Cvs – Web Strategy

Running head: CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY Abstract CVS decided to expand its services by opening a Web -based drugstore. Initially, there were many doubts concerning how to do it â€Å"right†; building it from start, or acquisition were the options on hand. After studying the possibilities CVS decided to acquire Soma. com and gradually (less than 3 months) turn it into CVS. com. There were many challenges during the process: coordinating a bicoastal organization (Soma. om headquarters were in Seattle and CVS headquarters were in Rhode Island), determining how the reimbursement were going to be handle for online purchases, building brand awareness and increasing traffi c and sales on the new channel (the Web). This paper intends to analyze CVS’ Web strategy and provide some recommendations on that area. 1 CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 2 CASE ANALYSIS – C VS: THE WEB STRATEGY After carefully studying how to venture in a new distribut ion channel (the Web), CVS decided to acquire an established company (Soma. com). The goal was to re -launch Soma. com as CVS. om, in just a few months. The pressure was high since the competition was fierce and constantly increasing. By the time CVS acquired Soma. com there were already strong competitors in the market: Drugstore. com and Planet Rx. Venturing on a Web-based drugstore was based on the fact that â€Å"the market for drugstore products was four times the combined sales of books and CD’s, two sectors that had flourished on the web† (Shah, 1999, p. 1). Everyday more and more drugstores were thinking about the possibility of venturing with online presence, the Internet was flourishing and everyone wanted to take advantage of it.According to Shah (1999), CVS decided to acquire Soma. com for several reasons: speed, human resource quality, fully automated warehouse, and similar health -care-focused beliefs. Speed was crucial to respond to the fast -growing com petition, â€Å"it would have taken [them] 3 to 4 months to build what [they] bought for the same cost† (Shah, 1999, p. 6). In fact, Soma. com used top notch technology to operate and control its business, managing up to 3,000 SKUs of just prescription medicines. Moreover, Soma. com’s huma n resource was a great asset that came ‘with the price’.Soma. com was especially careful about hiring people â€Å"with mail order prescription backgrounds† (Shah, 1999, p. 6). Therefore, hiring qualified employees to manage the new distribution channel was not a concern for CVS. The following table was design to summarize the analysis of the provided information about CVS web venture. The table summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and the opportunities and threats of its environment. CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 3 Table 1 CVS Web-based Drugstore SWOT Analysis Strengths ?CVS brand equity: second drugstore in the US, Weaknesse s ? Bicoastal organization: Soma. com and the one with more number of stores. Detailed and well-design operation process from headquarters were in Rhode Island. Time dispensing to shipping: registration required, ? headquarters were in Seattle and CVS difference is a challenge. specified reimbursement need from the customer, ? Privacy issues: user sensibility to sharing different options to present the prescription, free shipping of orders that included prescription reminders were not in sync with brick -and- edicines. ? medical information online, e-mail prescription mortars drugstores. â€Å"E-mail prescription refill reminders for registered ? Making a product available on cvs. com was users, and 24-hour access to pharmacists via email or telephone† (Shah, 1999, p. 6) Top-notch automated technology in the can click on the dosage, indications and description of ingredients† (Pigott as cited in prescription medicines. ? to web-enable each product to make sure you wareh ouse, able to deal with up to 3,000 SKU of ? time consuming: To add a new SKU â€Å"we haveShah, 1999, p. 8) Xtra! : CVS’ frequent shopper program, which ? Difficulty to agree on joint developing could be implemented online. Making cvs. com a tool to facilitate physic ians’ enable more products for purchase through the jobs: â€Å"A physician could visit cvs. com site to website (such as cosmetics, other related prescribe, confirm a prescription or learn a healthcare products, greeting cards), but the patient’s formulary†¦ [CVS] need[s] to make it website team management constantly wa s in easier to prescribe through CVS than elsewhere† ? trategies for the website: CVS wanted to disagreement with this idea. (Shah, 1999, p. 7) ? ? Different delivery options: â€Å"an order could be mailed to the customer’s home or picked up at the Undefined long-term pricing strategy for the website. ? Inability to successfully draw customers to use local CVS † (Shah, 1999, p. 8) Cvs. com site was treated as a SBU. It had its own strategies implemented for it (free shipping, marketing team and manager, who responded to ? the website, despite the different marketing lower prices, 24-hour service, etc. ). CVS marketing director. Online pricing strategy: lower than in stores. CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 4 Opportunities ? Great market possibility: four times as big as Threats ? Online drugstores were a novelty. No one books and CD’s, products that successfully were being sold online. ? knew how profitable and feasible they really were. Increased negotiation power due to mergers and ? There was a risk of losing the reimbursement acquisitions in the drugstore industry, leaving only to online drugstores: PBM’s have threatened four major drugstores and the rest as industry with that. ndependents. ? ? Strong and increasing direct competition Possibility of being able to have an ‘online (Drugstore. com, P lanet Rx, Walgreens. com pharmacy’ built within the PBM’s dispensary and e-pharmacy. com), as well as indirect (Shah, 1999, p. 9). (healthcare sites without prescription filling such as WebMD, which later became Healtheon). ? Mail-order companies created by PBMs to fill long-term prescriptions created a conflict of interest between suppliers and online drugstores. CVS had everything figured out for a smooth launching and operation of cvs. om: detailed and careful design purchasing process, differentiated prices, and quality customer service. All these were supported on CVS’ brand equity. However, they forgot to truly integrate both companies not only technol ogically but functionally. Even though it appeared to be the best way to do it, having different marketing teams on different time zones created an issue for the company. That was onl y one of CVS integration issues, another one was that the website database was not synchronized with the stores database, whi ch made the e – mail reminder tool ineffective.It appears to be that the main cause of cvs. com issues was the rush of launching the site; no long-term strategies were planned. There was uncertainty in pri cing strategies for the CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 5 website, as well as expansion in product offerings. I t was challenging to look for common ground between CVS and the team managing cvs. com. To make cvs. com a successful distribution channel, CVS needed to start working on long term strategies for growth. CVS needed to take advantage of the great amount of product possibilities available under the drugstore market.There were already other online healthcare sites without prescription filling services (WebMD or Healtheon) offering rela ted products. Hence, more products needed to be introduced for online purchase, and the frequent -shopper program ‘ Xtra! ’ should have been implemented online as well. It was a fact that the â€Å"hybrid ord er -and-delivery offering create[d] an advantage over pur e online competition† (Foulkes as cited in Shah, 1999, p. 8), however, i f they offered different delivery options, they should offer different pricing strategies.Therefore, a discount based on the amount purchased could be designed to increase the website traffic, or a double-point system could be developed for those customers that were Xtra! users. Another major issue that needed attention was the PBMs’ relationship. Conflicts of interest were rising due to the similarities in the delivery process between the PBMs’ mail -order prescription program and the online drugstores. Contract’s liabilities with the PBMs were at risk under this new distribution channel. In conclusion, cvs. com built its foundation but forgot to plan for growth.More efforts need to be made on long-term, consistent marketing strategies; strategies that are a ble to attract loyal customers to the site. Moreover, CVS’ lac k of planning is putting at risk the relationship with the suppliers (PBMs). To avoid failing and committing greater mistakes, CVS should set a marketing plan that allows them to know the profile of the online customer, their needs and wants. Based on that r esearch, they should r e-design a nd implement features on the website. Moreover, they need to develop strategies to keep their suppliers ( PBMs) satisfied, withoutCASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 6 feeling at risk of losing business from their mail -order programs. For that specific issue, maybe a joint strategy could be implemented to increase awareness among their customers about whom their PBMs are. By doing so, all the 30 -day refills could be made through them. I f CVS is able to design a nd implement a long-term marketing plan for cvs. com, the website as a new distribution channel would be a complete success. CASE ANALYSIS – CVS: THE WEB STRATEGY 7 Reference Shah, A. (1999). CVS: The web strategy. Harv ard Business School.

Relative Frequency

1. Assume the resting heart rates for a sample of individuals are normally distributed with a mean of 70 and a standard deviation of 15. Use the 68-95-99 rule to find the following quantities: a. Percentage of rates less than 70 = 50% b. Percentage of rates less than 55 = 16% c. Relative frequency of rates less than 40 = 2. 5% d. Percentage of rates less than 85 = 84% e. Relative frequency of rates less than 100 = 97. 5% f. Percentage of rates greater than 85 = 16% g.Percentage of rates greater than 55 = 84% h. Relative frequency of rates greater than 40 = 97. 5% i. Percentage of rates between 55 and 85 = 68% j. Percentage of rates between 70 and 100 = 47. 5% 2. Here are the results of four of your test: | | Your score | Mean |Standard Deviation | |Math (out of 100) |70 |80 |3. | |QM (out of 20) |20 |18 |3 | |RM (out of 100) |66 |75 |5 | |History (out of 30) |28 |20 |3. 5 | a. Present all four results on a standardized normal curve. Be sure to present the calculations for each test. Math: (70 – 80) / 3. 3 = -3. 03 *QM: (20 – 18) / 3 = 0. 67 *RM: (66 – 75) / 5 = -1. 8 *History: (28 – 20) /3. 5 = 2. 29 [pic] Math RM QM History b. What is the percentage of people who have a better mark than you in math? My math’s mark is -3. 03 ( 49. 88 is the area between Mean and z. (50% + 49. 88) 99. 88% of people get a better mark than me in math. c. What is the percentage of people who have a lower mark than you in RM? I got -1. 8 ( 35. 99 (50 – 35. 99) 14. 1% of people have a lower mark than me in RM d. Which test is the best? Explain The best test is the History one, since it has the highest z-score, 2. 29. There is a high superiority between my mark and the mark’s average of the class. I’m 98. 9% over the class. 98. 9% of people got a lower mark than me in History. 3. Pediatric data reveal that the average child is toilet trained at 26 months, but that there is a 2-month standard deviation from this norm. a. What perc entage of children are toilet-trained by 23 months? 50 – 35. 31) 14. 69% of children are toilet-trained by 23 months. b. A mother is concerned that her son was trained at 30 months. What is the probability of having a child being trained at 30 months? (50 – 47. 72) 2. 28% is the probability of having a child being trained at 30 months. c. A mother is pleased that her daughter is trained at 18 months. How common is it that a child would be toilet trained at this age? (50 – 49. 997) There is . 003 of probabilities that a child would be toiled trained at 18 months. 4.Assume the scores among Asian Americans on an alienation scale are normally distributed with a mean of 22 and a standard deviation of 2. 5 (higher scores reflect greater feelings of alienation). Based on this distribution, determine a. The probability of an Asian American having an alienation score between 22 and 25 The probability of an Asian American having an alienation score between 22 and 25 is 38 . 49%. b. The probability of an Asian American having an alienation score of 20 or less. (50 – 28. 81) The probability of an Asian American Having an alienation score of 20 or less is 21. 19%.

Capital Punishment Research

The use of capital punishment, frequently known as the death penalty, is highly controversial in some countries. Although laws vary between different countries as to what crimes may warrant capital punishment, the crimes for which it is most commonly used are murder and drug-related offenses. The death penalty is the execution of a person for a crime (typically murder). The death penalty is not used in many countries including all European countries, Australia, and New Zealand. In the US 35 of the 50 states allow the death penalty. Popular opinion In the United States of America, the use of capital punishment is generally accepted, with 78 percent of the Republican Party and 52 percent the Democratic Party in support of its use for the crime of murder. The Constitution Party is in support of the death penalty, and the Green Party is opposed to its use. Worldwide, there is little consensus. Capital punishment is abolished in Europe, except for Belarus, which regularly practices it, and Latvia, which retains it for crimes committed during wartime. The Council of Europe prohibits any member state from practicing it. Both Turkey and Russia were pressed to abolish capital punishment as a condition for joining. Turkey abolished capital punishment after it was ruled unconstitutional in 2004, while Russia established a moratorium in 1996, which was renewed in 2009 by the Constitutional Court of Russia, pending abolition. There is little opposition to the death penalty in China, Japan, and most Middle Eastern and African countries, where it continues to be practiced. Execution of innocent people Capital punishment is often opposed on the grounds that innocent people will inevitably be convicted. This fact is well supported in the US. Between 1973 and 2005, 123 people in 25 states were released from death row when new evidence of their innocence emerged. However, statistics likely understate the actual problem of wrongful convictions because once an execution has occurred there is often insufficient motivation and finance to keep a case open, and it becomes unlikely at that point that the miscarriage of justice will ever be exposed. Another issue is the quality of the defense in a case where the accused has a public defender. The competence of the defense attorney is a better predictor of whether or not someone will be sentenced to death than the facts of the crime. Also, improper procedure may result in unfair executions. For example, Amnesty International argues that, in Singapore, the Misuse of Drugs Act contains a series of presumptions which shift the burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused. This conflicts with the universally guaranteed right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, this refers to a situation when someone is being caught with drugs.

Evaluation Report on Oil & Gas Producing nations Essay

Evaluation Report on Oil & Gas Producing nations - Essay Example The trade policies help in enhancing trades for the benefit of economies. Oil and gas industry mainly ties up with the government for the development with the help of monetary and fiscal policies (Mitchell & et. al., 2012). The objectives of Oil and Gas industry is to expand and enhance security of energy and economic, re-distribution of wealth, economic development, which can be achieved by applying the policies of government of Oil or Gas producing nation. With the help of political influence, the government of the Oil or Gas producing nation indulges into commercial practices for increasing the revenues of the nation as well as the economies of scale. For improvement of the Oil or Gas producing nation the government should take the advice of the outsiders for greater expansion (Petroleum Council, 2013). Government are taking relevant advices from the outsiders to seek advice regarding the policies that are implemented by nation. The government implements various taxes and with the help of the advisers, assistance is taken regarding its applicability. The advice from the outsiders can help the government to obtain the new idea as well as strategy of the outsiders and obtain the knowledge of the new technology along with policies relevant. The new idea along with new technology can be beneficial for the economic development of Oil or Gas producing nation. Exploration and development investment is an important concept for the industry and thus considering outsiders view to a certain extent might prove to be effective in this context. Advice from the outsiders can also be helpful for the Oil or Gas producing nation for developing innovative new ideas by incorporating the same for a better market position in the global market based on the trade policies and tax system (European Communities, 2008). With the advice from outsiders, the government of Oil or Gas producing nation can obtain knowledge

Managed Care and Children with Chronic Illness Case Study - 1

Managed Care and Children with Chronic Illness - Case Study Example However, distinct criteria are utilized by managed care providers to distinct degrees of medical care requirements. The recent decades are marked by the attachment of great value to such groups by the states that are faced with high levels of medical needs with an intention of including the poor and the needy in the healthcare programs. Nevertheless, the provision of these services has been limited by certain factors, thus leading to the denial of these services to some children with chronic ailments despite their being needy. Nevertheless, managed care has a rationale of providing care services at reduced costs to the patients as well as treatment efficiency measures are of high levels (Perkin, Swift, and Newton 2007). The discussion in this paper is a case study to investigate and establish Managed care and children with chronic illness. The comprehension of this will be enhanced by the study of the scope of the managed care as well as the chronic illnesses that need the managed care. In addition, it is deemed crucial to establish the managed care providers as well as the rationale for such services when provided to patients. More crucial, an explanation will be provided for the criteria which children with chronic disease are covered or denied by managed care (HMO, MEDICAID). Managed care is a term utilized in the US in the description of a diversity of techniques that are put to use with the intention of decreasing the healthcare costs. They are also deemed as a rationale for the provision of benefits of health as well as the improvements of care quality provided by the practitioners. The systems in use are those that imply financing and delivering health care benefits and service to those that enrol. Hence, they are often referred to as healthcare concepts and techniques that are managed by a responsible body. The intentions for the steer towards the utilization of such programs are inclusive of the reduction of the healthcare care costs, some of which are deemed unnecessary via the use of, particularly viable mechanisms.     

Mexico's Global business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mexico's Global business - Essay Example The topography is very diverse, and the climate reflects this fact. At any time of the year you can find an area of Mexico with a perfect climate. Many parts of the central highlands and some coastal locations, have "perfect" weather all year round (Blog, 1996). The country can be split into four geographical areas namely, The Baja Peninsula, The Pacific Coast, The Caribbean coast and The Central Highlands. The Baja has a climate that varies considerably from its west coast to its east coast and north to south. The coastal areas get hot and humid weather in the summer and ideal weather in the winter. The central highlands get ideal weather year-round. The northern desert areas have very hot weather in the summer and cool nights in the winter with some snow on occasions. Details on climate can be obtained from the more specific pages in Virtual Mexico (Blog, 1996). The economic health of Mexico is basically more focused on travel and tourism. The other areas in which the country has a good reputation are industrial production, oil and gas production, textiles and clothing and agriculture. Mexico is highly dependent on exports to the U.S., which represent more than a quarter of the country's GDP. The result is that the Mexican economy is strongly linked to the U.S. business cycle. Real GDP grew by 4.8% in 2006 and by 3.3% in 2007 (Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, 2008). Hundreds of North American factories have been built to take advantage of the lower labor costs. Mexico has 1/5 of the world's oil reserves. Mexico produces and exports a wide selection of agricultural goods. Just about every kind of fruit and vegetable is grown on giant modern irrigated farms and small family plots. Political Conditions of Mexico Mexico is bogged down in a grim economic crisis, and the people are tired of inflation, of poverty, and of the appalling poverty-linked crime wave. The government of Mexico is a federal republic (Lake, 1998). The 1917 constitution provides for a federal republic with powers separated into independent executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Historically, the executive has been the dominant branch, with power vested in the president, who promulgates and executes the laws of the Congress. The Congress has played an increasingly important role since 1997, when opposition parties first made major gains. The president also legislates by executive decree in certain economic and financial fields, using powers delegated from the Congress. The president is elected by universal adult suffrage for a 6-year term and may not hold office a second time. There is no vice president; in the event of the removal or death of the president, a provisional president is elected by the Congress (Burea u of Western Hemisphere Affairs, 2008). In the 2006 elections, the PAN emerged as the largest party in both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with just over 40% of the seats in each house of Congress. It does not enjoy a legislative majority. Although the PRI no longer controls the presidency and has fewer

Conflicts Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Conflicts Identification - Essay Example The rules and regulations of Roman Catholic Church has made the number of churchgoers dwindle over the years, and has created identity crisis and many other ‘sins’ in the society. There is absolutely no doubt that the children of divorced parents feel alienated in Roman catholic churches because the church teachings and biblical references do not recognise divorce anywhere, whereas the society, popular culture, media, TV and cinema treat divorce as a regular norm in the society. Naturally these conflicting identifications worry the children of divorced parents because religion seems very orthodox and static, while the society, media, people have moved forward. At the same time, in another issue of homosexuality, Roman Catholic churches have remained firmly against it as human abhorrence, whereas the western society has moved on and accepts homosexuality as one of the variations of human desire that need not bring shame like in olden days. So, once again, homosexuals as well as the society wonder about the identities of homosexuals. In a way, religion could be sending the wrong signals as an institution that is rigid, unbending, closed, old and ancient. In addition children of second marriage find themselves in a very difficult quandary, because their parentage is not recognised by the Church. "Contracting a new union, even if it is recognised by Civil Law, adds [to the seriousness of the situation]; the remarried spouce is then in a situation of permanent adultery. If a husband, separated from his wife, approaches another woman, he is an adulterer, because he makes that woman commit adultery also," Cleave (2002, p.17). "A theological metaphor that richly describes the complex experience of children of divorce is the biblical story of the exile. As divorced parents are swept up into rebuilding their lives, their children often feel relegated to the margins". http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asptitle=2169 This could create psychological problems, inadequate learning capabilities and lack of focus in children. As they grow up, and come to know that they are unappreciated by the Church, this could either lead to defy the church, which under the circumstances, need not be a bad happening, or they pine for the approval of the church, which will never be found. Returning to the topic of homosexuality, it has remained one of the burning issues in the Church, which has not been moved forward even an inch for almost centuries now. "The official hierarchical teaching of the Roman Catholic church condemns homosexual genital behaviour since its criterion for the moral use of genital sexuality is within a heterosexual marriage" Curran (2001, p.329). Many Catholic moral theologians have called for a change in the Church outlook; but till now no such change has taken place. All this is happening, in spite of the ready knowledge that nearly 50% of the catholic priests in America are homosexual. The problem here is the belief of the church that if there is no procreation, there should never be any physical relationship. If this firm underlying principle had not been there, any kind of physical relationship should be agreeable to the church. This rigidity has created an identity crisis for the homosexuals, who could be harassed, ill-treated, discriminated, and even assaulted and for all these inhuman treatments, Church stands as a silent supporter, when it reiterates: "Every human being is called to receive a gift of divine sonship, to become a child of God by grace. However, to receive this gift, we must reject sin, including homosexual behavior-that is, acts intended to arouse or stimulate a sexual response regarding a person of the same sex. The Catholic Church teaches that such acts are always violations of divine

Compare and Contrast between IPv4 and IPv6. Why IPv6 Hasn't Been Research Paper

Compare and Contrast between IPv4 and IPv6. Why IPv6 Hasn't Been Implemented on the Internet - Research Paper Example It delivers datagrams or packets from the source to the destination host by only basing on their addresses. Over the years, the IP has undergone revisions in its development and the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is its 4th revision. Another recent revision is the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Both IPv4 and IPv6 are at the core of internet internetworking methods that are standards-based. However, there exist differences between the two versions of the IP as well as their levels of deployment. Since its development, the IPv4 is the first version of the internet protocol to be widely deployed and until today, it is still stands out as the Internet Layer protocol that is widely deployed. This is so despite the development of more advanced version of the IP, the IPv6. This is an indication that there is something about the IPv4 that makes it more popular than the IPv6. I choose this topic with an aim of knowing the differences and similarities that exist between the IPv4 and I Pv6 so as to identify why IPv6 has not been implemented on the internet. ... From these, it is expected that IPv6 should have achieved a greater level of deployment than the IPv4. But as it is, the deployment of IPv6 is still at its infancy. This paper analyses the reasons as to why IPv6 has not been implemented on the internet. Literature Review In order to identify the reasons as to why IPv6 has not been implemented on the internet, it is important to understand the similarities and differences between IPv4 and IPv6. This will be important in identifying any weaknesses that underlie the IPv6 and provide a base for making recommendations for improvements that will enable it to achieve a good level of deployment. For this paper, the sources of the literature review and analysis will be books, journals and articles on computer sciences and information technology. credible online sources on the same will also be used. Similarities Both IPv4 and IPv6 are internal layer protocols designed for packet-switched internetworking. The two IP versions are also capable o f providing end-to-end datagram or packet transmission across more than one IP networks. In terms of the structure of their packets, both the headers of IPv4 and IPv6 have an optional fields or extension that can be used to implement special features. Differences According to (Shankland, 2011), IPv4 allows 32 bits for an IP and because of this, it can support 232 (4,294,967,296) addresses. On the other hand, IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, therefore, the developed address space supports 2128. This is about 340 undecillion or 3.4?1038 addresses. This makes the large address space an important feature of IPv6 over IPv4. This expansion creates room for more devices and users on the internet. It also allows for additional

Assess the concept of cosmopolitan democracy Essay

Assess the concept of cosmopolitan democracy - Essay Example Later on, other important issues such as global environmental problems, global justice system, crimes against humanity and economic and cultural globalisation added to the global peace concern. The concept of cosmopolitan democracy was supposed to resolve or at least alleviate these global problems. The main idea of cosmopolitan democracy is to design and implement "a system of governance arising from and adapting to the diverse conditions and interconnections between different peoples and nations" (Held, 1998: 25). David Held and Daniele Archibugi, the most renowned European theorists of cosmopolitan democracy, argue that although democracy has gained universal acclaim as the best form of political establishment after fall of the Iron Curtail and end of the Cold War, it influences only domestic level, while the realm of international relations remains practically unaffected by democratic processes. International institutions, including the United Nations organization and European Union do not care much about democratisation of their activities which results in lack of accountability and restricted public access to information. The risk is that if this tendency remains, democratic forms of governance will give up to authoritarianism (McGrew, 2002). Cosmopolitanism offers an alternative that helps effectively fi... Democracy is to be conceptualized as a process, rather than as a set of norms and procedures. A feuding system of states hampers democracy within states. Democracy within states favours peace, but does not necessarily produce a virtuous foreign policy. Global democracy is not just the achievement of democracy within each state. Globalization erodes states' political autonomy and thereby curtails the efficacy of state-based democracy. The stakeholders' communities in a relevant and growing number of specific issues do not necessarily coincide with states' territorial borders. Globalization engenders new social movements engaged with issues that affect other individuals and communities, even when these are geographically and culturally very distant from their own political community (Archibugi, 2004: 439). These assumptions suggest that contemporary form of national democracy must be seriously transformed in order to survive. Firstly, the sovereignty of the nation states must be restricted by increasing numbers of international treaties and conventions. Secondly, the existing international governing structures must be reformed to provide a better opportunity for international dialogue and democratic decision-making. Thus, Derk Bienen, another known theorist of cosmopolitan democracy, claims that in order to achieve these goals the UN must establish a second chamber consisting of members elected directly by people, the veto-right of the Security Council should be limited, and the system of international courts has to be strengthened and reformed in a way to provide better protection for individuals. Initially, the UN was founded not as an assembly of democratic states: the primary purpose of this organization was to prevent military conflicts similar to WWII.

South Korean Government vs. US Government Research Paper

South Korean Government vs. US Government - Research Paper Example The South Korean government and the U.S. government differ in terms of its basic structure, the branches of the government, electoral system, and political parties; however, they are similar in terms of corruption allegations and violations of human rights; and that the solution to these is an independent judiciary and a rigid constitution. Review of Literature First Argument: Differences The South Korean and the United States governments differ in terms of their basic structure, as well as in the branches of the government, especially in the legislative and executive branches. Moreover, both governments follow different electoral systems and political parties. Basic Structure. The South Korean government is presidential in nature except for the cabinet, which is partly parliamentary in carrying out its tasks. Moreover, the South Korean government is a central government that oversees all affairs of the nation and declares everything and all the laws are uniform throughout the countr y. The United States government, on the other hand, is based on the principle of federalism, where power is shared between federal and state governments. This is also a system where the autonomy of every State is recognized by the people. Each state, however, submits to the U.S. Constitution and to federal law when there is a dispute. Legislative Branch. The South Korean legislative body is known as the National Assembly of South Korea. It has 299 members who represent the four political parties of South Korea. The South Korean National Assembly formulates laws and does many things that any other legislative body of any democratic government would usually do, such as regulate the armed forces and make decisions regarding the national budget proposed by the executive branch (Savada & Shaw, 1990). On the other hand, the legislative body of the United States government is known as the Congress, which represents mostly two political parties – the Democratic and the Republican par ties, as well as Independent members. The United States Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress is authorized to create laws, levy and collect taxes, issue patents, declare war and support the military, regulate military forces, create federal courts, establish infrastructures, and to regulate money. The United States Congress is made up of 435 members of the House of Representatives, representing every congressional district, each member serving two-year terms, and without any limit as to the number of terms its members may serve. The other component, the Senate, is made up of 100 members, two from each state, each serving six-year terms, without term limits. The role of the Senate is to approve Presidential appointments and to jointly approve bills with the Congress (Wilson & Dilulio, 2011). Executive Branch. The head of the South Korean executive branch is a president that is directly elected through national elections. The President serve s only one five-term year. The President is also the head of state and government as well as the commander-in-chief of the military. Just like many presidents of democratic countries, the South Korean President can declare a state of martial law, a state of emergency, or a state of war. He can also propose laws

Domestic violence Essay Example for Free

Domestic violence Essay I declare that this assessment is my own work, based on my own personal research/study . I also declare that this assessment, nor parts of it, has not been previously submitted for any other unit/module or course, and that I have not copied in part or whole or otherwise plagiarised the work of another student and/or persons. I have read the ACAP Student Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct Policy and understand its implications. Competency Assignments Task 2 – Case Study CHCDFV301A Recognise respond appropriately to domestic family violence CHCDFV402C Manage own professional development in responding to domestic family violence NOTE: Read the case study below. Answer the questions listed below in your own words using the case study as the basis for your answers. Do not work or share answers with other students in this course when completing this assignment task. Assignment task 2: Due – Sunday 2nd February 2014 Case study – (approx 1200-1500 words) Case study You are a student support counsellor in a university. Judy, a first-year student of Aboriginal descent, comes to see you as she is struggling with her studies and says that she would like to talk to you about whether university is right for her. As you talk with Judy she tells you that one of the reasons she is struggling to study and finish her assignments on time is that she has had to take on extra work in the evenings and weekends to support her brother, who has moved in with her since he lost his job a couple of months ago. Judy tells you that she is happy to support her brother financially until he gets back on his feet but that it is difficult as she now needs to work the extra hours, as well as looking after the house and cleaning up after her brother and his friends, who spend most nights drinking and smoking in the house. Judy expresses concern for her brother who she says is very stressed since he lost his job and easily irritable. She wants to talk to him about getting another job and doing his share around the house, but she is anxious about doing so because he can get very angry. You notice that Judy has a cut on her head and some bruising on her arms but when you ask her about it she dismisses it, saying that sometimes her brother ‘talks with his fists’ and that she’s fine. 1.Explain your responsibilities as the counsellor in this situation. We must support, believe her, be nonjudgmental, have empathy and be congruent with Judy. We must not make judgements. Judy needs to know that this is not her fault and that there is programs and ways to help not just her but her brother, and this can be done without the police and him being put in jail, as this is the preferred way of her culture. Judy must be told about where we stand on confidentiality and let her know that in certain circumstance the counsellor has a legal duty to report. We must know our limitations on how we can help and refer Judy to the right place. 2. What legal issues  could be present in this situation? It is a criminal offence in Australia to be violent. However we have a duty of care and confidentiality that also needs to be considered. It is important to talk to clients who are experiencing domestic violence before reporting (if possible) so they feel supported rather than judged, this reassure them that they are not responsible for the violence but the abuser is. If the person is in immediate danger you must report it. Your organisation may have protocols and policies that address domestic and family violence that you must follow. All counsellors should be aware of domestic and family violence policies, this should be easily accessible at work. 3. What interrelated issues are present in this situation? Judy feels that she has a duty to support her brother as this is expected of her. Judy’s brother being unemployed, cultural expectations, having loss of self-esteem, having her brother be financially dependent on her and her brother having a drug and alcohol dependency are all interrelated issues. 4. What criteria would you use to assess risk in this situation? The primary rule of assessment must be to believe her, and start intervention, states Walker (1984, as cited in James, 2008). I would also need to assess, the severity of the situation, the client’s current emotional state, immediate psychosocial and safety needs, level of client’s current coping skills and resources. I would need to listen, be supportive, reinforce her right to her personal power and if Judy is safe in her environment, I would also inform her of what options and support there is for her. 5. What strategies would you use to help Judy? I would reassure Judy that it is not her fault, I would not make judgements about her situation or judge her on decisions that she makes. I would need to listen to what Judy has to say, be supportive and reinforce her right to take control and make decisions for herself. Letting her know that she can feel free to talk about her abuse. I would let her know that she is not alone and that there are others that have been in the same situation as she is in. I would help her to make a safety plan that she can put into action if needed. I would give Judy phone numbers that she can ring when she needs  to. Helping Judy feel safe and letting her know that she is not alone, will reassure her. 6. What cultural issues may you need to consider when working with Judy? I would have to consider Judy’s aboriginal background and the fact they we were brought up differently. We have different beliefs and cultures. I would need to be sensitive to Judy’s needs and cultural differences. 7. How might your own values and beliefs impact on your ability to work with Judy? How might you overcome these? I would need to make sure that I was emotionally and qualified to help in this situation. I need to make sure that I put my own values aside and not make judgements of Judy. I have to recognise my own limitations and to know when this is impacting on the counselling sessions. Being aware of my own perspective of the situation helps me to recognise my own biases and values. I could overcome them by talking to my supervisor, this will benefit me and the client. If I could not overcome my own values and beliefs I must refer the client, as the client would not benefit having me as a counsellor. I have to take into account of the law and any changes to legislation. 8. What aspects of this situation might a counsellor be required to keep records of and/or report on? I would need to keep records of her name, address, what happened, when it happened and what steps were taken. I would need to keep records of anything that may be used in a legal situation. If any police/medical reports were made. I would need to keep records of all domestic violence situations that I have been told about. 9. What referral options might you consider for Judy? Some of the options for Judy is the domestic hotline, aboriginal liaison officer, mental health, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service, drug and alcohol centre. I would find out if they have women’s patrols and sobering-up shelters in her area, as this would take into account her aboriginal background and remove her brother from the home without putting him in jail, I could also find out if there is a program that would help â€Å"heal† the offender. I would also advise Judy of Centrelink and the housing commission, as she and her brother may not be aware of the help that they could receive from them. I would give Judy a list of organisations who she could ring if she needed to. I would also speak to my supervisor.

My personal experience Essay Example for Free

My personal experience Essay This story is from my personal experience where I was involved directly with the central character in this story. This story is about a little girl who had lot of aspirations in life and wanted to make a mark in this world. Though the name doesn’t matter but for the matter of convenience, let us call her Mary. Mary’s only fault, if it was, was getting born to parents who could only afford her education by skipping one meal in a day. Mary was above average and hence scored well in her kindergarten levels. The problem started when she was promoted to 1st standard where the level of difficulty increased for her. Her parents who could not read or write were of little help. In the daily grind of earning, when they could hardly afford the meals and her education, getting a tutor for her was a distant dream. This made the little bud sink as she always wanted to be the best and was ready to work hard as well but the conditions at home and school prevented her from unlocking her potential. On one side while her parents had their own rut to handle, her school teacher was not any considerate. She would hardly teach in the class and yet expect her students to perform the best. Well, her prestige was at stake. Any weak student in the class was a pain for her and she wanted to devise ways and means to expel the student who was not able to score. The first trimester results were declared and as expected Mary flunked in most of the subjects. She was not the worst but she was not above average any more. Mary’s teacher was infuriated with the results of the class, which was not as she wanted. She felt a necessity to teach last 10 rankers a lesson. What else could be better method than to physically torture the tiny tender kids, so that they never forget the lesson the learned teacher was trying to hammer on them. In no time, last 10 rankers were asked to stand outside in the sun which was blazing at the peak summer noon. No prizes for guessing that our Mary was also asked to stand in the scorching heat. The summer sun was too harsh for the slender frame of Mary who could not sustain and passed out on the ground. She was immediately rushed in the shade and nursed. This incidence further aggravated teacher’s indignation. It was difficult for her to believe that kids of Mary’s age can not sustain such punishments. She considered Mary to be faking the whole situation. Teacher remembered the incidence and sought to vindicate it at the right opportunity. It did not take much time for the right opportunity to come in. The Semester exams were going on. Mary was trying her best to prepare for the difficult subjects. Her parents had asked me to take few classes for her as a favor. I agreed and started coaching Mary on the subjects. She was having good grasping power and unique ability to apply the knowledge as soon as acquired. Hence, my effort was quite less in teaching her and the output was beyond my expectation. I started liking to teach her. Mary was working very hard to make up the grades. She was doing well in her exams, she used to tell me. On the day of her last exam, Mary was quietly writing her paper. The paper was easy for her as she was well prepared. The teacher, as vindictive she was, was watching for a slight error from Mary so that she could throw her out of the exam hall. To Mary’s misfortune, the moment arrived. A quick gust of wind flew Mary’s question paper to her fellow students’ desk. As Mary went on to pick her question paper, she was confronted slapped hard by her teacher who left no stone un-turned in proving that she was cheating. Mary cried, cried and cried but it all went on deaf ears. Fortunately, for Mary, the principal of the school was passing by. She stopped and asked the reason for the commotion. Thankfully, the principal believed Mary and allowed her to complete her exams. This was the last straw for the class teacher to consider Mary her sworn enemy. To rub salt on her wounds, Mary’s result was just excellent in the semester exams. She had topped, though over all she was 3rd ranker but still there were six months to go and Mary hoped that she would be able to regain her original position. And then the fateful day arrived. It was one week, since the school opened and Mary was quite excited to learn the subjects further. She was quick to answer the questions asked in the class and was doing very well. Finally, on that day, the teacher got into an ego clash and asked Mary to explain something which was way beyond Mary’s scope of learning. The teacher, infuriated, threw the duster with full force towards Mary which unfortunately hit Mary directly at her temple. Immediate brain hemorrhage followed resulting in on-the-spot loss of a life which was definitely not meant to be going this way. The teacher was tried in the court but she was released due to lack of evidence and on the ground of accidental but not intended hit. Life is going on usual for me or anyone else in the world, but definitely its’ no more a fair world for me!

Benzodiazepines For Therapy The Benefits And The Dangers Biology Essay

Benzodiazepines For Therapy The Benefits And The Dangers Biology Essay The benzodiazepine family of drugs is a complex group of substances that have garnered controversy and attention from the media since they broke onto the medical scene in 1957 (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005). As with other drugs, more and more people began to use benzodiazepines and negative side effects such as addiction and withdrawal eventually were revealed. (Ashton, 2005, p. 249). Benzodiazepines, however, should not be looked at with a negative connotation. They are relevant and useful medically when used and prescribed responsibly and dependence does not occur (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005). Benzodiazepines have both positive and negative aspects that must be examined to form a fair opinion about the drug, its uses and effects. So, what exactly is a benzodiazepine? They are defined by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (2008) as: Any of a class of drug used as antianxiety agents, muscle relaxants, sedatives, hypnotics, and sometimes as anticonvulsants. Under the Controlled Substance Act they are classified as a Schedule IV drug (Benzodiazepines). When someone takes a medication that is a benzodiazepine, they may encounter symptoms such as slurred speech, confusion, feelings of fatigue, and gastrointestinal upset. There are many varieties of benzodiazepines used and prescribed today. These include more popularly known medicines such as Xanax, Valium, and Rohypnol. These substances work as depressants in the body, accounting for their sedative effects (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005). When talking about benzodiazepines, it is important to know that no two benzodiazepines are created equally. They are prescribed for different reasons that will be addressed later and present a variety of withdrawal symptoms when dependence occurs. They can be taken in a pill form, shot into the blood stream using a needle, and some can even be taken sublingually. Finally, benzodiazepines are split into two groups: those that are short-acting and those that are long-acting. The latter will linger for much longer in the body (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005). The first benzodiazepine was created in a laboratory by scientist Leo Sternback. It was not until nearly thirty years later in the 1950s, that benzodiazepines were marketed for medical use as an anti-anxiety medication (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005). Research of the drug created new medications for new uses which grew until the 1970s. By then, benzodiazepines topped every other group of drugs in the world, in the times that it was prescribed. Even though prescriptions have trailed off since then, over-prescription is still seen as troubling to many (Ashton, 2005, p. 249). Benzodiazepines pose benefits for a variety of ailments and disorders. First, they are useful hypnotics for individuals who suffer from insomnia. Like with nearly all cases of benzodiazepine prescription, they should only be taken for a small period of time, with one month being the longest. Benzodiazepines can help with anxiety as well. It should be carefully considered by the doctor that the patient has severe anxiety that is disrupting their life. Again, this should be for the short period of time because benzodiazepines can be highly addictive (Benzodiazepines, 1997). People who have intense panic attacks or strong phobias that are not eased by other methods could be candidates for benzodiazepine prescription (Ashton, 2005, p. 250). Another benefit is that benzodiazepines have been shown to drastically relieve muscle spasms that are caused by epilepsy (Benzodiazepines, 1997). For example, the Epilepsy Foundation of America endorses the use of Valium for emergency, ongoing seizures. It is the gold standard in this situation because Valium is able to go through the blood-brain barrier in a short period of time, saving lives and decreasing the risk of brain damage in the patient (Medicines for Epilepsy). These properties are also useful for people who maybe be going through alcohol withdrawal, where convulsions are a possible risk factor (Ashton, 2005, p. 250). The most important factor when discussing benzodiazepines is having control over the substance. Benzodiazepines stop being beneficial when the patient has to exceed their dosage in quantity or length of time, or they are used no longer for a medical purpose. For example, an individual who uses a benzodiazepine for recreational use, or to help them unwind is not using the drug properly. This can lead to negative effects of the drugs such as addiction, dependence, and losing effectiveness of the drug (Benzodiazepines, 1997). In her article, The Diagnosis and Management of Benzodiazepine Dependence, (2005) Heather Ashton writes Present criteria for substance dependence include tolerance, escalation of dosage, continued use despite efforts to stop and knowledge of adverse effects, other behavioural features, and a withdrawal symptom. Benzodiazepines meet all of these criteria (p. 250). As seen in these few examples, benzodiazepines are a dangerous group of substances. This is especially true when they are not strictly controlled, overprescribed or misused. Being dependent upon benzodiazepines is dangerous because long-term use of these substances can amplify the symptoms they were used to treat. Anxiety problems and depression can be worsened when people overuse benzodiazepines and then begin to experience withdrawal symptoms (Benzodiazepines, 2007). When benzodiazepines are misused and abused for years there is a risk that this person will then have problems with learning new things and paying attention. There is also the risk that people who take benzodiazepines can hurt themselves through accidents because increased dosages of the medicines can put them in an altered state of mind where they are more likely to fall and hurt themselves (Ashton, 2005, p. 250). Over-prescription is a problem in the United States that ranges from pain killers to antibiotics. Benzodiazepines are not exempt from this group. Whether it be from overworked doctors or individuals working the system to gain more and more prescriptions, benzodiazepine abuse leads to dependence (Ashton, 2005, p. 249). The United States Drug Enforcement Administration reported that in 1999 approximately 100 million prescriptions for benzodiazepine drugs were written (Benzodiazepines). All opinions aside, this is an astonishing number. Over-prescription also leads to the problem of the drugs ending up on the streets. Some varieties can even be conveniently found on the World Wide Web (Ashton, 2005, p. 252). Diazepam, better-known by the name Valium, is one of the more popular types of benzodiazepines that are sold illegally. These are potentially dangerous, controlled substances that do not belong on the streets (Benzodiazepines). Why is it that benzodiazepines are so likely to cause dependence? Individuals with no previous problems of abuse can be prescribed for the drugs incorrectly, take the drugs for too long, and find that they are unable to wean themselves away from them (Benzodiazepines: Risks, 1997). Tolerance is usually the number one cause of dependence in users of benzodiazepines. On some occasions the patient may be prescribed one benzodiazepine that after a period of time that can range for weeks or months, stops giving them they affect they need. A second type of benzodiazepine will then be prescribed. In the end this cycle is keeping the patient from receiving helpful treatment for their ailment, and the patient is unable to withdrawal (Ashton, 2005, p. 250). Benzodiazepines are different from other drugs that we may think of when we hear words like dependence and addiction. Unlike street drugs like crack and methamphetamines, benzodiazepines are usually taken by people with no intention of getting a high or fix as previously described. This is a problem that needs to be addressed in our society. What a sad thing that some of our health professionals that we pay so much through insurance or even out of pocket, for whatever reason cannot be responsible enough to look out for the well-being of their patients. The patient may not seek treatment and try to quit taking the medications by themselves. In this instance, the withdrawal symptoms of benzodiazepines are no cake-walk and can include high anxiety levels, convulsions, and delirium (Ashton, 2005, p. 251). People who find that they are dependent upon benzodiazepines do have a high chance of around 80 percent of overcoming it when the process is aided by professionals, and the addict is willing to change (Ashton, 2005, p. 253). Maybe its a stretch, but this could be seen as a possible benefit of the drugs. People trying to get off the drugs are usually administered less and less of them until the doses are completely stopped. In some cases, if the user stops cold-turkey, especially with stronger benzodiazepines, the withdrawal will be much more intense (Center for Substance Abuse Research, 2005).

Hate crimes :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Victims of hate crimes vary in the indiscretions placed against them, whether it is from a simple slander to a vicious attack. But they all have the same mutual notion that the crimes that were committed against them are far above other crimes because they were carried out in hate. I believe that the idea of creating a separate punishment for crimes of this nature is absolutely nonsensical and inane in theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the attached article, it states that â€Å"Congressional negotiators stripped a measure to strengthen 1960s-era hate crimes law from a massive defense bill, likely killing for this year the effort to broaden hate crimes protections for gay people and the disabled (Reuters, 2004).† This action, for some, it a disappointment and a big step back in their movement. â€Å"Backers of the hate crimes legislation, a top priority for gay rights and disabled advocacy groups (Reuters, 2004)† seem more interested in intensifying punishment that is only against them. Such cases that they believe deserved intensification are those like â€Å"the dragging death of a black man named James Byrd in Texas (Reuters, 2004)† and â€Å"the fatal beating of a young gay man named Matthew Shepard in Wyoming (Williams, 2004).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But I believe the ideals that those kind of people are fighting for is a futile effort and a lost cause. Singling out crimes and criminals with the addition of â€Å"hate† has no added value in the context of the crime. A crime that has been committed in the essence of hate is only as valid as a crime that is not completely perpetrated out of hate. And yes, a hate crime is seen as more debauched in our growingly politically correct society, but under the scrutiny of law it should not be seen as a special crime in need of special punishment. In our legislation we should not make a special needs section to satisfy the victims of intolerance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In our society everything and everyone is suppose to be equal, and in classifying two different murderers as one being a hate murderer and the other simply a murderer is not acceptable. Now I am not trying to defend murders in my accusations but rather am trying to make a point. Crimes that are committed out of intolerance of one’s beliefs or actions are no different than a crime that is committed out of pure pleasure per se.

Doctor Faustus Essays: Psychoanalytical, Feministic, and Cultural Persp

Psychoanalytical, Feministic, and Cultural Perspectives in Dr. Faustus Christopher Marlowe's acclaimed Doctor Faustus uses many rhetorical methods to breathe life into the plot and story line. There are obviously psychoanalytical methods used, as well as certain aspects of the feministic method, somewhat less evident, but no less important are the cultural background issues that come into play. These three methods help to smooth the edges and round out the corners of this complex journey into the fictitious life of a highly educated man who appears to have anything he would need. Psychoanalytically speaking, the battles between the id and superego of Dr. Faustus, cause severe turmoil in his moral conscience. This is evident in the text by the battery of the two angels, one holy and the other evil. He even consciously battles with his id, when he cries out, "O Christ, my savior, my savior! Help to save distressed Faustus' soul." (P. 48, lines89-90) Faustus often becomes offensive with Meph...

Education Starts At Home Essay -- essays research papers

Some parents think that once their children are at school, they can relax and let the education system take control. But this is not the case at all. As research shows, parents have an even greater influence on their children’s academic results than the school does. Most of a child’s ability to communicate, to relate to teachers and peers and their attitude to learning, is formed from home. Parents can help give their children a head start, by beginning their education at home. Many parents don’t realise how they can help their children at home. Things as simple as baking a cake with their children can help them with their education. Measuring out ingredients for a cake is a simple form of maths. Another example of helping young children with their maths is simply planning a birthday party. They have to decide how many people to invite, how many invitations they will need, how much the stamps will cost, how many prizes, lolly bags, cups, plates, and balloons need to be bought, and so on. Children often find that real life experiences help them to do their maths more easily. Another way that parents can help their children with their maths, is to give them pocket money. It does not have to be a large amount, and they may have to do chores to earn it. This not only teaches them about the value of money, but they may need to use basic maths to work out how long they will have to save to buy the special toy that they want. This means that children are developing their money se...

Disadvantages of computer Essay

1. Choose a topic you can write easily. For example, writing an advantage and disadvantage essay about wearing a bike helmet, shopping the day after Thanksgiving, or renting movies http://www.ehow.com/how_2103639_write-advantages-d†¦ how to compare the advantages & disadvantages of computers? 1. Look at the processing power of the computers. This number is expressed in GHz, or gigahertz. The higher the number, the faster the processing power. Faster processors are necessary http://www.ehow.com/how_7735278_compare-advantages†¦ What are the advantages and disadvantages of a computer? Massive data storage and quick data computations. Various media (music, movies, games) It can help keep you organized. If you have Internet, then communication and social networking http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_†¦ What is the advantage and disadvantage of computer? Advantage: you could use it to simplify some tasks in your life. Disadvantage: is very addicting to use. (Some people can’t stay away from their computer for more than a day!). http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_advantage_an†¦ Similar Questions What Are the Advantages of Computers to Students? How To Write An Advantages And Disadvantages Essay? How To Compare The Advantages Disadvantages Of Computers? What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Computer? What Is The Advantage And Disadvantage Of Computer? People Also Asked What are the best sales experts writing on social selling, or sales via social media? How Much Is An Autosmart Franchise? What is the relationship between manager’s qualification and their performance on the job? What banks use experian only? Why is Work Important? How do i apply for a job at dollar general in fultondale al? What is a Financial Statements? Why do companies need employability skills? What Is a Maintenance Technician? Car Service Checklist?

History of Michigan Test

Ford's powerful race car. This driver went on to set several speed records in the car. A. Barney Oldie Ransom E. Olds' chief competitor at the turn of the 20th century. F. David D. Buick A wealthy farmer and community leader who ordered all types of violence against railroads, including burning the new Michigan Central depot in Detroit in 1850. B. Able F. Fitch The man who founded General Motors. His vision was to combine several smaller auto companies into one large conglomerate that could offer â€Å"a vehicle for every purse and purpose. C. William C. â€Å"Billy† Duran Prominent Saginaw resident ho illegally gained control of 1 5,000 acres of choice pine land which had been reserved for Indian ownership D. Ezra Rust 4. To find the location of the best timber, lumber companies hired men to walk the forests and mark on maps the sites of stands of choice trees. These men were called â€Å"pine scouts† or _: A) lumberjacks B) timber cruisers C) shanty boys D) axe men 5 . An 1846, the Michigan State Legislature decided to get out of the railroad business.A protest called the â€Å"Great Railroad Conspiracy† resulted when the private companies that took over the state's rail lines announced that they loud no longer afford to continue what policy? A) offering Michigan farmers discounted rates for shipping their crops to market on the train B) reimbursing farmers for the deaths of any livestock that wandered onto the tracks and were killed by passing trains C) reimbursing farmers for crops growing next to railroad tracks that were accidentally set on fire by sparks flying out of the smokestacks of passing trains D) carrying the U.S. Mail on the train 6. Who established America's first automobile company in 1893? A) Ransom E. Olds B) Henry Ford C) Charles and Frank Audrey D) John and Horace Dodge As late as 1883–before the U. S. And Canada established a standard method for telling time–Michigan had at least how many different time zones? A) 4 C) 17 D) 27 8. A significant advance in railroad technology–the automatic lubricating cup– greatly improved railroad efficiency in the late-nineteenth century.It was developed by an African-American inventor and mechanical engineer from Detroit named: A) Elijah McCoy B) Garrett Morgan C) Frederick Douglass D) Otis smith 9. Henry Ford perfected the assembly line technique to increase automobile production, but Ford did not invent the assembly line. What Michigan is reedited with being the FIRST to come up with the idea of building cars on an assembly line? A) William C. ‘Billy† Duran B) J. L. Hudson C) Ransom E. Olds D) Louis Chevrolet E) Horace Dodge 10. Henry Ford became known as the â€Å"workingman's friend† in 1 914 when he did what?A) doubled the salaries of his employees from $2. 30 to $5. 00 a day B) reduced the average work week from six days to five days C) reduced the average work day from ten hours to eight hours D) installed g uarding and other devices to protect workers from getting their hands, hair or clothing caught in the spinning gears, belts and wheels of his factory's shines 11 . Len 1 920, Henry Ford published a series of ninety-one anti-Semitic articles entitled, â€Å"The International Jew: The World's Problem† in what publication? A) TIME magazine B) â€Å"Social Justice,† a newsletter published by another Detroit anti-Semite, Father Charles E.Slouching C) Ford's own newspaper, the DEARBORN INDEPENDENT D) THE JEFFERSONIAN magazine, published by Thomas E. Watson, a George politician and member of the UK Klux Klan 12. Who is credited with driving the first gasoline-powered vehicle through the streets of Detroit in 1896? A) Henry Ford B) Ransom E. Olds C) Goodliest Daimler D) Charles Brady King 13. What was one of the most lasting contributions that Henry Ford made to the automobile industry? A) windshield wipers B) carburetor C) left-hand drive D) electric starter 14.What Michigan city was the boyhood home for Thomas Alva Edison, one of America's greatest inventors? A) Battle Creek B) port Huron C) Mount Clemens D) Mount Pleasant 1 5. Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and in 1908, introduced the car that not only made him famous (and a multi-millionaire), but literally put the world on wheels. What was Ford's car called? A) Model A B) Model N C) Model T D) Model K 6. Like European cathedrals in the Middle Ages, what structures in 1 9th- century America became the symbol of community pride and prosperity?A) railroad depots B) skyscrapers C) court houses D) bank buildings 17. Because of its access to vast quantities of timber, Michigan in the sass led the nation in what industry? A) furniture manufacturing B) ship building C) manufacturing charcoal briquettes D) wooden matches 18. What Michigan city became known as the ‘Vehicle City† in the sass? A) Detroit B) Flint C) Lansing D) Grand Rapids 19. An 1869, the average speed of railroa ds had reached a speed that seemed o be as fast as man should ever travel, although it was not fast enough to propel a train up steep hills.How fast were trains able to go in 1869? A) 38 MPH B) 18 MPH C) 28 MPH D) 8 MPH 20. Ten years after Chicago nearly burned to the ground, the Thumb was ravaged by fire. The monetary loss caused by destruction of crops and timber exceeded $2 million. Senator Conger requested assistance from a newly formed organization whose effectiveness during a disaster had never been tested. What was the name of the organization? A) American Red Cross B) Lignite Way C) Salvation Army D) Volunteers of America 1 -What was the primary method for transporting cut trees from the forests to sawmills?A) loading the logs onto barges being towed by steamboats B) loading them onto horse-drawn wagons C) loading them onto railroad cars D) rolling them into rivers and floating them downstream 22. Although most Of Michigan rail lines Were built in the lower peninsula, a few small ones were constructed in the U. P. These lines typically ran between lumber camps and mines to the nearest harbor. How long was the Lake Superior and Spinning Railroad? A) 10 miles B) 2 miles C) 1/2 mile D) 25 miles E) 5 miles 23. 920 proved to be a pivotal year for John and Horace Dodge, owners of the Dodge Brothers.What happened? A) John and Horse's daughters both got married on the same day. B)John and Horace both got married. C) Both men caught pneumonia and died. D) Both men were inducted into the Automobile Hall of Fame. 24. Americans who were lucky enough to avoid being infected during the great Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 still had to deal with the public health ordinances enacted to prevent the further spread of the disease. Gauze masks were to be worn in public; retail stores could not hold sales; and unreels could last no more than 15 minutes.Soon there was a shortage of: A) gauze masks, cotton gloves, and Kleenex tissues B) penicillin, aspirin, and sulfa drugs C) adequate supplies of fresh food and uncontaminated drinking water D) coffins, morticians, and grave diggers 25. An the 19-teens, one progressive candidate was elected as Michigan governor. Under his leadership, the legislature passed a number of reform measures, including regulation Of railroads, expansion Of State authority over business, revision of state authority over business, and the passage of the taste's first workmen's compensation law.

New Zild

? New Zealand English (NZE) which is now known as â€Å"New Zild† is an exciting and newfangled language they speak in New Zealand. New Zild is forever evolving-forming new, abbreviated ways of speech. Their shared language – Te Reo/English makes up their unique, lucid dialect, which unites them as a country and distinguishes them from the rest of the world, this is a great aspect as their language will be fancied in the future. New Zealand English is the newest most fascinating language in the world today. New Zild is the only language that can be tracked since its birth over two centuries ago. The dialogue is forever evolving, changing and advancing. New Zealand English is a continuously developing speech. What makes this language so exclusive is that you can use available resources to show the developing and unfurling of it. Although characteristic features of New Zealand English have evolved from British English, there are no longer any dominant influences. New Zild forms and illustrates a Kiwi, who creates their own language, being New Zild. Their strong accent is greatly noticed overseas. Foreigners find New Zild bizarre, as they talk faster than, they do. Although New Zealand English is closely related Australian English also known as ‘strine’ but they have their individuality, as New Zealanders do. America has major influence in all the languages, including New Zild. American English is the most influential language of the world. The trends it sets are spread by mass communications around the globe, for example, television, movies and music. American English can have a negative impact depending on the kind of influence being portrayed, for example, teenagers listening to rap music, the lyrics or words expressed may have meaning, but would their parents like them talking like the rapper? American English also has a positive impact on New Zild as it creates new characteristics and majorly influences the development of New Zealand English. The American English greatly affects young New Zealanders as they may speak an even stranger language than their elders. Their speech has been hugely influenced which all contributes to the future. The dialect of the younger population is different, therefore change naturally occurs. New Zealand’s younger generation being teenagers forms many, new colloquialisms, increasing yet decreasing their vocabulary. According to Jennifer Hay in Denis Welch’s Listener article, â€Å"By the time someone is seven or eight, it doesn’t matter where their parents came from, they’re speaking like their friends at school. † Older New Zealanders are trying to adapt to the teenage dialect, after all they are the voices of the future. Their dialogue will be the future New Zealand’s English, as the new vocabulary, colloquialisms work their way from the bottom of the social heap to the top. The tremendous variety of languages composed in New Zealand is another impact. New Zild is an exciting language as it includes an assortment of influences from these solitary vocal influences. Maori have changed the way New Zealanders speak because words and sayings from Te Reo have been absorbed into the vocabulary spoken today. There are some Maori who can speak both English and Maori beautifully. Years ago only 1/1000 Maori words spoken were fully understood in New Zealand English, now 6/1000 Te Reo words spoken are understood in New Zealand English. Could this be renaissance? Including Te Reo, there is also one other contributing factor to New Zealand English, such as Pacific Island dialect. Te Reo and the pacific input combined, greatly influence New Zealanders speech and pronunciation of different words. New Zild is the most innovative, peculiar language. New Zealand English is the only language in the world that can be documented from the beginning which helps predict future dialect. Along with the growing Te Reo pronunciation New Zild is evolving into something that is very interesting and distinctly theirs.

Navistar Company Essay

Executive Summary Trimco is a main supplier to Navistar. Navistar relies heavily on Trimco at their assembly plant. Navistar and Trimco must improve their quality management systems in order to have the right parts, in the right number shipped at the right time without any damages or defects. Navistar and Trimco must start imploring a more collaborative approach to their business process. Navistar needs to address their policy problems. Our last minute design changes seriously disrupt the supply process. The robbing of parts also creates a snowball effect of problems in other areas, or down the line. Trimco has several problems including high employee turnover, mixed technological capability with respect to manufacturing processes, and a lack of internal control. Areas of deficiencies must be jointly identified and solutions to these deficiencies must be collaboratively tackled. With these improvements, the cycle time from customer order to delivery should be reduced, which would allow a higher level of customer service at an overall lower cost. The delivery times for the custom-designed trucks should decrease with the recommended implementations. Navistar must identify the problem to Trimco. Trimco must be aware of these deficiencies and collaborate with Navistar to remedy these. Navistar must then look at the problem internally. Top management has given them support in this matter and they must be utilized. Input across different business functions must be taken. Working with other departments will help identify issues that were previously not seen. Incomplete parts can be monitored with a quality control system that compares parts ordered or required with actual parts sent. Last minute design changes must be stopped, as they are not sufficient to let Trimco manufacture the parts on time. Quality of the parts can be addressed by raising awareness of the issue, and by also ensuring packaging and handling of parts are done in meticulous order in order to reduce damages. The â€Å"robbed† parts must be stopped as it cr eates additional problems. It is a short-term fix that produces long-term negative effects. Issues Identification There are several issues for both Navistar and Trimco. I have asked shipping and receiving at both Navistar and Trimco to record the frequency of the trim problems as well as the root causes for each occurrence over a 6-month period. Firstly I will outline the problems here at Navistar. I find that we are storing/handling parts following improper receiving procedures, which include lost, misplaced, and damaged materials. Often parts contained within kits were damaged to the point where they could not be installed into truck interiors causing added costs for Trimco, and delay our assembly here at Navistar. We have also accepted parts that are defective. These parts sometimes went undetected until installation. These parts had to be either scrapped or returned to Trimco for replacement and credit. We must collaborate with Trimco in order to reduce their costs in this area. Communication between Trimco and Navistar will help reduction in total supply chain costs, which is a key measure in the strategic initiative that we are trying to plan in order to reduce these issues. Another issue is the robbing of parts for higher priority uses, which are caused due to supply failures. This of course translates to even more supply failures. This has caused continual shortages, lost stock, (which is the highest reason identified for trim part shortages) and excessive ordering. Another issue is last minute design changes. Navistar needs descriptions or specifications in describing the need in sufficient detail to ensure that the correct goods are ordered in the correct quality, at the correct time, at the correct place. It is considered one of the most important keys to successful strategic management. This is an issue for both Navistar and Trimco in that Navistar has to rework the parts, or order new parts to fill the demand. Specification outlining must be looked at in a strategic sense with Trimco and Navistar communicating different ideas in order to make these situations minimal. Another issue is the JIT suitability. Safety stock is still required which would beget calling it a just in time system. This must be addressed on both sides. Issues for Trimco include quality control problems. Shipping defective material, incorrect material, and even damaged parts, causes increased cost and decreased productivity for both Trimco and Navistar. Another issue for Trimco, which was also an issue for Navistar, was JIT suitability. It seems that at times Navistar expectation can be too high with the last minute specification changes,  which can lead to incorrectly punched parts, or incorrectly sent parts that has been an issue. Environmental and Root Cause Analysis The main cause of the issues for both Trimco and Navistar are quality issues. Both the supply plant and we the assembling plants are running into quality issues. Trimco Industries is a large supplier of automotive trim parts. It is also a very large Navistar supplier. Trimco faces several problems including mixed technological capability with respect to manufacturing processes; high employee turnover that affects employee training and awareness levels that impacts its ability to meet customer needs effectively. Shipping is an issue in that it lacks internal process. Correct parts aren’t always shipped, and the shipping of materials is not sufficient as damaged parts are ranked second as a reason for trim part shortages. Internally we have some issues as well. The last minute design change that we allow to occur, seriously disrupt the supply process. The stealing policy that allows workers to rob parts from one job for another only worsens existing problems. Inventory count, and easy identification of parts is negatively affected. This represents a short-term solution that equates to problems in the long run. The control over incoming parts seems to be an issue that needs to be addressed. Parts that are missing, damaged, defective or incorrectly sent, are being identified too late for Trimco to send appropriate replacement parts in time for assembly. Parts that are being stored at Navistar are being damaged between the time they are received from Trimco and the time they are required for production. This can equate to inefficient packaging, t even mishandling in our receiving area. This damage would indicate that inappropriate storage and handling procedures are being used at Navistar and Trimco. Navistar operates in a highly competitive industry. It has a long-standing history, and reputable background, but there is always pressure to reduce margins in any way possible in order to stay competitive in the industry. Navistar is in the cus tom truck business and currently has a 28.6% share in the North American market. At any given time 50-80% of our orders can be customized. Customers took time in designing their trucks to their specifications and expect timely delivery with impeccable quality. Missing and/or parts are directly impacting both the customer and bottom line costs. This represents 60% of trim part shortages. Trim shortages account for an estimated $200,000. This is a very generous estimation with the estimated cost potentially being far higher than this figure. The processes used both at Navistar and at Trimco are not sufficient to respond to last minute design changes, maintain a continuous supply of defect-free and correctly ordered parts, prevent internal stealing of parts and control the damage of parts during shipment. The quality management programs at both Navistar and Trimco need improvement to effectively change their current processes. All processes, both Navistar and Trimco’s must be in control, centered, and possess minimal variation. Strategically, if these problems were resolved, this would improve Navistar’s offering to our custom-designed truck customers. Trimco also has a high rate of attrition, which adds to the overall cost. This rate of turnover affects the training levels of employees and their ability to control processes, to respond to last minute design changes and to ensure the accuracy of trim part shipments. The cost of this employee attrition is high in many respects. Employees are paid $23 an hour in 1997. When these shortages occur there will be overtime needed which equates to $34.50 per hour. The constant turnover also has training costs, which can’t be measured in the employee’s hourly wage. The JIT system utilized is perhaps too stringent on time, especially with the issues at hand. A balance must be reached between a JIT system’s tightness and the ability of both the supplier and customer to work together to ensure a smooth and efficient supply chain system. There is not one root cause but rather two. The quality management programs at both Navistar and Trimco need improvement to effectively change their current processes. Strategically, if these problems were resolved, this would improve Navistar’s offering to the custom-designed truck customer. Navistar and Trimco’s JIT system must also be looked at. Alternatives and/or Options Again supplier relationships come to the forefront. Communication with Trimco is necessary in order to get a better understanding of Trimco’s problems, and where we think we can help. The JIT system utilized is   too stringent on time, especially with the issues at hand. A balance must be reached between a JIT system’s tightness and the ability of both the supplier and customer to work together to ensure a smooth and efficient supply chain system. Navistar employs a strategic centralized purchasing structure where all communication is done at Navistar headquarters. An alternative would be to have collaboration at both companies’ headquarters as to get a better line of communication. Another alternative would be for a better ERP system to be implemented. This would require additional costs, and would be a strategic move for the long run, but this could help with specification issues, as well as demand on both levels. Recommendations and Implementation The quality management programs at both Navistar and Trimco need improvement to effectively change their current processes. Strategically, if these problems were resolved, this would improve Navistar’s offering to the custom-designed truck customer. Some options that can help both Navistar and Trimco would be to delve deeper into their supplier relationship. Both parties can conduct a careful study of the processing line for both Navistar and Trimco in order to obtain a complete understanding of both companies manufacturing processes. The first step would be to notify Trimco of the supply problem. We understand the problem, and Trimco has had added costs, but we need to communicate with Trimco and have them understand how the supply problem effects Navistar’s bottom line, and ultimately how it affects our customers. This step should help open the lines of communication and help facilitate the beginning of the process. Next step would be to internally have top management involved. Top management already supports quality improvement efforts as it’s so important to Navistar’s bottom line. Let them know of the issues being faced. Support from management will help facilitate the necessary authority needed with Navistar to gain cooperation amongst the needed employees to help identify and resolve the supply problem. Upper management is primarily concerned with financial impact, but they must be aware of the impact of the problem both to the customer and those finances. The policy issues surrounding the problem with respect to last minute design changes and robbing and the deficiencies associated with Trimco must be communicated. Next would be to gain input from stakeholders. Input and feedback must be taken from other Navistar employees. Communication with Trimco is also vital in order to access additional data related to the problem as well as potential solutions to effectively resolve th e interior trim supply problem. Navistar can start by gaining input from the shipping manager, line manager, line employees, the chaser, quality managers, and design engineers. Trimco should also gain input from the shipping manager, shipping employees, and design engineers. This method will have multiple outcomes. It will start by identifying the problem to the company as a whole. The impact of the workers can be better communicated by identifying the issue. Feedback can be attained based on this as well. Line employees and shipping employees are first hand with respect to being effected by the problems, and they may voice their concerns. An added benefit of this will be that several implementation issues will be addressed before encountered. Communication and brainstorming will help identify the problems before implementation and this will be facilitated through a team approach. The design changes need to be stopped as it causing major delays and issues with Trimco. We must collaboratively agree to a set time frame that is feasible for both parties. Navistar can look at Trimco’s operation thoroughly—from design through manufacturing and delivery. Supplier relationship can take a bigger role, as Trimco is a major Navistar supplier. Communication is vital between Trimco and us. Some options and alternatives to other problems: To tackle incomplete shipments. A better EDI or implementing a joint ERP systems in which Trimco can improve control over parts being sent to Navistar with tracking being done in the ERP system. This will cost Trimco both financially and time wise, but will have a longer strategic impact in their business operations. An option to the parts quality problem would be to have Trimco have a better process when sending out parts to Navistar. Trimco needs to stop sending defective parts to Navistar, as Navistar has used these parts and ultimately had to scrap and replace them later on in their production. This is added cost and inefficiencies. Also damaged parts are second highest behind missing parts. Trimco will need to improve packaging and packing of shipping containers. On Navistar’s end, better storage of materials must be looked at in order to prevent the damage of parts while awaiting assembly. Parts can be stored in strategically   bins, or Navistar can look at other options such as storage towers. There would be added cost, but parts can be easily located, and can be much safer from damage. Monitor and Control Collaboration and communication between Trimco and Navistar is paramount in the monitoring and controlling of this outcome. Quality departments for both companies will be heavily involved in the monitoring of this implementation. Monitoring in the form of regular reports on defects, damages, and incorrect parts must be implemented in both companies. Reports to be conducted by shipping managers and line managers. There will be regular intervals where these figures will be displayed and addressed in a collaborative setting between the two companies. Integrating other business functions will be crucial as budgets can be looked at. Costs associated with these implementations should reflect a decrease in added costs and addressing expenses and looking at the budget can monitor this. The bulk of monitoring will go to the quality departments through internal reporting and tracking of damaged, defective, and incorrect parts.

David Fincher's film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

David Fincher's film analysis - Essay Example He has many successful filmmaking ventures under his name, but the substance of this prose will analyze the intricate aspects of his blockbuster film â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button†. The main premise of â€Å"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button† revolves around a boy who was born with the appearance of a geriatric and then ages backwards until his death as an infant. Fincher’s writing team has used the short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but on a thematic level it does not have the element of humor as the short story, but is more dramatic in nature. The writers have incorporated several motifs in the film to highlight the philosophical depth of the story. The film starts off with the train station clock tower that runs backwards, which signified Benjamin’s life that had taken a reverse course. Initially, the clock maker had made it to commemorate his son’s death in the war. It emboldens the importance of going through all the stages that finally defines one’s journey. However the closing shot of the movie shows the clock tower being flooded by hurricane Katrina, which symbolizes that whether one goes forward or back in time, death is an absolute factor. The entire scene is a heartbreaking reminder of the mortality of human life that was captured in the backward ticking and the flooding of the train station clock. Similarly, the man who gets repeatedly hit by lightning is yet another motif in the movie. The recounts to Benjamin how he was struck by lightning almost seven times in his life and even though, it was a painful process but he still came to see it as a positive occurrence in his life. Not only the event is significant but the number of times the man claims to have been hit by lightning can be equated as a vague allusion to the Shakespearean ideology describing the course of human life – The seven stages of man. The lightning in this regard signifies an irrevocable change and aging is indeed an irreversible process of

No Child Left Behind Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No Child Left Behind - Essay Example According to the research findings Wang and Fahey do not propose any particular questions but write that their research project had to examine the â€Å"growth patterns of parent volunteerism by national region, metropolitan status, gender, ethnicity, and immigrant status†. Later in their article, Wang and Fahey specify that their main hypothesis is that parents living in regions with strong civic traditions are more likely to volunteer than those living in large metropolitan areas. Wang and Fahey hypothesized that, in metropolitan communities, the lack of the sense of closeness failed to encourage parents to participate in their children’s learning, whereas parents in nonmetropolitan communities would be guided by the sense of cohesion and display stronger intentions to participate. There is no explicit conceptual framework for parental volunteerism and its implications for education. However, Wang and Fahey build on previous studies and use the results of their litera ture review to create a complex conceptual image of parental volunteerism and the factors affecting it. As such, Wang and Fahey link the concept of parental volunteerism to region and metropolitan status, gender, ethnicity, and immigrant status. Since parental volunteerism is not a theoretical but practical construct, no connections between the authors’ empirical observations and real-world settings have been provided. The analysis of previous findings makes it easier for the reader to develop theoretical-empirical links based on the study results. That Wang and Fahey (2010) provide a detailed discussion of the dependent and independent variables is one of the strongest sides of their research. In this study, the dependent variable was Volunteer, whereas independent variables included the time trend (Year 2002, Year 2004, and Year 2006), the regional status trend, gender, race/ethnicity and citizenship (Wang & Fahey, 2010). The notion of trends is extremely vague, and it is r ather difficult for the reader to develop and understand strong connections between the dependent and independent variables. Unfortunately, the researchers do not explain the meaning of these dependent variables, nor do they provide any detailed explanation of the components that make up these trends. Consequentially, tracing the process and progress of the statistical analysis is rather problematic, although the research design and procedure fit in the purpose and conditions of the discussed study. Wang and Fahey (2010) used the benefits of cross-sectional study design and relied on quantitative methods of data analysis. Statistical analyses were performed with the help of SAS 9.2. The benefits of statistical analyses cannot be overstated, as they ensure greater precision and accuracy of study results. The choice of logistic regressions was justified by the need to find and explain correlations among independent and dependent variables. In this sense, the statistical procedure is c onsistent with the goal and expected outcomes of the discussed research. Nevertheless, the choice of statistical methods raises the question of the applicability and practicality of the study findings and their implications for understanding the major education processes under the influence of NCLB. Wang and Fahey (2010) claim, that they collected their data from the Current

Strategic Analysis and Selection of Information Systems Essay

Strategic Analysis and Selection of Information Systems - Essay Example For the purpose of this assignment, two articles will be reviewed for inclusion into the essay. The first is Collaborative Computing and True Enterprise Architecture is Still Two Years Away, by Worthen and the second is B2B: Execution of the Concept is Key to Success by M. Sawhney. The purpose of this assignment is to explain the relationship between business strategy in IT strategy, determine any problems that occurred with strategy formulation, determine if there were problems with strategy implementation, and determine if there were problems with the strategic process. In order to fully understand the concepts presented in this assignment, it is first essential to know the definition of the words that will be discussed herein. Strategy can be defined as "a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning". Strategy is differentiated from tactics or immediate actions with resources at hand by its nature of being extensively premeditated, and often practically rehearsed. Strategies are used to make the problem or problems easier to understand and solve" (Wikipedia, 2008). Strategy formulation then can be defined as "the process of determining appropriate courses of action for achieving organizational objectives and thereby accomplishing organizational purpose" (Kotelnikov, 2008). Strategic processes are made up of macro processes within an organization. "All organizational work is part of one or more processes. At their very broadest, macro processes can span an entire organization and cut across all major function s or departments. Examples of macro processes include the design and development of new products/services; producing products or delivering services; product order or service request fulfillment; invoicing/accounting, and collecting money; inventory management and logistics; information management; admitting, discharging, and transferring patients; or generating leads and making sales" (Clemmer 2008). Article 1 B2B: Execution of the Concept is Key to Success, by Mohanbir Sawhney Problems with Strategy Formulation When forming their strategy, "Their logic seemed elegant: create marketplaces that would match buyers and sellers, bringing improved liquidity, efficiency and transparency to B2B transactions, and make money through transaction fees from the trades, Once the buyers and sellers were on board to conduct transactions, the exchanges could augment that core functionality with value-added services such as logistics management, credit and settlement, and supplier verification" (Sawhney, 2002, p. 1). Yet, the B2B boom that was supposed to happen did not. This happened when investors started to question the business model upon with the new B2B concept was based. In other words, it was not the strategy formulation that was the problem; it was the strategy implementation. Problems with Strategy Implementation The article says itself, "One might conclude from the evidence that the idea of a B2B exchange is fundamentally flawed. However, it's not the concept of the exchange that is flawed but the execution of that concept" (Sawhney, 2002, p. 1). The article cites the chicken-and-the-egg concept as the reason for the failure of the B2B concept; i.e. it is hard to get buyers without suppliers and it is hard to get