Reflective Practice Essay

I am writing this reflective journal in accordance with the CNO`s reflective practice standards and the LEARN model. Though my time on 600A has only just begun I have learned so much. Like many second year students, this is my first experience in the hospital. It has proven to be much different than my previous clinical experiences. My time with my first client stands out in my mind as a key learning experience. I like to believe that I am caring and compassionate with everyone I meet, especially in a professional setting. This particular client was a lady in her early 80s. She was good natured and very easy to get along with. She was cognitively aware and quite bright. As a result of bowel surgery she had an ostomy. This was new to her and I could tell she was unsure about it. My first day with her we did a lot of chatting and sharing. She told me about her husband, children and career as a kindergarten teacher. This helped build a certain level of comfort with me as a caregiver. I had her to come for walks with me down the hall and once she was up and moving she said she felt much better. I helped her with her first shower post-op. I made her feel more comfortable by promising to stay outside the door while she was in there. When she was finished, I helped her to apply lotion to her dry skin and at her request gave her a good back rub. My shift ended and I said my goodbyes. My client told me she was sad to see me go and was looking forward to my return the next morning. That night when I went home I did some research into ostomies. Through my textbooks and previous experience I had a solid knowledge of the basic care but just in case I wanted to refresh. I was excited to return to clinical the next morning. My client had a big smile for me when I walked into her room. Throughout the evening the ostomy nurse had come in, did some assessments and quickly taught my client how to empty and clean the appliance. Unfortunately since the nurse was very busy she did not have the time practice with her. My client told me she was unsure and nervous about performing the task. Since I had taken the extra time to do the research the night before, I was able to take the client into  the bathroom and walk her through the steps. I had the knowledge necessary to put my client at ease and make her feel more comfortable with this new situation. My client went home that day while I was still on shift. Before she left she thanked me and told me she wouldn`t have felt ready to leave if I had not been able to teach her about the appliance. She even made sure I met her husband and he thanked me as well. I felt very proud to be a student nurse that day. I believe I had a positive impact on that client. I took the time to care for the client and attend to her post-operative needs. As the former president of the CNO, Sandra Ireland said, â€Å"Nursing is not like any other job — it is a profession that allows us to influence lives in ways that we know and ways that we cannot imagine. Clients and families carry with them the words of comfort, caring and encouragement you say during difficult times and throughout the rest of their lives.â€Å" (Ireland, 1998) My client had a big adjustment to make and I was there to offer the support she needed. By taking the time to care about my client, not only as a client but as a person I was able to make her stay at the hospital a better experience for her and her family. She felt comfortable and well cared for and her husband was more at ease knowing people were there to care when he couldn`t be. I was able to anticipate the client`s needs and prepare myself to assist with those needs as they arose. The Sault College Practical Nursing Program beliefs on caring are outlined in the student success guide. It states, â€Å"Caring is the essence of nursing practice. When caring is the foundation for helping relationships, each person is a partner in growth towards optimal health. The interpersonal connection between caregiver and client transcends time, gender and technology. It is our view that caring, as an interpersonal interaction can be learned. A caring nurse strives for competence and excellence in the professional practice. Caring can be modeled, acquired, practiced, perfected and evaluated.† (Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology School of Health & Community Services, 2008) Based on this principle of caring I feel I did a good job of caring for my client post-operative needs. I was able to form a  caring relationship with her. I was competent in the skills I performed with her and she left me healthier than when we first met. My care was lacking a holistic approach. Looking back I did an excellent job at caring for this woman and her new ostomy but I forgot about just the woman. Lois White explains, nursing the whole person: physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological, spiritual and sociocultural, is essential to ensure the health and well-being of a client in the healthcare system. By ignoring the other areas I did not provide the best care I’m capable of. She may have had some self-esteem issues related to having this appliance or concerns about how others will react, especially her family and friends. An ostomy is a huge adjustment to make and as the nurse I could have offered some support. The more time I get to practice caring and working on interpersonal connections with clients the better I will be at caring. I believe caring is an art and a skill and they only way to perfect it is to do it. I will try spending more time thinking and planning how I am going care for my clients. I will reflect on how my work with clients affected them and gauge this with their reactions. The client themselves are in the best position to evaluate my skills as a caregiver. This week when I return to the clinical setting I will put my new approach into action. After data collecting I will think about more about the holistic person than just treatments involved with their current surgery or illness. I will do my best to identify any issues fears the client is facing and offer support for these. I will speak to my client about their mental and social wellness and do my best to assess their status within my scope. If nothing more I may be able to offer brochures or phone numbers for support groups in the area. While working with the nurses, I will observe their interactions with the clients and the care they provide. I will attempt to use the good I see and learn from the bad. If I find someone with a style of caring I truly admire I will find time to discuss it with them and take in any jewels of wisdom  they have to offer me. At the end of the day or when I find a quiet moment I will reflect on the care I provided that day. I will think about my clients, and how I made them feel. My goal is receive positive feedback from all the clients I interact with each clinical day, whether it is verbal or a simple smile. I will leave my clients knowing that I provided them with the best, holistic care I could. I would also like to take some time either on a break or after clinical ends and really talk to my classmates about how they feel they are doing. We could discuss not just the new skills we learned and may have preformed, as per usual, but their progress with caring. Through this reflection I expanded my definition of care. I have always provided good care for my client’s ailments but I never took the time to really think about everything they may need to feel well again. Secondly I realized in order to be a truly caring nurse you need to take the time to think about your actions and interactions with clients. Reflecting back on the day, whether it is formal and written as in this journal or with classmates on the way home, will help me learn, grow and develop as a nurse. References: Ireland, S. (March 2004). President`s message. The Standard, 29 (1), 4. Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology School of Health & Community Services. (2008). Practical nursing program student success guide 2008-2009. Sault Ste Marie, ON. White, Lois. (2000). Foundations of Nursing: Caring for the Whole Person. Albany,NY: Cengage Learning

Filipino Traditional Music Essay

Main Article: Filipino folk music Philippine gong music can be divided into two types: the flat gong commonly known as gangsa and played by the groups in the Cordillera region of the bossed gongs played among the Islam and animist groups in the Southern Philippines. Kulintang refers to a racked gong chime instrument played in the southern islands of the Philippines, along with its varied accompanying ensembles. Different groups have different ways of playing the kulintang. Two major groups seem to stand-out in kulintang music. These are the Maguindanaon and the Maranaw. The kulintang instrument itself could be traced to either the introduction of gongs to Southeast Asia from China from before the 10th century CE, or more likely, to the introduction of bossed gong chimes from Java in the 15th century. Nevertheless the kulintang ensemble is the most advanced form of music from before the late 16th century and the legacy of hispanization in the Philippine archipelago. The tradition of kulintang ensemble music itself is a regional one, predating the establishing of borders between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. It transcends religion, with animist and Christian ethnic groups in Borneo, Flores and Sulawesi playing kulintangan; and Muslim groups playing the same genre of music in Mindanao, Palawan and the Sulu archipelago. It is distantly related to the Gamelan music orchestras of Java and Bali, as well as the musical forms in Mainland Southeast Asia, mainly because of the usage for the same bossed racked gong chimes that play both melodical and percussive. Notable folk song composers include the National Artist for Music Lucio San Pedro, who composed the famous â€Å"Sa Ugoy ng Duyan† that recalls about the loving touch of mother to her child. Another great composer who’s known as patriotic composer, Alfredo Buenaventura. Harana and Kundiman The Harana and Kundiman are lyrical songs popular in the Philippine Islands dating back to the Spanish period. Harana are traditional courtship songs in the Mexican-Spanish tradition based on the habanera rhythm while the Kundiman, which has pre-colonial origins from the Tagalog region, uses triple meter rhythm. Kundiman is also characterized by a minor key at the beginning and shifts to a major key in the second half. Its lyrics depict a romantic theme, usually portraying love, passion, or sadness. In the 1920s Harana and Kundiman became more mainstream musical styles led by performers such as Atang de la Rama, Jovita Fuentes, Conching Rosal, Sylvia La Torre and Ruben Tagalog. Tinikling The Tinikling is a Philippine dance which involves two individual performers hitting bamboo poles, using them to beat, tap, and slide on the ground, and fartand against each other in co-ordination with one or more dancers who steps over, and in between poles. Carià ±osa The Carià ±osa (meaning loving or affectionate one), is a Philippine national dance from the Marà ­a Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the fan, and handkerchief plays an instrument role as it places the couple in romance scenario. The dance is similar to the Jarabe Tapatà ­o. The Carià ±osa is accompanied with Hispanic music, and language. It is also related to Kuracha, Amenudo and Kuradang in the Visayas and Mindanao Area. Rondalla The Rondalla is performed on ensembles comprising mandolin instruments of various sizes called banduria composed on the Iberian tradition. Other instruments including guitars, is also performed.It is original to Spain.

Disco Demolition Night

On the eve July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois, the double-header game was about to begin between the White Sox and the Detroit Tigers. However, it was not the baseball game that took the limelight that evening as along with the said baseball game was a promotional event dubbed, â€Å"Disco Demolition Night† spearheaded by WDAI Disk Jockeys Steve Dahl and Garry Meier who were both against the proliferation of Disco music which was then considered to be minority music as promoted by the blacks.Other than this, the two jockeys also reasoned out that disco was causing the demise of rock and roll and consequently, the cancellation of the rock and roll show of both of these jockeys from the airwaves. The event was meant to jack up ticket sales for the baseball game as well as make a statement against disco music as it promised tickets to the game for only 98 cents if the spectators brought with them old disco records in exchange.The management of the White sox felt that the event would be successful in bringing in a big crowd for the game and just as expected, instead of the initial estimates, the crowd swelled up to 90,000, quite too much for the 52,000 seat capacity of the stadium. (Wikipedia) So, the event did not only have the propulsion of the two disk jockeys but the support of the owner of the Red sox himself, Mike Veeck. The event began to become uncontrollable when after the first baseball game; the proponents of the said Disco Demolition Night took to the field and destroyed a huge pile of disco records using explosives.From this point on the crowd became unruly and people from the bleachers went to the field to destroy certain equipment and even steal chunks of the field itself. Television commentators later explained that even before the event began, the air reeked with the smell of marijuana and many people were just walking around as if they were not within themselves. The ruckus broke out into an uncontrollable riot even when t he proponents tried to use the PA system to implore the crowd to settle down.In the end, riot police had to intervene as six people were taken to the hospital for injuries and thirty-nine other were ‘arrested for disorderly conduct. ’ The officials of the Detroit Tigers refused to continue with the second game which was shortly forfeited in their favor on the grounds that the White Sox was not able to provide a suitable venue for the games. (Wikipedia) Bill Veeck, the father of Mike consequently had to face public reaction to the event; Mike was also eventually banned from Major League baseball because as a consequence of the event.Viewing the video of the event on YouTube is a validation of what was initially written in the Wikipedia article. However, the Wikipedia article did not include such details as the interview with Veeck, Dahl and Meier. These interviews revealed the intentions of these individuals in relation to the event gone haywire. Veeck simply said that t he event was a promotional activity which was organized to increase sales for the game while. Dahl, speaking for himself and in behalf of his partner Meier admitted that his purposes for the event stemmed from his dislike of disco music.However, if earlier circumstances are taken into consideration, it has to be argued that even prior to the event; Dahl had lost his rock and roll program because of the growing demand for disco music which was then emerging during that time. Disco music was then associated with the blacks and the underground which all the more made people curious about it. Dahl, in his interview with a television news program explained what he hated about disco music and although he did not directly admit that it had something to do with black culture, it was obvious that the disco patrons that he was describing at the moment were typical of the blacks.(YouTube) The mere fact that Dahl lost his radio show is reason enough for him to develop a grudge for disco music, notwithstanding racist issues that may have been left unspoken as disco, is, as mentioned, originally from the blacks. Another feature that is noticeable in the Wikipedia article when compared to the YouTube video is the fact that in the article injuries were reported. These injuries were not mentioned in the video; in fact the reporter kept on saying that there were no injuries. (YouTube)Obviously, the persons to blame for this particular event are the proponents, but when circumstances are considered, Mike Veeck should get more of the blame because over and above everybody else, he had the power to prevent it as the owner of the White Sox. Dahl was mere instrumental as the event’s organizer and besides, if profit is considered, Veeck would have had profited the most from the event. Nevertheless, all things considered, the people at the stadium were also partly to blame because of the lack of discipline on their part.However, if the claim of the Wikipedia article stating tha t there was a scent of marijuana in the air is considered, then it is possible that the crowd was not in their right mind during the event. In the case of the stadium and its management, such could have been prevented, possibly, if the management ensured that only a number representing the venue’s capacity was allowed into the venue. Since the crowd swelled up to thousands beyond the capacity, then it would have been impossible to control the crowd. The riot police was there when they were needed and need not have been there to begin with if not for the chaotic situation that ensued.All things considered, it is easy to lay the blame on certain individuals but it cannot be denied that such catastrophes cannot just result from a singular source; rather, it is a conglomeration of certain things happening all at the same time, at the right time, and with the right circumstances. Of course, the pointed finger will always single out the proponents, but in any case, they just organi zed the event, perhaps, the only mistake that they committed was their obvious negligence of what could happen, which, by the way, could not be accurately predicted as the facts would show.

Canadian troops must not be in Afghanistan Essay

Canadian troops must not be in Afghanistan - Essay Example The other nations which have been involved in active fighting in Afghanistan are U.S, Britain, Denmark and Netherlands. However recently it has been seen that the support for the Canadian forces deployment in Afghanistan has been criticized by many (Power 2008). A question has thus arose regarding its deployment as to if they should remain in Afghanistan or should they be withdrawn ? This essay would revolve around this question and give a probably answer regarding the deployment of the forces. Surveys in Canada shows that 47% of the Canadians want their forces to be withdrawn whereas only 17% of the total want the force to be engaged in active combat. Most importantly it can be seen that Canada has never been attacked by the Afghans in anyway. It is only because of Canada’s peace-making efforts that it has engaged the forces into a heavy combat against the Afghans. Moreover concerns have also raised as to if the deployment of the troops in Afghanistan would help in maintainin g the peace in Canada or not. Active involvement of troops in Afghanistan can rather attract the attention of the Taliban to attack the country which has been involved in ground attacks over them. Hence it can be said that the Canadian forces should immediately withdraw from Afghanistan. ... Above all the people of Afghanistan should also support the armed forces for their involvement in the affairs of the country but it has been found that most of the population there is against the involvement of foreign countries in the national affairs (Power 2008). The war waged on Afghanistan has bought no good to the whole society as it can be still seen that the terrorist attacks remain in the world. An example of the bombings in London can be cited as a proof that the war on terrorism has brought no fruit (BBC News 2005). In the war against Taliban it has been seen that many civilians in Afghanistan have also died and this can be cited as a great failure of the army. A report has shown that the Canadian forces are suffering the most in Afghanistan with regard to their proportion. Since 2006 the Canadian forces have lost 5.1% of their officers during the war. Most of the troops of Canada are deployed in a very sensitive area of Kandahar because of which they have to suffer from l osses. All these reasons together make up a strong proposal for which the Canadian troops should withdraw from Afghanistan (Jodi Lai 2010). It has been seen that the casualties of the Canadian force are increasing by every passing year and this should be taken into notice by the relevant authorities. Moreover the war waged of Afghanistan was apparently for the betterment of the people living there but it has been seen that the people are not content with the interference of foreign military in the region. Deploying the Canadian troops in the region just makes the issue deeper as the Taliban would notice their involvement in the war and attack their nation which has been thus far safe from these sort of attacks. Lastly the

Database Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Database - Assignment Example The second layer is diversely treated by database modeling languages. Nevertheless, there are common features, especially type constructors. A common approach in most models is the generic definition of operations according to the structure of the type. The inductive specification of structuring is based on base types and type constructors. A type constructor is a function from types to a new type. The constructor can be supplemented with a selector for retrieval (like Select) with a retrieval expression and update functions (like Insert, Delete, and Update) for value mapping from the new type to the component types or to the new type, with correctness criteria and rules for validation, with default rules; current date for data assignment, with one or several user representations, and with a physical representation or properties of the physical representation. A base type is an algebraic structure B = (Dom(B); Op(B); Pred(B)) with a name, aSet of values in a domain, a set of operatio ns and a set of predicates. A class BC on the base type is a collection of elements from Dom (B). Usually, BC is required to be a set (DIETRICH, 2011). It can be also a list (denoted by ) multi-set ({|.|}), tree etc. Classes may be changed by applying operations. Elements of a class may be classified by the predicates. The value set can be discrete or continuous, finite or infinite. We typically assume discrete value sets. Typical predicates are comparison predicates such as ; Â ·; 6=; ?; =. Typical functions are arithmetic functions such as, - and x. The set of integers is given by the Integer Set. The base type is extended to a data type by explicit definition of properties of the under-lying value sets. Precision and accuracy; data can be precise to a certain extent. Precision is the degree of refinement in the calculations. Accuracy is a measure of how repeatable the assignment of values for properties is. Granularity: Scales can be fine or coarse. The accuracy of data depends on the granularity of the domain which has been chosen for the representation of properties. Ordering: The ordering of values of a given domain can be based on ordering schemes such as lexicographic, geographic or chronological ordering or on exact ordering such as orderings on natural numbers. The ordering can also be based on ontologies or categories. Scales have a range with lowest values and highest values. These values can be finite or infinite, if they are finite then overflow or underflow errors might be the result of a computation. Classification: The data can be used for representation of classifications; the classification can be linear, hierarchical, etc. The classification can be mono-hierarchical or poly-hierarchical, mono-dimensional, poly-dimensional, analytical, synthetically or even monothetic. The classification can be based on ontologies and can be maintained with thesauri. Presentation: The data type can be mapped to different representation types dependent on se veral parameters. For instance, in Web applications, the format chosen for presentation types of pictures depends on the capacity of the channel, on the compression etc. The presentation might be linear or hierarchical, and it can be layered. Implementation: The implementation the attribute type depends on the properties of the DBMS. The implementatio

Asian Culture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Asian Culture - Assignment Example In China for example, there is extensive application of Chinese traditional medicine which comes in various forms like balms, powders, tincture, pills together with raw herbs. The Chinese medical practice is majorly used as protective mechanisms to common bodily disorders; it extends to countries like Japan and Tibet. More over, the application of Chinese medicine has also been widely adapted in the Western Countries especially the USA where a good number of the population currently considers the use of Chinese medicine (Carteret 2011). The other common traditional Asian culture is the aspect of martial arts which is considered to be an imperative stage that every member of the population has to undergo. Martial art is practiced in countries like China, Korea, Japan and even Tibet. In China, there is the practice of Karate, Taekwondo and Judo; they are means that ensure a person maintains good health through constant practice and also develop personal defense mechanisms in the process of physical attacks. Such kind martial art has not only been adapted in the Western Region but also in other parts of the world for military purposes, health purposes and for leisure. Consequently, there is also the dimension of religious beliefs; each of the Asian countries practices unique religious practices however; some religious activities are shared among some of these nations. In India, there is Hinduism as the dominant religious practice; although there are other religious practices such as Buddhism, Hellenism and Brahmanism. Some of these religious beliefs such as Buddhism are shared among the Asian countries like in China and Tibet. The practice of such religious beliefs has also been extended to the Western Region where a good number of the population tends to resort to the Asian religious practices in periods of psychological

Stem Cell Research Legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stem Cell Research Legislation - Essay Example This particular bill was vetoed by this Republican president. By 2001, President George W. Bush establishes that no stem cell research should be conducted on cells produced after August 9, 2001. This particular legislation issued by the Executive branch does not, however, indicate limitations on stem cell research conducted on cells older than August 9, 2001 or limit state-level funding for this research (Science Progress, 2009). Because of this lack of clarity in the legislation, the state of California becomes one of the first states to provide funding and establish legal allowances for this practice to continue. By 2004, the state of New Jersey becomes one of the first states to establish funding for an embryonic stem cell research center under NJ Permanent Statue, Title 26: 2Z-2. (Science Progress, 2009). In 2007, a bill is passed by Congress with a vote of 63 to 34 that expands Congressional funding of embryonic stem cell research, just short of the two-thirds majority required to protect the bill from presidential veto, however this does not occur (National Institutes of Health, 2012). This funding is approved which lays the foundation for the current policy regarding allowance of stem cell research and certain levels of federal funding toward this objective. The legislation banning or approving stem cell research maintains very different perspectives as compared to the United States that is more liberal about its imperatives and social benefits. Australia, as one example, allows this research to be undertaken, but it is highly regulated by the government. For an individual or organization to participate in this research, they must receive a license from the National Health and Medical Research Council and a secondary license must be granted for Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (Australian Stem Cell Centre, 2011). The development of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates all activities associated

General Patton leadership during war Research Paper

General Patton leadership during war - Research Paper Example Defeat in a war not only means political and also cultural loss of a nation but also massive loss of youth life with no purpose gained. A war commander’s purpose is to visualize enemy’s approach and accordingly formulate strategies to achieve victory on the battlefield. For this, he has to efficiently and effectively communicate his visions and missions to his subordinates. An able commander is largely responsible for a nation’s success or failure in a war (Sanderson, 1997, pp.1-2). This paper explores the leadership strategies and attitude of one of the most renowned American war commandant George S. Patton Jr. Considered as one of the most successful military men of all times, General George Smith Patton, Jr. was born on November 11, 1885 in San Gabriel, California. He is famous for his commanding power of any war and his strong leadership style. He used to carry pistols with ivory handles and was known for his temper. He showed immense persistence in driving his troops to acquire excellence in their wartime skills. Even during his childhood days, Patton nurtured the dream of becoming a military man, and he never indulged in any other career option. His passion for war and weapons was born from hearing stories of bravery and successful missions about his ancestors who were involved in various wars like the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War and the Civil War. After attending Virginia Military Institute for one year, he completed his graduation from the United States Military Academy at West Point on June 11, 1909. After that he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 15th cavalry Regi ment. In the year 1912, George Patton participated in the Olympics that was held in Stockholm. As a representative of the United States, he competed with other rivals in the first Modern Pentathlon. This event initially was open only for military officers, and it was a stringent test to

Metaphysics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Metaphysics - Essay Example In this paper, the author examines the concept of metaphysics by surveying the changes in the use of the term, from the ancient, philosophic sense, to the contemporary esoteric sense, such as that found in New Age teachings. Ancient Metaphysics The term â€Å"metaphysics† was coined by Andronicus, the editor of Aristotle’s works, to refer to the collection of writings that dealt with a subject outside of physics, that is, Aristotle’s works on the natural or physical sciences. Aristotle himself did not refer to his works as being divided into the Physical and the Metaphysical. Instead, he somewhat classified his works as dealing primarily with the nature of the natural or physical world, and those that deal with first causes. But does it make sense to make such a distinction? It appears that it does make sense, because in seeking to understand the nature of the physical world, Aristotle argues that the latter is characterized by change. Thus, Aristotle’s ph ysics deals with change. Consequently, the â€Å"metaphysics† or those â€Å"beyond or after the physics† deals with first causes, or those that do not change. This latter point explains why the concept of Being is central to Aristotle’s metaphysics. ... In tackling the question of Being and existence, metaphysics deals essentially with the question of reality. In book 12 of his Metaphysics, Aristotle writes that â€Å"the subject of our inquiry is substance; for the principles and the causes we are seeking are those of substances. For if the universe is of the nature of a whole, substance is its first part† (â€Å"Metaphysics†). Indeed, if the observable world is subject to change, of what substance is this world made of? Could there be an unchanging, hence, metaphysical substance? In other words, he was preoccupied with examining the nature of reality. Modern Metaphysics In the e-book, Metaphysics (2006), Ethan Vorly states that â€Å"Metaphysics is the science of all realms, their laws and functions†(2). He defines metaphysics as the â€Å"study of multi-dimensional energies, forces and substances† (5). This view of metaphysics clearly delves into the esoteric interpretation of the term. In discussing m etaphysics along the lines of energy forces and dimensions of existence, Vorly has much in common with the Eastern philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. For example, he writes of reality in terms of an Ultimate Reality, not very different from the Eastern concept of Tao. In this sense, an esoteric understanding of metaphysics is somewhat consistent with the ancient Greek conception of the term, to the extent that there is a search for an ultimate principle or substance, as Aristotle would refer to it. However, while the ancient Greek approach to the question of reality was meant to gain an understanding of the nature of reality itself, the modern esoteric interpretation of metaphysics tends

Royal Bank of Scotland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Royal Bank of Scotland - Essay Example RBS is regarded as one of the largest and oldest banks in Europe and holds immense credibility within the banking sector. Recently, it featured in the top ten banks in the world, with total assets worth $2,342.66 billion (see Figure 1) and was ranked third in the UK with total assets worth $2,267.93 billion in the year 2010 (See Figure 2) (Relbanks, 2012). The group recorded an operating profit worth ?6.1bn for the financial year 2011-2012 up by 10% as compared to the previous year. The improvement in the bank's profitability was largely attributed to its excellent performance in the UK retail sector. Furthermore the improvement in performance could also be attributed to the bank’s 5 year improvement plan adopted in the year 2009, which entails improving customer service; restoring the bank to a sustainable enterprise and improving its risk profile; and rebuilding value for its shareholders. The customer driven strategy is the key competitive strength of the bank, and has help ed it in sustaining its performance in the midst of external challenges and threats. (RBS Annual Report, 2012). PEST Analysis: The political, economic, social and technological factors affecting RBS are discussed below: Political factors: One of the biggest setbacks faced by RBS during the financial crisis was taking over of its ownership by the UK government following a crash in the credit markets. The bank faced severe problems in raising new capital and failed in its attempt to revive its plunging profitability. In the year 2008, the UK government which was worried about the state of the financial markets sought to take up 58pc in RBS for ?15 billion (The Telegraph, 2011b). Furthermore, the collapse of the bank during the financial crisis is largely attributed... This essay mostly focuses on The Royal Bank of Scotland and aims to discuss, analyze and assess various key issues with regard to the performance of the bank, such as the external threats and challenges, that were faced by it and the strategies adopted by the same to counter them. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is an international banking and financial services company headquartered in Edinburg, United Kingdom, with various branches across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, catering to over 30 million customers worldwide. It offers a range of products and services to a wide range of customers including individual as well as corporate customers; through its subsidiaries such as Natwest, Ulster Bank, Direct Line, Charter One, Coutts, and Churchill. After nearly failing in a face of 2007-2008 crisis, the bank aimed to focus on improving its activities by focusing on risk management and aligning its business to suit the external environment. The three core principles of i ts strategy, that was used and discussed in the essay include sustainability, accountability and increased customer focus. According to its sustainability strategy, the bank proposes to actively engage in employee engagement to increase and improve their productivity. In conclusion, the researcher hopes that these strategies adopted by the Royal Bank of Scotland are likely not only to result in a positive impact on the bank’s performance, but also increase customer satisfaction and market confidence.

Globalisation and environmental sustainability Essay Example for Free

Globalisation and environmental sustainability Essay A global society is marked by new technologically integrated local and international relations which encourage the study of the effects of globalisation and as well as internationalisation of various disciplines in a society which are involved in social interactions. This interactions may be locally based or may involve international relations some of which have a close relationship to political philosophy, international economies, conflict analysis, international laws and policies as well as sociology. Globalisation makes the world more productive and stable. In the past few decades, the global economy has become increasingly interconnected and integrated. This integration is quite evident in the international markets and it has been on a steady increase since the seventeenth century although in the last few years, globalisation has undergone revolution which has given rise to many controversial issues regarding its effects and impacts on the larger global society (Lindert, Williamson 2001). Some researches have indicated that in the last two decades or so, the increased integration in the global markets has resulted in greater inequality in the way income is distributed among nations around the world. In connection to this, Bourguignon and Morrisson (2000) have also observed that combining inequality within and across countries has brought a significant rise in the global inequality since 1960 thus making the already poor countries poorer while the rich countries get richer through globalisation. Globalisation refers to the way in which nations increasingly become interconnected with one another in terms of economic, political, technological, social and cultural aspects. More often than not, the word globalisation is used to refer to the economic aspect of a nation. Economic globalisation describes the integration of national economies into the international economies via trade, migrations, international market capital flows, foreign investments and increased use of technology. The increasing rate of globalisation as has been experienced in the past two decades or so has led to rapid growth of global trade, financial capital flows, direct foreign investments and cross border trade transactions (Johnston, Taylor, Watts 2002). The major facilitators of this growth include improved transport and communication infrastructure, improved technological know-how, quicker methods of telecommunication and internet services. In addition to this, globalisation has been favoured by removal of trade barriers and policies across nations which previously inhibited international trade among nations. This has now liberalised trade and encouraged more export and import transactions which promote globalisation. The establishment of international trade organisations such as world bank, IMF and WTO have also played a significant role in facilitating globalisation as they are devoted to promoting trade and investment across nations worldwide. The result of this kind of globalised trade is presence of multinational companies (MNCs) whose budgets exceed those of the economies of many nations in which they are situated (Atkison 1999). Globalisation and sustainability. In the recent years, many controversies have emanated from the issue of globalisation. It is now seen an unnecessary evil which is threatening the social and environmental sustainability of the global societies. Globalisation is viewed by some people as an opportunity for national and international economic growth while others feel that it is a threat to economic prosperity, political sovereignty and cultural integrity (Jussilla, Cullen 2002). People in developed countries are particularly concerned with the fact that globalisation poses a threat to unskilled workers who are bound to be left jobless with the increased technological methods of production in the contracting industries. On the other hand, the developing nations are mostly concerned about the loss of political powers and sovereignty as well as loss of economic prosperity which is bound to be brought about by globalisation. According to Bhalla (2002) the whole concept of globalisation is surrounded by ideological issues both positive and negative which in the long run affect the people or societies in the globalised world. , the controversial aspect of globalisation can not be easily resolved. Globalisation and environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability refers to the aspect of addressing the needs of the current global societies fully while being cautious not to compromise the needs of the societies which are to come,that is, future generations. According Heinberg (2005), globalisation has directly or indirectly led to several environmental issues such as global warming, increased deforestation, depletion of the ozone layer, destruction of water catchment areas, biodiversity, most natural resources have reached or are nearing depletion levels, pollution of water, air and the entire environment among others. For instance, globalisation has enabled MNCs to invest in countries which have few or no environmental conservation by-laws and this results in high environmental degradation as well as depletion of natural resources. However, the WTO in response to this effect has argued that the large amounts of income or capital flows earned from globalisation are capable of catering for the environmental degradation and this is bound to improve the quality of the environment to even higher standards that it were in before. In addition, globalisation has led to increased industrialisation all over the globe and this has resulted in the much dreaded effects of depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. Global warming comes as a result of release of industrial pollutants from the manufacturing industries into the environment. Such pollutants include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of sulphur and so forth. The effects of global warming are quite evident all over the globe as they have led to diverse changes in weather and climate resulting in drought and famines in some parts of the world among other effects. The depletion of the ozone layer occurs as a result of release of chemicals such as freons and fluorocarbons in to the air which react with ozone layer hence thinning it (Bellow 2001). However,there are several positive effects of globalisation in relation to environmental sustainability. Precisely, globalisation has led to improved methods of energy utilisation, substitution of resources especially those occurring naturally, innovation of metal recovery and material recycling methods, dematerialisation of resources among other positive practices (Eiezen, Maxine 2006). Globalisation has particularly been putting great emphases on dematerialisation and this has helped industries to improve their efficiency in production, minimise and manage their waste production and reduced the production costs through use of cheap systematic procedures. In addition, the use of improved technological methods has made companies to adopt newer and more efficient methods of energy utilisation and as a result, the energy requirements in industrialized countries have substantially reduced in the recent years. Moreover, many non-renewable energy resources have been substituted with renewable sources of energy and this has greatly reduced the risk of depletion of such resources in the near future. Although the improved technology has great positive effects on the environmental sustainability, globalisation is negatively associated with the exportation and use of technologies and activities that can have detrimental effects on the environment. All these environmental effects of globalisation have either a direct or an indirect impact on the global societies. Lack of clean water for instance is a negative effect which is likely to cause diseases and suffering to the larger population. On the other hand, improved energy efficiency, advanced technology and industrialisation translates a greater advantage to the people living in the globalised world in terms of better quality consumer products, free exchange of goods, capital and services between nations among others. Globalisation and social sustainability. On the aspect of social sustainability, globalisation plays a very important role in terms of improving or lowering the social status of the people living in globalised world. Experts have argued that globalisation tends to impose a greater disadvantage to the poor countries while at the same time it favours the already developed nations (Bellow 2001). They add that although globalisation is believed to favour free trade among nations, it lead to much inequality between the developed and the under developed countries since the developing countries are unable to compete favourably with the developed countries in the international markets (Agyeman, Bullar, Evans 2003). In addition, the increased use of technology is bound to render many people jobless especially the unskilled workers, since most of the work which was previously done manually by the people is now easily done by machines. This reflects negatively on the society especially in the poorer countries since when people do not get jobs to do, they are likely to suffer from starvation, poor health, illiteracy among other social problems (Walker 2005). On the positive side, globalisation allows free movement of people across nations as they trade and this has promoted cultural diversity, intermarriages, tourism and so forth. This has further promoted peace,understanding and unity between individuals as well as nations. It is thus clear that globalisation has some critical impacts on the social lives of individuals an groups living in the industrialised countries. Identities and powers based on globalisation and sustainability. The last one decade or so has presented a turbulent phase for the global societies marked by globalisation and resurgence in the identity politics or religion based politics. Globalisation being a process of ongoing capitalism-industrialisation has had some adverse effects on the poor strata of the society. According to Heiberg (2005), the nature of globalisation is contradictory in that it divides the world as much as it unites it. Movements fundamental to globalisation are based on empathy, ideology and identities. The lives of people living in global societies are largely shaped by conflicting trends of globalisation and identity and current events in the world indicate that community identities are threatened by the forces of globalisation. One effect of globalisation on the societal political structure is the emergence of socialist states which came into being in the mid-20th century ushering in the beginning of an industrial society. The intensified rate of globalisation has led to a rise of America as a lone super-power in the world, decline of the power and authority exercised by the United Nations, decline in the amount of Non-Aligned movement, a rise in Fascist-fundamentalist politics among countries and worsening of the problems experienced by the poor in the society. While globalisation is believed to result in a democratic world economy, the political democracy system in the world is stifled in form of emasculation of the potential world government. As the national economies become more and more globalised, the world political powers become more and more centralised into one or a few nations of the world. This power monopoly is a negative effect of globalisation as it leads to a decline in democratic norms and projection of identity politics. Identity politics involve competition over scarce resources which could in principle be taken to mean struggle for political power or economic wealth resources. This kind of competition seems to favour only the rich and mighty residing in the wealthy and powerful countries leading to a form of discrimination. As a result, globalisation makes the people in rich countries continue becoming richer as those in poor countries become more poor by the day. In this case it is clear that although globalisation is capable of empowering a nation both economically and politically, the power distribution is unequal and this puts some nations at a higher political power advantage than others. Conclusion. Beyond doubt, globalisation has led to significant increase in per capita income of different nations which have fully accepted this process and applied effectively the technological advancements which come with it. It can however be seen that, globalisation has pushed most developing or Third world countries along the path of diminishing sustainability and this has not in any way been improved by the recent regulations made in the globalisation processes. For instance, the deregulation of global trade in the recent past has led to a decrease in the environmental and social-cultural constraints associated with globalisation but this kind of deregulation has failed to address the issues of sustainability. In conclusion, it is clear that the current globalisation process is quite unsustainable but with a few policies to govern it properly, the process is capable of bringing much success in the long run to all nations world wide as well as to people as individuals in the globalised world. Reference. Atkinson, G., Dubourg, R. , Hamilton, K. , Munasinghe, M. , Pearce D. , 1999. Measuring sustainable development. UK: Edward Elgar Publishers. Agyeman, J. , Bullard, R. D. , Evans, B. , (eds. ). 2003. Sustainability: Development in an Unequal World, London: Earthscan. Bello, W. F. 2001. The Future in the Balance: Essays on Globalization and Resistance. Oakland, Calif: Food First Books. Bhalla, A. S. 2002. Globalisation and Sustainable Development: A Southern African Perspective, International Journal of Technology Management Sustainable Development, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 40-57.

Oxygen and Trees Essay Example for Free

Oxygen and Trees Essay Trees alter the environment in which we live by moderating climate, improving air quality, conserving water, and harboring wildlife. Climate control is obtained by moderating the effects of sun, wind, and rain. Radiant energy from the sun is absorbed or deflected by leaves on deciduous trees in the summer and is only filtered by branches of deciduous trees in winter. We are cooler when we stand in the shade of trees and are not exposed to direct sunlight. In winter, we value the sun’s radiant energy. Therefore, we should plant only small or deciduous trees on the south side of homes. Wind speed and direction can be affected by trees. The more compact the foliage on the tree or group of trees, the greater the influence of the windbreak. The downward fall of rain, sleet, and hail is initially absorbed or deflected by trees, which provides some protection for people, pets, and buildings. Trees intercept water, store some of it, and reduce storm runoff and the possibility of flooding. Dew and frost are less common under trees because less radiant energy is released from the soil in those areas at night. Temperature in the vicinity of trees is cooler than that away from trees. The larger the tree, the greater the cooling. By using trees in the cities, we are able to moderate the heat-island effect caused by pavement and buildings in commercial areas. Air quality can be improved through the use of trees, shrubs, and turf. Leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particulates. Rain then washes the pollutants to the ground. Leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air to form carbohydrates that are used in the plant’s structure and function. In this process, leaves also absorb other air pollutants—such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide—and give off oxygen. By planting trees and shrubs, we return to a more natural, less artificial environment. Birds and other wildlife are attracted to the area. The natural cycles of plant growth, reproduction, and decomposition are again present, both above and below ground. Natural harmony is restored to the urban environment.

The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin

The Story of an Hour Kate Chopin The early 1900s was an era where society inflicted standards that suppressed women mentally and physically. From birth, women had to overcome many cultural and societal boundaries because of their gender such as being told how to converse and clothe, and even who to marry. Women in those times lacked many rights such as freedom of speech, the right to an education, and skills that would help them become employed. Every stage of their lives was controlled by a male figure, starting with their fathers from birth to their husbands during marriage. Unfortunately, a womans ideal role for men was to perform domestic duties inside the house and other duties such as sexual deeds; a womans voice and concerns were never considered priority nor were given respect. The stories of â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, by Kate Chopin and â€Å"The Girls in Their Summer Dresses†, by Irwin Shaw, expose a dominating attitude towards women and illustrate how they could be trapped in unsatisfying marriages because of their husbands thoughtlessness, exploitation, and domination. The protagonists in these stories have accepted their roles in their marriages by being passive spouses. Kate Chopins â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, is a story regarding a woman, Mrs. Mallard, who is trapped in a suppressing marriage and dreadfully wants to escape. This story describes an hour of freedom that has been given to her. Although a very short story, it seems like every sentence has an intense significance and meaning to it that makes the reader think in depth. Even though her husbands full name is given to the readers, â€Å"Brently Mallard†, she is only referred to as â€Å"Mrs. Mallard†, giving the hint of the oppression she had to go through and the degradation society enforced upon women in that time period. Mrs. Mallard, the protagonist of the story is troubled by her heart condition and is oppressed by her husband who loves her and does not want to purposely suppress authority, but sadly, it was the society that built the peoples personality and character, and set the standards in the nineteenth century. Interestingly enough, Chopin uses the techniqu e of foreshadowing in the first sentence of the story indicating the readers that something terrible is bound to happen to Mrs. Mallard, perhaps a heart affiliated problem. The quote,†Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbands death.†(Chopin 1) misinforms readers in to believing that everything will be fine. Irony could be noticed from the way Mrs. Mallard acts in response to her husbands death. Normally when a widow is informed about their spouses death, they become sad and express their grief; however, when Mrs. Mallard heard the awful news from her sister Josephine, she accepted it and proceeded to her room where she could be alone. This allowed the reader to adopt a similar prospective through her point of view, a new life and a chance to live oppression free. When she proceeds to her room, she sits down on a roomy, comfortable arm chair facing the open window. The reader should instantly inquire the use of the term â€Å"Comfortable† (Chopin 1), and question the fact that she is not miserable. While looking outside the window, she observed nature carefully symbolizing her excitement for a new life. The quote, â€Å"She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life†¦ the delicious breath of rain was in the air†¦ the notes of distant song†¦ countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves†¦patches of the blue sky showing here and there through the clouds† (Chopin 1) describes this scene adequately. At this point of the story the reader is puzzled by Chopins use of foreshadowing whether she is sad at all due to her observance of all the beautiful aspects of nature. While fantasizing about her new life, it seemed like her conscious was trying to put a stop to her happiness, leading her to realize that she was loved by her husband even though he was s uppressive time to time, his intentions were good; however, Chopin was trying to tell the readers she had only loved him time to time and that most of the time she had no love for him, as this quote describes, â€Å"And yet she had loved him-sometimes. Often, she had not.† (Chopin 2). Chopin confuses the reader by using another method of foreshadowing making the ending even more surprising, â€Å"She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long.† (Chopin 2), and that she considers herself to be a â€Å"Goddess of victory† (Chopin 2). Chopin uses an ironic ending for her story when Mrs. Mallard is surprised to death when her husband enters the house looking perfectly healthy without even knowing the accident took place. The paradox prolongs when the readers find out that she dies due to heart disease caused by joy. Earlier when she heard the agonizing news of her husbands death, she was fairly pleased of the idea of being free, having no authority figure gover ning her life; however, she was not eager to go through that life again, causing her to die once she saw her husband alive. Irwin Shaws, â€Å"The Girls in Their Summer Dresses†, depicts a couple whose marriage is in jeopardy due to the husbands lack of consideration for his wifes feelings. The story starts with the protagonist of the story, Frances, and her husband, Michael, enjoying a walk on a Sunday afternoon in New York City, part of Francess plans to spend the whole day alone with her husband as deliberated initially. While walking down the street, Frances caught her husband checking out a pretty girl who leads her to protest against it, â€Å"Shes not so pretty†¦Anyway, not pretty enough to take a chance breaking your neck looking at her.†(Shaw 1). When confronted of his actions, Michael carelessly replies, â€Å"I look at everything†¦I look at women and men†¦I casually inspect the universe.† (Shaw 2). This statement provides the readers with an idea of Michaels character who is the dominating figure in the story, who is lacking respect for his wife and is explo iting her weakness of not ending their relationship. Divorce was uncommon in the early 1900s even when men commit adultery. Francess feelings were depicted well as the author wrote, â€Å"She began to cry†¦someday youre going to make a move†¦Michael didnt say anything. He sat watching the bartender slowly peel a lemon.† (Shaw 4). Irrationally, Michael lets Frances know that â€Å"Sometimes I [Michael] would like to be free† (Shaw 4), and that eventually one day hell â€Å"make a move† (Shaw 4). Unfortunately, Michael treated women as objects who were merely around to perform sexual favours, he even depicted his wife as a sexual object when they arrived at a bar for some drinks, as this quote describes, â€Å"She got up from the table and walked across the room†¦Michael watched her walk, thinking, what a pretty girl, what nice legs.† (Shaw 4). Interestingly enough, Michael turns everything around by stating â€Å"Its a nice day and we both feel good and theres no reason why we have to break it up.† (Shaw 4), by declaring this, Michael blames the fact that their day is turning out to be unpleasant on Frances, and due to her has low self-esteem and insecurity, she accepts the claim by saying, â€Å"All right. I dont know why I started this. Lets drop it. Lets have a good time.† (Shaw 2). By stating this, Frances portrayed herself to be a submissive individual; meanwhile, Michael was careless and disrespectful. Throughout the nineteenth century, a womans purpose was merely based on performing domestic duties in their homes, and they did not contribute to the household income in any way. Women were dishonoured and exploited by men to a point that they were simply degraded to a childs level in society. Excessive male dominance and authority guided countless women getting the sensation of feeling trapped in their household, incapable to flee from the imprisonment enforced upon them by their spouses. The stories, â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, and â€Å"The Girls in Their Summer Dresses†, both depict tolerable house wives who are dominated and exploited by their husbands and have acquiesced to their role in their relationship and are submissive individuals who do not rise up and rebel against their husbands. These stories truthfully exemplify how women in the 19th century had to accept their husbands for who they were, and did not have many alternatives other than accepting to live with the repression until death did them apart.

Digressions in Venus and Adonis and Hero and Leander :: essays papers

Digressions in Venus and Adonis and Hero and Leander The poems Venus & Adonis and Hero & Leander have many similarities. Venus & Adonis, written by William Shakespeare (1593), is the story of lovesick Venus and innocent Adonis. Venus attempts to convince Adonis to have intimate relations with her. In the poem Hero & Leander, written by Christopher Marlowe (1598), Leander convinces the beautiful Hero to consummate their relationship despite her arguments. Another similarity of the two works is the digressions within the poems. In V&A, the digression involves two horses that are overcome by lust and eventually run off to mate in the woods. The digression in Hero & Leander is also sexual in nature. It involves Neptune attempting to seduce Leander. The digressions in V&A and Hero & Leander have parallel references to the work as a whole. The digressions also have similar qualities that indicate the influence of Shakespeare on Marlowe. The digression in Venus & Adonis occurs during the first one third of the poem. Shakespeare chooses to have the horses mirror the behavior of Venus and Adonis. The stallion, Adonis’ horse, mimics the actions of Venus. The stallion is the aggressor in the relationship; it is he who approaches the jennet. He shows off his strength and beauty by prancing and stamping on the ground. After his displays of strength and power the stallion, â€Å"looks upon his love, and neighs unto her† (Shakespeare 41). It is clear that the horse is entreating the jennet to submit to him sexually. When Shakespeare describes the stallion he states that, â€Å"this horse excel a common one† (293). This quote directly relates the horse to Venus. The reader knows that Venus is of uncommon status, she is a god and therefore is immortal. Shakespeare uses this knowledge to link the two characters. Venus is also very aggressive in her relationship with Adonis. Shakespeare humorously describes the way Venus demonstrates her strength in a way similar to the stallion. Venus takes, â€Å"over one arm the lusty courser’s rein, Under the other her tender boy† (31-32). Venus is attempting to use strength to get her love, the way the stallion used his strength. Shakespeare is making a reference to how Venus’ is taking what is customarily the male role. The actions of the jennet in the digression can be compared to the actions of Adonis in the poem.

Down Syndrome :: chromosome disorders mental retardation

Down Syndrome People with Down syndrome are first and foremost human beings who have recognizable physical characteristics due to the presence of an extra chromosome 21. The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births. Each year approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder. It is believed there are about 250,000 families in the United States who are affected by Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome are usually smaller, and their physical and mental developments are slower, than youngsters who do not have Down syndrome. The majority of children with Down syndrome function in the mild to moderate range of mental retardation. However, some children are not mentally retarded at all; they may function in the borderline to low average range; others may be severely mentally retarded. There is a wide variation in mental abilities and developmental progress in children with Down syndrome. Also, their motor development is slow; and instead of walking by 12 to 14 months as other children do, children with Down syndrome usually learn to walk between 15 to 36 months. Language development is also markedly delayed. It is important to note that a caring and enriching home environment, early intervention, and integrated education efforts will have a positive influence on the child's development. Although individuals with Down syndrome have distinct physical characteristics, generally they are more similar to the average person in the community than they are different. The physical features are important to the physician in making the clinical diagnosis, but no emphasis should be put on those characteristics otherwise. Not every child with Down syndrome has all the characteristics; some may only have a few, and others may show most of the signs of Down syndrome. Some of the physical features in children with Down syndrome include flattening of the back of the head, slanting of the eyelids, small skin folds at the inner corner of the eyes, depressed nasal bridge, slightly smaller ears, small mouth, decreased muscle tone, loose ligaments, and small hands and feet. About fifty percent of all children have a gap between the first and second toes. The physical features observed in children with Down syndrome usually do not cause any disability in the child. Although many theories have been developed, it is not known what actually causes Down syndrome. It has been known for some time that the risk of having

Ethical Challenge of Protecting Software in Emerging Economies: Copyright Law and Enforcement in Pakistan :: Software Technology Protection Essays

Ethical Challenge of Protecting Software in Emerging Economies: Copyright Law and Enforcement in Pakistan Introduction The United States and Pakistan have similar laws protecting software using copyright and patents despite being at very different stages of economic development. Pakistan has an emerging economy with a per capita GDP of $2000 per capita and a literacy rate of 46%.[i] The US has a more mature economy with per capita GDP of $37,600 and a 97% literacy rate[ii]. Despite having similar laws regarding copyright and patent protection Pakistan has rampant piracy problems not seen in the US. It is estimated that 95% of digital media sold in Pakistan is pirated[iii]. This may be in part due to the high cost of software relative to income compared to US where software piracy exists but is less rampant. This discrepancy raises the question: Is it ethical to apply the same rules to two countries regardless of economic condition and industry maturity and what is the global effect of having the same laws but enforcing them differently? Background Two primary methods for protecting software throughout the world are patents and copyright[iv]. Each provides a different measure of protection. The goal of each is to promote the sharing of new inventions and creative works while ensuring that the developer of the work is compensated. Copyright provides the copyright holder rights to the work for 75 years after creation or 50 beyond author’s death whichever is shortest. It not only protects the actual syntax of the code from being copied but covers structure, sequence, and organization of the program. This is to prevent people from simply rewriting an application in another programming language. Copyright, as applied to more traditional written works such as books and songs provide for â€Å"fair use† by others. Fair use means that others can use a small portion of a copyright protected work without permission for certain reasons such as education or critical commentary. The fair use clause is not really applic able to software because it is rare that a small portion of a computer program would be used in the situations covered by the fair use clause. This is an example of stretching an existing law to cover new technology. Patents protect software in a different way by giving the creator rights to the process performed by the protected program.

Macro Economic Factors Affecting the Video Game Console Essay

Demographic Factors: Age is the main demographic factor affecting the market for video game consoles although common misconceptions are that the market is mainly comprised of teenagers. Recent Studies shows that the largest market sector of video game console purchases are teenagers or young adults. ESA demographic data shows that America’s average game player’s age is 34 and the average age of game purchasers is 40 (see article x) Generational factors play a big role in the market sector of gamers who purchase more than one game console, buy the latest version and buy games into adulthood. In 2010 26% of gamers were over 50. There is a definite generational factor as many of the consumers were in their teens when the mass video gaming culture began and now are in their 40s or 50s and have retained their gamer status, therefore are also ready to adopt new products. Gender is another factor that should be noted. Female gamers are a large portion of the video console market although significantly less than their online gaming counterparts. ESA research predicts that 40% of video game players are females. Economic Factors: Household income  ± studies have shown that video games in the toys and games market are able to gain a significant share of the market the larger the average household incomes are of a given market segment or particular region. For video games to comprise of 15% market share in toys and games of a given country, 60% of the population must earn incomes above US $15,000 (see figure x). Business cycle-The sale of consumer electronics andnovelty products are influencedby macroeconomic factors of a country. If there are recessionary or inflationary pressures, sales are likely to be affected sincechanges in consumers behaviour is determined by the perceived increase or decrease in the level of disposable income. This is, however, likely to have a short term impact and in the long run will have negligible changes on the sales of video game consoles, as business cycles return to a favourable position for higher consumer spending. Demand elasticity- Video Game consoles have a price elastic demand (for a portion of the consumer market) and combined with a high substitutability factors creates susceptibility to changes in competitor’s prices or quality hence impacting the size and share of the market for our product. Factors that change the cross price elasticity of our product need to be considered and addressed. Technological Factors: Innovation R&D- Technology, particularly technological innovation is a critical factor in the video game console market, and the leading competitors Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo have significant R&D invested in technology improvements. If our product development lifecycle does not include product improvements that are comparable to the leading competitor’s product, future success will not be guaranteed. Compatibility – Hardware issues include compatibility with existing hardware and the ease and cost of switching to the use of new hardware. Our product has the benefit of not requiring additional video output devices, i. e. television sets and monitors. Software Development -Technological developments in the software developing industries with which we have partnerships and licencing contracts will affect the attractiveness of our virtual video game console and hence indirectly affect sales generated. Also revenues generated from licencing and subcontracting are dependent on the success of game software publishers; a tactic to reduce risk would be to diversify the scope and use of our product, i. . develop a large partner relation database. Political Environment: Industry Regulation plays an important role in the success and growth of any technology specific product. It will invariably depend on the industry regulations specified the country code of regulatory law when production and manufacture will be conducted but also within the countries where target market segments reside. Ownership of manufacturing, distribution, and exporting firms also vary in different countries and will need to be considered before launching a worldwide market strategy. Trade Barriers -The trade and product specification restrictions on use of certain technology and/or products as well as licencing and exporting costs of the distribution and sale of various product categoriesdiffer between countries/regions and will have a large impact on the competitiveness of the virtual video game console. This can be in the form of trade barriers or indirect barriers through the use of health and safety standards, product labelling and advertising laws and restrictions. Intellectual Property Rights – Legal issues in country of sale, aside from aforementioned industry regulations, include trademarks, copyrights, licensing, patent applications, online ownership, and revenue recognition. Piracy and counterfeiting issues will need to be considered. It has become an accepted practice for the console manufacturers to lose money on the hardware and to recover the loss by charging high licensing fees to game publishers and developers. IPR standards are weakly enforced in many emerging markets with large market potential such as China, Brazil, and Russia. Environmental Factors: Raw Materials  ± The Video Game industry uses a lot of plastic resources and requires the use of scarce metals for its hardware. Given the negative public view on large amounts of non-biodegradable waste product, manufacturing processes and the use of valuable raw materials in the virtual video game console need to be carefully considered. Energy usage and efficiency- The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently published a study on American energy usage with specific regard to game consoles and found that game consoles consume roughly 16 billion kilowatt hours annually(see figure x). These finding were based on the assumption that half of the consoles are left on or on standby after use. A console that has timed automatic shutdown, as the virtual gaming console does, reduces this energy wastage. Health related concerns ± There is a general perception that frequent video gaming has a negative impact on a person health. However this perception may subject to change as research shows contrasting outcomes that there is the view that considers such side-effects to be ‘relatively minor or temporary’ (Griffiths 2002) and that finds playing computer games is comparable to a mild intensity exercise: with normal use, playing may neither improve nor harm physical fitness (Emes 1997)? Cultural Factors: Fashion Trends: Video Game console purchases are often made according to similar purchases made in a consumer’s social reference groups. Word of mouth and peer reference can play a crucial role in the choice of video game consoles. Networkingcapabilities ± the ability to connect to a large number of players online through a portable console has a definite cultural factor as the popular use of online networks determine the success of the addition of these features. Recreational Alternatives- changes in the demand for video game console may be created through a shifting trend in choice of recreational methods. Advances in the market for other toys and games could play an important role.

An Analysis of Marquez’ The Plane of the Sleeping Beauty

The short story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez which is entitled The Plane of the Sleeping Beauty written in June 1982 may be interpreted as a depiction of our colonial history and its legacy to the world. While reading his work I find myself searching for the true individualities of the main characters. This is also what I consider to be the problematic of the story. It hopes to unveil a reality of human existence that is often rooted in our historical structures- where countries have crossed cultural boundaries and homogenized economies making some of them quite unhappy. The author presents such scenario combined with his emotions toward it through symbolisms in the guise of the character and events. Indeed the setting, characters and context of the story harmoniously created the characters’ dilemma- the discomfort of their lost identities in a continuously globalizing world with flashbacks on the impacts of colonialism and wars.I would like to focus on three aspects of the liter ary text in explaining the problematic; the setting, characters and context. The story is narrated by the author who is also one of the main characters. He is subtly confirmed Japanese though unnamed, in the latter part when he said: â€Å"Who is going to believe it,† I told myself, with my own passion exacerbated by the champagne: â€Å"Me, an elderly Japanese by now.† The other main character is a lady who is not also introduced by the author but instead referred to as the Sleeping Beauty. This is proved by the title itself and the plot which seemed to have concentrated on her or filled with her quintessence. At the beginning of the story is already a romantic description of this mysterious character:She was beautiful elastic with tender bread-colored skin and green almond eyes. Black hair long and smooth fell to her back, and she exuded an aura of antiquity that in it of itself could be Indonesian and not from the Andes. She was dressed with taste-lynx jacket, natur al silk blouse adorned with tenuous flowers, crude linen pants, and lined shoes the color of bugambillas.Also in another section of the story the author narrates:She had on her neck a chain so fine that it was all but invisible above her golden skin, perfect ears with no earring holes, rose fingernails in good health, and a smooth ring on her left hand.While both characters have no names, they suggest however nationalities that are nonetheless experiencing confusion. Nation is defined as â€Å"a group of people who share a common cultural inheritance† (Heywood 106 ). The cultural inheritance becomes the source of common identity for all the members of the group and may come in the form of language, history, poetry, music, race or ethnicity, etc. The confusion arises in the mixtures of influences that are manifested in the characters’ languages and experiences. For instance, the lady appears Indonesian to the Japanese, but may be perceived Latin American in the narratio n:She then put on her lynx jacket, walked nearly on top of me with a conventional apology in a pure Castilian straight out of the Americas, and walked off without saying goodbye†¦The lady has used other languages as well in the story like French and English.The man on the other hand exposing his knowledge of Japanese and Western forms of literature has interestingly revealed fascination over Chinese mythological beliefs- all of which present a fusion of cultures;I thought, reciting into the crest of foam from my champagne the skillful sonnet of Gerardo Diego†¦last spring I read a beautiful novel by Yasunari Kawabata concerning the ancient bourgeois of Kyoto that paid enormous sums to spend the night speculating the most stunning women of the city†¦and in;â€Å"Dammit,† I said to myself, with great scorn. â€Å"Why was I not born a Taurus?!†.The setting has more to explain actually-previously the airport then the plane. The airport signifies to me the abi lity of countries to transcend borders. In particular, the Charles de Gaulle de Paris airport as a chosen background where all succeeding events are to be witnessed somehow represents a historical moment when freedom is aspired by most regions. Especially that France is known for its love for liberty and freedom. The entire commotion as imagined by the author is a semblance of World War II whose outcomes and length were initially perceived uncertain and infinite, respectively. For instance;†¦Only then did she mention that the airport was about to close and all flights have been delayed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ As long as God desires† she said with a grin. â€Å"It was announced on the radio this morning it will be the biggest snowstorm of the year†. She was wrong. It was the biggest of the century [such is also the case during the Worl War].and in;Outside I found an unpleasant spectacle. All kinds of people were overrunning the waiting rooms, camped in the stifling corridors a nd even the stairs, and spread out on the floor with their animals, children and luggage. Since communication with the city was interrupted, the palace of transparent plastic felt like an immense capsule launched in the storm [something like missiles and ammunition]†¦ By lunchtime the collective conscience resembled a shipwreck. The lines stretched endlessly in front of the seven restaurants [the seven continents of the world]†¦ in less than three hours they had to close them down because there was nothing to eat or drink [such is the devastation on the part most especially of the colonized regions] †¦But the scenario in the so-called first class waiting rooms is different- which to me reflects the experience of those countries now known to be in the First World category. If the Sleeping Beauty was a place, it must be those places in the world which are rich in natural resources and potentials for development, yet both admired and captured by imperialists. Truly, the author was anticipating for her to belong to them, first-class nations (yet the woman isn’t to be found there) in the space described in the story as follows:In the first-class waiting room however, spring was tangible that there were live roses in the vases and canned music felt as sublime and sedative as its composers intended. Suddenly it occurred to me that this was an adequate refuge for the woman†¦But the majority of the crowd was down-to-earth men [probably symbolizing men who have succumbed to the colonizers losing their dignities] reading newspapers in English [the dominant language of the world] while their women were thinking of other men, [symbolizing patriots and true nationalists] contemplating the icy factories and the vast seed plots of Roissy devastated by lions [representing the effects of colonial past, that of economic dependence and abused laborers and farmers]†¦The man, the Japanese symbolizing the same country which chose to extend territory i nstead of being colonized by the Westerners in its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere theme (the attempt for Japan to colonize its Asian neighbors) has indeed taken the path less traversed:â€Å"Pick a number,† she told me, â€Å"Three, four or seven†.â€Å"Four†.â€Å"You are the first one to not choose seven†.But this later has been contradicted when the man realized inside the plane when he encountered the Dutch woman’s eyeglasses, â€Å"But I retraced my steps, picked them up, and put them on her lap, suddenly thrilled that I had not chosen seat number four earlier.† What this suggests is that Japan although guided by its dreams of Asian development through Asians themselves (as shown in its fascination in the woman representing the developing countries be it South-East and East Asian, Latin American, South African, or Middle East) and its hatred in previous intruders manifested in his irritation against the fat Dutch woman (the Neth erlands also once colonized Indonesia) has failed to avoid the course of the French, German, Dutch, British and other previous colonial powers .Besides, it is quite amusing to realize that the main character could also speak and understand the now considered global language- a sign of acceptance and engagement in the globalized system. Is it the author Gabriel Garcia Marquez who is feeling the disappointment in the main character against what it represents? This may be true. What is certain however is the melancholy of the woman who as described in the narration below has resorted to a deep slumber in order to veil its passivity and discontent of the results of history:She did everything in a methodical and parsimonious manner, as if there was nothing anticipated for her since birth. Lastly, she lowered the curtain in the window, declined her seat as far back as it would go, covered herself with a blanket†¦and slept without a moment’s breath†¦for the eternal eight h ours and twelve minutes of the flight to New York.Yes, the plane is going to New York. The man, the woman, and the rest of the passengers are bound to the United States. Could this represent the fate of most countries- following the American ideals? While most of them seem to have forgotten the past, most have tried to belong to the present global order although with less analysis and a lot of difficulties to the extent of losing true identities, like the Sleeping Beauty.The author was successful in his presentation of a hopeless romantic tone with underlying themes that are both historical and political. The audience may be more interested to know that Gabriel Garcia Marquez was identified as a supporter of Latin American revolutionary movements and whose literature introduced the so-called, â€Å"magical realism†. The challenge here is really for the readers to be able to challenge the paradigm presented in the story, which beforehand must be decoded. A lot of the symbolism in the story has yet to be discovered. My interpretation here offers a new form of conflict that could only be resolved by historical, political and economic understanding and awakening.†¦because the only thing I desired in the last hour of the flight was to see her awake, even if she was infuriated, so that I could reclaim my freedom, and possibly my youth†¦Works CitedHeywood, Andrew. Politics. New York: Palgrave, 2002.Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. â€Å"The Plane of the Sleeping Beauty†. June 1982.

American Life in 1920s and 1930s Essay

The NAACP was focusing on legislative strategies produced to encounter the demanding civil and legal liberties issues of the era. They signaled for federal anti-execution laws and organized a series of protests to state-funded isolation in public educational institutions. NAACP leaders pursued, one, to ensure that all whites acknowledge the demand for racial impartiality by publicizing it and via their magazine catastrophe. On the other hand, the communist party was substantial in the struggle for racial impartiality in the south of United States of America. The communist party also fought for the civil and legal rights via public clamor. Discuss the racial implications of change during the 1930s in American popular culture -including music, movies, literature, etc. The cultural products that most captivated fashionable audiences during the era of the Great Depression that occurred around the 1930s. The audiences were those that switched their attention from the anguish of the time especially popular literature, radio, and movies. The accessibility to radio programs changed a lot of American families and surroundings especially the families from the black community, as they begun to form their lives around radio programming. People together with their families assembled together to listen to popular programs. Also, friends assembled on the foot porches, backyards, and along the streets to listen to the shows. But, some social and political programs were transmitted. The most fashionable broadcasts offered the racial implicated-era community with dramatic and commonly jovial stories of escape and adventure. Still, ther e were fashionable soap operas, music concerts, The Academy Awards, sporting events, and current events. Because a lot of the shows were transmitted in front of live viewers, individuals filled the studio to watch these amazing performances. Movies, by the mid-1930s, African American gathered around theaters to see many entertainment opportunities that offered an escape from the actual phenomenon of the Depression. A lot of Hollywood-produced movies avoided wrangles during this era. They produced musical, â€Å"screwball†, comics, novel adaptations, fictional movies. Popular Culture, while the wrangles were massively missing from movie and radio productions, the controversial political and social voices of the Depression were usually found in the fashionable culture that emerged from the 1930s. A few authors examined the hardships of poverty that affected the African American who worked on the farms and the Dust Bowl migrants; they also exposed the evils of poverty throughout the country, condemned the excessiveness of capitalism, and disclosed the many pathways for civil injustice. Two of the most fashionable novels of the time, but, were romantic stories fixed different historical events, Anthony Adverse and Gon e with the Wind. The American audiences were attracted by the most popular culture from the Great Depression era that was designed by the public’s motive to departure from the psychological, economic, and social hardships that were connected to racial differences during the 1930s. Questions 1 and 5 at the end of chapter 19 What accounts for the movement of many African American from king’s â€Å"beloved community† ideal to â€Å"black power† slogan popularized by Stokely Carmichael and H.Rap Brown? The movement of a lot of African American from king’s â€Å"beloved community† ideal to â€Å"black power† slogan popularized by Stokely Carmichael and H.Rap Brown was proposed by the way in which the African American were handled by their white counterparts. He states that everyone has to be appreciative of his race. He argues that â€Å"You have got to be noble of being black. You cannot go around referring yourself colored and call yourself Negroes. That is the word the honkies gave it you. You are black, brother, and you should feel proud of your complexion, and it is very beautiful.† It was proposed by the election of a new chairperson for student’s peaceful manager. He was an old-time leader and guided the challenge campaign that propelled massive promotion from the black community. He was known for being a promoter of armed self-defense. He proposed the theme of racial nobleness and militancy that was similar to his forbearer. It was the narrative of the movement. To what extent was Jesse Jackson’s emergence as a nationally prominent political figure a reflection of broader trends in African American politics? It demonstrated that African American are achieving political power and displays the success of black people in getting their civil and legal rights. Therefore, it is not only to participate in elections but also to be involved in the process of governance. Questions 2 and 3 at the end of chapter 20 How did the transition from the activism of the 1960s to the conservatism of the Reagan Bush era to African American politicians During the two terms of office of Reagan Bush, solidified, grasped, and decided to personify the American shift to the political right wing. His substantial legacy as a leader of was that swing in the American political spectrum. The move created a â€Å"liberal† a form of democracy. What had been conservative transformed to being moderate such as the participation of African Americans in active politics and what was moderate was later promoted for the left wing. The drift was as profound and pronounced that African American vehemently embraced Bill Clinton regardless of his support programs, welfare policies, and criminal justice, in particular, that might have been referred to as reactionary and racist under the rule of Reagan Bush. Compare and contrast tactics used in the Free South Africa movement with the African American Freedom struggle In both movements, the individuals faced racial inequality. Blacks were recognized as disadvantaged while the white was considered as the advantaged. During the legal and civil liberties movements, Blacks were had limited liberties such as drinking water fountains as whites or found around public places conversing with the whites. They could also not attend the same school. In Comparison to the Anti-Apartheid social movements in South Africa, intermarriages between the white and Africans were prohibited and they were special schools for the whites. In both occasions, both freedom fighters were brutally assaulted, imprisoned, and some died as a result of being tortured. The two social movements had the same ideology of pursuing equal rights and justice for all despite their racial differences. They also shared the same tactics. The two social institutions advocated peaceful demonstrations, utilizing similar methods such as boycotts, media campaigns, and protests. Such approaches were managed within and by similar organizations such as the labor unions, universities, and churches. The civil liberties and the anti-Apartheid Movements had the same leadership style which had logical motives along with experienced protest organizers and corporate competence.

Wall Mart – Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management Supply chain management may be the systematic and also the strategic coordination administration for delivering goods as well as products required through the end client. Or we are able to say that the practice associated with products which reaches for an end person and signifies the efforts from the organization is called supply string management. It signifies a mindful effort through the supply string firms to build up and operate supply chains In many effective as well as efficient methods possible.Supply string management actions cover almost anything such because room items to its development, finding, logistics as well as information program also. The primary objective associated with SCM is actually creating internet value, creating a competitive national infrastructure, synchronize the products supply, steps the overall performance globally as well as leveraging globally logistics and so on.Today the majority of the global businesses are forced to mai ntain buying production middle where price of work and uncooked material Is actually cheap and to be able to compete within the global marketplace and networked economic climate, SCM is extremely helpful with regard to organizations. Various activities exist in a business which requirements strategic administration like finding of recyclables from various place after which from various locations these types of finished products are handed through various chains associated with distribution network which include retailers, marketers and finish customers.The supply chain may be the series associated with actively as well as organizations which materials, undertake on their own Journeys through initial providers to last customers† (Waters 2007). The primary elements of the supply string include purchasing, operations, shipping and integration. Purchasing is step one of the actual supply string (Walter's Secrets to prosperous Supply String Management, d. D). Specific for that Walt er, it's a critical work as Walter is determined by the companies and submission center.When there is any II. Importance of SCM SCM plays an important role within organization actions and an important element in order to operational efficiency which may be applied to client satisfaction and company's achievement. You may say that it's Just such as the backbone of the organization that manages the actual critical issues from the business organization or example rapid development of international corporations, global growth and environment concerns that indirectly or even dramatically affects the organization strategy.Other advantages and need for supply string management tend to be: Reduces stock costs Offers better moderate for info sharing in between partners Improves client satisfaction in addition to service Keeps better believe in between companions Provides effective manufacturing technique Improve procedure integration Improves main point here (by decreasing using fixed assets within the supply chain) Increase income Improves quality and provide higher revenue margin SCM provides various resources and methods that assist business to diagnose the issues and offer solutions of those disruptions round the business atmosphere.It plays an essential role within moving goods faster to their own destinations. It is important in today's company is controlling competition amongst partners and to be able to win this particular competition SCM assists business organization in an exceedingly efficient method. All the advantages and need for SCM can make its long term so vibrant and due to emerging developments in business SCM becomes probably the most critical company discipline these days. Interacts Provide Chain Administration companies is definitely an integrated end-to-end heritage Application Modernization.It streamlines as well as mobiles guide business procedures making real-time information offered at the click of the button. Ill. Company History Wall-Mart Sh ops, Inc. Top quality as Walter because 2008 as well as Wall-Mart prior to then, is definitely an American open public multinational company that operates chains associated with large discount shops and stockroom chains. The organization is the actual world's athletes open public corporation, based on the Forbes Worldwide 2000 checklist, and the biggest public company when rated by income.It can also be the greatest private employer on the planet with more than 2 zillion employees, and may be the largest retailer on the planet. The organization was started by Mike Walton within 1962, integrated on Cot 31, 1969, and openly traded about the New York Stock market in 1972. It's headquartered within Bonneville, The state of Arkansas. Walter can also be the biggest grocery retailer in the use. In '09, it produced 51% associated with Titus$258 million sales within the U. Tutees. From food equines. Additionally, it owns as well as operates the actual Cam's Membership retail warehouses in th e United States.Walter offers 8, 500 shops in 15 nations, under fifty five different titles. The organization operates under its name in the USA, including the actual estates as well as Puerco Rich. This operates within Mexico because Wall mart, within the United Kingdom's Advertisements, in Asia as Seize, as well as in Indian as Greatest Price. It's wholly possessed operations within Argentina, South America, and North America. Walter's opportunities outside the United States and The Far East are extremely successful, while ventures within Germany as well as South Korea had been unsuccessful.IV. Question 1 A goal for a lot of today's procedures managers is to obtain the right mixture of technology as well as management many efficiently create goods as well as services. Using radio-frequency id (REID), a little electronic label on individual bits of men's clothes, including denim Jeans, underwear, and socks may be the main technology automation. The labels emit the weak stereo signa l that allows employees to understand what dimensions are missing about the shelf as well as what items can e found in the share room.Radio-frequency id tags may identify as well as track pallets or even cases associated with goods, and also the move in order to individual products. Most merchants had utilized RIFF and then track pallets or even cases associated with goods, and also the move in order to individual products has elevated concerns more than potential invasions associated with privacy. Advanced it makes Just-in-time stock management function seamlessly, however it has additionally transformed management in several other methods.An organization's it (IT) includes the equipment, software, telecoms, database administration, and additional technologies this uses in order to chain information and make sure they are available as information with regard to organizational choice making. Generally, information technologies has good implications for that practice associated with management. (New Period of Administration, Richard M. Daft, tenth edition, 2012) The improvement of computer-based info systems provides alternatives towards the traditional up and down organizational hierarchy around since the actual sass.By giving managers along with high-quality, well-timed, relevant, as well as relatively total information, management info systems possess reduced the requirement for high management hierarchies. Horizontal info flows are actually viable, supplanting the actual flow associated with information in one department upward through administration layers after which back right down to another division. RIFF is a solution to capture data in regards to a single object without needing human tread the information.The execution of RIFF labels at pallet as well as case degree, Wall- Mart has the capacity to identify as well as track these products as it gets to their arouses till shelving in the giant retailer' (RIFF Diary, 2005). Wall-Mart thought that it wil l likely be a typical technology within the next decade, such as the barded since it was popularized through them within the early 80 (Smith, 2005) . Nevertheless, there aren't many business are prepared to switch in the existing barded system because of the cost which might disrupt Wall-Mart implementations.Usually, barded is actually embedded using the product packaging or styles are fairly free. Although Wall-Mart is actually leading the near future of this particular technology, it's forcing providers to burden high of the price. There tend to be several crucial benefits which Wall-Mart and also the suppliers can acquire. RIFF may reduce out-of-stocks; help to make automated purchase fulfillment, enhanced inventory, item tracking, reduce shrinking and enhance product shipping time by giving visibility to the location associated with goods along with RIFF labels.It is about tracking' regardless of whether it within or beyond Wall-Mart, the requirement to know the merchandise wher eabouts is essential. Smith (2005) describe this as a good consideration theft. For instance if a lot of product shifting out the actual shelf, it'll end an indication to the nearby digital camera to notify security to make sure these items aren't stolen. Based on Wall-Mart's CIO Linda Dill man, RIFF has boost the efficiency within the supply string where they've been able in order to restock RIFF- tagged items 3 times as quickly as non-tagged products (RIFF Diary, 2008).Wall-Mart has become able to enhance their durability program in order to encourage recycle by utilizing RIFF. This is a result of the study, write as well as storage capability; recycling companies may use this RIFF to straighten out the materials that may be cycled better and effectively. This recycling where possible companies may ship away the material to the Manufacturers which slow up the utilization associated with new materials. Therefore Wall-Mart isn't Just focusing upon financial benefits however the ecos ystem too.It is more costly to obtain new client than keeping current clients (Roth, 2004). Using RIFF within Wall-Mart possess the most strategically important in working with customer fulfillment. Smith (2005) learned that Wall-Mart offers improve their own customer encounter and devotion by having the ability to track nonuser's behavior and purchasing patterns; to maintain products as well as deliveries upon shelf in due time. It additionally helps consumers within the speed associated with purchase where a customer's check-out because simple because walking away the shop.As customer go by the self-service check-out counter-top, the readers receives the information from the merchandise and charge the client credit greeting card. Using 2 different techniques, it offers reduced line time from the consumer. Thus Wall-Mart mixing its RIFF technology using the CRM bundle can enhance customer support. There additionally some danger associate applying RIFF technologies, mainly privateer s issues as well as cyber horror. It can be done for rivals to grab information concerning shipments, logistics businesses, cost & delicate information and so on.Since the ability source originates from the readers not the actual tag, hackers can certainly infiltrate delicate information via this nonaggression tags . Based on Smith (2005), Wall-Mart offers made their own tag along with limited range to see and create capability with regard to security objective. Privacy problems in USA are used very critically by customer advocacy organizations. Their issues were that when the consumer simply leaves the shop, that the actual tag can be monitored.They believe it will likely be an intrusion of privateers as big corporation may monitor their own activity. Based on Smith (2005) you will find researches done to produce blocker label at customer level, however the result continues to be unknown. Consequently, Wall-Mart ought to revise these types of factors before any more allegations lat er on. Wall-Mart established fact to follow IT national infrastructure since 1974 started using computer systems for stock control. Lining,Wall-Mart is among the major motorists behind the actual RIFF earlier adoption as well as implementation had been they introduced a 3 year technical compliance arrange for its best 300 suppliers' (Espies, Master, & Wilson, 2004). They could provide each one of these services because of their generally ‘ provide chain management that is their crucial success element (KEF) within the retail company (AS Investigation, 2009). Therefore implementing RIFF technologies will considerably improve control within the supply string management to satisfy customer needs. Splay in the shelf region. It's saved above ledge area where it will likely be retrieve in the event that products upon shelf go out. When an item is purchased with a customer, the RIFF readers at check-out counter tops will browse the purchase and become sent towards the Electronic Info rmation Interchange (DEED') Program called List Link (Blanchard & Com, 2008). The info will end up being passed towards the suppliers, sales information program, Tex Ions Products and CRM info system. Wall- Mart shares real-time information along with suppliers with regard to better purchasing accuracy, and transparency through the supply string, particularly stock usability as well as for invoicing as well as payments ‘ (Blanchard & Com, 2008)Data's which are sent towards the Customer Romantic relationship Management is going to be used with regard to data mining to create forecast. Marketing supervisors in Wall-Mart utilized data-mine technology to build up replenishment plans for his or her suppliers as well as adjust the actual composition associated with market containers in person chains (Shapiro, 2007).Additionally they can find out about the behavior of the customers of the purchase choice and delivering pattern. Therefore they are able to plan with regard to peak mont hs, to cake sure that the correct materials, supplies as well as personnel have been in the correct place in the right period. This declaration suggest a variety of metrics that could be used to track customer support by the supplier, such as percentage on- time transport, percentage associated with complete transport and portion of transport with suitable qualities' (Shapiro, 2007).If your product is lower in stock, the EDI program will notify the shop manager to create purchases via Tex Ions gadget. At the same time frame, the data is going to be sent in order to suppliers in order to alert these phones start manufacturing. Simultaneously, the information also is delivered to the sales system may than help to make confirmation for that request buy. Once the actual request may be approved, supplier can begin to deliver. To enhance the time associated with product appearance, passive RIFF which are place may transmit the present location in order to Wall-Mart's EDI program.This prov ide great comfort and ease to supervisors to precisely know in which the product location and in a position to inform the shoppers the real date the merchandise will be accessible. This brand new technology aid Walter's capability to track the actual inventory as well as increasing the actual rate in order to replenish the merchandise exactly instantly and additionally, it provide the information to allow employee know in which the product is and also the time in order to replenish the merchandise more effectiveness exactly.Using the RIFF, Walter not Just reduce the actual tracking cost but additionally increase the actual rate associated with in share Besides, Walter also obtain the benefit from obtain the data to understand the that product marketing effectiveness in the chains' information, to cutting sold-out sale deficits, ND overstock costs (P. Fraser, 2006) Quite simply, Walter improvement associated with inventory management using the RIFF to lessen the price losing dependin g on sold-out and skip helped within the backroom as well as increases a chance to track the actual inventory as well as support them immediately as well as exactly.However as the reduce the actual percent from sold-out it additionally cost seventeen cents cost for every item to make use of FRI. label (P. Fraser, 2006). Within article Wall-Mart WALL-MART can make its providers more near to the customer since the system also offers the data for that manufacturer, provider, to knowing the customer's preferences and also to monitor inventory and also the stock relocated in every chain.It additionally helps the actual supplier to achieve the possibility in order to redesign as well as packaging their own product decreasing process price (Ramsey, 2004) Wall-Mart produce the win-win situation to create the itself and it is supplier to lessen the cost using the supply string with brand new technology tool to create supply string more effectiveness and conserve to period and cash from neede d cost additionally by provide data discussing it links the merchandise desired between your customer as well as product organization than prior to.V. Question 2 The achievement of Wall-Mart is mainly because of it's seem managerial decisions and also the innovative execution of sustainability ways of dramatically slow up the company's effect on the worldwide environment and in order to become â€Å"the best and revolutionary company within the world†. The organization believed within the three primary principles that's â€Å"To end up being supplied 100 % by green energy; to reduce zero waste materials; and to market products which sustaining the resources and also the environment. The actual gist from the decision execution by Wall-Mart is based on its capability to build a good working romantic relationship with each suppliers as well as employees, being attentive to the majority of intricate details available layout as well as necessary retailing techniques, capitalizing in most cost preserving technique, and developing a high overall performance spirit. Below are a few of the important methods implemented through Wall-Mart that have been responsible because of its success?Among its very first initiative had been to release a marketing campaign to motivate its suppliers to supply environment pleasant and secure products within recyclable or even biodegradable product packaging at absolutely no Additional price. Wall-Mart meant to influence its suppliers to invest more upon R&D in order to find the actual safer settings of digesting and packing which too without having passing the price on for them. This wasn't a method indented to create it wealthy, but it had been a started like a campaign with regard to environmental advantage and that earned those lots of good may among environmentalist.Wall-Mart additionally started making â€Å"green† ledge tags in order to mark these products the suppliers created which were environmentally pleasant. T his was among its very first step in the direction of sustainability. But gradually company lost tabs on its main strategic focal points. Wall-Mart quickly realized this particular and began to revamp its sustainable strategy in order to make it to become long enduring and seriously embed this in its operations because envisaged through Scott.Scott guide the sustainability technique to keep environmentally friendly improvements tightly in conjunction with the company value as well as profitability for that strategy to achieve success in addition to challenged themselves to locate new methods to drive measurable outcomes. Several plans were considered and several of that had larger ideas how Wall-Mart might profitably decrease environmental effects. In the first proposals submit Wall-Mart desired to differentiate by itself from its competition, maintain the license to develop, and stay consistent in through perusing a good offensive technique.The administration realized which sustain ability might represents the largest opportunity for that 21st hundred years and suggested that Wall-Mart and it is complex provide chain might become much more efficient through making its operations much more environment pleasant. They thought if durability was to become taken critically, it meant not only the atmosphere and but additionally includes healthcare, wages, ethical finding and globalization as well as everything in general.With this in your mind Wall-Mart began its marketing campaign initially concentrating on the atmosphere. Large a part of it initiatives were spent dealing with the numerous Government as well as Environmental agencies to recognize which associated with its items and procedures created finest environmental effects. After it's large size investigation Wall-Mart simplified down the issue to 3 main areas: Power, Waste as well as Products, and decided it would concentrate its environment goals with regard to reducing the actual Walter's effect on the atmo sphere.Increasing power efficiency, shifting to green energy, and decreasing waste within retail procedures were chose to be the actual direct objectives -?goals that may be achieved through making changes which were within Wall-Mart's much more immediate manage. It recognized that supplying more environmentally friendly products had been a roundabout goal which may also need the participation of Wall-Mart providers and their assistance to accomplish. Wall- Mart also found that the easiest method to generate great will would be to serve society since it did for that hurricane Kari sufferers.It positively participated in assisting provide relief towards the people associated with New Orleans and it is surrounding areas consequently earned the actual trust of each and every one. Wall- Mart intends to supply suppliers along with Valuable understanding and procedure assistance via relationships along with Nags within its systems. Wall-Mart setup compliance business that supervised suppl ier overall performance in China along with other countries all over the world.Wall-Mart gripes audit primarily centered on safety and health issues also it measured providers against its four recognized metrics- Drinking water treatment, Waste materials management, Prohibited chemicals as well as air emissions. Improvement within seafood network all over the world was permitted through feasible though execution of MASC.- certified certifying companies. MESS accreditation was trusted to 3rd parties that audited as well as ratified fisheries as well as processes to ensure products had been managed sustainable through boat in order to plate.MESS accreditation firstly was to deal with sustainability associated with wild captured fish as well as later in order to SAC accreditation for plantation raced seafood. Wall-Mart recognized 5 main initiative for establishing of team to move around MASC. accreditation: Certification, Bunch Farming, Sea Reserves, Open public Awareness, Exterior col laboration. Wall-Mart objective was to improve the amount of fisheries as well as processing plants within the MASC. accreditation program.Supplies might refer the actual fisheries in order to MASC. and also have them make use of MASC. environmentally labels on the products, to be able to start buying Just as much certified fishes as you possibly can. The immediate cost associated with MASC. accreditation was taken care of by vessel operators as well as processing vegetation. Immediate advantages were seen with the certification MICROSOFT required the chain associated with custody to ensure that the actual fish had been virtually indistinguishable in the rest.Benefits via sustainability were observed in improved transport efficiencies, eradication of stock-outs as well as raw trials shortages, decrease in supplier expenses though standardized packaging, and so on. Wall-Mart delegated the actual implementation associated with MASC. towards the suppliers and also the supplier's inspir ed to building the connection were compelled to consider the methods there through gaining believe in of Wall- Mart. This creating relationships permitted Wall-Mart in order to talk with respect to suppliers, defend their own points and show other associates the significance of this particular relationships.In Digital network Wall-Mart recognized six key regions of Ochs: Materials innovation, E-waste, Laws, Green Architectural, Metrics, Instruction and Training. Their technique was to supply their clients with environmentally friendly product choices employing a supply string that improves the caliber of life of stakeholders. Wall-Mart needed to make assured orders towards the suppliers market only Ross-compliant items to clients. By 5 years they ensured that each and every computer they bought within US had been Ross compliant.Wall-Mart additionally introduced numerous initiative from reducing e-waste through starting Might programs such as recycling take-back applications. Wall-Ma rt also centered on advocating with regard to national requirements for each hazardous ingredients and e-waste. Organic 100 % cotton innovation task received main concern of the actual textiles system. They used clear requirements (USDA guidelines) with regard to organic 100 % cotton farming as well as manufacturing procedures. Got permit to utilize a certain dangerous chemicals had been safer substitutes weren't yet in a commercial sense available.The technique in 100 % cotton textiles would be to develop as well as environmentally garment made from renewable material match he procedure is effective with minimal wage and utilization of inputs having a minimum toxicity. Whenever three chemical substances were recognized. With an adverse ratings this encourage suppliers to make use of most environmentally friendly substitutes. Wall-Mart had been cautious within not discussing widely these types of metrics for any fear associated with boomerang upon other products by itself, but Just told customers it cared for his or her health.The overall game changer project would be to reduce the actual impact associated with environment as well as textile produce, which associated with recent source. It additionally played this safe through not placing its echo-friendly tags, not forced the maker to consider responsibility with regard to promoting atmosphere and many benefits for their own products as well as left if to allow them to decide To summarize Wall-Mart noticed and overwhelmingly large variety of opportunities which remain untrained and chose to continue to recognize and go after the possibilities with maximum environmental advantages and company value.Simultaneously as Wall-Mart is actually building worth added systems of federal government agencies, no – revenue organizations, circuiting and providers to â€Å"green† it's supply chains, the company is utilizing a network method of bring down overall the co and environment path to be able to add in order to profitability whilst increasing limitations. For many years Wall-Mart may be scarcely focusing on operations and provide chains, growth, and earnings. In regions of utmost environment impact and write out key networks which may help to accomplish these objectives.In come back for taking part in these value-added systems, participants will be given details about in addition to a say within Wall-Mart's procedures. Tyler Elm, Wall-Mart's older director associated with corporate technique, and Tim Ruben, Wall-Mart's vice leader of business strategy as well as business durability, directed Wall-Mart's system leaders in order to, â€Å"derive economic advantages of improved environment and interpersonal outcomes† (source: Elm, 2007). It's not really philanthropy,† he or she adds. Based on a Stanford Interpersonal Innovation Evaluation, â€Å"By the finish of the actual sustainability strategy very first year, the system teams experienced generated savings which were roughly add up to the earnings generated through several Wall-Mart Superstructures† (Source: Denned, 008).Below is a summary of Wall-Mart's environmentally friendly value systems and the way the company plans to complete each one of the main 3 goals: In the core from the business durability strategy used by Wall-Mart is really a drift through generating extra value via price-based relationships, relationships along with non – revenue organizations, providers, and additional stakeholders. With the above systems, Wall-Mart is actually absorbing something viewpoint that helps merchants find ways to cope with environmental problems.In trade for these types of suppliers addressing the problems, the scale from the operations from Wall-Mart allows nonprofit system members obtain huge Jumps towards their own overall quests. Suppliers also provide the advantage of not Just the solidity that much more intimate associations with Wall-Mart get, but additionally the assistance and assistance from Wall-Mart's charitable partners. The Wall-Mart durability strategy without doubt looks to become off to some promising begin; they mustn't grow to be complacent as well as must press-on along with awareness to make these systems sustainable and in a position to spread away without interlude.The very first thing they have to do is actually administer these types of partnerships vigilantly so that costs lower. They additionally need every single child manage the actual sense associated with balance in between presenting â€Å"green† as well as conventional â€Å"non-green† items in its chains. Lastly, because of the extremely high quantity of nonprofits within the network, Wall-Mart is needed to supervise losing these close ties. Individual groups might not be able to find out credit for any large decrease on environment impact.With time, these groups' failure every single child make apparent their impact could cause some tribulations using their fundrais ing simply because donors will insist upon increasingly more data talking about their overall performance. These difficulties could eventually source the actual nonprofit organizations to pull out of the networks VI. Question 3 Although Wall-Mart the Far East international shops sourced from the well- established system of provider developed as well as managed through the Global Procurement department, its household procurement had been handled through Superstructure retailing.Chinese regulation required companies to become licensed tit regard to either transfer or foreign trade or with regard to domestic manufacturing. However it's not possible in order to license with regard to both. Consequently, many international companies setup holding businesses with both scale back on product packaging, and the organization has set an objective of ultimately producing right now waste and only using renewable power sources. Nevertheless, now much of the actual low-hanging fruit may be taken, achieving bigger sustainability goals will probably take much more work.Wall-Mart tend to be bringing the knowledge and understanding gained within U. Tutees. To tell the Chinese language. Wall-Mart will work closely along with non-governmental organizations to assist plant inspectors within China understand the business's sustainability endeavors. Wall-Mart focal points in China is going to be appropriate waste materials disposal, general waste decrease and decreasing greenhouse gasoline emissions, in addition to reducing product packaging and improving energy efficiency instead of doing company along.Within the recent occasions, Wall-Mart has submit some steps to upgrade about the environment as well as enhance power efficiency. A few of the initial actions include investing large amounts of money to enhance the effectiveness n its trucks fleet with a quarter as well as by dual in following years. It intends to lessen greenhouse gasoline emissions, reduce energy make use of two su bstantial levels. The company's managerial group comprehends on utilization of non- renewable power sources in order to zero price waste.A number of this type of energy entails harnessing associated with natural sources such as the sun and also the wind. When in addition and adds are thought, Wall-Mart has much more good towards the economy people and it's people in particular. Next the organization created 14 environmentally friendly value networks having a deader identified who does be generating the durability in some other part of the company. As the actual sustainability effort acquired momentum it had been quick to understand that the actual sustainability doesn't include extra function but is Just a new method of approaching one's personal work.Hence this started determining new responsibility for individuals in their own existing position instead of creating brand new Jobs and managed to get a fundamental element of the work everybody performed. Other significant change from the implementation was to appear outside hat was a main shift in the usual method Wall-Mart accustomed to conduct its operations concentrated internally. The technique represented a significant cultural change for that organization, looking for ideas through all – experts, No's providers, echo-friendly rivals, academicians as well as its critics.It's also engaged inside a dialogue using the government concerning climate change along with a curb upon greenhouse gasoline emissions. The collaborative strategy was performing wonders also it decided to create it part of the continuing sustainability design. All over the 14 Roth networks, countless external organizations where asked to become listed on and participate with an ongoing basis and also the primary qualifying criterion was to incorporate and engage people that are genuinely devoted to desired long term outcomes.Wall-Mart started participating in dialog along with government plan makers concerning climate alter. It comp ared a co tax as it will likely be passed onto customers and for that reason advocated the cap as well as trade program and recommended proposals with regard to market dependent programs with regard to reducing echo-friendly gas emissions. The systems were encourage to build up a