Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Uk Intellectual Property Law Is Not Sufficient For The...

The UK Intellectual Property Law is not sufficient for the Fashion Industry Name: Course: Course Code: Institution: Date: To those who are not familiar with the processes within the fashion industry, this world of style is characterized by a peaceful coexistence between all the stakeholders. To those in the know however, this is far from the truth with the fashion industry. The value of the United Kingdom fashion industry is large contributing to about 20 billion pounds into the country’s economy on an annual basis. To have a better understanding, the contribution made by the fashion industry to the country’s Gross Domestic Product is almost twice that being brought in by car manufacturers which is valued at 10.1 billion so fashion is no doubt a major business and clothing designs one of the core assets. In considering this, it is therefore a surprise that businesses that are operating within this industry within this industry are not given the opportunity to do more to protect the designs that they have. This paper puts forward the assertion that based on the case law of J Choo(Jersey) Li mited v Towerstone Limited and Others, the system of intellectual property protection available in United Kingdom law is not fit for use in the fashion industry in its present condition. The Nature of the Fashion Industry In spite of the considerable role that fashion designers and the entire fashion industry plays, designers are often unable to completely and comprehensivelyShow MoreRelatedLvmh Report7586 Words   |  31 Pageswines cognac and leather fashion goods, other three are perfumes cosmetics, watches jewelry and selective retailing. In the external environment of part two, the report analyzed the relevant dimensions of the macro environment by use of the PESTEL framework and the luxury industry by the Five forces framework. The global economy, people s expectations on luxury goods, drive for technological application, rarity of raw materials, and intellectual property laws all have an impact on LVMH inRead MoreCopyright Protection on Internet9657 Words   |  39 PagesINTRODUCTION {text:bookmark-end} {text:bookmark-start} 1.1 About Intellectual Property [1] {text:bookmark-end} It is not material wants that seek ownership, but the ideas, skills and moral aspirations need equal protection. It refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrialRead MoreCase Study: Budgens Stores Ltd7053 Words   |  28 PagesOrganizational Culture Cultural Diversity Communication Barriers Teams and work groups Team composition Workplace Conflicts Personal Interests vs. Organizational goals Lack of support and coordination Ethical Issues Local laws and regulations Compensation Planning Employee Retention Competitors HR Strategies Virtual teams Personal and business ethics Information safety Stakeholder relationships Different compensation packages forRead MoreWhy Coffee Is A Coffee Market3722 Words   |  15 PagesAbstract With the rapid development of China economy, the coffee industry is now soaring and more and more foreign companies want to enter into the coffee market. To get a clear sight and some ideas of the market, this paper will provide it. This paper is mainly talking about doing a coffee shop business in China. Firstly, this paper briefly introduce about the background of China economy to look for an opportunity of doing business in China. Moreover, it includes an overview of the competitiveRead MoreBuild-a-Bear International Expansion Into the Chinese Toy Market7895 Words   |  32 Pageswill be explored in more detail throughout our project. Goals and Vision The Goal of our company is not only to make profit but also to set into motion a long term plan for build a bear to eventually become a market leader in the Chinese toy industry and to expand to locations nationwide. All this will be done with utmost commitment to the build a bear mission (quoted above) and culture while continuing to maintain the social responsibility synonymous with the brand by offering charitable optionsRead MoreTransfer Pricing20501 Words   |  83 PagesTransfer Pricing in Developing Countries An Introduction Topics 1. Abstract 2. International tax law its sources 3. Brief history of International Tax Law 4. Who gets the pie? 5. Arm s length principle : Cornerstone of International Tax Law 6. Transfer pricing methods 7. Problems with of source taxation of MNE s 8. Internet e-commerce : Achilles heel of current International taxation regime? 9. Formulary Apportionment (FA) 10. Existing uses of Formulary Apportionment systems in the worldRead MoreApple’s Marketing Strategy3876 Words   |  16 Pagescombined. [9][10] As of September 24, 2011, the company had 60,400 permanent full-time employees and 2,900 temporary full-time employees worldwide; [11] its worldwide annual revenue in 2010 totaled $65 billion, growing to $108 billion in 2011. [12] Industry Structure and Global Markets Apple, as the weathervane of the innovation of consumer electronics products, has become the object that global consumer electronics companies is competing to imitate and learn. Apple’s Major Competitors Read MoreThe Impact Of E Commerce On Business7352 Words   |  30 Pagesstrategy for an e-Commerce business†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 3. Be able to manage an e-Commerce strategy 3.1 Critically assess the risks of linking business systems to the internet†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 3.2 Explain the importance of protecting the intellectual property of an organization†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦.22 3.3 Critically discuss security measures to protect an e-Commerce solution..........25 3.4 Critically evaluate current e-Commerce developments and assess their incorporation into an e-CommerceRead MoreCompetition Law- Effective Tool for Good Corporate Governance in India13353 Words   |  54 PagesCOMPETITION LAW EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE IN INDIA Submitted to Prof. I. Sridhar Legal Aspects of Business IIM Indore By Vinod Kumar 2012FPM20 Section F IIM INDORE TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGE NO. A. Introduction 1. Introduction...............................................................................................3 B. Analysis 2. Analysis of property rights in the case of tangibles................................4 3. Common features of Intellectual property rightsRead MoreThe Economic Properties Of Intangible Assets9432 Words   |  38 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 1. Challenges to the definition of the digital economy 4 1.1. The traditional accounting approach and its limits 4 1.2. The economic properties of intangible assets and their consequences 6 1.2.1 The main economic features of intangibles 6 1.2.2 Intangible assets and resource allocation 7 2. The OECD’s approach to taxing digital activities 9 2.1. The redefinition of the permanent establishment concept 9 2.2. The transfer pricing aspects of intangible assets 12

Monday, December 23, 2019

Five Factor Personality Test Scores - 775 Words

Five Factor Personality Test Scores I was excited to take The Five Factor Personality Test, since I have taken it before and would like to see if there were any significant changes within my personality traits. After finding my results, it concluded no significant change. My extraversion score was a 42, which is relatively high. My agreeableness score was a high of 33. My conscientiousness score was 35, which is an average score. My neuroticism score was a 30 and my openness score was a 29, both relatively high. I truly believe this assessment is a good predictor of my personality (Buchanan, n.d.). Accuracy of The Five Factor Personality Test I have to agree my assessment results are congruent with my personality. As an extravert, I am extremely talkative and social. I enjoy interacting with individuals on a daily basis and being able to communicate through speech. It was no surprise when I saw my extraversion score at a high level. I tend to be a very agreeable person. I am always helping others and putting their needs before my own. Sympathy and caring are personality traits learned over the last few years in my life. I am an extremely conscientious person, who is always controlling my surrounding environments. I rely heavily on myself and am determined to achieve my life goals. I figured my neuroticism score would be high, since I am filled with anxiety, depression, and fear. My ability to adjust to change is not the greatest, which affects my emotional stability. TheShow MoreRelatedPersonality Assessments : Personality Assessment1205 Words   |  5 Pages Personality Assessment Review Miranda Basham Clarion University of Pennsylvania â€Æ' Personality Assessments A personality assessment is the measurement of personal characteristics (personality assessment | psychology). Personality tests provide measures of characteristics like, feelings and emotional states, preoccupations, temperament, interests, motivations, attitudes, and approaches to interpersonal relations. A personality is a complex pattern of characteristics that are relativelyRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of A Team1198 Words   |  5 PagesTeam Personality Traits Personalities can vary in groups of people from different areas of the country. University of Phoenix Learning Team B reflects similar personalities in which may not be a common aspect in most team environments. The Learn team B truthfully assessed the Big Five Personality test to understand strengths and weaknesses within the team. However, each member has displayed a high regard for team goals and participation. According to each team member the results of the test wouldRead MoreThe Big Five Personality Traits Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: The â€Å"Big Five personality traits† is also called as the FFM or five factor model which is a model formed on general language descriptors of personality. These descriptors are formed jointly utilizing a statistical method known as factor analysis which is stated as this model is not formed on the tests/experiments†. This broadly observed hypothesis recommended 5 wide dimensions, utilized by few psychologists to explain the psyche the personality of the human. These 5 elements are explainedRead MoreFive Factors Model And The Jungian Model Essay1227 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscuss two personality tests, the Five Factor Model and the Jungian Model. It will also discuss the results I got from the Five Factor Model and the Jungian Model personality tests. I will then do an analysis of my results and a write a summary of two articles. Questionnaire 1: Five Factor Model The Five Factor Model is a questionnaire based upon five broad personality traits. The Five Factor Model is set up in two sections of sixty phrases describing people’s behavior. A person taking the test uses theRead MoreIA OB1459 Words   |  6 Pagesassignment Topic 1:. Identify and evaluate your personalities by using the Big Five Model (use a free online website). Write a paper providing your thoughts on the results and explain how the results can help you in personal and professional development. I/ Introduction 1. Why do I choose this topic? The reason why I choose this topic is I am curious about how Big Five evaluates people’s personalities, (particularly, my personalities) as well as how it relates to job. 2. The objectivesRead MoreBig Five Theory Of Personality Traits955 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Big Five Theory of Personality Traits. It is a five-factor model composed of the broad personality traits of openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. There are a variety of ways to assess one’s broad dimensions of personality in these five categories. One of which is Psych Central’s personality assessment that consists of fifty questions in which there is a statement of which rate your level of agreement in terms of your own personality, preferencesRead MoreEssay on Personality in the Workplace1380 Words   |  6 PagesAn individual’s personality is the basis of who they are and generates how they react to and behave in different situations. Personality testing is used in workplaces to identify whom to hire, promote and even put into teams. Personality testing is efficient in being able to determine which employees will per form best in certain roles, and this can remove some stress from employers. Personal testing has been shown to help improve the quality of employees who are in the workplace. The method of assessingRead MorePersonality Tests : Personality Test1011 Words   |  5 Pagesdeeper into my own personality test named the big five personality test, I like to understand more about the concept of these evaluations. Personality tests are used in various ways and for several reasons. The spectrum of participate range from fun and humor to evaluations for professional and behavior perspectives. Many of these personality tests out there have an entertainment purpose only and have little scientifically value. So to understand the purpose of a personality test is a tool that isRead MoreFive Factor Model Of Personality Test Essay784 Words   |  4 PagesFive Factor Model of Personality Test Everyone we meet in life will have a different personality. Understanding personality traits can be useful for counselors. Counselors can use personality assessments to learn what influences a person’s development. I took Buchanan’s personality test to discover my personality style. Buchanan’s quiz uses the Five Factor Model of Personality Test (FFPT). Buchanan’s questionnaire covered topics of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, andRead MoreCase Study Intitled A Diamond Personality856 Words   |  4 PagesCase Study ï ¿ ½ PAGE * MERGEFORMAT ï ¿ ½1ï ¿ ½ A Diamond Personality Dale A. Miller CJA/473 September 4, 2010 Gary Vernon Introduction A case study is a form of qualitative explanatory research that is used to look at individuals, a small group of participants, or a group as a whole. Research on case studies allows people to understand complex issues that can extend experience and add strength to previous research. Case studies articulate detailed analysis of a minimal number of events and their affairs

Sunday, December 15, 2019

School Uniforms in the U. S. Free Essays

There are many schools in the U. S. that require their students to wear uniforms, and there’re also some that don’t. We will write a custom essay sample on School Uniforms in the U. S. or any similar topic only for you Order Now I believe that school uniforms should not be required for a few reasons. Uniforms take away from a person’s individual identity, and they can be costly to people depending on their financial status. School uniforms can also be a very uncomfortable fashion that students would not take a liking to. The first reason uniforms should not be required is that most schools across the country believe uniforms take away from an individuals identity, so they don’t require their students wear them. In today’s world your identity and having a good sense of self is important to the diversity that Americans have show in the past. In schools that require uniforms the student body all look the like same person, very bland and boring people. This is not what American society is, we are casual dressing diverse people, and dressing casual and the way you like is the best way to recognize students as individual people and not as part of â€Å"those people. † Another reason for opposing uniforms is everyone especially kids like to be comfortable when having to sit still for an elongated period of time. When kids are uncomfortable in school they tend fidget and not pay attention instead they are worrying about fixing their clothes, which should not be their top priority. When guys wear the uniforms they will always have to be worried about whether their tie is straight or if their shirt is properly tucked in. Girls wearing uniforms might have to worry about their skirts if they are proper length and if they are twisted or not, and being a girl I know how easily female clothes can become askew from their proper place. All these minor irritations kids would have to go through limit their comfort and cause their minds to lack focus on schoolwork and concentrate more on fixing their clothes. Also some days kids may wake up and not feel to well and just might want to wear the comfortable t-shirt and sweat pants. Wearing uniform when feeling under the weather might just agitate their wellness a little more. The last and most important reason for not requiring uniforms are they money. These uniforms might costly roughly between forty and fifty dollars per set, and on top of that parents would have to buy four or five to last the school eek, with a final purchase cost of two hundred and fifty dollars. Some parents can not afford these high prices depending on their financial situation, and forcing parents to buys these is just another way to put a damper on their already harsh feelings on their income. Also you cannot penalize a child for what their parents can and can’t afford. After a while kids do grow and would grow out of their new expensive attire and even more money will have to be spent to buy more sets of uniforms. We all live in a country were we are free to make choices, like what we want to wear everyday. Taking away our right to choose is like a natural right, a right that you are born with, and as we all know Americans thrive on their rights set up by the constitution more than two hundred years ago. Bottom line school uniforms should not be required for students to wear, they take away from our individual identity, they can become quite uncomfortable to wear, and most important they can be very costly and a not needed financial burden. http://www. bookrags. com/essay-2004/12/20/11426/585/ How to cite School Uniforms in the U. S., Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Spoof Email Phishing Scams and Fake †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Spoof Email Phishing Scams and Fake. Answer: Introduction Phishing also termed as Spoofing is a type of computer crime in which a victim or victims are communicated either through electronic mail, text message, or mobile phone for coaxing the individuals to procure the sensitive information like personal information, banking details, credit card details, and security pin. This information is then utilized to acquire the significant accounts and can leads to monetary theft. The first phishing case was registered against a teenager belonging to California. He imitated the website called America Online and performed the illegitimate access of the users sensitive details like credit card details for withdrawing the money from their own bank accounts. In addition to website and electronic mail phishing, there exists vishing or voice phishing, smishing or SMS phishing, etc. The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) defines phishing as Internet hackers are utilizing the electronic-mail enrapturing to fish for the security pin and monetary information from the sea of Internet users. The phishing attacks can be performed by the following methods illustrated below: The money making offers and attention-grasping emails are created to draw the peoples observation instantly. For example, many scammers assert that you win a lottery, or some other expensive price, iPhone, etc. These types of doubtful emails should not be clicked. One of the preferred strategies used among the hackers is to make you to act as soon as possible. Some of the emails notify that you have only short amount of time to respond (Bright, 2004). When the user receives these types of emails, they should ignore it. Sometimes, the hackers will notify the users that their account will be deleted until the users update their personal information instantly. Most of the legitimate enterprises offer more time before the termination of the user accounts and they do not ask the customers to update the sensitive information over the Internet. The customers must go to the source website directly rather than using the email link to avoid the confusion. The hyperlink looks like the actual URL of the website but the user will be forwarded to some other website or any other famous websites with some mispellings after clicking it. For example, www.bankofarerica.com the m in the actual approved website is misgiven as r. If the user views the unexpected email attachments, it should not be opened. They contain malware information like virus or ransomware. The safer file that can be clicked anytime is a text (.txt) file. If the message received by the user arrives from the trusted or un-trusted persons, and if it contains any usual, unrelated, or suspicious information, this particular message should be deleted. Trojan Horse is a malevolent software or malware that is pretended as the approved legitimate software. The malwares can be uploaded by viruses, or without the awareness of the user, having a line of thought that the software is a utility of an internet browser plug-in. It can also be inaugurated through Internet Relay Chat sites. Most of the phishing attacks utilize the Trojan Horse to induct key loggers for obtaining the users details and the bank account numbers. These type of images contain username, credit card numbers, or passwords that are sent to the phishing attackers. The security holes are present in the web browsers that can easily accomplish the phishing attacks. The hacker incorporates a URL into the e-mail by using the given format: When the user places the mouse cursor over the link, the link appears to be www.legitimatesite.com; But the link navigates to the malicioussite.com, where the counterfeit webpage is provided. This insecurity hole is resolved by the Microsoft, but another security hole can be intruded by the attackers at any time. Malevolent Javascript: According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, one of the main phishing technique used is employment of the Java scripting for creating hoax browser address or other portion of the browser consolidation called as Chrome. The Javascript changes the address bar, menus, status bar, etc (Festa, 2005). When the user keys in the URL in the address bar, the malevolent software code can forward the users to the fraud web site. The cross-site scripting injects the malevolent codes into the web application. If the login page of the bank web application is not well crafted and is not provided better validation, the malevolent software code can be injected and executed on that web site. An attacker could make the user to use the link for the vulnerable website and draft the web address that his malevolent software code executes on the bank web application. The user will think that he is browsing securely on the bank web application, when the malicious code is executed. Phishing attacks are getting increased and are evolved through various methods ranging from spear phishing to CEO fraudulent. It places the risk to all the users who are having email accounts. The phishing attacks are successful and popular for the following reasons provided below: The lack of extensive training in phishing and other virus attacks is the key reason for the success of these attacks. The research states that 6% of the users never procured the safety recognition training (Gonsalves, 2013). If the employees are given the security awareness training, they can easily detect the phishing attacks and perform the action accordingly. The users should be trained on the scams and malicious emails that they encounter on social media websites. Insufficient Diligent Performance of the Enterprises The firms are not performing enough to suppress the risks related to phishing and malevolent software. The lack of backup processes and the inability to detect the untrained users who need extensive training is another reason for the success of phishing attacks. The lack of strong intrinsic control methods makes the organizations to be affected largely by the CEO process. Most of the cyber criminal firms contain larger funds, which in turn makes them to gain additional expertise in phishing and allows them to perform more difficult phishing attacks. The utilization of the Dark Web has reduced the value of the stolen data and the cost of remittance record is reduced from 25 dollars in 2011 to 6 dollars in 2017, and so the cyber offenders changes their line of focus on innovative ways for earning more money as before (Gray, 2013). Subsequently the offenders discovered a fund source through data owners, where they focus by means of phishing and ransom worm attacks. By scared of data loss, data owners will think more before expending the money to the cyber criminals.ls The phishing tools and ransomware-as-a-service availability provides easy opportunity to the hackers for making an entry into the market and make a competition with experienced criminal firms. Starting the first action of stealing the users information into clicking illegitimate links to the recent CEO fraudulent activities, the skill sets or expertises of the criminals are enhanced. There is a prediction of more type of threats like ransom worms by this year. Importance of handling phishing attacks on organizations Over the past years, there is lavish growth and success of spear phishing threats that provide severe consequences for business organizations. The spear phishing is related with many cyber crimes including the top organizations like JPMorgan Chase Co., Sony, Ebay, Target, etc (Barret, 2007). A survey is conducted by the research organization Vanson Bourne to enquire 300 technology decision makers regarding the organization perspective. Based on the survey, almost 80% of the interviewed decision makers told that spear phishing threats is the enterprise main security concern. According to the IT professionals, spear phishing is a top vulnerability faced by many top organizations today. The survey is primarily performed to collect the organization information based on the overall cyber attacks percentage represented by spear phishing. The 84 percentage of the users responded that their security defending mechanisms are penetrated by the spear phishing over the past 12 months (Jack, 2010). Moreover, 38% cyber attacks are encountered in organizations (Moulds, 2006). These are costlier attacks as the average cost over all organizations attacked by spear phishing threats was 1.6 million dollars. Email is highly prone to the spear phishing attacks. Moreover, 1 in 6 firms is affected by the reduction in their stock price. The phishing was defined as the utilization of scam emails that are designed as original mail from the trusted source like banks, E-commerce sites, or auction websites (Jack, 2010). Recently, the phishing is performed by various new social methods for hacking the sensitive information of the users. For example, there will be an invitation for filling out the survey containing questionnaire on personal information and account information of the users for any other banking websites with cash reward. Then the users will be asked to verify the credit card details stored by the users in the secure website for the purpose of registration. Currently the phishing definition has transformed to carry out several financial cyber crimes. Once the malicious code enters into the physical computer, it uses several techniques to lure on web site communication details and account details. The phishers contain various tools performing many illegal activities given below: Hosting phishing websites Botnets Technical Deception Hijacking of the communication session Exploitation of Domain Name Service (DNS) system Functional Malware There has been distressing increase in the usage of social media as a platform for performing the phishing attacks. In the year 2016, there is 150 percentage increases in the phishing attack on social media (Dworak, 2003). It is also known as angler phishing and involves the hackers having fraud social media accounts, posting popular brands, banks, etc for procuring the unauthorized access to the accounts of the users, users financial details, or other sensitive information. A phishing tactic used in social websites like Facebook and Twitter are the latest examples containing a fraudulent Barclay customer service that lure the users conversations by means of online support. Phishing attacks are the real threats that all organizations should deal with. The cyber criminal firms are utilizing phishing as a threat that incurs with improved frequency and high sophistication level. These attacks are real threats in both the business and in personal lives of the users. The organizations should invest for preventive measures and must contain a quick response plan against the phishing threats. They should provide training to the staff regarding the phishing dangers and actions after encountering these types of attacks. Process for preventing phishing in organizations: Employing a systematic vision and convey it The leadership of an enterprise should employ a systematic vision of protecting and securing the sensitive information properties across users, methods, and various technologies (Hurst, 2014). This vision should be transferred all over the enterprise and are constantly employed. Creating an information administration plan - The enterprises must create an information administration strategy inclusive of the differentiation and administration of the sensitive information. Counterfeit Phishing Attacks - The firms should assume the phishing threats for measuring the efficiency of the training and record the responses. This analysis helps the enterprises to spot the individuals who require intensive training and for identifying the security rules and policies. Create a feedback process By creating the milestone feedback process, which defines the main responsibilities, intrinsic, and extrinsic arrangements throughout the milestone, an enterprise can make the employees to defend various cyber crimes. Moreover, the firm should verify its ideas regularly for ensuring that the employees are able to respond for the cyber attacks and the created process are more efficient. Combating Phishing Attacks using Technology Update Antivirus and Antispyware software regularly Effective administration of applications like add-ons of web browser such as Adobe Flash and Java are the main components for the efficient defence against the cyber crime attacks. An enterprise must make sure that the installed antivirus software, patches of operating systems, and patches of applications are updated for increasing the overall safety and security against the cyber crimes. Incorporate dual factor authentication The enterprises should incorporate dual factor authentication for access of the information from remote location. The dual factor authentication is based on both the password and cell phone that a message is transferred to for obtaining the remote access. For example, if an employee discloses the password without his knowledge, the phishing will not be performed by the attacker since he does not know the second factor (Gelles, 2014). Restrict the system administration admittance of their workstation Most of the employees do not require the system administration access for their desktop computer or laptops. Therefore, by restricting the administration entrance to those employees, they will be able to complete their jobs and the execution of the phishing attack through malware codes can be avoided. Conclusion: The phishing attacks impose severe threats to the users and the organizations dealt by them. The online scams are increasing substantially and the complicated methods are employed by the attackers for injecting the phishing attacks and malwares. There are no magical ways to keep these threats away. The users should be extensively given training on these online threats. The organizations should ensure that the online fraudulent and other scams are reported by their consumers. The security organization should find possible solutions to safeguard the emails and E-commerce websites. References: Bright, M. (2004, February 12). Spoof Email Phishing Scams and Fake Web Pages or Sites. Retrieved from https://www.millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/gonephishing.htm. Gelles, J. (2014, March 27). Consumer Watch: Phishing Scams Continue to Bite. Retrieved from https://www.philly.com/mld/philly/business/columnists Hurst, P. (2014, February 2). Millions at Risk from Cyber Phishing Gangs. Retrieved from https://www.crime-research.org/news/29.02.2004/95 Dvorak, J. (2013, April 5). Gone Phishing. Scams for Personal Information Are Getting Worse. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/sections/ Jack, R. (2010, April 6). Online Phishing Uses New Bait. Retrieved from https://www.vnunet.com/News/1154101. Moulds, R. (2006, March 29). Whose Site is it Anyway?. Retrieved from https://www.net-security.org/article.php?id=669. Barrett, J. (2007, April 15). Phishing Fallout. Retrieved from https://msnbc.msn.com/id/4741306/. Gray, P. (2003, December 10). IE Bug Provides Phishing Tool. Retrieved from https://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39118421,00.htm Gonsalves, A. (2013, January 16). Latest Trojan Phishing for Personal Data. Retrieved from https://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20040116S0007 Festa, P. (2005, December 10). IE Bug Lets Fake Sites Look Real. Retrieved from https://news.com.com/2100-7355-5119440.html?tag=nl.

Friday, November 29, 2019

The Way Out of the Global Financial Crisis Essay Example

The Way Out of the Global Financial Crisis Essay The global recession is the cause for this, and that is a generally accepted fact. Not only the business contraction, but also the increases in unemployment and shrinking government revenues are also newsworthy. However, it is accepted that, large economies have started recovering from the crisis, unemployment is a problem that has been solved yet, (Nanto, 2009). Numerous banks and individual households still face problems in restoring their balance sheets.As a definite remedy, industrialized as well as emerging economies (developing countries) constitute financial rescue packages such as, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P. L. 111-5), (Nanto, 2009). This note details about one of the fundamental dilemmas which discussed all over the world at present. Simply stated, this is the world economic crisis, which is also known as the world financial crisis which began in the latter part of 2007. More specifically, this was known as many economists to be the worst economic cri sis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.Mainly, the collapses of large corporate and countries, as well as downturns in economies in economic growth, increasing unemployment, and collapses of the trade can be highlighted as the fundamental causes for the crisis. Given that, many large economies have turned into chaos as an awful repercussion of the crisis. However, many economists as well as countries as whole addressed remedies to prevent those so called negative repercussions; it is a generally accepted fact that, those remedies were not totally successful.This note discusses the above addressed issue in detail. Thus, we structured this note elaborating the notion of World Economic Crisis at the outset, and we postulates some of the major corporate collapses in the world. Thereafter, we detail about the major downturns of the economic growth as well as high unemployment problems occurred as causes for the core discussion. More focally, we develop facts about the impacts of the crisis toward the Sri Lankan economic and the financial sector as well.Finally, we strive to postulate, the feasibility of the remedies addressed to the phenomenon (Global Economic Crisis) discussed and we build an argument with a critical justification where, â€Å"there is no way Sri Lanka can keep away from the effects of economic recession but certainly the authorities could think and act sensibly towards finding ways of minimizing the impact by adopting proper policies. Most of all, the important thing is to adopt proactive policies†. Introduction – The Global Economic CrisisIn this section we intend to talk about how the world economic crisis emerged and some of the major players in this crisis. Perhaps most notably, this section does not encompass all the incidents about the crisis; we bring out the most important aspects to develop the core argument of the note. Many are suggesting that the major cause or the trigger for the financial crisis is the United Stat es housing bubble which peaked in the periods of 2005-2006. In the early 2006, housing prices peaked and started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and reached new lows in 2012.Adding to that on December 30th, 2008 Case-Shiller home price index reported its largest price drop in its history (See figure 01, annexes: Median and Average Sales Prices of New Homes Sold in United States 1963-2008). As a repercussion, the mortgage house pricing was also started gradually rising. To economists, it all seems painfully simple. Especially in Asian countries, more focally from China foreign money started flowing to the United States. This scenario was allowed people to borrow more and more properties that could not affordable.This is mainly due to the availability of free flow of money. Thereafter, bankers tend to bundle up in terms of loans and sold to investors. Obviously these investors did not understand the inherent risk of these bundles of money. Further, some and the majority of the investors tend to start defaulting on their mortgage payments, and they lost their houses and investors all around the world, including banks and hedge funds, lost their investments. Government of the US was not able to regulate the activities of the banking behemoths as well.Further weak and fraudulent underwriting practices of corporate are also vulnerable to the economy at that time. When we are discussing with the phases of the crisis, basically, there are four basic phases in the process of coping with the crisis by countries across the globe, (Nanto, 2009). First step details to contain the contagion and restore confidence of the system. Secondly, it can be suggested to coping with secondary effects of the crisis. The third phase of this process is to make changes in the financial system to reduce risk and prevent future crises.The fourth phase of the process is dealing with political, social, and security effects of the financial turmoil. The global economic crisis, which is also known as the financial crisis, (Nanto, 2009) started quickly spreading to emerging economies as well. Investors started pulling investments capital from countries, even those investments are with small quantities they perceived a high risk, consequently, plunging started in the value of stock as well as domestic currencies. Also, export prices started gradually declining with a dramatic slow of the economic growth. Major corporate bankruptcies and country collapsesIn this section, we expect to detail about the importance of prediction of financial distress as well as some of the major corporate as well as country collapses followed by the global economic crisis. Perhaps most notably, we are compiling about financial distress, because the improper financial prediction has become a major cause for corporate collapses. Actually, the notion of bankruptcy prediction models started way back in 1930s in terms of ratio analysis and it has evolved into various methodological grounds as well, (Bel lovary et al. , 2007). Moreover, given the importance of predicting financial distress, Campbell et al. (2011) write, ‘Although probably quite accurate, it may not be useful to predict a heart attack with a person clutching their hand to their chest’ (p. 02) The above empirical justification elaborates us the importance of predicting and implementing precautionary actions in advance for a problematic situation. Likewise, better prediction of corporate failures gives an utmost importance. Having a brief introduction about the financial distress and bankruptcy prediction, following discussion provide somewhat a detailed elaboration pertaining to the corporate and country collapses.At the outset, it can be stated that, the majority is not concerned about the excessive executive compensation which is also played pivotal role for the global financial crisis. Wall Street became a magnet for the brightest Americans who wanted to make a large amount of money very quickly. Most companies rewarded short-term performance without much regard for market fundamentals and long-term earnings. Executives were given stock options, which they could manipulate to earn more money. The more an executive could drive up his or her company’s stock price or its earnings per share, the more money he or she would get.Frank Partnoy argues that a mercenary culture developed among corporate executives. They merged with or acquired higher-growth companies and, in many cases, committed accounting fraud. This fraud led to the bankruptcy of companies such as Enron, Global Crossing, and WorldCom. Many executives received long prison sentences. Enron Corporation was an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy in late 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 and was one of the world’s leading electricity, natural gas, pulp and paper, and communications companies, with claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion in 2000.For six consecutive years Enron was named as the â€Å"America’s Most Innovative Company†. At the end of 2001 it was revealed that its reported financial condition was sustained substantially by institutionalized, systematic, and creatively planned accounting fraud, known as the â€Å"Enron scandal†. The Enron scandal, revealed in October 2001, eventually led to the bankruptcy of the Enron Corporation, the dissolution of Arthur Andersen, which was one of the five largest audit and accountancy partnerships in the world.In addition to being the largest bankruptcy reorganization in American history at that time, Enron undoubtedly is the biggest audit failure. Global Crossing is an American telecommunications company based in Bermuda, providing computer networking services throughout the world. It maintains a large backbone and offers transit and peering links, VPN, leased lines, audio and video conferencing, long distance telephone, managed services, dialup, colocation and VoIP, to custome rs ranging from individuals to large enterprises and to other carriers.The result of this bankruptcy was said to be the loss of 9000 jobs. WorldCom’s bankruptcy filing in 2002 was the largest such filing in U. S. history. The WorldCom scandal is regarded as one of the worst corporate crimes in history, and several former executives involved in the fraud faced criminal charges for their involvement. Most notably, company founder and former CEO Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and former CFO Scott Sullivan received a five-year jail sentence, which would have been longer had he not pleaded guilty and testified against Ebbers.Rising unemployment It is a generally accepted fact that, as a result of the economic downturn, millions of workers have been laid off from companies, at the same time, many of them experienced in cut working hours, and enterprises were seeking to reduce wages and other employee benefits constantly. Although there is some evidence that the global economy has reached a trough, history shows that synchronized and global crises, like the current one, result in recessions that are more severe and longer in duration (International Monetary Fund (IMF), 2009).These ongoing destructions of jobs increasing jobless hours started ensuring unemployment rates across the world. Particularly these downturns affected severely to many parties in the economy as well. More focally, those segments were defined in terms of age and gender, (Verick, 2009). Due to the lack of skills possessed, work experience, job search abilities, and the financial resources to find employment were considered as problems associated with the youth in marginalizing the labor market, (Verick, 2009). As a remedy the youth tend to employed with contract employments.More specifically, youth employment rates are far more sensitive than the adult population in the business cycle, (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2008). Indeed, since the end of 2007, an additional 2. 1 million young men and 1 million young women have become unemployed in a large sample of countries considered in this paper consisting of most European countries, Australia, Canada and the United States, which together represent almost 60 per cent of the global economy. Over this period, the unemployment rate in the European Union member countries increased by 6. and 3. 5 percentage points for young men and women, respectively, while it raised by a lower margin for prime age men (2. 1 percentage points). In the United States, unemployment rates have surged by a greater amount, especially for young men. Downturns in economies in economic growth and collapses of the trade To elaborate this section in more focus, we intend to adopt findings from Reinhart et al. , (2008) studies. We adopted, Past and Ongoing Real House Price Cycles and Banking Crises (see figure 02, annexes).Thus, we begin, at the outset, many of the dominat countires in the globe faci ng banking crisis. Particularly, countires like, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Ongoing crisis are in dark shading and the past crisis are in the light shading in the figure. The most severe real housing price declines were experienced by Finland, the Philippines, Colombia and Hong Kong. Notably, the duration of housing price declines is quite long-lived, averaging roughly six years. This simple illustration depicts the vulnerabilities facing by the top economies at present and faced in the past.Thus, we can postulate that, above mentioned United States housing bubble which peaked in the periods of 2005-2006 has significant impacts on the respective country’s economy as a whole. And it corresponds with long lasting vulnerabilities as well. Impact on Asian Countries and Sri Lanka Particularly, Asian policy changes in recent years including Japan’s banking reforms, Korea’s opening of its financial market, China’s dramatic economic transformation, so on and so forth elaborates us the Asian region corresponds with vulnerabilities of the Global Crisis.Thus, we state that if dominant Asian countries get affected from the crisis, a developing country like Sri Lanka will no longer be able to escape from the vulnerabilities. Also, the impacts will depend varying the sectors of the country. For example, there will be less tourist arrivals from European countries and that will affect the all ready troubled sector. Rising interest rates and inflationary pressure, US dollar appreciating at the expense of the rupee coupled with a war budget and high public sector expenditure will make things difficult for Sri Lanka.Central Bank (CBSL) released more than US$ 22 million into the market in order to defend the rupee. Less and less dollars coming into the market causes pressure on the rupee thus making it difficult for the (CBSL) to defend the rupee, (Weerakkody, 2008). The way out of the crisis Given all the reperc ussions, causes and effects of the global crisis, in a nutshell, we strive to postulate that, as a country, we cannot avoid the negative consequences overnight. For an example, Sri Lanka’s textile and garment exports will adversely impact due to the continuation US and the Eurozone economic downturn.This is because, nearly half of the textile is exported to the US in 2007 meantime another, 45 percent was exported to the Eurozone. In fact, this sector contributes substantially high proportion to the foreign exchange earnings in Sri Lanka. As a definite remedy we suggest opening Treasury Bills and Bonds to the Sri Lankans and implementing precautionary actions with friendly central banks in terms of SWAP agreements would be vital decisions to be made. Adding to that, prudent policies also indispensable as a country to implement, these are important to minimize the impacts of external shocks on the domestic financial market.Further, stable interest rates maintenance is also impo rtant in this regard and implementation of actions on undisciplined lending by banks pays a greater emphasis. Finally, we conclude stating that, In every probability, there is no way Sri Lanka can keep away from the effects of economic recession but certainly the authorities could think and act sensibly towards finding ways of minimizing the impact by adopting proper policies. Most of all, the important thing is to adopt proactive policies. Works Cited Bellovary, J. , Giacomino, D. amp; Akers, M. 2007. A review of bankruptcy prediction studies: 1930 to present. Journal of Financial Education, 33. Campbell, J. Y. , Hilscher, J. amp; Szilagyi, J. , 2011. Predicting financial distress and the performance of distressed stocks. Journal of Investment Management, 9(2), pp. 1-21. International Monetary Fund (IMF), 2009. From recession to recovery: how soon and how strong? Chapter 3 in IMF. World Economic Outlook (WEO) Crisis and Recovery, Washington, D. C.. Nanto, D. K. , 2009. The Global F inancial Crisis: Analysis and Policy Implications. Online] Congressional Research Service Available at: www. crs. gov [Accessed 01 May 2013]. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2008. OECD Employment Outlook. OECD, Paris. Reinhart, Carmen, M. , Kenneth, S. amp; Rogoff, 2008. Is the 2007 U. S. Subprime Crisis So Different? An International Historical Comparison. American Economic Review, 98(2), pp. 339–44. Verick, S. , 2009. Who Is Hit Hardest during a Financial Crisis? The Vulnerability of Young Men and Women to Unemployment in an Economic Downturn. Institute for the Study of Labor, IZA DP No. 359. Weerakkody, D. I. , 2008. Global financial crisis and Sri Lanka. [Online] Available at: http://www. dailynews. lk/2008/10/13/bus27. asp [Accessed 1 May 2013]. Annex 01: Figure one: Median and Average Sales Prices of New Homes Sold in United States 1963-2008 Source: Wikipedia, Financial crisis of 2007–2008 Annex 02 Past and Ongoing Real House Price Cycles and Banking Crises: Peak-to-trough Price Declines (left panel) and Years Duration of Downturn (right panel) Source: Reinhart, Carmen, M. , Kenneth, S. amp; Rogoff, 2008. Is the 2007 U. S. Subprime Crisis So Different?An International Historical Comparison. American Economic Review, 98(2), pp. 339–44. [ 2 ]. The United States housing bubble is an economic bubble affecting many parts of the United States housing market in over half of American states. [ 3 ]. Case-Shiller Home Price Indices monitors and evaluates the house price indices for the United States. [ 4 ]. The process by which investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and governments that are issuing securities (both equity and debt) [ 5 ].Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City [ 6 ]. Frank Partnoy is the George E. Barrett Professor of Law and Finance at the University of San Diego School of Law. [ 7 ]. This type of organizational culture is char acterized by a low degree of sociability and a high degree of solidarity. [ 8 ]. A swap is a derivative in which counterparties exchange cash flows of one partys financial instrument for those of the other partys financial instrument.

Monday, November 25, 2019

MBA Waitlist Strategies for Business School Applicants

MBA Waitlist Strategies for Business School Applicants When people apply to business school, they expect an acceptance letter or a rejection. What they dont expect is to be put on an MBA waitlist. But it happens. Being put on the waitlist is not a yes or a no. Its a maybe. What to Do If Youre Put on the Waitlist If youve been put on a waitlist, the first thing you should do is congratulate yourself. The fact that you did not get a rejection means that the school thinks you are a candidate for their MBA program. In other words, they like you. The second thing you should do is reflect on why you did not get accepted. In most cases, there is a particular reason why. It is often related to lack of work experience, a poor or lower than average GMAT score, or another weakness in your application. Once you know why youre waitlisted, you need to do something about it other than wait around. If youre serious about getting into business school, its important to take action to increase your chances of getting accepted. In this article, well explore a few key strategies that might get you off the MBA waitlist. Keep in mind that not every strategy presented here will be right for every applicant. The appropriate response will depend on your individual situation. Follow Instructions You will be notified if you are put on an MBA waitlist. This notification usually includes instructions on how you can respond to being waitlisted. For example, some schools will specifically state that you should NOT contact them to find out why you have been waitlisted. If you are told not to contact the school, do NOT contact the school. Doing so will only hurt your chances. If you are allowed to contact the school for feedback, it is important to do so. The admissions rep may be able to tell you exactly what you can do to get off the waitlist or strengthen your application. Some business schools will allow you to submit additional materials to supplement your application. For example, you may be able to submit an update letter on your work experience, a new recommendation letter, or a revised personal statement. However, other schools may ask you to avoid sending in anything extra. Again, it is important to follow instructions. Do not do anything that the school specifically asked you not to do.   Ã‚   Retake the GMAT The accepted applicants at many business schools commonly have GMAT scores that fall within a particular range. Check the schools website to see the average range for the most recently accepted class. If you fall beneath that range, you should retake the GMAT and submit your new score to the admissions office. Retake the TOEFL If you’re an applicant who speaks English as a second language, it is important that you demonstrate your ability to read, write, and speak English at the graduate level. If necessary, you may need to retake the TOEFL to improve your score. Be sure to submit your new score to the admissions office. Update the Admissions Committee If there is anything that you can tell the admissions committee that will add value to your candidacy, you should do it through an update letter or personal statement. For example, if you recently changed jobs, received a promotion, won an important award, enrolled or completed additional classes in math or business, or accomplished an important goal, you should let the admissions office know. Submit Another Recommendation Letter A well-written recommendation letter may help you to address a weakness in your application. For example, your application may not make it obvious that you have leadership potential or experience. A letter that addresses this perceived shortcoming could help the admissions committee learn more about you. Schedule an Interview Although most applicants are waitlisted because of a weakness in their application, there are other reasons why it can happen. For example, the admissions committee might feel like they just dont know you or they aren’t sure what you can bring to the program. This problem could be remedied with a face-to-face interview. If you are allowed to schedule an interview with alumni or someone on the admissions committee, you should do so as soon as possible. Prepare for the interview, ask smart questions about the school, and do what you can to explain weaknesses in your application and communicate what you can bring to the program.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Barcelona FC History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Barcelona FC History - Essay Example However, despite the many challenges in the initial years of FCB foundation, the club did not take long before it started to enjoy success on various strategies and also in field activities. During the time of Spanish war, the team was faced with a financial crisis in addition to having a unsupportive government system that frustrated many initiatives taken by the club. According to Barcelona.de, the period of the 1940s was a blessing to FCB for having attained membership of around 25,000 people and won 21 Catalan matches in addition to getting 9 trophies (n.d). It is the continued success of the club in field activities that continued to attract additional members to join the club hence relieving the FCB financial burden. In addition, the increased membership and growth of the number of fans necessitated the construction of a larger stadium that would host a larger number of spectators allied to the club. Therefore, the FCB initiated the construction of stadium Camp Nou that took ab out three years for completion.Additionally, the FCB motto has contributed significantly to the success of the club since it was founded. The club motto, "Mà ©s que un club", meaning more than a club, was proclaimed by Narcà ­s de Carreras, a onetime FCB president, in 1968 (Barcelona.de, n.d). During the reign of the authoritarian leader, Francisco Franco, the FCB had been given a lot of restriction pertaining the club operations also membership because of the perceived association to a radicalization of the Catalans.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Human Resource Problems in Roanoke Branch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Problems in Roanoke Branch - Essay Example In order to fully determine the human resource problems in the Roanoke Branch, I have spent two weeks with the company’s employees. Since the branch is relatively small, I have administered a conference with them in order to hear their complaints and grievances. During this forum, all of them participated in clarifying the issues that they are facing. I have also conducted a survey in order to gain their consensus on issues of compensation, reward, workload, and their interrelationship with other colleagues and superiors. In summary, the Roanoke branch of Phoenix Advertising is challenged with low employee morale. The branch employees are not sufficient in order to accomplish the heavy workload. The mounting customer demand requires overtime which are unpaid. Aside from these, the Roanoke branch is paying relatively low compensation compared to the industry rates. Artists also feel rejected and almost everyone is not motivated to excel in their positions. All these result to o perational inefficiencies and substandard output. There is also a threat from workers that they might resort to other business organizations which can better give them the better benefits and working condition. Recommendations 1. Employee empowerment can boost employee morale. This can be done by including artists in decision making. Before starting a project, the company's account supervisor should closely coordinate with the artists in order for them to know the customer's requirement. With this, artists will not feel that their creative efforts are rejected. This also helps in eliminating reworks. 2. A new compensation package should be designed. The Roanoke Branch should see to it that it is pays employees for their overtime and holiday works. It is recommended that the branch based its compensation package on industry rates. 3. The branch should hire two more artists in order to efficiently allocate the workload. 4. Evaluation of employee performance should be conducted on a quarterly basis. 5. The new compensation package should also include non-monetary rewards. This includes recognition for the jobs well done in the form of spa and leisure packages for exceptional employee performance. 6. The Roanoke branch must establish a program where employees can air their complaints and grievances. This will enable the branch to improve its dealings with employees.

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Press and Presidential Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Press and Presidential Politics - Essay Example With an indication of a descriptively "too close to call" presidential election according to a majority of opinion polls, focus shifted on the effect of a tiny fraction of the voters conceivably vital for both camps: the undecided electorates. Evident from the strategic positioning of both candidates in the final stretch, these were indeed the folks with the power to ether re-elect President Barack Obama or to elevate former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to the highest office on the hill. From the oscillating manner of polls up to the very last minutes, there was no doubt whatsoever that the key to unlock the answer to the United States’ stewardship over the next four years was firmly in the hands of these â€Å"special voters†. The question, however, was how to these groups could possibly be REACHED. This paper analyses the effectiveness of New York Times’ and the Wall Street Journal’s news coverage with regard to how explicit they were in informing the undecided voters about the candidates and what they stood for over the final 10 days of the 2012 presidential campaign. From the beginning, the two camps projected different theories of the race to the public—from Romney, the 2012 election was precisely a referendum on Obama’s unpopular administrative style; to Obama, it was all about comparative choice between slipping back to extreme conservatism, which was rather unpalatable to women and the young elite, and moving forward with the regime’s reform agenda. Surprisingly enough, the 2012 election was about arguments advanced by both sides, and the message appeared to have sunk well on both camps in the final days: a challenger seeking to oust an incumbent making a case for himself and the incumbent seeking to convince voters that the alternative would be much worse. Contrary to the 2008’s message of hope that attracted comparatively much enthusiasm and support, Obama found himself in the traditional p osture of an incumbent under siege—a wiser fighter with experience, not the hitherto conciliator. With the polls oscillating between a possible tie and a negligible win with an error of a striking distance for both candidates, the undecided voters became a fertile ground for both camps to make their final appeals. The "undecided voter" was no longer unavoidable in the final days’ coverage of the campaign preceding the 2012 US presidential election with both candidates fashioning their appeals to woo a winning support on their sides. Avowedly, there were high odds that the undecided women and young elites in general, probably without jobs, will waffle before cameras when confronted with a very simple, but hitherto difficult, straightforward question: Whom will you vote for on the November 6th?  Although the exact number and place of residence of the "uncommitted voter" population were rather unknown, a single type of voter, presented by a diverse number of news outlet s as comprising of young, lightly educated, lower income and white women, was enough representation of the electorates "on the fence" whose influence could not be taken for granted. Noteworthy, the demographics mentioned herein is not inclusive and conceivably overlooks a huge number unsure of which candidate they

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Theory Mild Steel Material

Theory Mild Steel Material Mild steel or so-called carbon steel was the most common  types of steel  being used nowadays in almost all forms of industrial applications and industrial manufacturing. Basically, it refers to a group of low carbon steel with relatively low tensile strength, malleable and cheap which consist the maximum composition of Carbon between 0.15% to 0.3%. Furthermore its surface hardness can be increased through carburizing. Apart from the cheapest types of steel, it was widely used in every type of product created from  steel because of its weldability, good strength and hardness and although it has the tendency to rust, it is very durable to build materials. Plus, it had the ability to be be magnetized and used in almost any project that requires a lot number of metal. 2.1.2 Types of Mild Steel There were many types of Mild Steel that had been discovered until recently, among them were A36, High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steel, Abrasion Resistant (AR), Pressure Vessel Quality (PVQ), 4140, 8620 ,1045,1018 and Free Machine Steel (FM 45). The most popular mild steel specification for carbon steel is A36 which normally comes in shapes of plates and bars for bolted and welded construction. High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steel usually contain more than 15% composition of carbon and it is stronger than any ordinary plain carbon steels. HSLA normally comes in the appearance of Corten and Exten material. They are widely used in cars, cranes, bridges and other structures to handle stress at low temperatures. Abrasion Resistant (AR) is commonly used in truck and hopper bodies, shoots, and wear as it is a very hard mild steel that is abrasion or wear resistant. While for the Pressure Vessel Quality (PVQ), because of its properties which are high strength and low weight mild steel it wa s commonly used in earth moving, transport equipment such as booms, buckets, and pressure vessels. Among the example of PVQ are A514 and T1. 4140 and 8620 perform well under high heat, heavy load wear-resistant material and was used for dyes and molds. 1045 is a standard mild steel which is more durable than A36 though it is harder to machine and weld. It is commonly used for axles, bolts, connecting rods, hydraulic rams and etc. 1018 is the most frequently available of the cold-rolled steels and chemically similar to A36. It come generally in round rod, square bar and rectangle bar. It have good edges such as strength, ductility and ease of machining. Last but not least, Free Machine Steel (FM 45) is a mild steel that has average durability in strength and easy to machine. 2.1.3 Mechanical Properties of Mild Steel In materials science, the strength phrase can be assumed as a high resistance to breakage. Mild steel was well known because of its high resistance to breakage and therefore its mechanical properties can be considered as very strong due to the low amount of carbon it contains. Mild Steel also was recognized as having a high tensile and impact strength compared to the High Carbon Steel due to the fact that it can be easily malleable even when in cold. Another distinguished differences of mechanical properties between high carbon steel and Mild Steel was mild steel bends or deforms if being subjected under stress while a high carbon steels usually shatter or crack. This cause Mild Steel was widely preferred in the construction area in the interest of its weldability, machiniability, malleablility and high strength. As a result of its high strength and easy to malleable, the former is actually quite soft which cause its easy to machine and welding both to itself or to other types of ste el. Nevertheless, the former cannot be hardened through heat treatment processes unlike the latter. Mild steel usually contains few other alloying elements other than Carbon to give them certain desirable mechanical properties. For example, lets take a look at 1018, a common type of mild steel. 1018 contains an approximately 0.6%-0.9% Manganese (Mn), 0.04% Phosphorus and 0.05% Sulphur. Varying these chemicals will affects certain properties such as corrosion resistance and strength. For instance, Phosphorus, Sulphur and Silicon are undesirable and can be considered as trace elements as they have negative impacts on the steel due to their bad effects on the steel and its properties. The reason why Phosphorus is consider as a trace element because it affects primarily the ductility and the toughness of steel mostly when the steel is in the quenched and tempered conditions. In fact, the Phosphorus has a tendency to react with the iron to form a compound known as ironphosphide (Fe3P) which has the particularity of being brittle. Hence, phosphorus renders steel less tough and ductile wh ile it increases brittleness. While for the Sulphur which also was a trace element, it has a great tendency to segregate (that is to isolate itself in the structure). It also reacts with iron to form iron sulphide which produces red or hot-shortness, since the low melting eutectic forms a network around the grains so that these hold but loosely together, and the grain boundaries may easily break up during hotforming. So, from here we can see that Sulphur plays a great role in the decline ability of steel such as weldability, impact, toughness and the ductility of the steel. Carbon is an element whose presence is imperative in all steel. Indeed, carbon is the principle hardening element of steel. That is, this alloying element determines the level of hardness or strength that can be attained by quenching. Furthermore, carbon is essential for the formation of cementite (as well as other carbides) and of pearlite, spheridite, bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the microstructures. Carbon is also responsible for increase in tensile strength, hardness, resistance to wear and abrasion. However, when present in high quantities it affects the ductility, the toughness and the machinability of steel. Whereas element like Carbon and Manganese are desireable as it can enhanced the properties of steel. First, lets observe Carbon element. Carbon is an element whose presence is imperative in all steel. Indeed, carbon is the principle hardening element of steel. That means that the alloying element determines the level of hardness or strength that can be attained by quenching. Furthermore, carbon is essential for the formation of cementite (as well as other carbides) and not to mention pearlite, spheridite,bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the microstructures. Carbon is also responsible for the increase in tensile strength, hardness,resistance to wear and abrasion. However, when present in high quantities it will affects the ductility, the toughness and the machinability of steel. Same as Carbon, Manganese also contributes greatly towards increasing strength and hardness, but to a less extent than carbon. To be more precise, the degree to which manganese increases hardness and strength is dependent upon the Carbon content of the steel. In fact, manganese contributes to the increasing the strength of the ferrite, and also toward increasing the hardness of penetration of steel in the quench by decreasing the critical quenching speed. Moreover, still consisting of a considerable amount of manganese can be quenched in oil rather than in water, and are therefore less susceptible to cracking because of reduction in the shock of the quenching. In addition, the latter enhance the tensile strength, the hardness, the harden ability, the resistance to wear and it also increase the rate of carbon penetrating in the coefficient of thermal expansion of steel whereas it is detrimental to both thermal and electrical conductivity. 2.1.4 Application of Mild Steel Nowadays, every objects that are fabricated of  steel  are using  mild  steel type of material which includes automobile chassis, motorcycle frames and most cookware product. Due to its poor corrosion-resistance, it must be painted or protected and sealed in order to prevent rust from damaging it. A light coat of oil or grease is able to seal this  steel  and aid in rust control.Unlike high-carbon  steel,  mild  steel  is easily welded. The properties of the  steel  allow the electrical current to travel through the metal without distorting the makeup of the material. Some types of high-carbon  steel such as stainless  steel, require special techniques in order to properly weld the material. Being less brittle than high-carbon steels, the  mild  variant is able to flex and give in construction projects where a higher-carbon version could simply break. Most of the pipeline in the world is created using  mild  steel. This allows the pipe to not only be easily welded into place, but also lets the pipeline flex and avoid cracking and breaking under pressure. The corrosive properties of the  steel  pipeline mean that it must be properly sealed through painting or a process often used on pipelines that involves wrapping the pipe with a corrosive-resistant material.Often in very cold climates, a warming type of insulating material is wrapped around the pipeline. This material helps keep the cold inside the pipe running smoothly. The wrap also prevents the soft  mild  pipe  steel  from becoming brittle and cracking. The constant expansion and shrinkage due to cold and warmth cycling in the pipe could create structural integrity problems, but these are held in check by the insulating wrap. On a much smaller scale, household pipes can be prevented from becoming cold and breaking by the use of electrical heating tape. 2.2 Theory Test 2.2.1 Tensile Test A  tensile test, also known as tension test is the most fundamental type of mechanical test one can perform on the material. This tests are simple, relatively inexpensive, and fully standardized. By pulling on something, one will determine how the material will react to forces being applied in tension. As the material is being pulled, one will find its strength along with how much it will elongate. The objective of conducting Tensile test until the material breaks or rupture is to obtain a complete tensile profile. A curve will result showing how it reacted to the forces being applied. The point of failure is of much interest and is typically called the Ultimate Strength or UTS on the Stress vs Strain diagram. The total of 4 samples of mild steel plate were prepared for this test purposed where all the samples were machined following the standardized dimension given. Stress vs Strain Diagram 2.2.2 Hardness Test Rockwell hardness testing is a general method for measuring the bulk hardness of metallic and polymer materials. Although hardness testing does not give a direct measurement of any performance properties, hardness correlates with strength, wear resistance, and other properties. Hardness testing is widely used for material evaluation due to its simplicity and low cost relative to direct measurement of many properties. This method consists of indenting the test material with a diamond cone or hardened steel ball indenter. Only 1 samples of mild steel material plate was prepared for this type of test as this test only required 1 samples indent 10 data on that 1 samples. 2.2.3 Impact Test The impact properties of samples were measured using the standardized dimension from the strength lab that had been acquired from the lab technician. Then the samples that had complete the machining process will have to undergo two test which are Charpy test and Izod test. These two test were meant to measure the the amount of  energy absorbed by a material during  fracture. This absorbed energy is a measure of a given materials notch  toughness  and acts as a tool to study temperature-dependent ductile-brittle transition. The only distinctive differences between the charpy and izod lies in the way that the specimen are supported in the apparatus machine. 2.2.4 Microstructure Observation In Microstructure observation, the samples of mild steel plate will be observed under the microscope in order to monitor the microstructure of the specimen. Before the observation start, the sample will have to be prepared by first grinding the sample with grit sand paper starting from 240, 320, 400, 600 and lastly 1200. After that the sample will be polished by using either powder or paste depend on which is more suitable. Only after all these process were done we can start observe the microstructure under the microscope starting from 5x, 10x, 20x, 40x, 50x and etc.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Mistaken Identities: Problems of Movie Discussion Boards :: Online Cyberspace Web Essays

Mistaken Identities: Problems of Movie Discussion Boards â€Å"There’s always another mind there. Its like having the corner bar, complete with old buddies and delightful newcomers and new tools waiting to take home afresh graffiti and letters, except instead of putting on my coat, shutting the down the computer, and walking down to the corner, I just invoke my telecom program and there they are. It’s a place† is how Howard Rheingold described online communities in his essay The Virtual Community (94). Is this what the world has come to? The fact that shutting down your computer is such a horrid thought that walking down the corner to a bar or a cafà © becomes unrealistic and almost an absurd thought? That this small task has become too much effort to put forth? I would like to believe that such a mind frame does not exist throughout the population. These were just a few of the thoughts that raced through my mind after reading this essay. With Rheingold’s continual praise of online communities and in reading articles that confirm that others agree with this new lifestyle, I became extremely interested and wanted to learn more. I decided the only way to know what these communities were about was to join one. I chose Internet Movie Database (ImDb) Message board as my starting point. The topic of general film talk caught my interest. I read the posts left by those who had visited the site and found their knowledge of movies to be overwhelming. Many of the members were even able to name characters of many movies. One post was called, â€Å" Name that tagline†. It proceeded to list ten quotes from random movies. Within minutes responses were given with the answers to each quote; it was amazing that people were this indulged in movies on a daily basis. Another point I found a bit odd was the language in which the po sts were written. It was not typical everyday talk, rather highly structured, as if each person was attempting to outdo each previous post. â€Å"I realized this afternoon that the reason I can't stand him is not because he is dividing up the movie audience into marketing niches and then pandering to them. What he is doing is glomming onto daring artistic statements and movie projects that might be unprofitable if done with integrity, and guaranteeing himself a profit by dumbing them down and star sucking them up to make Oscar bait for a mass audience.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Administrative Process in Nursing

Submitted by: Jennelyn M. Pondang Submitted to: Prof. Liwayway T. Vallesteros †¢ Answer learning activities (page 14) nos. 3 and 4. †¢ Illustrate using a table a comparison of the ff leadership style: a. Democratic, Authoritarian, and Laissez-faire b. Transformational and Transactional †¢ Which of the above leadership styles do you think your immediate manager adhere to? Support your assumption. 3. Compare Theory X, Y, and Z. Which one would you prefer in your organization? Why? Theory X assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can and that they inherently dislike work.As a result of this, management believes that workers need to be closely supervised and comprehensive systems of controls developed. According to this theory, employees will show little ambition without an enticing incentive program and will avoid responsibility whenever they can. Theory X managers rely heavily on threat and coercion to gain their employee's compliance, believe t hat everything must end in blaming someone and that his or her employees do not really want to work, that they would rather avoid responsibility and that it is the manager's job to structure the work and energize the employee.Beliefs of this theory lead to mistrust, highly restrictive supervision, and a punitive atmosphere. Usually these managers feel the sole purpose of the employee's interest in the job is money. They will blame the person first in most situations, without questioning whether it may be the system, policy, or lack of training that deserves the blame. Theory Y assumes that people are creative and eager to work. Workers tend to desire more responsibility than Theory X workers, and have strong desires to participate in the decision making process.Theory Y workers are comfortable in a working environment which allows creativity and the opportunity to become personally involved in organizational planning. Creativity and imagination are increasingly present throughout th e ranks of the working population. These people not only accept responsibility, but actively seek increased authority. In this theory, management assumes employees may be ambitious and self-motivated and exercise self-control. It is believed that employees enjoy their mental and physical work duties.Theory Y managers believe that employees will learn to seek out and accept responsibility and to exercise self-control and self-direction in accomplishing objectives to which they are committed. They believe that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation. Many people interpret Theory Y as a positive set of beliefs about workers. Theory Y managers are more likely than Theory X managers to develop the climate of trust with employees that is required for human resource development.This would include managers communicating openly with subordinates, minimizing the difference between superior-subordinate relationships, creating a comfortable environment in which subordinates can develop and use their abilities. This theory is a positive view to the employees, meaning that the employer is under a lot less pressure than someone who is influenced by a theory X management style. Another theory which deals with the way in which workers are perceived by managers, as well as how managers are perceived by workers, is William Ouchi's â€Å"Theory Z†.Often referred to as the â€Å"Japanese† management style, Theory Z offers the notion of a hybrid management style which is a combination of a strict American management style (Theory A) and a strict Japanese management style (Theory J). This theory speaks of an organizational culture which mirrors the Japanese culture in which workers are more participative, and capable of performing many and varied tasks. Theory Z emphasizes things such as job rotation, broadening of skills, generalization versus specialization and the need for continuous training of workers.Much like McGregor's theories (Theory X an Y), Ouchi's Theory Z workers have a high need to be supported by the company, and highly value a working environment in which such things as family, cultures and traditions, and social institutions are regarded as equally important as the work itself. These types of workers have a very well developed sense of order, discipline, moral obligation to work hard, and a sense of cohesion with their fellow workers. Theory Z workers can be trusted to do their jobs to their utmost ability, so long as management can be trusted to support them and look out for their well being.One of the most important tenets of this theory is that management must have a high degree of confidence in its workers in order for this type of participative management to work. Theory Z stresses the need for enabling the workers to become generalists, rather than specialists, and to increase their knowledge of the company and its processes through job rotations and continual training. In fact, promotions tend to be sl ower in this type of setting, as workers are given a much longer opportunity to receive training and more time to learn the intricacies of the company's operations.The desire, under this theory, is to develop a work force, which has more of a loyalty towards staying with the company for an entire career, and be more permanent than in other types of settings. It is expected that once an employee does rise to a position of high level management, they will know a great deal more about the company and how it operates, and will be able to use Theory Z management theories effectively on the newer employees. SUMMARY: McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y managers seem to have a much more formal leadership style than do Ouchi's Theory Z managers.McGregor's managers seem to both have different views of the workers, while their views of the tasks remains the same in both cases: that is, one of specialization, and doing a particular task. Theory Y suggests that the workers would become very good at their particular tasks, because they are free to improve the processes and make suggestions. Theory Z workers, on the other hand, tend to rotate their jobs frequently, and become more generalists, but at the same time become more knowledgeable about the overall scheme of things within the company.Several parallels indeed exist between these two theorists. Namely McGregor's Theory Y, and Ouchi's Theory Z both see the relationship between managers and workers in a very similar light. They both are more group oriented than the Theory X assumptions, which seem to be more individual oriented. One of the most notable similarities between McGregor's Theory Y and Ouchi's Theory Z appears in the form of the type of motivation that makes the workers perform in a way that enables them to be more productive.While the Theory X worker is said to require coercion, threats, and possibly even disciplinary action, Theory Y and Theory Z workers are, again, self motivated. This allows them to focus on the task, and also their role within the company. Their desire is to be more productive and enable the company to succeed. Theory X workers, on the other hand, seem to have just enough self motivation to show up at work, punch the time clock, as it were, and do only that which is necessary to get the job done to minimum standards.I would prefer Theory Z in our organization because people in this theory are innately self- motivated to not only do their work, but also are loyal towards the company and want to make the company succeed. I like theory Z managers having a great deal of trust that their workers could make sound decisions. Therefore, this type of leader is more likely to act as â€Å"coach†, and let the workers make most of the decisions. The workers have a great deal of input and weight in the decision making process. Theory Z also emphasizes more frequent performance appraisals 4.Describe at least three factors that affect human behavior. Attitude is one of the fa ctors that affect human behavior. It is a complex mental state involving beliefs, feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways. Another is Social Norms. This is the influence of social pressure that is perceived by the individual to perform or not perform a certain behavior. Perceived Behavioral Control is also factor that affect human behavior. This is defined as the individuals belief concerning how easy or difficult performing the behavior will be. Illustrate using a table a comparison of the ff leadership style: c. Democratic, Authoritarian, and Laissez-faire d. Transformational and Transactional C |Democratic |Authoritarian |Laissez-faire | | | | | | |Leadership style in which the leader ictates |Non-authoritarian leadership style. Laissez | |The people have a more participatory role in |policies and procedures, decides what goals are|faire (French for, allow to pass or let go) | |the decision making process. One person retains|to be achieved, and directs and con trols all |leaders try to give least possible guidance to | |final say over all decisions but allows others |activities without any meaningful participation|subordinates, and try to achieve control | |to share insight and ideas. by the subordinates. |through less obvious means. They believe that | |Highly effective form of leadership. People are| |people excel when they are left alone to | |more likely to excel in their positions and | |respond to their responsibilities and | |develop more skills when they feel empowered, | |obligations in their own ways. |and people are empowered when they are involved| | | |in the decision-making process. | | | |Often lead to a more productive and higher | | | |quality work group. | | | D. Transformational |Transactional | |* Leaders arouse emotions in their followers which motivates them to act beyond |*Leaders are aware of the link between the effort and reward. | |the framework of what may be described as exchange relations. |* Leadership is re sponsive and its basic orientation is dealing with present | |*Leadership is proactive and forms new expectations in followers. |issues. | |* Leaders are distinguished by their capacity to inspire and provide |*Leaders rely on standard forms of inducement, reward, punishment and | |individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation and idealized influence to|sanction to control followers. | |their followers. |* Leaders motivate followers by setting goals and promising rewards for | |* Leaders create learning opportunities for their followers and stimulate |desired performance. | |followers to solve problems. |* Leadership depends on the leader’s power to reinforce subordinates for their| |* Leaders possess good visioning and management skills to develop strong |successful completion of the bargain.. |emotional bonds with followers. | | |* Leaders motivate followers to work for goals that go beyond self-interest. | | †¢ Which of the above leadership styles do you thin k your immediate manager adhere to? Support your assumption. Our manager adheres to transactional leadership style. She works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is required of her subordinates and the rewards that we get for following orders.Punishments are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline are usually in place. Whenever our manager allocates work to us, we are considered to be fully responsible for it. When things go wrong, then we are considered to be personally at fault, and were punished for our failure just as rewarded for succeeding. Our manager makes clear of what is required and expected from us. The contract specifies fixed salary and the benefits that will be given. Rewards are given to us for applied effort.She sometimes uses incentives to encourage us for greater productivity. MODULE 2 †¢ Answer any 2 learning activities on page 21. †¢ Submit 1 reading related to this module. Include your comments/ reaction and source. †¢ Submit requirements as instructed Leaning activities 1. Differentiate a leader from a manager; management from leadership? A leader is defined as one who guides or is in command or one in a position of influence or importance. A person who guides others toward a common goal to achieve the objectives set for certain purpose.Interested in risk-taking and exploring new ideas and relates to people personally in an intuitive and emphatic manner. A leader have no official appointment to a position in the organization while a manager is a person appointed officially to the position whose function is to plan, organize, lead and control. Manager is a person tasked with overseeing one or more employees or departments to ensure these employees or departments carry out assigned duties as required, relates to people according to their roles, has the power and authority to enforce decisions. Subject |Leader |Manager | |Essence |Change |Stability | |Foc us |Leading people |Managing work | |Have |Followers |Subordinates | |Horizon |Long-term |Short-term | |Seeks |Vision |Objectives | |Approach |Sets direction |  Plans detail | |Decision Facilitates |Makes | |Power |Personal charisma |Formal authority | |Appeal to |Heart |Head | |Energy |Passion |Control | |Culture |Shapes |Enacts | |Dynamic |Proactive |Reactive | |Persuasion |Sell |Tell | |Style |Transformational |Transactional | |Exchange |Excitement for work |Money for work | |Likes |Striving |Action | |Wants |Achievement |Results | |Risk |Takes |Minimizes | |Rules |Breaks |Makes | |Conflict |Uses |Avoids | |Direction |New roads |Existing roads | |Truth |Seeks |Establishes | |Concern |What is right |Being right | |Credit |Gives |Takes | |Blame |Takes |Blames |Management controls or directs people/resources in a group according to principles or values that have already been established, the process of obtaining, organizing resources and of achieving objectives through other peopl e while leadership is setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow. It’s a process of empowering people through persuasion and one of the function of management. Leadership is â€Å" the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. † 2. Observe a nurse manager in your workplace and note the different management activities she performs identified by Tappen.As I observed our nurse manager in our workplace I noticed that she does the following activities of the effective manager as noted by Tappen: 1. Assumes leadership of the group. 2. Actively engages in planning the current and future work of the group. 3. Provides direction to staff members regarding the way the work is to be done. 4. Monitors the work done by staff member to maintain quality and productivity. 5. Recognizes and rewards quality and productivity Our nurse manager perform the following 5 ( leadership, pl anning, directing, monitoring and recognition ) out of 7 components of effective management by Tappen. I was not able to observe the other 2 components; a. fostering the development of every staff member b. ) represents both administration and staff members needed in discussions and negotiations with others. Submit 1 reading related to this module. Include your comments/ reaction and source. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a popular book, published by Simon & Schuster, and written by Stephen R Covey. It provides a useful, sequential framework for understanding much about the process of Personal Development. Many highly successful people seem to have naturally developed these principles of effectiveness. Stephen Covey's principled approach is not a quick-fix prescription for personal growth.But, says Covey, if you work hard at acquiring these principles, if you learn them well, think about them deeply and teach them to others, they will eventually become internalized. They will lead to fundamental change because they will affect who you are – your character – for the better. Your personality was formed as the result of specific behaviors you internalized as you grew up. These behaviors are not things we need to think about, they represent little success strategies or ways of coping with life that we have found to be helpful. If you take a look at what Seneca said about human character, you will see how acquiring new habits leads to a fundamental change of character. Sow a thought, reap an action Sow action, reap a habit Sow a habit, reap a characterSow a character, reap a destiny. – Seneca [pic] Stephen Covey Stephen Covey was born in 1932. He lives with his wife, Sandra, and their family in Utah; in the Rocky Mountains. Covey achieved international acclaim, and is perhaps best known, for his self-help book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which was first published by Simon ; Schuster in 1989 and has sold around 12 million copies word-wide. Covey has a Harvard MBA and has spent most of his career at Brigham Young University, where he was professor of organizational behavior and business management. In addition to his MBA, he also has a doctorate which he completed whilst at Brigham Young University. Dr.Stephen R Covey has received the Thomas More College Medallion for continuing service to humanity and has additionally been awarded four honorary doctorate degrees. Covey is also a co-founder of the Franklin-Covey organization, which specializes in the application of Covey's principle-centered approach to leadership and management. He is widely acknowledged as one of the world's leading authorities on the subject of time-management. Thousands of organizations across the world, including many of the Fortune 500 companies, have adopted his innovative techniques on leadership, teamwork, and customer-focused service. His best-selling book on time-management, First Things First, co-authored with A. Roger ; Rebecca R. Merrill, according to Simon ; Schuster is the best-selling time management book ever.The seven principles he presents in the 7 Habits are not original thoughts – he does not claim to have originated the ideas but simply to have found a framework and a language for articulating the time-less principles embedded into the seven habits. The 7 habits are to be found, he says, in all the major world religions. He believes the principles themselves to be ‘self-evident', that is, ‘you cannot really argue against them'. His view is that all highly effective people, and enduringly effective organizations, have utilized the 7 habits, to a greater or lesser extent, to sustain their success. Covey says that the 7 habits are ‘common knowledge' but, he adds, are not necessarily ‘common practice'. In fact, it could be argued that the habits actually run counter to basic human nature.By our nature, we are reactive creatures and we are inclined to act mainly out of self-interest. But we are also as human beings capable of much higher thoughts and actions and by working hard to internalize the 7 habits we are able to develop a proactive attitude. By so doing, we can take charge of our own destinies and we are capable of exerting influence on other people for the collective good. Summary Stephen Covey is an excellent speaker and so his audio books, in addition to his written books, are well worth obtaining. A full list of relevant resources appears at the foot of this page. In this section, however, we examine what Stephen Covey says about his work.Here are a number of brief quotations which are taken directly from the book which provide a useful summary. Be Proactive â€Å"Taking initiative does not mean being pushy, obnoxious, or aggressive. It does mean recognizing our responsibility to make things happen. † Begin With the End in Mind â€Å"(This habit)†¦ is based on imagination — the ability to envision, to see the potential, to create with our minds what we cannot at present see with our eyes†¦ † Put First Things First â€Å"Create a clear, mutual understanding of what needs to be accomplished, focusing on what, not how; results not methods. Spend time. Be patient. Visualize the desired result. † Think Win-Win Win-Win is a frame of mind that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. † Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood â€Å"‘Seek First to Understand' involves a very deep shift in paradigm. We typically seek first to be understood. Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They're either speaking or preparing to speak. They're filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people's lives. † Synergize (Synergise) â€Å"Synergy works; it's a correct princ iple. It is the crowning achievement of all the previous habits.It is effectiveness in an interdependent reality – it is teamwork, team building, the development of unity and creativity with other human beings. † Sharpen the Saw â€Å"This is the habit of renewal†¦ It circles and embodies all the other habits. It is the habit of continuous improvement†¦ that lifts you to new levels of understanding and living each of the habits. † COMMENTS/REACTION: Each chapter is dedicated to one of the habits The First Three Habits surround moving from dependence to independence †¢ Habit 1: Be Proactive Take initiative in life by realizing your decisions are the primary determining factor of what kind of life you will have in the future.We are responsible for all the choices we desire and the consequences implied on it †¢ Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Self-discover and clarify our deeply important character values and life goals. †¢ Habit 3: Put First Things First Doing task based on importance rather than urgency. The Next Three have something to do with working with others (Interdependence) †¢ Habit 4: Think Win-Win Genuinely striving for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in our relationships. Valuing and respecting people by understanding a â€Å"win† for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way. Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood Using empathetic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening, take an open mind to being influenced by you, which creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving. †¢ Habit 6: Synergize Combining the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. The Last habit relates to self-rejuvenation; †¢ Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw The balancing and renewa l of your attitude, principles, beliefs and practices to create a sustainable long-term effective lifestyle. There is a gap between stimulus and response, and the key to both our growth and happiness is how we use that space. The ability to use wisely the gap between stimulus and response, to exercise the unique endowments of our human nature, empowers us from the inside out.To achieve unity with ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, and our working associates, is the highest, best, and most delicious fruit of the Seven Habits. Building a character of total integrity and living the life of love and service that creates such unity isn't easy. If we start with the daily private victory and work from the inside out, results will surely come. SOURCE: http://www. whitedovebooks. co. uk/7-habits/summary. htm MODULE 3 : †¢ Answer any 2 learning activities on page 31. 1. Analyze the different phases of planning. The first phase of planning according to Tappen is DEVELOPING THE PLAN. The first step in developing the plan is to establish its purpose.The purpose should be clear to avoid confusion and may be stated in broad terms until a broad thorough assessment of the situation is done. The second step is analyzing the situation which includes problem verification, identifying situational variables and the anticipated response to change. Formulating objectives is the third step. Objectives are formulated when the problems are already assessed. The objectives should be written as measurable outcomes so that they can later serve as guidelines for evaluation. The fourth step is generating alternative solutions. The last step in developing the plan is analyzing alternatives and selecting course of action. The second phase of planning is PRESENTING THE PLAN.Plans for projects are usually presented to administration or management for approval. The plan must be presented in an organized manner, delivery of the presentation must be done convincingly and professionally, p lanner needs to be persuasive, concise and direct to the point in order to obtain approval and acceptance by administrators IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING is the third phase (last phase) of planning. It includes the following steps: Organizing the implementation of a plan includes; 1. Identifying and arranging activities according to sequence 2. Setting target dates for completing each activity 3. Assignment of responsibilities to particular individuals and 4. The allocation of resourcesTechniques have been developed to organize and monitor implementation of proposed plans such as Schedules which is easy to make and use, Gantt charts which is a highly developed schedule that specifies in detail the task to be performed and the time they are expected to be completes, program evaluation and review technique (PERT) graphically illustrates the sequence of events and their interrelationships using circles for events and arrows for activities and the critical path method (CPM) that’ s very similar to PERT of which one can have a realistic estimate of when the project can be completed. 2. Differentiate strategic planning from operational planning. Give example of each. Strategic planning and operational planning involve two different types of thinking. Strategic decisions are fundamental and directional. Operational decisions, on the other hand, primarily affect the day-to-day implementation of strategic decisions. While strategic decisions usually have longer-term implications, operational decisions usually have immediate (less than one year) implications.Strategic Planning is defined as continuous, systematic process of making risk-taking decisions today with greatest possible knowledge of their effects in the future. Views future as unpredictable, planning as a continuous process, expects new trends, surprises and changes. It considers a range of possible futures & emphasizes strategy development based on assessment of the organization's internal (strength an d weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) environment. In strategic planning one of the keys example is something called SWOT. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Everyone in the strategic planning group makes up a list of the company's SWOTs.This gives the company/organization a picture as to where the weaknesses and strengths lie and what opportunities and threats face them. This helps with planning in several ways. First by knowing their strengths they can work to enhance them. The weaknesses can be ignored, but a way of managing or lessening their impact can be developed. Opportunities are analyzed and the best ones chosen. Finally threats: the economy, government regulations and competition are addressed. Strategic Planning ask this question: â€Å"Based on our current understanding of environment, are we doing the right thing? How can we best use our resources to achieve our mission? † [pic]EXAMPLE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING while O perational Planning views future as something that needs to be implemented now.Focuses on setting short-term (less than one year) objectives and assumes much more detailed planning regarding who and how activities will be accomplished Operational planning ask this question: â€Å"What do we need to be doing for the upcoming year/immediately to best accomplish our mission. † EXAMPLE OF OPERATIONAL PLANNING Operational Plan Terra Engineering The following section will identify the proposed operational plan for Terra Engineering. Included are the general operating procedures, human resources, insurance, and working capital requirements of the business. Also included is a table outlining the office space requirements, asset acquisition and an outline of Terra Engineering's operational workflow. General Operating Hours Terra Engineering intends to operate Monday thru Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Terra Engineering will be operational year round. Human Resources Mr. Johnson and Mr.Smit h will be the sole employees of Terra Engineering for the first two years of operation. When additional human resources are needed, Terra Engineering has identified the persons qualified and able to assist on a contract basis for the same rate as the owner. They include: Mr. Wes Aaron, and environmental engineering technician will be sub-contracted to complete work as needed. It is estimated that Mr. Aaron will eventually be hired full time by Terra Engineering once demand warrants growth. Mrs. Leanne White holds a Masters in Environmental Engineering and will also be sub-contracted to perform work for the company. Eventually, Terra Engineering intends to hire Mrs. White full time. Mr.Charles Pearson holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering and has a vast technical experience base in the environmental assessment area and will be retained when needed. Once the business reaches 60% of its operational capacity this will represent 1300 hours, Terra Engineering wi ll offer the above environmental professionals full time positions. Also at this time, an administrative assistant will be sought. A professional user of Auto Cad will be sought to perform various jobs for the company. It is unknown at this time who will fill this position, however, job advertisements will be put in the local papers and organizations to attract a good pool of respondents. Once hired, all employees will be covered by the Workers Safety and Insurance Board and covered for Employment Benefits. Insurance RequirementsTerra Engineering will have to incur costs for business liability insurance. The estimated cost for this requirement is $4,000 per year. Operating Capital Requirements Due to the demands imposed at start up, Terra Engineering will require that the business have sufficient working capital to meet all operational responsibilities of the business for the first three months. It is estimated that the business will need approximately $20,000 in working capital to sustain and ensure the business meets all opening and on-going financial obligations. Also, throughout the year there tends to be periods of low activities. Consequently, the company will experience financial pressures during these months.While much of this time will be spent developing proposals and marketing strategies, there will be a need to maintain sufficient working capital to cover these periods. A long term strategy to maintain a positive cash flow during these periods will be to diversify the company and develop environmental training programs for certain communities. These training programs will be given during these months. Office Requirements and Asset Acquisitions Terra Engineering will lease office space on located at: 459 Duncan Avenue, Suite 1003 Detroit, Michigan The office space is leased and will accommodate the necessary office equipment such as computers, fax machine, photo copier, and other engineering equipment.This facility will require an estimated $5,000 t o renovate in a style that is aesthetically pleasing to the clients as well as the owners. These facilities will be leased at $500 per month. In addition, Terra Engineering will require specialized environmental equipment. These are the estimated costs associated with those investments: Office Renovations $5,000 Office Equipment and Furniture $6,000 Specialized Field Equipment $27,000 Specialized Software $10,000 Total Capital Costs $48,000 The above noted capital purchases will increase work effectiveness, enhance professionalism and will prepare the business for the forecasted demand for services.Further, the equipment may be leased out to partner associates during times of low activity. Operational Workflow As with any consulting firm, the operational workflow for the business is quite uniform and simple to follow. The following is a step by step outline of how contracts are completed on a regular basis: Step 1 Terra Engineering will respond to a request for proposal (RFP) with a professionally prepared proposal for service; Step 2 At this point, the potential contract is awarded to either Terra Engineering or other companies which submitted proposals for services. Therefore, communication is made by the contract to the successful consulting firm.If Terra Engineering is successfully selected to perform the work, the contract is then triggered to begin; Step 3 Terra Engineering will collect a deposit from the client and will begin the project. Deposit values vary depending upon the size and location of the project; Step 4 Terra Engineering will go ahead and start the project while keeping communication with the client. Once the project reaches 60% – 70% completion, funds will be given to the business by the client to complete the rest of the work; Step 5 Once the work is completed to the satisfaction of both, Terra Engineering and the client, the final payment for the contract will be made. The above operational workflow is very standard, easy to unde rstand and within industry's norm.Terra Engineering will accept cash, cheque and visa payments. These payments are well within industry standards. The business will provide credit to larger account holders. It is estimated that the length and terms of payments are net 30 for all clients. This will allow the business to avoid cash flow problems. Late payment charges are 2% of the projects outstanding balance. †¢ Get a sample copy of different types of planning and give your analysis as to their contents. A Tactical Plan Here is what a tactical plan might look like. Note how we begin by showing how the tactical plan relates to the Marketing plan. It is the tactics that will execute that strategy.Too often, firms do not have a proper marketing plan and instead go directly to tactics. [pic] New Product Plans Our strategy assumes that we will launch new products throughout the year to maintain our image of leadership in the meal solutions market. Our marketing strategy is to provide consumers with tasty, nutritious, quick-to-prepare meals. Objectives: We will launch four new products over the plan year, each of which will: 1. Score an average of 7. 5 or more in consumer taste panels (10 = excellent taste, 1 = very unappetizing) with three test groups. 2. Include two vegetables and one meat or meat substitute item. 3. Contain no more than 450 calories per serving. 4.Require no more than six minutes per serving microwave cooking time. Procedure: Lab staff will develop meal solutions which meet the above criteria such that one new product is ready to market every three months. Only products which meet the last three criteria should be taste tested. At least one of the new items must be meatless, but no more than two should be. Controls: Lab staff are to submit monthly progress reports to the marketing manager indicating the number of items under development and data on all four criteria, as available, for each item. The key goal is that there must be four marketa ble items by the end of the plan year.