Music as an Agent of Socialization Essay - 1409 Words

Music has played a major role as an agent of socialization in each of my 4 decades. I know and hope that it will continue to do so. During each period music has affected my personality, shown my personality, affected my perceptions and helped me to cope with growing and changing as a person. My Looking Glass Self has compared the person in song and possibly the singer themselves to myself to gain perspective of who I was at each time. I am going to discuss each decade with the thought of how music was an agent of socialization in each. I believe that music as an agent of socialization is prominent in Symbolic Interactionism. Songwriters and musicians, like poets, includes symbolism in there lyrics. They give musical symbols by which we†¦show more content†¦I loved these musicals. Movies like these carry life lessons and socialization experiences that show what life can be like in a more fantasy way. Radio was another part of mass media that affected my socialization. Most of the time country music was what my parents listened to. Loretta Lynn and Tanya Tucker were my favorites. I still remember the words to Delta Dawn by Ms Tucker. As you can see there was a great variety in the music that I was exposed to as a small child in those early cognitive years. Music had a great impact on my secondary socialization during my second decade. It had an impact on my Self Socialization as well. Music in my peer groups reflected in my choice of listening preference. I began to formulate who I was outside of my parents and other family. I formed friendships with others my age with different interests that showed me there was even more to explore in life. During this time mass media was changing and cable television was becoming popular. Along with cable, MTV was brand new. Yes, I was an original MTV viewer. MTV brought music even more into view in my life. My television stayed tuned to MTV. I awoke and went to sleep listening to the popular music of the day. It was the ‘80’s. Music favorites then wereShow MoreRelatedAgents Of Socialisation : The Mass Media1120 Words   |  5 PagesAgents of Socialisation : The Mass Media In the present day, the media is incorporated into our daily lives. Every day, through newspapers, radio, television, email, the internet and social media, are we sucked into an electronic world, which changes many of our beliefs and values about how we live our lives. It plays such a large role in almost every person’s life compared to 50 years ago, when the internet did not exist. It effects things such as our political views, tastes in music, views of menRead MoreAgents of Socialization Essay 21461 Words   |  6 PagesAgents of Socialization: An agent of socialization is an individual or institution tasked with the replication of the Social Order. An agent of socialization is responsible for transferring the rules, expectations, norms, values, and folkways of a given social order. 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These stages of a person’s life are the most influential, many core beliefs about politics are established through the agents of political socialization. The five main agents of political socialization are family, media, school, peers, and religion. Family is one of the most important political agents. They influence theRead More VIOLENCE IN THE MEDIA Essay782 Words   |  4 Pagesand youth-oriented music. Video game violence, childrens cartoons, and music lyrics have become increasingly graphic. In movies, action films depict vivid precise murders, rapes, and assaults; with each sequel, the number of deaths increases dramatically. Although media violence is not the only cause of violence in American society, it is the single most easily remediable contributing factor. It is these social networks that present the linkages between individual’s socialization and their actionsRead Moreculture and socialization Essay1533 Words   |  7 Pages Socialization can be defined as the process by which people learn to become members of a society (Tepperman Curtis, 2011, p.58). Thus, the socialization process of an individual starts from birth and continues throughout life. The period of socialization helps an individual to develop feelings, perceptions, learn the basics of social interaction and also learn to recognize and respond socially to parents and other important people in their lives (Tepperman Curtis, 2011, p.58). AccordingRead MoreWhat is Mass Media?917 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is Mass Media? Mass media refers to the many ways that information reaches a large group of people. Sociologists study mass media to see its affects on socialization, social movement, and social power (Chegg, â€Å"Definition of Mass Media†). 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Suicide Is The Third Leading Cause Death - 2146 Words

Suicide has been claiming lives for many years, and it is not getting any better. Suicide claims the lives of 30,000 people every year and was the tenth leading cause of death in 2014. Suicide is especially prevalent amongst the youth of America. Every day 18 teens will be successful in committing suicide while 1,000 others will think about. This is a problem that can be fixed if enough effort is put into it. The keys to preventing suicide are understanding and recognizing the signs. Typically depression is the leading cause, whether it is medical or just temporary. Suicide is an evergrowing epidemic that can be prevented with the right knowledge. â€Å"Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds and the sixth leading†¦show more content†¦According to Colman, more than 80% of the time they are extremely depressed, and their minds are therefore focused on the terrible emotional pain in which they find themselves (Colman 75). Often times people who are experiencing depression make it worse by repeating to themselves that things will never get better. â€Å"In some cases, depression can be a medical condition in which the patient should be carefully observed as much as possible. Symptoms of attempting suicide are similar to those of depression. Some of the more rampant symptoms include a change in eating and sleeping habits, a marked personality change and a lost of interest in pleasurable activities. They physically appear sad and weighted down, and can sleep a great deal, even talking in soft, tired voices† (Child health). On the other hand while depression and suicide are similar in many respects, one will not necessarily result in another. It is possible for someone depressed to never think about suicide at all (Galas 42). Depression can lead anyone to suicide, but teenagers are especially at risk because they often feel like their feeling of hopelessness will never go away. There is a cycle in which teens can fall into; depression, isolation, sadness, and more depression. The longer this cycle continues, the more likel y they are to try and end their own life In most

Ict in Supermarkets Free Essays

IT in the Supermarket Information systems are used widely in shops and in the distribution of goods and one area in which their use is particularly important is supermarkets. Computer systems are used in a variety of ways in the modern, large supermarket, from stock control to maintaining temperatures in fridges and freezers. In this section we will look in more detail at these systems in one particular large supermarket, which is part of a national chain. We will write a custom essay sample on Ict in Supermarkets or any similar topic only for you Order Now The supermarket uses several computers which are located in a room known as the system office and form the upermarkets own Local Area Network. These computers are used to control the stock and are connected to the checkouts. These are the ‘branch computers’. The computers are multifunctional, and each can access the data, which gives the management a number of access points. Admin and stock control staff now have access to hand held computers, SEC (Shelf Edge Computers). These are used for price changes, creating stock pictures (information on stock totals) and for forecasting deliveries. Like many companies, they have experimented with giving customers hand held scanners to enter their own shopping. The experiment has been discontinued due to huge stock losses, staff called them ‘Shop and Rob’ rather than ‘Shop and Go’. The company is currently looking at developing a better system to get round these problems. Each product to be sold must have an identifying code number which is different from that of every other product. Different sizes of the same product even need different code numbers. These code numbers are printed onto the labels or packaging of the product in the form of bar codes. Located at each checkout is an ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE ( EPOS ) till. This EPOS till comprises a keyboard, a digital display, a scanner which reads bar codes, a set of scales, a printer, a credit / debit card reader and a till drawer. Each till also has its own base to which all of the above is attached. It is the base unit which is connected by cables to the branch computer in the supermarket’s system office. Bar codes are made up of a set of black lines and white spaces. Look at the bar code. You can see that it is split into two halves, and each half is contained within two thin black stripes. The diagram shows the pattern of lines for each digit on the bar code. Notice that the pattern for a digit on the right hand half of a bar code is the opposite of the one on the left hand half. Many bar codes today use the European Article Number or EAN. This is a thirteen digit number which can be used to uniquely identify a product. Using the bar code shown as an example : a) The first 2 digits represent the country from which the company producing the product comes. 50 – U. K. b) The next five digits represent the company which produced the product. 00208 – Lyons Tetley Ltd. c) The following five digits represent the product. 02100 – 80 Tea bags. ) The last number is a check digit. This is used to make sure the bar code has been read correctly. So 5000208021000 is the EAN for a box of 80 Tetley tea bags. The bar codes on products are read by the EPOS tills at the checkouts. This is achieved by using a scanner, which sends out infra-red laser beams via a set of mirrors, enabling the bar code to be read at most angles. When an item is passed over the scanner, the black and white parts of the code are detected by the laser, as the black parts reflect very little light whilst the white parts reflect most of the light. This is converted into electrical pulses which are sent along the cables to the branch computer. The branch computer then searches its stock file for the product matching the EAN number. When this record is located the price and description of the product is extracted and sent back to the EPOS till at the checkout which then shows this item and price on the digital display, prints them on a receipt and adds the price to the total. At the same time, the branch computer records that one of this item has been sold. We will look at how this is used for stock control on other pages. When a bar code has been correctly scanned, the scanner emits a bleep. If no such sound is made, the item can be passed over the scanner again until it has been correctly read. The keyboard is used to enter codes of products that will not scan, for example reduced price items. The scales at the EPOS till are also linked up to the branch computer. All loose fruit and vegetables are weighed at the checkout. Each product has a code number which, when typed in at the keyboard, gives the customer a description of the product on the receipt along with the weight and price of the purchase. The weight of the product is also deducted from the stock file. As well as printing an itemised receipt, the printer attached to the EPOS till can also print the name of the supermarket, the date and the amount owing on cheques and debit / credit card vouchers. This lessens the chance of mistakes as well as minimising the amount of time a customer has to spend at the checkout. Not every customer pays by cash or cheque though. Many now opt to pay by a debit card such as Switch or Delta. In these cases the customer’s card is swiped through the card reader which reads the information ( such as the account umber and date of expiry ) held on the magnetic strip on the back of the card. The latest in store development has been the arrival of smart card readers at the EPOS. A debit card with a smart chip is placed in the reader and the customer then enters their PIN to authorise the money being taken out of their account. This is much more secure than signing a docket as it cannot be forged. This information is then added to the details of how much the customer has spent and, after checking that sufficient funds are present, used to transfer this amount from the customer’s bank account to that of the supermarket’s. This process is called ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER and works even if the supermarket’s bank is different from that of the customer. PRICING The price of a product, as we have seen, is sent to the EPOS terminal when the product’s bar code is read. In the past, every single item had a price sticker attached and when a price change was required, new labels had to be placed over the old ones. This was a time consuming task, as every single item on the shelves of the product requiring the price change required a new label. Mistakes were sometimes made and customers over or undercharged. Nowadays there are no price labels ttached to products, neither does the packaging of the product show the price. The only reference to the price of a product is contained on a label attached to the shelf where that product is situated. These shelf labels are produced by the branch computer and are printed out in different sizes according to the size of the shelf display for a particular produc t. Technology. As bar codes are scanned, the branch computer looks for items which are on special offer and discounts the prices where necessary. STOCK CONTROL There are, in fact, six branch computers linked to the EPOS terminals at the checkouts. They all record information about items sold and provide backup for each other. If only one computer was used and it broke down, the supermarket could not function. These branch computers are linked via the satellite links to a large main computer housed at the supermarket’s head office elsewhere in the country. All branches of this supermarket are also linked in this way to the main computer and this is an example o an extranet. Special offers such as Multibuy – â€Å"Buy two and get one free† or LinkSave – â€Å"Buy one product and save 50% on another† could not be offered before the introduction of Information After the supermarket has closed at the end of the day, the following happens : 1) The branch computer sends the details of every individual sale to the main computer at the Head Office. 2) Using this information, the main computer system updates its record of the number in stock of every item in the store. The SEC allows managers to get a real time stock picture and allows a manager to escalate stock deliveries from nothing to 72 hours to 48 hours. It also gives a better picture of stock losses and improves the service the shop can give its customers 3) Using a forecast of sales along with other factors ( uch as the weather and the time of the year etc. ) the system automatically orders the correct amount of stock required by the store for the next available delivery 48 or 72 hours ahead. 4) The main computer also transmits these orders to computers in the distribution centres (large warehouses storing products ready for delivery to stores ) across the satellite link. 5) These distr ibution centres then deliver the required stock to the stores immediately. 6) Price changes and prices of new products, special offers etc. are sent back to branch computer in the supermarket. ) New shelf labels are printed and the night staff of the supermarket place these on the shelves ready for the following day. The company also uses computers for staff recruitment. New applicants can fill in an application form over the Internet and have it vetted by the Head Office. This saves time at branch level and serves to get rid of some applicants. If an applicant fills in a form at the branch, this can be scanned in and then uploaded to the Head office. JUST IN TIME v STANDARD METHOD OF STOCK CONTROL In the standard method, a shop selling cookers etc, keeps it stock in a shop and in an attached warehouse. When stock in the shop are runs low it is replenished from the warehouse. A check is kept on how much stock is in the warehouse. When the warehouse needs new stock, an order is placed with the appropriate suppliers – or with the organisation’s main warehouse – and the goods are delivered. In addition to being used for stock control, the information from scanning is collected on the main computer at the Head Office to build up a ‘profile’ or description of the way in which its customers shop. For example, the ratio of customers who use a washing powder to those who use a liquid detergent an be calculated from the sales of washing detergents in any particular store. From this sort of information, the amount of shelf space to be given to a product can be calculated. OTHER USES The stores are also big users of email. Each store is connected to each other, to every depot and to the Head Office. The email is used for area initiatives, promotional planning, quality control issues, head office bulletins, warning about shoplifters and banning letters. The ‘just-in-time’ system takes advantage of a stock information system. As products pass through the electronic points of sales (EPOS), the relevant data is sent to a atabase containing information about stock levels. When stock falls below a set level more is ordered. Thus only a bare minimum of necessary stock is ordered and there is no need to maintain a large, fully stocked warehouse. In some cases the system is fully automated, working out how what stock is needed and electronically processing and communicating the order. Advantages †¢ Money is saved because less warehouse space needs to be purchased and maintained. †¢ Economies can be made in regard to labour costs, i. e. fewer staff are needed. †¢ The business is more aware of and more responsive to hanges in supply and demand Disadvantages †¢ If there is disruption to the transport system, shops an d businesses will quickly run out of stock. †¢ Shops can still be caught out by sudden changes in buying patterns. In such cases they often find themselves without the stock the customers are asking for. †¢ An ICT system can be costly to set up and maintain, and expertise – which may also be costly – will be needed to run it. INTERNET SHOPPING Some supermarket companies now have websites which allow you to shop over the Internet, this has allowed them access to different markets i. e. people who do not have ransport to get to the store. Businesses have recognised that the Internet allowed people to interact with each other in a different way, and it gave the potential for creating new markets and in reinvigorating old ones. Businesses began to use the Internet in different ways: †¢ As a means of communicating information about the products and services they offer; †¢ As a ‘virtual shop’, allowing customers to purchase goods and services online; †¢ As a free service which makes money by advertisers to use the site; †¢ As a subscription service, e. g. allowing subscribers access to valuable information such as might be ontained in research papers; †¢ As an interactive site that encourages customers to give them feedback on their products. Steps in interactive shopping 1. The customer views the company’s products via a website and selects the object(s) for purchase. 2. The customer enters his order, together with credit card details, via an on-screen form. 3. An encryption system or secure link is used to protect the transaction and to ensure credit card details are not accessible. 4. The order is received and sent to a database. 5. The information in the database is communicated to a distribution centre where rders are made up. 6. The order is delivered to the customer. Advantages to the customer †¢ Customers do not have to travel long distances to the shops and struggle through crowds to make their purchases. †¢ It can be beneficial to those customers who are disabled or who, for some other reason find it difficult to travel to shops. †¢ New, smaller, more specialised businesses present themselves on he web, thus widening the range of goods and services available. Advantages to the business †¢ Overheads can be cut. A web-based business does not necessarily need a high street shop and staff to run it. Small specialised concerns have therefore been able to establish themselves on the web with very little capital outlay. †¢ Many new businesses have been created via the Internet; some have been successful some not. The overall effect, however, has been to invigorate the business environment by introducing healthy competition. Some difficulties †¢ Despite assurances by business that their sites are secure, many people are anxious about giving out their credit card details online. There have been sufficient examples of Internet-based credit cards fraud to justify this fear. †¢ Anybody can set up an online business and some ebsites are not run in an honest and reliable manner. Customers have ordered and paid for goods that hve never arrived. †¢ Shopping is not just a functional act. It is also a social activity. People go shopping to be with their friends and enjoy the atmosphere of towns and cities. Computers are also used to control the freezers and chillers throug hout the store. In the warehouse, the large freezers have to be kept within a certain temperature range. This is achieved by having temperature sensors inside each freezer which monitor the conditions and switch the cooling motor on or off. On the floor of the supermarket are many freezers and chillers which are used to store and display a wide variety of products such as fresh meat, dairy produce and frozen goods. CONTROL SYSTEMS Different products have different requirements in terms of temperature. Fresh meat, for instance, may have to be kept at 4 C whilst ice cream has to be stored at -15 C. The freezers and chillers therefore are kept at many different temperatures and, in the past, an employee of the supermarket had to check the temperature of the chiller every hour. Now every freezer and chiller is linked to a computer in the branch office. A temperature sensor in each freezer or chiller constantly MONITORS the temperature, sending data back to this computer which sends signals back, when needed, switching the individual freezer / chiller motors on or off, thus maintaining the correct temperatures. A display on each freezer / chiller shows the temperature to customers. the build up of ice but without defrosting the food. Any breakdowns are detected immediately, minimising the risk of food thawing and therefore being wasted. ADVANTAGES The advantages of using Information Technology in supermarkets can be broken down into two sections, the enefits to the customer and the benefits to the supermarket and its management. It must be remembered that changes and improvements come about over a period of time, for instance, while the introduction of Information Technology may save the supermarket chain money eventually, it requires a good deal of investment, both in terms of resources and training, initially and throughout its de velopment. This is called a ‘closed loop control system’. As can be seen from the diagram, the freezer can be either on or off ( the PROCESS ) which leads to the freezer being a certain temperature ( the RESULT ). The temperature of the freezer s then either too high, too low or alright and this FEEDBACK is used to change the process if necessary (turns the freezer from off to on, or on to off. ) Every three or four hours, each freezer has to be defrosted and the computer controls this process as well, turning the freezer off long enough to stop To the customer * faster and more efficient checkout services. * itemised till receipts. * products more tailored to their needs. * fresher goods due to low stock levels held by supermarkets. * special offers. * benefits to the supermarket passed on in the way of lower prices or increased customer services. * various methods of payment. chilled or frozen food kept at the correct temperature. To the supermarket and its management * efficient stock control, less chance of goods being out of stock. * more efficient checkouts, less chance of errors by staff. * ability to use sales forecasts and ‘profiles’, leading to more efficient use of shelf space. * little warehouse space required in each supermarket due to distribution system. * ability to monitor the performance of checkout staff. * shelf pricing more cost effective than labels on products. * ability to use electronic funds transfer improves cash flow. * effective management of chilled and frozen goods. How to cite Ict in Supermarkets, Essay examples

Leadership and Management Structures - Process

Question: Discuss about the Leadership and Management Structures, Process . Answer: Introduction Leadership is an important function of the management in which both the roles are extremely related to human interactions. The managers are expected to perform decision making activities on a regular basis. A decision needs to be based on the assessment of alternatives, outcomes and uncertainties (Hopfe Augenbroe and Hensen 2013). The decision should be based on information derived from the organizational data gathered. This is obtained from the various sources such as Management Information System (MIS), Decision Support System (DSS), Executive Information System (EIS) and Executive Support System (ESS) (Leidner 2016). These tools are used when there is a need to make decision regarding a policy. It also helps the managers for proper planning and the implementation of the same (Hopfe Augenbroe and Hensen 2013). This report would discuss about these management tools used in the management process in the organizations. The impact of technology on the organizational functioning is disc ussed. The reasons for greater adoption of technology for effective leadership is discussed in detail. The company selected for the purpose of analysis is Myers, which is retail department stores, based in Australia. The company background is discussed so that a detailed picture can be gained regarding the organization. The existing business problems and the current issues of the company are discussed. This report would broaden the definition of information systems relevant to the modern organizational context. The MIS refers to the management information system which comprises of computer based tools which assist the managers in their everyday functioning (Kerzner 2013). It provides technological tools to the managers so that they can improve their efficiency in their strategic decision making (Hopfe Augenbroe and Hensen 2013). This tool connects several other areas such as informatics, information technology, computer systems, e-commerce and others (DeLone et al. 2016). These tools help the manager in gaining an overall insight into the business affairs and maximize the return on investments in various domains related to equipment, personnel and the business processes. The MIS are produced regular scheduled reports which are based on the extraction of organizational data (DeLone et al. 2016). The data collected is being presented to the operational level managers as well as senior level managers for making structured decisions. The decision support system or DSS are the computer program application which is used for the purpose of supporting managers for their problem solving and formulating situation based decisions (Power Sharda and Burstein 2015). This tool is being used by the higher management and middle management tools for finding solutions to structured as well as unstructured decision issues (Power Sharda and Burstein 2015). There are several components of decision support system such as decision interface, modelling software, information base and the database (Bonczek Holsapple and Whinston 2014). The Executive Information System (EIS) is an efficient tool that enables quick access to the users for viewing or using the summarized reports necessary for understanding the situations of the organization (Yu et al. 2015). The reports are being collected from all the departments and organizational hierarchy. The collected data is being compiled in order to give a broader picture to the department heads or the senior management (Yu et al. 2015). The EIS provides convenient access to the external as well as internal information which are directly or indirectly related to the organizational goals. The executives can compare, analyze and highlight the crucial trends so that they can easily identify the problems or opportunities (Yu et al. 2015). It focuses on the easy to use user interfaces and utilizes graphical displays for conveying the information. The Executive Support System or ESS is widely-used reporting software which is used by the executive level managers for quick access of the company reports concerning recruitment, cost accounting, billing and scheduling (Mishra 2013). There are analytics tools involved in this system which is responsible for prediction of performance outcomes by the utilization of input data. ESS provides expected outcomes which help the executives for gaining quick reference to facts concerning vital organizational decisions (Mishra 2013). Importance of information system The information system is an important component of the organizations since it is considered as an important asset of the organization (Davenport 2013). The information helps the organizations to identify the need for the creation of new products or services (Davenport 2013). The information is also helpful in determining the correct marketing practice used by the company. The decision of market penetration or acquiring new markets can be done by using the information system used by the organization (Davenport 2013). The importance of using information system in the organizations is defined below- Reduction in operating costs- The information system would enable the company to maintain proper records of the organizational data regarding equipment, office space, purchases, recruitment, compensation structure and others (Harper 2015). This helps the organizations to curb the excessive operating cost of the company. Control the growth as well as creation of records- It is important to formulate efficient information system that addresses the creation of the records as well as the retention of the same (Davenport 2013). It is better than the paper records since they are easy to store and are highly effective. Improvement of productivity and efficiency- In the case of paper records, a lot of time is being spent on manual retrieval and there are records that go missing or lost (Jervis and Masoodian 2014). This issue is being eliminated by the information system which increases the efficiency and the productivity of the employees (Jervis and Masoodian 2014). The easy retrieval of the crucial information helps the organization to increase its productivity (Jervis and Masoodian 2014). Impact of technology on decision-making The decision making is one of the most important activities in a business. The decision-making activity requires the utilization of technology in various aspects (Hosack et al. 2012). The technology tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) system or the decision support system combine together to create meaningful information through the use of OLAP (Online Analytical Process) (Hosack et al. 2012). The technology impacts the decision-making activity in the following ways- Speed- It is important to process huge amounts of data so that necessary information can be extracted from them (Hosack et al. 2012). The decision maker can ask a variety of questions based on the information system and this happens at very fast speed (Lauer Peacock and Graesser 2013). The managers need to get hold of the necessary information at very fast pace so that they can facilitate the decision making process. Data processing- Technology would foster the data mining skills of the managers by computerizing the decision making capabilities of the organization (Provost and Fawcett 2013). The technological facts, figures, graphs and the tables enable the managers to make quick decision making (Provost and Fawcett 2013). Group decision making- The organization consists of several groups or teams that require performing quick decision making activities in order to support the organization in its day to day functioning (Antunes Zurita and Baloian 2014). The group decision making activity (GDSS) would support the formulation of the solutions for current problems (Antunes Zurita and Baloian 2014). GDSS would integrate the capabilities as well as telecommunications of a team so that a decision can be taken. The group deals with complex problems and hence there is a need of making structured decisions. Collaboration- The managers are required to exchange data with other departments and hence a high degree of data collaboration is required (Antunes Zurita and Baloian 2014). Technology enables the managers to use applications such as teleconferencing, electronic mail, intranets, group ware and document management systems. Access to data- The managers are required to gain access to the data at the shortest possible time. The IT tools must provide the managers access to important data and must be able to process them at rapid speeds (Antunes Zurita and Baloian 2014). The IT tools help the managers to access the data whenever they are and whenever they require doing so. Company Background Myers Holdings Pty Ltd is one of the largest departmental store chain based in Australia (Myer 2016). It was founded in the year 1900 and its headquarters is located at Melbourne, Australia (Myer 2016). The founder of this company is Sidney Myer and the store has its presence in more than 67 locations in Australia (Myer 2016). The company is reputed as the largest departmental store in Australia in terms of number of stores as well as revenues (Myer 2016). The primary product range of the company includes womenswear, childrens wear, menswear, beauty, cosmetics, fragrances, footwear, toys, accessories and electrical goods (Myer 2016). The primary competitor of the company is David Jones department chain (Myer 2016). The annual operating income of the company is AUD 113.5 million and net income of the company was AUD 60.5 million in 2016 (Myer 2016). The company has roped Ex-Miss Universe model Jennifer Hawkins for endorsing the retail chain (Myer 2016). The brand also engages several other big personalities as their brand ambassadors. Issues and business problems There are serious issues with the operation and the functioning of Myers which is a matter of concern for the senior management. The company was merged with Coles Supermarkets to form Coles Myer (Seddon et al. 2012). However, the company was separated from Coles in the year. This caused a huge drop in the market share of the company. The loyal customers of the company were not satisfied by the frequent policy changes of the company which resulted in a sharp decline in the sales of the products (Seddon et al. 2012). There was a decline in both the offline and the online sales. This turmoil has also caused a large number of employees to resign at the same time. There was lack of salesperson in the stores which further agitated the customers (Seddon et al. 2012). The company had lack of planning which resulted in the reduction of the operational efficiency in the retail environment. There was lack of information system which reduced the operational efficiency of the company. The company did not use advanced information technology tools in their regular functioning. Recommendations It is important to focus on the weaknesses of the company so that the service gaps can be reduced. It is important to introduce advanced technology measures in their day to day operations of the company. The introduction of MIS, DSS and EIS would help the company to accumulate all the facts as well as figures and compile them in a report. The executives as well as the senior management would be able to take decisions at a fast rate. The company should undertake adequate measures to enhance the customer satisfaction rates. An adequate number of employees should be recruited so that the customer satisfaction levels can be improved. The company must focus on increasing the market share of the company and increase the sales of the company. It should adopt extensive promotion activities in order to enhance the brand image of the company. Conclusions Leadership and management are vital processes which determine the success of the organizations. The managers need critical data, information so that they can gain insights into the current organizational situation. This report analyzes the various information systems used by the organization such as Management Information, Executive Information System, Decision Support System and others. All the information systems are analyzed in detail from an organizational point of view. The importance of the information system in modern organizations is discussed. The information system impacts the functioning of the organizations and detailed explanation has been done on the same. The business issues in Myers are discussed along with the company background. The concluding part of the report identifies the recommendations for improving the business issues of the company. This report would broaden the understanding of the various types of information system used in the organizations and their rel ative importance of the same. This report would present the future researchers with a foundation to perform study on information technology usage in the organizations. References Antunes, P., Zurita, G. and Baloian, N., 2014. An application framework for developing collaborative handheld decision-making tools.Behaviour Information Technology,33(5), pp.470-485. Bailey, M. and Bailey, M., 2016. Marketing to the Big Middle: establishing Australian discount department stores.Journal of Historical Research in Marketing,8(3), pp.416-433. Bonczek, R.H., Holsapple, C.W. and Whinston, A.B., 2014.Foundations of decision support systems. Academic Press. Davenport, T.H., 2013.Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Harvard Business Press. DeLone, W.H. and McLean, E.R., 2016. Information Systems Success Measurement.Foundations and Trends in Information Systems,2(1), pp.1-116. Harper, C., 2015.Organizations: Structures, processes and outcomes. Routledge. Hopfe, C.J., Augenbroe, G.L. and Hensen, J.L., 2013. Multi-criteria decision making under uncertainty in building performance assessment.Building and environment,69, pp.81-90. Hosack, B., Hall, D., Paradice, D. and Courtney, J.F., 2012. A look toward the future: decision support systems research is alive and well.Journal of the Association for Information Systems,13(5), p.315. Jervis, M. and Masoodian, M., 2014. How do people attempt to integrate the management of their paper and electronic documents?.Aslib Journal of Information Management,66(2), pp.134-155. Kerzner, H.R., 2013.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Lauer, T.W., Peacock, E. and Graesser, A.C., 2013.Questions and information systems. Psychology Press. Leidner, D.E., 2016. Contextual design of management support systems.Context-Sensitive Decision Support Systems, p.88. Mishra, U., 2013. Management Information Systems Vs. Other Information Systems.Other Information Systems (August 12, 2013). Myer. (2016).Myer. [online] Available at: https://www.myer.com.au [Accessed 27 Nov. 2016]. Power, D.J., Sharda, R. and Burstein, F., 2015.Decision support systems. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Provost, F. and Fawcett, T., 2013. Data science and its relationship to big data and data-driven decision making.Big Data,1(1), pp.51-59. Seddon, P.B., Reynolds, P., Willcocks, L.P. and Mahler, P., 2012. How To Succeed In The Transformation Of An It Function: Lessons From Coles Myer Limited. InPACIS(p. 84). Yu, C.P., Chen, H.G., Klein, G. and Jiang, R., 2015. The roots of executive information system development risks.Information and Software Technology,68, pp.34-44.

Philip Levine Essays - Margaret, , Term Papers

Philip Levine White never thought she would be a famous photographer. In 1921, when Margaret was 17, she went to college to study herpetology, or the study of snakes and reptiles. That same year her father died leaving her family with little money. To stay in college Margaret got a job taking and selling pictures of the college campus using her father's broken camera. That summer she got a job as the photographer and counselor at a summer camp. Even though she liked taking pictures, for Margaret, photography was still a hobby. But architects and other photographers were impressed with her photographs and encouraged her to use her talent. When she graduated in 1927, Margaret turned down a position at the Museum of Natural History and went to Cleveland to open her own photography studio. Margaret had courage and talent from the beginning. At first she did advertising work for schools and other businesses but never stopped working on her artistic skills. For example, as she was walking by she noticed a preacher speaking in a square with only a group of pigeons to hear. Margaret wanted to take his picture but she didn't have her camera with her. She ran into a camera store and asked to rent or borrow a camera. The picture became one of her first works of art and the owner of the store became one of her best friends. One of Margaret's early dreams was to photograph the inside of a steel mill but women weren't allowed inside. Being a woman didn't stop her and the pictures were a success. Her shots were published in magazines all over the country and got Margaret her first big job, at Fortune magazine in New York. With Margaret's photos Fortune became one of the leading photography magazines. The magazine had also made her a star but Margaret still kept her studio, which had grown to a staff of eight and moved to the Chrysler building. In 1930 Fortune sent Margaret on one of her biggest assignments, to Germany to capture foreign industry. Curious about the Soviet Union she wanted to extend her trip but very few foreigners were allowed into the country. As she once said, "nothing attracts me like a closed door." Margaret never gave up and, after impressing Russian officials with her portfolio, was admitted into the country. She made a total of three trips and gained a reputation for being and expert on Russian industry. In 1931 she wrote her first book, Eyes on Russia. During World War II Margaret was sent Europe to cover the war. She got pictures of her own ship being torpedoed and became the first woman in a bomber. She also went with General Patton's troops to be one of the firsts to photograph a concentration camp. When she returned to the U.S. she wrote another book about the war, Purple Heart Valley. In 1950 Margaret was awarded an American Women of Achievement award but only seven years later she would no longer be able to hold a camera. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease but at first refused to believe the diagnosis. Margaret Bourke- White died in 1971, at 67 years old. Margaret was one of the greatest photographers but also one of the greatest women. She paved the way for many women in all professions, not just photographers, with her courage and determination.

Law vs. Beliefs essays

Law vs. Beliefs essays What does a person have to face when he breaks the rule and the law? His self-consciousness? The negative consequences after he gets caught? An individual should not break the social rule stipulated by law. This is what we have been taught and educated about since our childhood, and this legal and moral concept has been deeply implanted in our minds and guides our daily behavior, our way of communicating with others, and our style of interacting with this society. An individual should not break the rule even if it ¡Ã‚ ¯s against his or her personal beliefs. Law is something set by a nation ¡Ã‚ ¯s legislative organization for people to follow. It aims at protecting the rights, properties, etc., of the great majority of the people in the society. Law and personal beliefs do not contradict one another in a general, normal sense. They are a somewhat complementary distribution interaction. Sometimes, they go against each other, even though law cannot be sacrificed for the sake of so- called satisfaction of personal beliefs. In a society law is set to protect people ¡Ã‚ ¯s rights within it. When the law is broken the individual who breaks the law may enjoy some privileges; others may lose them at the same time. The purpose of the law is not only giving people rights but also keeping a common peace within a community or society by confining or limiting people ¡Ã‚ ¯s boundaries of activities. To keep a common peace is what national government uses to keep the country united into one. Breaking the law would do nothing good for ourselves as individuals but causes trouble, disadvantage, etc. The basic concept of being a knowledgeable human is not breaking rules, even if it ¡Ã‚ ¯s against ones own beliefs. Three social conventions confine and influence directly or indirectly our individual and social behavior in our daily life. They are law, morality and belief, overlapping on top of each other as a hierarchy. One follows another, and seldom contradi...

Country of origin effects in developed and emerging markets Research Paper

Country of origin effects in developed and emerging markets - Research Paper Example ttempted to relate the consumer’s ethnocentrism and materialism as well as their value consciousness with respect to the existing or developed market as well as the emerging markets (Sharma 2011). In order to confirm his hypothesis, the author conducted surveys on both developed and undeveloped markets. This included a number of consumers who were selected from a certain company. The results indicated the significance of looking beyond the consumer ethnocentrism and looking deeply on other psychological effects on consumer’s views on the imported goods. Despite the fact that this article significantly contributes in understanding the consumer behavior patterns, it suffers some limitations. The shortcomings are based on the methodology applied in the study as well as the study findings. One of the main weaknesses of this article is that it uses only one type of the product which is passenger cars. However, consumers may display varying characteristics depending on different factors. Therefore, consumers from a certain market for instance the emerging market may display a different perception on different products based on differences in tastes and preferences. Therefore, this study fails to cover such factors. It would have been advisable for the study to consider different products in order to compare whether there is any significant influence of the type of the product on the consumers’ perception on the imported products. This lowers the reliability of the findings. The study also examined employees from a single company. This information was then used in generalization. This is another weakness of this article. It would be better if the study could have considered a more diverse sample. This would have been more reliable in generalizing the findings on the entire population. By considering a monotonous population, this lowers the power of the general study to generalize on the population. For instance, the sample contain of people from similar social

Final Exam Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Final Exam - Case Study Example 3. The Vice President of Information Technology also wanted to know what types of external and internal information would be required to develop the business plans, and how they would obtain this information. He wanted to know what types of analytical tools, methodologies and skills they would need to generate and analyze this information. 5. Finally, the CEO stated emphatically that she did not have the time to spare or the resources to devote to writing business plans that would only â€Å"gather dust on the shelves.† She asks you how you would ensure that the plans were implemented effectively. The basic concept of a strategic business plan is to determine the major goals within our organization. In doing this, it is important that we are careful to observe company policies and develop the strategies to gain the needed resources to produce successful plans and objectives in achieving new company goals. The use of a strategic business plan will help the company by providing a foundation to organize Lawrence’s current procedures and policies. The new strategies we implement should then show us how to develop ideas in planning how to effectively use those resources that we already have. In turn we should be able to use the current company policies as references to move us in the direction in which we need to be going. The unique challenge in this issue seems to come with a focus on a need to improve performance. While strategic planning, we will determine exactly which of the six products is producing the best numbers and where in nation the bulk of our profits are streaming from. In these specific areas we will continue to thrive by not only exceeding our customer’s needs but exceeding their expectations as well. Proper planning will also help us to further understand why the company has been failing to meet its market share goals. Certain cost can be reduced

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Why Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and Why - Essay Example My reactions to Gregor surprised me, for the creature he has become, 'monstrous vermin', and the habits he develops as his condition deteriorates, eating rotting food and leaving sticky messes, is one most likely to cause revulsion. Instead, he elicits most positive emotions. In particular, he arouses feelings of pity, compassion and sympathy for his plight, while his family tend to make me feel disgusted with them and their treatment of this changed Gregor. Only his mother continues to want to protect him, even after seeing him as 'an enormous brown patch against the flowers on the wallpaper.' In asking myself why I should feel this way, I am led to look deeply at my own beliefs and values. I begin to liken Gregor's plight to someone having a mental breakdown, a stroke, or being terminally ill, or suffering dreadful disfigurement. If this happened to me or someone I cared about, coping would be hard but I would hope that kindness and concern would be given to the 'changed' me, and that people would remember that the real person is still in there somewhere. Although Grete does initially look after her brother, it is she who wants to kill him, telling her father, 'It's got to go....you've got to get rid of the idea that that's Gregor'.

Benefits of Open Source Servers

Benefits of Open Source Servers The highest aim of the thesis is to consult the open source servers and knowing out their benefits in business industry. Owing to the extensive development of technology, it is high time to consider the best to be done to sustain and improve the businesses. The primary aim of a business person is not just bringing revenue for him/herself, but to look at long-term growth, one has to focus on achieving customers needs, being able to resolve issues in a sophisticated manner and keep the technology used in the business premises to be updated. The commanding  tools  are  near to authority and  privation.  The only for  database  management  systems  (DBMSs),  there  seems  to  be  good market  as of the open  source  products  are  used  in  organization,  that includes  businesscritical  analysis models  such  as  online  travel  booking,  management  of  client  inventories  for  telecommunications,  etc.  (Yuhann a, 2006) ( Christian Thomsen and Torben Bach Pedersen,2009).Business can be of small scale or medium scale or large scale. Irrespective of the type of business, computing system can play a vital role in business, though the type and intensity of computing system technology required and used may vary. As the business grow, the demand for the technology also rise which leaves a platform for the computing system to play a lead role. Increase in the size of the industry needs more manpower and more hours of labour. This increased labour cost can be kept in control by adapting modern technologies in business world. This literature review should enable us to understand the importance of the open source servers and its importance in todays business world. LITERATURE REVIEW: An open source server is described as a system where we can find a large number of computers and their suitable applications, their associated applications with normal database. Open source servers play an important position in business. The early development of open source servers is called as the Grid system. As the technological improvement in information technology is increasing, there should be kept more focus on information systems and the websites. As the term web had achieved the standard area where the developers are tested, while information system is being developing by the help of service-oriented architectures (SOA). The improvement is expandable, which makes hard to executive the limitations between the enterprise management services and internet services. These developed techniques can be able to visible to the organizations to bring out their business online.   Business can be of can be handled by single or with multiple members or clients as we can spell them as partnerships method. In this type of methods, the private business processes can be displayed or captured by the partners via public composite web applications. This helps the new business partners to receive some guidance on how to handle the work and also provide solutions for any technical troubles such as security and application conception.As we know that the top organizations just like Apple,IBM, and Microsoft got the direct proportion between the innovations and the stability of the firm. And such ideas had been supported by the American government owing to the demands for the developments in technology. Depending on the demands of the businesses, the website providers can either increase or reduce the capacity in information systems. Most of the open source applications are developed jointly by developers all around the world, connected by the Internet, as this is the advan ced and well applicable technology which can help clients manage their costs. This technology is useful for businesss which uses multiple servers. Open for Todays Companies Source: A Strategic Technology Approach These are the offers that had been visible for an open source server or software in order to transfer companies and their developers. Since from the last decade of time, most of its values had being created at the level of implementing the application to databases, application servers, operating systems, development tools, and so many etc. As it might be luring to imagine that an open source server is really just about doing the source code letting available for explore. If we drop code into a public locality and do wish to move the advancement on the private copy in the interior of our organization, as we are not done with the open source servers at this particular instant time. As on if we are running a authority access module or just giving the extra information as a documentation work. In order to develop or make advance of an exact leveling of trust or the belief, the one the code which we had written as there must be the exact module or the access the code out that there must b e the original access code that the advancing developers are working on it on. We might be knowing that various modules have being cleared out while the access code is being checked for confirming that it works on, other than but it must be a genuine on a module-by-module based not on the entire access base. As of we rectified, in business that as the loads of the file capacity goes more or get larger, then a better implementations techniques of technology had to be insured to get in to this competition world. The one such type of technology is the Digital Technology, where most of the business uses are in their daily life. As the business is expanding, then the demand to maintain it increases as well. And these demands are quite strong and need to be met in a smart way to survive in this economic world. Apart from just the technology there is lot more need to be involved in it. By utilising the latest computing technology, one can not only make the infrastructure look better, but t hey also will succeed in providing best customer service. The business process can be made more efficient and effective and by doing all above, they can easily bag better business deals and improve the incoming revenue. According to Bartlette (2000) in his study highlighted the crisis which the information technology industry has faced due to the computing problem is intense. The computers failed to calculate accurately the year 2000 being a historic two-digit programming and this can explain how important are computers in daily life for an individual and as well as a business set-up. A tremendous improvement in Information technology and various developments that are happening in engineering related topics may cant develops or improve the business. Best customer service, efficient and flexible methods and delivery in short span are the key success in business. Business renovation (BR) and continuous process improvement with suitable information technology strategies are key areas to be focused while improving the business. Information Technology is playing a major role in business by creating innovative ideas and implementing new procedures. Business is a complex phenomenon with extreme risks in this computing economic world. Taking right decisions at right times is outmost important in business development by the management. Business can be defined as i ndividual thoughts which are put in to practice by following the ethics while aiming towards economic-financial purposefulness. A business when improving from small to medium or to large demands increased in material, man power and financial resources. Among the above mentioned, human resource plays a vital role in business as it controls the technology. A group of technologies combined to form social computing which is new evolution of the web. Social computing plays immense role in the business world which has the capability to impact the society technologically and economically. The computer systems are no less efficient than the human body. Autonomic computing is defined as the discipline which intends to learn from the bodily operating system. The computer technology is equally efficient and complicated as well as fragile as the human body and is compared to the autonomic nervous system in the humans which controls the involuntary human physiological activities. This concept of autonomic computing originated in the year 2001 from IBM (Cooter and Max, 2010). Stockinger(2006), in his short study on grid computing system revealed, it plays a key role in solving scientific, technical or business problems which might demand multiple computer processing cycles while working on large amount of data. Grid Computing is a unified pattern of computer resources from multiple administrative domains aiming for a common goal. Supporting Stockinger(2006), Liang-Jie et al (2004) mentioned the underused capacity of the computers has been taken utilised in grid computing technology to solve business problems and they indirectly provide additional support to the IT-level infrastructure to support business applications. By using grid computing technology the vendor has complete control and depending on his/her requirement he can upgrade and maintains the application. Hence it is very well understood, grid computing system supports the business big time. Benefits and Risks of Open Source Software Compared to Traditional COTS: The instant release rate of OSS assigns attaches and fixes quickly, possibly an order of magnitude quicker than those of commercial applications. Open Source applications is approximately easy to fix it because it frequently incorporates aspects such as central administration and distinct management. Because the access code is publicly available, Program Managers can have the access confirmed to meet their specific needs and tightly authority system resources. Moreover, Program Managers can re-use code written by others for familiar operations or ambitions. CONCLUSION: In this study, it is proved that the use of open source servers had a great impact on the business related ones. And almost every business irrespective of its size tends to have their own required level of using the open source servers in their area of specification of the systems that are embedded in their business models. The larger the size of the business, the more efficient the use of the open source servers technology is going to implemented in that.So finally we can conclude that by the usage of the open source servers in the business , it provides a quality of refinement, that it provides to work at and also provides customers the best of the service in the industry of all their best. It is also proved that by using of this open source servers can minutes the unnecessary cost by using it when required. To that conclude, that open source servers of a system has a huge impact on business and yields totally positive results. DISCUSSION:  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following is a brief examination or a study mainly that focus on the importance of the usage of open source servers in Business it has been identified where computing system stands in modern industrialized world. For a business to grow, one needs man power, good products, excellent marketing system etc.   But out of the all above mentioned, it is also important to have the recent technology being used in the business firms.   Using latest technology makes business easier in many ways.   Computing system plays a major role in present generation.   the more sophisticated is the technology the better the yield would be in business.   The above mentioned statement had been proved in this study.   After careful analysation of the selected articles, one should understand the necessity for the use of computing system in business.   Irrespective of a small scale or medium scale or a large scale industry, implementing computing systems in business can certainly yield better results, which was proved in this study. As the business improves and grows up the ladder, one cannot be technically or technologically challenged, instead should try and win the race by acquainting to the recent and evolving computing technology.

How To Clean The Bathroom Essay -- essays research papers

The first thing you need to do is gather all the supplies you will need. There are many different cleaners in which you will be using. These cleaners are glass cleaner, surface cleaners, soft scrub, and ammonia. You will not only need cleaners but also implements to clean with. These are a mop and bucket, broom, cobweb brush, toilet brush, rags, a sponge, a squeegee and a step latter. Last but not least, you will need a cleaning carrier to put your supplies in to make it easier to move them around . In you carrier should be all the cleaners except the ammonia, the toilet brush, sponge, a squeegee and a few rags. Now that you have the cleaners in carrier you are ready to get started. Start by useing a web-brush to get down any cobwebs that many be in the corners of the ceiling. Fill the sink with hot water and let any soap dishes or toothbrush holder soak. Now get the bottle of glass cleaner, sponge, squeegee, a glass rag, and a terry cloth rag and get into the shower. Begin by spraying down the tile and use the ruff side of the sponge to loosen any soap scum or build up. Using a terry cloth rag and wipe the tile clean. Now spray down the glass and again use the sponge to loosen any build up. Use the squeegee to take off the majority of the cleaner off and a glass rag to wipe any marks left. Make sure to look at the glass from all directions to be sure you didn’t leave any marks. Polish the shower head and knobs so they shine. Now scrub floor well and wipe dry as you get out...

5 Step Value-Chain Analysis for Customers’ Strategic Needs

Value-chain analysis is used for many purposes, but the process of examining customers’ value chains is relatively new. In our five-step process, Step 1 explains how internal and external value chains can be used separately and in related ways. Step 2 shows how to construct a customer’s value chain. Step 3 shows how to identify the customer’s business strategy by examining this value chain and using other kinds of information. Step 4 explains how to use additional information and intelligence to leverage that understanding into strategic needs and priorities. Finally, Step 5 explains how a firm’s marketing function can best use this method of value-chain analysis as a new strategic capability. Step 1: An overview of value-chain analysis Value chains may be defined in two ways: (1) within a company they describe the various value-added stages from purchasing materials to distributing, selling, and servicing the final product (Porter’s 1985 concept),[3] and (2) they also delineate the value-added stages from raw material to end-user as a product is manufactured and distributed, with each stage representing an industry. 4] For convenience, we will refer to these two definitions as ‘‘internal’’ and ‘‘external’’ value chains, respectively. The internal value chain is a key concept in the field of strategic management that has been thoroughly explored. In contrast, the external value chain has not been studied as extensively. The external value chain consists of the important ups tream/supply and downstream/distribution processes. However, even though these processes occur outside the corporation, the strategic opportunities they reveal and areas of risk they highlight warrant careful study. Consider: Outsourcing – involves transferring certain primary or support functions in the internal value chain to the external value chain. B Vertical integration – involves taking control of one or more additional stages of the external value chain and making them internal. B Horizontal expansion – involves new product lines or expanded channels of distribution, including geographic expansion. B Strategic alliances with suppliers – involves more closely managing external suppliers as if they were part of the company’s internal value chain, but without actually owning them (for example, Toyota’s Kaizen ystem, wherein key suppliers are located very near a factory and receive all kinds of help and training from Toyota to ensure smooth and efficient production). One of the most complex value chains today can be found in the oil industry. This chain has nearly 30 significant elements, starting with the search for oil (at the upstream end) and including fie ld production, transportation (pipelines and supertankers), refining and processing and, lastly, consumer gas stations (at the ‘‘downstream’’ end). Internally, the oil-industry value chain processes a broad range of products, including such major categories as oil/lubricants, gasoline, petrochemicals (plastics), fertilizers/pesticides, natural gas, power generation/electricity, and convenience stores. The firms that are considered major integrated oil companies participate in a significant number – sometimes all – of these external (upstream and downstream) and internal value-chain elements. In a 2006 issue of Strategy & Leadership, authors Wayne McPhee and David Wheeler suggested that strategists should use Porter’s concept to consider value-chain operations beyond the boundaries of the firm. Since its introduction, value-chain analysis has proven immensely valuable in three principal ways – cost analysis and reduction, differentiation, and product development – but the standard practice was for firms to analyze only their own value chain. Step 2: How to construct a customer’s value chain First, recognize that you need to construct both internal and external value chains for a particular customer. The internal value chain follows Porter’s original concept, which includes value-added steps from purchasing to distribution as well as support functions such as R&D and human resources. It’s tempting to let this generic diagram serve as the customer’s value chain, but it must be tailored to the particular customer. To produce a useful value-chain analysis, members of your engineering or sales team should ask the customer how its business processes add value and whether any have unique best-practice features. To perform the external value-chain analysis, team members should ask the customer a set of getting-to-know-you questions. What does your supply chain (the upstream value chain) look like? What role does your company play in it? How do your products reach their customers (the downstream value chain)? Your final diagram models only this single customer’s value chain and it represents virtually everything the customer does to add significant value. If your relationship with the customer permits a candid exchange of information, have the customer validate the value chain you have created. As an example of how the diagnostic process works, consider how a supplier to Wal-Mart might learn to enhance its value. [6] The objective of creating both internal and external value chains is to understand Wal-Mart well enough to be able to discern its implicit and explicit strategic concerns. Exhibits 3 and 4 depict preliminary pictures of Wal-Mart’s internal and external value chains. Getting to this initial stage is relatively easy – adding more detail, nuance, and understanding takes more time, involves interviewingWal-Mart executives, and more closely observing how the firm operates. Step 3: Inferring the customer’s business strategy Even long-time suppliers have trouble distinguishing critical customer activities from sometimes urgent but ultimately nonstrategic ones. Understanding your customer’s business strategy is therefore crucial. Value-chain analysis helps a supplier distinguish between the activities of the customer’s firm that directly support its competitive strategies – for its products and for enhancing key capabilities – and ordinary operations. For example, routine operations like billing customers or servicing the fleet of company vehicles must be done, and done well. But there is little if any competitive advantage to be gained from the superior execution of such activities. Nor are they likely to provide an opportunity for gaining new sources of revenue and profit. It is the customers’ strategic activities and projects that offer the potential for future profits and command the attention of your customers’ senior management. So by supporting strategic activities, B2B service providers stand to gain the high-margin work they hunger after, the work that produces the highest returns, and the work that should be their constant priority. The Fluor case Fluor Corporation is a global engineering and construction company providing major capital facilities for a vast range of industrial clients in many vertical markets. With as many as 2,000 projects under construction employing 40,000 workers in more than 50 countries at any time, Fluor operates in all geographic regions of the globe and in all parts of its customers’ supply chains, delivering engineering and construction management services – in sum, a full range of B2B services. The questions of where Fluor should concentrate its resources to meet its customers’ most urgent needs can become enormously complex. To rationalize this process, Fluor must determine which customer projects – the ones that address its customers’ greatest strategic needs and, hence, have potentially the greatest margins – have the highest value. For many years, Fluor has known the critical importance of understanding every one of its B2B customers’ businesses. But that was not enough. The questions for Fluor’s marketing team became, ‘‘How can we learn each customer’s business strategy and strategic needs? ’ Some of the many different sources of information about a customer’s strategy are: B Marketing communications including printed materials (brochures and advertisements), media communications (press releases) and marketing websites reveal new product directions and customer targeting; these provide insights into market positioning and marketing strategy. B Financial-community reports (annual reports, SEC filings, as well as meetings with financial analysts) shed light on internal strategic initiatives in addition to market-positioning moves. Annual reports form the basis of this Fluor case study, but 10Ks and analysts’ reports could prove equally useful. B The academic literature is replete with surgical dissections of strategically successful companies and industries. Business-school cases abound featuring companies like Apple and industries like automobiles. Wal-Mart, for one, has been the focus of many Harvard Business School cases. [8] B Many companies make their published strategic plans available to interested parties. For example, British Petroleum has published its strategy on its corporate website since 2000. B Consultants that specialize in competitive intelligence. B Face-to-face conversations with your customers. Step 4: Discovering the customer’s strategic needs Strategic activities are the activities a firm must implement in order to realize its strategy or strategies. Every strategy has such a set of activities. Insofar as a company finds doing any of these activities difficult, potential suppliers have been trained to see these as ‘‘needs. ’’ But, suppliers need to differentiate between operations that are difficult and ones that are strategic. For example, an innovation strategy requires a system for generating ideas and picking the best ones, cost estimating, engineering, R&D, prototype construction and testing, and market-acceptance testing. The pharmaceutical industry relies on a great many B2B service providers to support its new-drug-development programs in the drug-formulation (R&D) stage and also B2B service providers that develop new systems to expedite regulatory approval. Value-chain analysis identifies both as key strategic functions. Step 5: Making value-chain analysis a strategic capability of the marketing department Engineering/construction companies have developed at least two approaches to break the forces of commoditization in their industry: 1. Project screening and selectivity. Not all projects are created equal or represent equal opportunity. Service providers should select projects on the basis of projected margin, not projected revenue. They must pursue projects that build on their strengths and core competences, projects where they can apply their best talents to serve their customers. This is done by first serving customers’ commodity work to position them to then pursue customers’ strategic opportunities. This is the approach used in the Fluor example. 2. Become selected customers’ strategic business partner. Such practice puts the business-services provider right in the customers’ lap, a decidedly advantageous position to be in when strategic opportunities are brewing. It also leads to many sole-source or noncompetitive-bid opportunities and, potentially, to higher margins. 1. The method described in the article is based on actual experience of one author when he worked for Fluor Corp. . A recent example is Ram Charan, What the CustomerWants You to Know: How Everybody Needs to Think Differently about Sales, Portfolio (Penguin Group), 2007. The application of value-chain analysis to B2B clients of engineering and construction management services was originally suggested by Don F. Coleman of Fluor Corporation in May, 2000. 3. Michael E. Porter, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, Free Press, 1985. 4. Stanley C. Abraham, Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success, Thomson South-Western, 2006, 214. . Wayne McPhee and David Wheeler, ‘‘Making the case for the added-value chain,’’ Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 34 No. 4, 2006, Exhibit 1, p. 41; exhibit used with permission. 6. The supplier could have many other customers, and could replicate this process with those other customers. Typically, doing such an analysis would be reserved for the supplier’s top 3-5 customers. 7. The authors found little in the literature about B2B marketing practices based on knowledge of the customer’s value chain and business strategy. 8. See, for, example Harvard Business School Case #9-794-024, ‘‘Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ,’’ August 6, 1996, which provides a thorough review of Wal-Mart’s business practices up to its international (horizontal) expansion. 9. Michael E. Porter, ‘‘What is strategy? ’’ Harvard Business Review, November-December 1996. 10. HBS Case #9-794-024, op. cit. 11. Harvard Business School Case #9-302-102, ‘‘Robert Mondavi and the Wine Industry,’’ May 3, 2002. Mondavi’s flagship brand ‘‘Woodbridge’’ is a rare example of a brand name pointing, not to product benefits, but up the value chain to process benefits.

city of god essays

city of god essays In the introductory scene, there is a chicken running through narrow hallways in a Brazilian slum called City of God. Chasing the chicken, there are dozens of thugs waving and shooting guns trying to kill it. At that point, the hero of the movie, Rocket, is presented as what seems to be just another young man that is going to be bullied, or probably killed by the gang members if he doesnt catch the chicken. From there on, director Fernando Meirelles relocates the story a decade before, allowing the public to witness the changes on the slum that conducted to introduction of the movie, and to show that Rocket is a courageous man that is able to face his worst fears. The film is a coming of age story that uses bold cinematography and narrative to powerfully convey its message. The story is a documentary-like film that explains the evolution of violence in that poor city while telling the coming of age story of two kids that moved in opposite directions. On the one hand, there is a kid named Rocket who decided that he didnt want to be a criminal and opposed the violence happening around him. He tries to be a correct man. He falls in love with a pretty girl while working his way to become a photographer. When he sees his first camera, he knows what he wants to do with his life(Oppenheimer). However, after working on dead end jobs and realizing that the girl dumped him for a gang member, Rocket decides to try being a thief, but he finds out that he is not that type of person. Instead, he gradually grows to be a man with aspirations and the will to improve and move out of City of God. On the other hand, there is a boy named Li'l Z who admires his brother and his thug friends that live robbing people in order to buy drugs and to have fun. Li'l Z ends up surpassing the original gang members of the City of God and become ruthless murderer that is not afraid of anything and that craves total contr...

Srs for Bank Management Essays

Srs for Bank Management Essays Srs for Bank Management Essay Srs for Bank Management Essay EXPERIMENT NO: 2 AIM: To document Software Requirement Specification for Dance Academy. THEORY: 1) Introduction: 1. 1) Purpose: This document gives detailed functional and non-functional requirements for Dance Academy. The purpose of this document is that the requirements mentioned in it should be utilized by software developer to implement the system. 1. 2) Scope: This system allows the bank employee to maintain a record of all the customers who have account in the bank. With the help of this system, the employee should be in a position to search the records of a particular customer, provide him detailed account information and delete and update the customer information as and when required. 1. 3) Overview: This system provides an easy solution to the bank employee to maintain customer as well as employee records and maintaining a record of all the transactions that take place. 2) General Description: This Bank Management System replaces the conventional, traditional file and record based system with the help of which a lot of paper work will be reduced. Thus the manual work of maintaining files which are subjected to physical wear and tear can be avoided. The employee must be able to view all the information of customers such as name, account number, date of birth, gender, address, initial balance. Also it must be able to record different transactions such as withdrawal, deposit or transfer of funds from one account to another. The employee can also add new staff members to the system providing them direct access to the database and thus enabling them to provide services to the users. The employee can also change his password to follow security constraints. 3) Functional Requirements: 3. 1) Description: The identity of each customer is verified and only then changes are made to the records each customer. After proper verification, the bank employee can bring proper changes to the database as per the requirements of the user. Also the system maintains an employee database thus keeping a record of all the members of bank as well as keeping the records of the transactions which take place daily. 3. 2) Technical issues: The system should be implemented in . NET. 4) Interface Requirements: 4. 1) GUI: GUI 1: The first form provides login page for the employee. GUI 2: After successful login, there are different actions that can be performed i. e. change password, sign-out, add customer, delete customer, add details, view details etc. GUI 3: For adding customers, all the required information is taken and the submit button is selected for making corresponding changes into the database. GUI 4: Once the changes are made into the database, on clicking the view details icon, the details of the customer can be obtained. GUI 5 and 6: The details of the customer can be updated with the help of form 5. A particular customer can be removed with the help of delete customer option. GUI 7,8 and 9: These forms record the different transactions such as withdrawal, deposit, transfer. 4. 2) Hardware Interface: Hardware Interface 1: The system should be embedded in each PC of the bank and in all of its branches. 4. 3) Software Interface: Software Interface 1: Bank Management System. Software Interface 2: The staff and employee database should maintain necessary records. ) Performance Requirements: The system should work concurrently on multiple computers during the working hours of bank. The system should support 50 users. 6) Design Constraints: The system should be designed in 2 months. 7) Other Non Functional Attributes: a) Security: Each employee is provided with a user ID and password to log into the system. Only then he can manipulate the database. b) Availability: The system should be available during ban k working hours. c) Maintainability: There should be a facility to add or delete customers as and when required. ) Reusability: The same system must be used in every financial year. 8) Operational Scenarios: There will be an employee database and customer database. The employee database contains personal information of all the employees. The customer database contains personal as well as account related information. 9) Preliminary Schedule: The system has to be implemented in 2 months. CONCLUSION: Thus we have documented Software Requirement Specification for Bank Management System (BMS).

Can the war on terror be undertood in terms of realism Essay

Can the war on terror be undertood in terms of realism - Essay Example This shouldn’t be startling as they all have a common origin and considering the complexity of the subject, it deserves this literary stretch. If Marxism and Christianity can have various interpretations, so can realism. John J. Mearsheimer, professor at the University of Chicago was once asked what realism says about terrorism, and his answer was, ‘Not a whole heck of a lot, Realism†¦..is really about relations among states, especially among the great powers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Realism doesn’t have much to say about the causes of terrorism’1. It would be better to take a look at various realism theories before going into the details of the war on terror. Realism is a ‘philosophical disposition’ in the words of Robert Gilpin; many commentators have considered it a general orientation and not a set of explicit rules. According to Ferguson and Mansbach, it is a set of normative emphases that shape the theory and an ‘attitude of mind’ with distinct and perceptible flavours in the words of Edward Garnett. Sandra Rosenthal considers realism a ‘loose framework’ while Colin Elman considers it a ‘big tent’ that has room to accommodate a number of theories and notions2. Realism is a methodology of understanding international relations and many scholars and thinkers have placed themselves in the growth of this method that is why it has been delimited in its projection and analysis. It is a little difficult to enclose terrorism or ‘war on terror’ in one definition of realism. Terrorism is a concept that has reached all corners of the earth. No place on this planet is oblivion of this concept, especially after the sad September 11 attacks on the twin towers of U.S. and the America’s ‘war on terror’. This phrase has redefined domestic conflicts and territorial skirmishes. Prior to 9/11 attacks and the alleged ‘war on terror’, terrorist groups were indigenous of their terrains but now just like international trade and

Hart-Devlin Debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hart-Devlin Debate - Essay Example However, the law is not against the private lives of people and the activities they undertake in private. Therefore, a law cannot be imposed that interferes with the private lives of people. The report by the committee sparked a reaction from Patrick Devlin. Devlin in his discussion on â€Å"the enforcement of morals† argued that criminal law is not only meant to protect individuals but the entire society. Therefore, if people are engaged in activities that are against the society norms should be criminated. He further argued that criminal law should not only protect criminal activities that directly affect people, but rather should protect society from adverse effects imposed by individuals both in public and in private (Cane 22). Herbert Hart reacted against the argument of Devlin in a radio broadcast. Hart argued with regard to the â€Å"harm principle† by J. S Mills. He argued that the only reason in which power can be correctly exercised over any individual in soci ety against his will is, to ensure no harm imposed to others by the individual (Cane 23). An argumentative debate between the two individuals ensued, both of them believing their side of the argument to be reasonable. Devlin argued that the society supposed to be united by legal and moral conducts. Therefore, any actions that jeopardizes society’s norms should be criminated (Cane 24). The society supposed to impose its morality so that cultural values and believes can be maintained. Hart argued against this argument claiming that Devlin did not provide factual evidence of his arguments. Hart claimed that society norms are widely used; therefore, using them to deny a group of people to conduct their private activities is not respecting the morals of individuals. Some contributions made regarding the subject of law and morals of society (Cane 25). Therefore, in order to establish a valid argument of the case standards ought to be set and difference between harm and moral standa rds should be established. In addition, a relationship between law and morality should also be discussed in details. The debate sparked by the report established by wolfenden committee. The committee was established to put in consideration the law governing prostitution and male homosexual behavior. Nonetheless, the debate that ensued concentrated on the subject of sexual conduct and morals. The committee was discussing the issue of criminal activities with regard to homosexuality. The debate concentrated on criminal law and did not put in consideration other forms of law (Cane 26). The society plays a significant role to play with regard to ensuring the community and the country at large behave accordingly. According to Devlin, the actions of individuals can affect the outlook of the entire society. Therefore, when lawmakers are developing laws they should put into consideration a person’s liberty (Cane 27). In addition, technological advancement is changing overtime; theref ore, it is reasonable enough for the society to come to terms with the changes. Devlin’s view After the committee published its report, Devlin was quick to respond to the report through a public lecture. Devlin argued that morals and laws should go hand in hand. Behavior of an individual does not only affect the individual alone but the entire society (Cane 28). Therefore, legalizing homosexuality is offensive to the society as it goes against the moral standards of the society. the society’s cultural values should be protected by the law. Devlin’s argument meant to protect the society through the

Answer the 4 Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Answer the 4 Questions - Essay Example The best part about the company was also that it had good electrical engineers that paid attention to providing the customers with good quality finished products. However, most of the machines were a little non-user friendly which led to a lot of complaints faced by the dealers. These factors thus represent vital strategic resources for the company in their own ways as mentioned. Answer 2: In the projector market, Sony had secured for itself a firm foothold as well. Sony was the main player in the projector market and had an estimation of about 50% of its units being sold. The main reason by which it was able to generate high levels of revenue was because it had a worldwide network of captive commercial video distributors who in turn worked with about 1,500 dealers worldwide. It had built a reputation for itself in terms of high reliability and cheaper prices with the dealers and that is why the more preferred brand in terms of projector purchases. However, when one looked at its ele ctrical engineers, the ones from Barco were better equipped to handle machines and produced better projectors. Thus the only strategic resource that Sony has in the projector market reverts back to its strong distribution system or line of promotion and physical networking. Answer 3: Barco made a decision of entering a new activity only if it had in depth research of the technology that was required and only if it could hold an estimation of being one of the top three manufacturers of the product in the world. It also put in about 8% - 10% of its annual turnover into research and development for the same. This led to the company facing a vast number of hindrances because due to this, the company only relied on the knowledge that it had gained, and Sony took over the market slowly with the introduction of new and improved technology at lower prices. Had the company changed its vision about not delving into unknown surroundings, it could have done better and provided fierce competitio n for its competitors as well. Answer 4: Sony’s strategic plan was to launch the Superdata projector at the Siggraph show in Boston. This product seized the first place as the industry’s highest performing projector from BPS’ BG400. Sony also planned to price it at a level that was about 20% – 40% below the actual market price that had been established in the projector sector. Thus this lethal combination of having such a low price for a high end and high performance yielding product proved great competition for Barco and threatened not only to lead to a collapse of its traditional market segmentation but also drop the prices of its products to a very low amount. This led to a downturn in the company’s working and functioning. Works Cited 1. Moriarty, Rowland T. â€Å"Barco Projection Systems (A): Worldwide Niche Marketing†

Why People Tell Lies Essay Example for Free

Why People Tell Lies Essay Telling a lie is something that seems to come naturally to people. It is usually a tall story used to hide their shortcomings as individuals or hide actual events that may prove to be detrimental to certain situations a person is involved in. When a person lies because of those reasons, he hopes that the person he is telling it to will believe it and forget the situation that currently exists. The reason people lie vary in reason and depends upon the age of the liar. As children, a lie is sometimes part of an over active imagination. As adults, the lies are told to make their lives seem more interesting than it usually is. Or, among friends, a lie is told to protect feelings or secrets. A lie told by a friend to cover up another friend usually builds the â€Å"I got your back† basis of the friendship. Lies told for any reason is unacceptable. There is no such thing a small lie or a white lie. A lie is a lie and it has severe repercussions once it is discovered. Sometimes, a person becomes a congenital liar because he is afraid that people will not like the real him. So he makes up a totally different personality to make him more popular with people. Unfortunately, once the lie is caught, that usually means the end of that relationship. It is said that a person who says he never lies is a liar himself. I would tend to believe that because some people do not even realize they are lying to people anymore. The people around us who are supposed to be our role models, the celebrities, the politicians, even our own parents, lie at certain points during their lives for one reason or another. So how can they expect us to tell the truth all the time when they themselves cannot be bound to it? Lies are also told in order to assert authority. Leadership by fear it is called. An empty threat that nobody is serious about following through on. Basically, people lie simply because it is easier to deal with a lie and tell people what they want to hear instead of telling a truth that would have to be justified in the end. Why People Tell Lies (Final Version) Some people believe that lying is an act that comes naturally to everyone. The reasons for telling a lie is as varied as the imagination of the people telling lies. The recognized reason that people tell lies is because they need to hide certain information or actions that could have a negative after effect on the liar and the people around him once the truth gets out. It is a way of diverting attention from what really transpired in the hopes that the people concerned will no longer be interested in finding out more details about the events as it actually happened. The fact is that people of all ages, race, and ethnicity lie. Children tell lies as part of their cognitive development processes. A lie is an acceptable product of an over active imagination that the child releases through story telling. Adults on the other hand lie for completely different reasons that are deemed unacceptable by proper society. An adult can lie in order to make himself more interesting as a person or to get ahead in the workplace. When among friends, lies are told to protect feelings, or keep secrets of others in order to reinforce the â€Å"trust† factor between friends. In truth, lies, regardless of the reason they are told, are unacceptable in any society. There is no such thing as a harmless, small, or even white lie. There are no innocent lies because once a lie is told, it immediately poses severe repercussions for the liar who will always be discovered n the end. When a person takes to lying in order become a popular and accepted person in social circles and is caught, the lie effectively ends any relationship that existed and creates an irreparable rift among those concerned. I believe that a person who says that he never lies is a liar himself. The images of people who we trusted to tell the truth and yet lie all the time surround us. From the politicians to the Hollywood celebrities we admire, they all seem to lie to the public on a daily basis and expect us to believe everything they say. They make telling a lie a proper and acceptable thing to do in society. How can we be expected to tell the truth to the people around us when we are surrounded daily by liars? Obviously, one of the major reasons that a person tells a lie, as evidenced by the politicians and celebrities is to assert their authority and influence on the impressionable people. When a lie is told, a wrong magically becomes a right. Even our own parents lie during certain instances and they should therefore never hold their kids to telling them the whole truth all the time. Basically, it is easier to tell a lie and deal with covering it up with more lies than it is to tell a truth with justifiable reasons. People seem to accept and deal with lies more easily, that is why people lie.