five errors per shift, less than 10 minutes from check in to check out for customers regarding of the time of the day, decrease time doing internal tasks by 25% without loss of quality are achievable, but will require commitment of the leadership and the workforce. For instance, sustaining the current regulatory compliance training program, and implementing lean six sigma principles should provide  the tools to succeed in this area. However, with all the other initiatives on the horizon, and the plans for expansion in to the local AFB it will require extra effort for the organization as a collective to achieve those goals without de-prioritizing other initiatives. Learning and Growth In the case of American Lake Credit Union a robust education and training program, a more comprehensive concoction of compensation and benefits will translate into the development of a better and brighter workforce, and the retaining of this work force. This will be measure by taking into consideration the number of errors in financial processes, employee Surveys, and employee turn-over rates. Some of the initiatives on this area such as consider input from employees in strategic decisions and sustainment training will sharply motivate employees within this area. Moreover, the current goal of 90% employee satisfaction rate in surveys and to minimize employee turnover rate by 50% by FY 15 is very achievable if this area is somewhat prioritized by management. However, as reported in the article Putting People First (2011), management must keep in mind that newly trained and educated employees will take their knowledge and new skill sets somewhere else for better pay and or benefits, if the proposed compensation and benefit packets are implemented (p.25-26). Final Thoughts The purpose of this document was to provide a short description of American Credit Union along with a SWOT Analysis, Balanced Score card, and discussion of these. It can be assessed with the information provided that although there are challenges ahead, the current financial status of the organization selected is healthy and the ambitions for the future achievable as they exploit their strengths, their environment, and address their weaknesses. Lastly, as long as the management remained focused, committed, and is able to maintain the workforce motivated it is likely that the organization will achieve its goals. References Arumugam, V., Chang, H., Ooi, K., and Teh, P. (2009). â€Å"Self-assessment of TQM practices: a case analysis†, The TQM Journal, 21(1), 46 – 58. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/journals.htm?articleid =1766744&show=abstract#sthash.TkDGZoZ7.dpuf Beard, D. F. (2009.). Successful applications of the balanced scorecard in higher education. Journal of Education for Business, 84(5), 275-282. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA199801168&v=2.1&u=vic_liberty&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=0a844270d80075c057b128b38e50a6e7 Blocher, E., Stout, D. S., Juras, P.E., & Cokins, G. (2013). Cost Management: A Strategic Emphasis (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Boone, L. and Kurtz, D. (2006). Contemporary Business. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western CO-OP Financial Services. (2013). What is CO-OP ATM and CO-OP Shared Branch?. Retrieved from http://co-opsharedbranch.org/participating-cus/ Fantz, E. (2013). Annual Report. Retrieved from http://www.americanlake.org/pdf/annualreport.pdf Bloomsbury Information. (2009). Gross profit margin ratio. Retrieved from http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/qfinance/gross_profit_margin_ratio/0 He, Z., & Xiong, W. (2012). Rollover Risk and Credit Risk. Journal of Finance, 67(2), 391-429. Lautenslager, A. (2003), Why You Need PR: Getting the word out about your product or service should always be a priority. Retrieved form http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/65672# Lawrence, A.T., and Weber, J. (2008).Business & Society Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy (12th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Naik, A. (2011). Why is Customer Satisfaction Important. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/why-is-customer-satisfaction-important.html Putting people first. (2011). Devel opment and Learning in Organizations, 25(1), 25-27. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777281111096816 Scott, K., and Johnston, C. R. (2011). Factors affecting the adoption of consumer oriented information technology biometrics solutions by the credit union industry. Journal of Technology Research, 2, 1-13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/887909140?accountid=12085 Soderberg, M., Kalagnanam, S., Sheehan, N., and Vaidyanathan, G. (2011) â€Å"When is a balanced scorecard a balanced scorecard?, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60(7) 688-708

Definition of Cloud Computing Essay

â€Å"What is your definition of cloud computing and how does it impact your business?† Cloud computing has been around for a while. It has been lurking in the ICT industry in smaller forms and companies have generally been using the service internally without realizing it. Only a few years ago, the sudden realization that cloud computing can save an organization massive operational costs came to the fore. Organizations were getting bigger and the cost of doing business was becoming expensive. Organizations that were expanding globally, i.e. beyond their country’s borders were discovering that the infrastructure costs per country varied and in some instances were none-existent as the country did not have the buying power to procure the latest infrastructure. This meant that organizations that had SOE (standard operating environments) and were mandated by policy to conform to specific standards began to find it more difficult to maintain their standards. This in turn meant that compromises would need to be made to security policies and the method in which data was delivered to international clients had to be changed to enable this to happen. So, it was only natural that when cloud computing service providers began an aggressive push for their services, the world breathed a sigh of relief. Here at last was a service that could be delivered virtually anywhere in the world and even more beneficial was the fact that the service could be delivered down to handheld devices such as smartphones and the iPad. In addition to this, cloud computing enabled an organization to maintain its policies seamlessly across multiple sites which may be located in different countries. The entire platform could be used to virtually centralize the data and the policies associated with it. So, exactly what is cloud computing? To the layman, the simplest definition is the storage of data in a virtual cloud with the Internet being used as the backbone to access and work on data. The Cloud The Cloud Data Flow Data Flow For a user who is always on the move, cloud computing makes it easier to access and work on data regardless of the location and it also allows the user to be in touch with his office because cloud computing is not restricted merely to information sharing but also allows for the bridging of the user and his colleagues by way of video conferencing, virtual boardrooms and other features that enable a user to remain connected. From a more technical perspective, the data is stored in data farms that can be made up of SANS, virtualization, security layers and connectivity mediums that allows for the quick access to data. The benefits of cloud computing are no doubt massive but what does this mean for the financial industry? What does this mean for an industry that is built up on a rigid set of information security policies, all with the one objective of protecting customer information and transaction records? For someone such as me, the financial industry is almost akin to the Russian iron curtain. Customer data is jealously guarded and information relating to the financial systems is kept securely under lock and key. Every single user is tasked to ensure that any information coming out of the system is used exactly and only for the purpose it is deemed and destroyed once it has been used. In addition to this, the ICT industry in the finance industry has a massive task on its hands. It is responsible for ensuring that intrusion attempts are detected and arrested on the spot and any data traversing out of the network is secured to the point of destination. Naturally, the ramifications of any breach can be potentially fatal. Breaches of customer data can usually result in: * Customer legal action, i.e. being sued * Non-compliance of central bank regulations can lead to fines * Loss of reputation * Loss of revenue These factors can usually be devastating for any bank. After all, customers expect their personal information to be kept secure when dealing with a bank given that no one likes their financial information splattered across the public boards for the world to see. If an example is sought here, one need only look at the Swiss banks. â€Å"†¦When people worry about their money, they rush it to Switzerland, even when domestic laws forbid it. Switzerland never seems to have any trouble which would adversely affect the value of its currency or the safety of the money entrusted to its bankers (Vicker 3, 4).† This was the general norm until recently in 2009 when the US demanded that the Swiss Bank UBS turn over details of US clients who were suspected of tax evasion, â€Å"†¦fight between U.S. authorities and the Swiss banking giant, UBS, the veil is about to be pierced. UBS agreed on Wednesday to turn over identifying information on 4,450 accounts which the IRS believes hol d undeclared assets belonging to Americans. Those accounts were believed to hold about $18 billion†¦ Accounting Web (08/20/2009 – 08:26).† Ultimately, this defined a new era for Swiss banking because another country had successfully infiltrated the closely guarded secrets of the Swiss banks and managed to demand data be handed over through legal channels. So what does this mean for organizations in the financial sector where security is paramount? Naturally, no financial institution wants to lose control of its data or being in a position where it cannot control the flow of data accurately. It is therefore critical that the decision to move to a cloud based environment be studied carefully while gauging the risks involved and the potential loss of customer information if the system were ever to fail. Therefore, it is my belief that organizations in this sector are highly unlikely to move over entirely to the cloud based system. Federal and central regulations would play a crucial role in the decision as well as the security aspects. For any financial organizations contemplating this move, it would certainly not be done by way of hiring a vendor providing the service and instead the organization would build its own private cloud where it would enforce all the necessary regulations and policies that would ensure the security of the data. It is also prudent to remember that the core applications of financial organizations are generally built around legacy based languages such as COBOL and these cannot be easily migrated to a web based system given that there are transactional processing issues such as response times, etc. that need to be factored. For financial institutions, the change would be far too massive and require an almost complete overhaul of the existing investments in the infrastructure and a change in the central policies. In addition to this, there is always the greater risk of data losses as Goo gle experienced recently which left a few thousand customers without access to their mailboxes and ultimately losing their data. In a cloud based environment, the risks of such occurrences particularly where customer data is concerned are far too great to be reckoned with – even if the ratio is small, that risk cannot be taken. Organizations in the financial sector are dictated on industry expected practices such as data retention periods, backup methodology, archiving, backup security and a whole host of other protocols that need to be followed when dealing with customer data. In an environment such a cloud based one, these methodologies cannot all be applied given that the environment is changed from a more rigid and manageable structure to a more fluid structure. In conclusion, the concept of cloud computing is indeed a fascinating one and offers massive savings for any organization that ventures into it however for industries where customer information security is the key to survival, the prospect of going to a cloud based system unless it were a privately built and controlled one would not induce any encouragement in the financial sector. Nonetheless, it is hoped that in the future, central regulations will be changed to encourage the migration to cloud and with the appropriate security policies and perhaps an improved security structure, this vision may one day be fully embraced by the financial industries around the world. * Vicker, Ray. Those Swiss Money Men. New York: Scribner, 1973. * Accounting Web. Swiss Bank UBS agrees to reveal U.S. secret accountholders, http://bit.ly/iO4bX6, August 20, 2009, 08:26