Electronic health record Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Electronic health record - Essay Example Although transfer of records into electronic forms began in 1960s, however, since last few years, governments and healthcare organizations are putting efforts to ensure a standardized implementation of electronic health records that has resulted in debates and discussions regarding their benefits and possibilities. In this regard, this paper is an attempt to contribute in the same stream that will include discussion on electronic health records. Specifically, analysis (Green & Bowie, pp. 107-116) has indicated that a number of healthcare organizations have records of their patients in electronic form; however, experts have identified that few specific components should be present, in order to provide a legal status to the EHR, and thus, absence of any essential component may result in its illegality. In this regard, experts believe that it calls for an initiative on national or state level to promote such practice of maintaining electronic health records that although will be a chall enging process but will result in long-term benefits. However, studies (Green & Bowie, pp. ... Thus, it is imperative that authorities should take steps to provide awareness to stakeholders regarding the importance of EHR in research, legal, and financial matters besides its significance in patient care. In other words, there is a need for healthcare organizations to acquire an understanding of EHR as an opportunity rather than a requisite to enhance quality of care. In particular, provision of inclusive, consistent, important, and reachable information is one of the major factors of success in healthcare industry, and EHR can play a pivotal role in allowing the organizations to fulfill this requisite in their capacities (Busch, pp. 23-46). In addition, it is observation that EHR indicates huge potential for organizational savings and experts have already indicated its potential for reducing or even eliminating inefficiency on the workplace level, as studies have indicated a huge number of issues due to dependence of clinicians on paper-based health records. However, as paper- based health record maintenance has benefits and loopholes, it is the same in case of EHR. The major issue in transitioning from manual to electronic is lack of awareness, especially technological awareness that is the foremost requisite for EHR that has been the major barrier in successful transition to EHR automated environment. Reports have pointed out that electronic health record systems require continued updating in terms of its technology, as well as in terms of its users’ awareness. However, besides this barrier, EHR has a number of different benefits that dominate it over manual health records. In case of ‘manual health record’, healthcare organizations and providers

Blood Pressure & Pulse during exercise Essay Example for Free

Blood Pressure Pulse during exercise Essay Introduction: The blood pressure of a person is the force exerted by the blood on the walls of the arteries per unit area. The blood pressure unit is mmHg. The blood pressure of an individual is expressed in two ways, the systolic (due to the contraction of the ventricle) and diastolic, (due to the relaxation of the ventricle). The normal blood pressure of an individual is 120/80 (systolic / diastolic). Various factors can alter a persons blood pressure; this includes exercise, smoking, stress, diseases and age. Materials and Methods: Stepping stool, timer, blood pressure measurement kit (Sphygmomanometer and a stethoscope) and students in-groups of four. In each group one student acted as a patient, while the other acted as a physician or nurse. Another acted as the timekeeper. The fourth student acted as the data recorder. The base-line pulse rate and blood pressure of the patient (student) were obtained. The patient was asked to perform stepping up and down the stool 30 X within 5 minutes. After the stepping stool exercise, the patients blood pressure and pulse rate were immediately obtained again. After resting for 2 minutes, the measurements were repeated and also after 5 minutes. In order to obtain more data each student in the group acted as a patient and the measurements were repeated.

Coelomate And Acoelomate :: essays research papers

Most animal phyla originated in a relatively brief span of geological time, however the diversity among them is extraordinary. Every organism is very unique a detailed in certain ways, comparisons of certain types of organisms can be very difficult. The class in which will be compared is that of the invertebrates. The main difference between coelomate and acoelomate body plans are that coelomates have a true coelom, which is a fluid-filled body cavity completely lined by tissue which is derived from mesoderm. The purpose of this cavity is to cushion the suspended organs to help them prevent injury, enables internal organs to grow and move independently from the outer body wall. Acoelomates, though, lack a cavity between the digestive tract and the outer body wall. An example of an acoelomate would be a flatworm, or planarian, While an example of a coelomate would be a rotifer. The differences between protostome and deuterostome development are the characteristics in their cleavage, their coelom formation, and the fate of their blastopore. Many protostomes undergo spiral cleavage. In spiral cleavage, planes of cell division occur diagonal to the vertical axis of the embryo. The cleavage also determinates, which casts the developmental fate of each embryonic cell very early. In deuterostomes, they undergo radial cleavage, where the cleavage planes are either parallel or perpendicular to the vertical axis of the egg. Deuterostomes are further characterized by indeterminate cleavage, which means that each cell produced by early cleavage divisions retains the capacity to develop into a complete embryo. Indeterminate cleavage of the human zygote allows identical twins to be possible. In a protostome, as the archenteron forms, solid masses of mesoderm split to form the coelomic cavities, or schizocoelous development. In deuterostomes, the development of body cavi ties, or enterocoelous, happens when the mesoderm buds from the wall of the archenteron and hollows to become the coelomic cavities. The mouth of many protostomes develops from the first opening, the blastopore. The mouth of a deuterostome is derived from the secondary opening, and the blastopore usually forms the anus. The differences between radial and bilateral symmetry is that an animal with radial symmetry has parts that are arranged like the spokes of a wheel and a cut down the central axis, it would divide the animal into mirror images. Radial animals include hydra, jellyfishes, and their relatives. An animal with bilateral symmetry has a left and right side, and a cut down its central axis would divide the animal into mirror-image halves.

American Dream Synthesis

Kyrie Staab Mrs. Wieseman Hon. English 10 Dec. 18, 2012 Is Our American Dream Fading Away? The attainability and very existence of the American dream has been debated for many years. As the economy, politics, and social standings change, so do the expectations and beliefs about what the American dream should be and how one should go about achieving it. The main question involved in this debate is not so much whether the dream is alive or dead, but whether America’s dream can ever be fully realized.Even the most skeptic of men and women cannot deny that although the dream may be blurring around the edges, it is still very much alive in the minds and hearts of the people. For generations, the American dream has retained it’s basic definition: â€Å"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†. Immigrants to America-at least in years past-cling to this dream, hoping to find a better, happier, more secure life. One woman tells the story of a Russian family coming to live in the US in a BBC news article in March of 2011: â€Å"†¦ he American Dream meant liberty. But Isabel says it promised even more. ‘The Dream is to work, to have a home, to get ahead, you can start as a janitor and become owner of the building. ’† For almost everyone, the dream has been the same. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the two main characters, Lennie and George, share the desire to have a home: a small, safe place to call their own. This same dream has pushed generations of men and women to work hard to reach their goals despite social and economic obstacles.In a Los Angeles Times article in 2011, Gregory Rodriguez says practically the same thing. â€Å"The dream is the glue that keeps us all together. It’s the vague promise that our lot will get better over time that gives us the patience to endure whatever indignities we suffer at the moment. † In the novel, George especially encounters obstacles while trying to achieve both his and Lennie’s dream. However, the promise of a secure, happy, quiet life for himself and his friend encourages him to continue his work.Yes, it is unfortunately true that as time goes on, less and less people seem to believe that the American Dream is attainable. However, the reason for this may be because we have already achieved the original dream, but continue to expect more and more from a badly damaged economy. In the 60s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s expression of the American Dream emphasized universal equality and compassion, and racial equality within our own borders. In a lecture to college students in 1964, King states that â€Å"If the American Dream is to be a reality we must develop a world perspective. He explains this by quoting John Donne and saying, â€Å"No man is an island entire of itself every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main†¦ Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. therefo re never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee. † Looking at today’s society, it would appear that this dream has, at least in part, been achieved. All people have the opportunity to earn a home, happiness, and security. At this point, the only thing stopping people from achieving their dreams are themselves.In John Steinbeck’s essay â€Å"Paradox and Dream† he says that â€Å"†¦ we are a restless, a dissatisfied, a searching people†¦ we seem to be in a state of turmoil all the time, both physically and mentally. † When Steinbeck goes on to say that the American Dream has very little to with reality in everyday life, he demonstrates how society prevents citizens from being satisfied when their dream is fulfilled. Is it possible that the expectations attached to the American Dream are unrealistic?Given today’s economy, the standards and expectations people have assigned to the American Dream do make it more difficul t to achieve. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie’s dream, though very simple and basic by today’s standards, was unrealistic, given Lennie’s handicaps. George’s dream is far more achievable with Lennie gone, even though Lennie is part of that dream. This example illustrates how the amount of effort one is willing to put into achieving their dream has changed. People today are not as willing to accept more realistic standards for their dreams.This is different even from just three years ago, when Katharine Q. Seelye said in her article â€Å"What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession? † that â€Å"Even though their economic outlook is worse, more people are saying they have either achieved the dream or expect to do so†¦ † She then quotes Barry Glassner, a professor of sociology: â€Å"‘You want to hold on to your dream even more when times are hard†, he said. ‘And if you want to hold on to it, then you better define it differently. ’† In her article, Seelye states that â€Å"people are shifting their definition of the American Dream†¦ ewer people are pegging their dream to material success and more are pegging it to abstract values. † If people today were to adopt this point of view, far many more citizens would achieve their dream. While standards and expectations change, the essential roots of the American Dream remain the same. The dream of having a prosperous, safe, happy life drives citizens to achieve more and improve themselves and the country. As long as these basic beliefs are held by even one citizen, the dream still lives. Works Cited Kay, Katty. â€Å"What is today’s American Dream?. BBC News U. S and Canada. (2011): n. page. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . King, Dr. Martin Luther. â€Å"The American Dream. † Drew University, Madison, New Jersey. 5 Feb 1964. Lecture. Rodriguez, Gregory. â€Å"The American Dream: Is it slipping away?. † Los Angeles Times. (2010): n. page. Print. Seelye, Katharine. â€Å"What Happens to the American Dream in a Recession?. † (2009): n. page. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. Steinbeck, John. â€Å"Paradox and Dream. † Trans. Array Excerpts from â€Å"Paradox and Dream†. 1966. Print. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Penguin Group, 1937. Print.

How to Manage International Joint Venture Successfully Essay

There is serious increase in the number of organisations seeking to operate in today’s highly competitive global markets with sustainable competitive advantage. (Taylor, 2004; Ernst & Halevy, 2004). In order to achieve this international expansion, companies use different market entry strategies. Earlier study on IJVs reveals that international joint ventures are the most common means of internationalization (Ernst & Halevy, 2004). This paper shall present a review solution on how to achieve successful IJV alliance In general, international joint venture (IJV) is an equity sharing arrangement between a local firm and a foreign cooperation (government or private) coming together by putting all necessary resources together, sharing risk and operational controls to operate as one independent business entity to accelerate profit and growth or in order to achieve some strategic goals. (Craig C. Julian. 2000). In most IJVs, two companies merge together for the matter of ease and con venience, the two companies involve become the parent of the organization that surface from the merger (Geringer & Hebert, 1989). But there are situations where more than two companies form IJV, this is true in cases where already merged companies try to merge with other bigger companies to establish a single organisation â€Å"T0o compete in an international business environment, firms are forming joint ventures as a mechanism for the enhancement of global competitiveness.† (Cyr, 1995)† IJV can aid an organisation in achieving their business objectives in hostile and uncertain markets (Miller et al., 2007). Clayton-Smith (2012). Suggest that IJV â€Å"offer a great opportunity for multinational businesses to facilitate growth, to gain skill, capabilities, market access, etc.† (For example businesses can cut cost and boost growth by using the same human resources, deliver services with the same computing facilities and even share office infrastructures). IJV comes with many benefits, Kumar &Pavan (2012) describe benefits of IJV to an extent, that is, when companies partner together, they pro vide themselves strength, capacity and expertise to conquer new geographical markets, expand their product portfolio and also for diversification. There are few success stories associated with IJV, (Xerox &Fuji) decade of stormy partnership has survived well, with both companies praising their success on IJV alliance IJV alliances over the past decade have shown a promising future (Kumar&Pavan, 2012). Earlier research on IJV growth and risks by KPMG supports Kumar &Pavan (2012) claims. In (2005), A KPMG finding showed that 64% of US companies will opt for IJV alliances, and Also 52% decided to create a new alliance within two years. Various studies on IJV partnership showed a very optimistic future. Vast majority of executive’s reports show that their IJV alliance has generated about 40% in their annual revenue, Most times, IJVs are created so as to gain access into hostile and uncertain markets (Abroad), which might not be possible otherwise. Definitely two heads working together are better than one, in the same philosophy; two companies would work better than one. Obviously, there will be more resources available when you have two or more companies merged together This optimism of IJVs comes with huge risk, IJVs suffer from several draw backs, these draw backs are the primary reason behind the failure of a large number of IJV partnerships. Research by Kalmbach & Roussel (1999) reveals that 80% of IJVs have failed and only 20% were successful. Another similar study by Neal R. Goodman (2011) estimated 50 to 70 percent failure in International Joint Venture. Matthews (2001). produced a great piece of literature on the reasons behind the failure of IJVs, Matthews (2001) stated the following as defining characteristics of IJVs, â€Å"IJVs need strategic objectives, IJVs are full of management problems, IJVs need to adopt a viable organisation form, IJVs are always transitional structures You have to inject stability into IJVs- it is not there naturally† These characteristics can serve as possible drawbacks of IJVs. Hence giving room for criticism We can shuffle out some vital points from the above mentioned characteristics. The most important one of them is the â€Å"difficulty at the level of operation†. The concept of power control from multiple firms creates troubles and as a result affects the administration of the organisation. Before a merger, each company operate differently with their own set of policies, methods and strategies, when they merge and these fundamentals clash, it might result to problems within the organisation such inter- Organisational issues need serious attention and need to be dealt with in order for the venture to last. So, IJVs can serve as a backbone of organisational problems. These problems can as well cripple the growth of the organisation. Sometimes IJV fails due to the collaboration, culture, structured plans, control procedures, financial and legal mechanisms, and consensus management agreements in place (M.Nixon et al., 2012). Many of the Case Studies on IJV all tend to point to conflicts with vision ,trust, corruption , leadership struggles between both firms and as a result of this, troubles begins to fly in the face of IJV success, Typically. The company with the most shares in any IJV set up tend to have the highest form of authority or sometimes it is decided by voting, these are the methods used in setting up the management of the organisation in most cases. However this can be quite problematic in situations where companies involve have equal shares or even when one company has the minority. Proper representation of each company’s ideals and policies is off course a difficult job it becomes more difficult when the companies involve wide cultural differences. Failure to understand the ethics, values and norms of each other result to IJVs failure. Furthermore, Stability is always not associated with IJVs as it is very difficult to sustain stability in a venture. Many academics associate IJVs with a lifecycle, It is said that any organisation comprising of many different firms tends to be unstable short lived, Multiple firms forming an organization impart this inherent stability simply because of the variation in their individual nature, their culture, their role and their attitude. These cultural issues that adhere to IJV remain a major concern for an effective IJV collaboration. After a serious pounder on the drawbacks of IJVs, There are quite a few theories in place that can help achieve a successful IJV partnership. Kumar&Pavan (2012) defines collaborative strategy as the essential supporting structure for building successful alliances. According to Kumar&Pavan (2012), â€Å"collaborative strategy defines the factors the companies need to look at before forming a Joint Venture alliance. The following are the ‘Golden rules of partnership success’ as given by Cyr (1995)- * A balance of trust and self interest * Anticipation of conflicts * Clear definition of strategic leadership * Flexibility * Acceptance of cultural differences at the level of both the national culture and the corporate culture * Orchestration of technology transfer * Learning from the partner’s strengths In other to deal with some of the challenges that face IJVs today, it is very necessary to have a very strong strategic leadership in place, a leadership that is based by rules and procedures. With a stable leadership clearly in place, chances of conflict are minimized. The leader most be able to incorporate all the attitudes and views of both patties into policies and strategies that will help the organization prosper as a single entity Obliviously, when there are two or more companies within the alliance, every individual will be after the interest or profit that emerge from the venture, this is where the second point drift in, which is â€Å"Balance of self interest and trust† even supposing the international joint ventures has a dominant parent company in control, then interest of all companies involved must be kept intact. The companies involve must have a mutual trust in place and at all times be ready to share risk for the benefits of the organisation as a whole. The organisation at all time must be ready to resolve conflict between firms when they arise and also developing long term strategies for the future of the organisation. With trust in place within the organisation, companies tend to adjust to accommodate and have a clear understanding of each other’s nature of business. A clear understanding of each other’s nature of business (culture) can give a useful insight on how to create newer ways of operation in the organisation. In situations where companies come from different countries, National cultured is there to be coped with. Companies may emerge from the same country but different regions with different cultural setups, even in such cases the difference of cooperative culture is still there to be dealt with. Fair enough, this issue of culture difference can positively turn out as innovations in the field by learning from each other’s strength and weaknesses. Flexibility is a key to creating successful joint vent ures. Variation in cultural backgrounds is seen as a threat to the success of IJV, but it is as well considered that, the more the gap between the cooperating countries less is the chance of survival of the IJV (Barkema & Vermeulen, 1997). Adaptation is very important here. Obviously cultural variation can be quite problematic, but at the same time they can be useful when taken as lessons, and when mixed together to derive newer and better strategies of operation, by putting two or more cultures together not only will it boost growth but can also add to the consumer base. There is issue of management too, the management problem happen to be the most troublesome in IJVs, It is not the control that is the problem but the lack of effective communication. One of the industries that excel in IJV venture is the insurance industry, and good communication channel is among all partners is among the characteristics that contribute to the success of insurance IJVs, They try to maintain viable and con sistent internal harmony that is base on rules and procedures. Effective communication must be maintained at all time and throughout decisions making so that policies don’t appear unilateral or one sided More examples of successful IJVs emerge from Hungary where Hungarian companies inherit experience and knowledge from the parent companies. This is true of several companies from Hungary that have partnered with western organisation (Lyles & Salk, 2007). The western companies come in with new and better technology and also better ways of management and production, and this method have worked for the Hungarian companies with them having good results in return. So, it depends on the level of understanding and adaptability between the companies. Information, market and raw materials are mostly the necessary resources that are available during an IJV alliance.Utilization and circulation of these resources depend on the companies involved. However, the company that fails to utilise these resources end up getting terminated from the Venture alli ance. In 1997-98 up to 20000 IJVs deals were sealed in China (Zhang & Rajagopalan, 2002). One characteristic that help all these IJVs survive was that they were all formed under a governmental pressure. In this case, the intervention from government brought about stability within the organisation. Also companies were relieved off the tension of mutual dependencies which made the inter organisational relationships much easier. In this manner Inter partner credible threat was largely reduced. The rise of globalization and emerging economic power houses of Brazil, Russia, India, and China is seeing more new markets created. IJV will play a commanding role for multinational companies looking to partner with domestic businesses in those markets. As this review has shown the history of IJVs has not always been clear cut (it is a very difficult task to build a successful international joint venture alliance). The 80% failure in IJVs (Kalmbach & Roussel 1999) should not scare multinational companies as there are many different ways of facing this challenges that adhere to IJVs. Management and operation of the organisation must be clearly understood and controlled in a proper way and by the most appropriate individuals. All companies must involve in the operation of the organisation. No firm should be excluded in the affairs of the organisation. The companies involved should be open to change and adaptability so as to combine the best they can all offer. If these few aspect are properly practiced the IJV is doomed to survive Clayton-Smith, . (n.d). What makes a successful joint venture?. Available: http://www.growingbusiness.co.uk/how-to-make-your-joint-venture-work.html. Last accessed 10th Dec 2012. T.K. Das, Rajesh Kumar, (2010) â€Å"Interpartner sensemaking in strategic alliances: Managing cultural differences and internal tensions†, Management Decision, Vol. 48 Iss: 1, pp.17 – 36 KPMG International & IESE Business School. (2009). Joint Ventures: A Tool for Growth During the Economic Downturn. Available: http://www.kpmg.com/LU/en/IssuesAndInsights/Articlespublications/Documents/Joint-Ventures-2010.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. Killing,P (1983). Strategies for joint venture success. Westport, CT : Praeger Publishers Inc . p13-38. Gomes-Casseres, B. (1997). Competing in Constellations: The Case of Fuji Xerox. Available: http://www.alliancestrategy.com/PDFs/BGC%20Fuji%20Xerox%20%20SnB97.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. M I L L E R , R., G L E N, J., S P E R S E N, F., A N N I S K A R M O KO L I A S, A.. (1997). International Joint Ventures in Developing Countries . Available: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/1997/03/pdf/miller.pdf. Last accessed 10th Dec 2012. Perkins,S., Morck,R., Yeung, B.. (2008). INNOCENTS ABROAD:THE HAZARDS OF INTERNATIONAL JOINT VENTURES WITH PYRAMIDAL GROUP FIRMS. Available: http://business.illinois.edu/ba/seminars/2009/perkins_paper.pdf. Last accessed 7th Dec 2012. Gomes-Casseres, B. (2004). Strategy:Managing Beyond the Alliance. Available: http://www.alliancestrategy.com/PDFs/BGC%20AllianceStrategy%20CriticalEYE04.pdf. Last accessed 4th Dec 2012. Girmscheid,G., Brockmann,C.. (n.d). Trust as a Success Factor in International Joint Ventures. Available: http://crgp.stanford.edu/publications/conference_papers/Brockmanntrust.pdf. Last accessed 3d Dec 2012. Ernst, D ., Halevy T . (2005). When to think alliance. Available: http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/When_to_think_alliance_941. Last accessed 4th De 2012.

buy custom HTC Cell Phones essay

buy custom HTC Cell Phones essay Executive summary HTC is one of the cell phones manufactures in the world. Due to the high quality of their mobile phones they have high demand for their products. It is one of the most competitive mobile phone manufactures in the world in the global markets. The company puts in place certain marketing strategies to be able to sell more. There are several threats facing the HTC manufactures but the biggest threat that is facing is the completion from other cell phones and mobile phones manufactures. Many competitors in the market also sell the mobile phones like the LG handsets, Nokia, and Motorola. The HTC has certain threatens that makes it unable to achieve the set goals to increase the sales. Although HTC is faced by these threats, the firm also has opportunities to utilize to curb the threats. Producing of high quality phones that are on high demand on the world is an opportunity by the firm to increase share. The company public relations have been well managed. The brand has been able to create a good image of the firm through sponsoring of some teams. Good public relations enable a company to achieve positive attitude from the public. The company has also marketing strategies that make it increase the sales of the mobile phones. (Holson, 2008) Although is faced by many competitors, HTC manufacturers can came up with ways to increase their sales through marketing.HTC makes use of the 4ps marketing strategy. This includes manufacturing of right products, right pricing, right promotion strategies and sell at the right places. There are some things that the HTC marketing manager should do to improve the sales of the mobile phones. Cooperating with the mobile operators to give offer to customers. They should also engage in markets research to find out the consumer tastes and preferences. Introduction HTC is one of the international brands that deal with the manufacturing of smart phones. HTC was number 98, Best Global Brands rankings released by Inter-brand in 2011. It is the most successful in the manufacturing of smart phones. This is because of the quality of their cell phones that have 3G internet and wireless connections among other features. Cher Wang is the chairwoman of HTC. Peter Chou is the President and Chief Executive Officer. HTC offices are in china. China is one of the developed countries in the world. The level of technology in china is very high. This technology can be employed in the manufacturing of the phone to increase productivity. The economy of china is well established and therefore, the market for the product is readily available. The company is less likely to suffer from any financial problems. HTC mobile phones are providing users with the ability to use their phones for business. the HTC phones has the Windows Mobile operating system, allowing users to view documents created through Microsoft applications such as excel, word and Power point. (Woyke, 2009) The phones support can also support Outlook Mobile giving the users the chance to send and receive emails. The phones also have the 3G internet that enables the users to access the internet. The 3G internet is much faster than the 2G internet phone. HTC manufacturers provide the most popular handsets on the market today. HTC mainly manufactures the touch screen, smart phone and PDA mobiles. The handsets have great internet connectivity like the 3G internet and 4G internet. The phones lso have large colorful screens and have multimedia features. This has led to the company being one of the most competitive cell phone manufactures in the world. The Company Mission Statement The companys mission is to increase its sales and researching more to come up with high quality mobile phones. HTC will be selling smart phones in China under its own brand name in a partnership with China Mobile. This will increase the sales of the cell phone as this increase the market. In the year 2010, HTC sold many handsets and the sales had increased by 11% in the year 2009. HTC mission HTC has a mission is to become the worlds leading supplier of mobile and cell phones by providing uniquely designed phones. The company is working to achieving this research and development products. Threats faced by HTC Competition is one of the threats that are facing HTC.HTC is face by competition from various cell phone manufactures. This manufactures include: BlackBerry handsets are the mobile phones that are on high demand in the market. Their phones provide users with a phone that they can access their email and they have large screens for better view among other amazing features. Apple has the technology and style that they use to make their range of iPhones which have been on high demand today. They offer phone with fast internet. This is one of the largest mobile manufactures in the world followed by Samsung. Their products are on high demand. Nokia is the worlds largest mobile phone manufacturer. It sells wide range of mobile phones different sizes, with few features and others with many features. They have a large market share. Sony Ericsson is known for its highly successful function-rich Cyber shot, Xperia and Walkman handsets. It makes mobile phones that are on high demand thus it is very competitive. Samsung mobile phone sells stylish handsets with amazing features. This is the second largest mobile phones manufactures in the world. They also manufacture touch screen phones that are highly on demand. Google makes Android mobile phone with gorgeous design and they are some of the most demanded in the world. Strengths At the Mobile World Congress 1n 2011, HTC was awarded as the best manufacturer of smart phones in the Year. In April 2011.The company has a higher market share than that of Nokia and it is the third largest smart phone manufacturer phones in the world while is the first Apple then Samsung. HTC has invested in research and development a department that has a quarter of its employees. This helps it to come up with high quality mobile phones.HTC runs a software design office in Seattle where it designs the features of the phones. HTC has a research and development office in Durham in North Carolina which deals with wireless technology that is required to make mobile phones. Research helps to come up with products that match the customer needs. Research also helps to come up with unique designs and features for the phones. (Holson, 2008) The company is producing handsets that have great features that will attract customers. In year 2010, the company launched a 4G internet capable phone. This was the first 4G internet phone in the United States. Thiss phone attracted large number of customers who required high internet speed in their phones. Opportunities HTC has a wide share of the market compared to other mobile manufacture like Sony ericssion, Motorola, blackberry, LG among others.HTC began designing some of the worlds highly demanded phones that have touch screen and wireless connectivity. The company was the first to create Microsoft-powered smart phone in the year 2002. Since the company can make unique and high quality mobile phones it has a chance of been very competitive in the market. The users look for the mobile phones that have features that meet all their needs. (Macsai, 2010)The 4G internet mobile phone is suitable for users who need quick access to the internet.HTC able to manufacture them are an opportunity to increase their market share. Marketing Strategies HTL makes use of the 4ps marketing strategy. It makes high quality products that meet the consumer needs. The 4G internet phone manufacturing is a strategy aimed at meeting the customers need for faster internet in the phone. HTC is targeting the best place to sell its products.HTC has started selling smart phones in China under its own brand name in a partnership with China Mobile. China is one of the developed countries in the world and it would provide the best market for the HTC products. HTC mobile phones are sold at different prices according to the feature of the phone. The prices are set according to the quality of the product. Due to other competitors, HTC charge fair prices to avoid losing the customers and the potential customers. Public Relations Public relations are important to create a good image of the firm. Good public relations help any organization to change the negative public attitude towards the organization to a positive one. In the year 2009, HTC sponsored the HTC-Highroad cycling team. This team is currently the most successful cycling team from the year 2009 to 2011. Recommendations HTC should have a low pricing policy. This will ensure that people in the developing countries can also afford to purchase the mobile phones. HTC can cooperate with the phone operator to give offers to customers. For example, any person who buys a phone should be give a month of free calls. Research on the software they can install in the phones to come up with unique feature for the phones. To increase creativity HTC should employ any person who comes up with a fantastic idea and help the person to develop that idea. HTC should listen to the complaints of the customers to come up with the products that satisfy their needs. The customer may be requiring high quality cameras, different shapes and colors of the phones or faster internet. (Macsai, 2010) Conclusion HTC is a brand that although faced by so many competitions has a chance to be the worlds most competitive mobile manufactures. The marketing research to find out the customer tastes and the technology research to come up uniquely designed phones can enable the firm to be the most competitive.HTC has good public relations since it engages in sponsoring of events. Buy custom HTC Cell Phones essay

Exposure To Infections Essay examples

Exposure To Infections Essay examples Exposure To Infections Essay examples Incident : Exposure to Infections: Working with people in Holly Fields Day Centre can mean that people in your care are more prone to getting ill or having diseases. It will not be possible to avoid the people in Holly Fields that can potentially infect you so it is important to take precautions to try and prevent yourself and other service users from getting an infection. The different ways in which infections could enter the body are: Inhalation – When we breathe something in. Ingestion – When something is swallowed. Inoculation – When something gets in your body through the skin. When trying to prevent people around you and others in the setting from becoming infected it is essential to try and protect them. There are some people that need protection from infections more than others do due to the fact that there is a higher risk of them becoming ill due to them having a lower immunity, due to the fact that Holly Fields is for older people, the majority of them have a lower immunity system. Keeping Holly Fields a safe and hygienic place to be in, especially for those who have lowered immunity is important as it is a basic step to ensure that the risk of infection is as minimal as it possibly can be. The main types of diseases in Holly Fields are communicable diseases, which are caused by micro-organisms. Within Holly Fields we have certain priorities and responses when dealing with the potential spread of infections, it is important that we do this due to the vulnerability of some of our service users. We want to make Holly Fields a place that has the lowest possible chance of an infection outbreak. The first priority that we have for maintaining a hygienic environment is the thorough washing of hands.

Simple Créer (to Create) Verb Conjugations in French

Simple 'Crà ©er' (to Create) Verb Conjugations in French In French, the verb  crà ©er  means to create. When you want to change it to another tense like created or creating, you will need to conjugate it. The good news is that this verb is relatively straightforward and similar to the majority of French verbs. Conjugating the French Verb  Crà ©er French verb conjugations are different than those in English. When conjugating a French verb, we must change the verb ending to match both the subject pronoun and the desired tense. Doing this can be confusing for French students, but it becomes easier with each new verb you learn. Crà ©er  is a  regular -ER verb  and it follows a very common verb conjugation pattern. Simply pair the subject pronoun with the appropriate tense needed for your sentence. For instance, I created is jai crà ©Ãƒ © and we will create is nous crà ©erons. Practicing these in context will help with memorization. Subject Present Future Imperfect je crà ©e crà ©erai crà ©ais tu crà ©es crà ©eras crà ©ais il crà ©e crà ©era crà ©ait nous crà ©ons crà ©erons crà ©ions vous crà ©ez crà ©erez crà ©iez ils crà ©ent crà ©eront crà ©aient The Present Participle of  Crà ©er The  present participle  of  crà ©er  is  crà ©ant.  This acts as a verb, though it can also become a gerund, adjective, or noun in some contexts. The Past Participle and Passà © Composà © A  common way to express the past tense created in French is with the  passà © composà ©. To construct this, begin with the subject pronoun and the proper conjugate of the  auxiliary verb  avoir. Then, add the  past participle  crà ©Ãƒ ©. As an example, I created is jai crà ©Ãƒ © and we created is nous avons crà ©Ãƒ ©. Notice how  ai  and  avons  are conjugates of  avoir  and that the past participle does not change. More Simple  Crà ©er  Conjugations The subjunctive verb mood will be used when the verb is uncertain. Similarly, the conditional implies that something may not happen unless something else also happens. The passà © composà © and imperfect subjunctive are primarily literary forms and are often found in writing. While you may not use all these forms, its important to at least know about them. Subject Subjunctive Conditional Passà © Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je crà ©e crà ©erais crà ©ai crà ©asse tu crà ©es crà ©erais crà ©as crà ©asses il crà ©e crà ©erait crà ©a crà ©Ãƒ ¢t nous crà ©ions crà ©erions crà ©Ãƒ ¢mes crà ©assions vous crà ©iez crà ©eriez crà ©Ãƒ ¢tes crà ©assiez ils crà ©ent crà ©eraient crà ©Ãƒ ¨rent crà ©assent To express  crà ©er  in the imperative form  is easy. Keep things short and sweet for these assertive sentences and skip the subject pronoun. Rather than tu crà ©e, use crà ©e alone. Imperative (tu) crà ©e (nous) crà ©ons (vous) crà ©ez

I will attach four pictures and i want an essay of 6 paragraphs

I will attach four pictures and i want an of 6 paragraphs Intoduction, and body of 4 paragraphs description of the pictures and conclusion - Essay Example The above painting, New Mexican Pueblo, was done by Frank P. Sauerwein. The painting is a representation of an Indian lifestyle setting where the old would seat with the young and educate them on life issues. I selected this painting for inclusion in MyartLabs History 6th Edition since it signifies a very important cultural practice among the Indians. The Indians are today marked as one ethnic group that has retained its culture and whose people still value the importance of morality especially among the young people (Maria et al 134). With such a painting in this edition, both the young and the old will be reminded on the importance of upholding their culture and the role that the old have on educating the young people as they grow up. The painting will serve as an educational and cultural tool in the MyartLabs History. The 2nd thing that I would want included in this section is the San Juan Pueblo clay pitcher. The pitcher is white in color with black designs to show the traditional beliefs of the Mexican people. The reason for this inclusion is that the jar will serve to remind us how our ancestors preserved their water. This is in comparison of today’s readily available bottled water which is believed to contain minerals. This ceramic is an indication of how much man has changed his lifestyle to cope with the changing technological advancements of the 21st century. Thomas Worthington Whittredge is well known for his â€Å"In the Rockies† sculpture. This sculpture captures the vast plains along the Platte River. This sculpture serves to remind us how the world was before civilization occurs. It captures the real beauty of the world; with a soldier holding a gun possibly getting ready for hunting. It would best fit into the historical context of the edition as a constant reminder of the adverse changes that modernization has caused to our environment. In the cultural context, the sculpture serves to remind us of the simple lives that our ancestors once

Proposed Expansion to Develop Educational Materials for Psychologists Essay

Proposed Expansion to Develop Educational Materials for Psychologists - Essay Example In the following presentation, the highlights of the research findings are presented for your consideration. Abnormal behavior is defined as "a psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical or culturally expected response" (Christodulu 2002, screen 1). Further according to the Department of Health and Human Services there are 88,491 clinical psychologists in the United States. With this broad base of potential customers development of this line of educational aids has the potential for wide spread appeal and will increase sales revenue. (2006) Stemming from the fact that there are multiple models of abnormal behavior: Medical and Psychological; ("Psychological disorders" undated, p. 2) our opportunity to develop multiple product groups is promising. The medical model attributes abnormal behavior to medical conditions and, therefore, a medical approach is used to treat the symptoms. However, the psychological models have various perspectives in regard to treatment: mental functioning, experiences and learning are causes of the behaviors manifested. These include the behavior model which focuses on environmental issues while cognitive models stress the reasons behind behaviors. Lastly, the sociocultural model explores the cultural and social issues that impact behavior.

W6D Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

W6D Teams - Essay Example ganizations have preferred this kind of team apparently because of its cost effectiveness in terms of reduced cost of technology, greater use of outsourced and temporary workers, shift towards globalization and many others. Moreover, functional teams are compost of individuals from different departments but with the same task to perform. For example, an individual performing an accounting task in one department team up with another individual performing accounting task in another department. In functional team, the team members try to specialize in their roles as they try to stick to their roles (Jurgen A. (2011). Finally, self-managing teams are teams that are accountable for all the tasks they perform (Manz & Sims 1993). The team members share the work force and the supportive tasks. It is a group that is composed of individuals with a common purpose and the tasks are defined by the members (Stewart & Manz 1995). Team processes are those step-by-step actions that are taken or perform in order to produce a favorite outcome. These team processes sometimes have positive influence or negative influence on the team performance. They include transition, action and interpersonal processes (Garvin2009). All these process can have positive influence on performance. For example, a transition process like creating an action plan can help in prior achievement and organizing for future wants. Action process like assisting other team members performs their task can help promote positive cohesion and timely goal achievement. Also interpersonal process like conflict management can also help in developing some rules that can finally encourage cooperation. On the other hand, an interpersonal process like storming can have negative influence on performance. The questioning of the team’s ability to perform a given task can lead to discouragement of the team members hence not giving their best (Garvin2009 ). In conclusion, teams are important to an organization as they help in

Introduction to Quality Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to Quality Assurance - Essay Example (p. 11) Now, this marked its main difference with quality assessment: While assessment monitors and evaluate individual hospital processes during the analytic phase only, QA goes far beyond that as it continuously reviews hospital policies and procedures in order to identify problems and areas of improvement. Early emphasis on quality control was directed to the inspection and acceptance of past efforts but in contrast, current attention to continuous quality improvement looks to the advancement of future performance. Today, as quality assurance has matured, there has been a shift to a more consumer-oriented, more positive approach to health care management. (McClatchey, p. 10) It has been the central focus of some of the most successful efforts at management improvement in recent years. There is no question that quality assurance (QA) is important in the future our institution both as a health care provider and as commercial enterprise. And this is not without reason. I would like, therefore, to outline the benefits that will justify the cost of our institutions QA that some of you might deem unnecessary. I classify these benefits into three: client satisfaction, cost cutting and our responsibility as health care providers including their impacts in our long-term success. The main issue in health care is to treat a patient who enters the health system after consultation with his general practitioner or a specialist. There are numerous institutions out there that are ready to provide services to patients. The ensuing episode of care is therefore related to the treatment as well as the quality of service that is satisfactory to the client. Abraham Maslow described an ascending hierarchy of human needs, which each individual strives to achieve in his personal and work environments. These are physiologic or survival needs; safety or security needs; social

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example An essential aspect of education is the willingness, or voluntariness, of the learner. Peters attempts to elucidate the concept of education by formulating the four criteria which characterize the processes involved in ‘being educated.’ By his own admission, Peters formulates his criteria as a â€Å"guide,† and not as a â€Å"definitive statement† of law (2). Taken in this perspective, his criteria for ‘being educated’ appear very reasonable. Peters’ lists four criteria which are essential for a process to satisfy the concept of education: education involves a body of knowledge and an understanding of associated principles; education implies a transformation of outlook; education involves caring and commitment; education must have a cognitive perspective. Peters’ four criteria succeed in giving us a very clear idea of the concept of ‘being educated,’ although they cannot be accepted as absolutely categorical. The firs t criteria laid down by Peters, to which the processes of education must conform, is the possession of knowledge and an understanding of underlying principles. ... The knowledge possessed by an educated person cannot be just â€Å"a collection of disjointed facts† (8). Peters clearly differentiates between training and education: training is â€Å"equipping people with necessary skills for a job† (7). Education has another dimension than mere training. Training can have educational value, but the concept of education transcends the mere acquisition of skills. Peters categorically states that the objective of education is not extrinsic: extrinsic objectives, such as making the learner job-worthy, fall under the ambit of training. On the other hand, the objectives of education are intrinsic, including â€Å"the development of individual potentialities --- intellect and character† (5). In differentiating between training and education, Peters now leads into his second criterion, which is based on the change brought about by education. According to Peters’ second criteria, ‘being educated’ brings about a cha nge in the outlook of the educated person. He elucidates the kind of knowledge which an educated man must possess, in order to be called ‘educated,’ and not just ‘knowledgeable’. The knowledge acquired by an educated person is active, and his â€Å"outlook is transformed by what he knows† (9). This knowledge comes to characterize his way of looking at things, and does not exist in isolation from the other spheres of his life. In other words, Peters’ emphasizes that the knowledge possessed by an educated person is not inert: it is actively applied to every aspect of that person’s life. Peters’ concept of the ‘active’ nature of education is also marked by another characteristic, which forms his next criteria. Peters’ third criteria is closely

Organisational Change and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organisational Change and Development - Essay Example Organisational theory has compared and contrasted many ways of fostering the types of effective change deemed necessary to improve the production and distribution of goods and services. In addition, a variety of strategic change recommendations have been advanced based on organisational structures, relations with the public, and objectives oriented change to optimally enhance operations. This literature has given concerned stakeholders tremendous insight into the diverse methods available for enhancing the likelihood for successful transformation, all the while minimising risks for productivity, goals and objectives, as well as human resources. Given the turbulent financial environment that managers currently find themselves in, it is unlikely that any element of classic theoretical frameworks approaching problem identification and solution on a start and stop basis will provide the instruments or mechanisms necessary to continuously create the responsive flexibility and adaptability needed to survive in the current environment. Before describing the planned change factors and related resilience and fortitude now needed by contemporary organisations to address perpetual problem solving, it may be useful to describe relevant theoretical frameworks that can help managers understand and guide complex organisations through these turbulent waters of today, through the development of cohesive and responsive change strategies needed to survive and thrive under these challenging environmental conditions. RELEVANT LITERATURE The theoretical justification for organisational change has been reconciled in many ways. Classic organizational specialists argue that organisations should imitate the activities, structures, and operational patterns of those thriving in a given industry. Paradigms that advance these tendencies for organisational imitation are known as isomorphism, believed to be highly beneficial for performance and cultures (Zucker, 1977). In contrast, other frameworks suggest that flexibility and adaptation to fluctuating environments is much more likely to facilitate success (Robertson & Seneviratne, 1995). Still others examine organisational problem-based operations in light of resource mobilization or by the accumulation and maintenance of power structures (Pfeffer, 1977). Change management theorists take the position that change will be needed at certain critical points throughout an organizational lifespan, and that when necessary, constructive transformations might optimally be implemented through rational and judicious decision-making. Throughout the period of critical events when change might be indicated, managers should not necessarily exploit their power or opportunistically capitalize on their authority to impose unnecessary levels of uncertainty. According to Jackson and Carter (2007, p. 6), this could be highly detrimental to process and action oriented objectives. Our belief is that the proper purpose of the study of organisational behaviour is to provide an understanding of it, not to prescribe its uncontrolled manipulation. Such an understanding cannot be achieved independently of consideration of the purposes, practices, and ethical issues surrounding organisational

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example An essential aspect of education is the willingness, or voluntariness, of the learner. Peters attempts to elucidate the concept of education by formulating the four criteria which characterize the processes involved in ‘being educated.’ By his own admission, Peters formulates his criteria as a â€Å"guide,† and not as a â€Å"definitive statement† of law (2). Taken in this perspective, his criteria for ‘being educated’ appear very reasonable. Peters’ lists four criteria which are essential for a process to satisfy the concept of education: education involves a body of knowledge and an understanding of associated principles; education implies a transformation of outlook; education involves caring and commitment; education must have a cognitive perspective. Peters’ four criteria succeed in giving us a very clear idea of the concept of ‘being educated,’ although they cannot be accepted as absolutely categorical. The firs t criteria laid down by Peters, to which the processes of education must conform, is the possession of knowledge and an understanding of underlying principles. ... The knowledge possessed by an educated person cannot be just â€Å"a collection of disjointed facts† (8). Peters clearly differentiates between training and education: training is â€Å"equipping people with necessary skills for a job† (7). Education has another dimension than mere training. Training can have educational value, but the concept of education transcends the mere acquisition of skills. Peters categorically states that the objective of education is not extrinsic: extrinsic objectives, such as making the learner job-worthy, fall under the ambit of training. On the other hand, the objectives of education are intrinsic, including â€Å"the development of individual potentialities --- intellect and character† (5). In differentiating between training and education, Peters now leads into his second criterion, which is based on the change brought about by education. According to Peters’ second criteria, ‘being educated’ brings about a cha nge in the outlook of the educated person. He elucidates the kind of knowledge which an educated man must possess, in order to be called ‘educated,’ and not just ‘knowledgeable’. The knowledge acquired by an educated person is active, and his â€Å"outlook is transformed by what he knows† (9). This knowledge comes to characterize his way of looking at things, and does not exist in isolation from the other spheres of his life. In other words, Peters’ emphasizes that the knowledge possessed by an educated person is not inert: it is actively applied to every aspect of that person’s life. Peters’ concept of the ‘active’ nature of education is also marked by another characteristic, which forms his next criteria. Peters’ third criteria is closely

Problems in sales and marketing and make recommendations&benefits Assignment

Problems in sales and marketing and make recommendations&benefits - Assignment Example In addition to that, the strategy of allowing the customers too much leeway regarding payment may make the organization to lose out on potential sales for new stock because it is highly unlikely that the customers who have not paid for purchased products will come back to purchase more. The company may subsequently find it more difficult to plan for its future operations (Espejo, 2010, 68). From the responses, it is evident that the organization does not have a concrete strategy for selling and marketing its products. This lack of strategy reflects on the sales and profits that the organization makes. The company advertises its products on different forms of media, the most preferred one by the company being the print media. However, the company does not market its product online. With the advent of technology as a tool for sales and marketing, the Secret Squirrel Company stands to make more sales and subsequent profits by advertising online (Ryan & Jones, 2009, 18). The company loses out on sales made to customers online, therefore limiting its own sources of revenue. It is also notable that the company spends the bulk of its budgetary allocation for advertising on print media advertisements. The Secret Squirrel Company spends more than $2 000 000 on print media advertising, while not spending as much on more visible media for advertising such as television and billboards (Stinson, 2008, 42). The company limits its exposure by spending so much on advertising on print media, such that the company neglects the ability of television and radio to attract potential consumers of the organization’s products (Jeannet & Hennessey, 2004, 117). Both the Sales and Marketing managers do not have enough information regarding the products that the organization sells. This does not help the organization to maximize sales, considering that the two should have the most information concerning the company’s products since they head these critical departments at

World War II Essay Example for Free

World War II Essay II (WWII), 120,000 Japanese Americans, US citizens or not, were forced out of the west coast after the attack of Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which allowed local military commanders to establish exclusion zones from which any or all persons may be excluded. Americans of Japanese descent were forcibly interned in different camps in the US. The military felt that this was a necessary action to prevent any espionage and pro-Japanese actions in the west coast. Regardless of the mass evacuation, a number of Japanese Americans served in the military forces. In fact, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT) is the most highly decorated unit in US military history. Asian discrimination The discrimination against the Asians in the United States started even way before the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII. In the late 1900s, laws were passed that explicitly prohibited Japanese to become citizens of the US. They could not have a land of their own and were not allowed to marry outside their race. They could only buy homes in certain areas and were prohibited to work in certain industries. The Immigration Act of 1924 stated that aliens who were ineligible for citizenship would not be allowed to immigrate to the United States. When Japan had been establishing its colonial rule in the 20th century, news of brutality of Japan came into the US. In particular, Japans colonization of China was widely condemned by the US government. As a result, prohibitions on oil and supplies were placed on Japan. The Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 further strengthened the anti-Japanese sentiment of the Americans especially when eyewitness reports of violence reached the country. The anti-Japanese sentiment reached its peak when the appalling attack on Pearl Harbor transpired on December 7, 1941. This impelled the United States to wage war against the Japanese Empire. This anger was further fuelled by how Japanese treated American and other western prisoners of war, the Bataan Death March, and the Kamikaze attacks on American ships. Internment Executive Order 9066 Starting 1939, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been compiling information on prominent members of the Japanese community. These data in the Custodial Detention Index (CDI) were used to classify the persons according to their possible danger to the country. A few hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Attorney General, given a presidential blanket authority, announced that the FBI, using the information in the CDI, would be detaining dangerous enemy aliens who may put the security of the nation in jeopardy. Some believed that Japan would launch an attack on the west coast. Many officials doubted the loyalty of the Japanese residing in this area, their judgments mostly based on racial bias. They also feared a possible tampering of water system or arson. The distrust to the ethnic Japanese was more strengthened by the fact that many of them were educated in Japan, where schools emphasized reverence for the Emperor. This planted suspicion of espionage by the Japanese Americans. On December 30, the Attorney General authorized raids even without search and warrant arrests to all houses of Japanese lineage provided that there is at least one Japanese alien. General John L. DeWitt, commanding officer of the Western Defense Command, advocated the removal of enemy aliens from zones in the west coast. He insisted that there were indications of sabotage by the Japanese Americans. Although various agencies, such as the FBI, found no evidence of such a claim, their reports were suppressed by high officials. DeWitts recommendation easily made its way to the War Department who readily approved it. When President Franklin Roosevelt was presented the order, he readily signed the order without consulting the Cabinet. His support of the internment was a great show of support to the Americans that would be rewarding in the coming election. Exclusion, removal, and detention On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 authorized the Army to designate military areas from which any person may be excluded. Although there was no explicit command to evacuate the Japanese Americans, the order was carried out only to people of Japanese ancestry. The Italians Americans and German Americans, whose countries of origin were also at war with the allies of the United States, did not experience the same fate as the Japanese Americans. On March 11, the Office of the Alien Property Custodian was given discretionary authority over alien property interests. Many of the assets were frozen, causing financial difficulty for the people affected and hindering them from moving out of the exclusion zones. On March 24, Public Proclamation No. 3 enforced a curfew from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am for all enemy aliens and people of Japanese ancestry within the military areas. A few days later, another proclamation prohibited them from leaving Military Area No. 1, which is the entire Pacific coast to about 100 miles inland, until an order allows them to leave. On May 3, Japanese Americans were ordered to live in the assembly centers until transferred to relocation centers. The unfounded mass removal of the Japanese Americans took place around 8 months. Japanese Americans lost most of their properties since they were allowed to bring only what they could carry, such as clothing and personal effects. Numbered tags were given to them as a means of their identification and their belongings. Residents of twelve Latin American countries with Japanese ancestry were also interned to US internment camps. After WWII, most of the Japanese Latin Americans were not allowed to return to their countries and instead were deported to Japan, where they suffered hardships as Japan was severely damaged by the war. Of more than a hundred thousand Japanese Americans subjected to the mass removal program of the government, two-thirds of them were US citizens by birth. Farming as a cause of anti-Japanese sentiments Much of the prejudice against the Japanese Americans was intensified due to the competence of the Japanese in the agriculture industry. Being ingenious people, they eventually had their own farms and other businesses. A number of thriving businesses owned by Japanese Americans were strong competitors in the agricultural industry. The Japanese Americans had developed sophisticated means of irrigation that allowed the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers on lands that could not be used for farming previously. The first-generation Japanese Americans, the Issei, indeed prospered in the 20th century, but their fate turned when they lost their farm during the internment. This, however, pleased the white farmers as they could take over Japanese farms. Because the Japanese Americans were removed from their farms, laborers were needed to take over the lands of the Japanese. Immigrations from the Mexican border started coming to Mexico. However, thousands of Nisei, children of first-generation Japanese that were US-born, were still needed to save the farming industry so thousands of them were released from camps. But for the Japanese Americans who remained in camp, they strived to irrigate and cultivate barren lands in areas near the internment camps. Because of their hard work, they were able to build farm lands that are still productive until the present.

Journey Motif Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In literature, the Journey is often a metaphor for discovery. The journey motif is used in Coleridge’s â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.† It is also shown in Hawthorne’s â€Å"My Kinsman, Major Molineux† and â€Å"Young Goodman Brown.† In these stories, each main character changes sometime between the beginning and the end of the story. In addition, religion plays a part in each of these stories. Typically, in journey literature the hero encounters several obstacles that he or she must overcome. In Coleridge’s â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,† the Mariner shows negativity. The Mariners moral vision is so impaired that his comparisons are persistently pessimistic. This pessimism is seen repeatedly in the similes that he uses. He describes life-in-death whose skin is â€Å"...

THE LEGACY OF A KING :: essays research papers

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., brother to morality and father to reform, was a man of remarkable courage whose belief in nonviolence never stammered. Standing before the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963, King stated,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So I say to you my friends, that even though we must face the difficulties   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed-we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Siebold 212)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  These inspiring words are the basis for which all of society needs contemplate in order to achieve racial fellowship, civil rights, and civil liberties. Maybe then, people of different ethnicity, not only inhabiting the same area, but all around the world, can coincide with one another without dispute. National equality cannot rest solely on the advocacy of one man, it must involve citizen participation and governmental action. Such engagements are effecting present-day issues such as voter manipulation tactics, the policies of a new attorney general, and Native American Housing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One issue Civil rights and voting rights advocates are currently addressing is the concern of voter suppression and intimidation. These manipulations, specifically aimed at minority and disabled voters, include requiring identification at polling stations; supplying wrong polling information to potential voters; and initiating background checks on newly-registered voters. Latino’s nationwide are being told to provide proof that they are U.S. citizens, solely because they are Latino’s. A person with a mental disability may not vote in Ohio, if a judge rules him/her incompetent. The voting rights advocates call upon the Republican National Committee to put an end to these tactics or to investigate them further so that a change may occur in the near future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another concern of Civil rights advocates was initiated when President Bush replaced attorney general John Ashcroft, who resigned Nov. 2004, with Roberto R. Gonzales. Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights stated, â€Å"In a country as diverse as ours, this appointment acknowledges the importance of both substance and symbolism in the selection of our nation's highest offices.† Civil rights groups want a close examination of Gonzales’ formulation of administration policies performed by Henderson and other necessary persons. Gonzales' role in such policies could undermine the system of checks and balances, therefore, creating a stagger in power among the branches of government; the unbalanced power among the branches may cause tyranny in any one branch.

Lord of the Flies Essay

Essays should be based on a student’s personal experience or observations. The essay should show how a Law of Life applies to a student’s life. Essays that focus on a historical character or that read like a book review are not winning essays. Essays should contain a â€Å"law of life† expressed as a maxim, saying, or quote. (â€Å"Honesty is the best policy† is a Law of Life; the word â€Å"honesty† is not. Essays that do not contain a saying or quote are not eligible to win prizes.) WRITING A GEORGIA LAWS OF LIFE ESSAY Pointers for Students A Law of Life is a wise saying or quote that contains words of truth, lasting meaning, or inspiration. Examples of Laws of Life include: â€Å"An attitude of gratitude creates blessings.† â€Å"You are only as good as your word.† â€Å"To have a friend, be one.† â€Å"Honesty is the best policy.† â€Å"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.† â€Å"Smile and the world smiles with you.† Think about a personal experience that has taught you about a Law of Life. The experience may have been a major event in your life, or it may have been a small, private moment when you came to understand something profound about life. Perhaps the experience was something traumatic, such as when you or a family member were in a car wreck. Or perhaps the experience was something  that makes you smile every time you think of it – the time your grandmother taught you how to bake a blueberry pie, or the time that you and a friend discovered that laughter was the best medicine. Write an essay that relates your experience to a Law of Life. Be sure to clearly state the Law of Life in your essay! Remember that the best essays include lots of details. These details make the reader feel as though he or she was right there with you when the event occurred. Let the reader know exactly how you felt, and why. Your essay should be between 500 and 700 words. Essays that are shorter or longer than this will be disqualified from the contest. Placing the essay’s word count at the beginning or end of the essay is helpful, but it is not required. Complete the Student Entry Form and staple it to the top of your essay. Make a copy of your essay to keep; the copy that is sent to the Laws of Life Essay Contest will not be returned to you. _ _ _ _ _ _ †Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.† -William Wordsworth STATE WINNERS $1,000 – First place winner $750 – Second place winner $500 – Third place winner $300 – Fourth place winner $200 – Fifth place winner SCHOOL WINNERS & GRADE WINNERS $100 per School Winner* *School must submit a minimum of 200 essays total for the School Winner to receive a cash award. $50 per Grade Winner* (3 per school)**

A Place Where the Sea Remembers: Character Like Candelario Marroquin Essay

In A Place Where the Sea Remembers, the author talks about a lot of unique characters. Candelario Marroquin is a man who has had a very hard life, but now that he has been promoted it looks like his life with Chayo, his wife, is looking up. He is a big character in the book and is greatly affected by fate.In the opening of the book, when Candelario Marroquin is first introduced in the story, he is painting the door of his house blue as a celebration that he has just gotten promoted to a salad maker. It is expressed that Cande is very fond of the color blue and all of its meaning to him. As the story goes on, Cande gets fired from the job after he makes an inedible salad, although his boss, Don Gustavo, is the one who had created it.Candelario is affected by many things that go on in the story. For instance, he is indirectly affected by rape because his sister in law, Marta, gets raped. This also ties in with abortion because Marta wants to get an abortion, but Cande offers to take ca re of the baby once it is born. When he finds out that Chayo also gets pregnant he decides not to take Marta’s baby because they are unable to take care of both, so then Marta is forced to have the baby and take care of it on her own as a single parent. Moreover, she becomes desperate and puts a spell on their unborn baby. Later on in the story, his nephew Richard, Marta’s son, dies in a terrible storm and gets washed away into the sea. It can be considered karma that Marta’s son dies. Candelario’s wife Chayo is connected with all of these events as well. It is fate for them that they have a baby and therefore cannot take care of Marta’s baby, which cause her to do what she did and put a spell on their baby. It is also fate for them that Cande got fired from his job as a salad maker. Most of the events related to Cande that I earlier mentioned are also fate for Marta. Marta and Cande’s action are closely related. It is also fate that Marta goes to Rememdios to ask her to pu t a spell on Cande to change his mind and take her baby. However, Remedios does not want to do that because she does not want Marta going to â€Å"El Norte†, she thinks it will ruin her. Remedios is indirectly affected by rape in this sense. Remedios is someone who is indirectly affected by everything through other characters. People go to her when their relatives die, she is the one who knows how to wrap them up and bury them. She is affected by fate because she is the â€Å"curandera†, the healer, which brings all the people from Santiago to her, and it is fate that brings her to the sea. Cesar Burgos is not affected by rape or abortion but he I extremely affected by single parenthood and death. Cesar had a wife and three young sons, but one day his wife and two of his kids went on a trip and they died in a car accident. He then had to be a single parent and raise his remaining son, Beto. Fate affects him through these two major events. It is fate that his wife and two kids died, which causes his son to change and make him feel guilty for their death. Don Justo is also not affected by rape or abortion, but he is affected by single parenthood and death. He had a wife who died, and had five children at a time and only two survived. Don Justo is forced to take care of his two remaining daughters, he also ends up remarrying As the story continues, he receives a telegram that his oldest daughter Justina died. This causes him to get drunk and he then unwillingly kills his own bird. A time after, his dog also dies of old age. All of this is related to fate, it is fate that his life is looking down because of having so much death in his life, but in the end he picks his life back up and lives on. Rafael Beltran is only affected by rape and single parenthood. Rafael does not have a father figure and he lives with with his mother because she is sick. He meets Esperanza through his mother because she has is her nurse. Rafael is indirectly affected by rape because Esperanza was raped when she was 17. Rafael ends up falling in love with Esperanza and they get married. His mother also brings Ines into his life because she is her maid, he teaches her how to write, with that he is able to grow and let go of only being focused on his job and his mother. It is fate that he lives with his sick mother, which brings Esperanza and Ines into his life. Esperanza is only affected by rape and fate. It is fate that she was raped when she was 17 because this causes her to leave her boyfriend at the time and go into a depression. She also takes nursing classes which lead her to become a nurse. This lets her and Rafael fall in love and be together.

Solution to Case Problem Specialty Toys

Solution to Case Problem Specialty Toys 10/24/2012 I. Introduction: The Specialty Toys Company faces a challenge of deciding how many units of a new toy should be purchased to meet anticipated sales demand. If too few are purchased, sales will be lost; if too many are purchased, profits will be reduced because of low prices realized in clearance sales. Here, I will help to analyze an appropriate order quantity for the company. II. Data Analysis: 1. 20,0 00 .025 10,0 00 30,0 00 .025 .95 20,0 00 .025 10,0 00 30,0 00 .025 .95 Since the expected demand is 2000, thus, the mean  µ is 2000.Through Excel, we get the z value given a 95% probability is 1. 96. Thus, we have: z= (x- µ)/ ? =(30000-20000)/ ? =1. 96, so we get the standard deviation ? =(30000-20000)/1. 96=5102. The sketch of distribution is above. 95. 4% of the values of a normal random variable are within plus or minus two standard deviations of its mean. 2. At order quantity of 15,000, z= (15000-20000)/5102=-0. 98, P(stockout ) = 0. 3365 + 0. 5 = 0. 8365 At order quantity of 18,000, z= (18000-20000)/5102=-0. 39, P(stockout) = 0. 1517 + 0. 5= 0. 6517 At order quantity of 24,000, z= (24000-20000)/5102=0. 8, P (stockout) = 0. 5 – 0. 2823 = 0. 2177 At order quantity of 28,000, z= (28000-20000)/5102=1. 57, P (stockout) = 0. 5 – 0. 4418 = 0. 0582 3. Order Quantity = 15,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 240,000| 240,000| 25,000| 25,000| 20,000| 240,000| 360,000| 0| 120,000| 30,000| 240,000| 360,000| 0| 120,000| Order Quantity = 18,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 288,000| 240,000| 40,000| -8000| 20,000| 288,000| 432,000| 0| 144,000| 30,000| 288,000| 432,000| 0| 144,000|Order Quantity = 24,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 384,000| 240,000| 70,000| -74,000| 20,000| 384,000| 480,000| 20,000| 116,000| 30,000| 384,000| 576,000| 0| 192,000| Order Quantity =28,000| Unit Sales| Total Cost| S ales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 448,000| 240,000| 90,000| -118,000| 20,000| 448,000| 480,000| 40,000| 72,000| 30,000| 448,000| 672,000| 0| 224,000| 4. According to the background information, we get the sketch of distribution above. Since z= (Q-20,000)/5102 =0. 52, so we get Q=20,000+0. 2*5102=22,653. Thus, the quantity would be ordered under this policy is 22,653. The projected profits under the three sales scenarios are below: Order Quantity =22,653| Unit Sales| Total Cost| Sales at $24| Sales at $5| Profit| 10,000| 362,488| 240,000| 63,265| -59,183| 20,000| 362,488| 480,000| 13,265| 130,817| 30,000| 362,488| 543,672| 0| 181,224| 5. From the information we get above, I would recommend an order quantity that can maximize the expected profit, and it can be calculated by the formula below: P(Demand

Film studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film studies - Essay Example It may appear to be an example of â€Å"films which were accepted as realistic by one generation often appear ‘false or dated ‘ to the next†, but is still an important aspect of an era. The film is undoubtedly old fashioned and out of date with regard to modern cinematic styles and technological advances, but its themes and messages on racism and prejudice remain as relevant today as they did then. Definition of Social Problem Films: Durgnat, (1997) contended that â€Å"The social problem film is hardly a genre† (p.59) but went on to say, in relation to ‘Sapphire’ and ‘Victim’, that they may be described as â€Å"by narrative structure†¦detective mysteries.† However, such films sought to explore the real issues faced by that society. Ealing Studios in the 1950s encouraged the production of films that were not only melodrama or thriller, but that delivered a universal moral message. Issues such as juvenile delinquency, violence, sexuality and racism were incorporated into dramatic narratives that would engage audiences but ask them to look at their society and their own values, perceptions and prejudices. Jonathan Wright (2002) described processes involved in this, when examining British Social Realism, (quoting Lay, 2002) â€Å"First the film-maker must have intended to capture the experience of the actual event depicted. Second, the film-maker has a specific argument or message to deliver about the social world and employs realistic conventions to With ‘Sapphire, Dearden and Relph did that, linking the detective/thriller narrative, with character, form, tone, pace and dialogue, in fact all the film elements that succeeded in reflecting the state of a nation in transition and the effects of racism and prejudice. Historical Context: The race riots of 1958 in Notting Hill, London had raised the consciousness of post-war Britain, bringing doubts about their conservative, conventional values, and alerting them to changes. Immigrants from

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business Strategy - Essay Example ey company comments on ours pricing policies, levels of production, methods of marketing, inventories, the measure taken to develop products, sales situations and goals, non public market surveys and other archives or confidential information (Hill, & Jones, 2009).   Sharpe should ensure economic knowledge about the Barkley. However, Sharpe seeks to maintain business ethics in our communication. Sharp seeks to maintain a steady relationship with the Barley in a way that they will not exchange their trade secrets, the lists of customers that Sharpe is targeting, and information about the resources available at Sharpe, technological developments or operations. Sharpe should also be careful to avoid hiring staff that worked with Barkley. Sharpe should also avoid dealing with suppliers that have supplied for Barkley to avoid leaking of confidential information; Sharpe will not hire or buy staffs from Barkley to extract information about the Barkley Company. Sharply plans to remove barriers to entry in the market or directly alleviating monopoly rents. The company can also venture in facilitating mergers and acquisition (Baye, 2010).   Sharpe also seeks to set up strategies that will enable the company enjoy the economies of scale, the economies of scope, and cost complementarities of price and output this way the company enjoys low costs and increases profitability. The company is planning to implements strategies that encourage innovation to ensure high profitability and low costs (Hill, & Jones, 2009).   Competition laws seek to grow with the mixed laws such as trademarks, copyrights, patents, industrial design rights and in some instances trade secrets. Companies that wish to increasingly raise prices needs to familiarize with the laws that govern such activities lest their contracts be terminated. Contrary a growing notion feels that promotion of novelty through adhering to the ‘intellectual property rights’ encourages competitiveness, whilst the

Economy of United Arab Emirates Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Economy of United Arab Emirates - Research Paper Example UAE projects itself as a paradise for carrying out international trade practices for better economic growth (Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, 2009). In alignment with its economic openness, the nation within a confined period of time has successfully attained an appreciable level of economic growth. In this context, it has been identified that UAE has a remarkable economic progress i.e. GDP growth rate of 4.5% in the financial year 2014 irrespective of the massive level of global market competition. In addition, the major reliance of this nation is based on the oil and natural gas reserves, which can be categorized as another crucial factor that appears to have significantly contributed towards the attainment of such high economic progress rate. The nation in the present scenario is identified to possess about 10 percent of the global oil reserve. In addition, UAE also holds the 5th position as the largest producer of natural gas in the global market space. Likewise, exports of quantifiable amounts of oil and natural gas reserves can be considered as a major form of profit for this nation. Apart from all these, UAE also supplies energy to other allied nations, which in turn also contributes to a significant portion of the nation’s overall GDP rate (John, 2014). In the present scenario, the government of UAE intends to balance its reliance on oil and natural gas reserves with the help of other alternative sources of revenue generation. Thus in an associate manner, UAE appears to have projected its intention of bringing about massive development in the areas of tourism and infrastructure development. Appropriate development of the nation’s financial sector can also be categorized under such alternative plans. Apart from all these, subsequent upliftment of the other associated industrial and service sectors also appears to have a significant impact on the overall ergonomic growth process of this nation.

Three Main Parts of a Plant and Differences between Eudicots and Coursework

Three Main Parts of a Plant and Differences between Eudicots and Monocots - Coursework Example Roots are responsible of providing the plant with water and other minerals contained by the soil. It also anchors the plants and holds the plant to ground. Stem has the responsibility to transport water minerals from roots to the leaves and branches and food and oxygen from leaves to other parts. Leaves carry the responsibility of making food for the plants through the process of photosynthesis. Plant can make its food by itself combining carbon-dioxide and sunlight by the process of photosynthesis. The vegetative parts of a plant are root, stem and leaves but flowers, fruits and seeds are its reproductive organs. Difference between Monocot and Eudicot Plants Flowering plants produce seeds of two basic types, monocots and eudicots. There are many differences between the Monocots and eudicots. In monocots there is only one cotyledon in the seed but in eudicot plants the seed has two cotyledons. In monocot plants the root xylem and phloem are distributed in a ring while in eudicots roo t phloem is the xylem. In monocots the vascular tissues are there in the stem in a scattered form but eudicots have its vascular tissues distinctly arranged. Leaves veins in monocot plants are formed in a parallel pattern while eudicots have a leave veins in a net shape.

Charity Giving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Charity Giving - Essay Example Any person with high values and cultural values will provide high donation as per his or her financial status. Some may do charity for the help of the society by giving blood and donating the body organs in order to help others. This is done by the people due to their own moral values. The regularity of charity whether financial or in other forms depends largely on the person and his or her values in life. None of the charitable organisations can influence them as they are guided by their own ideas and views. A few people refer charitable giving as a personal value which is incorporated in the individual from the beginning of his/her life by the parents. The importance of finance and the gesture to help others in need are the values, which influence the charitable actions of the people. These values are incorporated among the people from the childhood (Duncan, 1999). No charitable institutions, advertisements and marketing strategies can influence the people. Charity depends on the p eople and it depends on the personal freedom and rights of the people to whether they want to do charity or not. Charity can be in money and also in kind. Personal values influence to a considerable extent the charitable action of the people. However, not only the values but also the demographic factors, such as the age of the person, wealth, gender and education contribute towards charitable behaviour. Strong personal values along with moral values have a high degree of influence charitable giving.

Underserved Countries Essay Example for Free

Underserved Countries Essay Using the marketing techniques in the local commerce may not be appropriate for some segments of the international market. In this case, it would be necessary to first know the overall opportunities and challenges which may be found among countries or regions where a particular company may want to invest in. Considering the implementation of plans to invest in underserved countries, the region to be analyzed is the Asian general market. Apparently, Asia is on the verge of development as an offshoot of the Asian Miracle in the early 1990’s. Although it suffered from a financial crisis in 1997, it has already recuperated itself to attract even more investors outside the region. The main opportunities which can be found in Asia are inline with how the Western investors prefer in a developing market. In fact, the looming US recession lead investors to consider South East Asia as a possible haven for investment following the growth of China and India (Crispin, 2007). Another good investment factor in Asia is the fact that the region’s economies offer very low labor rates (Gumbell, 2004), a plus for companies which intends to increase its manpower for direct selling and distributorship. Although Asia provides some of the greatest investment opportunities, the region is also exposed to defined challenges. For one, most Asian economies heavily depend on the western economic performance such as the United States and European Union. If there will be a slight undervalued performance from these regions, direct stock market hits can be felt in Asian markets. Although it is not that huge of an impact, there is always a tendency to slow down especially when it comes to unstable economic commodities such as oil prices and imports (International Herald Tribune, 2005). In addition to possible risks in economic dependencies, some Asian countries are also vulnerable to peace and order concerns which badly affect investor confidence. In a larger perspective however, Asia remains as one of the top performing regions when it comes to foreign investments. Getting to know the specific profile of a country can help in deciding about an investment plan. This analysis can open up more decisive factors to enable a company to consider doing business with a specific economy or not. References Crispin, S. 2007. SE Asia offers haven from US turmoil. Asia Times Online.Retrieved February 26, 2008 from http://www. atimes. com/atimes/Asian_Economy/IL22Dk01. html. Gumbell, P. 2004. Outsourcing Chasing Cheap Labor to the East. Time Inc. Retrieved February 26, 2008 from http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901040412-607777,00. html. International Herald Tribune. 2005. East Asia Growth Rate Expected to Slow. IHT. Retrieved February 26, 2008 from http://www. iht. com/articles/2005/08/09/business/adb. php.

Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World

Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION I would like to undertake the study of Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World, United Kingdom. The study covers the processes in the organization, the value chain in the firm and its analysis. I made an analysis of the ambiguities in the processes of the system and put forth recommendations needed for the improvements in future. Relationship Management at the value chain, the customer services in the organization, its impact, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was given concentration in the studies. Objectives of the Study: There are multiple objectives for my studies of research. Mainly the supply chain system in PC World is analysed in detail. Improvements for the development of the supply chain system in future is also aimed in my research as it has its own significance for a purchase led kind of business. Information and Communication Technology systems in PC World and Supplier Relationship Management in the work place are given importance as the secondary objective of the studies. An analytic thinking over the improvement of customer satisfaction with use of value chain has done as another objective of this research. Why is this study important? The economic crisis of 2009 was the most severe one after the Great Depression of 1929. The much expected GDP growth had not happened in the third quarter of 2009 and the growth was 0.3 in the last quarter of the year (statistics.gov, 2010). Most of other European countries have shown modest growth rates, UK is still in search of positive triggers. We have seen six consecutive quarters of negative growth and the crisis has affected the economy very dangerously. 5.7 per cent of the market capitalization has been wiped out in UK in the last 18 months. These numbers look worst when the economy faced inflation in the same time period. The doldrums in the job market and the virtually frozen consumer spending have affected many industries in the country (guardian, 2010). Still we are not at all survived from the crisis and waiting for much horrific double dip recession. So the organizations which have better operating systems only can survive in market. The organizations who serve an impro ved customer service will be benefited in this situation. So the organizations are trying to improve the satisfaction of customers, reduce costs and improve their profitability. Companies are in search of synergies and positive triggers with restructuring and reorganizing their strategies and operations. The Information and Communication Technology systems come across a lot of developments in this period. This is the real opportunity for the companies to come up in the market with ideal strategies and improvements in the operations. My research will be a benefit for the companies which are eagerly in search of ways to improve their efficiency as it is done in the wake of these tough situations. Theoretical Framework I would be guided on mostly by the studies of Geoff Walsham, Professor in University of Cambridge. The series of publications of his works by University of Cambridge are well respected in this area of study. Globalization and ICT: Working across culture by Geoff Walsham would be the primary theoretical resources of my research. These works shows lights on the significance of Information and Communication Technology in the present status of the economies. Another resource for my studies is Supply chain management: more than a new name for logistics, by M. C. Lambert and D. M. Pagh. These works are published in IJLM (International Journal of Logistics Management). They formed a primary thought for the subject of my proposed study. Introduction to e-supply chain management: engaging technology to build market winning business partnership by David Frederick Ross inspired me to work with the advanced methods of improvements for supply chain management systems and its operations. Problem of Research: The problem of the proposed research is insufficiencies and the opportunities of improvements for the improvements in the system of supply chain in PC World. Suggestions are made to improve the efficiency and productivity of the PC World as a part of this research. The research would be done concentrating on 3 dimensions. Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the operations, customer satisfaction and Supplier Relationship Management are the three main points where the concentration has been given in this study. The main questions raised for the purpose of this research are listed below: How is the organisation of Supply Chain at P C World? How is the value chain organized in P C World? What role does the ICT system have in value chain? How does the ERP system work in P C World and what is the impact of it on value chain? How does P C World manage the supplier relations of it? In what way P C World manage the relations with its key suppliers? How does the supply chain affect the satisfaction of customers? What improvements can be made in P C World? How can the proposed changes be implemented in P C World? How will this change improve the efficiency of business? Ethical Issues Ethical Issues: In conducting this study, I would be guided by the Guidelines set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2004 ethical issues for Educational research. The guidelines state that the researches are wholly responsible to their sponsors, the research community and participants of the research. The guidelines states that all research work must be conducted at the highest levels of honesty. Research findings are to be published without falsifying and misstating the work done. The guidelines set out the responsibilities of the researcher to participants of the research, sponsors of the research and the research community. (BERA, supply chain management is important to deliver the products and services to end customers. However, it appears that the notions on supply chain management may only be indirectly associated with the issues surrounding consumer behaviours toward maintaining and/or otherwise pushing customer satisfaction. As referenced in many publications, undoubtedly, the role of supply chain management is an important factor in boosting the organizational success. On a separate perspective, consumer behaviour is also an essential factor toward organizational viability into years to come. Qualitatively, preliminary studies have been undertaken concerning the connection between supply chain management and customer satisfaction, as well as the connection between consumer behaviour and customer satisfaction, in trying to recognize the clear distinctions of each topic toward ensuring customer satisfaction. This paper attempts to bring out the significance of both issues combined in relation to customer satisfaction. If the preliminary studies emphasized in automotive and food industries, this paper attempts to analyze the small and medium enterprises in service industry. It is expected that the increasing roles of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in small and medium enterprises are able to improve the overall organizational performance. A cluster sampling methods is incorporated in this study to note the characteristics of those small and medium enterprises in certain locations. Variables chosen in this study are mainly covered the traditional SERVQUAL dimensions of tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Aside from the qualitative analyses, which are based on interviews and field observations, a combination of statistical software packages are utilized as tools toward building quantitative analysis of the study. Research is conducted by gathering data from primary and secondary sources in service industries in Jakarta, and Bandung. As stated, it is expected that such studies would reveal the significance of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in boosting the customer satisfaction level toward organizations products and services. It is expected that such issues are mostly true for small and medium enterprises, perhaps. Limitations I would be attempting the research in a much comprehensive way as possible, following limitations may be underlying in the research Time Constraints: A detailed and exhaustive study was not allowed by my course semester as few significant areas are there where I was forced to leave out. However, most of the significant disciplines would be covered in the research. Security Issues: a supply chain in an organization, information on ERP and key supplier contracts are very sensitive kind of company information and it would be too tough to reproduce them. So I foresee myself as not being capable of publishing a few of my findings. The support of management which I had secured beforehand for the research would allow me to bring most of the findings out in the studies. Financial Constraints: Some suppliers of the organization are located overseas. So it would not be feasible for me to cover all major suppliers of the organization financially. Thus the major suppliers who have their physical operations in UK are confined in my research. Contributions of the research A dynamic and innovative concept of Supply Chain Management systems are anticipated as my study is chiefly a research led exercise. Fast growing systems of ICT in Supply Chain and management of Supplier Relationship would be invaluable resources academically. Different paths would be shown for P C World to strengthen their existing not so good supply chain, consolidate their supplier relations and to construe its customers needs in the research as a sense of business, for increasing the efficiency of processes and profitability of business. Project Plan of Research The proposed work for research would be conducted within a period of ninety days. The studies for research have being got worked since mid December and would be finished by March. The first month of my studies has been utilized for background studies and literature review. Over the next two months, twenty hours a day would be allocated for my work of research. The SCM systems and various practices in the work place, the Information and Communication Technology systems used, will be analysed in the actual company locations. Structured questionnaires would be prepared for the empirical studies of my research and to interview the customers of P C World and the suppliers of it. The last month of research would be used to analyse the findings and data, bring up recommendations for the improvements of supply chain and to get it slimmer and efficient, and to report the entire studies of research. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review Other than the theoretical resources we discussed above, the following resources are also added to the knowledge related to this study. Transition to B2B e-Market place enabled supply chain: Readiness Assessment and Success Factors by Movahedi B., Lavassani, M K, Kumar V would be the principal resource material of the research. A great gamut of management of supply chain, role of information technology and recent development in the area of supply chain management, and numerous case studies are discussed in the book. This book allowed me to grasp a clear picture on the subject of research. Knowledge management systems: information and communication technologies by Ronald Maier provided more detailed technical aspects for the research. The latest developments and happenings in the field of research are updated with the Journal of Supply Chain Management and Journal of E Commerce. INTRODUCTION There is a drastic development in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in logistics and supply chain management. ICT is today being applied in many organisations in a wide range and operations areas. It has provided new ways to store, process, distribute and exchange information both within companies and with customers and suppliers in the supply chain. ICT used to exchange information in the supply chain is often named inter organisational ICT or inter organisational information systems (IOIS).In supply chain management, ICT has especially been recognised as an enabler for information sharing which companies in the supply chain can use for eliminating the so called bullwhip-effect (Lee et al., 1997). Information-sharing is also a key component in many of the recent automatic replenishment programs (ARP) (Daugherty et al., 1999). Initiatives such as vendor managed inventory (VMI) and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) are based on an in creased level of automation in both the flow of physical materials and goods and the flow of information between companies to improve the efficiency in the entire supply chain. In a operations management perspective, companies seek to further improve the efficiency in the supply chain by sharing information related to matching demand and supply such as short- and long-term production planning, demand forecasting and materials and capacity planning. Information that can be relevant to share between customers and suppliers typically includes point-of-sales data, forecasts and inventory levels. There is a significant amount of research demonstrating a positive impact of ICT in the supply chain. As companies seek to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through increased integration, ICT can be considered as a key enabler for supply chain management through its ability to support information sharing and shortening information processing time. Supply chain integration can however be expressed in a wide range of dimensions such as integration of processes, information, organisations and systems (Bowersox et al., 1999; Mouritsen, et al., 2003). Similarly, the impact of ICT can be demonstrated in terms of for instance changes in relationships, interorganisational changes and performance (Wilson and Vlosky, 1998). The many dimensions in which supply chain integration can be expressed and the wide variation of factors in which the impact of ICT can be defined in terms of integration indicates that previous researches have been limited to studying a few dimensions and variables relationships at a time. The aspect of how to control and coordinate the activity between the companies in the supply chain, and how ICT affects the level of control integration in the supply chain is a poorly developed area. We propose in this paper a research model for further research exploring the impact of ICT on integration in supply chain control. The model is primarily based on theory within supply chain integration and the impact of ICT. It also incorporates the supply chain control perspective, which defines the scope of application of the model. In contrast with previous research, this model does not intend to limited to a few pre-defined dimensions or variables for investigation but can be used to examine situations involving any type of integration dimension and influencing factor. Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is effective management by planning, implementing and controlling the activities in the supply chain system in an organization. Activities from warehousing the inventory to movement of products to the consumer are controlled and co-ordinated by the supply chain management. Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities, it includes coordination, cooperation and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers APA (American Professional Association). Characteristics of Supply Chains The management of supply and demand in and across the companies are integrated by supply chains It coordinates the network of business operations which provide the products and services. The logistics and supply chain management are distinguished by some researchers. At the same time some of them consider them as similar terms. The management of supply chain can be used as a software also A study on supply chain event management allows knowing how the system of supply chain is coordinated in an organization and how resolutions are produced for the problems that occur during the effectuation of supply chain in an organization. Issues in Supply Chain Management Following limitations must be dealt with the management of supply chain: Configuration of distribution network is the main limitation of the management of supply chain. It implies the supply chain is bore on by the number of suppliers, their locations, and missions of network of customers. The facilities for production, centres for distribution, cross docks, ware houses etc influence the supply chain management. The supply chain is also affected by the strategy of distribution. Replacement strategy and transportation is the other concerns for the management of supply chain. The total supply chain management is affected by the sharing of valuable information on the demand signals, inventory, transportation and the forecasts. The location and quantity of inventory which include finished goods, work in process goods and raw materials influence the supply chain. The cash flows in each and every level of supply chine will also affect it. The task flow like order fulfilment, inventory procurance, goods transporting and ware housing SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Supply chain management must address the following problems: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centres, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL). Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These tradeoffs are key to the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional. ACTIVITIES/FUNCTIONS Supply chain management is a cross-function approach including managing the Movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal Processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velo city of inventory movement. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum Activities in Supply Chain Management The movement of raw materials for internal processing in an organization. Conversion of raw materials into finished goods. Movement of finished goods to the consumer or end user. It is the responsibility of supply chain management to bring down the ownership of raw materials for the organization for a long period and to help the company to achieve the competence for the organization. The functions can be outsourced to increase the cost effectiveness and the satisfaction of customers demands. The management of supply chain has to construct trust among the members in the supply chain and it must better the association among them. The organization should be helped to actuate the inventory immediately and must develop the visibility in the supply chain. A Supply Chain Management model projected by the GSCF (Global Supply Chain Forum) demonstrates that the activities in a supply chain can be characterized as strategic, operational and tactical activities. Strategic Activities The optimization of strategies of an organization like number of warehouses, locations, centres of distributions, facilities and locations of warehouses etc are included in strategic activities. Strategic activities include the communication network creation among the supply chain members and it must develop an improvement in the activities of supply chain such as shipping, docking, transport, and logistics etc. The organization of designing of the products and development are included in strategic activities of an organization and the strategic activities must integrate the new and existing products into the supply chain. It should support all the activities in supply chain. All the activities of supply chain must be integrated with overall activities of the organization by the strategic activities. Tactical Activities It includes decisions concerning to purchase of inventory and contracts. It includes decisions pertained to production such as the location, schedule, contracts, plans and definition of processes of production etc. Decision making in relation with the quality, transport, quantity, location, and use of inventory. The strategy formulation in concern with freight like the transport frequency, the cost, routes, contracts and logistics etc are included It involves the best process benchmarking in the industry throughout its operations. Operational Activities It includes decisions and activities in relation with day to day activities connected to production and planning at each levels of supply chain. It involves forecasts of production facilities and necessities in supply chain in every instant. It involves forecasting and planning of Demand and converting the overall demand into supply and share it with every the members of the supply chain. Forecasting, planning and coordinating the demand forecast of each and every customer and share bode with all suppliers. Inward operations, such as movement and transport of goods and stocks in the supply chain. It involves operational decisions and planning from ingestion of inventory to the current of finished goods in the chain of supply. It includes the promises of orders, accounting for all processes in the supply chain from suppliers to consumers or end users. Scope of Supply Chain Management To compete in the global market, companies rely on effective networks of supply chain According to Peter Ducker, business networking concept covers beyond the conventional enterprise limitations and broadens to coordinate the entire process of business throughout a value chain of multiple companies included in it. Outsourcing of Information Technology has enabled the organizations to be processed in such a way that each partner of business concentrates in the few significant areas in which he is specialized. This inter organizational network is the innovative trend in form of organization with the complex interactions among the key players; the structure of network is not a hierarchical structure or a market structure. It is ambiguous of what kind of performance level impact that various supply network structures could have on organization, and little is known about the conditions of coordination and tradeoffs that may subsist among the players. From point of view of a system, a structure of complex network can be decayed into individual component companies (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Conventionally, companies in a supply network focus on the processes inputs and outputs, with little matter of concern for the internal management of the firm working on other individual players. Therefore, an internal management choice control structure is known to make a major impact on performance of local companies (Mintzberg, 1979). There have been large changes in environment of business which has contributed to the supply chain networks developments. Primarily, as a result of globalization and with the increase of big multi-national companies, strategic alliances, joint ventures and business partnerships, have found to be making important factors of success, following the earlier practices of JIT (Just-In-Time), Lean Management and Agile Manufacturing. Secondly, changes of technology, especially the dramatic fall in the cost of information communication, which is a predominant component of transaction costs, have led to changes in organization among the members of the network of supply chain (Coase, 1998). The exceptional transformation towards activities of integration from managing functions of individuals with processes of key supply chain in place could be the first significant step in establishing a successful supply network. For example; the department of purchasing places orders as necessities become appropriate only, when Department of Marketing responding to consumer demands and convey the same with all the distributors and retailers across to go with the demand of customers. The overall integration process leverages the whole shared information among partners of supply chain of an organization towards its advantage. The key to Successful consolidation of Supply chain business process is by employing the collaborative work across suppliers and buyers, common systems along with the shared information and joint product development. In 2000, the Lambert and Cooper expressed their view as the whole as The continuous information flows in the integrated supply chain process supports an organization to achieve best product flows. Despite such expression, there subsists an opinion among organizations and networks of management, that product flows optimization cannot be realized without implanting a process access to respective businesses. The supply chain significant processes by Lambert (2004) are listed below: Customer relationship management Management customer service Management of demand Fulfilment of orders Management of flow of manufacturing Management of supplier relationship Development of a product and commercialization Management of Returns In addition to points of Lambert other keys are: Procurement Physical distribution Outsourcing and partnerships Measurement of performance Management of customer service process As the information of customer is the basic source for service of customers, the important aspect of Customer relationship Management is between the organization and its customers. This real- time information makes customers cognisant on various details such as product availability, product information, probable delivery dates through multiple interfaces of information about the companys operations of production and distribution. Steps to build an efficient and Successful relationship with customers: Establish goals which are commonly rewarding between organization and customers Customize and invest efforts to preserve customer resonance and support always create positive outlook with customers in the organization Process of procurement In laying good strategic plans for process of procurement, the interests, opinions and support of the suppliers is very important; because their confidence in the plans lay foundation for newly build manufacturing flow management and it is the same in case of a development of a new product. When activities are global and far reach across, the companies need to accommodate processes to manage and source them accordingly. For achieving success in creating the preferred product, it is significant to have mutually beneficial relationship, cut down times cycles in design and development of the new product play very important role. Communication systems can be boosted by deploying tools like Internet connectivity and electronic data interchange (EDI), of the purchasing function of a firm to drive activities. These powerful systems of communication streamlines a lot of processes in managing, obtaining and tracking information about products and materials and products, which supports organization in dealing with issues successfully; supply sources, inbound transportation negotiation phases, resource plans, order placement, delivery status, storage capabilities, handling and quality assurance. Also, it actuates the organizations to handle the responsibility and to organize commitment with suppliers over supply continuity, delivery scheduling, misrepresentation, and research support studies in creating new product and sources of programs. Development of new product and commercialization This helps organizations to reduce time cycles of development of product with aspects of customers, suppliers so as to capture markets better by being competitive, innovations of products Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION I would like to undertake the study of Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World, United Kingdom. The study covers the processes in the organization, the value chain in the firm and its analysis. I made an analysis of the ambiguities in the processes of the system and put forth recommendations needed for the improvements in future. Relationship Management at the value chain, the customer services in the organization, its impact, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was given concentration in the studies. Objectives of the Study: There are multiple objectives for my studies of research. Mainly the supply chain system in PC World is analysed in detail. Improvements for the development of the supply chain system in future is also aimed in my research as it has its own significance for a purchase led kind of business. Information and Communication Technology systems in PC World and Supplier Relationship Management in the work place are given importance as the secondary objective of the studies. An analytic thinking over the improvement of customer satisfaction with use of value chain has done as another objective of this research. Why is this study important? The economic crisis of 2009 was the most severe one after the Great Depression of 1929. The much expected GDP growth had not happened in the third quarter of 2009 and the growth was 0.3 in the last quarter of the year (statistics.gov, 2010). Most of other European countries have shown modest growth rates, UK is still in search of positive triggers. We have seen six consecutive quarters of negative growth and the crisis has affected the economy very dangerously. 5.7 per cent of the market capitalization has been wiped out in UK in the last 18 months. These numbers look worst when the economy faced inflation in the same time period. The doldrums in the job market and the virtually frozen consumer spending have affected many industries in the country (guardian, 2010). Still we are not at all survived from the crisis and waiting for much horrific double dip recession. So the organizations which have better operating systems only can survive in market. The organizations who serve an impro ved customer service will be benefited in this situation. So the organizations are trying to improve the satisfaction of customers, reduce costs and improve their profitability. Companies are in search of synergies and positive triggers with restructuring and reorganizing their strategies and operations. The Information and Communication Technology systems come across a lot of developments in this period. This is the real opportunity for the companies to come up in the market with ideal strategies and improvements in the operations. My research will be a benefit for the companies which are eagerly in search of ways to improve their efficiency as it is done in the wake of these tough situations. Theoretical Framework I would be guided on mostly by the studies of Geoff Walsham, Professor in University of Cambridge. The series of publications of his works by University of Cambridge are well respected in this area of study. Globalization and ICT: Working across culture by Geoff Walsham would be the primary theoretical resources of my research. These works shows lights on the significance of Information and Communication Technology in the present status of the economies. Another resource for my studies is Supply chain management: more than a new name for logistics, by M. C. Lambert and D. M. Pagh. These works are published in IJLM (International Journal of Logistics Management). They formed a primary thought for the subject of my proposed study. Introduction to e-supply chain management: engaging technology to build market winning business partnership by David Frederick Ross inspired me to work with the advanced methods of improvements for supply chain management systems and its operations. Problem of Research: The problem of the proposed research is insufficiencies and the opportunities of improvements for the improvements in the system of supply chain in PC World. Suggestions are made to improve the efficiency and productivity of the PC World as a part of this research. The research would be done concentrating on 3 dimensions. Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the operations, customer satisfaction and Supplier Relationship Management are the three main points where the concentration has been given in this study. The main questions raised for the purpose of this research are listed below: How is the organisation of Supply Chain at P C World? How is the value chain organized in P C World? What role does the ICT system have in value chain? How does the ERP system work in P C World and what is the impact of it on value chain? How does P C World manage the supplier relations of it? In what way P C World manage the relations with its key suppliers? How does the supply chain affect the satisfaction of customers? What improvements can be made in P C World? How can the proposed changes be implemented in P C World? How will this change improve the efficiency of business? Ethical Issues Ethical Issues: In conducting this study, I would be guided by the Guidelines set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2004 ethical issues for Educational research. The guidelines state that the researches are wholly responsible to their sponsors, the research community and participants of the research. The guidelines states that all research work must be conducted at the highest levels of honesty. Research findings are to be published without falsifying and misstating the work done. The guidelines set out the responsibilities of the researcher to participants of the research, sponsors of the research and the research community. (BERA, supply chain management is important to deliver the products and services to end customers. However, it appears that the notions on supply chain management may only be indirectly associated with the issues surrounding consumer behaviours toward maintaining and/or otherwise pushing customer satisfaction. As referenced in many publications, undoubtedly, the role of supply chain management is an important factor in boosting the organizational success. On a separate perspective, consumer behaviour is also an essential factor toward organizational viability into years to come. Qualitatively, preliminary studies have been undertaken concerning the connection between supply chain management and customer satisfaction, as well as the connection between consumer behaviour and customer satisfaction, in trying to recognize the clear distinctions of each topic toward ensuring customer satisfaction. This paper attempts to bring out the significance of both issues combined in relation to customer satisfaction. If the preliminary studies emphasized in automotive and food industries, this paper attempts to analyze the small and medium enterprises in service industry. It is expected that the increasing roles of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in small and medium enterprises are able to improve the overall organizational performance. A cluster sampling methods is incorporated in this study to note the characteristics of those small and medium enterprises in certain locations. Variables chosen in this study are mainly covered the traditional SERVQUAL dimensions of tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Aside from the qualitative analyses, which are based on interviews and field observations, a combination of statistical software packages are utilized as tools toward building quantitative analysis of the study. Research is conducted by gathering data from primary and secondary sources in service industries in Jakarta, and Bandung. As stated, it is expected that such studies would reveal the significance of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in boosting the customer satisfaction level toward organizations products and services. It is expected that such issues are mostly true for small and medium enterprises, perhaps. Limitations I would be attempting the research in a much comprehensive way as possible, following limitations may be underlying in the research Time Constraints: A detailed and exhaustive study was not allowed by my course semester as few significant areas are there where I was forced to leave out. However, most of the significant disciplines would be covered in the research. Security Issues: a supply chain in an organization, information on ERP and key supplier contracts are very sensitive kind of company information and it would be too tough to reproduce them. So I foresee myself as not being capable of publishing a few of my findings. The support of management which I had secured beforehand for the research would allow me to bring most of the findings out in the studies. Financial Constraints: Some suppliers of the organization are located overseas. So it would not be feasible for me to cover all major suppliers of the organization financially. Thus the major suppliers who have their physical operations in UK are confined in my research. Contributions of the research A dynamic and innovative concept of Supply Chain Management systems are anticipated as my study is chiefly a research led exercise. Fast growing systems of ICT in Supply Chain and management of Supplier Relationship would be invaluable resources academically. Different paths would be shown for P C World to strengthen their existing not so good supply chain, consolidate their supplier relations and to construe its customers needs in the research as a sense of business, for increasing the efficiency of processes and profitability of business. Project Plan of Research The proposed work for research would be conducted within a period of ninety days. The studies for research have being got worked since mid December and would be finished by March. The first month of my studies has been utilized for background studies and literature review. Over the next two months, twenty hours a day would be allocated for my work of research. The SCM systems and various practices in the work place, the Information and Communication Technology systems used, will be analysed in the actual company locations. Structured questionnaires would be prepared for the empirical studies of my research and to interview the customers of P C World and the suppliers of it. The last month of research would be used to analyse the findings and data, bring up recommendations for the improvements of supply chain and to get it slimmer and efficient, and to report the entire studies of research. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review Other than the theoretical resources we discussed above, the following resources are also added to the knowledge related to this study. Transition to B2B e-Market place enabled supply chain: Readiness Assessment and Success Factors by Movahedi B., Lavassani, M K, Kumar V would be the principal resource material of the research. A great gamut of management of supply chain, role of information technology and recent development in the area of supply chain management, and numerous case studies are discussed in the book. This book allowed me to grasp a clear picture on the subject of research. Knowledge management systems: information and communication technologies by Ronald Maier provided more detailed technical aspects for the research. The latest developments and happenings in the field of research are updated with the Journal of Supply Chain Management and Journal of E Commerce. INTRODUCTION There is a drastic development in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in logistics and supply chain management. ICT is today being applied in many organisations in a wide range and operations areas. It has provided new ways to store, process, distribute and exchange information both within companies and with customers and suppliers in the supply chain. ICT used to exchange information in the supply chain is often named inter organisational ICT or inter organisational information systems (IOIS).In supply chain management, ICT has especially been recognised as an enabler for information sharing which companies in the supply chain can use for eliminating the so called bullwhip-effect (Lee et al., 1997). Information-sharing is also a key component in many of the recent automatic replenishment programs (ARP) (Daugherty et al., 1999). Initiatives such as vendor managed inventory (VMI) and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) are based on an in creased level of automation in both the flow of physical materials and goods and the flow of information between companies to improve the efficiency in the entire supply chain. In a operations management perspective, companies seek to further improve the efficiency in the supply chain by sharing information related to matching demand and supply such as short- and long-term production planning, demand forecasting and materials and capacity planning. Information that can be relevant to share between customers and suppliers typically includes point-of-sales data, forecasts and inventory levels. There is a significant amount of research demonstrating a positive impact of ICT in the supply chain. As companies seek to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through increased integration, ICT can be considered as a key enabler for supply chain management through its ability to support information sharing and shortening information processing time. Supply chain integration can however be expressed in a wide range of dimensions such as integration of processes, information, organisations and systems (Bowersox et al., 1999; Mouritsen, et al., 2003). Similarly, the impact of ICT can be demonstrated in terms of for instance changes in relationships, interorganisational changes and performance (Wilson and Vlosky, 1998). The many dimensions in which supply chain integration can be expressed and the wide variation of factors in which the impact of ICT can be defined in terms of integration indicates that previous researches have been limited to studying a few dimensions and variables relationships at a time. The aspect of how to control and coordinate the activity between the companies in the supply chain, and how ICT affects the level of control integration in the supply chain is a poorly developed area. We propose in this paper a research model for further research exploring the impact of ICT on integration in supply chain control. The model is primarily based on theory within supply chain integration and the impact of ICT. It also incorporates the supply chain control perspective, which defines the scope of application of the model. In contrast with previous research, this model does not intend to limited to a few pre-defined dimensions or variables for investigation but can be used to examine situations involving any type of integration dimension and influencing factor. Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is effective management by planning, implementing and controlling the activities in the supply chain system in an organization. Activities from warehousing the inventory to movement of products to the consumer are controlled and co-ordinated by the supply chain management. Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities, it includes coordination, cooperation and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers APA (American Professional Association). Characteristics of Supply Chains The management of supply and demand in and across the companies are integrated by supply chains It coordinates the network of business operations which provide the products and services. The logistics and supply chain management are distinguished by some researchers. At the same time some of them consider them as similar terms. The management of supply chain can be used as a software also A study on supply chain event management allows knowing how the system of supply chain is coordinated in an organization and how resolutions are produced for the problems that occur during the effectuation of supply chain in an organization. Issues in Supply Chain Management Following limitations must be dealt with the management of supply chain: Configuration of distribution network is the main limitation of the management of supply chain. It implies the supply chain is bore on by the number of suppliers, their locations, and missions of network of customers. The facilities for production, centres for distribution, cross docks, ware houses etc influence the supply chain management. The supply chain is also affected by the strategy of distribution. Replacement strategy and transportation is the other concerns for the management of supply chain. The total supply chain management is affected by the sharing of valuable information on the demand signals, inventory, transportation and the forecasts. The location and quantity of inventory which include finished goods, work in process goods and raw materials influence the supply chain. The cash flows in each and every level of supply chine will also affect it. The task flow like order fulfilment, inventory procurance, goods transporting and ware housing SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Supply chain management must address the following problems: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centres, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL). Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These tradeoffs are key to the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional. ACTIVITIES/FUNCTIONS Supply chain management is a cross-function approach including managing the Movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal Processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velo city of inventory movement. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum Activities in Supply Chain Management The movement of raw materials for internal processing in an organization. Conversion of raw materials into finished goods. Movement of finished goods to the consumer or end user. It is the responsibility of supply chain management to bring down the ownership of raw materials for the organization for a long period and to help the company to achieve the competence for the organization. The functions can be outsourced to increase the cost effectiveness and the satisfaction of customers demands. The management of supply chain has to construct trust among the members in the supply chain and it must better the association among them. The organization should be helped to actuate the inventory immediately and must develop the visibility in the supply chain. A Supply Chain Management model projected by the GSCF (Global Supply Chain Forum) demonstrates that the activities in a supply chain can be characterized as strategic, operational and tactical activities. Strategic Activities The optimization of strategies of an organization like number of warehouses, locations, centres of distributions, facilities and locations of warehouses etc are included in strategic activities. Strategic activities include the communication network creation among the supply chain members and it must develop an improvement in the activities of supply chain such as shipping, docking, transport, and logistics etc. The organization of designing of the products and development are included in strategic activities of an organization and the strategic activities must integrate the new and existing products into the supply chain. It should support all the activities in supply chain. All the activities of supply chain must be integrated with overall activities of the organization by the strategic activities. Tactical Activities It includes decisions concerning to purchase of inventory and contracts. It includes decisions pertained to production such as the location, schedule, contracts, plans and definition of processes of production etc. Decision making in relation with the quality, transport, quantity, location, and use of inventory. The strategy formulation in concern with freight like the transport frequency, the cost, routes, contracts and logistics etc are included It involves the best process benchmarking in the industry throughout its operations. Operational Activities It includes decisions and activities in relation with day to day activities connected to production and planning at each levels of supply chain. It involves forecasts of production facilities and necessities in supply chain in every instant. It involves forecasting and planning of Demand and converting the overall demand into supply and share it with every the members of the supply chain. Forecasting, planning and coordinating the demand forecast of each and every customer and share bode with all suppliers. Inward operations, such as movement and transport of goods and stocks in the supply chain. It involves operational decisions and planning from ingestion of inventory to the current of finished goods in the chain of supply. It includes the promises of orders, accounting for all processes in the supply chain from suppliers to consumers or end users. Scope of Supply Chain Management To compete in the global market, companies rely on effective networks of supply chain According to Peter Ducker, business networking concept covers beyond the conventional enterprise limitations and broadens to coordinate the entire process of business throughout a value chain of multiple companies included in it. Outsourcing of Information Technology has enabled the organizations to be processed in such a way that each partner of business concentrates in the few significant areas in which he is specialized. This inter organizational network is the innovative trend in form of organization with the complex interactions among the key players; the structure of network is not a hierarchical structure or a market structure. It is ambiguous of what kind of performance level impact that various supply network structures could have on organization, and little is known about the conditions of coordination and tradeoffs that may subsist among the players. From point of view of a system, a structure of complex network can be decayed into individual component companies (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Conventionally, companies in a supply network focus on the processes inputs and outputs, with little matter of concern for the internal management of the firm working on other individual players. Therefore, an internal management choice control structure is known to make a major impact on performance of local companies (Mintzberg, 1979). There have been large changes in environment of business which has contributed to the supply chain networks developments. Primarily, as a result of globalization and with the increase of big multi-national companies, strategic alliances, joint ventures and business partnerships, have found to be making important factors of success, following the earlier practices of JIT (Just-In-Time), Lean Management and Agile Manufacturing. Secondly, changes of technology, especially the dramatic fall in the cost of information communication, which is a predominant component of transaction costs, have led to changes in organization among the members of the network of supply chain (Coase, 1998). The exceptional transformation towards activities of integration from managing functions of individuals with processes of key supply chain in place could be the first significant step in establishing a successful supply network. For example; the department of purchasing places orders as necessities become appropriate only, when Department of Marketing responding to consumer demands and convey the same with all the distributors and retailers across to go with the demand of customers. The overall integration process leverages the whole shared information among partners of supply chain of an organization towards its advantage. The key to Successful consolidation of Supply chain business process is by employing the collaborative work across suppliers and buyers, common systems along with the shared information and joint product development. In 2000, the Lambert and Cooper expressed their view as the whole as The continuous information flows in the integrated supply chain process supports an organization to achieve best product flows. Despite such expression, there subsists an opinion among organizations and networks of management, that product flows optimization cannot be realized without implanting a process access to respective businesses. The supply chain significant processes by Lambert (2004) are listed below: Customer relationship management Management customer service Management of demand Fulfilment of orders Management of flow of manufacturing Management of supplier relationship Development of a product and commercialization Management of Returns In addition to points of Lambert other keys are: Procurement Physical distribution Outsourcing and partnerships Measurement of performance Management of customer service process As the information of customer is the basic source for service of customers, the important aspect of Customer relationship Management is between the organization and its customers. This real- time information makes customers cognisant on various details such as product availability, product information, probable delivery dates through multiple interfaces of information about the companys operations of production and distribution. Steps to build an efficient and Successful relationship with customers: Establish goals which are commonly rewarding between organization and customers Customize and invest efforts to preserve customer resonance and support always create positive outlook with customers in the organization Process of procurement In laying good strategic plans for process of procurement, the interests, opinions and support of the suppliers is very important; because their confidence in the plans lay foundation for newly build manufacturing flow management and it is the same in case of a development of a new product. When activities are global and far reach across, the companies need to accommodate processes to manage and source them accordingly. For achieving success in creating the preferred product, it is significant to have mutually beneficial relationship, cut down times cycles in design and development of the new product play very important role. Communication systems can be boosted by deploying tools like Internet connectivity and electronic data interchange (EDI), of the purchasing function of a firm to drive activities. These powerful systems of communication streamlines a lot of processes in managing, obtaining and tracking information about products and materials and products, which supports organization in dealing with issues successfully; supply sources, inbound transportation negotiation phases, resource plans, order placement, delivery status, storage capabilities, handling and quality assurance. Also, it actuates the organizations to handle the responsibility and to organize commitment with suppliers over supply continuity, delivery scheduling, misrepresentation, and research support studies in creating new product and sources of programs. Development of new product and commercialization This helps organizations to reduce time cycles of development of product with aspects of customers, suppliers so as to capture markets better by being competitive, innovations of products