Process of Business Research Methods

The steps of basic and applied research are the following: 1. OBSERVATION (Broad Area of Research Interest Identified) – Identification of broad problem area through the process of observing and focusing on the situation. Any area/situation that has got identified for improvement can be classified as a broad problem area. 2. PRELIMINARY DATA GATHERING (Interviewing Literature Survey)- Once the broad problem area has got identified, the same can be narrowed down to specific issues for investigation through preliminary data gathering. . PROBLEM DEFINATION (Research Problem Delineated)- It is clear , precise and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution. 4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK (Variables clearly identified and labeled)- A theoretical framework is a conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among the several factors that have been identified as important to the pro blem. It is a logically developed, described and elaborated network of associations among the variables( dependent/criterion , independent/predictor, moderating , intervening) deemed relevant to problem definition. 5. GENERATION OF HYPOTHESIS- After identification of important variables and establishing the relationships amongst them, formulating of testable statements (to test the relationships) is called hypothesis development. The null hypothesis states a definitive, exact relationship between two variables. The hypothesis is tested scientifically through appropriate statistical analyses. 6. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN – Design of the research in a way that requisite data can be gathered and analyzed to arrive at a solution. Experimental designs need to be done to examine the possible cause and effects on the various variables. 7. DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: For data collection, sources of data (primary or secondary) need to be identified first. If secondary sources, then data is already available for analysis. If primary data is required, sources of data can be focus groups, panels and unobtrusive sources. Next will be the data collection methods, which can be through interviewing, questionnaires, observational studies, projective tests. Various sampling techniques can be used in structuring the samples for example simple random sampling, Stratified random sampling , systematic sampling etc. After the data is gathered, then the data is made ready for analysis by editing, coding, categorizing data and entering data in computer system for further analysis. . Data Analysis – Basic objectives of data analysis is getting the feel of the data, testing the goodness of data for reliability, validity and for hypothesis testing. Once the various statistical tests like t-test, Pearson correlations matrix etc. are done on the data, interpretations are being drawn from the respective tests. Sometimes software like SAS , SPSS are getting used worldwide to do the data analysis. 8. DEDUCTION (Hypothesis substantiated? research questions answered? ) – It is a process of arriving at conclusions by interpreting the meaning of the results of the data analysis. It validates the hypothesis or research questions. 9. REPORT WRITING – After the deduction a detailed report is written with the definite title , table of contents and the various steps with acknowledgements , summary etc. 10. REPORT PRESENTATION:- After the preparation of the report , main summary along with the findings is sometimes required to be presented to some authorized committee. 11. MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING: After the written and oral presentation, managers required to take decisions based on the reports. Though this particular step is not strictly part of the BRM process , however this step is important to complete the cycle which started with the observation of the problem and the problem getting addressed to by the managerial decision.

Global Media and Constructivism

Global Media and Constructivism Media globalization plays a significant role in the global culture. It can be very convenient for people in different countries to exchange information. Also, the exchange of trade and products between the countries has become convenient and simple too. Nowadays, the rapid changes in technology have been increased to a new media platform, so the evolution of media is important to explore. From my view point, the globalization of media leads to better-informed citizens.Moreover, I agree with the statement that global media contributes to the creation of a global village because it can help share cultures, and constructivists can investigate global change and transformation. But the global village also has some disadvantages, like problems with political control of the media. Media globalization cannot be stopped. It is a result of new communications technology, and it is also the prerequisite and facilitator for all other forms of globalization. Because of new technology, such as the growth of satellite broadcasting, phone system and cross-border advertising, the way people accept information has changed.At first, people get information from newspapers and books, and then it evolved into the computer and Internet. The spread of the Internet and global communications media has expanded our information society into a global information society, and the one aspect of the globalization of the media is the multinational media company and market dominance. So, some people think that without mass media there would be no contemporary consumer society which means no globalization. In short, the media network cannot survive without the technological innovation.In addition, the media evolved from single to multiple, from national to the global, and also from developed areas to underdeveloped areas. Some people believe that the globalization of media does not lead to better- informed citizens because political control of the media, and people do not know the information that they find in the media or Internet is reliable or not. Idealism argues that â€Å"the most fundamental feature of society is social consciousness† (The Globalization of World politics, PP163).In short, idealism does not disregard the material forces such as media power, but the meaning of these material forces are not given by nature but driven by human interpretation. So, an idealist view of global media argues that people get their social consciousness not from natural truth, but from other people who create the information. For example, if the growing media monopolies and government deregulation have diminished the quantity, quality, and diversity of political content in the mass media, citizens never get the truth.Therefore, the globalization of media under government control can lead to worse- informed citizens. However, I think that the globalization of media can lead to better-informed citizens because it changes people’s percep tion and habits, and it also expands the horizons of people. According to the movie, â€Å"Global media for a global culture? † many years ago, there were no Asian people who knew the Christmas festival or Halloween, but these two western festivals have become two of the most popular festivals in China, Japan and Korea because the transnational media corporations came to Asia.As normative structure theory mentioned that â€Å"actors adhere to norms not only because of benefits and costs for doing so, but also because they are related to a range of self† (The Globalization of World politics, PP163). This is means the global media has an impact on culture, and these new beliefs not only constraint actors, they also constructed categories of meanings in their identities and interests, and define standards of appropriate conduct which can lead to better-informed citizens.Therefore, people can share similar culture and viewpoint which means the distance between the people b ecome closer. People in some underdeveloped areas can become democratic and liberal, and we can easier understand each other. Furthermore, I agree with the statement that global media contributes to the creation of a global village because transnational media corporations are attempting to establish operations in nations around the world, and people share the same information, culture and worldview. Institutional isomorphism (such as transnational media corporations) raises issues of growing homogeneity in world politics, international community and socialization processes† (The Globalization of World politics, PP163). For example, America's dominance in the entertainment industries (such as Disney, Time Warner) made it difficult for other cultures to produce and distribute their own cultural products. American popular culture, in addition, challenges authority and outmoded traditions.So, the media globalization affects the development of native culture and its people, especia lly the impact on teenagers. Teenagers in other nations have rejected their own cultural traditions. Instead, they want to wear American styles. Additionally, it is popular for people in other countries to sing in English rather than use their native tongue (â€Å"Globalization and Mass Media† P5). So, constructivists generally hold that identities shape interests (The Globalization of World politics, PP163).We know who we are because identities are social and are produced through interactions they can change. The global media change people’s identity, and the country is composed by the people, so the global media contributes to the creation of a global village. Therefore, â€Å"The internationalization of cultural business and cultural texts, as well as the remarkable worldwide proliferation of new communications technologies has undeniably influenced the global culture† (Hesmondhalgh, 2007:2).While global media contributes to the creation of a global village, it also creates social, political and security problems. Some people fear the globalization of media because although the Internet connects people on a global level, people can also use it to form small groups with diverse political agendas. For this reason, the Internet's lack of centralized control makes some governments reluctant to let their citizens have Internet access. For example, Singapore, China, and Saudi Arabia attempt to censor sites for political and religious reasons.I think that governmental concern about how people will use the Internet is well founded: â€Å"some media and journalists wantonly distorted the political facts or add extreme rhetoric, which cause the citizen of the decline in trust in government. Many public-sphere liberals find a malaise in American democracy about declining voter participation and public mistrust and cynicism toward government† (Democratizing Global Media: One World, Many Struggles, Robert A. Hackett, PP12).Moreover, â€Å"cr itical political economists and anti-globalization activists identify Western-based transnational media and ‘the organization of global information flows along free-market lines’ as agents of domination, eroding the ability of states to protect â€Å"autonomous information spaces† (Waisbord and Morris 2001: ix). Therefore, global media have been criticized for homogenizing global culture by disrupting national traditions. The Web creates a chaotic marketplace of cultures that allows the development of cultural imperialism, rather than uniting the world into one large and homogeneous global village.So, it is very common and necessary to know that nationally organized media are subject to varying degree of political control in some countries. In conclusion, a key factor in Internet evolution is the ability of citizens to easily communicate with each other. Globalized media means that people can get information quickly and easily, and that it can lead to a global vi llage where people share similarities and can create a more equal civilization. However, even though some people believe that the global media are enhancing the process of peace and democracy, it actually does not have completely transformative power.For example, the radical democrats endorse media role as â€Å"government watchdogs† and â€Å"public-sphere models† and they also expect a democratic media system to counteract power inequalities within the social order. Ultimately, global media has advantages and disadvantages, so we need more critical thinking about whether the information that we find in the media or Internet is reliable or not. Work cited David Held and Anthony McGrew, The Global Transformations Reader, UK: Polity Press, PP 216, 2000 McChesney Robert, â€Å"Global Media Neoliberalism and Imperialism Monthly Review†, 52. 0, P. 1, 2001 March Peterson, David, â€Å"The Global Media: An Interview with Edward S. Herman and Robert W. McChesney. ZMag azine†, 1997 June Robert A. Hackett, Democratizing Global Media: One World, Many Struggles, PP12 Siochru, S. O. Social consequences of the globalization of the media and communication sector: Some strategic considerations, Geneva: International Labour Office, 2004 Klotzer, Charles L, â€Å"The 10 Best-Censored Stories: Key Issues that the Mass Media Largely Ignore†, St. Louis Journalism Review, 34. 270, P. 30, 2004 October Kellner, D. Theorizing Globalization† in Sociological Theory, pp285-305, 2002 Bagdikian, 2000; McChesney, 1999; Herman & Chomsky, 1988 Ingmar Zielke, Neoliberalism, Media and Globalization Western Media Policies in the 1980s and their Implications, 2010, Gottingen Peter Singer, One World the ethics of globalization, United States of America: Yale University press, one community John Baylis, Steve Smith and Patricia Owens, The Globalization of World Politics, PP163, Oxford University Press Inc. New York 2011, ————†”——– Wang 6

The Lottery and A Good Man Is Hard to Find Analysis

The Lottery and A Good Man Is Hard to Find Analysis Fiction/Short Story EssayIn both of the short stories, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’Connor, both authors use characterization, character names, and symbolism to portray their characters’ values and beliefs and their strengths and weaknesses in a similar yet different matter. The characters’ names and symbols in each story support the theme of each story that they were created in.â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’Connor seemed to use the more modern for the time the book was written and basic description of evil-good people who face the wrath of a disturbed man for no reason. The story was far more complex than just its description of evil, and was interesting in many ways, but not so much interesting in its depiction of the evil character. Overall, I’d say the story supported traditional thoughts about what a disturbed character was, the Misfit, someone w ho was a criminal and who killed those who crossed him with little to no reason. The Misfit can be seen as more evil if one looks at the story more literally and to a deeper point, understanding the grandmother as his actual biological mother. However, this would mostly serve to support the nature of the disturbed characters that already exists. A person who would kill his own mother for any reason would likely fit into anyone’s classical definition of disturbed. The main disturbed characters in this short story are: The Grandmother and the Misfit. The Grandmother is the manipulator in the story, she doesn’t want to go to Florida because she’s got relatives to see in Tennessee and seizing at every chance to change Bailey’s mind. (O’Connor 567). To try and gets her way, she trying to scare her son with reports of a criminal on the loose and guilt trip him about taking his children there. This is said by the grandmother: â€Å"Just you read it. I wo uldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did.† (O’Connor 567). With the Misfit, he was the mysterious criminal who had run into the family and killed them all as he assumed that they were in his way of escaping. His moment of zenith was him saying: â€Å"I found out the crime don’t matter. You can do one thing or you can do another, kill a man or take a tire off his car, because sooner or later you’re going to forget what it was you done and just be punished for it (O’Connor 578).† The symbols in the story are the Misfit’s car, the dark forest, and the cloudless, sunless sky; each of these foreshadowed the events of death were to come.I didn’t see â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson as portraying a disturbed character, but more as disturbing ways in their society. While there were sinful deeds being done, it would be nearly imp ossible to pin them on any modern individuals in the story, and therefore is slightly different from the other story that we have read and discussed. However, the evil is presented as taking the lives of innocents, a common theme wherever evil is presented. The main characters in this story are: Tessie Hutchinson, Old Man Warner, Mr. Summers, Bill Hutchinson, and Mr. Harry Graves. Tessie was the unlucky one of the drawing and was stoned to death, she is a type of hypocrite in the story. That she is excited to participate in the lottery, but objects when her family name is called, it is now unfair. As shouted by Tessie to her husband: Tessie Hutchinson shouted to Mr. Summers. â€Å"You didn’t give him time enough to take any paper he wanted. I saw you. It wasn’t fair!† (Jackson 6) Mr. Warner was the oldest, and declare that this prevents the barbaric state from returning to the village. Mr. Graves helps with the lottery, as well as Mr. Summers assisting in the ri tual. The symbols in this story are: The lottery as the main importance of the day as it is meant to be as a human sacrifice to the higher beings, the black box as to symbolize the choice as to who will die today, the stool could represent the holy trinity, and the stones as a way to generate a crowd to come and watch and/or participate. The Lottery had started as a way to sacrifice for a good growing season, but soon became a routine in their daily lives annually.Both of these stories have similar thematic connections within them to match up with the Southern Gothic genera, as defined as disturbed people doing disturbing things. Jackson and O’Connor use central characters to show how men have the power to misrepresent reality into something the people accept into everyday life as a tradition in â€Å"The Lottery† said in the storyâ€Å"they half listened to the directions,† (Jackson 4) and in â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† the character, Misfit, does not remember why he was locked up, but killed the family to â€Å"save† them from sinning again in order to keep up his mind straight. Both stories were shocking in their grade of disturbing and callousness, and I agree with both author’s representation of the nature of disturbing and the way people respond to it.In both of the short stories, â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson and â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’Connor, both authors use characterization, character names, and symbolism to portray their characters’ values and beliefs and their strengths and weaknesses in a similar yet different matter. In this way they show that years apart from each other, the Southern Gothic genera will remain the same. As for the similarities between all the characters in both short stories, they will remain the same and have fatal endings. In â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find† it is a more traditional evil represented throughout, w hile in â€Å"The Lottery† it represent an evil and disturbed society they live in.Citation PageJackson, Shirley. â€Å"The Lottery† PDF in Canvas. 1948O’Connor, Flannery â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find.† Written Communications II: Reading,  Writing, Researching, Citing. Edited by Spencer Richardson-Jones. W.W. Norton and  Company, 2014. Pp. 567-590O’Connor, Flannery. A good man is hard to find. New Canadian Library, 2015.Jackson, Shirley. The lottery and other stories. Macmillan, 2005.Lohafer, Susan. â€Å"The short story.† The Cambridge Companion to American Fiction After 1945 (2012): 68.

Effectiveness Of E-Learning Tools In Organisations Dissertation

Effectiveness Of E-Learning Tools In Organisations - Dissertation Example The purpose of the study is not to examine the psychological factors pertaining to a like/dislike of technology that would be present on a personal level among employees of any industry. It is to examine the particulars of the implementation of e-learning management which may be addressed through a change in strategy, approach, and program design, to provide further motivation for employees to avail of e-learning facilities in companies that most require them. The methodology involves survey by questionnaire and a case study illustrating the successful implementation of an e-learning initiative, and why employees would find certain methods and approaches preferably. Results show that despite the preference for digital communications, learners would prefer face-to-face communications rather than written, and are optimistic about the eventual results of their participation in e-learning programs. The greatest barrier to e-learning remains the resistance of the employees where it still exists, but this does not seem to be prevalent. The case study provides a successful example of e-learning application in an open network where the exchange of information through workplace learning appears highly effective. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Chapter 1: Introduction 7 1.1 Chapter Overview 7 1.2Background of the Problem 7 1.3 Statement of the Problem 8 1.4Research questions 8 1.5 Significance of the research problem 9 1.6 Scope and delimitation of the study 9 Chapter 2: Literature Review 10 2.1 Chapter Overview 10 2.2 Definition and taxonomy 10 2.3 Impact of e-learning in organisations 11 2.4 Internal marketing: How the e-learning is communicated & promoted within organisations 13 2.5 Theoretical framework 17 2.6 Synthesis and relation of literature review to the research study 18 Chapter 3: Methodology 20 3.1Chapter Overview 20 3.2Research strategy 20 3.3 Research design 21 3.4 Data description 21 3.5Population and sampling method 22 3.6Data gathering instrument 22 3.7 An alysis 23 3.8 Ethical considerations 25 Chapter 4: Discussion 26 4.1 Chapter Overview 26 4.2. Respondent Profile 26 4.2.1 According to age 26 4.2.2 According to gender 27 4.2.3 According to highest educational attainment 29 4.2.4 According to length of service 30 4.3 Factors affecting e-learning 31 4.3.1 Respondents from BPO firms 32 4.3.2 Respondents from IT firms 33 4.4 Contribution of internal communications to e-learning effectiveness 34 4.4.1 Respondents from BPO firms 34 4.4.2 Respondents from IT firms 35 4.5 Impact of e-learning 36 4.5.1 Respondents from BPO firms 37 4.5.2 Respondents from IT firms 38 4.6 Barriers to effective e-learning 39 4.6.1 Respondents from BPO firms 40 4.6.2 Respondents from IT firms 41 4.7 T-test results 42 4.7.1 Factors affecting e-learning 43 4.7.2 Contribution of internal communications to e-learning 44 4.7.3 Impact of e-learning 44 4.7.4 Barriers to e-learning 45 4.7.5 Case study of a strategic application in an actual case involving an IT company 45 Chapter 5: Conclusion 51 5.1 Summary of findings 51 5.1.1 Factors that contribute most to the successful implementation of e-learning in the organization.

Organizational Culture as a Tool to Enhance Performance Essay

Organizational Culture as a Tool to Enhance Performance - Essay Example It indicates extend to, which an organization has freedom of making decisions concerning an organization, expression of new and personal ideas. Organizational culture controls how organization information flows among leaders, employees and clients. Finally, it empowers the organizations’ employees towards attaining the set objectives (Rosen, 1985, p. 33 & Rosen, 1988, p. 467). Organizational culture theory has become a major issue in most organizations. This theory proclaims that life in every organization varies; therefore, advocating for more research in the field of organizational theory. Organizational culture theory campaigns for research in organizations with Muslim employees, pregnant employees and low enforcement employees. Organizational culture theory is of benefit to an organization as it shows how dissimilar businesses perform their tasks in line with their culture. In addition, it explains how customs affects production in an organization and the conflicts that re sult from dissimilar organizational cultures (Schein, 2011, p.40). According to conducted empirical study, there is a sturdy link amid the existing organizational values and the arrangement of an organization. In the previous years, many businesspersons lacked information regarding how organizational culture nurtures business performance, and instead, they believed that dissimilar cultures in an organization are difficult to handle. On contrary, most of the current business individuals have realized that organizational culture is imperative as it fosters organizations competition level hence making them to survive during tough competitions. Therefore, to apply culture according, it is important that an organization defines and understands its culture well (Schein, 2004, p. 112). In organizations, culture tend to be complex because it entails various assemblages of people possessing dissimilar values, attitudes, behaviors, assumptions, artifacts and beliefs. Culture describes an indi vidual’s inner and external relationship as well as guiding someone’s actions unwillingly. According to dissimilar conducted research, organizational culture is an interesting issue to many researchers, which include the academic plus educational researchers, management practices and applicable in organizational theory (Solomon, 2004, p.53). In organizations, people should respect every culture in order to realize critical company matters such as how people in the company reason, to enhance how people value each other, think and act. This is important because encountered reactions from dissimilar employees in an organization originate from cultural beliefs and sharing of ideas among employees (Van Maanen & Barley, 1984, p.294). It is intricate to get two organizations possessing the same customs. The cultural differences that exist among organizations can turn out to cause major impacts to the performance of an organization together with improving the employees working experiences (Parker & Clegg 2006 P. 651). Organizational culture affects theory and rehearsal educational reform. The culture of a society within, which dissimilar organizations operatelargely, affects the culture of that organization (Smircich, 1983, p. 340 & Schein, 2009, p. 14) Organizational cu

America's Involvement in World War Two and How it helped contribute to Research Paper

America's Involvement in World War Two and How it helped contribute to America becoming a Super Power - Research Paper Example America was not directly involved in the war in the early stages. The necessity increased after the fall of France, the Pearl Harbor incident but mainly when Hitler declared war on U.S. This led to America’s direct involvement in the World War II and helped America to transition from a great power to a super power. World war II started by the deep seated anger in German due to the loss in World War I. Hitler a new leader in Germany transformed it from a defeated state to powerful one with a large army of up to 400,000 men which led to the breaking of the treaty of Versailles (Langley). March 16th 1935 Hitler tore up the treaty of Versailles when he started to build up his army (Hills & Barber 10) .Although U.S.A had always been an ally in the Second World War its direct involvement did not came after much later. In 1939 its only involvement was to provide arms and ammunition in turn of cash from countries. America was indirectly helping the allies by starving Japan of oil. Winston Churchill repeatedly tried to convince Franklin D. Roosevelt to enter the war but it was after Hitler’s declaration of war, the attack by Japanese on USA naval base in Pearl Harbor, America got directly involved in the war. ... This attack led to allies invading Italian mainland leading to the capture of Rome. The United States along with other allies continued to attack the Axis powers which led to the retake of Paris in the D-Day Invasion (Hills & Barber 17, 25). In the Tokyo Bombing Raids American bombers destroyed up to 250,000 buildings and killed 83,000 in massive fire bombing. It continued to play an important part in the attacks on the Axis Powers, till the end of the war where it dropped two atomic bombs in Japan bringing the war to an end. These included the two nuclear bombing the world had ever seen one being in Hiroshima and the other in Nagasaki. Both bombings left the city with massive destruction with large number of causalities breaking the strength of Japan totally and only six days after the bombing of Nagasaki Japan surrendered. It is clearly seen by the events of the war that although America was not involved directly at first in the war it played a pivotal role once it became directly involved and it’s most important role was that of bringing the war to an end by destroying one of the main Axis powers, Japan, completely (Langley 56). It is often wondered how U.S.A reached its position of dominance in the world. And it would not be wrong to link its rise a super power to the results and events of World War II. The characteristics of super power are firstly having a strong stable economy, secondly overpowering military, thirdly immense international political power and lastly strong national ideology. Before the war America was seen as a great power along with many other powerful strong nations like Russia and Britain. It was only after the war that U.S.A emerged as a strong super power and still holds that position. Even in years

Real chocolate company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Real chocolate company - Essay Example The company sells its products through retail stores both company owned and franchised. It produces wide variety of chocolates (that caters to the different tastes of the customers) at the company owned factory and delivers the same, to stores in a cost effective manner. The products such as fudges and caramel apples are made within the store in order to maintain the freshness. The convenience and the suitable tastes of the products are directly correlated with the number of foot-falls in the stores and overall sales. The key stakeholders of the company include all franchisees, employees, company owners and customers. With the company deriving a 72 percent of revenues by selling the products to franchisees, the satisfaction of the franchisees stands crucial for the company in order to keep the sales growth intact in future years. Also, keeping abreast of the changing consumer preferences is becoming a must. While the company sales growth and financials appear sound, many smaller and similar sized companies having variety of product offerings, fast changing consumer eating habits with rising income levels, aggressive marketing strategies of market leaders, maturing and fragmented nature of the industry is posing challenges for the company to maintain its current growth. This report evaluates the various external and internal factors related to the company’s business, and presents a strategic solution for the current problem faced by the company. The analysis of the five competitive forces (suggested by Michael porter), viz. threat of new entrants, threat of substitution, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, and rivalry among the existing companies, better explains the nature of confectionery industry and provides the basic road map to develop a competitive strategy for The Real Chocolate Company (Porter, 1998). The factors like, lack of

Detroit Electric Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Detroit Electric - Case Study Example He continues to claim that this kind of organisational arrangement is highly dependent of the ability of the organisation involved to clearly and unambiguously describe the specialised jobs that are required to see the organization achieve its goals. Detroit Electric Company invests in outlining what work it requires to be done, and then outsources the services of other companies. It does not do any design or manufacturing. The company maintains that this kind of organizational structure helps it escape capital expanses which may be too huge for it to afford at this point in time, bearing in mind that it is still at start up level. However, there is indication that this company may slowly stop outsourcing its operations as time goes by and as their revenues continue to build on. This is due to the fact that they attribute their outsourcing arrangement to ‘avoiding capital costs which could be fatal to its start-up’ (p. 512). The reason why Detroit Electric chose to use t his structure is to capitalize on the economic advantage that is brought by division of work into highly specialised or precise jobs. The company realised that there was already the presence of specialised vehicle manufacturing companies such as Proton Holdings where manufacturing resources could be outsourced to. Proton Holdings was chosen to do the manufacturing activities of Detroit Electric because it had a modern production facility was committed to research and development, was cost efficient, stable, and had a highly qualified labor-force. Relationship between Organisational Structure and Pace of Development Detroit Electric Company is on pace to present its electric vehicles to the market only three years after its inception. On the other hand, Ford will have taken forty years to produce a viable electric car by 2011. The pace of development in these two companies is affect by the organisational structures the two companies have deployed in their organisations. Organisationa l structure defines the manner in which the human resource are organised and their reporting arrangements. Ford, apparently, has deployed the traditional centralised approach to organisational management. Decisions are made at top management levels and little authority is delegated to subordinates as this may indicate loss of control. They review decision made by lower level management and decide on thefate of their implementation. As a result, there is a lot of duplication of functions at different levels of management.This kind of arrangement may create a conservative culture in the organization which will result to everyone wanting to maintain the status quo. This affects the success of the electric car project at Ford because the personnel ‘have become used to the routine activities they perform’. As Jacobides puts it, getting so used to routine activities in an organisation makes it difficult for them to focus on the organisation’s projects, follow schedules , and meet deadlines. It also makesit difficult for information to flow across the departmentswhich in turn makes it difficult to share resources efficiently, agree on development agenda, and implement new strategies. In addition, Ford has specialized in the manufacturing of usual cars (those powered by fuel). It was therefore reluctant to diversify into electric cars due to market uncertainties and risks. Manufacturing electric cars would also demand a huge extra investment in infrastructure and human

The pros and cons of direct marketing and legal issues that accompany Essay

The pros and cons of direct marketing and legal issues that accompany this field - Essay Example The significance of direct marketing is beyond just selling a product because it is used by companies to enhance relationship marketing that is forming and maintaining long term relationships with customers through effective public relations activities and direct marketing assists these activities. Companies send cards and cakes on special occasions to their customers through direct mail and this incurs a positive rapport with the customers. Direct marketing not only serves the basic purpose of a company to inform the customer but also to generate positive feelings with the customers for the company (Kotler & Keller; 2002). Direct marketing roots from Europe during the middle ages or most popularly known as feudalism period and then it began to enter its golden age during the renaissance. This was the 15th century and direct marketing became a regular practice in Europe only after the invention of moveable type by Guttenberg. The first catalog in Europe was then printed in 1450. The concept of direct marketing was originated by Lester Wunderman. Lester implemented these innovative techniques over two famous brands namely; American Express and Colombia Records. The concept was originated by this man during 1961 in America but direct marketing became a regular practice only after the typewriter was invented in 1867. The credit for the first catalog through mails goes to Aaron Montgomery Ward in 1872. Since the concept was gaining popularity amongst the businesses in America so the Direct Mail Advertising Association was established in 1928 which now is known as Direct Marketing Association. With direct m arketing in full speed the most popular terms of today started to emerge and took permanent shape. Junk mail was a term used by people since 1954 and the term spam took birth in 1993 so it's still young. Since the customers became more and more aware and educated the companies had to work even harder to convince them to buy their products. The market was no longer nave and direct marketing played an essential role to maintain goodwill amongst the customers in order practice effective public relations activities and retain customers. Thus, by the 18th century direct marketing was rocketing towards the sky and it was the most popular means of advertisement and maintaining public relations. Benjamin Franklin was the first printer to stand out of the rest of the printers in Colonial America and he came up with the most famous catalog in 1974 that was close to the present day catalogs that contain information and attractive punch lines that are all intended towards customer satisfaction. Companies then began to receive orders and send products through mail. It was during the 1830's that various companies mailed the products to their customers in New England. The general feeling of disdain and detest against the middlemen started in the post civil-war period in Midwest Europe with the farmers who decided to eliminate middlemen since the farmers were buying at a higher price and then selling

Middle Eastern Comparative Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Middle Eastern Comparative Law - Essay Example The clear path is what most refers to as the philosophy of sharia, and one of the basics of sharia. It is a core foundation on which the faith is based on; that God created the souls of every individual and â€Å"appointed a divine law for each.† The only path that is clear and straight is the Sharia (BBC). Throughout Islamic history, God has sent out messages to different people across the world to guide them to the clear and straight path. All the messengers have reminded mankind that they exist in the divine guidance of their creator. The Sharia clusters all human actions into five categories; obligatory, permitted, recommended, disliked and forbidden. Obligatory actions must be executed, and God rewards people who perform them with good intentions. The opposite of these actions are the forbidden ones. Recommended actions are those that should be done, and the opposite of them is the disliked actions. Permitted actions are neither encouraged nor discouraged. Another core principle to the Sharia is that it covers all aspects of human life. Four key parts make up the classical Sharia Manuals; laws regarding individual acts of worship, laws relating to commercial activities, laws relating to the issues of marriage and divorce, and penal laws (BBC). Sacred law is very distinctive from secular law although there are notable similarities such as the reference to a mutually consented set of laws. One of the most notable differences is that sacred law is very rigid to changes as compared to the secular law. Those adhering to sacred law are guaranteed of a rigid set of laws that is well understood by the population and also faces little opposition. Although some of the systems that utilise sacred law are a bit oppressive, a large portion of the public respects the law (Dien 56). Secular law on the other hand is a bit adaptive and changes from time to time to accommodate emergent issues. Since it is prone to changes, the public is not always of the

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and First 100 Days Essay Example for Free

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and First 100 Days Essay The election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States is a watershed in the history of American politics. In a country were blacks were once prohibited from voting just because of the color of their skin, his ascent into the White House is indeed a milestone. Obama’s victory is often attributed to several factors, including changes in voting behavior and public opinion and constant media exposure. Popular support of his regime did not end with the election hype – a 2009 Associated Press-GfK poll revealed that about 48% of Americans were satisfied with the economic outcomes of the Obama presidency’s first 100 days (Philstar. com n. pag. ). The rise of the Obama regime had a tremendous impact on American politics. It brought about the prospect of women and minorities gaining a greater voice in political institutions. But Obama’s first 100 days in office told a different story. His first 100 days revealed that the substance of his regime remained largely the same as that of George W. Bush’s. This just goes to show that in the context of Obama’s election and first 100 days, American politics changed its style but retained its hegemonic and elitist nature. Winning the nomination proved to be a greater challenge for Obama than winning the general elections. Because of a national political machine attached to her and her husband, Hillary Clinton was initially chosen by the Democrat Party to become its presidential candidate (Ceaser, Busch and Pitney 15). Although Obama was young, charismatic, cerebral and self-assured, the Democrats were apprehensive about his lack of experience in the political scene (Ceaser, Busch and Pitney 16). This weakness would probably not sit well with the American electorate, who were desperate for a leader who could rectify the damaging mistakes of the Republican administration (Ceaser, Busch and Pitney 15). But shifts in the economic and demographic profile of American voters rendered Obama a more suitable presidential candidate than Clinton. As of 2004, about 56. 6% of American voters were below 30 years old (Dahl n. pag. ). Majority of these individuals grew up using the Internet as an indispensable tool for work, study and leisure. When the Clintons staged their last national campaign in 1996, the Internet was just a fledgling industry. Obama’s youth and tech savvy (he kept a Blackberry with him at all times), therefore, would make him more appealing to the aforementioned voter’s age group than Clinton (Ceaser, Busch and Pitney 106). Obama must have been aware of these advantages of his – his election campaign involved mainly the utilization of the Internet. By April 2007, he already had 1,543,000 â€Å"friends† in his account in the social-networking website MySpace. com. In sharp contrast, Clinton only had 41,500 people in her network (Dupuis and Boeckelman 123). In the spring of 2008, Obama had at least 1 million â€Å"friends† in Twitter, while Clinton only had 330,000. Although they had the same number of Facebook â€Å"friends† during this period, the website’s largest pro-Obama group had over 500,000 members, while the largest Facebook group that supported Clinton only had 30,000 members (Tapscott 252). Furthermore, Obama’s rhetoric reflected the American public’s disillusionment with traditional political ideologies. His slogan, â€Å"Change You Can Believe In,† appealed to voters because it did not bombard them with highfaluting dogmas. Rather, it showed them that â€Å"change† meant exploring for new solutions to problems. The American people did not have to make do with traditional solutions which Obama believed have already failed them in the past. For instance, he is constantly criticized for his relative youth and limited high-level government inexperience. Obama downplayed this attack by claiming that â€Å"Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld have an awful lot of experience, and yet have engineered what I think is one of the biggest foreign policy failures in our recent history† (Dupuis and Boeckelman 123). Through this argument, he pointed out that adherence to convention is not always the best for the nation. There are instances when the government and the people must work together and come up with new solutions. In addition, Obama created a firm connection between himself and the people by letting them know that he also underwent their plights. In his campaign speeches, he often used his experience as the son of a working woman and as the husband of a working woman in order to show to the people that he knew how it felt to be in their shoes (Leanne 52). He knew how it was to be poor, marginalized and to work hard just to keep ends meet. Thus, his cynicism towards conventional ideologies – he and so many other Americans remained impoverished despite their application. Given such a populist and down-to-earth campaign strategy, it was no longer surprising if Obama won a landslide victory in the 2008 national elections. But his first 100 days in office revealed that his regime was essentially the same as that of George W. Bush’s. Obama’s first 100 days revealed the â€Å"right-wing character of his administration and the class interests that it serves† (Eley n. pag. ). If there was any difference at all, it was the approach – Bush assumed a warmonger-like stance to obtain the presidency, while Obama adopted a populist one. Obama continued the Bush administration’s militarist and aggressive foreign policy. Although he promised that he will all American troops out of Iraq, troop levels in Iraq remained virtually unchanged. Furthermore, Obama expanded the war in Afghanistan and even extended it to Pakistan. Worse, he proposed a defense budget worth $664 billion – believed to be the largest appropriation for military spending in American history (Eley n. pag. ). The prison camp at Guantanamo Bay remains open, despite Obama’s pledge to eventually close it down. As a result, its inmates are at risk of being shipped to US military prisons such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, where they can be tortured and or killed in secret. Under the guise of â€Å"moving on,† he blocked all investigations and or criminal prosecution of parties that were responsible for the torture of detainees in US military prisons across the world. Obama’s government also intervened in the procedures of several court cases in order to deny habeas corpus to detainees in US military prisons in Afghanistan (Eley n. pag. ). While Obama was busy perpetuating Bush’s foreign policy, the American economy further deteriorated. Mounting layoffs took place, along with wage cuts, home foreclosures and depreciation of real estate value and retirement savings. These developments, in turn, resulted in escalating hunger and homelessness. But instead of creating concrete solutions to put an end to these calamities, the Obama administration used billions of dollars in public funds to bail financial institutions such as AIG, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch out of bankruptcy. Worsening the situation was that these banks were discovered to have been doling out huge portions of the bailout money to their executives as â€Å"bonuses† (Eley n. pag. ). It is very ironic that Obama, a black man who experienced growing up poor and marginalized, would end up perpetuating the repressive and anti-poor policies of his predecessor. But what Obama did reflected the recourse that the US most probably resorted to in order to steer itself from the economic crisis – tighten its grip over the Third World. It is during the current economic crisis that the US needs unlimited access to the natural resources of the Third World more than ever before. Thus, the Obama administration’s promise of â€Å"change† was replaced with the de facto continuation of the Bush regime. Works Cited â€Å"AP Poll: After Obama’s 100 Days, US on Right Track. † 24 April 2009. Philstar. com. 4 May 2009 http://www. philstar. com/Article. aspx? articleId=460799 publicationSubCategoryId=200. Ceaser, James W. , Andrew E. Busch, and John J. Pitney. Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics. New York: Rowman Littlefield, 2009. Dahl, Melissa. â€Å"Youth Vote May have been Key in Obama’s Win. † 5 November 2008. MSNBC. 4 May 2009 http://www. msnbc. com/id/27525497. Dupuis, Martin, and Keith Boeckelman. Barack Obama: The New Face of American Politics. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008. Eley, Tom. â€Å"Obama’s 100 Days. † 29 April 2009. GlobalResearch. ca. 4 May 2009 http://www. globalresearch. ca/index. php? context=vaaid=13419. Leanne, Shel. Say It Like Obama: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008. Tapscott, Don. Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is changing Your World. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008.

How Boko Haram Developed And Under Developed Nigeria Essay Example for Free

How Boko Haram Developed And Under Developed Nigeria Essay 1.0 INTRODUCTION The stability of any society depends largely on the ability of its citizens to live together in harmony and peace. However, history has provided us with many instances of occasional uprisings in Nigeria which might have occurred as a result of a political, religious, cultural or tribal misunderstanding. Such squabbles, many a time, have ended up in bloodletting. Presently, Nigeria has not ceased to experience some misguided and misled fellowship in the name of religion. This is because, for some years now, many Nigerians especially in the Northern part of the country have lived in a perpetual fear of the unknown as a result Boko Haram insurgence. Thus, since 2009 till date, the activities of an Islamic sect called â€Å"BOKO HARAM† have bedevilled the Nigerian society and threatened the very foundation of her unity and peace. What baffles me is that these insurgents even claim to be fighting for justice in Nigeria. Also, it is pertinent to remark that while Nigeria is endowed with abundant resources, numerous challenges of insecurity orchestrated by Boko Haram insurgency nowadays within the polity appears to have created porous security condition that engenders violence and retards development. The basic question many Nigerians and foreigners ask is: How has Boko Haram developed or underdeveloped Nigeria? This paper is thus an attempt to address this question posed above. But this paper argues that boko haram activities have not been of any good help to Nigeria; hence, it has contributed to Nigerian underdevelopment especially the Northern part of the country. Before we proceed, it is of utmost necessity to clarify certain terms that will appear within this intellectual exposition. 2.0 CLARIFICATION OF TERMS According to Aristotle, ab initio disputandis, definitio nominis, (definition of terms is the beginning of any discussion.) hence, it is of paramount importance for us to clarify some of our key words that will frequently occur within the fabrics of this intellectual study. 2.0.1 Definition of Development and Underdevelopment According to Agbakoba, â€Å"development denotes a type of change, a purposeful or goal-oriented change†. While in the words of Walter Rodney, development â€Å"implies increased skill and capacity, greater freedom, creativity,  self-discipline, responsibility and material well-being†¦.more often than not, the term development is used in an exclusive economic sense-the justification being that the type of economy is itself an index of other social features†. Hence, our definition of development here is from economic perspective. Development therefore, could be defined as the process of empowering people to maximise their potentials and their ability to explore nature in order to meet daily human needs. It is a process by which the quality of human lives and capacity to surmount daily needs are considerably improved. However, according to Rodney, â€Å"underdevelopment is not absence of development, because every people have developed in one way or another and to a greater or lesser extent. Underdevelopment makes sense only as a means of comparing levels of development†. So, underdevelopment implies inadequate development, low levels of economic productivity as compared to other developed countries or regions. 2.0.2 BOKO HARAM Etymologically, the term Boko Haram is made up of two different words namely; Boko and Haram. Boko is the Hausa word meaning western education while Haram is the Arabic word figuratively meaning sin and literally meaning forbidden or impermissible†. Thus, the term when loosely translated means western education is forbidden. Boko Haram group propagates that western education is forbidden because it sees western education as corrupting the Muslims. However, Boko Haram group seems to me as a destructive political tool with a cosmetic pretension of being religious. Because Boko Haram group attempts not only to sow panic but also to undermine confidence in the government and political leadership of Nigeria, it could also be called a Terrorist Group. Little wonder the US government though belatedly has confirmed Boko Haram as one the Terrorist groups in the world. (cf. Punch Newspaper on Dec; 1, 2013) 3.0 Nigeria and Boko Haram Insurgence: An Exposition Since independence, Nigeria appears to have been bedevilled with ethno-religious conflicts. With over 400 ethnic groups, belonging to several religious sects, Nigeria since independence has been grappling and trying to cope with the problem of ethnicity and ethno-religious conflicts. Needless to say that, in May 1999, Nigeria returned to civil rule which was  accompanied with fresh hopes and latent optimism Regrettably, the worst seems to have occurred due to current rise in Boko Haram uprising. Boko Haram insurgency is a destructive political tool with a cosmetic pretension of being religious. Nigeria does not seem to have suffered only from the economic setbacks caused by Boko Haram bombings but also suffers from the battered image and humanitarian disaster the group inflicted on her. For instance, between July 27, 2009 and February 17, 2012, Boko Haram has launched fifty three (53) attacks in which 1157 people were killed and hundreds of people injured in the Northern Nigeria. T his indiscriminate and sporadic bombing seem to make Northern Nigeria increasingly unsafe and has compelled most non-indigenes of the region to relocate especially the Igbos. I therefore set out in this paper to argue with the following points, how the despicable activities of Boko Haram group have underdeveloped Nigeria. 4.0 How Boko Haram Underdeveloped Nigeria: A Critical Analysis The lethal activities of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, are crippling the economy of Nigeria especially the North and has stultified the developmental strategies of the country thereby leaving us in the abysmal state of economic backwardness and underdevelopment. Although some may say that Boko Haram has some developmental characters because it has revealed the ineffectiveness of our force men, ensured checks and balances in government and has increased the rate development in the Southern part of the country. But I stand here to refute such claims saying that Boko Haram (Terrorism) has been of no benefit to Nigeria, rather it has led to the underdevelopment of Nigeria with these points: 4.0.1 Insecurity No meaningful development will thrive in any environment where people are in constant fear of the unknown due to insecurity. This is the dismal state in which Boko Haram activities in the Northern Nigeria have left us. Needless to say that, the security situation in Nigeria has become so alarming, disturbing, and upsetting nowadays because of the recurrent attacks of these Boko Haram insurgents. The spate of insecurity in the Northern Nigeria has impacted negatively on both the private and public sectors of the economy as many business men and traders have relocated their businesses from the region. This, though pathetically, has led to a massive underdevelopment of the North. This has warranted channelling of the money which would have been  used for other developmental strides to security in Nigeria annual budget. Little wonder the federal government spent 950 billion naira in 2013 only to combat insecurity caused by Boko Haram insurgence. Depopulation of the North and Overpopulation of the South Since current attack by Boko Haram group has become the order of the day in most Northern states, it has led to many Southerners and even some Northerners to relocate to the South for the sake of their life. This has led to the depopulation of the North and Overpopulation of the South; hence decreasing the Internal Revenue (1GR) of most Northern states thereby leaving the government with little or no money to carry out some developmental projects. In the other hand; due to large influx of people to the South, it has led to environmental problems like overpopulation, dilapidation of existing infrastructures, deforestation, cultural breakdown etc. These make life in both regions unbearable; hence pointing out that Boko Haram activities have succeeded in under developing both Northern and Southern part of the country. 4.0.3 Stifling of Economic and Social Development Boko Haram activities have led to dislocation of people from their business base, hence leading to disruption of economic activities. In Nigeria presently, the fear of Boko Haram is everywhere. Financial and business activities have been paralysed as everyone live in fear. Banks and their customers are also operating under difficult situation and have reduced their business hours to guard against being attacked by members of the sect. In most states in the North, the devastating socio-economic effects of the sect’s sequential killings and bombings, especially in Borno, Yobe, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Bauchi, Sokoto etc., have destroyed economic and commercial activities with many people relocating to other places. It should then be noted that Boko Haram have not only led to closure and/or abandonment of people’s business activities within affected region but also led to migration of people from the affected Region. It has also led to reduction of people’s patron age of product from the Northern Region. Also, the Boko Haram insurgence has reduced drastically; government derivation from the affected region (IGR) due to restiveness in those places as well as reduced investment and growth of business in the affected places without excluding government executed project. Little wonder why the 2011 World  Investment Report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development reported that stillness in business activities caused by insecurity in Kano State alone has cost the Nigerian economy N1.3trillion. Furthermore, Boko Haram activities have stifled social developmental programmes like; youth employment, housing, health schemes, education, welfare services etc. in the Northern part of the country. In fact, almost all the states under Boko Haram rampage have been completely isolated economically, socially and politically. The resultant effect of these is underdevelopment of the country, especially the affected region. 4.0.4 Scaring Away of Foreign and Local Investors The inimical uprising of Boko Haram has negatively affected the relationship between Nigeria and other Nations of the world. Incessant bombing coupled with kidnapping and hostage taking with or without demand for ransom by the members of Boko Haram has scared away both foreign and local investors from Nigeria, especially the Northern part of the country. In fact, this terrorist group has paralyzed the diplomatic relation between Nigeria and many countries of the world. The concomitant result of all these are poverty, low per capita income and underdevelopment. 4.0.5 Reduction of Human resources The crisis occasioned by Boko Haram has led to the death of many ebullient Nigerians thereby reducing the skilled and unskilled labour force of the country. The United Nation affirmed this assertion by saying that about 1,200 people have been killed since May 2013 when a state of emergency was declared in three North Eastern states (Cf. Punch Newspaper Dec; 16, 2013 or Daily Sun of Dec; 17, 2013. Aljazeera TV on September 30, 2013 reports that since 2009, an estimated 3,600 people have been killed through Boko Haram’s disastrous activities. We can even talk of brutal Bama attack, 22 people killed in Catholic Church at Waga Chakawa village in Adamawa just last Sunday and myriads of other attacks perpetuated by Boko Haram insurgents at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. All these lead to reduction of lives and properties worth over billions of naira and live our nation in the miserable state of underdevelopment. 5.0 EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION From the above analysis, we can affirm without any fear of equivocation that Boko Haram has really underdeveloped Nigeria especially the Northern part of the country that is why socio-economic activities in the North have drastically been reduced. The implication is that the crisis is rather under-developing Northern region and threatens Nigeria’s prospect of joining the league of highly developed countries come the year 2020. Personally speaking, the impact of the activities of the Boko Haram group in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. It retards economic growth and distorts socio-cultural equilibrium and leads to environmental deterioration. At the same time, it resurrects the issue of suspicion which led to the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970 among three major ethic groups in Nigeria. Regrettably, the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria have paralysed almost all sectors of the countrys life and have distorted peace and stultified progressive development of Nigeria. Boko Hara m has really underdeveloped Nigeria.

The Recycling Of Electronic Waste In India Environmental Sciences Essay

The Recycling Of Electronic Waste In India Environmental Sciences Essay E-waste is growing rapidly and becoming the major issue of all over the world. E-waste components contain different types of toxic and hazardous substances those are harmful for environment and human health so it is necessary to handle and manage the E-waste in a proper and better way. In India the management of E-waste have a great significance due to the generation of large amount of E-waste in opposite to lack of appropriate infrastructure and proper procedure for recycling and disposal of the E-waste. This paper endows with current situation of E-waste in India, trends of disposal and recycling of India, status of E-waste management of India and at the last the required action steps for better handling of E-waste and its management. Key words: E-waste, hazardous substances, Recycling, Disposal and E-waste management. Introduction: In todays globalisation world, the consumer market for electrical and electronic products is expanding continuously on high rate. On the other hand due to increasing demand and development of new technology, the life span of the products is dropping that result in large amount of electronic scrap. As mentioned by UNEP in 2005: Every year 20 to 50 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment waste (E-waste) are generated world-wide, which could bring serious risks to human health and environment, while 4 million PCs are discarded per year in China alone. (K. Brigden et al., 2005) This large amount of E-waste also contains toxic and hazardous elements in different electrical and electronic components those create serious problem regarding their handling, recycling and disposal. What is E-waste? Electronic waste (E-waste)or Waste Electrical and Electronic Elements (WEEE) is the term generally used to describe disposed electronic and electrical products which are old and end of life household appliances including laptops, TVs, DVD players, mobiles, i-pods. However sources of E-waste can be classified into three main categories (Pinto, 2008): Large Household Appliances IT and Telecom Consumer Equipment The pie chart in figure 1below indicates the percentage of electrical and electronic waste generated by different household appliances, IT and consumer products. Figure 1: Sources of E-waste (Source: India E-waste guide) Environmental and Health hazards of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment): As per knowledge E-waste contains more than 1000 different substances and chemicals which are hazardous and non hazardous (Pinto, 2008). From that some hazardous substances are toxic and can create some serious problem for the environment and human health. E-waste contains many toxics like heavy metals including lead, cadmium, mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), plastics, Brominated flamed Retardant, barium, beryllium, phosphors and additives etc. The impacts of these toxics and hazardous substances on environment and human health are described in table 1 below: Table 1: Hazardous Substances and their Impact on Environment and Human Health Toxic Used components Impact on health and environment Lead Glass panel and gasket in computer monitors Solder in Printed Circuit Board Causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems, kidney. Effects impede brain development among children. Lead tends to accumulate in the environment and has high acute and chronic effects on plants, animals and microorganisms. Cadmium Infrared detectors and semiconductor chips Some old cathode ray tube Accumulate in the human body and it damages the kidneys. Mercury Thermostats, relays, switches, mobiles, lamps and medical equipments. Damage to brain and kidneys. It affects the food chain by accumulating in the living organism particularly via fish. Hexavalent chromium Galvanised steel plates It can cause damage to DNA. Plastics Electronic equipment and computer housing When it burns it release Dioxin which can damage to human health. BFRs Circuit board and plastic housing of equipment Cause neurobehavioral alterations and it affects the immune system of body in animals. Beryllium Mother board and finger clips It can cause lung cancer and skin deceases. Phosphor and additives Applied as a coat in inside of the CRTs. It can damage those human who dismantle CRTs by hand. Situation of E-waste in India: Telecommunication and information technology are the fastest growing industries today not only in India but world over. Based on the growth of electronics and IT equipment in India; Manufacturers Association of Information Technology (MAITD) has collected the following statistics. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/19009739/E-waste-India, Accessed on May 10th 2010) During 2007-08, PC sales were over 7.3 million units growing by 16% and there is an installed base of over 25 million units. The consumer electronics market is growing by 13-15% annually and has an installed base of over 25 million units. The cellular subscriber base up by 96% during 2007-08 and its installed base are estimated to cross 300 million marks by 2010. E-waste generated in India during 2007 was around 332,979 MT besides about 50,000 MT entering the country through imports as per a GTZ-MAIT (Gesellschaft Technische Zusammenarbeit Manufacturers Association for Information Technology) sponsored study by IMRB (Indian Market Research Bureau). Unprecedented growth of the IT industry during the last decade and early product obsolescence due to continuous innovation resulted in the generation of this large quantity of E-waste. Out of this quantity only 144,143 MT was available for recycling and refurbishing and only 19,000 MT of E-waste was processed. WEE Generating Top Ten Cities City WEE (Tonnes) Mumbai 11017.1 Delhi 9730.3 Bangalore 4648.4 Chennai 4132.2 Kolkata 4025.3 Ahmadabad 3287.5 Hyderabad 2833.5 Pune 2584.2 Surat 1836.5 Nagpur 1768.9 WEE Generating Top Ten States State WEE (Tonnes) Maharashtra 20270.59 Tamil Nadu 13486.24 Andhra Pradesh 12780.33 Uttarpradesh 10381.11 West Bengal 10059.36 Delhi 9729.15 Karnataka 9118.74 Gujarat 8994.33 Madhya Pradesh 7800.62 Punjab 6958.46 DW Table 23: The generated E-waste in Major states and Major cities (source: ENVIS, 2008) E-waste Handling Process in India: E- Waste is mostly generated in Metropolitan cities in India, where a complex E-waste handling infrastructure on a long tradition of waste recycling has been developed. So far, the E-waste recycling is purely market driven, operated by a very entrepreneurial informal sector. A large number of new business es focusing on reuse or extraction of secondary raw materials resulted due to easy adaption of rag pickers and waste dealers to the new waste stream. (http://india.ewasteguide.info/ , Accessed on April 27th 2010) Figure 2: E-waste Handling Process in India (Source: Indian E-waste guide) The E-waste from corporate consumers and households enters a city specific familiar E-waste recycling system. The collection and allocation of E-waste is done by middlemen, scrap dealers and rag pickers, also known as  «kabadiwalas ». The informal recycling system includes acceptable processes such as dismantling and sorting but also very harmful processes such as burning and discharging in order to extract metals from electronic equipment. Harmful techniques like burning wires are common practice in the informal recycling sectors in big cities in India. Trends in Disposal and Recycling: E-waste has become more desirable due to soaring price of gold, silver and copper. E-waste round-ups are used as fund raisers in some communities. E-waste processing industry in Europe was marked by the ban imposed on disposal of electronic waste in landfills. European Union advanced E-waste policy by implementing the waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in 2002, making manufacturers responsible for the disposal of E-waste at the end-of-life. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/20784043/Managing-E-waste-Indian-Perspective, Accessed on May 2nd 2010) Large amount of used electronics have been sent to countries like China, India, and Kenya, where lower working conditions and environmental standards make E-waste processing more profitable due to lack-luster enforcement of legislation regarding exports of E-waste. In Switzerland after implementation of first electronic waste recycling system in 1991, since 2005 it has been possible to return all the E-waste at collection points and sale points free of charge. The total amount of recycled E-waste exceeds 10 kg per capita per year and two established Producer Responsibility Organizations (PRO) are responsible for handling electronic waste and electrical appliances. A policy known as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was implemented by European Union, designed to make equipment manufacturers financially or physically responsible for their equipment at the end-of-life cycle. This policy internalized the end-of-life costs and provided a competitive incentive for companies to design equipment with less costs and liabilities. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/20784043/Managing-E-waste-Indian-Perspective, Accessed on May 2nd 2010) Some states in the US developed policies banning CRTs from landfills recently due to the fear of heavy metals being leached into the ground water. Diversion from landfill has been driver for legislation in many states requiring collecting and processing of E-waste separately from the solid waste stream. Increased regulation of E-waste and concerns over the environmental harm has lead to disposal costs. The toxic trade by brokers or recyclers with an incentive to export the E-waste to developing countries was first exposed by the Basel Action Network (BAN) in their report in 2002. United States has not ratified the Basel Ban Amendment and no domestic laws forbidding the export of E-waste. From 2004, State of California and Canada has begun to impose an Electronic waste recycling fee on the purchase of new television, computers and computer components, making recycling mandatory for all those products. The European Union, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan have already demanded that manufac turers and sellers be responsible for recycling 75 per cent of electronics item. Computer scrap is managed through various alternatives such as product reuse, conventional disposal in landfills, incineration and recycling in India. Since the methods of disposal are very rudimentary and pose grave environmental and health hazards, it has become a very serious problem. Processing the waste by uncontrolled burning and disposal are causing environmental problems. The biggest source is through imports of E-waste in India. (ENVIS, 2006) Recycling Steps in India: Manual Dismantling: The accrued electronic and electric waste in India is dismantled and sorted manually to fractions cathode ray tubes, printed wiring boards, metals, plastics, cables for component recovery and invaluable materials like wood, plastics and other invaluable metals for mechanical shredding. Refining and conditioning processes are used for treating valuable fractions. Refining and Conditioning: In a variety of refining and conditioning processes like separation, open burning, acid baths, different E-waste fractions are processed to useful components and to secondary raw materials. Final Disposal: Solid waste is deposited in a municipal landfill where significant emissions to air and water are caused as systematic gas and water collecting systems are not installed. Site is crowded with informal waste pickers and valuable materials for recycling collected by people. Figure 3: Different stages of Recycle steps in India (source: K. Brigden et al., 2005) E-waste Management in India: The major concern all over the world today is environment preservation and its protection. The Basel convention on the control of Tran boundary Movement of Hazardous wastes and Disposal was signed by India on 15th March, 1990, ratified in 1992 and amended in 2003. India cannot export the Hazardous wastes listed in Annex VIII of the convention from the countries who ratified the ban agreement and is free to import E-wastes from countries not ratified the Basel Convention. The classification of E-waste as hazardous is unclear in Indian legislation. In India there is wide range of environment legislation but still there are no any specific rules or laws for E-waste (Joseph, 2007). As per the Hazardous Waste Rules implemented, in 1989 particular E-waste is not treated as hazardous unless it is not proved that they contain higher concentration of toxic substance. The electronic waste included under List-A and List-B of Schedule-3 of the Hazardous Wastes (Management Handling) Rules, 1989 are amended in 2000 2003 and now it requires specific permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. At this time informal sector collect the all electronic waste around the country and recycle them, Government has taken the following steps to improve the awareness about recycling of E-waste and to establish a sound E-waste management with healthy environment. (Joseph, 2007): à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) collaborated with Toxics Link and organised several workshops on E-waste management. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ CPCB has started to take quick action for rapid assessment of the E-waste generated in major metropolitan cities of the country. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To formulate effective strategy for better E-waste management CPCB has made up a national working group. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has published full comprehensive technical guide book titled Environmental Management for Information Technology Industry in India and circulated this guide book all around the country. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The DIT at the Indian Telephone Industries has set up demonstration projects showing how to recover copper from the Printed Circuit Boards. Challenges involved in E-waste management in India: Despite of such awareness and willingness for implementing improvements is increasing rapidly; there are still few challenges or major obstacles in the way of managing the E-wastes safely and effectively. These Challenges are Policy makers are very keen to make a better strategy for an effective E-waste management but they have to face the challenge of lacking of reliable data. There is no any efficient take back scheme for consumers so that only 10 % E-waste can reach to recyclers. The formal sector of the country does not pose a safe E-waste recycling infrastructure so they have to depend on informal sector that create severe risks to the environment and human health. The existing e waste recycling systems are purely business-driven that have come about without any government intervention. Any development in these e waste sectors will have to be built on the existing set-up as the waste collection and pre-processing can be handled efficiently by the informal sector, at the same time offer numerous job opportunities. Recommendations for Reducing E-waste: The new paradigm of sustainability demanding products to be cleaner, long-lived, upgradable and recyclable should be adopted instead of cheaper and faster products. To achieve these goals for sustainable production, environmental justice, corporate and government accountability, few recommendations for action needs to be taken. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/23359394/E-waste-System-failure-imminent, Accessed on May 14th 2010) Ban Hazardous Waste Imports: Complying with the rules and regulations forwarded by the Basel Convention that import of all the hazardous waste containing any hazardous elements should be banned dumped from developed countries to developing countries. There is no reason that developing countries of the world should bear the environmental risk without benefiting from this sort of E-waste. Make the Producer Responsible: The principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) makes manufacturer responsible for the products throughout the end-of-life cycle. This will make producer to focus more on designing products with recyclable materials, at the same time less hazardous. Incentive provided by the legislation for product take back policy to the original equipment manufacturer will eventually boost this principle, reducing E-waste all over the globe. Inform the Consumer: Electronic and Electrical manufacturers must specify the hazardous elements contained in their products thus creating awareness among the masses about environmental and health risks posed through these hazardous elements. Proper waste management protocols should also be prescribed to the consumer. Design for Recycling: Mechanisms for recovering raw materials while decommissioning an electronic device must be clean, safe and efficient to environment and human health. During recycling and dismantling process, warning must be placed for possible hazards in the work place and products must be made to recyclable form with rapid and easy reduction. Conclusion: Overall the situation of E-waste can be controlled by achieving zero land fill and Zero land fill is only available if we implement the cycle of four R. This four R are: Reduce try to reduce the E-wastes Reuse reuse the E-waste product Recycle recycle the available E-waste for reuse Recover Recover the valuable products after recycling Figure 4: Cycle of Four R A Case Study on Recycling of E-waste: Name of Company: Infotrek Syscom Ltd. Initiative of Socio environmental concern: To build an environmentally safe recycling pattern Building a forum of Creators of Electronics, corporate houses and Original Equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to help for the cause. Create partnership program. Key Features of Infotrek Syscom Ltd (www.docstoc.com/docs/33807398/E-waste-Management-_-Recycling, Accessed on May 14th 2010) An ISO 9001:2000 Certified, probably first of its kind and 100% export oriented unit for carrying recycling activities. Well Structured facilities spread over 7000 Sq.ft of building and further plans to acquire 45,000 sq.ft of land near JNPT. Modern Material handling equipments. Fully equipped laboratory to facilitate R D. Facilities of extending latest knowledge to the qualified experienced engineers. Bar code system for maintaining inventory movements. Registered with green online initiative. E-waste Management and Recycling Equipment Refurbishment and resale De-manufacturing and disassembly Recovery of valuable components Hazardous and base metal recovery Hazardous component management and environment friendly disposal. Outcomes: In a span of just two years of its existence, Eco Recycling Ltd (subsidiary of Infotrek Syscom Ltd), has developed great awareness about the hazards of waste electrical electronic equipments (WEEE) and need for systematic handling. The change is visible, more and more corporate and individuals have started taking interest and approaching to Ecoreco. It may not be out of place to mention that Ecoreco is presently serving to more than 200 corporate entities spread across India. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/18020190/EWaste-PPT, Accessed on May 16th 2010)

Thier Eyes Were Watching God :: essays research papers

In life everyone tries to find their true identity. For some it comes naturally, for others it might take years to find their identity, or they might never find it at all. In the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God; Zora Neale Hurston reveals a woman’s identity through her struggles in life, her treatment by society, and her thoughts on life. Janie a young African American girl who grew up in white life style; believed she was related of them till about the age of six. This impact changed Janie’s view on life. While she thought she was able to do things the color of her skin held her back. This made her try harder to accomplish her goals. When her grandmother insisted that she marry Logan she did not want to. Janie married him to fulfill her grandmother’s dreams. Even though Janie did not love him she struggled till she could not stand it and left with Joe.† It had always been his wish and desire to be a big voice and he had to live nearly thirty years to find a chance.† (28) While, Janie was with Joe in Eaton Vile she had a higher status then the rest of the towns people. Janie tried to interact with them, but Joe would not let her. He thought of Janie as being better then all of them. This led to the way she was treated in society. All of the women in the town thought Janie had everything, but Janie did not. She wanted to be excepted as part of them. When Joe died people in the town expected Janie to be mournful, so she put on an act for them. â€Å"She sent her face to Joe’s funeral, and herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world.† (88) After, Joe’s death Janie still ran the store. While working she meet Tea Cake, he showed her how to play checkers. â€Å"Somebody wanted her to play. Somebody thought it natural for her to play.† (96) This represents how he treated her as equal. Tea Cake compared to the other two husbands in Janie’s life was everything she was looking for. Tea Cake taught her so much that she started to fell more independent. After, Tea Cake’s death Janie grieves on the inside so much that she

Rise of the Roman Empire Essay -- essays research papers fc

Rise of the Roman Empire The legend about Rome’s origins puts the founding of the city at around 735 B.C. It is said that a Vestal Virgin gave birth to twin boys, Romulus and Remus, and claimed that they were the sons of the god Mars. The Vestal Virgin was the sister of a king. The king believed that she was lying and imprisoned her. He put her two boys in a basket and threw it into the Tiber River. A she-wolf found the twins and raised them. The twins, Romulus and Remus, came back and killed the king and founded the city of Rome. Afterwards Romulus and Remus fought and Remus was killed. Romulus was Rome’s first king and after he died, he became a god and vanished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Romans were tribal people who lived in central Italy and like other Latins; they tilled small plots of land pastured cows, pigs and goats and tended flocks of sheep. Moreover, they had a council of elders who chose the Chiefs of the tribes. Around 600 B.C the Etruscans a much more advanced people from the north conquered Rome. Consequently, from that time on, Rome was ruled by kings. The Romans learned many crafts from the Etruscans such as the use of bronze. They borrowed the Etruscan twelve-month calendar, the use of first and last names and developed their alphabet from an Etruscan adaptation of Greek. The Romans adapted many agricultural practices such as the growing of grapes and olives. From the Etruscans the Romans learned military strategy including the use of the unit called the legion which fought in phalanx positions. In 509 B.C however, the Roman nobles revolted against their king, Tarquin the Proud, and established a republic. By this time, Rome’s society was already divided into two groups, the common people called the Plebeians, and the nobles called the Patricians. The Patricians were the heads of the leading families of Rome. Instead of the king, they elected two consuls. The consuls ruled the state and led the armies, but they had power only for one year. The only people that were allowed to participate in government were Patricians. They ignored the wishes of the Plebeians. Consequently, in 490 the Plebeians revolted. They elected their own leaders called Tribunes and threatened to leave and found their own city if they were not given more rights. Since the Patricians needed Plebeians to serve in their army, they had to give in. This was the... ...normous indemnity that was imposed, ten thousand talents spread over fifty years, made the Carthaginians practically tributaries to their Roman conquerors. Hannibal would later be exiled and Carthage would never regain its former power. Hopelessly, the Carthaginians tried to stand up to Rome one last time in 151. The city was destroyed and its entire population sold as slaves. Throughout its early history Rome constantly came up new innovative ideas have the upper hand over its enemies. The Romans were a determined people that believed that ruling the world was their destiny and after the defeat of its’ greatest rival Carthage, they were now masters of the Mediterranean. Rome would never again be threatened until the empire’s fall hundreds of years later. The Romans would now begin to expand their empire past Italy, and with great success, come to rule the Western world. Works Cited http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1595/Romans.html Nardo, Don. The Rise of the Roman Empire. Gale Group: 1980 http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/classroom/lesson5.html Polybuis, Obye. The Rise of the Roman Empire. Viking Penguin: 1980 http://www.hatethemainstream.com/article.php?sid=22

Sudan is in Need of International Help Essay -- Argumentative Persuasi

Sudan is in Need of International Help Intro I came into this quarter wanting to write my EDGE paper on Iraq but during this year one of the questions that grabbed my attention was what the candidates were going to do about the situation in the Sudan. I had no prior knowledge of anything concerning the Sudan so when I heard the word genocide and descriptions of how bad the situation has become I felt that it would be an appropriate topic for my paper. I was suggested to write sole on the religious aspects of the region but the more information I gathered the more I was compelled to write the whole story. Honestly I can not remember a time where my heart went out to a group of people more than it does to those Sudanese who are being butchered by the government. The more I read the more I wondered why nobody was doing anything. It is only recently that we see the world reacting to this crisis that has been going on for around twenty years. It may be bold to say but I feel the Sudan is my generations Holocaust and if nothing is d one the violence is only going to spread and more people will suffer. Geographical Information Sudan is located in the continent of Africa just south of Egypt, east of Libya and Chad, northwest of Kenya and east of Ethiopia. It is one of the countries the borders the red sea. Sudan consists of about 2.5 million square kilometers, with 2.3 million square kilometers of land and thirteen-hundred square kilometers of water. The south has a more tropical climate while the north is more desert like. Sudan has a population of roughly thirty-five million people. Of those thirty-five million about fifty-two percent are black, thirty-nine percent are Arab, and the rest are made up of other races. Seven... ...n for aiding countries in need. I feel that so many people have died for no reason that it only seems right that we do all we can to stop it from continuing and most of all stop it from ever happening again. In my opinion it should not be out of pity or out of guilt that we act, it should be our duty as one of the leading countries on our planet to demonstrate that the United States will not tolerate such injustices no matter where they take place. Im am not suggesting that we police the world, but I am saying that since many countries are not as blessed as we are to have the money and resources that we do, we should not hesitate when an entire country is in need. Sources Cited: http://www.cnn.com http://members.aol.com/casmasalc/hellin.htm http://members.aol.com/casmasalc/persecut.htm http://www.cnn.com http://www.lnsart.com http://www.nbc.net

Four Seasons Hotel Case Study Essay

A company’s strategy can be identified by figuring out what business approaches and actions the company undertakes. Thompson et al. (2009) outline the key elements to look for in the process of understanding a company’s strategy. Four Seasons’ differentiation based focused strategy is evident from the organisation’s strategic actions. Sharp’s decision to build on high-end luxury and modern amenities so as to outdo the old grand hotels (p.3, para.3) is an example of efforts to pursue new opportunities or defend against threats as well as actions to outcompete rivals, which provides basis for differentiation. By focusing on medium-sized hotels of exceptional quality with exceptional service levels (p.3, para.3), Four Seasons defines the business scale and differentiates itself from competitors through providing superior quality and service. This is one of the moves to build a competitive advantage thus outcompeting rivals. The action to go public to raise funds (p.3, para.4) is a response to changing external circumstances, which supports the business growth and paves the way for Four Seasons to be the market leader. In order to serve diverse needs of the customers, Four Seasons extends into the fields of luxury resorts (p.4, para.1) and residential properties (p.4, para.4). With such action to diversify, it enables Four Seasons to serve a market niche. An example of actions to merge or acquire rival companies is the ownership acquisition of Regent (p.4, para.2), and a strategic alliance is formed via selling stake to Prince Alwaleed (p.4, para.4). By doing so, Four Seasons improves its competitive position as the market leader. The shift of focus from ownership to management services (p.4, para.3) reflects Four Seasons’ efforts to pursue new opportunities or defend against threats and its responses to changing external conditions. The business model of Four Seasons is defined by this strategic shift. The regional management structure (p.5, para.4), the finalisation process of budget plan (p.6, para.2), the human resource management (p.8, para.3), and the recruitment policy (p.8, para.5) are examples of how functional activities are managed in Four Seasons. By optimising functional activities, it enables improved quality and customer service provided. Four Seasons’ actions to alter geographic coverage lie in its international expansion program (p.7, para.3), which enables business growth by reaching new markets and new customers. The distinctiveness of  properties that reflects the local culture (p.8, para.1) is another example of actions to diversify, which leads to differentiation. The actions to strengthen resources and capabilities that support quality and customer service improvement include the training and development programs (p.9, para.1) and the new initiatives to offer added convenience to guests (p.10, para.2). By linking the actions with the strategy, it can be summarised that a company’s strategic actions are driven by the strategy it employs (Thompson et al., 2009). Strategic Fit with External Environment Strategically relevant influences from the external environment can have a significant impact on the company’s strategy. Therefore, the strategy that the company employs must be responsive to the external environment (Thompson et al., 2009). The external environment outside Four Seasons affects its strategy in many aspects. Political The events such as the Iraq war, the September 11th attack and terrorism impact the hotel industry significantly, which lead to decreased profitability. As a response to the circumstances, Four Seasons dedicates to international expansion. Through wider geographic presence, it allows Four Seasons to make more profits in the areas that are less impacted thus enhancing the overall profitability. Amidst these challenges, Four Seasons manages to maintain its position as the market leader, which owes to its globalisation strategy. Economic As one of the largest factors that shape the strategy of Four Seasons, the economic recession pulls down the luxury hotels’ business and poses crisis for Four Seasons. It is no longer profitable to build and own hotels. As a result, Four Seasons shifts its focus from hotel ownership to hotel management services so that the financial risk is mainly borne by the hotel owners. Through management operations, Four Seasons is able to make the best use of its expertise and provide exceptional quality and service to the customers, thus gaining a competitive advantage over rivals. Social The trend of increasing international travel both in business and leisure markets creates more opportunities for the hotel industry. In order to better serve the travel needs of its existing customers and attract new international travellers, Four Seasons continues to expand its geographic coverage by adding five to seven hotels per year to key destinations, thus capitalising on the emerging opportunities. In response to the changing lifestyle of the global travellers who want personalised service, Four Seasons constantly innovates new ways to make business travel more efficient and leisure travel more enjoyable. By doing so, the differentiation strategy through superior customer service is enhanced. Technical In support of the rapid development of information technology, Four Seasons enhances its management services via operating a central reservations system, recommending information technology systems and developing certain database applications. It enables Four Seasons to be more profitable through optimised management services. Legal The nature of the leasehold agreement with three properties makes it difficult to sell the ownership and shift to management services, which results in adding losses to Four Seasons accounting. It reinforces Four Seasons’ decision to concentrate on management operations. In order to reduce the impact of these properties, Four Seasons continues to seek ways to improve the operating profitability. Environmental To follow the major trend of being environmental friendly, Four Seasons initiates recycling programs for glass, paper and other biodegradable garbage, in support of its uncompromised customer service. Such approaches help Four Seasons maintain its leadership position in luxury hotels. Strategic Fit with Internal Environment A comprehensive evaluation of a company’s resources and capabilities reveals the strengths and weaknesses in the present strategy so that adjustments and improvements can be made (Thompson et al., 2009). Four Seasons’ strategy facilitates the decision making on its internal activities in different ways. Four Seasons focuses on the market niche of luxury hotels. In order to better serve the diverse needs of the focused customers, Four Seasons extends into the fields of resorts and residential properties so that the customers who use the hotels can enjoy the same quality in resorts and residence clubs. By retaining the customer base and competing in different segments, Four Seasons is able to maintain its position as market leader. One of the strengths of Four Seasons is the attractive locations of its properties. With business and leisure travellers as the target customers, Four Seasons locates its hotels centrally in the commercial and financial districts of the world’s leading cities, while resorts and residential properties in world-class leisure destinations. It allows Four Seasons to attract more potential customers with its location advantage that are unmatched by rivals, thus gaining a competitive advantage. One major distinctive competency of Four Seasons is the exceptional customer service, which is delivered by its valuable human assets. The human resource management at Four Seasons makes sure that its employees treat the guests as they would wish to be treated. With high staff morale and high employee satisfaction, Four Seasons’ customers can expect the best possible customer service. Through the training and development programs, Four Seasons equips its employees with advanced skills and expertise. As a result, the employees are able to deliver services above desired standards while carrying out innovative solutions to solve customers’ concerns. With these highly trained and professional staffs, Four Seasons stresses ways to differentiate itself from rivals through superior customer service. The expertise in hotel management is another competitive capability of Four Seasons. In order to make the best use of its expertise, Four Seasons  concentrates on hotel management operations. To improve the operating profitability, Four Seasons engages in every aspect of the hotel operations on behalf of the owners, even before the hotel is built.