The unemployment problem in Hong Kong Essay Example For Students

The unemployment problem in Hong Kong Essay Introduction The unemployment rate became a hot topic in the past few months when it rose to 3.5 per cent, a recent high for almost 10 years. The jobless rate was higher than the 3.2 per cent unemployment rate recorded in the May to July period. The underemployment rate in the June to August period rose to 2. 5 per cent from 2.3 per cent in the May to July period. Until recently, most workers who lost their jobs were from the manufacturing sector. They were middle-aged factory workers with few skills and little education. But in recent months a large number of employees have been laid off in the retail and restaurant businesses. Unemployment has spilled over to the service sector from manufacturing sector. Hong Kong is facing a prolonged economic downturn. The high unemployment rate has raised many social and economic problems. For example, the number of people who commit suicide is increased. It is because more people had lost their jobs for a long time. It is a serious threat to the lives of the poor. The unemployed people may also feel that it is unmeaningful to live. We will write a custom essay on The unemployment problem in Hong Kong specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now As a result, they will commit suicide to solve the problem. Moreover, the high unemployment rate results in the increase of the rate of crime. There was an unemployed man who stole rice because he was too hungry and he did not have money to even buy food! We can know how serious the unemployment rate is. By the way, higher unemployment rate causes lower purchasing power of people. A lot of kinds of business are affected. Many people lose confidence in economics of Hong Kong. They do not believe unemployment will be improved. Some say that the Government should provide immediate assistance for the jobless. Some also say unemployment is due to the attraction of cheap labor across the border. The Government can no longer play the role of a bystander. All of these above show the influence of the unemployment. In spite of how many people who have talked about the topic of unemployment, everyone will be concerned about this topic. The following sections will analyze this hot topic. Reasons for unemployment in Hong Kong 1. Faster growth in total labor supply relative to that of total employment In 1993 and 1994, the increase in Hong Kong labor force is 2.9% and 3.5% respectively. At the end of 1993, the total labour supply is 2 970 000. Change in the total labour supply is determined by the population growth, total employment and the emigration condition. If the population growth and the total employment is stable, the extra labour supply will increase the total labour supply. This extra labour supply are mostly from the influx of illegal immigrants from China, imported labour ( 30,000 ), hiring of expatriates ( net increase is 40,000 from 1992 to 1994 ) and the returnees from overseas. Thus, the supply of labour is greater than the demand and gives pressure on employment. From March to May of 1995, the total labour supply had risen 4.4% but the total employment had just increased 3. 6%, so this aggravated the unemployment rate. However, this is just a superficial reason. The following reasons can explain the reason of unemployment in a deeper way. 2. Change in the economic structure The economic structure in Hong Kong has changed from labour intensive to high technology and large capital intensive. Also, it changes from manufacturing oriented to service oriented industries. Therefore, the manufacturing factories move to China for cheap labour. From 1988 to 1994, there are 60,000 jobs lost each year. Of the total employment of different sectors, the portion of the manufacturing industries drops from 27.4% in 1990 to 17% in 1994. Many labour are released from the manufacturing industries. Though there are a great demand of labour in the service sector, many of the unemployed still cannot find their job because of job matching problem. .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .postImageUrl , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:hover , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:visited , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:active { border:0!important; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:active , .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubea55f0e3d6b577262bcb9a8b89ca8ee:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: There will come soft rains Essay They do not have the skills demanded in the job market, so there are both a lot of vacancies of jobs and a lot of unemployed labour. This kind of unemployment is called the structural unemployment which is a kind of involuntary unemployment. 3. China .

Pentium VS. Celeron CPU essays

Pentium VS. Celeron CPU essays When comparing a Celeron and Pentium processor, it is quite simple. The difference between a Celeron and Pentium processor is the price. My friend went to a local electronic store the other day and said that he wanted the most strongest and mightiest computer that is available on the market. He was only doing simple tasks such as word processing and e-mail and nothing more. He ended up buying a 1.7Ghz Pentium 4 for almost three thousand dollar. My friend has the chance of buying a computer with a Celeron process or for half the price. Even though Pentium and Celeron are both made from the same company, Intel, they are quite different. The main difference is the speed. Because the difference in speed, that does not mean that you should go with the Pentium processor. The speed depends on what you do. If you are editing digital video and converting mp3 to wave, the Pentium would be the most superior. But, if you were only doing computer applications and Internet, the Celeron would do ju st good. One of the reasons that Pentium is much faster in doing harder work is because the CPU more capable of doing mathematics more quickly. Another reason is that the Pentium is faster is that the Pentium has more cache memory. Cache memory is temporary storage that the CPU could fetch faster. For example, the 866 Pentium 3 has 512k level 2 cache, meaning that the cache is external, while the best 833 Celeron has only 128k cache. The Pentium has more cache memory therefore it performs more quickly. An advantage that the Pentium has over the Celeron processor is the bus speed. The Pentium has bus speeds up the 400mhz, while the Celeron has a bus speed on only 66mhz. The bus speed allows the CPU the get a higher performance out of your inputs. It all comes down to what kind of person you are. If you are like me and edit a lot of videos with your digital camcorder or your work relies on computer graphics, then the Pentium would be the best bet. But if you ...

Operations Management for Competitive Advantage Essay

Operations Management for Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Amongst the numerous concepts and tools that can come under application for the problem related to the facility location and layout, centroid method came under consideration as the best applicable tool for the company Eldora (EDC) who were leading manufacturers of bicycle in the U.S. The highlighting issue of EDC illustrates the information that the manufacturing plant units did not come under relocation to other locations such as in Asian countries as this market was becoming the leader in the manufacturing industry especially due to its cheap labor. Because of a domestic strategy allied to the production of the bicycles, all the business processes of EDC remained to one location only. As an outcome of this decision, they came across several issues associated to the facility location; centroid methodology was the finest solution if adopted by EDC would resolve the concerned issue. This tool proves to be fruitful for the organization as it has numerous benefits that can aid the compa ny. The expected results of this method will lead them to reduced costs in their production due to cheap labor, having the prospect to penetrate into new market segmentation, competitive advantage over others as being present into a global marketplace. In addition, the manufacturing enterprise will also have the advantage from the environmental regulations in the local plant and will also develop and persuade the relationships with the local residents of that area, and will help in removing the cultural barriers between them and there are many more benefits that the organization can have from it. Background Information The organization that is under discussion in the thesis paper is Eldora Company (EDC), which is considerably one of the dominant, well-known and most popular businesses that manufacture and supply bicycles in the United States of America (Chase, 2006). Eldora experienced a boom in its sales and recognition in the marketplace since the last decade, as their lower price of the bicycles for a very long time gave them an edge over their competitors. With the increasing reputation, EDC became the market leader as it contributed to more than twenty-five percent of the bicycle sales of the United States. Eldora Company’s business units were located at the same site and all the operational units and the corporate office shared one roof. EDC was a huge organization with numerous employees and workers; and they have come under division according to their capabilities, areas of expertise and skills (Chase, 2006). Through the joint venture with a company based in Europe, Eldora expanded its business into the European market as well. Eldora was an organization that encouraged and promoted the viewpoints, innovative ideas, and recommendations of their employees related to the mechanism of the bicycle that provides with additional features. The loyalty and dedication of the employees towards the company can come under limelight as information and awaren ess of most modern and recent fashion and approach was the key motive of the members of the staff (Chase, 2006). The principal motivation and influencing factor for the bicycle manufacturers’ repositioning of facility location to the Asian world was that this market was experiencing a boom of bicycle producers at a phenomenal and an unprecedented rate, which allowed them to have cheaper labor in comparison coupled with low distribution costs (Chase, 2006). Problem Description One of the primary and high-priority

Marketing debate Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing debate - Essay Example In the process of discussing the positive side of brand extension, several examples will be provided. In most cases, brand extensions are considered as a potential growth strategies because of the fact that the use the parent brand that has been successfully known by the public could reduce the high costs of advertising. (Stephenson, 2008; Aaker 1996, p. 380) Since the parent brand has already won the trust of its target consumers, it will be so much easier on the part of the marketing managers to introduce and make the consumers accept a new product extension under the parent brand. For example: McDonald’s has successfully established its brand in the global markets. Since the company is known to provide good service in terms of the cleanliness of the restaurnts and having prompt service, the recent introduction of its McCafe’ was easily accepted and recognized by the public consumers. To prove the success of McDonald’s brand extension, the company has already sold more than 500 million cups of coffee each year since the pre-launching of McCafe’ in the American market. (Mabrey & Apton, 2008) With regards to the services provided by McDonald’s and McCafe’, the experimental study that was conducted by Lei et al. (2004) to test the customers’ perception of the low quality service offered by the extension brand as compared with the high quality service offered by the parent brand reveal that despite the differences in the quality service offered by the parent brand and brand extension, customers are more likely to perceive the service offered by the extension brand as similar to the ones offered by the parent brand. Even though the application of brand extension could significantly increase the potential sales and market of a busines organization, theres is still a strong need for marketing managers to effectively position the new product in the

Reaction of keynes and friesman Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reaction of keynes and friesman - Assignment Example I think this solution is only short term as Keynes seldom considers the measures and approaches other developed countries would take to curb the effect of inflation in the United States on their markets and economies (Conerly 2012). Keynes’ position relies on jobs, interest rates, and liquidity. When an economic turmoil exacerbates, creating jobs and lowering interest rates cannot prevent a full-blown depression. Lowering interest rates to attract foreign investment can only go as low as 0%, which was the case in the United States in mid-2009 (Conerly 2012). From there, the Keynesian approach proves ineffective. On the other hand, Friedman’s position entails stabilizing the purchasing power of the private sector and collective households across the country. I agree with Friedman that the private sector plays a bigger role in stabilizing an economy than government policy during an economic crisis. In addition, the government is often unreliable when the interests of businesses are not in line with those of the government (Conerly

Procurement Route Selection and Analysis

Procurement Route Selection and Analysis The purpose of this report is to evaluate the procurement routes of construct a new auditorium with high specification technology for Heriot Watt University. The report includes defining several procurement routes, determining the recommended procurement route for this project. This report also covers the evaluation of influence factors and the potential benefits for adopting the recommended procurement route. Background Heriot Watt University (HWU) is planning to build a new auditorium at the existing grass land next to HWUs park with the land area of approximately 1500m2. The proposed auditorium is single storey with mezzanine floor with total 1950m2 gross floor area. The requirement and the need for auditorium shall be perfect for conferences, lectures and presentations, includes the facilities as following: 200 comfortable tiered seats, high specification technology, multimedia theatre with air conditioning, full size interactive screen and computer driven presentation facilities, In view of the HWU top management has decided to build a new auditorium, the projects procurement strategy has to be formed for achieve the optimum balance of risk, control and funding for this project. 2.0 Procurement Strategy Procurement is the amalgam of activities undertaken by the client to obtain a building (BPS, 2nd Edition, 1990). The projects procurement strategy is established for identify the most appropriate way of achieving the projects objectives and the value for money. The key steps in implementing the procurement strategy as following:- Finding out the real needs for the auditorium project and the projects objectives; Analysis the procurement routes for the auditorium project Evaluating the procurement strategy and the influence factors Implement procurement strategy and design team selection and contractor selection for the project Final handover for operation and review successfulness of the project There are many factors are able to influence on procurement strategy and subsequently influence on the selection of procurement route. We have listed down some most important factors for top management to consider for the procurement route. The project objectives and the clients capabilities HWU with a history dating back to 1821, has established one of the top UK universities. The objectives of the project are to build a new comfortable auditorium with high technology and to be able to complete within the cost limit, to the required quality and within the time constraints. In view of HWU is not a regular developer of works, the risk to HWU for this auditorium project shall be minimized. The HWU shall be the single point of contact and responsibility for the project during design and construction and in the event of the building failure. During the design stage, our HWU top management would like to implement their concerns and reliable ideas into the project. The high specification technology with special equipments would like to require some changes to the design due to the unable fixed cases. Risk management Risk management is critically important to project success. It involves identifying and assessing risk, assigning the right risk owners and continually managing, monitoring and reporting on key risks. (OGC03, 2007) In order to determine the most suited procurement route, the necessary comparison of varies procurement routes such as Traditional Route, Design Build route, Management Contracting Route Construction Management Route, etc will be done. Chosen of any route will have its own risks. When the procurement route is determined, the specific key risks, that HWU adopts, must be managed efficiently. The Project Constraints The constraints of the project are that contractor is able to consider the possible impact on neighbouring buildings and the potential concerns of the neighbours. They shall apply for a new entrance and temporary access to the construction site to minimize the impact to campus. The temporary access shall be reinstated to original. The noise pollution during the day time shall be limited in 75 dBA and in 55 dBA during night time. In order to raise the Environmental, Health and safety standard for this project, we have proposed to use the precast components for column, slab and staircase. The consideration and adoption of precast components is not only greatly simplified the construction sequence but also help to reduce construction wastage with such practices. Another consideration of reduce potential environmental impact is to adopt the interior drywall partition. Interior drywall is widely used in the commercial sector to build staffs offices. With consider the above factors, the procurement strategy shall be based on the following principles and guidelines:- The design should be fully meet the project objectives. The project should be based on a firmed price and limited time to construct. The auditorium must ready for operation by End of 2013 for the new intake in Jan 2014. The contract award should be based on the companys capacity and capability instead of lowest price. Selection of contractor intends low risk to HWU. 3.0 Procurement route selection and analysis Once the procurement strategy has been formed, the procurement route then can be selected with consider the clients specific requirement and how the clients risks will be minimized. Various procurement routes have emerged to identify the procurement systems in current use, some more advanced procurement practices are often used currently as shown in Figure 2. Traditional Procurement Routes The traditional procurement consists of the appointment of designer consultants by client before call for tender, and the appointment of a contractor on the other side after tender. The construction project is managed by HWUs project management with no concurrent sequence works that have to occur by following each other as brief, design, tendering construction. The traditional procurement route is varies in Traditional Sequential route and Traditional Accelerated route. Traditional Sequential route means the Contractors bid will be submitted based on the completed design documents and completed tender cost documents as normal. Traditional Accelerated route has requested the client to appoint the contractor earlier on the basis of partial information by negotiation or in competition. The contractor is able to be involved in the project as early as possible. The contractors experience, knowledge and existing materials and equipments can be considered in the final design. Design Build Procurement Routes The DB procurement route has changed the traditional sequence of work. It requires HWU to develop the tender documents that will send to possible contractors for provide and return their design proposal and relevant cost. DB has met the clients intend for a single-point of responsibility in an attempt to reduce clients risks and control the overall costs. DB is allowed the design and construction works concurrently to reduce the total project duration when compared with traditional routes. DB is also firmed the overall price prior to construction with low cost risk, so that HWU will not necessary to expend huge resources to close involvement. DB is varies in several types such as: Turnkey, Package deal, Design build, Develop construct. Turnkey is adopted the DBs principles and extended the contractors responsibility to include the commissioning and fit-out of facility, that same as EPC (engineering, production construction). The contractor has been placed with responsibility, risk and power and the client has the least risk in all procurement routes. Develop Construct is adopted DB with two-stage tendering and novation for give the client greater control over both design and cost. The client will has the higher risk among DB routes. Refer to Figure 3: Risk distribution among DB routes Management Procurement Routes Construction management is a construction manager who appointed by client to advise the client on a fee basis. The client has to involve into contracts with numerous contractors that requested the client is experienced and has to be totally involved with faster response to decisions. Construction management is normally suitable for complex building project. Management contracting can be defined as a management contractor appointed by client will advise client on the program and buildability. It requires the client a good quality brief and relies on a good quality project team. There are higher risk on the uncertain actual cost and total construction duration when compare with DB route. See below Figure 4: Risk analysis between Client Contractor. Other Procurement Routes There are other aspects of procurement routes such as Prime contracting, Partnering, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), etc. Partnering is a procurement philosophy that will ensure the cooperating working between client and contractor and the problems can be solved over adversarial attitudes and practices. Partnering, Prime contracting and PPP procurement routes are mostly suitable for major and huge projects. In view of build the auditorium is a small project, it is recommended that these complex procurement routes are unsuitable or unnecessary. Procurement Route Selection In view of build a new auditorium is able to consider as a straightforward small project, we suggest that the Design Build procurement route shall be adopted. DB procurement route has considered and minimized the clients risk. Refer to the Figure 5: Summary of Client Risk in Advance Procurement Routes. The client has to avoid to loss control for the project and to avoid a very high price rate, the Turnkey and Pachage deal are not recommended for adoption in this project. Hence, we are suggesting to adopt the Design and Build to this project. DB is a more refined form of a package deal which obtained recognition from the JCT in 1981 with the publication of the JCT Standard Form of Building Contract with Contractors Design (CD 81). Figure 6 is shown the procedure of DB project. By chosen the DB procurement route, HWU knows the total financial commitment early in the projects life, and also knows that HWU does not introduce changes during the course of the works. DB has advised the direct negotiation and contact way between the client and the contractor. This has improved the communication lines and enabled the contractor not only to fully respond for the contract but also to adapt more promptly to meet the clients needs. The contractor is responsible for the whole of the design and construction of the building. Responsibilities are not split between designer and builder so that the client finds himself looking to separate parties in the event of a building failure. (BPS, 2nd Edition, 1990) 4.0 The Advantages and Potential benefits of DB route When the DB procurement route is chosen for the project, HWU starts out on a path to success by adherence to the objectives, time, cost and quality requirements of the project. Wider Choice of Design By invited three or more contractors to tender for this project, different with the traditional route, more designers will provide wider idea and design intend, HWU has the wider choice to select the best design that has fully understood and achieved the project objectives. Before HWU top management have decision to choose the contractor, they can input their concerns and comments to the design rather than request changes during construction stage. When both HWU and contractor agree with the amendment, the contract is ready to award accordingly. Time Cost Saving DB saves time and cost for the client, HWU, when it is providing the opportunity to achieve innovation in the delivered facility. Time and cost savings result from the ability of the design-build team to fast-track the project by overlapping the design and construction phases of the schedule. Because the HWU does not need to provide a full set of biddable construction documents, cost savings are also associated with design. Reduced Risk with lesser involvement DB allows the client, HWU, to avoid being placed directly between the architect/engineers and the contractor. HWU does not take on significant risk because of avoid the position on direct involvement. Even more importantly, the contractor will take the responsibility for design errors and omissions under DB route, and HWU is able to relive the major legal and managerial responsibilities. From HWUs view, the DB is a tool to fix many problems associated with the traditional route of contracting for design and construction separately and sequentially. We have also compared the procurement routes as shown in Figure 7. 5.0 The disadvantages of DB route A disadvantage of DB is that the contractor may use an existing building system or modular building form so that the contractor can reduce design time and save their own design fee, may lack aesthetic appeal. By chosen the DB procurement route, HWU is able to be aware of some serious failures among building systems and shall undertake careful research before award the contract. There is no independent architect and consultants to advice and to protect HWUs interests, is another disadvantage of DB route. In order to avoid a blind monitoring, HWU can employ an agent to perform this role on behalf. The agent shall supervise the works from brief, tender stage to design and construction stage, until handover the completed project to HWU, to make sure that the contractors proposal and works are complied with the required objectives and standard. Next, once HWU issued the contract, it will be costly for HWU to change the design, materials or works. HWU has to finalize the requirement before the tender and has to finally amend and confirm contractors proposal before sign the contract. Finally, HWU shall be aware of the responsibility for high quality risk. Some contractors concern with simplifying construction activities are able to lead to a reduction in design quality, as a result, it makes design and build inappropriate for this project in which high specification technology is required. Hence, HWU shall write clearly into the brief for the quality requirements. 6.0 The Alternative Procurement Route In case of the client has more concern on the cost control and changes of design and function, we have propose the Traditional Accelerated route as the alternative procurement route. As mentioned early in clause 3.1, Traditional Accelerated route has allowed the client to appoint the contractor earlier on the basis of partial information by negotiation or in competition. The two-stage tendering will be used to appoint a contractor as early as possible to the project. During the 1st tender stage, the design may not be completed and the tenderers will submit a price based on the available information. Until the 2nd tender stage, the additional design information will ready and the packages are finally priced. The client may comprise negotiation with the contractor (winning tender from 1st stage). When the price agreed, the client can award of the contract as traditional lump sum contract to contractor for commence the works. By compare with the traditional single-stage tendering, the benefit of Traditional Accelerated route to the client are: Shorten the tender period and quicker start on site works; Design stage can extend to construction period, may not requested to complete for tender package. By select the Nominated Sub-contractor, the quality is able to control by the client. The contractor can consider their experience to the design and their existing or extra resources to this project, that they may have a lower price package. The traditional accelerated route is suitable for our client who is not required much experience and the quality and buildability may also achieve the requirement. The client has to consider the risks during 2nd tender stage that the contractor may not meet the clients requirement. This can be resolved by spend more time to get alternative contractor involve and seek the agreement. 7.0 Demonstration of procurement Researches on Selecting Project Delivery Systems found that DB projects are delivered 33.5% faster than projects that are designed and built under separate parties. The researches also showed that DB project are constructed 12% faster for construction stage and have a unit cost that is 6.1% lower than traditional projects. (PDS 1998) 8.0 Conclusion The Design and Build is the recommended procurement route to HWU for this auditorium project. In order to achieve HWUs expectations and vision of delivery of the project, HWU is also to be an integral part of the design process. A well completed auditorium project with DB route will include HWU in the initial design process of programming and schematic design, and will include HWUs involvement not only in design stage meetings but also in the further interim reviews of the design, construction, functionality and even aesthetics at various steps along the design and construction process. DB has its ability to consider all relevant factors that would influence the desirability of the project. The best value selection of DB procurement route provides for the consideration of both cost, time and other more subjective factors such as project management, quality control and team reputation.

Business Intergration Essay

New IT developments are important to all business disciplines because they trigger changes in marketing operations, e-commerce, logistics, human resources, finance, accounting, and relationships with customers and business partners. Nothing about business or corporate strategy is untouched by IT (Turban & Volonino, 2011). The five elements of an IT-enabled business strategy Business strategy| * Contains the mission, vision, and objectives of the organization * States the company’s market strategy * Describes the unique value proposition the company offers customers * Provides the distinct value configuration of the organization| Business expectations of IT| * Describes how the company might expect IT to contribute to the success of the * business * Possible business expectations of IT include delivering better value, reducing costs, * or improving products and services| IT strategy| * Provides information on IT applications * Describes how to develop the competencies of the people who work in IT * States how IT is to be organized and controlled within the company * Describes the technical infrastructure| IT assessment| * Aims to reveal how technology helps or hinders a business * Can include network and systems performance reviews, software audits, and * concept testing and development * Can include strategic evaluations, technical reviews, and risk management * Should recommend how to use technology to meet business goals| IT plans| * Outlines a company’s long-term IT plans * Is concerned with how IT should be deployed, managed, and implemented in the * future * Should be cost effective and in line with business goals| What are the advantages of aligning business and IT strategies? There are many advantages when an organization IT strategies are aligned with the organizations business strategies. Information technology is a key business function in almost every successful organization. An effective IT strategy will enable businesses to: * Reduce cost; * Standardize processes; * Enhance productivity; * Improve risk control mechanism; * Implement new business strategies; * Facilitate organic and acquisition driven growth; * Gain competitive advantage by exploiting new technology; Other benefits of the alignment of IT and business strategy is automation, knowledge, organizational improvements, and innovation. Automation can result in increased efficiency while decreasing cost. Knowledge in IT is the ability of an organization to collect, store, process, and disseminate information. The benefit of knowledge gained from IT is cost reduction, greater efficiency, and increased revenues. IT also leads to organizational improvements which usually lead to more decentralized leadership structure which improves the overall effectiveness of the organization. Proper alignment of IT and business strategy can make an organization stand out and look different from its competitors. This alignment can provide a competitive advantage for an organization. How does IT deliver business benefits that are related to the business strategy? IT delivers business benefit by performing high-speed, high volume, and numerical computation. IT provides fast, accurate communication and collaboration unrestricted by time and location. IT gives organizations the ability to store huge amounts of information that is accessible via private networks and the internet. In addition it enables automation of routine decisions making and help facilitate complex decision making. IT also improves the ability to make informed decisions. IT also helps to facilitate collaboration, enhance customer relationships, develop new analytic capabilities, and provide feedback on performance. Reference Turban, E., & Volonino, L. (2011). Information Technology for Management (8th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

She Dwelt Among Untrodden Ways

The poem She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways use the elements of theme, metaphors, and persona to draw the attention of the reader. They also show the intent and feelings that the author wanted to show in his writings. It was written by William Wordsworth who has been known for his style of romance and nature. â€Å"For Wordsworth, passion in poetry is not merely the subject of a poem but also the means of its expression and its resultant effect† (Robinson, 2010, Para 1).Each one contributes to the other to form a very sentimental and romantic style of poetry. The theme of this poem is about the love for a woman that he never pursued. He speaks highly of this woman for her beauty, and how she stood out from all others. He also never really speaks about ever being with her or even talking to her. In the last four lines he speaks of her death and how she was unknown to many. This leads to believe that no one would miss her as much as he would.I do not think it is so much lust as it was admiration for this unrecognized beauty, so he admired a beautiful woman that he never actually pursues until it was too late. The theme sets the mood for whom and what he is writing about when reading the poem. If this theme is taken into perspective while reading it; the reader can see this secret admirer. The reader, per say, could imagine a man who passes by daily seeing this poor maid or farm girl, who know one really acknowledges, and sees the beauty in her. But before he can pursue her it is too late, she has already passed away.

Free Essays on The Cold War

The Cold War Cold War began in 1945, at the end of World War II. It is described the intense rivalry that has existed since this date between Communists and non-Communists nations. On one side are the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its Communists allies, often referred to as the Eastern bloc, which by the mid 1950’s included East Germany, Albania, Hungary, Poland Romania, China, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Bulgaria. On the other side is the United States along with its democratic allies, including Canada, France, West Germany, the Philippines, Japan, Great Britain, and many other countries of Western Europe and Latin America. This group was usually referred to as the Western bloc. Such intense rivalry is known as the Cold War because it has not actually led to fighting, or â€Å"hot† war. Characteristics such as mutual distrust, suspicion, and misunderstandings by both the US and the Soviet Union, and their respective allies, describe the Cold War through the years. At times, such conditions have increased the probability of a third world war. Some issues that led to the Cold War are, that the US has accused the U.S.S.R. of seeking to expand Communism throughout the world. Meanwhile, the Soviets have charged the US with practicing imperialism and with attempting to sop revolutionary activity in other countries. Another contribution to the East-West tension is each bloc’s vision of the world. On one side, the US, wants a world of independent nations based on democratic principles. On the other, the Soviet Union, has tried to control areas it considers very important to its national interest, including much of Eastern Europe. In 1941, during WWII, Germany attacked the Soviet Union. For this reason, the Soviet Union joined the Western Allies in fighting Germany. For a time it seemed that some sort of union might develop between the Soviet Union and the US because of their wartime cooperation. But this wasn’t possible. ... Free Essays on The Cold War Free Essays on The Cold War After a century of friendship, Americans and Russians quarreled over Asian questions in the 1890s, and became enemies in 1917 when the Communists seized power, established the Soviet Union, and declared ideological war on the capitalist nations of the West. The United States intervened in the Soviet Union, sending some 10,000 troops between 1918 and 1920, and then refused to recognize the new state until 1933. The two countries fought against Germany during World War II, but this alliance began to dissolve in 1944-1945, when the Russian leader Joseph Stalin, seeking Soviet security, used the Red Army to control much of Eastern Europe. U.S. President Harry S. Truman opposed Stalin's policy and moved to unite Europe under American leadership. Mistrust grew as both sides broke wartime agreements. Stalin failed to honor pledges to hold free elections in Eastern Europe. Truman refused to honor promises to send reparations from the defeated Germany to help rebuild the war-devastated Soviet Union. U.S. officials, concerned over Soviet pressures against Iran and Turkey, interpreted a 1946 speech by Stalin as declaring ideological war against the West. In 1947 the president proposed the Truman Doctrine, which had two objectives: to send U.S. aid to anticommunist forces in Greece and Turkey, and to create a public consensus so Americans would be willing to fight the cold war. He achieved both goals. That same year, journalist Walter Lippmann popularized the term cold war in a book of the same name. In Congress there was a series of highly publicized inquiries into pro-Communist activity in the United States. The best-known investigator, Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, gave his name to an era of intense anticommunism. In 1948 the United States launched the $13 billion Marshall Plan to rebuild Western and Central Europe. When Stalin responded by extending his control over Eastern Europe and threatening the West's position in Germany, Truman helped to... Free Essays on The Cold War The Start of the Cold War The Cold War was a long drawn out conflict that began in 1947 between the Soviet Union and the United States. The struggle between the two powers had the many parts of the world in disarray. The western nations felt it necessary that the liberated states of Eastern Europe should be re-established with a democracy and a capitalist economy. They believed that these systems were more civilized and less violent than the nationalism of the preceding generations. Russia, under autocratic leader Joseph Stalin, felt that it had a right to the Eastern European nations it had occupied in World War II. After being invaded by Germany in two consecutive wars, the USSR felt it imperative that buffer states be created to protect the borders of the fatherland. With Communist regimes in place, the nations of Eastern Europe could be controlled by Russia and, by their location, protect it. Conflict between the two opposing victors of World War II was inevitable. Joseph Stalin, Winston S. Churchill and President Harry S. Truman were huge contributors to the Cold war. In the Following the discussion of Stalin’s reply to Churchill, Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech, Stalin’s and the Truman Doctrine will reflect the thoughts of the three gentlemen. Britain Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill (1874-1965) delivered his Iron Curtain† speech at Westminster College, in Fulton, Missouri, this speech was notable as the beginning of the Cold War. Churchill called the â€Å"Iron Curtain† a separation of the European continent into competing political, military, and economic blocs and the area controlled by the Soviet Union. In his speech he speaks that war should not come to pass but it was near due to the tensions flaring between the two. Churchill also expressed that the Russians simply â€Å"desire the fruits of war and the indefinite expansion of their power and doctrines.† All in all Churchill feels that there is no need ... Free Essays on The Cold War The Cold War as it is called was a war that started because of tensions between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies. The tensions that developed were primarily over military, political, cultural and social ideas that varied greatly between the two nations. Each Nation and its allies developed a distrust that would last for many years and introduce new military and political methods that would shape our future. The Cold War was not a war as we would think with destruction and loss of life. What the Cold War became was distrust between Nations that caused conflict and tension between these nations. The two major countries involved in the conflict were the United States and the Soviet Union. Both of these nations distrusted each other and were unable to negotiate the issues that were fostering the Cold War because of the distrust that they had for each other. The United States and its allies were concerned that Russia was a communist county, ruled by a dictator who cared little about human rights The United States accused the Soviet Union of seeking to expand their version of communism throughout the world. Brittan and the United States (Led by President Truman) wanted to help Germany recover and to prevent large areas of Europe from coming under Communist control. They did not trust USSR since Stalin had signed the Nazi Soviet pact in 1939.Russia believed America was a capitalist democra cy, which valued freedom. Stalin wanted reparations from Germany and a buffer of friendly states. From past history the USSR did not trust Britain and the USA because they had tried to destroy the Russian Revolution in 1918. Stalin thought the USA and Britain had not helped the USSR enough in World War II. They charged the United States with practicing imperialism and attempting to stop revolutionary activity in other countries. Both nations were somewhat correct in their fears. The United States was trying to enc... Free Essays on The Cold War The Cold War can basically be summed up by two statements, the first by Alexis de Tocqueville, â€Å"There are now two great nations in the world, which starting from different points, seem to be advancing toward the same goal: the Soviets and the Americans, each seems called by some secret design of providence one day to hold in its hands the destinies of half the world. The second statement by Fred Inglis, â€Å"They made it, of course; they drew the iron curtain across the middle of Europe, partly to stop us looking in, partly to stop their own poor wretches looking out enviously at the boundless goods and comforts on our side. Behind the iron curtain were the hapless peoples held captive by the grim-faced Russians and their stooges in office in the satellites; in front of it were ourselves, expressing sympathy for the captives but apologetically remaining very thoroughly armed, in however subdued a way. To pinpoint the factors that contributed to the Cold War, we must first start with World War II itself. America was fighting two wars on two different fronts, protecting itself from future attacks and at the same time promoting democracy. The Soviets fighting a war in Europe and their western borders, against Nazi Germany, were trying to expand their buffer zone against future attacks by claiming eastern European countries. Then transform them into communist controlled states, all loyal to Moscow. On February 4, 1945 Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Franklin D. Roosevelt met for the Yalta Conference. What came out of the Yalta Conference was that the Soviets were to keep control of the territory it seized in 1939 from Poland, and that Europe was to be split up into four different zones. On July 25, 1945 the Potsdam Conference was held, by this time the U.S. could start seeing that Stalin had an agenda of his own. Stalin in violation of the Yalta Conference set up a pro Soviet government in Poland. On March 12, 1946 the... Free Essays on The Cold War In December of 1991, as the world watched in amazement, the Soviet Union disintegrated into fifteen separate countries. Its collapse was hailed by the west as a victory for freedom, a triumph of democracy over totalitarianism, and evidence of the superiority of capitalism over socialism. The United States rejoiced as its formidable enemy was brought to its knees, thereby ending the Cold War which had hovered over these two superpowers since the end of World War II. Indeed, the breakup of the Soviet Union transformed the entire world political situation, leading to a complete reformulation of political, economic and military alliances all over the globe. What led to this monumental historical event? The disintegration of the Soviet Union began on the peripheries, in the non-Russian areas. The first region to produce mass, organized dissent was the Baltic region, where, in 1987, the government of Estonia demanded autonomy. This move was later followed by similar moves in Lithuania and Latvia, the other two Baltic republics. The nationalist movements in the Baltics constituted a strong challenge to Gorbachev's policy of glasnost. He did not want to crack down too severely on the participants in these movements, yet at the same time, it became increasingly evident that allowing them to run their course would spell disaster for the Soviet Union, which would completely collapse if all of the periphery republics were to demand independence. Once this "Pandora's box" had been opened, nationalist movements emerged in Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Byelorussia, and the Central Asian republics. The power of the Central Government was considerably weakened by these movements; they could no longer rely on the cooperation of Government figures in the republics. Finally, the situation came to a head in August of 1991. In a last-ditch effort to save the Soviet Union, which was floundering under the impact of the political movements which had emerged... Free Essays on The Cold War The Cold War Cold War began in 1945, at the end of World War II. It is described the intense rivalry that has existed since this date between Communists and non-Communists nations. On one side are the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its Communists allies, often referred to as the Eastern bloc, which by the mid 1950’s included East Germany, Albania, Hungary, Poland Romania, China, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Bulgaria. On the other side is the United States along with its democratic allies, including Canada, France, West Germany, the Philippines, Japan, Great Britain, and many other countries of Western Europe and Latin America. This group was usually referred to as the Western bloc. Such intense rivalry is known as the Cold War because it has not actually led to fighting, or â€Å"hot† war. Characteristics such as mutual distrust, suspicion, and misunderstandings by both the US and the Soviet Union, and their respective allies, describe the Cold War through the years. At times, such conditions have increased the probability of a third world war. Some issues that led to the Cold War are, that the US has accused the U.S.S.R. of seeking to expand Communism throughout the world. Meanwhile, the Soviets have charged the US with practicing imperialism and with attempting to sop revolutionary activity in other countries. Another contribution to the East-West tension is each bloc’s vision of the world. On one side, the US, wants a world of independent nations based on democratic principles. On the other, the Soviet Union, has tried to control areas it considers very important to its national interest, including much of Eastern Europe. In 1941, during WWII, Germany attacked the Soviet Union. For this reason, the Soviet Union joined the Western Allies in fighting Germany. For a time it seemed that some sort of union might develop between the Soviet Union and the US because of their wartime cooperation. But this wasn’t possible. ... Free Essays on The Cold War The Cold War was the term used to describe the intense rivalry that developed after World War II between groups of Communist and non Communist nations. It was called the cold war because it did not really result in fighting. According to the article on the cold war in the World Book 2000 encyclopedia , on compact disc, the cold war began at the end of the second world war. It was symbolized by mutual distrust suspicion and misunderstanding by the United States , the Soviet Union and their allies . At these instances these conditions increased the chances of a third world war. The Soviet Union was accused of attempting to diffuse communism throughout the world by united states . The soviets in turn a accused the United States with practicing imperialism and also trying to stop revolutionary activity in other countries the Soviets also accused the united states and other capitalist allies of the west of attempting to en circle the soviet union so that they could eventually over throw it’s communist for of government it is with this accusation that two great blocs came into being the united states led the western bloc it included by the early 1950’s Britain, Canada, France, West Germany, Japan, The Philippines and many other countries of Western Europe and Latin America. The soviet union led the eastern bloc , which included Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania . Following the communist take over of its government in 1949 , China joined the eastern bloc. Nations who were impartial and were not included in either bloc included India, Indonesia Cambodia and most of the African states. This was just the beginning. It is interesting that the east and west blocs both remained united amongst themselves . They challenged each other and their polices ,accusing them of betrayal. Even though they chose to join such blocs. It is obvious tha...

Definition Essay Sample on Gender The Role of Men and Women

Definition Essay Sample on Gender The Role of Men and Women Introduction The English dictionary defines gender as a word that is commonly used to refer to the quality of a human being either masculine or feminine. However, the word gender in modern times is used to refer to the debate on the role of both male and female members of society. In the past years the roles of both men and women were clearly defined with the men being the breadwinners while the women were the care providers for both the children and the men who were their husbands. Why I want a wife However, with the structure of society having changed so drastically in the past few years, the clear line that defined the role of both men and women has now been blurred as their roles have overlapped with time. It is no longer sufficient to classify the male gender as the provider for the family or the female gender as the caregiver for the family. The definition of both male and female sexes is no longer clear with members of both sexes performing roles that were initially reserved for the other gender. Men are no longer the sole providers for their families as women have been economically empowered and are now running big companies competing with their male counterparts. Women are also not the sole caregivers for their children as more men are now opting to become stay at home dads so that they can take care of their children. What are men good for? The primary role reserved for men as providers was the defining role that has been the guiding principle in society with regard to what society expects of the male population. However, this role has been usurped by women in modern society who now work and also provide for their families. The time for women to stay at home while their men go to work is long past as women hold top positions in many big organizations worldwide. Women have proven themselves as able workers who are able to deliver at the workplace and in many cases have even performed better than men in positions such as customer service representatives and even as secretaries. However, the transformation of women from housewives into corporate leaders has not been without struggle as women have had to fight for their position in society as equals with men. The initial discrimination they faced in past decades as most employers preferred male employees to women has been eroded through a fighting spirit and determination t o prove to society that they too can work. In the current society we have many women who have top leadership positions in big corporations, and these companies have succeeded even under female leadership tom prove that women are just as good as men if not better. In the past it was the role of the women to be the primary caregiver to the children, who also included taking care of their husbands, however, this role, is no longer reserved for women as more men choose to become stay-at-home dads so that they can care for their children. These men who stay home and take care of their children take on a role that has been shunned by men for centuries as it was believed that men did not possess the quality of nurture. It was strongly believed that only women could nurture children, especially during their formative years when they are fully dependent on their care givers. However, many men are now taking over the role of nurturing their children and research indicates that they are excelling at this role. This means that men too can nurture a young child and give it the same care that a woman would give to the same child. Although men may not be able to breastfeed a child, which was the main reason that most of society believed that only women coul d care for infants, they can provide care in many other ways. It is now evident that men too can nurture a young child as the primary caregiver and that this role is not only reserved for women, which is another changing face of gender. A third role that was designated for women was that they were supposed to be subservient to men, attending to all the needs of their husbands and supporting them. This role included things such as washing their husband’s clothes, cooking for their husbands, cleaning the house as well as washing the children’s clothes. It was clearly defined that the husband had executive power in the household and that his every wish was to be obeyed without question. However, this power has shifted greatly in recent years as women no longer have the lesser role in relationships, but are considered as equals with men. Most relationships are nowadays extremely consultative where the opinions of both partners carry equal weight and no partner has authority over the other partner. Men are no longer the masters while women are relegated to being their servants, in many situations, men will be found carrying out some of the chores such as cleaning the house or even doing the laundry. Why is it so hard for men and women? In conclusion, it is clear that the roles of both the female and the male gender in society are changing significantly as has been demonstrated above. Men are no longer the sole providers as more women are now working and have top leadership positions in major companies, which mean that women are also acting as providers for their families. It is also clear that women are no longer the sole caregivers for their children as more men are choosing to become stay at home dads so that they can take care of their children. It is clear now that the definition of gender has evolved greatly over time. Do you need an original custom definition essay on this topic? Our essay writing service can write a high-quality non-plagiarized definition paper for you.

Cross cultural communication and internal communication improvement in Dissertation

Cross cultural communication and internal communication improvement in the oil and gas industry (ADNOC) - Dissertation Example This is because they could be having ethnic and cultural differences. There has been extensive discussion about the significance of poor internal communication together with cross – cultural communication towards the inability of companies to realize positive performance. The comprehension of cross – cultural and internal communication is crucial to the realization of organizational competitiveness. It has been observed that communication challenges within organizations have made it difficult to manage and screen threats the performance. As workplaces increasingly become global, there is the need to ensure effective cross – cultural communication as well as maintaining internal communication excellence. Companies must comprehend how to pass information to their workers and clients in order to meet the organizations goals and aspirations. The Oil and Gas Industry is one such global workplaces where there is the need to have excellent communication both internally and across other cultural groups. It is notable that the gas and oil company (ADNOC) is experiencing challenges in its internal and cross-cultural communication, which has affected performance in the exploration and production section of the corporation. In order to rectify this challenge, there is a need to commission research to help understand how internal and cross-cultural communication can be improved. ... The research methodology shall entail both quantitative and qualitative exploration strategies such as group observations, scheduling and conducting interviews, and carrying out surveys to complete data gathering. Literature Review Cross – cultural communication entails that which takes place between people who necessarily have differing cultural perspectives. These differences might include a range of issues from nationality, age difference, and gender difference among others in the same workplace (Guffey & Almonte, 2009). Cross-cultural communication  also connotes the capability to effectively form, foster, and develop relationships with people of a background different from one's own (Stringer & Cassidy, 2009). This is founded on the knowledge of several issues including values in other cultures, perceptions, behaviours, social class, decision making strategies, and a comprehension of how people belonging to a certain group convey message orally, non verbally, through do cumentation, and in diverse business and common contexts (Stringer & Cassidy, 2009).. Previously, authors and communication specialists have studied cross – cultural communication as well as internal communication under organizational contexts. The focus of such studies has been to attempt to develop a comprehension on how differences among people might affect the way they interact or fail to while with others (Stringer & Cassidy, 2009). The notion that some individuals in the course of their life adapt to one cultural orientation may present massive challenges whenever they meet people from other differing cultures. Furthermore, exposure to many other cultures has a direct influence on an individual's ability to interact with others and realize meaningful results (Guffey &

Origin of flight of dinosaurs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Origin of flight of dinosaurs - Research Paper Example These factors will all be discussed with reference to Archaeopteryx lithographica, a species generally regarded as being the common ancestor to modern birds and the primary source of information about the development of flight mechanisms. Archaeopteryx A brief discussion of Archaeopteryx litographica (commonly known as Archaeopteryx) is necessary to understand how instrumental this species is to discovering the mechanisms of flight evolution. Various Archaeopteryx specimens have been found in the south of Germany, well-preserved due to the qualities of the limestone in which they were found. The Archaeopteryx is commonly described as being the size of a raven and having several features that make it identifiable in the context of modern-day birds – feathers and a wishbone, for example (Ostrom, 1975). Several of these features suggest that the Archaeopteryx was capable of flight, although, as with many things in evolutionary biology, this is something that can never be ascertai ned. Archaeopteryx also shared several features with dinosaurs, such as having chevrons of increased length in the tail and a specific shape of ankle bone (Ostrom, 1975). This bird-dinosaur morphology is the principle reason for thinking that the species is the missing link. The way that Archaeopteryx specimens are conserved in limestone has resulted in the preservation of feather imprints, allowing paleontologists to ascertain that this species may have used feathers in the development of flight mechanisms. This is particularly good evidence of some aerial motion because the feathers found show characteristics of flight feathers, meaning that feathers had previously began to evolve for a purpose other than flight (Paul, 2002). Finally, it is important to note that it has not been proven whether Archaeopteryx had the power of full flight or could simply glide (Padian & Chiappe, 1998). Arboreal Hypothesis The arboreal hypothesis (also known as the ‘tree down’ hypothesis) refers to the idea that dinosaurs first gained flight by jumping from trees and acquiring flight as an evolutionary mechanism to avoid fatal accidents from this method. This hypothesis seems ‘intuitive’ because ‘flight evolving from an arboreal gliding stage would seem to be relatively easy’ (Padian & Chiappe, 1998, p15) and because the force of gravity ‘helps rather than hinders’ (Lewin, 1983, p38). Some studies, such as that of Feduccia (1993) suggest that the shape of the manus (the ‘hand’ portion of the forelimb) and the pes (the ‘foot’ portion of the hindlimb) of the Archaeopteryx exhibit evidence of perching, tree-dwelling and trunk-climbing due to the curvature of these anatomical elements. However, since this paper was published, another specimen of Archaeopteryx has been discovered (known as the Thermopolis specimen) which has almost complete pes, and thus there is now mounting evidence that the hallux (first digit of the pes) did not display curvature necessary for perching (Mayr et al., 2007). If we consider the Archaeopteryx as arboreal, it is important to understand how and why flight would have developed in this way. The original theory as stated by Othniel C. Marsh in the late 19th century was that Archaeopteryx