Lord of the flies comparison Essay

Throughout the course of the two novels, Oliver Twist and Lord of the Flies, the child characters are forced to assume adult roles because they have been isolated from, or excluded by society. The change the children undergo, particularly in Lord of the Flies could be described as ‘growing up’, obtaining experience and knowledge beyond their years, or a loss of innocence. One of the main ways in which children in these novels assume adult roles is through the way they attempt to govern themselves. This is particularly evident in Lord of the Flies as the boys are forced into a situation many of that age dream of; living without adult supervision. This quickly loses its appeal as the boys realise they have to establish some kind of rule and democracy, they elect a leader and soon something akin to a hierarchy is established, much like that of a real Western society. There is also a link to old tribal methods of establishing order, for example the Conch, which is similar to a Native American talking stick, which you had to possess to speak at a meeting and it was passed around so everyone had the opportunity to speak. However, the boys attempts to establish a society with a set of British values such as having a ‘stiff upper lip’ and conducting yourself like a gentleman fails somewhat as they begin to retreat into a primitive state of mind, competing with each other for survival. Jack initially claims that the boys are â€Å"not savages. We’re English, and the English are best at everything†. However as a divide appears amongst the group, led by Jack and Ralph, it becomes evident that Jack’s initial desire for order has gone as he and his tribe repeatedly chant â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood! † In contrast to this, as savagery begins to take over the majority of the boys, Ralph begins to crave law and order; â€Å"the attraction of wildness had gone. His mind skated to a consideration of a tamed town where savagery could not set foot. † It is possible to argue that both Oliver and other boys his age such as the Artful Dodger and Charley Bates are also forced into having to govern themselves, as they have to work and provide for themselves at such a young age. The governing bodies such as â€Å"the Board† are portrayed as faceless beings who we are encouraged not to trust as they hold Oliver’s fate in their hands. It is suggested throughout the novel that men in positions of power are often not particularly good role models; Sikes and Fagin are outlaws who use children to commit petty crimes on their behalf; â€Å"the Board† and Mr. Bumble fail to hold Oliver’s best interests at heart as they put him in positions where he is abused, mistreated and left uncared for. The representation of adults is not completely negative in Oliver Twist, as it is in Lord of the Flies which draws parallels between the boys governing methods and that of the adult government of the time. The upper class adults in Oliver such as Mr. Brownlow are represented in a positive light as he, unlike Fagin and Mr. Bumble treats Oliver with care which means he no longer has to fend for himself. This Christian charity is only shown through Mr. Brownlow and the people who care for Oliver after he is shot, being forced to break into a house by Bill Sikes. Hierarchy in Victorian times often dictated how a person was treated. Oliver is particularly poorly treated as his mother is seen to be without a wedding ring. On the other hand, in Lord of the Flies, there is an initial attempt by the boys to establish democracy and equality through use of the conch to call meetings. However, this begins to fail as the group divides. The â€Å"savages† move to the other side of the island and â€Å"the world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away†. Throughout the book, Golding repeatedly describes the children’s innate sense of wrong-doing as the influence of â€Å"the old life†. Despite a lack of authority figures or â€Å"grown-ups†, the boys seem to possess knowledge of the difference between right and wrong. The boys sometimes throw stones at one another, but they often â€Å"aim to miss†. In one situation, when fun and games become too serious, a boy sits in the middle of a circle being pelted with stones but â€Å"around the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law. † However as their society begins to fall apart there are conflicts in the established hierarchy between elected chief Ralph and the rebellious Jack, they lose this sense which results in the murder of Simon and Piggy. Jack’s tribe then hunt pigs, and ultimately Ralph, in their pursuit of power. This was despite Jack’s initial failure to kill a pig because of â€Å"the enormity of the knife descending and cutting into living flesh†. This loss of innocence is evident at the end of the novel; â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy. † It is often the influence of adults that force Oliver and his companions to grow up. Fagin and Sikes use the boys as minions to commit petty crimes such as theft as, even if they are caught, the two men will not be traceable. During this period children were used for such things, as well as other dangerous and demeaning jobs such as chimney sweeping. It is evident that the wellbeing of the child was not considered by their ‘owners’ and confrontation existed in society between boys and men, as the adults exploited them for money and slave labour;†the man against the child for a bag of gold†. Throughout the two novels the characters evolve and are influenced by the society and events around them. Oliver is described as having experience beyond his years and over the course of the novel he begins to realise more and more about the cruelty of society. He is described as being â€Å"too well accustomed to suffering, and had suffered too much where he was, to bewail the prospect of a change very severely. † This shows that he has gradually come to accept that he has been rejected by society, and he is doomed to live in poverty for what he believes will be a short life. This emphasises his loss of innocence as a child of his age should not be in such a situation. The boys portrayed in chapter twelve of Lord of the Flies are very different characters to those innocently swimming in the lagoon in chapter three; they have become tribal savages who have hunted and killed animals and even their fellow boys in order to survive. Also, the severed sow’s head represents the influence of human suffering on childhood innocence, as it is impaled on a stick in a clearing which had previously been a place of peace and tranquillity, where Simon had innocently sat amongst nature in chapter three. The influence of society from the boys old life was initially evident, but soon they descend into an underworld of murky morals; â€Å"In his other life Maurice had received chastisement for filling a younger eye with sand. Now, though there was no parent to let fall a heavy hand, Maurice still felt the unease of wrong-doing†. The theme of civilization is also evident throughout the two novels. In Lord of the Flies the boy’s intentions are initially very civil, as they use the conch to bring order to their discussions in an attempt to create a fair democracy during their stay on the island. However, this civil attitude doesn’t last and is soon replaced by one of savagery. The moment when Piggy is killed by the falling rock is a very symbolic as it results in the conch being smashed and Piggy’s glasses being destroyed. The conch was a symbol of democracy, which was crumbling under pressure from Jack and his determination to turn to savagery. Also, Piggy’s glasses were a symbol of civilization as they are stereotypically worn by intelligent people. Furthermore, they were used to make fire and their loss results in them no longer being able to do so. Therefore, this event symbolises the final depletion of society, morals and law and order. In Oliver Twist, the line between civilization and savagery is not so clear, as it is suggested that civilization itself can be savage in the sense that many of the people in positions of authority are not concerned about the people their decisions affect. It is often suggested in Oliver Twist that people in high ranking positions are not trustworthy and are not role models, whereas in Lord of the Flies after a long period unsupervised on the island, the boys begin to desire an adult influence to guide them; Piggy expresses a wish that his â€Å"auntie was here†, while Ralph also believes that if an adult was there they would know what to do, and would be able to help them to agree and survive. This links to social hierarchy, which also plays a part in the way the children in the two novels adapt. Oliver is clearly resigned to the fact that he will never be given opportunities to better himself because of his social class, and his mother is not properly cared for when giving birth to him by Mr Bumble and Mrs Mann when it is noted that there is â€Å"no wedding ring, I see, Ah! Good night! † this shows that as Oliver is, to their knowledge, an illegitimate child he and his mother are not thought of as important enough to care for. On the rare occasions Oliver finds courage to ask for more care, or for help in his suffering, he is accused of being â€Å"the ungratefullest and worst-disposed boy as ever I see† by Mr Bumble. Despite Mr Bumble’s higher social status, and position of authority he and the other powerful figures fail to help Oliver out of his situation. This reflects the failure of society and charity to help the poor. The collapse of social hierarchy and civilization is much less subtle in Lord of the Flies, as they lose their sense of moral values and return to a primitive lifestyle with no rules as they battle for survival. There is a suggestion that this reflects the erosion of society and the way in which the government have failed to preserve civilized values. Furthermore, in Lord of the Flies, the idea that children are the future is fore grounded and questioned. The novel has been described as a political satire as it portrays government as children making childlike errors. It is possible to draw parallels between, Simon and Oliver. They both represent innocence and human goodness as Simon is depicted in the clearing in chapter 3 in a scene of natural tranquillity. Simon’s childlike innocence and naivety is a theme throughout the book, and he is described as having â€Å"eyes so bright they had deceived Ralph into thinking him delightfully gay and wicked†. Oliver also possesses an innate sense of hope despite his desperate situation. When he is shot and dying he â€Å"stirred and smiled in his sleep, as though these marks of pity and compassion had awakened some pleasant dream of a love and affection he had never known†. In conclusion, Oliver Twist and Lord of the Flies both depict children in their struggle for survival against a society dominated by adults; a situation which is summed up by Fagin as â€Å"the man against the child, for a bag of gold†. On the other hand, in Lord of the Flies, the threat to the boy’s survival is largely caused by the lack of the very same society. It is necessary for Oliver and the stranded boys in Lord of the Flies to grow up emotionally, although this is not portrayed as a positive thing as the boys gradually lose their innocence. This process is evident in Ralph, as he begins the novel as â€Å"old enough, twelve years and a few months, to have lost the prominent tummy of childhood; and not yet old enough for adolescence†, and ends the novel weeping for his loss of innocence and the death of his friends.

Family Diversity

Reasons being there has been an increase in divorce over the past 30 years. Also, the growing proportion of household that are composed of 1 person. 2) Allen & crow- identified 2 key points for single parent families. -increase in divorce -significant rise in the number of never married women. Beanpole families are long and thin. These are multi-generational families where there is more intergenerational contact (grandparents and grandchildren) than intergenerational contact (cousins). 1) Brannon- sees them as being like a beanpole. Reason for less intergenerational ties. Gig divorce rates causing breakdown of contact between extended families – falling fertility rates couples having less children, so there will be fewer relationships. Reason for more intergenerational ties. -grandparents live longer provide extra care e. G. (babysitting) 2) Grungy & Henrietta- uses the concept of ‘sandwich generation' to refer to women aged between 55 and 69 who offer assistance between their needy parents and their own children. Research shows a growing number of women will be in this position. An extended family contains kin beyond the family.This could be through vertical extensions with additional family members from a 3rd generation (grandparents) or horizontal extensions (wife's sister). 1) villains- showed how working class peoples live that lived in east London was still dominated by the values and traditions of extended kin. 2) McConnell- used survey findings and discovered that in the 1 ass's contact with relatives was still frequent. Extended family was an important source of support, for practical support such as helping with jobs. E. G. Times of illness and financial tasks. A reconstituted family is when families merge together and form a new Emily.For example a couple with children split up, the children remain with the mother who forms a new family with a new partner and who also has children. National statistics 2004, an estimated 10% of all famili es were reconstituted. 1) Smart – researched children experiencing co-parenting, found that children value having both parents in their lives. By moving from houses as a routine since young age. Some religious people are more likely to have children living with them than others. Religion can also influence the way that children are socialized in families.

Approaches to reduce occupational stress Research Paper

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Analysis of the Film The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Movie Review Example With reference to the more obvious part of the subject, the filmmaker appears to enthuse life’s constant fact that by one’s sole endeavor, it would be difficult to attain a sense of fulfillment. In the story, Dorothy meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion on her journey to the Emerald City. Though each of these creatures differs greatly from each other with respect to non-human material characteristics, altogether they possess distinct human traits that complement those of the Kansas girl. Under these circumstances, the four become great friends as they inevitably give one another a hand in overcoming the obstacles encountered. At this stage, the film clearly inculcates to the psyche the significance of friendship that works in good and bad times alike. ‘The Wizard of Oz’ specifically promotes the notion that regardless of the predictive capability of an individual to emerge as a hero or heroine in most cases like Dorothy, there comes a turning p oint when companions are amply necessitated in completing not only the set tasks or mission but also the state of happiness in all sorts of adventures experienced. On the other hand, through in-depth examination, the creation of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ may be found to form an argument that suggests typical culture and ‘populist ideology’. By presenting the rural conditions of an American small town where the tending farm is the chief source of livelihood, the film communicates the value of familial ties and associated hard-work thereof. It seeks to establish agreement to the type of American society during the 1930s when the extended period of industrialization from the Gilded Age brought about several revolutionary ideas which took effect via the outcomes perceived in the drastic change in both the economy and the general community lifestyle. In particular, the ‘yellow brick road’ which symbolizes ‘gold’ and the rainbow’s end bearing a ‘pot of gold’ both represent the principle of prosperity which can only be achieved through enthusiastic attitude toward work while holding ‘family’ essential in the process. It stresses consideration to how the strength of family bond impacts

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A WalMart Monopoly Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Google Case Study Essay Example for Free

Google Case Study Essay Google was founded in 1999 and has been around in your everyday life ever since. Ranging from search engines to books to email, Google is somehow incorporated in your lives everyday. Originally beginning with their focus on search engines and algorithms, Google has since widened their availability of products. In 1999, when Google first came about, the company’s mission was: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 15 years later, this is still the mission of the company. According to the article, it will take upwards of 300 years to obtain and organize all of the world’s information. That being said, it is safe to say Google has a long way to go but are they headed in the right direction? Google, just like any other company has goals and objectives. Some of their goals include: Growth Develop and maintain the â€Å"perfect† search engine Provide innovative products early and often To organize information and make the web faster and better for everyone (These will be discussed in strategies and throughout the case analysis) Strategies Google is no different from Burger King or from LA Fitness. All companies share a same goal, regardless of the industry they are in: market share and growth. Google’s main goal is to continuously grow and dominate the market/industry and be a leader for years to come. Upon entering the market in 1999, Yahoo and AOL were some of leaders in the industry. Google immediately changed that by becoming working at becoming a player in the industry. As of 2009, Google had 65.6% share of all US searches and 90% of all international searches. Meanwhile, the closest rival (yahoo) had only  17.5%. Since the very beginning, Google came about to change search engines everywhere. They wanted to offer a faster search engine that provided more relevant results, incorporating history of search, keyword frequency, and important pages. Thus began the creation of paid listings. At the very beginning, paid listings were advertisements all around the page: top, bottom and in the margins. Additionally, cost per click (CPC) came about as well. Advertisers began to pay for clicked links by consumers to compete for position on search results pages. The higher their link was on the results page, the more likely it would be clicked. Google changed this aspect into a cost per impression, meaning if the ad is viewed and nothing clicked, then the client is still charged a fee. Google also developed a CPC rate based on actual clicks to expected clicks forecasted by Google themselves. In 2003, Google began advertising editorial content along with blogs, something that had not been done by any competitor yet. AOL ended up giving Google the rights to advertise on their website costing Google $1 billion and giving AOL $330 million advertising credit. Over the years Google has encountered many rivals and competitors ranging from Yahoo and Bing to Ebay and Amazon. These rivals came about due to the innovative products created at Google. Google purchased companies such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence while coming up with products such as cloud applications, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Finance and so much more. Google was leaving their main focus of search engines and dabbled into other categories in the industry. To some, this could be seen as dangerous and deadly to the company itself. Not for Google, anything they touched turned into gold. Google Docs immediately challenged Microsoft Office while Gmail challenged any and all free email websites. Google has also come out with tablets and mobile phones of late, allowing them to compete in yet another industry. Some might ask what is so appealing about all of their products? In my personal experience, I would say the ease of use is what appeals to me. Anytime I have used a product of Google, it is so easy to use and has lots of capabilities. Some might see this ease of use as a competitive advantage. When it all comes down to it, developing the â€Å"perfect† search engine is their main focus. Google has a philosophy that says, â€Å"Do one thing really, really well.† That is why the main focus of the company is developing the perfect search engine and organizing the world’s information.  Through paid as well as free listings, Google has developed a faster and more accurate way to sort search results. This will continue to be their focus in the future and Google hopes to master the art of the search engine. Google Culture and Values During its existence, Google has proven to be loyal to a certain set of values, principles and culture. In my opinion, this can be swayed as part of their business strategy as well. As part of there culture, they make these three things consistently known: 1. â€Å"Don’t be evil† – Do not compromise the integrity of search, effective advertising without being flashy, and do not allow ads on webpages that have no relevance. At Google they have a firm set of beliefs and this is an important one. Google makes sure to do things the right way and follow their moral and ethic code. They do not take advantage of publishers, clients or the customers. Google is here to provide a service as well as products and they do so in an honest way. 2. â€Å"Technology Matters† – Technology rules everything. Developing a faster and more accurate search query could only be done so through new and advancing technology. Google developed custom hardware to decrease costs a nd improve speed. 3. â€Å"We make our own rules† – The founders at Google ran the company in a different and unconventional way. They were very secretive to outsiders, only unveiling things that they were required to and nothing more. This leads into their unconventional governance structure as well. Governance at Google was an interesting situation when it came to the IPO. They decided to offer dual class equity, giving 10 votes per share of Class B and Class A receives 1 vote per share. Assuming that majority of people will sell their shares anyways; that left the CEO Schmidt and the founders, Brin and Page, with 80% control of the vote. This allowed them to control the strategy and direction of the company. They made it very well known the direction the company was headed in and that anyone who invests is not only investing in Google, but the idea and direction that Brin, Page and Schmidt want to go in. 4. â€Å"Do one thing really, really well† – This is basically a quote that Google has and will always live by. When Google first came about, the main focus of the company was providing a better search engine than what already existed. Google created algorithms that allowed for  quicker and more relevant search results. Between these algorithms and the deals Google scored with companies, they quickly jumped into majority market share. To this day, Google still acquires companies and has deals with clients to continuously improve search quality on and day-to-day basis. Do not expect this to ever change. There are other points that Google lives by but these four are the most important and outline their every decision, their every move. Situation Analysis SWOT Strengths 1. Brand Recognition – Everyone knows and has heard of Google. People have begun to use the company’s name as not only a proper noun but also a verb, â€Å"Googled it or Googling it†. To be so popular not just in the form of a search engine, but with all the products offered, that is a huge strength. Reputation is everything. 2. Acquisitions – â€Å"If you can’t beat them, join them†. That is a popular quote heard from time to time. Google has dominated the market since entry in 1999 and lots of companies have fallen to this quote. Google acquires competitors (current and possible future) from time to time, such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence. This increases their reach towards possible new target markets, increasing revenue and profit. Most importantly, it increases market share. As a company absorbs competition, one would assume their market share becomes absorbed as well. 3. Algorithms – Google created an algorithm to link pages together that deserved attention. This allowed for faster and more relevant search results leading to Google becoming a true threat to competitors. Irrelevant results always swamped and spammed customers. Google found a way to trim this down and it also became a competitive advantage. 4. Free Services – Google offered free software to optimize advertising campaigns. Google Analytics allows companies to focus spending on specific keywords that are more popular so they are more likely to lead to sales. Weaknesses 1. Variety of products – I very well could have considered this one of their strengths as well. I firmly believe when Google came about, their main focus was to improve the quality of the search engine. Since then, Google has developed a wide variety of products ranging from books, email and videos all the way to mobile phones, operating software and Google docs. Offering a myriad of products and services can cause a company to lose their main focus. 2. Legal issues – Google seems to not be bothered by their legal issues. From copyright infringement (books) to searches by trademarks, Google has faced legal issues throughout their existence. There was a class action lawsuit in which Google ended up settling for $45 million with book authors/publishers for copyright infringement. In addition to that, placing competitor ads when a company is searched did not sit well with companies such as Geico or American Airlines. It created customer confusion and led to possible loss in sales for the clients of Google. These suits were also confidentially settled. 3. International Reputation- These legal issues were not solely domestic. Litigation for companies overseas ended in a different result, with the courts siding with multiple trademark holders rather than Google. Book scanning was resolved domestically as well but the results were opposite once again overseas. It seems as though Google has a poor reputation as a result of these legal issues overseas. Opportunities 1. Mobile Devices – Google has created an Android phone that is currently competing with top market mobile devices. They also have come up with Google Glass and tablets. There are more opportunities in this industry and large room for improvement on their existing products. Apple may dominate this part of the industry but it is not farfetched to think a company like Google cannot deplete Apple’s market share. 2. Full Service Portal – Yahoo currently offers a full service portal inclusive of sports, finance, email, calendar, tasks, etc. Google already individually offers some of these products. Maybe getting into the idea of a full service portal could be their next step? 3. Improving existing products – After initial releases of products, Google can weigh the popularity and success of each product. They  will know what is failing, what interests society and what they can/should improve on. Innovation is not only creating new products but also improving existing ones. 4. Advancing Technology – Google has acquired many companies throughout their existence, which allowed them to use new and uncharted technology. There is always new technology and Google is a multibillion-dollar company allowing them the possibility of purchasing if not creating this technology themselves. Adapting to new technology allows Google to gain an advantage over others in the industry Threats 1. Replacement Advertising – Google began advertising on search pages. Since the start of web advertising, we have come a long way. Now there are mobile phone apps that include advertising as well as social media sites. This could begin to threaten the market share and revenue of Google 2. Privacy Laws – As we know, Google is no stranger to legal issues. Privacy has begun to threaten Google in many different forms. One common for was through Gmail. Advertisements were chosen based on what the email said but no one was actually looking; there was simply an algorithm in place to extract that information and process it. The search history can be accessed and people think this invades their privacy as well. Your search history is available for up to 18 months. 3. Substitution- With the variety of products offered, each one has one or more competitors. If legal issues continue to rise or prices become too high, it is possible that customers switch from Google to their competitors. The threat of substitution is high in the sense of products other than search. Some would say they do not see a difference between Yahoo, Google and Bing BUT this is not a threat because as of 2009, Google had 65.6% of all US searches. If there is no difference, then where is the threat of this number to decrease? Why would anyone switch from the current search engine that they use? Competitive Advantage and Resources Resources and competitive advantages seem to go hand in hand here at Google. A key resource is the employees. Google has approximately 48,000 employees; this calls for a wide variety of knowledge and talent. Each employee brings  something different to the table. Google stresses individualism and personal projects. If 48,000 people are striving to improve the company and create new possibilities, that would make employees a phenomenal resource. Another resource is their algorithms. As I have stated throughout this discussion, Google created algorithms to create a faster, more dependable and relevant search engine. Developing these algorithms allowed them to sustain a competitive advantage. In fact, some competitors even wanted to purchase the use of these on their engines (Yahoo and AOL)! Instead, Google went ahead and created a search engine becoming a direct competitor. Another resource, which might actually seem odd, is the founders and CEO of the company. They run Google in an unconventional way but it has really paid off. They developed a set of values and pounded this culture into all heads at Google. Technology is another resource used at Google. Technology in general is always changing and people constantly have to adapt. Google is a driver of technology and constantly brings products to the market. Google uses technology to succeed as well as incur a profit. The above resources can also be considered competitive advantages for Google. The algorithm that was created set Google apart from competitors and allowed them to enter the market. They immediately began obtaining market share and competitors could not compete with that type of search engine. Brand recognition is another competitive advantage. If people were to give me the option to use Bing, Yahoo or Google, I would hands down always use Google. Not that I can tell a difference but simply because I am accustomed to it. It is well known and developed in so many facets of the industry. Another competitive advantage that Google has is its free software. The competitors cannot afford to offer free services to clients, which gives Google a leg up on the competition. It allows Google to tap into new markets, further tap into current markets and please current clients. Data scraping abilities (which I have direct contact with) is another competitive advantage. The data scraping capabilitie s at Google are unbelievable. The resources they have here allow them to analyze every bit of data possible. This leads to better and more accurate services for clients, enhanced keywords, and an enhanced overall experience for clients. Porters 5 Forces Threat of new entrants – Some would consider this high but I think it varies depending on which segment you are discussing. In the search engine segment, I would say the threat is low but when you look at the multitude of products offered elsewhere, there is always a high threat. Costs to enter could be high in some segments while low in others. While profits are attractive and could result in new companies entering the market, Google as a dominant firm can turn these potential threats away. Threat of Substitutes – This has the same basis as threat of new entrants. Depending on the product, the threat could be high or low. Cell phones and tablets have a ton of possible substitutes out there and that can cause customers to switch brands. Varying prices of products or differences in quality can cause a high threat of substitution as well. Rivalry- High. There are rivals in every segment of Google’s business. Search engine has Yahoo as its biggest competitor but not limited to just them. There is also Bing, AOL, and other small competitors. The existence of innovation and new products keeps the rivalry intense amongst competitors in the industry. Similar products and similar goals keep the rivalry constant Bargaining power of suppliers – Low. The main suppliers of Google are engineers. Due to the number of engineers, the supplier has low bargaining power. Google has 48,000 employees and if engineers feel they can do better elsewhere, then Google will find replacements. Being such a large and successful company almost has Google on a pedestal. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to work for them? Bargaining power of consumers – Also varies based on what product is being discussed. When you discuss tangible products such as mobile phones or tablets, power is high. When it comes to search engines, Google Docs, Gmail, etc, power is low. Although there are other substitutes to these items listed above, the interface and software of Google sets it apart from  the rest. The threat of switching is non-existent. Critical Success Factors – these are factors that are necessary for a company to achieve its mission. For Google, the following are CSF: Speed and accuracy- The faster results can be displayed with accuracy then the more likely that people will use Google. This is how Google set themselves apart from the industry. New algorithms allowed for more relevant results at a quicker pace. Quality search results – As I stated above, the algorithm allowed for relevant results. People were being spammed by random links not relevant to what they were looking for. Innovation- Google is constantly bringing products to the market and attracting new target markets. Not only are they bringing new products to light, they are changing and improving existing products Culture – This is a CSF for Google because it sets them apart from competitors. Google stands by their beliefs and their culture 100%. They do not deter from these beliefs regardless of the situation. It allows them to think outside the box and differently than competitors Ease of use – Older generations are not completely acquainted with the use of technology and probably never will be. The ease of use could help close that gap tremendously and allow for Google to tap another market. The multitude of products, software, hardware or tangible products need to be easy to use. Even my generation has trouble with software and hardware, it is like a second language to some! Alternatives and Recommendations A few possible alternatives that Google can do are become a full access portal, increase personal time to 20% (making it a 60-20-20 system) and focus on improving existing products. Becoming a full access portal will allow Google to take some additional market share from Yahoo. Currently Yahoo offers finance, sports, mail, news, etc. all in one place. Google needs to put this into action. The pros of this are that Google already has these things but offers them separately. Google has the Gmail option, finance, news, maps, books and much more. It already has the pieces and just needs to combine them into  one place. This should not be hard with all the talented engineers on staff. Another pro is that the market share is bound to increase. Google already has many loyal customers to different segments of the market. Some might use Yahoo for things not currently offered in the same place. If Google offers sports where it has email and finance (for example), it could take away customers from Yahoo. A con is that this is a big risk. If the interface is not easy to understand or follow, people might abandon these options altogether and go directly to a competitor. Increasing personal time spent on projects to 20%, changing the culture to a 60-20-20. Currently Google encourages personal projects and stresses to work on a 70-20-10 basis. Google says they do not mind spending money now if it can lead to possible wealth over time. For this idea, there are a few cons. Employees could get caught up in their personal ideas and projects leaving the important ones assigned by managers past due. This could also be seen as free time and some might take advantage of it as a break from work in general. Another con is if 48,000 employees are working on their own projects 20% of the time, it might not be time well spent amongst everyone. Even if everyone is working diligently on a project, these projects might not pan out and that is a lot of wasted time. One of the biggest pros is high risk, h igh reward. Google is willing to take a risk after evaluating projects developed by employees. Allowing them to work on personal projects 20% of the time can create more opportunities to â€Å"hit big† for Google. Another pro is the encouragement of creativity. Personal projects call for creativity and this can then transfer over into the 60-20 time spent elsewhere. My last suggestion is to focus on existing products rather than continue to increase the amount of products they have already. Google came about and was focused on search but since then have brought multiple products to the forefront of the market. While they have been mostly successful, existing products can still be tweaked to gain maximum exposure. The main pro of this suggestion is that the kinks and problems existing could be resolved. Google could perfect already popular and existing products with the possibility of taking demand from competitors. Another pro is redirecting their focus back to the original product and the main source of revenue. Search was the first product of Google and even today it makes up the majority of the revenues (including advertising since they are hand in hand). Some cons are that they could be missing out on the next big thing. Putting all focus on existing products might have Google miss out on a hot new product that could really bring a big boom to the company. Another con is there might not be much more additional potential to focusing on existing products. They have acquired companies and competitors throughout their time and this is one way to focus on existing products. Another recommendation is pretty simple and quick to the point. Get rid of products that do not have high value to the company. The scope of the product line is wide and I do not think it is possible that all are value-adding products to Google. While some might be reaching large audiences and bringing high profits to the company, there are always some that are not doing so well. While they still might be making a profit, the workforce could be used elsewhere and that might have a higher value than the non-core product. Resources and time could be used elsewhere to perfect other products or to create new and innovative ones. The con is that while it might not be adding â€Å"value†, the product is still bringing in a profit. Google is very successful and would not have a product existing that currently has costs outweighing benefits. They are too smart for that. Giving up on a product might not be the correct decision just because it is not bringing in expected amounts of money. My recommendation would be to combine the 60-20-20 option with the focus on existing products option. While the 60-20-20 idea can cause a lack of focus, intertwining it with the existing products idea allows that focus to still be there. Employees can incorporate work on existing products in that additional 10% of time as well. Allowing companies to work privately on anything could prove to be a bad idea but pairing it with existing products will benefit the company. Imagine 48,000 employees focusing on existing products. The sky is the limit and Google can really blow competitors out of the water. I decided the full service portal is not a good suggestion. The risk of it not being easy to access and maneuver around does not outweigh the benefits. Customers already use a variety of products regardless if they are all in one location. If putting theses product in one place backfires due to difficulty of use, customers may go to Yahoo and begin using their portal. Google already has a sense of customer loyalty so  why try and change something that is working. Implementation The recommendation at hand here is to increase personal time to 20%, making the culture at Google 60-20-20 while maintaining focus on existing products. To begin this recommendation, Google should select a percentage of employees to test this out. Of 48,000 employees, they cannot have everyone working on personal projects right off the bat. It might lead to laziness and lack of effort across the board. Google should select maybe 5% of the workforce and allow them to allocate additional time towards personal projects. Google can then compare it to prior months focus on core business and see if they still maintained focus. If this was successful, then little by little introduce the workforce to this new concept. Another part of this implementation would be to have different shifts. Everyone cannot work on personal projects at the same time. Setting aside different shifts for the personal time could prove pivotal to the success of this idea. Google likes the idea of these creative concepts and have used them before. Gmail is an example of the â€Å"personal project† and now that has flourished into a leading email in the industry. Google has no problem investing in long shots and extending to 20% would do just that. Another part of the recommendation was to put focus on existing products and tweak or perfect them. To begin implementation, analysts at Google need to perform an industry analysis and provide some data on the competitors that exist with similar products. Google needs to have numbers and data comparisons so that they know how their products are doing in comparison to possible substitutes. After analyzing the industry, Google would send out customer surveys. All customers are in a database and have their emails, addresses, phone numbers, etc. on file. Google will find a way to reach the customer, send them a short survey on what they like, what they don’t like, what needs improvement and other beneficial questions. To figure out what needs improvement, you MUST talk to the users of the product. Upon finding out what is liked, what needs fixing, Google must assign a task force to tackle the job. This can now be intertwined with the 60-20-20 change stated above. While it may be a core business task, the idea of how to fix a problem or tweak a product can  be completed during the 20% personal time. Once the task force has been assigned, the product will be evaluated by everyone on the task force. They will be encouraged to give blunt honest opinions on the product as well. These employees are more knowledgeable than the everyday user so they might have different ideas that could be acknowledged as well. Once the survey period has ended for both customers and employees, brainstorming must begin. Individualism is encouraged but working in teams can help brainstorming run more smoothly. Ideas will be bounced around and once they can settle on what needs to be done, the â€Å"how† part takes place. Strategies on changing, marketing, and promoting the new product need to be derived and approved by managers. Once the strategies are derived, products will begin to go through the makeover process. Throughout this makeover process, Google will begin marketing and promoting the changes that are coming. The public will become aware, arousing curiosity as to what Google did to make this amazing product even better. This will lead to some hype and Google, like usual, will please the customers and the public. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. They have been doing this since 1999 and have a long way to go. Focusing on existing products by fine-tuning them will help change the world forever. Allowing new and great ideas to develop internally and then possibly taking a risk is what makes Google great. Google is an innovative company, changing many segments of many industries ever since Day 1. Just as the article says, everyone fears Google†¦as they should.

Sox Key Main Aspects for a Regulatory Environment Essay Example for Free

Sox Key Main Aspects for a Regulatory Environment Essay Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in 2002 by former president George Bush. Essentially to combat the Enron crisis. The Sox Act basically has regulatory control and creates an enviroment that is looking out for the public. Ideally this regulatory environment protects the public from fraud within corporations. Understanding, that while having this regulatory control at times the Sox requirements need to be tweaked or amended. Not only now but in the future as well. The main aspects of the Sox act are essentially looking out for our welfare as a consumer. Our government has the obligation to regulate and facilitate any rules to enforce with a corporation to protect the American people. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 came into its own in the summer of 2002. The act got its name from Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley. Essentially these two gentlemen were the founding fathers of this act. They set up the framework for compliance and regulatory controls. The Sox is formatted with 11 different titles, however for compliance regulations there are six important sections. These sections are; 302,401,404,409,802, and 906. Each one of these is the backbone of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. One section in particular is a key component to hold corporations accountable; that would be section 302 of the Sox act. Essentially making both the CEO and CFO sign off on all financial documents. This is huge for any company. The reason being it holds people accountable, which in any business is essential for its own sustainable success. If the CEO has to review every financial document and essentially is putting his career on the line and to avoid a jail term. Each financial document is going to be scrutinized by him before he signs off of the financials. Another important article of the six is section 401 of the Sox act. This act pertains to financial disclosers, and to make sure each one of these are accurate and has no mistakes or errors. Essentially everything needs to be documented and accounted for. Basically another check and balance to assure that the financials are done right and the people doing them are held accountable. Article 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley act is another article that is a huge key in regulatory compliance. This article is defined as Assessment of Internal controls. Essentially making companies or corporations publish information about their controls and procedures for financial reporting. Article 409 is another key component to the Sox act. This article is defined by Real Time Issuer disclosures. Essentially a company or corporation is required to disclose portent financial information to the public if there is a sudden change to their financial condition or something within the operational realm. Also when this is disclosed it has to be done in layman terms for everyone to understand. Another key step in holding people accountable and regulating companies or corporations. The one article that everyone will pay attention too is section 802. This is the criminal penalty section. This section is defined by Criminal Penalties for altering documents. Essentially stating that any destruction, falsifying or hiding and not disclosing any financial information is punishable by a 20-year prison sentence, fines and various penalties. Another step of accountability in relation to section 302; a CEO is subjected to these terms and does so willingly when he signs financial documents. Another check in the system is the accountant who is providing the CEO with these documents is also held accountable by a 10-year prison term. This is great for accountability within an organization. Now the question would be for the future can the Sarbanes-Oxley Act work? And what are the ramifications in a long-term projection? In some ways I feel this act could be sustainable in a long-term scope to keep companies  and corporations in check. However I think this was created after the Enron situation and purely done because of that. Our government instead of being proactive was reactive and came up with this act for pure necessity and panic and public outcry. However even if that’s the case, this did at least set a framework and accountability for companies and corporations. Going forward this has worked for at least 10 years or so, however it should ratified to more current times and situations. Clayton Brite tends to agree with me; â€Å"When looking back upon the first ten years of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, one can only conclude that it has placed an undue burden our public companies and stifled our economic growth. The Act’s costs have greatly outweighed its benefits and thus needs reformed. Its effects have been perhaps more pronounced by the current financial crisis and the slow economic recovery. It is my opinion that lawmakers felt the pressure to punish corporate Americans when they should have focused their attention on trying to reduce information asymmetry. Sarbanes-Oxley was written and passed within one month in 2002. With the empirical evidence we have now in its first decade of existence, it is time to go back and reform Sarbanes-Oxley and ease some of the burdens it has placed on companies which fall under its punitive purview, (Brite, 2013)†. So essentially I feel this act is not going away. I like the act and the fact people are held accountable for their actions. I like the sign off by the CEO and how they are held accountable as well. I think in some respects the Sox at should be modified and possibly have harsher penalties applied to assure that Enron will never happen again. We shall see moving forward! References Addison-Hewitt Associates. (2006). A Guide To The Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from http://www.soxlaw.com/ Investopedia ,(2014). Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002-SOX. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/ Rouse, Margret. (2007). Definition of Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/Sarbanes-Oxley-Act Brite, Clayton. (2013). Is Sarbanes-Oxley A Failing Law? University of Chicago Undergraduate Law Review. Retrieved from; http://uculr.com/articles/2013/6/30/is-sarbanes-oxley-a-failing-law

Feasibility Study Report Business Essay

Feasibility Study Report Business Essay Assumption As introduction of the assignment said. The school in the case should be in a small village, and both of the pupils, are in the age 5 to 11 years group. So that it should be envisaged it is a small computer room. By received government funding, there should have a network of 8 desktop computers within Internet connection. Assumed there are not mixed class in the computer room. There should be six groups totally. So the total user of the computer room is around forty two persons. Install two interactive whiteboards for classroom use and a networked laser printer is enough . I suggested the school should be install Windows XP as the operating system, make sure it is easier to maintenance and have much more higher compatibility in the software market. They also should have an off the shelf database for school administration. For example, teacher can keep the student attendance records at classes and keep the marks for tests, exams and assignments etc. Access in Microsoft office 2003 is suitable for the case. Because it have a higher performance, lower price with patched version. Two interactive whiteboards are also let the teaching staff to show the teaching materials which they find out from the Internet . In my own opinion, follow the whole project planning. The installation and working should be complete within six months successfully . TASK1 Feasibility study report Introduction This school has received government funding to buy a network of 8 desktop computers with Internet connection, two interactive whiteboards for classroom use, a networked laser printer and an off the shelf database for school specifically. We should complete the hold project within six months . School background This school is a locate in a small village with pupils in the age range 5 to 11 years . There is no in-house expertise to call upon. The senior management of the school is heavily reliant on this plan. We should complete this guide to let the school staff through the project and show what will have to be done to make it a success . The schools vision is to provide fast, reliable technical assistance to pupils and teaching staff on both study and teaching . Our mission is to : Teaching staff can keep records of student attendance at classes and marks for tests, exams and assignments . Teaching staff can also access the Internet for teaching materials that can be used on the interactive whiteboards . Envisaged students will access the Internet for research purposes, and for learning materials . Students can also prepare written assignments and print them out from networked printer . Option recommendation Hardware The recommended current model of item in the market. Shown in table 1.1. Why we choose these model of computer is because the Stability, enhanced security, efficiency, these PCs mean business : HPs most stable and secure business PCs with powerful technology and professional innovations such as energy efficient features and leading remote manageability solutions. Maximum flexibility. Global configurations, a range of ports, slots and bays and a wide variety of HP pre-qualified options and accessories allow you to maximize your investment . Energy Efficiency features. The HP 8000 Elite model has improved energy efficiency over previous generations by 30% when the PCs are at an idle. Take efficiency even further with low power processors and energy efficient power supplies. Enhanced manageability. Designed to be easy to deploy and manage, the HP Compaq 8000 Elite helps lower maintenance costs and protects your assets with a full range of remote management technologies from HP, Altiris and Intel. More secure, HP Protect Tools security software helps you more safely secure your hardware, software, firmware and OS, providing infrastructure protection that allows you to focus on your business, not your points of vulnerability. Global service and support. Get the most out of your investment with HP s world class global services and support portfolio, including HP Total Care and a worldwide network of partners to help you get the most out of your technology investment. Get the most out of your investment with HP s world clas s global services and support portfolio, including HP Total Care and a worldwide network of partners to help you get the most out of your technology investment. Warranty, protected by HP Services, including a 3 -3 -3 standard warranty delivering 3 years of parts and 3 year of both labour and on-site repair. Response time is next business-day and includes free telephone support 9. 00 am to 5. 00 pm. Terms and conditions vary by country. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply . Software I suggested that the school should be install Windows XP with service pack 3 as the operating system, make sure it is easier to maintenance and have much higher compatibility in the software market. The off the shelf database for school administration. The office 2007 as known as bugs in the program and office 2010 is still in the beta version. So I recommended to install Access in Microsoft office 2 003 is suitable for this case. Because it have a higher performance, lower price with patched version . Technical As I am the project manager. So do I will follow the technical problem and give solutions. Also, during the project, briefing of how to use those facilities will be given. So that both teaching staff and student can use it smoothly, reduce the maintenance times and keep those facilities have a longer working hours . Operational As the computer is build up to let the teaching staff and student to use. The first priority should be lesson first. Second, the after school time will be open for the student. To do further searching for there projects or studying materials . Economic If the briefing is given to both teaching staff and student. The working life of the facilities will become longer. So that those item will be more worth of it. Maintenance is also need to join after the warranty date is expiry. Then they were no need to buy or upgrade the computers shortly . Cost benefit Table 1 .1 Contract Item description Price Notes q HP COMPAQ 8000ELite Small Form Factor ** ( not include Mouse, DVD drive and Floppy Disk Drive )** CPU : Intel Core2QUAD Q9550 VPRO( 2.83GHz, 12M L2, Intel Q45 Chipset ) -Hard Dis k:160GB SATA VGA Display : Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 -RAM : 2GB ( PC3 DDR3-10600MHz ) Total RAM Slots : 4( spare slots : 2 ) Expansion Slots: 1 x low-profile PCI, 1x low-profile ( PCI-EX16 ), 2x low-profile ( PCI- EX1 ) External I/O ports : : Front: 4 x USB ports ; : Rear: 6 x USB ports ; Serial Port: 1 x Parallel port ; 1 x RJ 45 port ; 1 x VGA Port ; 1 x Audio input / output; -Sufficient Bays for installation internal hardware : 1 x optional SATA DVD drive ( internal ) or1 x hard disk ( internal ) with 104 Keyboard and OS License Dimensions : ( Width x Depth x Height ) 338 x 378 x 100 mm ( 13.3 x 14.9 x 3.95 in ); Weight : 8.5 kg ( 18.75 lb ) ; HK $ 4, 995. 0 q LCD Monitor : LG 17( 4 : 3 ) Brightness : 300 cd / m2 ; Contrast Ratio 8000: 1 ; Resolution : 1280 x 1024 ; Input ports : 15 Pin D sub ; à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Dimensions : ( Width x Depth ( with monitor stand ) x Height ) 370 x 185 x 390 mm ( 14.57 x 7.28 x 15.35 in ) ; Weight :3.4 kg ( 7.5 lb ) ; à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ HK $ 1, 165.0 q DVD Drive: HP 16X SATA DVD RW Drive HK$ 203 .0 q Mouse:HP Wired Ball PS/2 2-button mouse with Wheel HK $ 7 .0 HP LaserJet P2055dPrinter, bundle with 15ftUSB printer cable à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Print speed : Up to 33pages per minute ( ppm) Resolution : Up to 1200 dots per inch ( dpi ) Paper handing : Automatic two-sided printing Tray 1 : 50 sheet multipurpose tray, Tray 2 : 250 sheet input tray Recommended monthly print volume : 750 to 3000 pages Standard connectivity: parallel port, USB 2.0 port Dimensions ( width x depth x height ) : 365 x 368 x 268mm ( 14.4 x 14.5 x 10.6in ) ; Weight : 10.7kg ( 23.6lb ) ; HK $ 1, 240.0 à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ HANSHIN multi touchable interactive whiteboard Model :TB 01U- 105 105 Diagonal[16 : 9] 2367 x 1387 x 30 HK $ 20,000 ABC Network facility company Network installation HK $ 20, 000 Subtotal amount of project : Set of PC x 8 Network Printer x1 Interactive whiteboard x 1 Network installation HK $ 50, 960 HK $ 1, 240 HK $ 20, 000 HK $ 20, 000 Total amount of project : HK $ 92 ,200.0 Table 1. 1 show the total amount cost of the whole project . Cost / benefit analysis Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Hardware Costs $72, 200 $0 $0 $0 Installation $20, 000 $0 $0 $0 Total Cost $92, 200 $0 $0 $0 Savings Training Development $25, 000 $25, 000 $25,000 $25, 000 Maintenance Cost Free Free Free Free Table 1. 2 Table 1. 2 show that, besides the build up budget. School is no need to pay extra fund. In the first three years, there is no need to pay maintenance fee. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost benefit analysis, which assigns a monetary value to the measure of effect .Cost effectiveness analysis is often used in the field of health services, where it may be inappropriate to monetize health effect. Typically the CEA is expressed in terms of a ratio where the denominator is a gain in health from a measure ( years of life, premature births averted, sight-years gained ) and the numerator is the cost associated with the health gain. The most commonly used outcome measure is quality-adjusted life years. Cost utility analysis is similar to cost-effectiveness analysis . Risk Assessment Risk assessment consists in an objective evaluation of risk in which assumptions and uncertainties are clearly considered and presented. Part of the difficulty of risk management is that measurement of both of the quantities in which risk assessment is concerned potential loss and probability of occurrence can be very difficult to measure. The chance of error in the measurement of these two concepts is large. A risk with a large potential loss and a low probability of occurring is often treated differently from one with a low potential loss and a high likelihood of occurring. In theory, both are of nearly equal priority in dealing with first, but in practice it can be very difficult to manage when faced with the scarcity of resources, especially time, in which to conduct the risk management process. Expressed mathematically . In auditing, risk assessment is a very crucial stage before accepting an audit engagement. According to ISA315 Understanding the Entity and its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, the auditor should perform risk assessment procedures to obtain an understanding of the entity and its environment, including its internal control. There are two methods of risk assessment in information security field, qualitative and quantitative. Purely quantitative risk assessment is a mathematical calculation based on security metrics on the asset ( system or application ). Qualitative risk assessment is performed when the organization requires a risk assessment be performed in a relatively short time or to meet a small budget, a significant quantity of relevant data is not available, or the persons performing the assessment dont have the sophisticated mathematical, financial, and risk assessment expertise required. Qualitative risk assessment can be performed in a shorter period of time and with less data. Qualitative risk assessments are typically performed through interviews of a sample of personnel from all relevant groups within an organization charged with the security of the asset being assessed. Qualitative risk assessments are descriptive versus measurable . Number Case of risk solution recommendation 1 Lost data Purchase a backup tape drive See whether have budget or not after government funding 2 Computer repair Join maintenance Join maintenance after the third year 3 Abuse the computer and room facilities Limit the computer room open time Nominate some student leader to look after it 4 PC performance lower Upgrade parts in future See the cost of parts in future if necessary 5 Lost leakage Purchase encryption software See the cost of parts in future if necessary TASK2 The main activities to be undertaken in the project is shown as follow. The life cycle of it can be a waterfall diagram ( Table 2 .1 ) . Requirement Analysis Specification Analysis Design Code unit test Integration Test Staff training System acceptance test Table 2 .1 In Table 2. 1, show how the project run, it is a waterfall model. The waterfall development model has its origins in the manufacturing and construction industries; highly structured physical environments in which after-the-fact changes are prohibitively costly, if not impossible. Since no formal software development methodologies existed at the time, this hardware-oriented model was simply adapted for software development. To follow the waterfall model, one proceeds from one phase to the next in a sequential manner. For example, one first completes requirements specification, which after sign off are considered set in stone. When the requirements are fully completed, one proceeds to design. The software in question is designed and a blueprint is drawn for implementers (coders) to follow this design should be a plan for implementing the requirements given. When the design is fully completed, an implementation of that design is made by coders. Towards the later stages of this implementation phase, separate software components produced are combined to introduce new functionality and reduced risk through the removal of errors . We can find that there are six stages need to go throw. It is requirement analysis specification, analysis, design, code and unit test, integration test staff training, system acceptance test . TASK3 Contract Item description Price Notes q HP COMPAQ 8000ELite Small Form Factor ** ( not include Mouse, DVD drive and Floppy Disk Drive )** CPU : Intel Core2QUAD Q9550 VPRO( 2.83GHz, 12M L2, Intel Q45 Chipset ) -Hard Dis k:160GB SATA VGA Display : Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 -RAM : 2GB ( PC3 DDR3-10600MHz ) Total RAM Slots : 4( spare slots : 2 ) Expansion Slots: 1 x low-profile PCI, 1x low-profile ( PCI-EX16 ), 2x low-profile ( PCI- EX1 ) External I/O ports : : Front: 4 x USB ports ; : Rear: 6 x USB ports ; Serial Port: 1 x Parallel port ; 1 x RJ 45 port ; 1 x VGA Port ; 1 x Audio input / output; -Sufficient Bays for installation internal hardware : 1 x optional SATA DVD drive ( internal ) or1 x hard disk ( internal ) with 104 Keyboard and OS License Dimensions : ( Width x Depth x Height ) 338 x 378 x 100 mm ( 13.3 x 14.9 x 3.95 in ); Weight : 8.5 kg ( 18.75 lb ) ; HK $ 4, 995. 0 q LCD Monitor : LG 17( 4 : 3 ) Brightness : 300 cd / m2 ; Contrast Ratio 8000: 1 ; Resolution : 1280 x 1024 ; Input ports : 15 Pin D sub ; à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Dimensions : ( Width x Depth ( with monitor stand ) x Height ) 370 x 185 x 390 mm ( 14.57 x 7.28 x 15.35 in ) ; Weight :3.4 kg ( 7.5 lb ) ; à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ HK $ 1, 165.0 q DVD Drive: HP 16X SATA DVD RW Drive HK$ 203 .0 q Mouse:HP Wired Ball PS/2 2-button mouse with Wheel HK $ 7 .0 Subtotal amount of project : Total amount of 8 set of PC HK $ 50, 960 TABLE 3. 1 In table 3. 1 show the requirement of PC that hardware recommend and should be meet . Software side, in the assumption. There was suggested to user Microsoft Office Access 2003 with service pack 3. Beacause Microsoft Office Access, previously known as Microsoft Access, is a pseudo relational database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, included in the Professional and higher editions or sold separately. In mid-May 2010, the current version Microsoft Office Access 2010 was released by Microsoft in Office 2010 ; Microsoft Access 2007 was the prior version. Access stores data in its own format based on the Access Jet Database Engine. It can also import or link directly to data stored in other applications and databases . Listed below are selection criteria of choosing both the hardware and off the shelf software which we need to purchases. We need to consider about both assessment of supplier, assessment of contractual and assessment of technical . Supplier assessment The main criteria to consider when evaluating the suitability of the supplier organization are as follows : Financial: Financial strength, time in market place, market presence, future plans, number of employees, R D investment . Culture : Values, risk sharing, openness, commitment, responsiveness, strategy, ethos . Capability : Size, number of staff and skills, location, track record, availability of staff, size of user base . Management : Standards, processes for quality, change control, risk management, planning, control . Contractual assessment The main criteria to consider when evaluating the suitability of the contract being drawn up between yourself and a third party supplier of the provision of goods or services are as follows : Financial : Pricing structures, penalty clauses, payment terms, disclaimers . Materials : Ownerships of materials, service level agreements, support and maintenance, change process . Personnel : Lines of demarcation, assignment of responsibilities, use of sub-contractors . Technical assessment The main criteria to consider when evaluating the technical capabilities of the proposed solution put forward by the supplier or organization are as follows : The product : Meets requirements, robust, sufficient features, adequate documentation, maintainable, capacity for growth . Modification : Is it needed, cost, support, how much, how easy, who will do it, time to do achieve, backup etc . Standards / quality : Does it match your standards, complies with standards and law, adequate resources, technical knowledge required . Environment : Will it work in your environment, complies with standards and law, adequate resources, technical knowledge required . TASK4 Stakeholder communicate method When will need to have communicate What purpose Senior management reports Specific review purposes User ( Teachers ) reports routine needs analysis User ( Students ) task assignments If use needs analysis Supplies specifications routine review purposes Table 4. 1 In table 4. 1 show how do the stakeholder work and communicate with the project manager. Make sure that their opinion can be easier to voice out and enhance the project. The project manager is directly under the senior management. Although the have not got a high knowledge in the information technology field. But they are deeply involve the whole planning and the school development. So the communication must needed. The review of project stage and effective is on a specific time, Too much will be disturb the development. In addition to it. Make sure the project run smoothly also can enhance by training, and also their opinion can be help us to develop other IT project in future. So, user s comment also need to take. But it is not regularly. On the other hand, communication with supplies is very important . Reference and Bibliographies: NCC Managing Business Projects. ( International Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies ) 2008 Syllabus . Gofton, L. ( 1997 ). Business Market Research. London, Kogan page . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . Total word count of this assignment : About 4200 words . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .

religion vs. psychology Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spirituality and psychology are two complex subjects to discuss and they become even more complicated when you try to relate one to the other. Psychology deals with the processes of sense perception, thinking, learning, cognition, emotions and motivations, and personality, focusing on the behavior of individuals. Spirituality, on the other hand, is all inclusive. â€Å"Spirituality is living one's life from the realization that the body/mind/ego personality we have been taught to identify with is just the tip of our iceberg, our little head sticking through the window of the senses into this world, whereas our true body is the universe. It is recognizing that our perceived world is mostly an illusion, a shared dream we are asleep in, and that the goal of life is to awake to our real Self which is vast and multidimensional--already intimately connected with all of creation, with a twin shadow self that is already scripted, mostly primitive, and hidden from us, bu t that this whole Self is already One with this mystery we call God/dess whose essence can hardly be understood, but to which we give names as Eternal Wisdom, Ultimate Reality, Birther of all Life, S/he Who Is, etc.† So, how can someone take two complex subjects and use one to enhance the other in their life? Is it possible to use a school of psychology to enhance the spiritual life of a person? By analyzing one school of psychology (Rational Emotive Therapy) and by focusing on how it can keep one from focusing on negative and selfish thoughts/acts, how it can make one focus on the things that matter most in life, and how it can help one in spreading a positive way of living, we will see that it is possible for RET to enhance our spirituality. However, we must first learn what RET is all about. Rational Emotive Therapy is amazingly simple. All it entails is for an individual to perform self analysis on their way of thinking and to eliminate all the grandiose words from their vocabulary. By taking the musts, always, nevers, and everyones from our vocabulary, and by replacing them with desire, prefer, and hope, we are more likely to understand that many of our problems and barriers are self made. Instead of viewing each problem in our lives as the end of the world, using RET allows us to step back from the situation and to take a realistic view at the situation. By mapping out... ...rove the things that are within ones control. This way of thinking allows one appreciate the gifts that they possess and how to better utilize them. Other people become less of a factor in one’s unhappiness or emotions, making one in control of their own life and destiny. These results in the ridding of unnecessary quarrels and grudges that exist between those that one feels had wronged them. Therefore, their time is not consumed with negative emotions and thoughts. Instead, one can focus on the deeper meaning of their lives and how to improve it. They can become more comfortable with themselves and experience an inner calm and peace. They strengthen their spirituality and the way they go about their lives. They believe in themselves to make the world a better place. In hindsight, it really is amazingly simple. References 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baute, Paschal. Theological Library. Lexington, KY. Jan 95 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ellis, Albert. Better, Deeper, and More Enduring Brief Therapy. Brunner/Mazel. New York. 1996 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ellis, Albert and Harper, Robert. A New Guide to Rational Living. Prentice-Hall Inc. New Jersey. 1961

Free Essays - Breaking Kates Spirit in Taming of the Shrew :: Taming Shrew Essays

Breaking Kate's Spirit in Taming of the Shrew In the play Taming of the Shrew, a man named Petruchio attempts to tame a mean spirited woman named Kate. Much to Kate's chagrin Petruchio convinces her father that Kate loves him so they will now be married. Through several maneuvers to try and squash Kate's pride, Petruchio is met with strong resistance at first when he finds she can equal him in verbal back and forth. The fact that Petruchio could match Kate surprises her as well. Eventually, Kate sarcastically gives in with her speech about the sun and moon on the way to her sister's wedding. Finally after all his calculating moves throughout Petruchio successfully breaks Kate's spirit which is evident in her final speech. Petruchio undertakes to woo Kate before he has met her. He decides to recommend himself to her father as the dominant male that could tame her: "And so she yields to me. For I am rough and woo not like a babe."(II.I.136-137) Petruchio reports to Baptista that it is a match. Conclusively, he refuses any further discussion of the matter. If Petruchio were to speak more of the truth then his strategy to woo Kate may be revealed. His domineering attitude has limited Kate to express her thoughts of the situation. From the moment Petruchio sets foot in her room, Kate is most abrasive towards him. Kate makes an effort to assert her dominance by developing a shrewish attitude. They engage in a lengthy verbal duel with elaborate puns. "If be waspish, best beware my sting."(II.I.209) Kate's puns are generally insulting or threatening, but Petruchio twists them into sexual innuendo. His persistence in breaking her spirit causes Kate to become more conniving. Petruchio has employed a hawking metaphor to describe how he has begun his reign over Kate. "My falcon now is sharp and passing empty. And till she stoop she must not be full-gorg'd, for then she never looks up her lure. Another way I have to man my haggard, To make her come, and know her keeper's call, That is, to watch her, as we watch these kites That bate and beat, and will not be obedient.

Will Bury’s Price Elasticity Scenario

The economic concepts founded in Will Bury’s Price Elasticity Scenario are the following: 1. Supply and Demand One of the most fundamental concepts of economics and the backbone of a market economy is the concept of supply and demand. Demand shows the various amounts of a product that consumers are willing and able to purchase at each of a series of possible prices during a specified period of time. (McConnell & Brue, 2004) The law of demand states that, if all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the less people will demand that good. Therefore, there is a negative relationship between price and quantity demanded. The basic determinants of demand which affect purchases are: †¢Consumers’ preferences †¢The number of consumers in the market †¢Consumers’ incomes †¢The price of related goods †¢Consumers’ expectations about future prices and incomes Supply shows the amount of a product that producers are willing and able to make available for sale at each of a series of possible prices during a specific period. (McConnell & Brue, 2004) The law of supply states that as price rises, the quantity supplied rises; as price falls, the quantity supplied falls. Therefore, there is a positive relationship between price and quantity supplied. The basic determinants of supply are: †¢Resource price †¢Technology †¢Taxes and subsides †¢Prices of other goods †¢Price expectation †¢The number of sellers in the market In order to understand the effect of price on volume demanded, Will Bury must understand the theory of supply and demand. When he will put these two concepts together, he will identify the market equilibrium with the price and quantity at the intersection of the demand and supply relations. That will be the price just high enough that quantity demanded is equal to quantity supplied, and the quantity corresponding to that price. 2. Elasticity of Demand and Supply The degree to which a demand or supply reacts to a price change is measured by a product’s price elasticity. There are different types of elasticity. Price elasticity of demand measures how sensitive is the quantity demanded to a change in the price of the good. Price elasticity of supply measures how sensitive is the quantity supplied to a change in the price of the good. When elasticity is small (less than 1 in absolute value) the relation is inelastic. Inelastic demand (supply) means that the quantity demanded (supplied) is not very sensitive to the price. When elasticity is large (greater than 1 in absolute value) the relation is elastic. Elastic demand (supply) means that the quantity demanded (supplied) is sensitive to the price. General formula for price elasticity is: Elasticity = (Percentage Change in Quantity) / (Percentage Change in Price) As a general rule, the more substitutes a good has, the more elastic is its supply and demand. 3. Substitute Goods Substitute goods are goods that can be used to satisfy the same needs, one in the place of another. That means that demand for the two kinds of goods will be bounded together by the fact that consumers can trade of one good for the other if it becomes advantageous to do so. In Will Bury’s Price Elasticity Scenario the 500-page book on CD is a substitute for Bury’s audio files of a book, therefore Will Bury must stay current on marketing research and stay current on other potential competitors who may offer substitute products because an increase in price for one kind of goods will result in an increase in demand for its substitute goods, and a decrease in price will result in a decrease in demand for its substitute. 4. Cross Elasticity of Demand The cross elasticity of demand measures how sensitive consumer purchases of one product are to a change in the price of some other product. The general formula for cross elasticity of demand is: Exy = (Percentage Change in Quantity Demanded of Product X) / (Percentage Change in Price of Product Y) The cross elasticity of demand for substitute goods will always be positive, because the demand for one good will increase if the price for the other good increases. References: McConnell, C. R. , & Brue, S. L. (2004). Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies (16th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin University of Phoenix Material: Will Bury’s Price Elasticity Scenario. Retrieved June 6, 2009 from: https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/classroom/ic/classroom. aspx

Corporate strategy Essay

Content Question 1 P.ii-iii Using Michael Porter’s five force model, evaluate the importance of Barriers to Entry to the fast-fashion industry. Support your arguments with evidence from the case study. Question 2 P.iv-vi Conduct a value chain analysis to assess H&M’s capabilities and derive its core competencies. Question 3 P.vii Based on these competencies identify the generic competitive strategy which H&M is pursuing. Question 4 P.viii-ix It is suggested in the case study that the fashion industry is full of companies that have confidently expanded into international markets but later have been forced to retreat. Analyze the international strategy choice being pursued by H&M and assess the extent to which this is appropriate for its future development. Reference P.x Appendix P.xi-xii Question 1 The threat of entry of the fast-fashion industry is relating to its attractiveness, which is how profitable it is. The less new entrants are in the industry, the more stable the revenue of the firms are. Hence, several sources of barriers to entry are setting up in most of the industries to lower the threat of new entrants. Product differentiation of a firm can make themselves being unique from other branches which brings with a certain amount of loyal customers to them. Due to the economic growth, people are willing to spend not only for necessity, but also for stylish life style. The uniqueness of the product become one of the most important advantages to increase their customers’ loyalty. The entry barrier will be higher with product differentiation. Access to channels of supply and distribution is very important in the fast fashion industry. With the rapid development of  Internet, thousands of suppliers in the fast-fashion industry can be found in a second. In order to build up comparative advantage, retailers tend to find out supplier who provide the best quality with the least cost. Since larger firms can build up a good relationship with suppliers easily, due to the volume of orders and reputation of firms, new entrants are difficult to compete with them with their business size and bargaining power. H&M, one of the major retailer in the fast-fashion industry, she worked with 747 suppliers in which 150 of them are long-term strategic partners. It is difficult for the potential entrants to compete with her as they have been cooperate for long time. Economies of scale is an important barrier for the fast-fashion industry. It is because the larger the firm size, the easier the level of efficiency can achieve. The maximum volume of production keeps increasing for factories due to the improvement of technology. Mass production by large firms enables them to fully utilize their production capacity where small stores cannot. Also, they are more capable to outsource their production in low-wage region, like Africa and South Asia, which lower their production cost. Moreover, large firm are easier in building brands in multiple outlets, like GU for UNIQLO. As there are several existing major retailers are in the industry, the expected retaliation makes the new companies difficult to enter the industry. Since the major retailers are in good relationship with their supplier and a greater extent in economies of scale. They are able to attack new entrants with different strategy, like cutting prices. The capital requirement to enter the fast-fashion industry is low. The major reason is that the industry is free to enter. There are a loads of single independent store in the industry which they can choose their products from thousands of suppliers and sell to customers through different ways. The low capital requirement makes new companies enter the industry easier. There are no barriers erected by the government to enter the industry. As it is freely entrance, it enables new competitors to enter the industry easily. In conclusion, although the fast-fashion industry are free to enter with low capital outlay, the entry barrier are still high since the existing major retailer can provide differentiate products with access to channels of supplier and distribution. They also enjoy a greater economies of scale which enable them to attack new entrants in different ways. Question 2 There are many activities involved in running a business, both primary and secondary, which add value to the customer and increases the margin to the organization. In the H&M case, there are also involve several activities which forms core competencies for the firms. Primary activities comprise operation, marketing, service, outbound logistic and inbound logistic. Operation in H&M tends to empower their employees to make decisions. For instance, the window display of each store are guided but each store can have their own style which build up the uniqueness of each store to adapt the characteristics of customers in each region. In the aspect of marketing and social media, H&M promote their stylish design through different social network, like Facebook and Twitter etc. Information will be spread quickly through internet as people used to share their daily lives to public on the net. It strengthens the social awareness of H&M. To enhance their service, H&M develop a smartphone app to promote their new collection and provide information about H&M. it convenient the customers, since most of the people are using smartphone and customer can easily gather information of H&M once they have downloaded the app. It strengthen the relationship between itself and customer. The logistic system of H&M are well-developed. H&M has an integrated logistic system which helps stores not to hold stock in their warehouse and transfer stock internally from different region. The system prevent the situation that stock stuck in stores and enable stores to swift the item they need from other region to satisfy the customer needs. The inbound logistic avoid the middleman which lower the cost. It is, however, the lack of middleman will increase the time for finding the suitable material or supplier. The production cost may increase if a middleman is not hired. Secondary activities include firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology and procurement. The firm’s vision and mission set up an organizational culture which is benefit to the firm. Team work, entrepreneurial spirit and cost conscious are included in H&M’s core values. Each activity are following these values that organizational goals can be easier to achieve. The technology of H&M adds value to the whole operation process of the firms. It builds up a channel between designers and customers which designer can know about the latest trend. It also provides information  to stores to know about the needs of customers for the swift of stock. The production cost reduces with the assistance of the technology. The procurement of H&M reduces cost by diversifying their suppliers in different region around the world. There are about 750 suppliers worked with H&M. They are from some low-wage region, like Far East. To ensure quality of the production, H&M also audit their supplier to stick with their objective of â€Å"low cost, high quality†. The human resource management of H&M cultivate their staff to be responsible as a part of their store. It increases the loyalty of the employees to H&M which they are willing to maximize the interest of H&M. Also, they hire people who fits the core value of the firms. It strengthen the quality of staff and make sure they work with the firm’s core value. Value chain exists if there are linkages among the activities above. As the firm’s infrastructure defined the core value of H&M that they belief in people and team work. As a result, the human resource department have to hire people who has critical thinking and train staff to build up entrepreneurial spirit in their mind. With the assist of the secondary activities, the decentralization in operation can operate smoothly that staff will consider them as a part of the store. IT expert were employed to develop an IT system by the human resources department since H&M values a constant improvement. The development of technology in H&M helps with the outbound logistics. As there is program of is playing the top item in each stores. Managers can follow the data and swift inventory from region that have extra stock of the item. Also, the program can replenish stock when an item are going to be sold out that reduces the lead time and the distribution cost. The technology development in building up a smartphone app enhance the service to customers. It also setting up a channel between designers and store for the latest trend in the market to fulfill customers’ needs. The app also provide an opportunity for the marketing department to promote the new collections. In order to lower the production cost, a g ood procurement is important. The merchandizer finds out many potential suppliers in different region around the world. The IT department is involved in searching and storing the huge amount of information of the suppliers. Once the linkages are well-developed, core competence will be generated. It also can be examined by the VRIN test. The operating style of H&M of empowering staff for decision making is a core  competency of H&M. As it is valuable to the firm since the loyalty of staff ensure the efficiency of them and they are willing to maximize the sales of their store. It is rare, substitution and difficult to imitate for the loyalty of staff since personality cannot be duplicated. The logistic system of H&M is also a core competency of H&M. As the system can reduce distribution cost and satisfy the demand of customer. Thus, it is valuable to H&M. Also, the knowledge of the IT experts cannot imitate. The system is rare in the market as most of the firms transfer stock from warehouse to stores instead of inter-stores transfer. Also, it is no substitutable due to the uniqueness of the distribution process from store to store. In conclusion, there are many activities involved in the business of H&M and they are linked to add value to the company. The operating style and the logistic system become the core competencies of H&M eventually. Question 3 Generic corporate strategy comprises the choice of lowering cost and differentiation. There is a chance for a firm to adopt a hybrid strategy which integrated in both aspects. According to the discussion above, H&M’s are adopting a hybrid strategy. H&M put a huge effort into reducing the production cost. For instance, the logistic system, that is, the core competency, reduce the distribution cost since the internal swift of inventory are more efficient instead of the traditional transfer method from warehouse to stores. H&M also reducing the cost by enjoying the economies of scale since it outsourced to low-cost country in Far East and South Asia. With their mass production, the production cost will reduce. Despite of low cost, H&M also pay attention to differentiate itself from other competitors. Since the management philosophy is being ‘Fashion and quality at the best price’. Thus, there are about 200 in-house designers employed to design to forecast the latest trend and design to meet the customer satisfaction. Also, H&M audit the supplier to ensure the quality. With the high standard of quality for the products, H&M can differentiate from other competitor with a relatively reasonable low price. H&M adopt an integrated strategy to compete in the industry. The constant improvement in technology reduce the production cost and the fundamental value confirms their direction to be different from others. Question 4 The Integrated Responsiveness Grid is a method to help organization to decide their international strategy. Through filling up the score sheet, as shown in the appendix, H&M is able to position their international strategy. For the global factors, it is the score of whether H&M should adopt global strategy. In factor A, since the fashion is a global trend, design across are usually with not much difference. The only factor affects the design is the customs of each region, which have little influence on the design. Thus, a score of 4 in A is awarded. In factor B, there are not much standard for the industry. Thus, a score of 2 in B is awarded. In factor C, customer tends to buy locally in the industry. However, there are also ordering service from other countries. Thus, a score of 4 in C is awarded. In factor D, economies of scale is important to the fast-fashion industry. Since the greater extend of economies of scale the firm enjoy, the lower the average production it is. Thus, a score of 5 in D is awarded. In factor E, due to the nature of the industry, a quick response is needed to satisfy the customers due to the unpredictable fashion trend. Thus, a score of 5 in E is awarded. In factor F, technical requirement for fast-fashion is low. However, there is a little influence on the culture factors for fashion design. Thus, a score of 2 in F is awarded. In factor G, since the market situation in different regions are different. The operating method may not be the same among regions. However, the experience in other region can be as a reference for the new stores. Thus, a score of 3 in G is awarded. In factor H, there are a thousands of small competitors in the fast-fashion industry who are focus the local market. However, there are several major competitors who pursue global strategy that is more influential to H&M. Thus, a score of 4 in H is awarded. In factor I, customer behavior towards fashion is more the less the same in different regions. However, the purchasing pattern may vary due to the different purchasing power in different area. Thus, a score of 3 in I is awarded. In factor J, creativity is important to fashion industry which makes a huge demand in designer that are the experts in this area. Thus, a score of 5 in J is awarded. The global integration score is: (4+2+4+5+5+2+3+4+3+5)/10 = 3.7 Factor K to O refers to the local responsiveness score. In factor K, since clothing is a kind of necessity so price may not very different across country. Thus, a score of 1 in K is awarded. In factor L, distribution channel are the same across countries. Thus, a score of 1 in L is awarded. In factor M, as the industry regulation has little difference in different are. Thus, a score of 1 in A is awarded. In factor N, fashion is about trends and customer satisfaction, customer is the main role of the industry, a high customization is required. Thus, a score of 5 in N is awarded. In factor O, as firms usually produce in low-cost region and transfer to local stores, transportation cost is not so different in different countries. However, a customer interface is needed to adapt customers’ opinion. Thus, a score of 3 in O is awarded. The local responsiveness score: (1+1+1+5+3)/5 = 2.2 According to the score sheet, as shown in the grid in appendix, H&M are suggested to adopt global strategy. Reference Regner, p and Yildiz (2014). H&M in fast fashion: continued success? Exploring strategy. pp. 575-582. Lasserre, Philipe (2007). The global integration/local responsiveness grid. Global strategic management. pp. 25-30 Johnson. G, Whittington. R, Scholes. K (2012). Fundamentals of strategy. 2nd ed. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Prentice Hall.