Human Resources and Industrial Relations in the Public Sector Essay

INTRODUCTION Industrial relations is concerned with the relationship between management and workers and the role of the regulatory mechanism in resolving any industrial dispute. It covers areas such as collective bargaining, trade unions and the government. Human resource management (HRM), which has a soft approach (people friendly) and a hard approach (people as a resource to be used as seen fit by the organization), could be summarized as a strategic approach to managing employees. The role of industrial relations has been diminished to some extent in Trinidad and Tobago with the implementation of human resource management practices and policies. However some of the aspects of the traditional public sector model and the environment it was planted in has survived till now, which affects the implementation and success of new public management. LITERATURE REVIEW â€Å"Comparative Industrial Relations: An Introduction to Cross National Perspectives† by Bean 1994 states, Dunlops prescription of the advancement of knowledge in IR is the need to break away from the restrictive and myopic confines of problem solving, institutional studies with individual countries- what has been termed ‘ethno-centric’ bias- in favor of border comparisons over the course of time and across countries. He postulated that the systems theory was applicable to study comparative industrial relations. Haworth 1991 however states that the systems theory fails to explain how the pattern of industrial relations has developed in Third World countries. The industrial relations system responds to social political and economic change  whereby actors (mainly management) usually have a number of responses they can make, therefore there is the existence of discretion in decision making which will in turn affect industrial relations. Kochan et al 1984. Zeitlin 1987 states, industrial relations can best be explained not by the social and economic structure but by historical divergences in institutional development resulting from the strategies and organizations of the state, trade unions and employers. This book basically deals with comparative industrial relations where research is done on similar phenomena taking place in different countries. Poole 1986 highlights four principles for this research to be done, 1. Focus on environmental influences coming from the societal processes and structures. 2. Multi-disciplinary perspectives incorporating social, political and economic aspects. 3. Explanatory variables as opposed to descriptive categories. 4. Utilizing the historical as well as contemporary dimension. Trade unions are institutional representatives of worker interests within the labour market and the society. It is collective rather than individual â€Å"concerted behavior is the essence of modern trade uni onism†, (Ulman 1990) He also spoke of the ‘individualizing’ of industrial relations into human resource management. Industrial Relations and Globalization: Challenges for Employers and their Organizations†, a document prepared by David Macdonald (1997) states that during the period of the 1990’s there were new demands of international competition and dramatic advances in technology. Globalization had also changed the nature and operation of the ‘market place’ and production in many countries across the world. Considerable demands were placed on employers and enterprises thus new structures, processes and strategies were required to be implemented. Within the enterprise, industrial Relations (IR) plays a very strategic role and many changes much be made to the traditional practices and human resource Management (HRM). This new approach attempts to improve flexibility and skills of the workforce which would seek to improve various aspects within the workplace such as trust and communication between managers and workers etc. David’s paper focuses on industrial relations trends and developments in Asia and the Pacific with special attention paid to the challenges organizations and employers are to be faced with. The paper also observes the changing nature of industrial relations and its development as influenced by the forces of globalization, liberalization as  well as the historical and current factors which influence the relations in the region. He defines industrial relations as the means by which various interests in the labour market are accommodated, primarily for the purpose of regulating employment relationships. Industrial relations are therefore concerned with relationships within the workplace and in the organization at all levels. These relationships are expressed through collective bargaining, involvement of workers in decision making etc. Traditionally, industrial relations was to achieve collective outcomes at a national and/or sector/industry levels which are then applied to each enterprise. Human Resource Management is different as it focuses directly at the level of the enterprise seeking to align interests of workers both individually and in groups, managers for the purpose of corporate objectives, seeking to accomplish a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In the book ‘Understanding Work and Employment: Industrial relations in Transition’ looked at the contribution and challenges of human resource management to industrial relations. Due to ‘high commitment management’, human resource management (HRM) is seen to be replacing trade unions. Traditionally, personnel was seen as a subset of IR but in the 1980’s, employee relations evolved to IR being a part of HRM. Eight main issues of HRM to IR were identified as being a change of focus from a sociology perspective to a psychology perspective, a move from pluralism to unitarism, a stress on management as the main actors in the industrial relations system, an emphasis on business strategy and ‘fit’ between policies, the application of the resource based view of the firm to employee relations, the influence of high commitment management and the challenge of the psychological contract view to the understanding of employment contract. Industrial relations had its share of hardship as it journeyed to succession. Historians and novelists acknowledged the drastic changed made in the British society which came about during the industrial revolution. Karl Polanyi described the excruciating changes which took place as feudal societies transformed to an industrialized state. He identified that â€Å"the effects on the lives of people were awful beyond description† (Polanyi 1957, 76). Also stated was: In disposing of a man’s labor power the system would, incidentally, dispose of the physical, psychological, and moral entity â€Å"man† attached to the tag. Robbed of the protective covering of cultural institutions, human beings would perish from the effects of social exposure; they would die as the victims of acute social dislocation through vice, perversion, crime and starvation†¦. No society could stand the effects of such a system of crude fictions even for the shortest stretch of time unless human and natural substances, as well as its business organization, were protected against the ravages of this satanic mill. (Polanyi 1957, 73). Polanyi stated that the negativity that the industrial revolution faces was not much of poor conditions under which individuals live or worked but rather the displacements faced by employees whom are no longer under the protection of cultural institutions. Employment relations and the social sciences by Hills revealed that there is a link between industrial relations and the discipline of social sciences. Steven M. Hills also extended the search of systems analysis by Dunlop where he established a structure to put in order the variety of concepts, of which many never was fully known, which comprise the study of industrial relations. Hills, in his explanation for choosing the employment relationship rather than labor union as his reference point, are because his attention was focused on the controls that govern employer-employee relationships. Understanding these controls is an important aspect in order to express appreciation toward the underlying forces of industrial relations systems according to Hills. He also shows the closeness these controls impose by the government, labor unions and social classes. In Hills analysis, he showed the difficulties faced in all employment relationships, whether they are well-thought-out as pre-industrial, industrial or alleged â€Å"post-industrial† citizens where unions are strong, weak or nonexistent. TRADITIONAL IR SYSTEM INCLUDING DISCUSSION OF THE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SECTOR MODEL Industrial relations produces and organizes knowledge, it is unique and has its own theories, concepts, techniques, practices and ideological commitments. Industrial relations was born in the United Stated in the 1910’s. It was a reaction to the waste, human suffering, the social injustice as well as the employer- power in the nineteenth and early  twentieth century capitalism. It also arose because it was viewed that relations between bosses and workers could be improved. Industrial relations in terms of academia is the study of labor problems but gave priority to specific areas like a strategy or institution for solving problems for example the trade unions or collective bargaining. The early version of industrial relations emphasized inherent conflict of interest which exist between the employer and employee, that there is superior bargaining power of the employer and the autocratic nature of workplace governance in the traditional firm. With the globalization of industrial relations there was the spread of industrialism, market economics, trade union movements, protection of human rights and political democracy. There was a decline in industrial relations because of the decrease in trade union density, major forma of labour unrest, political power in many countries, the rise in human resource management, the rise in neo-liberalism, national and world politics etc. Industrial relations is centered around fostering stability, efficiency cooperation, peace and positivity. In the 1960’s there began to be a slow decline in industrial relations. There was a narrowing of the intellectual domain and the field was becoming marginalized. Numerous universities in the 1990’s dropped the term ‘Industrial Relations’ and adopted ‘employment relations’ or ‘human resources’. Over the years industrial relations had made attempts to establish itself as a self- contained academic dis cipline but continued to fail (Kaufman 2004). There was the shrinking role of collective bargaining as well. The traditional industrial relations model is concerned with a particular set of phenomena associated with regulating the human activity of employment. It focuses on the implementation of rules within the work place and factors outside of the work place which influences the process. It is concerned with collective bargaining, trade unions, employers, managers and payments. John Dunlop originated the systems approach to industrial relations which is basically an integrative model which seeks to provide tools of analysis to interpret and gain an understanding and how and why particular rules are established in particular Industrial Relations systems and how and why they change in response to changes which affect the system. John Dunlop (1991) applied the systems theory which embodies a set of actors, rules, context and ideology. Flanders (1979) and the Oxford Approach defined industrial relations as the  study of institutions of job regulation. Flanders states that the institution and job regulation can be categorized into the internal and external factors; he insists that collective bargaining is central to the industrial relations system. Flanders agreed with Dunlop (1958) that rules are also essential but continued that rules are only a generic description which can be given to these various instruments of regulation. Heyman (1957) a critic of industrial relations scholars agrees that rules are a mandatory aspect as well. He however, criticizes the Oxford school and Dunlop for not acknowledging the importance of informal rules in the industrial relations system. Heyman (1975) takes the view of the Marxist perspective and views industrial relations as the process of control over work relations, or as the political economy of waged labour. The three perspectives of industrial relations are as follows: the Marxist perspective, the unitary perspective and the pluralist perspective. Fox agrees that industrial relations provided the foundation for Human Resource Management. Concepts and practice of industrial relations are as follows, collective bargaining, trade unions, models of trade unions, the voluntarist tradition, compulsory system and the adversary system. The first four decades of the 1930’s in the English- speaking Caribbean was dominated by political unionism. The shift was largely influenced by globalization. There was rapid expansion of enterprises in almost all aspects. The three phases which affects the Caribbean’s history were, the colonial phase and the colonial administrator, the post- colonial phase and the globalization phase. There was a social division between labour and capital in Trinidad and Tobago. During the 1930’s Trinidad and Tobago suffered the effects of the worldwide depression. There were unjust labour practices and the wages were exceptionally low. The colonial era in Trinidad and Tobago was basically one in where there was unilateralism in rule making by employers, voluntarism and non-involvement of the state and there was the social and economic exploitation of the people. During the post-colonial eras, there was the adversarial system, state control, it was pluralist to a certain extent and was unitary. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS The globalization period brought drastic changes to the public sector and  industrial relations. There were structural adjustment programs, free trade, foreign aid, investment as well as reforms in the labour market. Gray (1998) describes globalization as the worldwide spread of modern technologies of industrial production and communication of all kinds. The consequence was that solutions for the contemporary Caribbean were no longer the same as the ones in the past. There was a missing link and a burning need for a Human resource management approach to step in. It was the approach where â€Å"a human workplace† menaing â€Å"the company looks after their employees and the employees look after their company. The human resource management function was now an integral part of management. It can be said that the role of industrial relations, policies and practices have diminished in comparison to the earlier years under the traditional model after human resource management was introduced. During the 1930’s in Trinidad and Tobago, the industrial relations paradigm was quite dominant. There was a severity in struggle with respect to the working class as the country had experienced periods of enslavement and indentureship, workers had no rights and there was no place for grievances. This period was controlling and dominant and there was the Royal Commission of Lord Moyne (1938) which was to investigate the labour and social conditions in the British West Indian Colonies. In Trinidad and Tobago there was hardly any political representation and all power and responsibility was centered on the governor. Trade unions had to fight for political and social status, industrial politics political unionism and trade unions- based political parties are rooted in the tradition of Caribbean societies. This legacy has continued even until today in the Trinidad and Tobago public sector. However, it is safe to say that the implementation of human resource management policies and practice has reduced the influence and popularity of industrial relations to the public sector and society as a whole. With the implementation of various departments in organizations, including human resource departments, managers are taking are not only reducing the need for certain aspects of industrial relations but also deal with problems. Therefore the connection between employee and the trade union or government organizations are being wiped out. This may be because it fosters an environment that shows the employee that the organization cares, but may also reduce the chance of negative stories or problem leaking outside of the organization, preventing bad  reputations from being created. Human Resource Management includes conducting job analyses, planning personnel needs, recruiting the right people for the job, orienting and training, managing wages and salaries, providing benefits and incentives, evaluating performance, resolving disputes, and communicating with all employees at all levels. Examples of core qualities of HR management are extensive knowledge of the industry, leadership, and effective negotiation skills. Human resource management is formerly called personnel management. Although ‘high commitment’ as stated by some scholars, it reaps the most rewards for the organization itself. CONCLUSION Human resource management is seen as the new way forward. Industrial relations still has a connotation of trade union struggles and equality battles. Industrial relations still play a major role in organizations in Trinidad and Tobago. While human resource management is increasingly dealing with the issues and concerns of employees, there is still a need for government intervention. At the conciliation unit of the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development Limited, there are a thousand trade disputes reported on average per year. When management may be the problem, industrial relations and its components are of use. However, HRM is still a developing concept in Trinidad and Tobago. HRM could be seen as a developed country’s take on employee relations and Trinidad and Tobago is still developing. Aspects of the traditional public sector still exist. Since industrial relations still play a major role in Trinidad and Tobago society, it would be wise to adopt a more employee relations approach. In the past, HRM was not entirely successful in Trinidad and Tobago. It is still a relatively new concept and field to the developing world. Due to the circumstances and nature of Trinidad and Tobago, HRM may not be the best policy to implement in society at this time. Human Resource Management can also pose as a challenge for Industrial relations as it can undermine the role of trade unions at enterprise level. Realistically however, human resource management and industrial relations policies and practices can be harmonized to benefit each other. As society changes and more are demanded from employer, employee and the  organization, adopting the more common soft approach to human resource management shows development on the part of the industrial relations system. There is a need for industrial relations in society, but by adding more roles that may have diminished due to human resource manage, it ensures not only survival but the ability to survive in a society where west is viewed as better, and human resource management is the way of the west. References Ackers, Peter, and Adrian Wilkinson. Understanding work and employment: industrial relations in transition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Bean, Ron. Comparative industrial relations: an introduction to cross-national perspectives. 2nd ed. London: International Thomson, 1999. Collings, David G., and Geoffrey T. Wood. Human resource management: a critical approach. London: Routledge, 2009. â€Å"Employment Relations and the Social Sciences.† Google Books. https://encrypted.google.com/books?id=lTIS5L5JbD0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed November 21, 2013). Mac Donald, David. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND GLOBALIZATION: CHALLENGES FOR EMPLOYERS AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS . Asia-Pacific in the Twenty-First Century Turin, Italy: ILO Workshop on Employers’ Organizations, 1997.

Twin Studies

This essay discusses twin studies with particular emphasis on the role of genetics on intelligence and personality characteristics. There has been an ongoing debate whether intelligence and personality is based on genetic predisposition or not; and basing from existing literature, twin studies show significant evidence that genes do play a significant part. Separated Twins Twin studies have been beneficial and informative regarding the mentioned debate. Identical twins become a good medium to learn from as they are 100% genetically the same. In a situation where the twins are separated and reared apart, what happens?In a work written by Lawrence Wright, he relates the story of female identical twins that grew apart and was reunited. He said that since they are genetically the same, â€Å"one could evaluate the environmental effects on the twins' personalities, their behavior, their health, their intelligence† (1997). In this particular study, the twins, Amy and Beth, were brou ght to two separate homes after birth. Amy was placed in a family where she was seen as a problem and was treated like an outsider. Amy’s mother was physically unfit and suffered from low self esteem.In contrast, Beth was treated well in the family she was adopted in and her mother did everything she can to make Beth a real part of the family. The results showed that during childhood, both child manifested same habits as â€Å"thumb-sucking, nail-biting, blanket-clenching, and bed-wetting. (1997)† Moreover, they were both afraid of being left alone. Both had school problems and problems among friends and schoolmates. Though Amy had a good mother, her psychological tests show she had â€Å"a longing for maternal affection,† which as maintained by Wright â€Å"was eerily the same as her identical sister's† (1997).Apparently, basing from the results of the study, despite growing up in different conditions, Amy and Beth were alike pathologically (Wright 1997) . In addition to this, Wright mentions that â€Å"Matters that instinctively seem to be a reflection of one's personal experience, such as political orientation or the degree of religious commitment, have been shown by various twin studies to be partly under genetic control† (1997). This demonstrates how significant a part genetics play alongside environment.On the basis of this study, Wright believes that despite external factors, genetics still rule and determine a person’s traits. Conclusion Despite the significance of twin studies, especially like in the case of Amy and Beth, it appears that much of what a person becomes may be considerably attributed to genetic factors. However, as Wright himself says, this matter has been debated on for centuries. On regards intelligence, it still cannot be established as there are variations among IQ results of both fraternal and identical twins.According to Medical News Today, there are indeed hereditary factors that affect the size of the brain. However, â€Å"the mechanisms by which interaction between genes and environment occur throughout life as well as dynamics of brain structure and its association with brain functioning still remain unknown† (2007). This suggests that further studies regarding the matter is necessary to arrive at a conclusion. Twin studies will continue to be useful in further discoveries on the study of genetics and its relationship with human intelligence and personality development.

A Lesson Before Dying: an Examination of a Prodigious Storyteller Essay

A good novel entertains the reader. An excellent novel entertains and enlightens the reader. Set in a Cajun community in the late 1940’s, A Lesson Before Dying is a heart-warming tale of injustice, acceptance and redemption. A Lesson Before Dying by Earnest J. Gaines is an excellent novel. Not only does Gaines inform the reader, he entertains will his effective storytelling. His use of symbolism, voice and stylistic devices keeps the reader enticed to the very last page. One way Gaines is an effective storyteller is his use of symbolism. The first symbol to present itself in A Lesson Before Dying is the hog. During trial for robbery and first degree murder, Jefferson’s attorney attempts to get him off by dehumanizing him and denouncing his intelligence, claiming he is incapable of murder because he doesn’t have a â€Å"modicum of intelligence† (Gaines 7). He even goes so far as to compare Jefferson to a hog: â€Å"Why, I would just as soon put a hog in th e electric chair as this† (Gaines 8). This statement drives the central conflict. The hog, a filthy animal, represents the way the whites treated and regarded the blacks; as dirty, unintelligent and inferior animals, whose sole purpose was to work for them. The second symbol to appear in the novel is food. In A Lesson Before Dying, Tante Lou uses food as a means of affection. When Grant tells her he is going into town to eat, he says â€Å"Nothing could have hurt her more when I said I was not going to eat her food† (Gaines 24). Miss Emma brings Jefferson his favourite foods while in prison, to try and comfort him and show him he is loved. When Jefferson refuses to eat, Miss Emma takes it straight to heart and is greatly distressed. Grant even tells Jefferson to eat for Miss Emma, to show that he loves her. In addition to symbolizing love, food also symbolizes Jefferson’s humanity in the novel. Jefferson, taking being called a hog as a great emotional blow, refuses to eat, claiming â€Å"That’s for youmans† (Gaines 83). It is only when Jefferson reconnects with his humanity that he agrees to eat. The final symbol in A Lesson Before Dying is the notebook. After many attempts to reach Jefferson—from Grant, Miss Emma and Reverend Amborse, Grant gives him a notebook to write his thoughts in. In this notebook, Jefferson reflects upon life and death. He writes to Grant about all the injustices he has faced—saying â€Å"it look like the lord just work for wite folks† (Gaines 227) and the his impending fate. The notebook represents Jefferson’s acceptance of his unjust life and his newfound sense of self-worth. In addition, the notebook also shows the bond which formed between Grant and Jefferson. By writing to Grant, he finally accepted Grant’s guidance and showed that Grant made a difference in his short life. As seen through these examples, Gaines uses many symbols to effectively tell his story. The second reason Gaines is an effective story-teller, is his utilization of voice. Most of a Lesson Before Dying is conveyed through stream of consciousness. Narrated by Grant Wiggins, much of the novel is dedicated to Grant’s internal monologue: â€Å"What am I doing? Am I reaching them at all? They are acting exactly as the old men did earlier. They are fifty year younger, maybe more, but doing the same thing those old men who never attended school a day in their lives. Is it just a vicious circle? Am I doing anything?† (Gaines 62) Another way Gaines utilizes voice is through his use of Cajun dialect. Rather than having the dialogue written in proper English form, Gaines presents it exactly how the characters speak: â€Å"I didn’t raise no hog, and I don’t want no hog to go set in that chair. I want a man to set in that chair, Mr. Henri† (Gaines 20). The final form of voice used is epistolary voice. All of Chapter 29 is told through Jefferson’s diary, directed to Grant, to convey Jefferson’s last days on earth. For these reasons, Gaines’ is an effective storyteller because he uses eclectic and creative voice techniques to give the novel a feeling authenticity. The final technique Grant uses to effectively tell the story of A Lesson Before Dying, is stylistic devices. The first device used is repetition. For example, the first time Grant goes to visit Jefferson he remarks â€Å"You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? his eyes said. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish† (Gaines 73) and then, he again says â€Å"His eyes mocked me. They were big brown eyes, the whites too reddish† (Gaines 74). Another device used is charactonym. The character Paul is a perfect example of Gaines’ use of charactonym. Being one of the first white men in the story to accept the black people, it could be said that he is so named after Paul the Apostle, who â€Å"was one of the most influential early Christian missionaries† (Livingstone, and Cross 1840). The final stylistic device used paradox. For example, when Grant describes Jefferson’s trial, he says â€Å"I was not there, yet I was there† (Gaines 1). All in all, Gaines uses many efficient stylistic devices to tell his story in an effective manner. Gaines’ ability to effectively tell a story—through symbolism, voice and other stylistic devices, has created a highly stimulating and moving read. A Lesson Before Dying is a emotional and enlightening tale that is bound to touch all those who read it. Works Cited Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Random House, 1994. Livingstone, E. A., and F.L. Cross. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 3rd ed, Rev. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.

10 conditions to invest in Deep Dyve Organisation Essay

10 conditions to invest in Deep Dyve Organisation - Essay Example is a US based company engaged in the business of providing rental services online for scholarly articles obtained from peer reviewed journals which are meant for medical, technical and scientific research purposes. The articles cover wide range of subjects like finance, business, humanities, IT, computer science, life sciences, etc. (Outsell, 2012). The company is headquartered at Sunnyvale, California and was founded in the year 2005. Previously it was named as Infovell, Inc. and was later renamed as DeepDyve, Inc. in the year 2008 (Bloomberg, 2012). Mr. William C. Park is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and director of the company (DeepDyve, 2012a). The company has a unique business model and has been operating its business successfully since its inception. This study entails about the detailed analysis of the company based on ten different conditions. Those ten conditions discussed in this study includes, demand conditions, knowledge conditions, industry life cycle, pattern of t echnological evolution, identification and satisfaction of market needs in real, entry barriers, understanding of customer adoption, feasibility analysis, managing intellectual property rights and the industry structure in which DeepDyve operates its business. Based on the company analysis recommendations have also been suggested for the investors who wishes to invest in the company. Demand Conditions Demand conditions refer to the attributes related to the preferences of customers related to a certain service or product offered by an organisation. There can be different types of dynamics associated with demand conditions in an industry. It can either have an increasing trend or a decreasing trend. It might be stable over a period or fluctuating in nature. Everything depends on the perceptions of customers regarding a service or product offered to them. To be more specific, three of the attributes related to demand conditions prove to be most important for a new or emerging company or industry. They are: a) Market growth, b) Market size, and c) Market segmentation. It has been found by the researchers that larger markets are mostly profitable for newer organisations like DeepDyve. The company has come up with a new business idea and has successfully implemented the idea to transform it into a business which can cater to the demand of the services required by the targeted customers of the company. DeepDyve has established its business with the motive of catering to the needs of information professionals who visit different journal websites in search of information from the articles published on those journals. It has been observed that millions of such professionals visit those journal websites everyday in search of their required information in the journals and the contained articles. However, open access to most of the peer reviewed journals are restricted to only the users who are either affiliated to or associated with certain governmental or educational in stitution or who can afford to pay for the costs of those journals (DeepDyve, 2012b). Hence, DeepDyve has successfully segmented the market for journal access by information professionals who find it inconvenient to search for their required information in hundreds of publishers' websites and are not affiliated to any of the above mentioned institutions to have an open access to the full text materials inside the journals. DeepDyve has come up with a new solution for such targeted information professionals who can search for their required information at one place in the company's websites and they also have

The influence of macroeconomic conditions on market participants Essay

The influence of macroeconomic conditions on market participants - Essay Example This paper outlines the importance of the macroeconomic factors recognition during planning of the economic activity of any company. None of the companies is able to control them, yet these factors may hamper or facilitate the business activities of many companies and the stability of the market in which the company operates in. Economic factors play an important role in decision-making process of each company. The company should certainly try to improve its technological facilities, management procedures and financial operations but the successful activity in micro-environment can be sustained only if the company reacts quickly to macroeconomic factors and adapts its policy accordingly. The marketing strategy will fail if such factors as interest rates, level of unemployment, legal social and demographic factors are not taken into account, as none of the companies is able to operate in environment and outside it. Current political conditions as well as level of corruption might influence the decision making process as well. One of the most important factors that affects the business activities of companies is the purchasing power. If the purchasing power is low, as it is in less developed countries, then the company is not able to sell expensive products or the level of sales may be lower than expected one. The level of unemployment should be taken into account in developing of the marketing strategy of the company. High level of unemployment usually leads to the decrease in the production of luxury goods (such as expensive cars, refrigerators and other home appliances). Past incomes, earned by the persons who are retired should be taken into account in devising of the marketing strategy as well.

Answer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Answer questions - Essay Example Managers of Corporation have decided to play a mind game to the investors in manipulating the earnings of the income to lure investors. According to (Palepu, & Healy, 2000), income smoothing refers to the minimization of fluctuations in the earnings of a corporation. He further expounds by claiming that it can be of good course and at the same time be a fraudulent act. A firm can decide to defer revenue for a successful fiscal year to the following that is anticipated to be challenging. This will stabilize the income and prove consistency. Other firms can postpone expenses in a difficult financial year and recognize it in the next financial that is prosperous. Working capital measures the liquidity of a firm by deducting the current liabilities from current assets. Liquidity is the ability of a firm to pay its short term due without interfering with its normal operations (Palyi, 1984). Including inventory, prepaid expenses and deferrals in the current assets to determine working capital will not give a realistic state of the firm. Inventories are not easily convertible to cash to run operations of the firm during that financial year. Even if they are auctioned, they will consume much time before cash is earned. Prepaid expenses cannot be reversed easily under normal condition, and, therefore, the cash paid will not be available at the moment to run other business operations. According to (Chattopadhyay, 1982), deferral specifically revenue represents transactions that occurred, but payment will be in the next financial year. He emphasizes that it does not mean the other party will honor and pay the dues. So for these items to be included in determining the liquidity of a firm will result in a false interpretation. The principle of relevance and faithfulness representation of the state of the company under U.S. GAAP is beneficial to stockholders. Stockholders need

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Business Management Affairs - Coursework Example 95). This element was developed from decisions made by judges in various cases. A duty of care involves taking reasonable care to prevent acts or omissions which are more likely to injure the involved parties. It requires a person to be prudent, cautious, attentive and careful when acting toward others. In other words, one should meet the standard of care in their actions to wards others. a. Foresee ability: This is whether the consequences are reasonably foreseeable. For example in the case of Kent v Griffiths (2000) the damages was held to reasonably foreseeable. In Topp v London Country Bus Ltd (1993), there was no foresee ability. b. Proximity: This involves the closeness between parties which can be either physically or legal relationships. In the case of Home Office v Dorset Yatch Club (1970), it was held that there was proximity. There was no proximity in the case of Caporo v Dickman (1990). c. Fair, just and reasonable: This determines whether it is fair, reasonable or just to apply duty of care. In the case of Hill v C.C of W. Yorkshire (1988), it was held not to be fair, reasonable and just. However a duty of care was applied on the fire brigade in the case of Capital v Hampshire County Council (1997). Breach of duty is when the defendant fails to meet the expected standard as determined by the law. If the claimant proved that the defendant owed him a duty of care he should further show that the there was a breach of duty by the defendant. Breach of duty is determined by the degree of risk involved and the seriousness of the harm which can be measured objectively. Where the harm has several possible causes, the claimant should prove beyond reasonable doubt that the negligence of the defendant was the main cause. This test is well demonstrated by the case of Wilsher v Essex AHA (1988). With a weakness of particular harm, the defendant will be held responsible as illustrated in the case of Smith v Leech

Alcohol Poisoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alcohol Poisoning - Essay Example This is the situation where a person takes five or more drinks in succession. This does not give the body time to clean up the system of alcohol. During this time, there is less intake of air which makes the body to react fast to give way for more air intake. This leads to a person breathing fast and shallow. It also affects the heart as it has to pump more blood. In such a scenario, the person’s body functioning is unstable and vulnerable and one may die quite easily. When a person is suffering from alcohol poisoning, the body is unresponsive. The person is extremely confused and does not think right. When a person is disoriented, the body loses balance leading to staggering when in motion. It is common knowledge that when a person is staggering, there are high chances of falling on risky objects. This could cause life threatening situations, for example, falling in ditches or tripling over rails. It could also lead to deep cuts while others escape with injuries that make them vulnerable to tetanus infection. In many instances, a person suffering from alcohol poisoning does not react to basic stimuli, which makes them more vulnerable to further injuries. Apparently, alcohol poisoning can be accidental. For example, an unsuspecting person could take household products or drinks that contain alcohol. Mostly such products or drinks are not labeled. However, this is a less common occurrence. Alcohol poisoning affects both mental and physical functioning. This results in some nerves relaxing leading to reduced activity. This could lead to life threatening situations. In some instances, these effects are long term and could lead to mental impairment. According to recent statistics, it is estimated that 50,000 cases that are related to alcohol poisoning are recorded annually in the United States (Gallavardin and Albert 54). This is a large percentage of the population that leads to unnecessary expenditure by the

Conflict Resolution and Stress At High School Essay

Conflict Resolution and Stress At High School - Essay Example The school administrator noticed a significant increase in the number of absenteeism among the special education staff. For this study, several strategies that could help improve the current situation will be outlined and thoroughly discussed. Employee involvement is considered as â€Å"the voluntary employer-led initiatives that are designed to encourage the more active employee to participate in the organizational activities.† (Caldwell, 1993) Basically, increasing employee involvement in the implementation of inclusion policy can minimize and prevent organizational conflicts. As part of the long list of benefits associated with the implementation of employee involvement and participation, Guest, Peccei & Thomas (1993) explained that the main reason for the need to implement employee involvement is to increase the level of employee commitment towards the organizational goals. It simply means that the school administrator could easily and effectively provide each employee with an extra role to perform within the school organization (Langan-Fox et al., 2002). Therefore, the school administrator could efficiently make use of the regular and special education teachers in order to increase the quality of education at Best High School. Promoting an open communication between the regular and special school teachers is one of the best strategies that could minimize stress and conflict at Best High School. Considering that the special education teachers failed to clearly communicate the importance and purpose of IEPs, it is likely that most of the regular education teachers would just ignore the pieces of paper handed to them by the special education teachers.

Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Accounting - Assignment Example teriality, risk oversight, & management, environmental risks & related matters, forward looking information requirements, impact of adopting IFRS, and governance. The Notice requires issuers to consider both qualitative & quantitative factors when assessing the materiality of information. It also reminds issuers that some immaterial facts in isolation often can become material in aggregate. It further proposes that those matters that are likely to become material in aggregate e.g. prospective clean technology expenditures be disclosed as early as possible. Materiality concept is very imperative when it comes to information disclosure because investors rely on the disclosed information to make decisions. Thus, it is important that any information that is likely to influence the decisions of an in investor be disclosed. The notice classifies environmental risks under such topics as litigation risks, reputational risks, business model risks, physical risks, & regulatory risks. The Notice further provides questions in a table format to help issuers in determining risks for each of the aforementioned categories. For instance if an issuer obtains raw material supplies from a region prone to hurricanes, he/she should disclose the mitigation steps taken to minimizes from chances of loss arising from such environmental physical risk. Either concerning the regulatory risks, future cost compliances should be disclosed. In situations where it is difficult to quantify risks, then it is imperative to make disclosure for such underlying risks. A consumer’s response to environmental unsustainable products comprises reputational risk. The Notice states because of this, the issuers’ costs of capital will be affected. Significantly, higher costs of energy because of upstream regulation represent busin ess model risk. Disclosure Form 51-102F1 Management’s Discussion & Analysis demands that among other things, material information, which may not be reflect by financial

New Media Technology Essay Example for Free

New Media Technology Essay Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the worldwide web, initially intended his invention to be a haven of collaboration where people could share their knowledge (Gauntlett 2009:39). Although the prospect of such public journalism corresponded with democratic and egalitarian principles, journalists took this idea with a pinch of salt. This was almost 20 years ago, before the information highway had, for better or for worse, stretched its limbs across the globe. Today, the new media has redefined both journalism and self expression in conflicting ways that leave an individual wondering at the veracity of digital information. In the last decade, internet has gone through an explosive growth and diversification. No one could have foreseen how the internet would pervade our lives and transform the very notion of being part of a society. It has provided the ultimate freedom of the new age: a single blogger can speak to the entire world, a concept virtually impossible two decades ago. However, with this flourishing and unbound growth, the internet brings a unique set of predicaments and dilemmas. The most profound and relevant of such problems is the age-old clash of a person’s right of self-expression with the hazards of misinformation of the whole society. Whether this deceit comes about due to ignorance or design is irrelevant; in a society that promotes freedom of speech, misinformation is bound to occur on both grounds. While conferring infinite freedom to the common person, this means of self-expression comes with the acrid realization that words from a layman, presented as the predominating views of his community, are not necessarily a blessing. The news on the new media of today is more about gossip and entertainment then first-rate journalism. Since when did journalism begin to cater to the ever-growing need of the populace to be entertained? In an interview to BBC World News America, Ted Koppel, former Nightline presenter, criticized the digital journalist of today for being a mere supplier for consumers (Whitlock 2010). The commercial expansion of new media and ever-growing competition in the free market means that journalists have to write what sells; or rather, gets the most â€Å"hits† on a website. How did we come to a situation where the populace demands not to be informed, but to be perpetually entertained? Discussing news on the television, Daya Kishan Thussu (2007: 9) states: â€Å"There is a concern that too much news is creating an information overload, contributing to a structural erosion of the public sphere in the Habermasian sense, where the viewer, bombarded with visuals, is unable to differentiate between public information and corporate propaganda. † If that is true regarding television news, it most definitely holds water concerning internet news. The gargantuan flow of information, most of which lacks in credibility, is bombarded on any user who wades through the mire of pop up advertisements, banners, and mass e-mailing. Although, these devices are some of the tools used in the race to get more traffic on ones website, the capitalist agenda is far from being the most unfavorable feature of journalism. It is the ubiquitous use of new media, especially by the youth that yields the most detrimental effects. The frivolous writing that is spilt across the new media today may be the first literature some of us encounter, and draw heavily from. However, there have been examples of the internet doing its job where other media have failed. Earlier this year, on January 12th, an earthquake hit the Caribbean island of Haiti. All landlines and mobile connections were suspended. The production team of the news program Sunrise at Sky News, London, was finding it difficult to channel in the first reports from the disaster-struck area. It was to be a young member of their team, Emily Purser, who used Twitter and instant messaging via Google and Skype, to secure the first reports of the incident (Elward 2010). Another, much publicized affair was the use of Twitter by the political opposition in Iran to protest the presidential elections. The protestants took to all sorts of media, but the loudest dissent was voiced, surprisingly, through microblogging. This medium proved to be fast, portable, and most importantly very difficult to contain. Ironically, this very accessibility makes the medium too erratic, unreliable, and mundane to be of any journalistic value (Grossman 2009). An obvious embodiment of the debate between free speech and quality journalism is Wikipedia. This resource epitomizes the â€Å"by the people, for the people† ideology, but this trait alone does not give it any credibility whatsoever, at least not in academic circles. A former editor-in-chief of Encyclopedia Britannica compared Wikipedia to a â€Å"public toilet†, accusing it of delivering information that has no authenticity (Shirky 2006). On the other hand, notions that anything that appears in print media will always be more accurate than digital information are absurd. What Wikipedia envisions is the process through which one can witness the knowledge of its users evolving and perfecting itself through countless revisions (Shirky 2006). The trump card in the argument for Wikipedia comes from a comparison of veracity of data between itself and Britannica; the scientific journal Nature declares them to be of similar accuracy (Giles 2005:900). This collaboration is a sign for those who think people are becoming ever more antisocial and misanthropic, for this is a global effort in creating something for the benefit of all and no monetary gain (Gauntlett 2009:42) . Patricia Wallace, in her book, The Psychology of the Internet writes about how free flow of information can be used to cultivate critical and analytical thinking amongst students who access it (1999:245). Nevertheless, the fact remains that the new media is losing credibility day by day. Although, the global sharing of information and its revision by collaboration is a noble idea, public journalism makes it exceedingly difficult to acquire accurate information; and to accept the new media as a genuine journalistic medium. BIBLIOGRAPHY Gauntlet, David. (2009). Case Study: Wikipedia. Eds. Creeber, G Martin, R. Digital Cultures. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill. Thussu, Daya Kishan. (2007). News as Entertainment: The Rise of Global Infotainment. London: SAGE Publications. Wallace, Patricia. (1999). The Psychology of The Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Shirky, Clay. Interviewed on Imagine, BBC1, UK (aired 5th December 2006) Giles, Jim. (2005). Internet encyclopedias go head to head, Nature, 438:900. www. nature. com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a. html (5th May, 2010) Grossman, Lev. (2009). Iran Protests: Twitter, the Medium of the Movement. Time. http://www. time. com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00. html (5th May, 2010) Whitlock, Scott. (2010). Ted Koppel Slams Undisciplined Internet Journalism. NewsBusters. http://newsbusters. org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/04/13/ted-koppel-slams-undisciplined-internet-journalism-longs-good-old-da (5th May, 2010) Elward, David. (2010) Work of a trainee newspaper journalist. (5th May, 2010) http://davidelward. com/2010/03/09/the-digital-revolution-need-not-sound-the-death-knell-for-good-journalism/

Role of women in times of social change

Role of women in times of social change From a passive housewife to an active member of society in times of social change, where are our women heading? So, what influenced the women in our society to change? With smiles on their faces and freshly cooked meals on the tables, they used to wait for their husbands to come back home from work. Their ambitions were centred on the marriage, fulfilment of the role of a proud housewife and devoted mother and the economic security that their husbands, the breadwinners, have provided them. But, in the past fifteen years, a womans path from an obeying housewife to an emancipated, independent and active member of society has been both, a cause and a reflection of social change in the UK. Feminine mystique Looking back to the past decade, there has been significant influences from the Womens Liberation Movement that has tackled the traditional gender roles. America has not only brought the drive to invent the clever labour saving devices designed to liberate women from domestic drudgery, it has, also, introduced Betty Friedans book, The Feminine Mystique to our British ladies. In this feminist classic of 1963 Friedan claimed: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The women who grow up wanting to be just a housewife are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in concentration camps (Friedan in Fermaglich,2006,p.58). Her strong views of the womens position in society have caused historians to charge her with carelessness, insensitivity and exaggeration. However, nobody could stop the raising assertiveness of women who claimed that the labour saving virtues of modern household technology were countered by an expansion of maternal duties and more exacting levels of cleanliness. As feminists point out, for women of the 1950s in general, happiness was defined by a stereotyped view of the womans role as a homemaker and consequently, many women experienced social isolation. Women were expected to give up work once married and magazines such as Woman portrayed the image of a perfect housewife as the social norm1  [0]  . These high, and often impossible expectations are some of the causes that make the depressed housewife one of the more frequent visitors to the councillors office1  [1]  . Challenging the traditional values With growing female dissatisfaction and frustration, the rise of feminism is quite understandable as many women have begun to question their image of domesticity in the sixties. The teenagers, in particular, have challenged their, rather prescribed roles and as the young girls have developed into women, they promoted more liberal attitudes. The rising female resilience towards social constrains have resulted in a union of British feminist movements. With their aim to promote equality between the genders, at the first National Womens Liberation Conference held in 1970, they assertively demanded equal pay, free contraception and abortion on request, equal educational and job opportunities as well as free twenty-four-hour childcare  [10]  . Betty Friedan had set up the National Organisation of Women in 1966The success of feminism in bringing about the legal changes cannot be denied. In the past decade, the passing of the Abortion Act 1967, Divorce Reform Act 1969 and Equal Pay Act 1970  [11]  have made the women the main beneficiaries. However, the feminist conference and the four iconic demands took place after the government legislated in favour of women. This proves that some social injustices are still affecting women which are beyond the scope of legislation. These belong to the world of embedded prejudice among women as well as men. Even with their significant achievements, feminists still struggle to change the principal attitude at large we are still witnessing social and moral restraints that many women, particularly single mothers, spinsters and divorcees face  [12]  . Education was another useful tool by which girls expectations were manipulated. The universal secondary education and the expansion of universities in the 1960s facilitated admissions of women to higher education, but women felt frustrated that better jobs were still going to men even with their equal qualification  [13]  . Therefore, the emancipated, middle class girls have promoted the feminism as they benefited the most from the campaigns for equal rights. However, women from the lower classes have seen feminism as nothing more than the obsession of the middle class  [14]  as they did not feel the direct affects of the feminists urge for womens liberation. Girls work girls shop! Still, the most encouraging trend indicating the change in the society is that more women are working outside their homes. Nevertheless, researchers take 1961 as the critical point when, for the first time, it was the married women who dominated among the female workforce. As the figures have been steadily rising since then, historians and sociologists predict that we are heading in a way where by 1980 two thirds of all women at work will be married  [15]  . The reasons and impacts of this trend cannot be ignored. While many women view work as an escape from the loneliness of their homes, the families where both parents are in work benefit from an increase in consumer power. With an extra income, there are opportunities for a holiday or purchase of a car  [16]  . Therefore, the higher standard of living is an inspiration for married women to work  [17]  and also, a persuasive argument for their husbands to accept the new trend. This change has largely transformed the old fashioned attitude of the 1950s where working women are portrayed as a threat by depriving men of their jobs  [18]  . Combined with the increased family income and low figures of unemployment, new attitudes systematically led to a general increase in consumerism. Nevertheless, if all the reinforcement of feminism and the recent change in the law have caused Britain to go girlie, female natural affinities are not to be overseen. The fact is girls shop!  [19]  . Feminist propagandaThe new, liberating fashion for young women, mini skirts and see-through blouses, welcomed the beginning of the buy-and-throw-away consumer culture as we know it today. Even after the feminists criticised the new styles as a reinforcement of the new female stereotypes, relatively cheap clothes as designed by Biba have helped to create the concept of shopping as a leisure activity which has spread from young women to society at large  [20]  . Apart from fashion, the challenging attitudes of the younger generation had an impact on society in many ways. Teenage girls embraced feminism as it complied with the rebellious nature of the youth culture who were urged not to accept tamely what they were told, but to make their own judgements  [21]  . This presents the biggest threat to the future of the old fashioned, traditionalist Britain and if by looking at our offspring we can draw predictions about our future, the feminists are the ones to celebrate. Equal Pay fact or a myth? Families with both spouses in work contributed to an economic emancipation of society and allowed women to gain a degree of independence. But, less encouraging is that, in every occupation, employers restricted women to particular kinds of work, where they must accept low skilled and inferior jobs  [22]  . But, towards the end of the sixties, as the female workforce grew and women became generally more liberated, there was a growing attitude that discrimination was wrong  [23]  . This injustice has inspired over eight hundred women, sewing machinists at Fords Dagenham factory to surprise the country with their strike for equal pay in 1968. Even after the striking women agreed to 92% of male wages, their actions, the support of the first female Secretary of State, Barbara Castle, and the urging of the feminists, have publicly highlighted the existence of the discrimination of women in the sixties. This has subsequently led to the reform and the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1970  [24]  . For most women, the feminists ideas about female fulfilment was alien and unrealistic, therefore, the majority regarded it as a movement of the affluent middle class  [25]  . But the sewing machinists proved that the there has been a change of attitudes in general as women from all social classes wanted better and more equal roles in the society. Having afternoon tea with the Secretary of State women of DagenhamBut, five years after the changes have been made in the law, employers discrimination still leaves the gender gap  [26]  . The types of jobs that traditionally belong to women, such as nursing, remain less paid than the ones dominated by men. The evidence of inequality between the genders is in brutally honest statistics in the past ten years the salaries of women increased less rapidly on average than those of men. Today, average earnings of women is just a little more than half of those of men  [27]  . However, the life stories of Yvonne Pope, the first women Air Traffic Controller in 1960 who has also earlier this year became the first women pilot and Annie Nightingale, the first woman on Radio One inspire many girls. Even while the debate about the principle equal pay for equal work continues, these women, pioneers in the world of male employment give optimism to many young girls. Working mothers, the pill, abortion on request: Is modern society exterminating us? The defenders of a traditional, patriarchal family have made the link between the recent fall in birth rates and increases in female employment. Their accusing finger points to a direct causal effect of the women in work which subsequently strengthens the beliefs that women belong at home. This attitude is still embedded in society, although a report in 1963 denied any correlation between the two. Still, many women, even today, feel guilty when applying for jobs  [28]  . While Penelope Mortimer and Margaret Drabble wrote articles in which they supported the traditionalist views by glorifying the position of women as mothers, feminists questioned the belief that women could only be fulfilled through motherhood  [29]  . They also campaigned for the right to family planning measures and the first effective contraception pill has undoubtedly become the feature of the decade. Even after officially going on sale in 1961, the turning point was in 1969  [30]  when it became an available choice to all women regardless of their marital status. The feminists eight year long battle to make the pill available to everyone proves how effortful it was to change the traditional attitudes towards motherhood and sex. The Pill was largely criticized by many, but probably the most disputed of the sixties reforms is the Abortion Act 1967  [31]  . Even though it was illegal in the early sixties, the expensive West End clinics performed thousands of abortions a year. At the other end of the social scale, horrific back-street abortions with coat-hangers and unofficially trained clinicians were the main cause of avoidable maternal death  [32]  . Even so, abortion is strongly opposed by the Catholic Church who asserts how all life is sacred  [33]  and not even all feminists agreed with it  [34]  . However, the passing of the Abortion Act is, after all, a powerful indicator of the extent to which women had become more emancipated. Decline in birth ratesVoluntary child bearing and the increase in divorce rates as a consequence of the passing of the Divorce Reform Act 1969 have all had a transforming effect on domestic life, the idea of home, and all the roles and functions of womanhood  [35]  . These play the important factors in producing smaller families as does increased family affluence which have made people choose their priorities with care. Even the modern architecture reinforces the trend towards smaller families new houses are designed for families with only two or three children  [36]  . So, where are our women heading? When analysing social change, it is important to stress the diversity in aspirations of British women. Whether that is as a housewife or as a career woman, some are free to choose their lifestyle, but others are still constrained by the attitudes and norms of the society they live in. The changes in government policy extended womens choices, but it remains to be seen if they have achieved the right balance between work and family. However, it is the social as well as economic circumstances which unavoidably leave some women more equal than others. In the future these issues will need to be addressed if women are to overcome the discrimination that still exists3  [7]  . However, the promotion of equality between the genders by the younger generations indicate, not a revolution, but a slow evolution of a womens role in British society.

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF

Impact of ICT Innovations at NG-CDF The Board acquired internet from two ISPs (internet service providers), Safaricom and Accesskenya, providing availability of reliable redundant global connectivity. Connectivity therefore has allowed access to internal systems such as email, ERP (Enterprise resource planning) and website at ease. Learning through research on the internet has improved. The Local Area Network (LAN) and Wireless LAN has provided interconnectivity within the office. Resources can be shared among users and computers with minimum movement of staff. Wireless LAN on the other hand has also encouraged BYOD (bring your own device) culture in the organization and improve staff mobility. Recently the Board implemented MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) to regional offices providing access to internet and telephony services at a minimum cost. MPLS is a multipoint connectivity system that allows regions and HQ to communicate to each other like they are in one office. The regional offices can now be reached by a telephone extension. Connectivity through MPLS has also allowed the implementation of SIP telephone services whereby a pilot line is given which in turn allows for configuration of 999 parallel lines hence direct lines. The firewall protects the organization from internal and external threats. These threats come in form of spam messages, phishing sites and viruses. Threats penetrate networks using services or ports that may be or may not be used in the organization. The firewall therefore assists in filtering out those services that may allow threats into the network. In addition, internet bandwidth is a limited resource and therefore need to be controlled, services that consume a lot of bandwidth are then disabled so that users can have a fair usage of internet without affecting their duties. The firewall also allows for scheduling and QOS to prioritize certain services at a certain time. Kaspersky central Management allows the system administrator to monitor threats to the organization systems in form of computer viruses. The central management is an all in one portal where admins can perform certain tasks remotely from a server e.g. install, manage and license Kaspersky remotely, push updates remotely, manage devices, enable or disable e.g. USB To secure the server room CCTV is installed to monitor physical access and intrusion of unauthorized staff members thereby improving on data security and management. The CCTV system allows for live picture and playback options and to save/export a video for future reviews The Board has a registered domain name, cdf.go.ke and subsequently each staff member is assigned an email address. The email system, running on the latest version is accessible 24/7 anywhere anytime through a computer or supported mobile devices. Guidelines and manuals to access the mail portal have been developed by the department to help staff members adapt to the system easily. The Board has installed Spiceworks helpdesk system which is an open source helpdesk system that allows the department to have a bona fide support ticket-tracking system and generate reports of the same to gauge their performance. Users raise tickets by email, telephone call or through the Spiceworks portal, the ICT department then are able to view and prioritize them accordingly. Once the case is solved, the ticket is closed. The bulk SMS system is web based system which the Board uses to disseminate important information through short messages to staff members within the shortest time possible. Within the system, targeted groups and individual contacts have been preloaded to the system; these groups are All Staff, FAMs, directors, HQ Staff etc. The board has seen improvement in communicating matters relating to the board or staff on time without the need for lengthy and slow means of communication; this has improved the accuracy of the information passed and avoided speculations on sensitive Board matters. The system provides information to the Boards customers using USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. Information available is allocations and disbursements for each constituency from FY 2013/2014 to date. The USSD is integrated to the bulk sms system so that results can be sent to the end user. The user queries by dialing *483*6# from their mobile phone, then select the constituency by a quick search, they will then choose whether they need allocations or disbursement information. Once confirmed, the results are then sent through SMS to the users phone via the bulk sms system implemented by the board. 100% of individual offices have been connected by a telephone extension, 70% of staff have an extension on their desks. The Board maintains a PBX which interconnects these extensions and the regional office extensions. Staff can communicate within offices on 10th floor, 5th floor and regional offices conveniently and for free. Trunk calls (external calls) can also be made and received by the board via providers like Orange Telkom and Safaricom. Orange provides the landlines while Safaricom provides a SIP line which emulates a mobile number with 1000 lines which can then be configured as direct lines. The SIP trunk therefore allows for multiple calls to be made without engaging or congesting the lines. A unique number is assigned, for the Board, this is 0709894, and the last 3 digits have then been assigned to a specific extension Number for example 0709894000 is configured on the extension at the reception as a pilot line, any other extension has also an incoming route creating a direct line scenario. Web portals are websites that maintain personalized information in a database in the background. Unlike any website, portals allow authorized users access to specific information meant for them specifically. They are even allowed to customize information they want to be displayed in their portal (space). The Boards web portal is integrated portal in that, the fund account managers can create their own websites within the portal by logging in to the system. The public can therefore access information on any constituency from one website www.ngcdf.go.ke by a click of a button. CDFMIS stores, organizes and makes access to project and financial information easy. It not only stores all the information relating to current and past years projects, but also stores the approved budgets for these years, details on inflows and outflows of funds. The CDFMIS Projects database is composed of four different functional aspects, each corresponding to a set of tasks the constituency must carry out as a part of its mission, these include project Information, bursaries Information, budget and Finance Information and Complaints Information. Data and Applications Software are stored in servers at the computer center located at CDF Headquarters in Nairobi. Operations data are entered at the various user locations at the Constituencies and Head office. Interconnectivity of the system is through Wide Area Network between the constituencies and the Servers; and through Local Area Network between the Servers and Head Office workstations. CDFMIS is operated the basis of on-line real-time; that is to say that updates occur immediately a transaction is completed; thus making information as current as the last transaction. Access to the system will be done via the internet/intranet through use of a web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc.). Unique user-names and passwords are given by System Administrator. Microsoft Dynamics SL is a financial/accounting system used by the Boards Finance and Accounts Department. Microsoft Dynamics SL is one of Microsofts enterprise resource planning (ERP) software products for project-driven small- and medium-sized enterprises. It is part of the Microsoft Dynamics product family. The functionality includes finance, project accounting, manufacturing, field services, supply chain management, analytics, and electronic commerce. The major module used by the Board is the finance module.

Aristotle Essay -- essays research papers

Aristotle   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the possible exception of Plato, Aristotle is the most influential philosopher in the history of logical thought. Logic into this century was basically Aristotelian logic. Aristotle dominated the study of the natural sciences until modern times. Aristotle, in some aspect, was the founder of biology; Charles Darwin considered him as the most important contributor to the subject. Aristotle’s Poetic, the first work of literary notice, had a string influence on the theory and practice of modern drama. Aristotle’s great influence is due to the fact that he seemed to offer a system, which although lacked in certain respects, was as a whole matchless in its extent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aristotle was born in 384 BC in Stagira in northern Greece. His father, Nicomachus, was a physician with close connections to the Macedonian court. In 367, Aristotle went to Athens to join Plato’s Academy, first as a student then, a teacher. Plato had gathered around him a group of outstanding men who shared no common belief but who were united by the exact effort to organize human knowledge on a firm theoretical basis and expand it in all directions. This effort identified Aristotle’s own work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was also part of the Academy’s program to train young men for a political career and to provide advice to rulers. After Plato’s death, Aristotle joined the court of Hermias of Atarneus in 347, and later went to the c...

Polar Bears :: essays research papers fc

Polar Bear is the name for a white bear found on the icy sea of the Arctic throughout the North Polar basin. Being the only bear considered being marine, it is longer than other bears and streamlined for aquatic life. It has the â€Å"plantigrade† feet (heel and sole touching the ground) which are typical in all bears, with five sharp, claws on each foot for grasping at the ice and holding its prey. Long hair between the pads protects the bear's feet from the cold and provides traction on the ice so he doesn’t slip. Hard hairs on the forelegs, and very wide front feet, help the bear swim. All polar bears are white, although their fur may yellow in the summer because of the fat from animals it kills. The largest wild bears ever weighed—were more than 800 kg (which is more than 1800 lb)—have been polar bears. However, most male polar bears weigh an average of about 350 kg (about 880 lb), and most females weigh about 250 kg (550 lb). Polar bears have a strong navigational sense, an extremely good sense of smell, and they are extremely good at solving problems in order to obtain food. They eat primarily ringed seals, and sometimes they also enjoy bearded seals, walruses, or even white whales. They also feed on berries, sedges, mussels, and kelp when they have no other food sources left. As with other â€Å"true† bears, polar-bear mothers and young create strong bonds. The young cubs are very small when they are born: about 1 kg (about 2.2 lb). Their eyes remain closed for about 40 days and they must be fed every few hours. The mother keeps them close to make sure that they stay warm. Except during the breeding season, male polar bears are solitary and walk over vast amounts of sea ice while hunting. During the breeding season (which is from May to June), the males fight nonstop over females. Both the male and female may mate with other individuals as well.

Vernon God Little

Explore how DBC Pierre displays his ideas to shock the audience in Vernon God Little. Vernon God Little, written by DBC Pierre, is a satirical novel based around a massacre at a high school in Texas in which some of the students got possession of a gun and murdered some of their teachers and fellow students. The novel is about a boy called Vernon who is best friends with the main killer, Jesus. Vernon is framed as an accessory to murder and the story line follows the down fall of his life.There are lots of features of the novel that come across as very shocking to the readers. For example in chapter seven, when Vernon visit’s a psychiatrist; Dr Goosens, he puts full trust into him, because he has a well-known profession. The psychiatrist goes on to violate Vernon which, in a way, makes Vernon loose all trust in everyone, because if he doesn’t feel safe around a doctor, he doesn’t know if he will feel safe around anyone. Especially when almost everyone he used to trust has turned against him to try and frame him as an accessory to murder.The passage in chapter seven uses grotesque imagery; â€Å"His breathing quickens with the march of his fingers, they trace a tightening circle around the rim of my hole. † and â€Å"a cool finger invades me†. This shocks the readers because it is disturbing and because Dr Goosens is a doctor and is in a position of trust and is not expected to break this trust. DBC Pierre does this because the novel is satirical and he tries to inform the audience that people are not everything they seem and you ‘can’t read a book by it’s cover‘. A shocking character in Vernon God Little is the journalist, Lally Ledesma.We begin to see Lally’s true colours as we progress through the novel as he becomes almost unbearable. At the beginning of the book, Lally is first presented when he is trying to interview Vernon on the massacre. Throughout the novel, he does many shocking thing s. For example, he uses Vernon’s mum and builds a relationship with her, just so he can get on the inside of Vernon’s life and get a good story on him for the newspapers. Vernon knows that this is what Lally wants, but his mum won’t believe him because she’s in love with Lally. 1.Ella Bouchard – chapter 13, Vernon uses her as a prostitute. 2. Taylor – Uses Vernon and sets him up so she can get money 3. Mum – doesn’t care about anything important, just the look, fridges and her friends 4. Shock is to build up the satirical effect, and takes the mic out of america 5. Everyone wants to meet the american dream, 6. At the end, say if you think it is too shocking or not, and why you think DBC Pierre wrote it like this. 3. Vernon’s mum has her heart set on reaching the American dream, the dream that everyone is equal, and everyone has a good job, nice house and big happy family.She doesn’t want to know about what is happ ening to Vernon and she is very blase towards it, because all she cares about is what she and her family looks like to her friends and the public. This is shocking to the audience of Vernon God Little because it’s not something they’d expect to happen. The audience would expect Vernon’s mum to be worried about her son and trying everything in her power to get him out of jail and out of being taken to court, but instead she is in bed with Lally Ledesma, who is using her, and worrying about what fridge to buy to impress her friends. 6.Overall, I think that Vernon God Little is very shocking. DBC Pierre wrote Vernon God Little in shocking ways for a very important reason. He wanted the audience to realize that everything is not as it seems and society can be out of order at times. He also wanted them to think about if they were following the ‘American dream’ or whether it’s all a big lie and there’s no such thing. The novel might come acr oss as unbearably shocking, but that is one feature of a satirical novel. The shock helps to reflect the fact that it is just a big joke and is trying to make a joke of American society.

Enrollment forecasting methodology

Virtually, forecasting plays everywhere a major role in human life, especially in making future decisions such as weather forecasting, university enrollment, production, sales and finance, etc. Based on these forecasting results, we can prevent damages to occur or get benefits from the forecasting activities.Up to now, many qualitative and quantitative forecasting models were proposed. However, these models are unable to deal with problems in which historical data take form of linguistic constructs instead of numerical values. In recent years, many methods have been proposed to deal with forecasting problems using fuzzy time series. In this paper, we present a new method to predict the calendar day for average Arabian Gulf Oil Company using fuzzy time series approach based on average lengths of intervals. A visual-based programming is used in the implementation of the proposed model.Results obtained demonstrate that the proposed forecasting model can forecast the data effectively and efficiently Keywords: Fuzzy time series, Forecasting, Fuzzy sets, Average-based lengthl . Forecasting the size of any phenomenon in future is important and helpful for understanding behavior of phenomenon along time. It is impossible to make future plans to face the phenomenon without defining its future dimensions and identifying shape and modes of complicated process, especially when it is related to future forecasting. Making decisions depends completely on accuracy of forecasting.It is evident that forecasting plays major role in our daily life. The accurate and the most efficient forecasting may support making correct decisions to raise accuracy of our expectations up to 100%. This may be impossible, yet we try to reduce forecasting errors. In order to solve forecasting problems, many researchers proposed several methods and different models. One of these models is traditional time series analysis, uni-variant and multi-variant. However, traditional time series has wide applic ations, but it must satisfy proper conditions to be successful.For example, 50 up to 100 bservations at least are needed to achieve Autoregressive and Integrated Moving Average Models (ARIMA) and average zero is needed to achieve autoregressive. Traditional time series has been applied in many fields such as pollution monitoring, blood pressure estimation, etc. This problem has been studied widely in statistics areas and neural networks. However, in practical life, there are regression models in which the uncertainty accompanied to the model is because of vagueness, not because of neither randomness nor both of them.In these models, probability theory cannot be pplied and fuzzy sets theory is applied, where variables are foggy i. e. declarative variables are not fixed and scaling of these variables is not expressed by a point, but by an interval or linguistic variables [1, 3]. 2. FUZZY LOGIC Fuzzy logic [1 1], is a form of logic which has used in some expert systems and artificial i ntelligence applications. It was first proposed in 1965 by the Iranian scientist Lutfi Zadeh, at University of California, where he developed it as a better method of data processing.However, his theory didn't find a wide interest until 1974, where fuzzy logic was used to control a steam engine. Since then, applications of fuzzy logic kept developing until the manufacturing of fuzzy logic chip which have been used in many products such this science. There are many reasons for scientists to improve fuzzy logic. For example, development of computers and software founded the need to invent or program systems that are capable of dealing with ambiguous information to mimic human thinking.However, this created a problem since computers can only deal with exact and accurate data. This problem caused occurrence of expert systems and artificial intelligence. Fuzzy logic is a theory for building such systems. Fuzzy set theory has many useful achievements in different fields and it aims at app roximation of professional knowledge that contains vagueness in human thinking. Figure 1 illustrates the difference between traditional and fuzzy set theories. Fuzzy logic simply reflects how do people think and try to represent our feelings by words, decisions making and our common sense.So, fuzzy logic models are being increasingly used in time series analysis, where they are important for dealing with linguistic values and other models in order to yield better forecasting results. Time Series is defined as a sequence of events easured in successive times at definite intervals. It was widely used in economic systems such as stock index and interest. Also, it was used in metrology, especially in wind speed, temperature, pressure, Figure 1: Traditional and fuzzy sets 3.FUZZY TIME SERIES Fuzzy time series is another concept to solve forecasting problems in which the historical data are linguistic values. Fuzzy time series based on Zadeh's works [1 1], Song and Chissom [7], first prop osed a forecasting model called Fuzzy Time Series, which provided a theoretic framework to model a special dynamic process hose observations are linguistic values. The main difference between the traditional time series and fuzzy time series is that the observed values of the former are real numbers while the observed values of the latter are fuzzy sets or linguistic values.In the following, some basic concepts of fuzzy time series are briefly reviewed Definition 1: Let U ,u2 un } be a universe of discourse (universal set); a fuzzy set A of U is defined fA (u ) / u fA (u ) / un ,where fA is a membership function of a given set A , fA [0,1]. Definition 2 If there exists a fuzzy relationship R(t – 1, t), such that F(t) =F(t ), where is an arithmetic operator, then F(t) is said to be caused by F(t – 1). The relationship between F(t) and – 1) can be denoted by – 1) Definition 3 Suppose F(t) is calculated by F(t – 1) only, and – 1) R(t,t-l).For a ny t, if R(t – 1, t) is independent of t, then F(t) is considered a timeinvariant fuzzy time series. Otherwise, F(t) is timevariant. Definition 4 Suppose – 1) and F(t)= A], a fuzzy logical relationship can be defined as Ai AJ where Ai and AJ are called the left-hand side and the right-hand side of the fuzzy logical relationship, respectively. 4. REVIEW OF RELATED WORKS Many studies have interested in fuzzy time series and have been applied in various fields including university enrollment.Fuzzy time series had proved its efficiency in forecasting as a good new method for predicting linguistic values. Song and Chisson [9, 10] first introduced the method of fuzzy time series, humidity and rainfall. In addition, time series was used in geophysical records including indexed measurements, times of earthquake, radiological activities, industrial production, rates of idleness, etc. therefore, they are considered as founders of fuzzy time series science. Also, in 1994, they in troduced a eries.Chen [1] presented a new method for forecasting university enrollment using fuzzy time series historical data enrollments of the university of Alabama from 1971 to 1992, the proposed method is more efficient than the proposed method by Song and Chissom, due to the fact that the proposed method uses simplified arithmetic operation rather than the complicated MaxMin composition operation. Hwang [8] proposed a new method on fuzzification to revise Song and Chissom's method. He used a different triangle fuzzification method to Fuzzify crisp values.His method involved determining an interval of xtension from both sides of crisp value in triangle membership function to get a variant degree of membership. The result got a better average forecasting error, in addition, the influences of factors and variables in a fuzzy time series model such as definition area, number and length of intervals and the interval of extension in triangle membership function were discussed in det ailsStep 2: Define the universe of discourse U. Find the maximum Dmax and the minimum Dmin among all Dh. For easy partitioning of U, choose two small numbers Dl and D2 as two proper positive numbers. The purpose of Dl and D2 is to make the lower and upper bounds of U become multiple of hundreds, thousands, etc. The universe of discourse U is then defined by: U = Dt-ntn -Dl , Drnax+D2 Step 3: Determine the appropriate length of interval L. Here, the average-based length method (Huarng, 2001 b) can be applied to determine the appropriate L.The length of interval L is computed according to the Table 1: Base mapping table Range Base 0. 1-1. 0 0. 1 1. -10 11-100 10 101-1000 a) Calculate all the absolute differences between the values Dh-l and Dh as the first differences, and then compute the average of the first differences. b) Take one-half of the average as the length. c) Find the located range of the length and determine the base from Table 1 d) According to the assigned base, round t he length as the appropriate L.Then the number of intervals m, is computed by: D max+D2-D Then U can be partitioned into equal-length intervals Assume that the m intervals are Step4: Define fuzzy sets from the universe of discourse: f(un)(3) Ai=A11+A22+†¦.. +Ai l Then fuzzify the time series. First determine some linguistic values A1, A2, †¦ , An. Second, defined fuzzy sets on U. The fuzzy sets Ai are expressed as follows: 10. 500 0. 510 . 50 00. 51 0. 5 Step 5: fuzzify the historical data. If the value of Dh is located in the range of ui, then it belongs to fuzzy sets A'.All Dh must be classified into the corresponding fuzzy sets. However, fuzzify the historical data and give fuzzy set to each year's historical data. If the historical data belongs to Ai at year t, the historical data of that year can be written by A'. But usually one historical data to ifferent A1, the need to find out maximum degree of each year's historical data belonging to each A1. Step 6: Establish f uzzy logical relationships (FLRs) for all fuzzified data, derive the fuzzy logical relationships based on Definition (3).The fuzzy logical relationship which have the same left-hand sides is like Ai Ak, which denotes that if the Dh-lvalue of time t-1 is AJ then that of time t is Ak Table 2: Fuzzy relationship Ak Ar A1 Am 0. 5 um -2 um -1 um Where ui n) is the element and the number below ‘/'is the membership of ui to Then follow the rules for determining the degree of the membership of the istorical data Yi belonging to interval u'. The general triangular membership function is expressed as below: Step 7: establish the fuzzy logic relationship groups (FLRG).The derived fuzzy logical relationships can be arranged into fuzzy logical relationship groups based on the same fuzzy numbers on the left-hand sides of the fuzzy logical relationships. The fuzzy logical relationship groups are like the following: AJI Step 8: The forecasting of the historical data is based on heuristic rule s proposed by chen (1996) and outlined as follows.

Great Power Hegemony

Name: Sayed Jamaluddin Firozi, St no: 1B1019 Great power hegemony There is a question that which system (empire, balance of power, concert of power or great power hegemony) provides the best conditions for advancing peace, prosperity and civilization? There are several opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of each system and the functions, abilities and disabilities of them to maintaining the peace and stability in international arena. But I want to argue on hegemonic power system as a preventer of war among states and a maintainer of peace as comparison to other suggested types of system for advancing peace, stability and civilization in all over the world. Hegemonic power system is the best system for advancing peace, prosperity and preventing war among states comparing to other types of systems such as empire, balance of power, and concert of power. In this paper I will argue that as history of international relations show most wars and conflicts among states occurred in a lack of a hegemonic power because a hegemonic power try to act as a policeman and don’t let the states to start war. If war happens mostly the super power will enter the war to stop it because the hegemonic power does see itself as a policeman to have the right to intervene. So, hegemonic power is good for making peace and stability in the world. There are many reasons that great power hegemony system could be the best option for developing peace and preventing the war. It is clear that two world wars happened in the absence of a great hegemonic power. For example if in the 1910s there was great power hegemony the First World War may did not happen. In addition, hegemonic power system naturally makes its allies and don’t want to go just for its own interest but also look for others as well. In contrast in balance of power each actor in the system try to pursue its national interests and want to increase the power in terms of military or other resources. Furthermore, great power hegemony can be very helpful in cooperation among states, because the hegemonic power bear the most cost of transaction in the system. For example USA as a hegemonic state â€Å"pays the 22 percent regular expenditure of United Nation and 25 percent of the budget while UN goes for peacekeeping operations around the world. On the other hand, â€Å"the system of balance of power doesn’t seem to contribute the cooperation among states but in contrast it pushes the states to go for a competition and armament race because each state in the system will increase its capabilities to make the balance in the system. Eventually this competition will lead nation state to build its arm forces†. However, there are some arguments about the weakness of hegemonic power to prevent states from going to war. They argue that hegemonic power has its own limitations in term of internal and external barriers to go as policeman around the world. This arguments see very good and logic. But they don’t have any proposal that which system could be the best to make the world more peaceful and prosperous. So, despite these points of view the other types of system such as balance of power or concert of power likely aren’t good replacement for great power hegemony system to be succeeded for making peace and stability in the world. So I will try to give more examples from history of international relations to show the other systems (empire and balance of power or concert of power) couldn’t make a stable and peaceful world. But mostly went to war and there was fear of attack from other country in the era of those systems. In conclusion, there might be some suggestion for advancing peace, prosperity and stability within the system of great power hegemony. References: 1. Luard, Evan. The balance of power: The System of International Relations, 1648 – 1815, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1992. 2. Kennedy, Paul, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers, Random House, New York, 1987 3. Huntington, Samuel P. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1996. 4. Journal of Peace Research. 5. Brooking Institution Press. 6. The Better World Campaign. ——————————————– [ 2 ]. . U. S. Dues and Contributions to the United Nations, The Better World Campaign, http://www. betterworldcampaign. org/issues/funding/us-dues-and-contributions. h tml , [ 3 ]. . Journal of p eace research, 1964-2007 (Vols. 1-44), http://www. jstor. org/stable/422972? seq=3

Minor Assignment Marketing Mix Essay

Introduction This report has been compiled in order to describe the four most common elements of the marketing mix which are described by Elliot, Rundle-Thiele and Waller (2010 p.18-21) in the following few sentences. * Product – â€Å"A good, service or idea offered to the market for exchange.† (p.18) * Price – â€Å"The amount of money a business demands in exchange for its offerings.† (p.20) * Promotion – â€Å"The marketing activities that make potential customers, partners and society aware of and attracted to the business’s offerings.† (p.20) * Place (Distribution) – â€Å"The means of making the offering available to the customer at the right time and place† (p.21) In conjunction with these descriptions, all four marketing mix elements will be analysed and shown how they can be applied to retail petrol outlets and the products which are made available to customers. The Marketing Mix Elliot et. al describe the marketing mix as â€Å"the different elements that marketers need to consider.† (2010 p. 18) When using the marketing mix to market retail petrol outlets such as Caltex Woolworths or Coles Express, marketers need to consider the Product, Price, Promotion and Distribution (Place) of not only petrol, but many other consumer and specialty products which retail petrol outlets offer. Product It can be seen in retail petrol stations that other than the expected fuels like unleaded and diesel which are generally relatively low in terms of their profit margin, â€Å"some oil firms claim that supermarkets sell petrol at a loss in order to attract customers.† (The Economist, 1996 p.58) Other products are required in order to boost profits for the retail petrol chains’ owner. These other products are mostly the convenience type and can range from the daily newspaper and chewing gum, to a bottle of orange juice or a loaf of bread. There are three categories of convenience products outlined by Elliot et al. which are all found in retail petrol outlets and include staple products, impulse products and emergency products. (2010 p. 207) * Staple products – These are considered to be everyday grocery products like bread and milk, purchased regularly by consumers and therefore aren’t heavily promoted * Impulse products – These are considered to be only purchased when seen, like confectionary or magazines which are eye catching and are usually found around the cash register. * Emergency products – These are considered to be those products which are only purchased when really needed, like a raincoat or an umbrella. Although there are a lot of products sold by retail petrol outlets like Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express, the obvious product centred on all retail petrol outlets is the fuel supplied to consumers. The varieties of fuels which can be purchased can include: * E10 – 10% Ethanol. * E85 – 85% Ethanol. * E95 – 95% Ethanol. * Unleaded – Standard fuel. * Hi Octane – Offered for high performance vehicles. * LPG – Alternative to liquid fuel, a Gas product. * Diesel – More efficient lower sulphur producing by product. There is a vast selection of fuels for consumers to choose from and although the blends of fuels stay similar, the names and descriptions of these fuels tend to change from outlet to outlet. For example, when you drive into a Caltex Woolworths you are confronted with the choice of â€Å"Caltex Vortex 95 or 98,† both are hi octane blends offered to a prospective purchaser. (Woolworths fuels, Website.) Price When dealing with topic of pricing in retail petrol stores, the outcome of the price has to be both beneficial to the seller, and seen as a good deal to the buyer, otherwise no trades will take place. As stated previously, petrol itself tends to have a lower margin for profit which means the strategic pricing of other products in-store needs to be addressed as well as ensuring that the price of petrol is not seen as out of balance with other suppliers. There is an obvious demand for petrol, as almost everyone who is able, drives or rides a vehicle which requires fuel to run. So it could be argued that retail petrol stations don’t necessarily set their own prices, but go off supplier guidelines which base their fuel pricing strategy on demand, â€Å"Demand based pricing sets prices according to the level of aggregate or individual customer demand in the market.† (Elliott et al. 2010 p. 250) Elliott et al. also continue to write that both Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express hold more than 60% of the Australian fuel market share (2010 p.268) so high demand from their suppliers will enable them to lower their fuel prices and therefore gain more customers, earning higher profits. Pricing of other products offered by retail petrol outlets such as bread or milk tend to have the opportunity to be competitive and more fairly priced than a standard petrol station, the major grocery companies behind retail petrol outlets like Woolworths and Coles focus on gaining more ground off one and other, price drops are reflected in store and this also proves more profitable, because consumers are drawn into purchasing something they wouldn’t normally associate with their petrol. Promotion An important aspect in the success of retail petrol outlets is in their promotion, or the way in which their fuels and other products are portrayed to potential customers. There are many numbers of ways in which retail petrol outlets use promotional tools to make the public more aware of what their outlet has to offer. Using the Coles Express website for example, it can be seen that promotion plays a major role in the marketing of retail petrol outlets, on the homepage can be found five key promotional campaigns designed to catch the eye of potential customers. The opportunity to win â€Å"the ultimate weekend Ferrari drive experience† or â€Å"two Cadbury chocolate bars for four dollars† (Coles Express, website) are two examples of how Coles Express use promotion as a tool to gain the interest of potential customers. The use of shopper dockets and rewards cards are also a major way in which retail petrol outlets have promoted themselves, using incentives of cheaper fuel by spending amounts of money in store or purchasing earlier in their supermarkets and bringing the docket to the petrol station in order to gain the fuel discount. In the recent past, retail petrol outlets have encouraged shoppers to buy big in store in order to earn big discounts off fuel â€Å"motorists who spend more than $300 during one supermarket visit during the next three days receive a 40 cent per litre petrol discount. Shoppers who spend more than $200 or more receive a 25 cent a litre discount, while those who spend $100 or more get a 10 cent a litre discount.† (Cranston 2009) Woolworths have the â€Å"Everyday Rewards† program, and Coles have the â€Å"Fly buys† rewards program. Both these programs offer rewards point in exchange for purchases made in their outlets. Another way in which retail petrol outlets can promote their product is through sponsorship, Coles Express for example are sponsoring Daffodil day, a program not normally associated with fuel but this can help to grow an organisations image, by supporting such a worthy cause, Coles express may gain respect from the community and in turn boost their profits. Place (Distribution) The transportation and distribution of products including fuel to retail petrol outlets operates under the marketing mix category of â€Å"Place.† â€Å"The science (or art) of ensuring products are in the right place at the right time in the right quantity is known as logistics and the various partners that contribute to the process make up is called the supply chain.† (Elliot et al. 2010 p.21) Retail petrol outlets operate somewhat differently to conventional service stations, the retail petrol outlets are often situated near to a parent supermarket company (in the same complex) which makes supply of products other than fuel relatively easy as the distance for stock to travel is minimal. When looking at the fuel aspect, it can be seen that the logistics tend to become a lot more involved and a more defined supply chain emerges. * First fuel is sourced from their respective supplier (Caltex or Shell) on a relatively routine basis, as fuel is a required product for most of the community. * The fuel is then transported by truck from oil refineries which are based in more coastal areas (Caltex oil refinery in Kurnell NSW) which makes it easier to transfer oil from overseas oil barges when new shipments arrive. * When the trucks reach the retail petrol outlet the fuel is then pumped into underground holding tanks, where the fuel can now be distributed to the customer via the petrol pump and now exchange of fuels can be made for a profit. Conclusion This report was compiled in order to describe the four elements of the marketing mix: * Product * Price * Promotion * Place (distribution) The descriptions of these marketing mix elements were also shown in application; how they are applied when breaking down the four aspects in relation to retail petrol outlets. Focusing on the Caltex Woolworths and Coles Express partnerships it was able to be shown how the marketing mix elements are applied. Products have been broken down into specific fuels and other items which are available to potential customers, these products have also been categorised as either: Staple, Impulse or Emergency. Price has been shown to be of vital importance, and the outcome of the price has to be both beneficial to the seller, and seen as a good deal to the buyer. Promotion has also proven to be of high importance to the overall marketing of retail petrol outlets, the use of shopper dockets for discounts, and sponsorship for awareness and image are important promotional tools outlined above. Place (Distribution) outlines the logistics and supply chain which is in place for retail petrol outlets to gain their product in order to forward it onto the paying public to gain an overall profit. All four of these marketing mix elements play their own equally pivotal role in ensuring the successful operation of retail petrol outlets. References Coles Express website www.colesexpress.com.au Cranston, B. (2009) NSW: ACCC investigating supermarket petrol promotion. AAP Australian National News wire Elliott, G. Rundle-Thiele, S. & Waller, D. (2010) Marketing. Pump Action, The Economist. (1996) Vol. 338 Issue 7950, page 58 Woolworths petrol website www.woolworthspetrol.com.au