Saturday, August 31, 2019

Digital Fortress Chapter 127-128

Chapter 127 There was a sudden and reverent silence among the group on the podium. It was as if they were watching an eclipse or volcanic eruption-an incredible chain of events over which they had no control. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. â€Å"We're losing it!† a technician cried. â€Å"Tie-ins! All lines!† On the far-left screen, David and Agents Smith and Coliander stared blankly into their camera. On the VR, the final fire wall was only a sliver. A mass of blackness surrounded it, hundreds of lines waiting to tie in. To the right of that was Tankado. The stilted clips of his final moments ran by in an endless loop. The look of desperation-fingers stretched outward, the ring glistening in the sun. Susan watched the clip as it went in and out of focus. She stared at Tankado's eyes-they seemed filled with regret. He never wanted it to go this far, she told herself. He wanted to save us. And yet, over and over, Tankado held his fingers outward, forcing the ring in front of people's eyes. He was trying to speak but could not. He just kept thrusting his fingers forward. In Seville, Becker's mind still turned it over and over. He mumbled to himself, â€Å"What did they say those two isotopes were? U238 and U†¦?† He sighed heavily-it didn't matter. He was a language teacher, not a physicist. â€Å"Incoming lines preparing to authenticate!† â€Å"Jesus!† Jabba bellowed in frustration. â€Å"How do the damn isotopes differ? Nobody knows how the hell they're different?!† There was no response. The room full of technicians stood helplessly watching the VR. Jabba spun back to the monitor and threw up his arms. â€Å"Where's a nuclear fucking physicist when you need one!† Susan stared up at the QuickTime clip on the wall screen and knew it was over. In slow motion, she watched Tankado dying over and over. He was trying to speak, choking on his words, holding out his deformed hand†¦ trying to communicate something. He was trying to save the databank, Susan told herself. But we'll never know how. â€Å"Company at the door!† Jabba stared at the screen. â€Å"Here we go!† Sweat poured down his face. On the center screen, the final wisp of the last firewall had all but disappeared. The black mass of lines surrounding the core was opaque and pulsating. Midge turned away. Fontaine stood rigid, eyes front. Brinkerhoff looked like he was about to get sick. â€Å"Ten seconds!† Susan's eyes never left Tankado's image. The desperation. The regret. His hand reached out, over and over, ring glistening, deformed fingers arched crookedly in stranger's faces. He's telling them something. What is it? On the screen overhead, David looked deep in thought. â€Å"Difference,† he kept muttering to himself. â€Å"Difference between U238 and U235. It's got to be something simple.† A technician began the countdown. â€Å"Five! Four! Three!† The word made it to Spain in just under a tenth of a second. Three†¦ three. It was as if David Becker had been hit by the stun gun all over again. His world slowed to stop. Three†¦ three†¦ three. 238 minus 235! The difference is three! In slow motion, he reached for the microphone†¦ At that very instant, Susan was staring at Tankado's outstretched hand. Suddenly, she saw past the ring†¦ past the engraved gold to the flesh beneath†¦ to his fingers. Three fingers. It was not the ring at all. It was the flesh. Tankado was not telling them, he was showing them. He was telling his secret, revealing the kill-code-begging someone to understand†¦ praying his secret would find its way to the NSA in time. â€Å"Three,† Susan whispered, stunned. â€Å"Three!† Becker yelled from Spain. But in the chaos, no one seemed to hear. â€Å"We're down!† a technician yelled. The VR began flashing wildly as the core succumbed to a deluge. Sirens erupted overhead. â€Å"Outbound data!† â€Å"High-speed tie-ins in all sectors!† Susan moved as if through a dream. She spun toward Jabba's keyboard. As she turned, her gaze fixed on her fiance, David Becker. Again his voice exploded overhead. â€Å"Three! The difference between 235 and 238 is three!† Everyone in the room looked up. â€Å"Three!† Susan shouted over the deafening cacophony of sirens and technicians. She pointed to the screen. All eyes followed, to Tankado's hand, outstretched, three fingers waving desperately in the Sevillian sun. Jabba went rigid. â€Å"Oh my God!† He suddenly realized the crippled genius had been giving them the answer all the time. â€Å"Three's prime!† Soshi blurted. â€Å"Three's a prime number!† Fontaine looked dazed. â€Å"Can it be that simple?† â€Å"Outbound data!† a technician cried. â€Å"It's going fast!† Everyone on the podium dove for the terminal at the same instant-a mass of outstretched hands. But through the crowd, Susan, like a shortstop stabbing a line drive, connected with her target. She typed the number 3. Everyone wheeled to the wall screen. Above the chaos, it simply read. ENTER PASS-KEY? 3 â€Å"Yes!† Fontaine commanded. â€Å"Do it now!† Susan held her breath and lowered her finger on the ENTER key. The computer beeped once. Nobody moved. Three agonizing seconds later, nothing had happened. The sirens kept going. Five seconds. Six seconds. â€Å"Outbound data!† â€Å"No change!† Suddenly Midge began pointing wildly to the screen above. â€Å"Look!† On it, a message had materialized. KILL CODE CONFIRMED. â€Å"Upload the firewalls!† Jabba ordered. But Soshi was a step ahead of him. She had already sent the command. â€Å"Outbound interrupt!† a technician yelled. â€Å"Tie-ins severed!† On the VR overhead, the first of the five firewalls began reappearing. The black lines attacking the core were instantly severed. â€Å"Reinstating!† Jabba cried. â€Å"The damn thing's reinstating!† There was a moment of tentative disbelief, as if at any instant, everything would fall apart. But then the second firewall began reappearing†¦ and then the third. Moments later the entire series of filters reappeared. The databank was secure. The room erupted. Pandemonium. Technicians hugged, tossing computer printouts in the air in celebration. Sirens wound down. Brinkerhoff grabbed Midge and held on. Soshi burst into tears. â€Å"Jabba,† Fontaine demanded. â€Å"How much did they get?† â€Å"Very little,† Jabba said, studying his monitor. â€Å"Very little. And nothing complete.† Fontaine nodded slowly, a wry smile forming in the corner of his mouth. He looked around for Susan Fletcher, but she was already walking toward the front of the room. On the wall before her, David Becker's face filled the screen. â€Å"David?† â€Å"Hey, gorgeous.† He smiled. â€Å"Come home,† she said. â€Å"Come home, right now.† â€Å"Meet you at Stone Manor?† he asked. She nodded, the tears welling. â€Å"Deal.† â€Å"Agent Smith?† Fontaine called. Smith appeared onscreen behind Becker. â€Å"Yes, sir?† â€Å"It appears Mr. Becker has a date. Could you see that he gets home immediately?† Smith nodded. â€Å"Our jet's in Malaga.† He patted Becker on the back. â€Å"You're in for a treat, Professor. Ever flown in a Learjet 60?† Becker chuckled. â€Å"Not since yesterday.† Chapter 128 When Susan awoke, the sun was shining. the soft rays sifted through the curtains and filtered across her goosedown feather bed. She reached for David. Am I dreaming? Her body remained motionless, spent, still dizzy from the night before. â€Å"David?† She moaned. There was no reply. She opened her eyes, her skin still tingling. The mattress on the other side of the bed was cold. David was gone. I'm dreaming, Susan thought. She sat up. The room was Victorian, all lace and antiques-Stone Manor's finest suite. Her overnight bag was in the middle of the hardwood floor†¦ her lingerie on a Queen Anne chair beside the bed. Had David really arrived? She had memories-his body against hers, his waking her with soft kisses. Had she dreamed it all? She turned to the bedside table. There was an empty bottle of champagne, two glasses†¦ and a note. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Susan drew the comforter around her naked body and read the message. Dearest Susan, I love you. Without wax, David. She beamed and pulled the note to her chest. It was David, all right. Without wax†¦ it was the one code she had yet to break. Something stirred in the corner, and Susan looked up. On a plush divan, basking in the morning sun, wrapped in thick bathrobe, David Becker sat quietly watching her. She reached out, beckoning him to come to her. â€Å"Without wax?† she cooed, taking him in her arms. â€Å"Without wax.† He smiled. She kissed him deeply. â€Å"Tell me what it means.† â€Å"No chance.† He laughed. â€Å"A couple needs secrets-it keeps things interesting.† Susan smiled coyly. â€Å"Any more interesting than last night and I'll never walk again.† David took her in his arms. He felt weightless. He had almost died yesterday, and yet here he was, as alive as he had ever felt in his life. Susan lay with her head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. She couldn't believe that she had thought he was gone forever. â€Å"David.† She sighed, eyeing the note beside the table. â€Å"Tell me about ‘without wax.' You know I hate codes I can't break.† David was silent. â€Å"Tell me.† Susan pouted. â€Å"Or you'll never have me again.† â€Å"Liar.† Susan hit him with a pillow. â€Å"Tell me! Now!† But David knew he would never tell. The secret behind â€Å"without wax† was too sweet. Its origins were ancient. During the Renaissance, Spanish sculptors who made mistakes while carving expensive marble often patched their flaws with cera-â€Å"wax.† A statue that had no flaws and required no patching was hailed as a â€Å"sculpture sincera† or a â€Å"sculpture without wax.† The phrase eventually came to mean anything honest or true. The English word â€Å"sincere† evolved from the Spanish sincera-â€Å"without wax.† David's secret code was no great mystery-he was simply signing his letters â€Å"Sincerely.† Somehow he suspected Susan would not be amused. â€Å"You'll be pleased to know,† David said, attempting to change the subject, â€Å"that during the flight home, I called the president of the university.† Susan looked up, hopeful. â€Å"Tell me you resigned as department chair.† David nodded. â€Å"I'll be back in the classroom next semester.† She sighed in relief. â€Å"Right where you belonged in the first place.† David smiled softly. â€Å"Yeah, I guess Spain reminded me what's important.† â€Å"Back to breaking coeds' hearts?† Susan kissed his cheek. â€Å"Well, at least you'll have time to help me edit my manuscript.† â€Å"Manuscript?† â€Å"Yes. I've decided to publish.† â€Å"Publish?† David looked doubtful. â€Å"Publish what?† â€Å"Some ideas I have on variant filter protocols and quadratic residues.† He groaned. â€Å"Sounds like a real best-seller.† She laughed. â€Å"You'd be surprised.† David fished inside the pocket of his bathrobe and pulled out a small object. â€Å"Close your eyes. I have something for you.† Susan closed her eyes. â€Å"Let me guess-a gaudy gold ring with Latin all over it?† â€Å"No.† David chuckled. â€Å"I had Fontaine return that to Ensei Tankado's estate.† He took Susan's hand and slipped something onto her finger. â€Å"Liar.† Susan laughed, opening her eyes. â€Å"I knew-â€Å" But Susan stopped short. The ring on her finger was not Tankado's at all. It was a platinum setting that held a glittering diamond solitaire. Susan gasped. David looked her in the eye. â€Å"Will you marry me?† Susan's breath caught in her throat. She looked at him and then back to the ring. Her eyes suddenly welled up. â€Å"Oh, David†¦ I don't know what to say.† â€Å"Say yes.† Susan turned away and didn't say a word. David waited. â€Å"Susan Fletcher, I love you. Marry me.† Susan lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with tears. â€Å"I'm sorry, David,† she whispered. â€Å"I†¦ I can't.† David stared in shock. He searched her eyes for the playful glimmer he'd come to expect from her. It wasn't there. â€Å"S-Susan,† he stammered. â€Å"I-I don't understand.† â€Å"I can't,† she repeated. â€Å"I can't marry you.† She turned away. Her shoulders started trembling. She covered her face with her hands. David was bewildered. â€Å"But, Susan†¦ I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He held her trembling shoulders and turned her body toward him. It was then that he understood. Susan Fletcher was not crying at all; she was in hysterics. â€Å"I won't marry you!† She laughed, attacking again with the pillow. â€Å"Not until you explain ‘without wax'! You're driving me crazy!†

Friday, August 30, 2019

Black People and James Baldwin

Deborah Lee Period 1 May 28,2012 Supplemental Reading Assignment A. The theme of Baldwin’s essay is equality. He establishes this theme in his essay with the juxtaposition of a poor white man and a black man. In this essay, Baldwin speaks of how â€Å"People are continually pointing out to me the wretchedness of white people in order to console me for the wretchedness of blacks. He says that people say that being black is not that bad because there are white people in the same situation and that there is still hope for the black because of people like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis but it is still not something â€Å"to be regarded with complacency† because the situations of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis are just rare. Equality in America at the time was possible with â€Å"determined will,† but still very rare. Another way James Baldwin established the theme of equality in this essay was when he mentioned the projects, more specifically, Riverton.Baldwin establi shes this theme of equality through mentioning Riverton for Riverton was a physical representation of the inequality of blacks and whites in America back then. Baldwin said, â€Å"The people in Harlem know they are living there because white people do not think they are good enough to live anywhere else. † There was going to be no equality if people were told to live in certain places because of their color. Baldwin also makes this theme extremely clear when he says, â€Å"Negroes want to be treated like men. † B.The tone of the essay, Fifth Avenue, Uptown: A letter from Harlem by James Baldwin and the tone of the poem, Theme for English B by Langston Hughes are similar. They are similar for both authors show that there is hope for equality through the tone of each text. In the poem, Theme for English B, Hughes says â€Å"You are white — / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American. † Hughes expresses that although he may be the onl y black person in his class, he is still American like the rest of the class and should be considered equal.The tone of the essay and poem is different from the poem Incident by Countee Collen. This poem’s tone is complete opposite from the other poem and essay for Collen uses more of a doubtful tone. This poem is more about just being sad and bothered that blacks and whites are not equal instead of being hopeful for the equality of the two races that is soon to come like the other poem and essay. C. The perspectives on race in these texts are different than in To Kill a Mockingbird for in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus believes that there is good and bad in everyone and that nobody should be hated or claimed as all bad.In the book, Scout asks Atticus if it is okay to hate Hitler but Atticus says that you shouldn’t hate anybody, no matter how bad they are because there is a good side to them. This shows that Atticus’ perspective on race is different from the aut hors of the poems and essay for the authors believe that the whites are bad people because blacks and whites are not equal. While Atticus is just like the authors for he wants equality between black and whites, his perspective is different for he believes that this equality will be brought once the good side comes out of the white people.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Analysis of brand tribalism

Analysis of brand tribalism In the view of earning profit, marketers should develop as deeper, more affective relationship with their customers as they can. Some scholars reveal that competitive advantage can no longer be sustained on the basis of product attributes and perceived position. Today’s Consumers are now developing unique and vibrant relationships with their brands (McAlexander et al 2003). And strong brand relationship has also been characterized as cults or tribes (Cova and Cova, 2002). In this sense, the brand gathers passionate consumers in a structured social relationship, binding members together through a shared social and interpersonal experience (Cova 1997, Muniz and O’Guinn 2001). Brand managers are advised to go beyond the common marketing theory to establish a more stable relationship with the group of tribal people. In this case, the discussion of the way to make stable relationship with these tribal members is receiving more and more attention. The aim of this paper is to analyze the definition of brand tribe and some relevant literatures to evaluate how marketers engage with the phenomena of brand tribe to build a long term relationship with tribes. Overview Concept of Brand tribalism â€Å"A brand tribe can be defined as a social network of varied persons -who are linked by a shared belief around a brand; its members are not simple consumers, they are also believers and promoters† Patrick Dixon (2010) Says. A brand tribe does collective action and therefore it is implicated as post-modern business. The emergence of brand tribalism represents tribal consumptions. Some scholars define the concept of tribal consumption as â€Å"Tribal Based Views of Brand†. Cova (1997) says that Brand tribalism emerges because there is a group of consumers who adore this brand emotionally connected by some values and usage of consumption, using the social â€Å"linking value† of products and services to create a community and express identity. Ac cording to Bagozzi’s (2000) concept of international social action, social associations are the most important influence on an individual’s consumption decisions. In terms of this point, the phenomena of tribes can be presented as an expression of both self and social identity. Furthermore, Maffesoli (1996) establishes that consumer social identities and consumption choices shift depending on situational and lifestyle factors. So, the phenomena of Brand tribalism can also be understood and accessed through their shared beliefs, ideas and consumption. Due to this point, one individual consumer who has different categories of identity, may be involved in several different brand tribes at the same time. Practical Analysis Socially interconnected groups have been found to act loyally as a group because personal relationships are maintained through shared, regular consumption (Gainer, 1995). Brand just likes an art and consumers just like its diverse audiences bounded by a shared passion for â€Å"performance†. Meanwhile, studies of consumer-consumer relationships and their influence on individual consumption have focused on brand communities (Berger et al., 2006; Muniz and O’Guinn, 2001; Schouten and McAlexander, 1995). This research expands the focus on social relationships in the consumer behavior area and looks into the dynamics of a group of consumers focusing on one brand (brand tribe) for marketing opportunities.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

The Life and Works of Werner Heisenberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Life and Works of Werner Heisenberg - Essay Example But his work focused on the uncertainty principle in quantum theory that had become the basis for his own philosophy. In 1932, Heisenberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his â€Å"creation of the quantum physics.†2 Heisenberg also made significant contributions to many other subjects in Physics such as hydrodynamics of the turbulent flows, ferromagnetism, cosmic rays, and subatomic particles. In 1925, he described the matrix formulation of quantum mechanics together with Max Born and Pascual Jordan.3 Subsequent to World War II, Heisenberg was selected as director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics – now called the Max Planck Institute for Physics. He is also extensively famous as the key person to spearhead the nuclear fission research in Germany during the World War II. At the conclusion of the war, Heisenberg concentrated on elementary particle physics. Early Life and Education Werner Karl Heisenberg was born on the 5th of December 1901 in Wurzburg, Germany. He was the son of Dr. August Heisenberg, a high school teacher of classical languages, and Anna Wecklein Heisenberg.4 He had a brother named Erwin who was a chemist. Werner showed early interest in mathematics and physics and in 1920, he enrolled at the Ludwig-Maximilian-Universitat Munchen under the supervision of Arnold Sommerfeld and Wilhelm Wien; however, during the winter of 1922-1923, Wilhelm went on to study at University of Munich in which he studied physics with Max Born and James Franck, and studied mathematics with David Hilbert. In 1923, he finally received his doctorate degree at the University of Munich under the guidance of Arnold Sommerfeld.5 At school, Heisenberg showed an extraordinary level of self-confidence and willingness to excel, as commented by one school teacher who had seen his potential.6 Another school teacher observed that Heisenberg is â€Å"more developed toward the side of rationality than a fantasy and imagination†7 – a quali ty that is common among scientists. But these qualities seemed to have been suppressed initially by Heisenberg as he tended to be â€Å"shy and sensitive at first.†8 However, as the school year progressed, he turned out to become more self-confident than ever. Heisenberg’s father would always set up a competition between him and his brother, which continued as they grew older. Obviously, it is one reason why Werner tops his class, particularly in mathematics and physics.9 Sommerfeld noticed Heisenberg’s interests in Niels Bohr’s theories in atomic physics so he took the initiative to bring Heisenberg to the Bohr’s Festival in 1922. For the first time, Heisenberg was able to see and hear Niels Bohr in person as Bohr gave a series of lectures about atomic physics. That encounter flared up Heisenberg’s interest in discovering more about the mysteries of physics.10 Early Career Between the years 1924 and 1925, Werner had the chance to work with probably one of his greatest influences, Niels Bohr, at the University of Copenhagen under a Rockefeller grant. In 1925, Werner went back to Gottingen. In 1926, Werner was designated to his first teaching position as a theoretical physics lecturer at the University of Copenhagen under the direction of Niels Bohr.11 In the following year, Werner received another teaching position as Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Leipzig when he was only 26 years old.12 His latest tenure as a Professor of Theoretical Physics would allow him to set off a lecture tour to the United

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Applied Econometrics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Applied Econometrics - Assignment Example causes a reduction of median housing price by 0.028 in the first variant, a reduction of 0.027 in the second variant, and a reduction of 0.027 in the third variant. In the third variable, nitrogen oxide concentrations in parts per hundred million (NOX), the coefficients are 1.479 and 1.529 in the second and third variants respectively. These figures suggest that 1 percent change in nitrogen oxide concentration increases the medium housing price by 1.479 in the second variant and by 1.529 in the third variant. Beta coefficient is the measure of the sensitivity of the estimates in influencing the median housing price. In the estimates, the beta coefficient is the slope of the model summarized into ÃŽ ²0, ÃŽ ²1, ÃŽ ²4, ÃŽ ²3, and ÃŽ ²2. Normally, the coefficients would imply 1 percentage change in the estimate 1 and 2 would cause an increase of 0.566 and 0.0261. However, using the beta approach, the two coefficients are below, suggesting that they are below the median housing price. 6. Suppose in model (3) I added in the variable NOX DCHAS, resulting in ln(MVi) = ÃŽ ²0 + ÃŽ ²1RMi + ÃŽ ²2 ln(DISi) +ÃŽ ²3NOXi + ÃŽ ²4DCHAS;i + ÃŽ ²5 NOX DCHAS +Æ i . How would the interpretation of Æ 3 change in model (3) after the inclusion of this variable? What is the interpretation of Æ 5 in this model? 9. Given that the BP and White tests yield the same conclusion regarding the presence of heteroskedasticity, does this imply that the BP test is as good as the White test? Explain your reasoning in detail. Heteroskedasticity implies to the circumstance when the variability of a variable is unequal across the range of values of a second variable that predicts it. In this circumstance, it means that the Bp test is as good as the white test since in the presence of heteroskedasticity, it is expected to be different for variability, which is not the case. Heteroskedasticity does not necessarily imply an error, but only imply variableness, i.e. variability of a variable is unequal across the range of

Monday, August 26, 2019

Children With Sickle Cell Disease Research Paper

Children With Sickle Cell Disease - Research Paper Example The quality of life was measured with the TNO-AZL Adult Quality of Life questionnaire. The groups were compared by the Mann-Whitney U test. The study was carried at 95% confidence interval. The results indicated that patients with sickle disease had a significantly lower quality of life on all subscales as compared to the Dutch norm population. The abstract of the study is a complete overhaul. It gives clear and more defined information of what to expect and what the study is all about. However, the objective of the study is not widely stated considering the fact that it is not mentioned anywhere else in the study apart from the abstract. Citation Type of study Location setting Variables Framework theory Study design Sample The study is quantitative in nature. The quantitative variables are well designed and explained. Department of Pediatric Rehabilitation of the Medical University of Bialystok All female caregivers or mothers of children with SCD who visited the outpatient clinic o f the study center at least one year ago were invited to participate in the study. The dependent variable: quality of life of caregivers of children with sickle cell disease. Independent variables: socio-economic and ethnic background. Control group: female caregivers of healthy children. Considering the fact that the study is quantitative in nature, the existence of both independent and dependent variables is justified. The theoretical perceptive of the study is not discussed. This compromises the validity of the results because there is no link between the theoretical literature and the results of the study. However, the study does borrow some empirical perspectives from other studies. But empirical studies without theoretical perspective still limit the results of the study. All female caregivers or mothers of children with SCD who visited the outpatient clinic of the study center at least one year ago were invited to participate in the study. Because the study is a qualitative t ype of study, a questionnaire on the social and financial consequences of caring for children with a chronic illness was developed as part of a larger study. the questionnaires are designed in a way that it took one hour to complete the whole questionnaire. In addition, the study used the TAAQoL questionnaire for persons above 16 years, to measure the health status problems and limitations. SPSS was used to analyze the data and the results were well conveyed using the statistical methods of presenting data. The research design matches the approach and research hypothesis. However, one limitations of the study design is that it does not give much comparisons between the independent, dependent and control groups. Another limitation of the design is that it doesn’t clarify the type of data required for the study and instead it describes methods of colleting and analyzing data. The study used a sample of 700 from the reference population of similar gender and ages as the caregive r of the children with SCD. But the absence of the formula used to calculate the sample size makes the validity of the sample size in question. Strengths The study has a strong research design.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Audit of client Linstead Parva plc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Audit of client Linstead Parva plc - Essay Example (Independence Provisions Applicable to Audits of Public Interest) The potential threats that may flow are: The acceptance of the staff scheme will cause significant influence on the decision and the professional judgment of the audit team members. The team will not be independent during the course of the audit due to possibility of significant benefits that will aid the team which will impair their objectivity. The audit objective will not be attainted as the members of the team will not be able to exercise proper skepticism during the course of the audit which may impair the objectivity of the audit. (Audit Ethics) Solution It is strictly advised to the members of the Tick and Bash LLP, which are involved in the course of the audit, not to accept significant gifts from Linstead Parva which may impair their objectivity and professional skepticism during the course of the audit. The engagement partner should also make sure, in light of the code of ethics, that any other token or gift which may impair the objectivity is not accepted from the Linstead Parva plc. RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEE OF AUDIT CLIENT One of the junior accountant working at the CPD (Development) Ltd has become engaged to be married to the son of the engagement partner and since CPD (Development) Ltd is a 100% owned subsidiary of a jointly controlled entity of Linstead Parva plc, i.e. CPC Ltd, there also arises a risk that the audit engagement partner may exercise influence on the team members of the audit team where a matter arises during the course of the audit. However, there can be an argument that the risk will not be very substantial as the person to... It is strictly advised to the members of the Tick and Bash LLP, which are involved in the course of the audit, not to accept significant gifts from Linstead Parva which may impair their objectivity and professional skepticism during the course of the audit.The engagement partner should also make sure, in light of the code of ethics, that any other token or gift which may impair the objectivity is not accepted from the Linstead Parva plc.RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEE OF AUDIT CLIENTOne of the junior accountant working at the CPD (Development) Ltd has become engaged to be married to the son of the engagement partner and since CPD (Development) Ltd is a 100% owned subsidiary of a jointly controlled entity of Linstead Parva plc, i.e. CPC Ltd, there also arises a risk that the audit engagement partner may exercise influence on the team members of the audit team where a matter arises during the course of the audit.However, there can be an argument that the risk will not be very substantial as the person to whom the audit engagement partner's son is engaged to, is only a junior accountant at CPD (Development) Ltd. But the code of ethics has clearly said forth that "Such relationships must be avoided with the audit clients which tend to prejudice, bias or even influence the objectivity of the auditor".The risk can be mitigated by lowering the level of reliance placed on the work performed at the audit of CPD (Development) Ltd and exercising extra amount of skepticism when dealing with the particular accountant.

Mini Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mini Project 2 - Essay Example The management policies and measures of water help to remedy the crisis by influencing the emissions of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. Therefore, the mitigation tactics such as use of renewable energy options enhances availability of water globally. Pollution is detrimental, and it creates low-quality water. The industrial effluents should be treated before being released to the ecosystem (Erikson & Globescan, 2010). Disinfection of the sewage discharges is significant to prevent contamination of water. Therefore, control of pollution enhances availability of adequate clean water globally. There is high usage of water in agriculture. Improving agricultural practices and proper irrigation increases utilization of water without wastage (Markey, Leal & Rogers, 2014). Application of new technologies promotes utmost use of water, therefore, supporting continuous water supply without failure. Education motivates new behaviors that enhance proper use of water (Savic & ISSWMLC, 2005). Scarcity of water requires change of all methods of consumption from individual utilization to the supply chains. Healthy lifestyle hinders contamination and, therefore, promotes availability of adequate quality water globally. Erikson, J & Globescan. (May 24, 2010). Experts Name the Top 19 Solutions to the Global Freshwater Crisis. Circle of Blue. Retrieved May 12, 2015 from http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/ Savic, D. A., & International Symposium on Sustainable Water Management for large cities (ISSWMLC). (2005). Sustainable water management solutions for large cities. Wallingford: Internat. Assoc. of Hydrological

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Cnet report 221 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cnet report 221 - Essay Example This is why Nguyen will still have revenue even if he stops creating updates for the game. I think Nguyen decided well because Flappy Bird was turning out to be like Candy Crush and those other apps people lose time and sleep over. Nguyen was only doing what he thinks is morally right and I applaud him for choosing right over money. The article talks about how the remake of RoboCop proves that the kind of technology seen in the movie is actually not that unreachable or fantasy-like as in the original installment of the movie. Statt shares that because the scientists of today are actually conducting experiments on controlling prosthetic limbs and a human’s brain, the technological elements present in the movie are not as unrealistic as when the original movie came out. Statt continues to describe a few advances and milestones in science today, comparing them to some aspects of the new RoboCop. He writes, however, that creating killer robots like those in the movie are not that close to reality yet. Although the information in the article is amazing, it is a bit scary for me, thinking that we are close to developing half humans/half robots. A future world similar to RoboCop’s world is daunting because it lacks the sense of warmth brought by the thought of interacting with another human. Also robots have a way of malfunctioning so that can be dangerous and the world might be like that in the movie I, Robot instead. The article talks about how Apple is trying to come up with an iWatch which is not only designed to be fashionable but helpful in keep track of one’s health. Apple together with important people from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, fashion designers, medical sensor wizards, sleep researchers, exercise physiologists and fitness experts is making digital health accessible to consumers. I think Apple is doing something right this time. I am glad it is using its technology to help

Friday, August 23, 2019

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR - Essay Example 1). In this regard, the current essay hereby aims to discuss the business problem and apply the motivational concepts discussed in Robbins and Judge (2008). The problem identified in the study focused on the inability of organizations to appropriately and effectively design an incentive program that would relatively and directly increase work performance. As proffered, â€Å"numerous researchers have studied the impact of incentives and related programs for at least 100 years without establishing a clear consensus among business circles as to whether or not incentive programs deliver measurable and meaningful performance results† (Stolovitch, Clark, & Condly, 2008, par. 3). To address this dilemma, the authors specifically sought to answer four questions, to wit: â€Å"Do incentives increase work performance (and under what circumstances)? Which incentive programs are most effective? What types of organizations need incentives? And what model best expresses how to select and implement successful programs?† (Stolovitch, Clark, & Condly, 2008, par. 4). the authors further sought to establish conclusive findings through conducting surveys on the Internet and telephone from 145 U.S. organizations that have been evaluated to use incentive systems (Stolovitch, Clark, & Condly, 2008, par. 7). Accordingly, through the application of relevant motivational concepts such as the use of rewards to motivate employees and engaging employees or increasing involvement in the work setting. As indicated, incentives programs had the ability to: (1) improve performance; (2) engage participants (consistent with the theory of employee involvement; and (3) attract quality employees. Concurrently, other findings that were revealed were: (4) longer-term programs outperform short-term programs; (5) both executive and employees value incentive programs; and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Health and Social Care Act Essay Example for Free

Health and Social Care Act Essay Legislation: Health and Social Care Act; the Medicines Act and The Misuse of Drugs Act. Guidelines could include the Nursing Midwifery Guidelines for the management of medicine administration registered nurses have to abide by this set of guidelines and for paid carers, the General Social Care Councils Code of Conduct will have something which could relate to medication. Policy for example consider the Governments drive to ensure people with dementia are not over medicated so their policy is currently designed to push the professionals responsible for prescribing to bear in mind the effect of drugs on frail elderly people and to consider alternative treatments such as activities and therapies. Other examples of policy might be the Government’s drive to limit the prescribing of antibiotics to reduce the incidence of resistant strains of bacteria. Protocols a protocol is a procedure and you could outline your companys procedure (protocol) for disposing of controlled drugs or medication in general. 2- Know about common types of medication and their use. Antibiotics- The most common side effects of antibiotics affect the digestive system. These occur in around 1 in 10 people. Side effects of antibiotics that affect the digestive system include: being sick feeling sick diarrhea bloating and indigestion abdominal pain loss of appetite Ibuprofen- Ibuprofen can cause a number of side effects. For this reason, take lowest possible dose of ibuprofen for the shortest possible time needed to control your symptoms. Common side effects of ibuprofen include: nausea (feeling sick) vomiting (being sick) diarrhoea (passing loose, watery stools) indigestion (dyspepsia) abdominal (tummy) pain Antihistamine- Common side effects of first-generation antihistamines include: drowsiness impaired thinking dry mouth dizziness constipation blurred vision an inability to fully empty the bladder (urinary retention) Drugs like insulin (blood has to be taken from a pinprick so that glucose can be measured before the insulin can be given); warfarin to thin the blood again blood levels must be checked regularly; digoxin to slow and steady the heart (pulse should be checked prior to administration and advice taken if the pulse dips below 60 beats per minute) Common adverse reactions might be diarrhoea (some antibiotics for example); skin rashes; nausea through to serious adverse reactions such as anaphylactic shock (facial swelling, blistering of the skin, wheezing and hives) leading to total system collapse and (if not treated with adrenalin) death. The different routes of medication administration are orally, injection/intravenous, creams, and liquids. 3- Understand procedure and techniques for the administration of medication. The required information from prescriptions and medication administration charts are medication name, the name of the person the mediation is prescribed for, dosage, freq uency/PRN and medication strength. 4- Prepare for the administration of medication. Standard precautions for infection control would be hand washing, ppe for  example gloves and aprons etc. In a structured health care setting, medication would be administered to the patient or resident or client by a nurse, such as an RN or LPN whoever was assigned to be the med nurse. In other facilities, medication is administered by persons with med certs (certification training to administer meds). Its a very specific, precise duty. Meds are secured in locked rooms, areas, and carts. No one is allowed access except the med nurse or scheduled med cert. (person). Meds have to be administered in the correct dosage, which can only be according to a doctors prescription. Dosage cannot be altered unless a doctor alters or updates the Rx. The person administering the meds must observe the person they administer them to and ensure that they took them. Pocketing meds (in the cheek), or refusing meds are handled according to the persons meds and orders. Sometimes it is marked as declined / refused meds. Sometimes, it is documented that they did not swallow it initially and had to be encourag ed, etc. or whatever happened according to the facilities guidelines. Meds are always, and must be, administered and documented accurately when they are administered (contemporaneously). Meds are prescribed to be given sometimes at certain intervals. If the med is a few minutes late, no one is to assume that it was already administered, and skip it. Likewise, if it is offered a little early and that is appropriate according to the order, the med, or the patient request, etc. and it is not documented correctly and contemporaneously, and a second dose is administered, assuming it is on time, and assuming falsely that it was not recently administered (upon request or whatever the circumstances were), then the patient would have been given an incorrect dosage, more than they were prescribed. You know that with some meds, that could be very a very serious overdose, sometimes terminal. They do try to put many checks and balances in place to prevent as much human error as possible, but it can happen. The consequences are usually pretty severe. A med cert would automatically lose their med certification, and they would be disciplined up to, and including, termination. With a licensed nurse, Im not as sure of the procedure, but Im fairly certain it would definitely include reporting the med error or  abuse, suspension without pay, an internal (or perhaps external) investigation, and disciplinary actions up to and including termination. Also, unauthorized access and theft of prescription medications whether by the assigned med nurse, or an outside party, would automatically involve criminal charges. And of course, criminal charges are always a possibility in the other two scenarios I presented above for med certs and nurses, depending on the laws, the circumstances, and the outcome of the investigations. Like I said, very serious consequences. And it’s not like someone could just take a med and it could go unnoticed. med admin documentation is reviewed / audited at least daily, if not more often, and if someone was suspected of confiscating meds, such as narcotics, the building, in some agencies would go into lock-down and staff could / wo uld be subjected to a search.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Office Space: Bureaucracy in the Workplace

Office Space: Bureaucracy in the Workplace The 1999 film, Office Space, characterizes an unhappy employee that works for a generic software company named Initech, which is structured as a bureaucracy. The main character, Peter Gibbons, eventually gets fed up by his job and the pressured environment in the workplace as a result of the bureaucratic environment. As a result of being fed up, Peter decides to rebel with the help of his two friends, Samir and Michael Bolton, and devise a computer program to steal from the company in small decimal amounts, but accidentally end up stealing a large amount. Meanwhile, the company decides to promote him while Peter is rebelling against the company. Bureaucracy, as defined by Max Weber, has six elements: first, the element of specialization of the job each worker does; second, bureaucracy has a rule of many by the few in which only one or a few people have rule of authority; third, bureaucracy has rules and regulations that the workers must follow; fourth, it is the characteristic of technical competence; fifth, it is the component of impersonality; finally, sixth, bureaucracy has formal written communication and official documentation. Webers characteristics of bureaucracy are shown to be in agreement with what is shown in the film. The first element is shown through the employees of Office Space. It is shown that each employee of Initech has a specific role that they contribute in the workplace. For example, Peter Gibbons, Michael Bolton, and Samir are all part of the computer programming component of the company while Lumbergh and the seven bosses that Peter has are part of the management component of the company. The purpose of having different people to complete different aspects of a company is to increase efficiency, however, the movie also shows that the computer programmers write the bank software to save space, such as taking out two digits (97 instead of 1997), but they have to go back into the program and change thousands of numbers so all of them only have two digits instead of four, which, in itself, is inefficient but it still emphasizes that only the computer programmers in the company have to do that, and that is what their job/contribution is in the company. The second element address that there is only one of few people that have rule of authority in the company, and in the film, this rulers would be Lumbergh and the seven other bosses that are part of management. But in these eight bosses, there is a hierarchy of management, giving the company a pyramid-like structure. The pyramid was Lumbergh up at the top, then Peter Gibbons, then Michael Bolton, then Samir, and then Milton, who would be at the very bottom of the food chain, with no authority in any situation or over anyone. This pyramid also contributes to the blatant difference in salary, as the film shows the employees general, family cars while Lumbergh had a Porsche in the same parking lot. Rules and regulations, as the third element of bureaucracy, are shown in the film in the very popular TPS Report scene of the movie in which Dom Portwood confronts Peter Gibbons: Dom Portwood: Hi, Peter. Whats happening? We need to talk about your TPS reports. Peter Gibbons: Yeah. The coversheet. I know, I know. Uh, Bill talked to me about it. Dom Portwood: Yeah. Did you get that memo? Peter Gibbons: Yeah. I got the memo. And I understand the policy. And the problem is just that I forgot the one time. And Ive already taken care of it so its not even really a problem anymore. Dom Portwood: Ah! Yeah. Its just were putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go ahead and try to remember to do that from now on, thatd be great. All right! (credit: IMDB Office Space Quotes) This scene in the film is showing how Dom Portwood, the vice president reprimands Peter for not using the correct cover sheet on a report even though there had been a memo detailing the new procedure. Even when Peter said that it was a simple mistake and that he had a copy of the memo Portwood insists on sending another copy of the memo. This shows that the bureaucracy must follow a strict set of rules and regulations in order to be successful, and the management must make it clear that such mistakes will not be accepted in order to keep the important of rules and regulations high in priority. The fourth aspect of bureaucracy is the technical competence. In the movie, the two consultants are brought into the company to assess the efficiency and competence of each employee in the role that they are in, and they do this so the companys efficiency can be increased. This is interesting because it would seem that a company is run on many people, in many different departments, to successfully run a company, however they are laying off employees to increase efficiency, but that is really just the code phrase for downsizing. Peter, for example, is probably the antithesis of efficiency and competence because he says to one of the consultants that he stares at his desk and gets about 15 minutes of work done in an actual week. The fifth element is impersonality, which means that corporations and bosses dont actually consider getting to know their employees important. They, instead, write impersonal memos to their employees, and do not identify them as individuals. For example. Samir has been working in Initech for five years, and his name is still mispronounced. And the bosses, especially Lumbergh, are always just saying things like, did you see the memo, instead of addressing the person they are talking to. The final element is the need to officialize and formalize all documentation in the office. This also falls under the category of rules and regulations because the need to document everything is overemphasized, such as in the example in which Peter forgot a coversheet and how that little issue became over exaggerated enough for the vice-president to come and point it out. Examples of official documentation in Office Space include TPS reports, memos, files, and personal records of each employee that the company keeps, but nothing is really personal about that file just an impersonal set of information of each employee. Overall, the 1999 film cleverly points out the flaws of a highly bureaucratized work environment, and Webers Theory of Bureaucracy is also portrayed in the film. Teaching assistant: Developing child learning Teaching assistant: Developing child learning Historically, teaching assistants, or auxiliaries as they were sometimes formerly known, were non teaching adults who helped qualified teachers by carrying out day to day preparatory and administrative tasks and providing pastoral care to children. (Clayton. 1993) However, in 1998, the Local Government Chronicle published a summary of a Green Paper, (LGC, 1998), in which they outlined proposals for employing a greater number of support staff 20,000 by the year 2002 in order to provide more support for teachers. The summary also announced the governments suggestions for a more effective use of, and better training for, teaching assistants and other school support staff which, along with a subsequent OfSTED review, (2002a, p6) declared the need for training that would, match any proposed structure of qualifications and to facilitate career progression. The implementation of national occupational standards for teaching assistants, approved in 2001, and the HLTA status introduced in 20 03, (TDA, 2008) offered committed support staff the opportunity to progress and acquire the skills to become more accomplished educators. Working as a teaching assistant started to become a career and so began the real debate about the role of the teaching assistant. As with many job titles within the working environment, the title teaching assistant is often interpreted in a variety of ways but one common theme I have encountered, when questioning educational staff, is that all teaching assistants have the potential to be facilitators of learning and therefore are essential elements in the development of learning for children. How the facilitation is carried out, however, is less clear and open to individual interpretation by both employers and employees. In order to support the learning of all children, teaching assistants, like any educator, need to have a good understanding of how children learn. In the book, Teaching and Learning in the Early Years, Whitebread (2008, chapter 1) discusses Piagets ideas that children need to feel and hold control over their learning. Whitebread continues by exploring Vygotsys claims that it is the role of the adult to provide opportunities for social interaction and to support the child in moving out of their comfort zone or level of actual development and towards their potential via their zone of proximal development. To do this, a teaching assistant must understand how to promote curiosity amongst children while providing opportunities for discussion and exploration. With current class sizes in the region of up to 30 pupils, a class teacher will often be unable to engage in this vital aspect of developing childrens learning and so it is essential that supporting adults are equipped with the skills to scaffold learning and to provide opportunities for them to develop the language needed to be able to discuss and explain their ideas. (Bruner 1983, cited in Peabody Journal of Education, pp 64-66) Recently I was fortunate to be part of an initiative to promote reading amongst a group of reluctant pupils who had formulated an opinion that reading was a chore to be undertaken with animosity and only when instructed to do so. Upon investigation, it was obvious that these children had encountered a variety of barriers that had influenced their attitude and ability to read. My role was that of the enabling adult as described by Chambers (1991). By providing them with an opportunity to share and discuss each others reading experiences I was able to promote and inspire in them a willingness and enjoyment of reading. The outcome of this quickly became apparent in their understanding of written text. The children also began writing with enthusiasm, using their own knowledge and experiences; as a result, they had taken control of their own learning. The childrens vocal responses demonstrated that they felt empowered by the fact that they were directly responsible for the progress that t hey were making and they continue to enjoy our weekly discussions about their reading and progress. The children mentioned do not have special educational needs, as is often the case for pupils being supported by a teaching assistant. Children with SEN require a higher level of support and this has, traditionally, been provided by teaching assistants. (Alborz et al, 2009a) This has previously been an area for debate with The Daily Telegraph (2009) publishing an article claiming that research shows that, Pupils make less progress in classrooms where schools employ more teaching assistants. This article states that teaching assistants often support lower attaining pupils, resulting in them being less supported by a qualified teacher and to them making limited progress. The article does not, however, take into account the training of the teaching assistants. While reviewing the impact of workforce remodeling, a report by OfSTED (2004) stated that when a teaching assistant is appointed to work with carefully chosen pupils and is provided with the appropriate training to do so effective ly, the pupils make significant progress. This is, of course, as well as the obvious benefits of providing the teacher with more time to focus on other pupils. Having worked alongside several teaching assistants employed to support children with SEN I have witnessed the immeasurable benefit to the pupil and the class as a whole. The teaching assistants enabled the pupils to be included in a mainstream classroom and access the curriculum, while allowing the class teacher to support the majority of the pupils. Their support involved the re-enforcing of the whole class teaching, giving the pupil the confidence to participate in class discussions, simplification of vocabulary, offering praise and encouragement and feedback on the completed task. Following the lesson, the teaching assistant also provided the teacher with assessment and monitoring feedback to enable assessment of and for learning. This assessment has become a vital aspect of the role of the teaching assistant and supports the teacher and pupil by enabling differentiation and personalised learning to become every day practice. (OfSTED, 2002b) Guidance published by the NFER (2002, cited in Department for Education and Skills, 2005, p.22) found that when teachers and teaching assistants work in partnership, the results are a more effective level of teaching and learning. An example of this is a scenario I have experienced recently where a teaching assistant supported the learning of the majority of the class while the class teacher focused on the children with SEN. As a result of the teacher and teaching assistant having spent time working together to plan the lesson, the teaching assistant was able to support the learning objectives and assist pupils in their achievement of them. Teaching assistants can also, when included in the planning of a lesson, actively participate in the delivery of the lesson providing an alternative viewpoint or by playing a character in role. One such example was provided by my colleague who, upon realising that many of the pupils within the class had misunderstood a key concept, pretended to be confused and raised a hand to ask for clarification. As a result, pupils developed a clearer understanding of the lesson and therefore, the teaching assistant had played an important role in developing their learning. By implementing a combination of all of these approaches and with effective training and guidance, teaching assistants can provide invaluable support for all children within any lesson. Teaching assistants also support behaviour management within classes and can provide an alternative level of perception within the classroom. In daily Literacy lessons, I have observed a teaching assistant supporting a pupil with ADHD and have no doubt that without her presence, the class teacher would have to spend a large proportion of the lesson settling the child and addressing low level distractions. Personal experience has shown me that children with emotional or behavioural difficulties are often more responsive towards a teaching assistant with whom they can forge a positive adult / child relationship. This can contribute towards the social and emotional wellbeing of the child as outlined by Alborz et al. (2009b). Besides the opportunity to support childrens learning during lesson time, teaching assistants continue to carry out a multitude of administrative tasks in order to support the class teacher and the school as a whole. The National Agreement, (ATL et al. 2003, p.2), implemented as part of the governments workforce remodelling initiative, states that teachers should not spend their time carrying out administrative responsibilities that do not make full use of their skills and expertise but that these tasks should be carried out by support staff. The agreement outlines twenty-one tasks that teaching staff should not be required to carry out including the preparation of classroom resources, photocopying, the collection of monies for educational visit and the preparation and setting up of displays. These tasks must also, therefore, be considered the responsibility of the teaching assistant. Each and every one of the administrative tasks has an impact on the educational environment and ther efore contributes towards supporting the development of childrens learning. In practice, however, the need for teaching assistants to be more involved in the delivery of lessons surely means that they too will have less time for carrying out administrative duties which in turn might relay these duties back into the hands of the teachers. In my experience, teaching assistants often offer unconditional support for the school in which they are employed. Many carry out duties beyond their working hours providing curriculum enrichment activities and regularly being at the forefront of fund raising events. They frequently are able to provide a connection between local communities and their schools as they often live in close proximity to their workplace. This is a non essential yet valuable part of their role as it enables teaching staff to be aware of local issues and provides a link between parents and schools. (Lipsett, 2008) In conclusion, the role of the teaching assistant has evolved significantly over recent years and can offer committed individuals with a recognised career that is both progressive and rewarding. With appropriate professional development opportunities, a teaching assistant can give invaluable support to individuals and groups of pupils, teaching staff, parents and schools. By providing pastoral care, administrative support and personalised learning they can, as outlined in the Governments Every Child Matters initiative (DfES, 2003), promote enjoyment and achievement in a safe, nurturing environment; contribute to the academic and emotional wellbeing of all children; help them to become successful members of the school and wider community.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The Expansion Of A Vietnamese Fast Food Company Marketing Essay

The Expansion Of A Vietnamese Fast Food Company Marketing Essay PHO24 is a restaurant chain in Vietnam with over 50 branches operating worldwide serving tasty Ttraditional Vietnamese Pho noodles. Its a Vietnamese noodle restaurant chain belonging to Nam An Group, the biggest FB Corporation in the country. Apart from PHO24, Nam An Group owns and operates many other different FB brands including An Vien Restaurant, Maxims Nam An Restaurant, Thanh Nien Restaurant, An Restaurant, Goody Ice Cream, Goody Plus Ice Cream, Ibox Cafà ©, etc. Trung, 39, is the founder of the Nam An Group, the holding company behind the Pho24 fast-food chain, one of Vietnams most successful home-grown franchises. Armed with a PhD in business administration from Australia and a drive to get rich quick, Trung opened the first branch of Pho24 in 2003 in Ho Chi Minh City with the aim of feeding into the citys fast-growing foreign-tourist market. Pho24s unique blend of pho (beef noodles) and air-conditioned McDonalds-style dining proved equally popular with the locals, who now represent more than half of his clientele. Pho24 has grown into one of Vietnams largest fast-food chains, with 24 restaurants nationwide and plans to open another 73 across the country by the end of 2008. Trung is leveraging Pho24s local success into global expansion plans, with one branch in Indonesia, concrete plans to open restaurants in Manila and Singapore this year, and designs eventually to establish branches in South Korea, Japan, Australia, China and the United States. Foreign franchise invasion. Last year, 530 foreign and local brand names were franchised and another 811 franchises were transferred into Vietnam, according to the National Department of Intellectual Property (NDIP). Foreign fast-food franchises are slowly finding their place alongside the countrys traditional shophouse vendors, including the likes of KFC, Jollibee and Dilmah (a teahouse chain). Global brands such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Pizza Hut and Dairy Farm are readying to make inroads once Vietnam accedes to the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is likely to happen next year. IKEA, Tesco and Wal-Mart have also reportedly examined the market. Trung views coolly the coming foreign invasion, asserting that his superior understanding of local market conditions coupled with the latest foreign management techniques will maintain his budding franchises competitive edge. The Pho24 logo reflects the number of different ingredients, 24, and the number of hours, 24, required to prepare each bowl of his signature beef-and-noodle soup. One day he also hopes all his shops will be open around the clock, that is, 24 hours a day. Trung was particularly sensitive to regional taste differences, something he believes big global fast-food chains will likely overlook when entering the market. To arrive at just the right blend of northern and southern taste preferences, Trung and family sought a culinary middle ground, less salty than Hanois version of the national dish, and less sweet and fatty than Ho Chi Minh Citys usual fare. With Pho24s success, Trung is conducting taste tests for expanding into other traditional Vietnamese dishes, including spring rolls and bun cha, for which he already holds registered trademarks for possible chains of Springroll24 and BunCha24. Synonymous with Vietnamese culture, Pho (beef noodle soup) is the national food. For generations, Pho has been Vietnams typical street food where people squat on little stools and slurp a hearty bowl. This restaurant has set a new standard of enjoying this dish by offering fancier setting with air conditioning and a more delicate tasting option. What also sets Pho 24 apart, is its ever expanding presence and branded appearance. Each of the restaurants looks and operates the same: stylish green walls, artistic photos, chic bench style wooden tables. If youre wondering how this place got its name it is because of the 24 tasty ingredients which make their pho consistently delicious! The first PHO24 outlet was opened in June 2003 on Nguyen Thiep Street, opposite to the prime landmark Saigon Sheraton Hotel. By June 2010, PHO24 has opened 77 outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Noi, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Nha Trang, Binh Duong, Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), Seoul (Korea), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Sydney (Australia) and Hong Kong. PHO24 plans to open more stores in all major cities of Vietnam as well as in overseas markets, where there are extensive Asian populations. The founders believe that PHO24s business concept is unique but easy to multiply due to its small space requirement, low investment, standardized operational procedures, and most importantly, the top quality of the food. Ideas and Business concept PHO has been the most famous dish of Vietnam but it was only known as street food for many decades. Therefore, the founders of PHO24 saw this is an excellent opportunity to create a new business concept that meets the high standards but still preserving the traditional value. After nearly two years of market research especially the customers taste PHO24 has invented a unique flavor for PHOs broth derived from 24 top-quality ingredients and spices. This unique taste has been warmly welcomed by not only the customers from HCM City but also Ha Noi, Da Nang, Binh Duong, Vung Tau, Nha Trang and other provinces. The overseas market however will be the largest one. By July 2009 we have stores in Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Seoul (Korea) and Sydney (Australia). In this August, PHO24   opened the sixth outlet in Jakarta Indonesia. Furthermore, In October 2009, PHO24 will be first introduce in Centre Business District in Hong Kong and the second outlet in Seoul, Korea will follow by. Japan and the United States are expected to be next destinations of PHO24 in 2010. In 2004, 2005, 2006 2007, 2008, 2009 PHO24 has been consecutively the winner of The Guide Awards voted by readers of Vietnam Economics Times, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam and Tu Van Tieu Dung magazine.   In 2008 Pho24 was voted as an International Franchiser of the Year, accepted by FLA Singapore. In 2010, PHO24 is one of the top 10 Ho Chi Minh City One Hundred Excitements which voted by travelers. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS The external challenges facing Pho24 in their decision to enter China market Questions will be focus on a series of food scandals that shocked consumers and reduced consumer confidence. Are there any safety precaution measurements to be imposed on suppliers to ensure that contaminated products are shunt off from entering the supply chain? counterfeit and shoddy food products Is Pho 24 ready to inspect every supplier? Is there an established system for evaluating food authenticities? Will the company set aside an annual budget for quality control measurements? How do the company ensure that time and resources are not wasted when dealing with Chinese authorities? Will the company consider taking on local partners or consultants? What are the company stands GM food issues? Will in the company allow GM food such as GM crops entering the supply chain? Will the consumers be informed? If the price of the non GM raw material is more expensive than the GM raw material, how will you choose? The understanding of China market and expansion strategies China was formally joined WTO since year 2001, as such a lot of foreign company begin to search for their possibility to build their market in China, the giant food company like Mcdonald has established about 20 years in China since their first store open in Shenzen year 1990. KFC already about 23 years in China since year 1987 first store open in Beijing. As such, to ensure PHO24 enter the China market successfully and sustainable in China market, the understanding about the market and the marketing strategies become the most important element to be consider before the enter decision make. The China market was very competitive nowadays since they joined WTO in Dec 2001, from your previous experience in expanding international business, may I know what is your understanding about China Market? Especially from the aspect of political risk and legal, Consumer demand, financial environment, economy and culture. What is your entry strategy to China market? Whether by Franchising, Joint Venture, Green Field or Licensing. The global brand Food Company like Mcdonald and KFC already about 20 years in China market. How was your company plan and strategies to compete with their branch and get the market share from them? What is your company plan to position yourself in China market and what kind of customer segment your company targeted? What are your international marketing program strategies? Standardization or adaption? The important elements to standardize of adapt are international pricing, global branding and product development, International Distribution and International Marketing Communication. What do you think will become the barriers for your company entry and the challenges the company will facing in China market? Company capability to start-up and support operation in China How much the company is expected to invest in the China market to open the Pho24 restaurants? What is the budget the company is planning to allocate to the China market and how may head count that they are willing to employ for the 24 hours business? How much allocation is needed for training and support for the staff is needed to prepare the staff for their first year of the business operation? What are the sales patterns for a typical day, week, and month in a restaurant chain in China? What are the total costs to set up a Pho24 in China as China has huge population? Other questions How do you select and manage the relationship with your Chinese partner? We realized that Chinese beef noodle soup has gained popularity in China. How sure you are that Vietnamese beef noodle can further penetrate Chinese market? In your opinion, is it possible for a beef noodle concept to be as successful as traditional fast-food chains such as McDonald and KFC? What issues do you believe will be most important for your success in China for the next 10 years?

Monday, August 19, 2019

Closing the Gap between Disabled and Nondisabled Essay -- Essays Paper

Closing the Gap between Disabled and Nondisabled The democratic ideals that the United States were built upon are freedom and equality; it is in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and used as a defense when a person can think of nothing snappy to say (i.e. "It's a free country!"). However, while American culture is based on the notion that you have the power and ability to become anyone or achieve anything, it is painfully obvious to people with disabilities that government and the mainstream public has forgotten about their needs. While most nondisabled people do not need to depend on family or government for financial or medical assistance, people with disabilities are often denied jobs and opportunities, forcing them to become dependent on a family member or government assistance. It may be an unconscious factor for those who do not have a disability, to forget that others may need a special menu, table, or space. Simple things like a special bathroom stall or books on tape are on par with a more inclusive American culture, one that can help people with disabilities become more independent and free. Most of the problems people with disabilities face today stems from language and how they are considered to be separate from those who are able. Not only does this create the basis for oppression and discrimination for those who used to be considered ‘cripples,’ or ‘retards,’ but it also creates can create a confusion over a person’s identity as a person with disabilities. While legislation, corporate policies, and public places may be slowly changing to become more inclusive to those with disabilities, there are still certain aspects of the mainstream US culture that can mean nothing to a member of the... ...who are able. As the language evolves and the activism becomes more developed and evident in mainstream culture and media, then there will be more and more advances in the future. The days in which Siamese Twins, the Elephant Man, and other people with disabilities who would be considered ‘freaks,’ ‘retarded,’ or ‘crippled’ and be immediately institutionalized or ostracized from people have mostly disappeared, leaving other battles, like the fight for an accessible urban environment, to be fought and won in later years. Works Cited Fielder, Leslie A. The Tyranny of the Normal. Gleeson, Brendan. Can Technology Overcome The Disabling City? Linton, Simi. Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity. New York: New York University Press, 1997 Marks, Deborah. Disability: Controversial debates and psychosocial perspectives. London: Routledge, 1999 Closing the Gap between Disabled and Nondisabled Essay -- Essays Paper Closing the Gap between Disabled and Nondisabled The democratic ideals that the United States were built upon are freedom and equality; it is in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and used as a defense when a person can think of nothing snappy to say (i.e. "It's a free country!"). However, while American culture is based on the notion that you have the power and ability to become anyone or achieve anything, it is painfully obvious to people with disabilities that government and the mainstream public has forgotten about their needs. While most nondisabled people do not need to depend on family or government for financial or medical assistance, people with disabilities are often denied jobs and opportunities, forcing them to become dependent on a family member or government assistance. It may be an unconscious factor for those who do not have a disability, to forget that others may need a special menu, table, or space. Simple things like a special bathroom stall or books on tape are on par with a more inclusive American culture, one that can help people with disabilities become more independent and free. Most of the problems people with disabilities face today stems from language and how they are considered to be separate from those who are able. Not only does this create the basis for oppression and discrimination for those who used to be considered ‘cripples,’ or ‘retards,’ but it also creates can create a confusion over a person’s identity as a person with disabilities. While legislation, corporate policies, and public places may be slowly changing to become more inclusive to those with disabilities, there are still certain aspects of the mainstream US culture that can mean nothing to a member of the... ...who are able. As the language evolves and the activism becomes more developed and evident in mainstream culture and media, then there will be more and more advances in the future. The days in which Siamese Twins, the Elephant Man, and other people with disabilities who would be considered ‘freaks,’ ‘retarded,’ or ‘crippled’ and be immediately institutionalized or ostracized from people have mostly disappeared, leaving other battles, like the fight for an accessible urban environment, to be fought and won in later years. Works Cited Fielder, Leslie A. The Tyranny of the Normal. Gleeson, Brendan. Can Technology Overcome The Disabling City? Linton, Simi. Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity. New York: New York University Press, 1997 Marks, Deborah. Disability: Controversial debates and psychosocial perspectives. London: Routledge, 1999

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1 'Taking A Brand Global: Ten Steps To Success'; I. Introduction: The Importance of Being Global A strong global brand is a powerful weapon. These days, however, it may also be an indispensable one, even as the economy challenges our faith in brands to deliver a profit. According to Interbrand's 'World's Most Valuable Brands 2000'; study, for example, although Amazon's share price has declined, its brand value has increased by 233%. On the other hand, international power player Coca-Cola, although still the world's #1 brand, saw its value drop by 13%. And technology brands did quite well— Microsoft, IBM, Intel, and Nokia placed second through fifth—not at all foreshadowing the precipitous crash in their stock prices about half a year after the study findings were released. Overall, notes marketing writer Jane Bainbridge in Marketing [20 July 2000], Interbrand's second annual study of this kind reveals not only that global brands are 'stable assets,'; but also that 'the most valuable brands are global.'; In fact, she argues, 'to have a billion-dollar brand, a company has to be global.'; II. Branding As The New 'Universal Language'; Based on a recent survey of more than forty-five thousand people across nineteen countries, Young & Rubicam makes a rather startling claim. In its newest Brand Asset Valuator report, issued in March 2001, the firm asserts that brands have taken on a godlike status: consumers find greater meaning in them and the values they espouse than in religion. As Conor Dignam reports in Ad Age Global [12 March 2001], the study claims that superbrands like Calvin Klein, Gatorade, IKEA, Microsoft, MTV, Nike, Virgin, Sony PlayStation, and Yahoo! can therefore also be called 'belief brands.'; Although Dignam argues against the idea that consumers would treat brands as gods (because they will not be dictated to by them), he does accept the implications of the argument and make a different analogy. Brands, he says, are more like 'best friends,'; in that they are an important part of people's lives, do carry specific meanings for the consumer, and they are respected or rejected based on how well they keep their promises. Yet whether one calls them gods or 'best friends,'; brands have clearly started to take on greater importance in consumers' lives. In fact, they have gone from objects with identity to identities in the guise of objects. The trend has gone so far, in fact, that people are beginning to speak the language of brands and even to market themselves as brands in their own right. There is more than one book in print along the lines of Brand Yourself [Ballantine, 2000] devoted strictly to the notion that the

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Is Mary Shelleys Frankenstein typical of the horror genre? Essay

Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein typical of the horror genre? To answer the question above, I firstly need to be clear about the term 'genre.' Genre is a particular style in art or literature, some examples of genres are: romantic, Romance, science-fiction and Gothic. Each genre has its own personal features, for example the romance genre deals with love, it normally has exotic settings and it deals with emotional issues. I am going to try and categorise the book and then try to decide whether or not it is just a horror story, or if it is more than that. If it is just a horror story then it will focus on death, darkness, fear and terror. It will also try to shock the reader and it will use suspense heavily. With this in mind, Frankenstein is definitely a horror story, for example Victor Frankenstein said, on the day when the creature was born, "a dreary night in November." This shows that the day is dark, which is typical of a day in a horror story. "Infuse a spark... into this lifeless thing" this is when he is talking about the creature, and there is definitely and emphasis on death and darkness. Victor says he also has "astounding horror" this shows that he is feeling especially horrified with the monster. From the beginning of the book, the horror genre is the primary genre in the novel, even before Victor Frankenstein's story has even begun there is evidence of horror. Just before he starts to tell his story, he tells Robert Walton that his story has "unparalleled misfortunes" and that he has "memories of evil" this is meant to strike fear into the reader and into Robert Walton, it shows that Victor Frankenstein is deeply horrified with what has happened to him. There is also evil in this story a... ...ypical through out all of the book. I believe that Frankenstein is definitely a horror story and that it is also a Gothic story, because it has many features that are typical of these genres. I do not believe that they are the main genres though, as the Romantic genre is a lot more dominant in this novel. I believe that this is mainly because of the time period that it was set in, as it was written in 1818, and this was when people were starting to discard the horror genre, and they were starting to believe in nature. Also the horror genre is only present in a few of the chapters and the Romantic genre is present in most. There are many other genres present, but none of them are feature as much as the Romantic genre. I do believe that Frankenstein is typical of the horror genre, but only in some of the novel, and it is more typical of the Romantic genre.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

In Support of Liberalism In Harry Potter Essay

In the series of books written about Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, liberalism and civil rights are a major point of concern. In the early books, there are allusions to the idea that different types of people, wizards, should be treated differently. There are direct corollaries between the Harry Potter books and the 1960s civil rights movement, as well as the current fight for gay rights. Each subject concerns discrimination: individual rights that should be protected by law and the ongoing fight to ensure those rights. â€Å"To discriminate means to treat a person or a group of people badly because of who they are† (Graf). Harry Potter went through an extreme shift in civil rights; from all individuals having the same protection to a severely prejudicial and suppressed society and back again. Changes in civil rights are not generally so extreme, usually being more evolutionary, yet the concept of equality under the law relates to the real-world’s ongoing battle for individual freedom. The second book of the series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, introduced the reader to house elves. Severely suppressed and controlled, this faction of the wizarding world had no rights and many responsibilities. Dobby is a house elf owned by the Malfoy family and they treated him like with obvious scorn and prejudice. Dobby was a slave to the Malfoy’s, not even allowed articles of clothing to wear, and beaten and abused. This is similar to the condition of black slaves in the United States through the civil war. Even granting African-Americans their freedom did not change the public’s perception that their race was less than Caucasians. Dobby’s situation was even more pronounced as he was compelled to punish himself whenever he believed he did something wrong or broke his master’s rules. When Dobby gains his freedom through Harry’s slight of hand, Lucius Malfoy is angry because he had lost something he viewed to be property. The introduction of Winky in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire paints a different picture of house elves. She is proud to serve her master and obeys his every command. When she is punished and given clothes, thereby releasing her from her master, she is shamed and feels as though she had failed. Her depression becomes so severe that she takes to drinking copious quantities of butter beer to ease her mind. By contrast, Dobby is happy to be free and wears his clothes proudly. Yet his quest to find work is challenging because of the wizarding world’s opinion of house elves and their ranking in the social hierarchy. Dobby is demanding to be paid for his services rather than doing it out of obligation or duty. Finding work at Hogwarts was his only viable option as Dumbledore was the only person willing to meet Dobby’s request, and recognize house elves as significant. Hermione’s efforts to obtain freedom for house elves, the House Elf Liberation Front, are futile because house elves, with the exception of Dobby, are content with their position in society and do not view themselves as equals. They are servants, duty-bound to serve one master for their entire lives. Another prominent issue in the Harry Potter books was the idea that muggles, or non-magical people, were less than wizards, and wizards born from muggle families were inferior to those descending from wizards. The issue is first raised when the character of Draco Malfoy is introduced in the first book. He states that some wizarding families were better than others and condemns the Weasley family because his father condemns the Weasley family based on Arthur Weasley’s affection and approval of muggles. The Malfoys believe that muggle-borns are insignificant and treat Hermione with great prejudice because of her muggle heritage. Draco calls her a â€Å"mudblood,† a great insult to wizards of muggle families. Even Professor Slughorn admits to surprise that muggle-born wizards are so adept at magic though he claims to have no prejudice. He does not treat them unfairly but he does have different expectations from them. The entire basis for Voldemort’s play for power was the concept that muggle-borns and half-bloods were inferior to pure-bloods. Vodemort himself is descended from a muggle father, yet he denies this connection. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Vodemort’s objective becomes glaringly obvious. Muggles are murdered without concern and made to be subject to the wizards in control. Any wizard of muggle ancestry was prosecuted and imprisoned for stealing magic from wizards. Harry’s blatant opposition to this viewpoint places him in great risk as he continually defies the new order and their oppression. The reason for the wizarding war was to prevent an entire class of people from being enslaved and reclassified as less than human. Harry’s parents also fought for individual freedom and defied Voldemort, which lead to their death. Harry’s success in this arena was a victory for equality, freedom and individual rights. Harry Potter’s battle to maintain equality and stamp out prejudice and bigotry enforced by law ties into the 1960s civil rights movement and the fight for gay rights that is not being waged in America. Entire groups of people are being discriminated against, not for anything they did but for who they are. â€Å"On trains and buses, in schools and restaurants, and even in public bathrooms, blacks were kept apart from whites. Some laws made it illegal for blacks and whites to shake hands or play checkers† (Graf). African Americans were targeted because of the color of their skin and homosexuals due to their sexual orientation, neither of which a person has the ability to control. Discrimination is becoming more and more intolerable as civil rights groups gain ground in obtaining equality. Civil rights and the subject of liberalism are issues very close to me that I feel very passionate about. Growing up, my mother told me a story of her first trip to Washington State to meet friends of my father. They were in a grocery store and an American Indian family came in to buy some ground meat. Even though they had the money for the fresh meat in the case, they were not allowed to purchase it. The store would only sell them the meat that had turned green because the store owner did not view American Indians as equal under the law. My mother protested and had to be dragged out of the store. The others in her group did nothing. My mom was only seventeen, yet she recognized discrimination when she saw it. As a child, I lived in a very white town, there were no Asians or African Americans and a handful of Hispanics. When I was nine, a man knocked on our front door. I looked up, seeing him through the glass, and screamed. It was the first black person I had ever seen. I embarrassed myself, but moreover, I humiliated him, a nice man who mere wanted to know if my father was interested in selling his car. Being that segregated in not common in today’s society. In my eighth grade graduation, I walked down the aisle with the only black member of my graduating class and my father felt ashamed because of the town’s perception of African Americans. Even my church, a place of acceptance and equality, treated a black singer so differently that he stopped coming to church. The town was prejudice and I felt embarrassed to live there, believing that by doing so, I supported their beliefs. As I grew older, I worked to support the rights of minorities and those groups that society treated differently, giving to their causes, raising money and awareness and voting for measures that would protect them. I felt that it was my obligation to society to try to end intolerance when my father had raised me to believe in it. The Harry Potter series serves as a direct reminder of what kind of world societal intolerance can take by showing giant steps backwards in personal freedom and liberty. Voldemort and his Death Eaters attempted to obtain control for the sake of control and used discrimination and oppression to achieve it. Heterosexual Caucasians have been using this method for centuries to maintain the status quo and quell change. Worst of all is the oppressed group’s own perception of themselves. Like house elves, African Americans and homosexuals are not accustomed to being treated fairly and that concept has to change (Yoshino). People â€Å"will soon be forced to acknowledge that it is not gay behavior, but antigay attitudes, that need to be adjusted† (Yoshino). What is important to remember is that the fight for equality is ongoing: that it is imperative for all races of people â€Å"to do something about the personal and institutional racism that still exists in our church and society† (Schlumpf ). Liberalism is growing in many areas and these books demonstrate exactly what this movement can achieve – individual rights, personal freedom and the practice of treating each individual as equal under the law.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Dell’s Business Ethics

Dell Inc’s Business Ethics Gwynedd-Mercy College Abstract Business Ethics is a very important part of having and running a successful business. Your business ethics consist of the behavior that a business adheres to in daily dealings within the world. There are a few key components that are covered under the business ethical umbrella within the Dell Computer Corporation they are as follows: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, Environmental Responsibility and Corporate Accountability. These key components are what make Dell Inc. successful company within the computer industry. Dell Inc’s Business Ethics. Dell Inc. is one of the largest computer manufactures in the world and they have grown tremendously over the years. Their evolving business strategy combines their revolutionary direct customer model with new distribution channels to reach commercial customers and individual consumers around the world. Dell’s Direct Model business approach is la rgely responsible for the success of the company, it provides a fast cost-efficient and customer friendly means of production and distribution (Dell, 2009). Since this market is ever changing, competitors are challenging Dell with new and unique products in effort to overcome the superiority of the Direct Model. The growth and development of the laptop computers is a primary area in which Dell Inc. can work for continued success, despite the threat posed by its competitors. Dell initiates the latest and appropriate technology much more promptly and efficiently than any other computer company (Dell, 2010). Also, Dell’s refined strategy to building an adequate infrastructure establishes market creditability against its better-known rivals. Their approach to the computer industry had two advantages: First they wanted to bypass distributors and retail dealers which will eliminate markups of resellers, and second building to order greatly reduced to the cost and risks associated with carrying large stocks of parts, components and finished goods (Dell, 2009). Business Ethics Business ethics is a personal moral manner where people try to decipher right and wrong within their daily and organizational lives. With the terms â€Å"business† and â€Å"ethics† put together can create a more powerful influential understanding of cultural beliefs of what is important to you on the judgments that are made of good or bad behavior. Dell Inc’s business ethics consist of its Global Ethics and Compliance Team (Dell, 2010). This team initiates education and awareness to all of Dell’s employees on highlighted issues such as privacy and data protection, workplace conduct, and gifts and entertainment. This team also delivers consistent training to prepare all the employees for effectively, legally and safely performing their jobs on a daily bases. Dell has two mandatory training courses for all employees: Winning with Integrity which is the Code of Conduct overview of the company and Information Security Polices and Standards. Employees are also encouraged to complete three additional global ethics courses: Dell Corporate Governance, Records Management, and the newly developed Privacy and Data Protection Awareness. Dell’s code of conduct adheres to the values and beliefs of the Soul of Dell. The Soul of Dell is accompanied by five core elements Customers, The Dell Team, Direct Relationship, Global Citizenship and Winning. These core elements/values define what kind of company they are and have become. Ethically Dell is indeed committed to understanding and respecting the laws, values and cultures wherever they do business. Profitability growing in all markets while promoting a healthy business climate globally contributes positively in every community that they call home both personally and organizationally. Ethical Umbrella Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Responsibility also known as CSR is the actions of an organization that are targeted toward achieving a social benefit over and above maximizing profits for its shareholders and meeting all its legal obligations (Ghillyer, 2010, p. 78). It can also be referred to operating a business in a manner that accounts for social and environmental impact created by the business. Corporate Social Responsibility at Dell Inc. s about demonstrating through action their values of corporate citizenship. In the itinerary of the integration of economic, social and environmental responsibility into everything they do and ensuring diversity remains a Dell cornerstone. Dell has a full-time commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. It’s a commitment driven by the types of goals, strategies and accountabilities that characterize every part our business. And it’s one that persists through all business cycles (Dell, 20 10). Dell focuses on the ideals of environmental responsibility, corporate responsibility and the social responsibility to further strengthen the beliefs of addressing issues will support the realization of financial goals and can be critical to their long-term corporate achievement. Dell must continue to grow responsibly protecting their natural resources and practicing sustainability in all its forms and improve the communities where they live and work through their financial and volunteer efforts. Their commitment to social responsibility is about making a meaningful difference and seeking innovative ways to help others through their technology resources and employees by partnering with non-governmental organizations to address some of the key issues facing our world today. Corporate Accountability Integrity to inspire trust is Dell’s corporate accountability. They succeed when they earn the utmost trust and respect from their customers through the actions and innovations of the company. Ethics and integrity is built into their key corporate growth, which encourages people to accept the responsibility and enables then to take actions. The undisclosed key to Dell’s corporate accountability is the pride that the employees take in the company. Within that it is more than just simple meeting all the compliance requirements and following the rules it is about creating a culture that people can simply act with integrity. Corporate Governance The Board of Directors and management team have jointly responsibility, thics and integrity at Dell Inc. In that regard, the Board expects each director, as well as each member of the senior management, to lead by example in a culture that emphasizes trust, integrity, honesty, judgment, respect managerial courage and responsibility. Moreover, the Board also expects each director and each member of senior management to ac ethically at all times and adheres to polices as well as the spirit, expressed in Dell’s Code of Condu ct. The Board will not permit any waiver of any ethics for any director of executive officer. Corporate governance is also the commitment to the achievement of business success and the enhancement of long-term stockholder value with the highest standards of integrity and ethics. Primarily the success is an approach to corporate governance that will extend beyond simple compliance with the authorized necessities. Environmental Responsibility Dell Inc. aspires to be the greenest technology company on the planet. They dare to motivate by engaging with others and sharing what they have learned. They strive to innovate by improving the efficiency and design of their products. Dell’s greatest innovation is their leadership. They realized that a top-notch management strategy would not fulfill Michael Dell’s goal. In addition, it would propel Dell’s vision into everyday workings of their business. S. W. O. T. Analysis One of Dell’s greatest strengths in targeting the business executive category is that roughly 75% of all sales revenue comes from large businesses and government organizations. Dell has already established relationships with large companies, and this provides most of their business. These companies pass the relationship on through their employees, providing them with Dell products. Dell has a considerable weakness in targeting the college student segment of the market. This is due to the fact that only 5% of Dell’s total sales revenue currently comes from educational institutions such as colleges. Unlike Dell’s business customers, Dell lacks a large amount of relationships with educational institutions. Many students purchase their PC’s through their schools, Dell is clearly not in a position to take advantage of the college at this time. Their greatest weakness is that buyers can not physically touch or see the product that they want to purchase. The Direct Model provides many great opportunities, however the disadvantage is that customer cannot go to retailers and try a few different products and go home with a computer all in one visit. The thing that differentiates Dell from its competitors is customization. Many computer buyers are suspicious of a product that they can’t personally examine before purchasing. Moreover, an anxious buyer would have to wait a number of days before their computer was delivered. Personal computers are being purchases and used more than ever before. The market for laptops, in particular, is growing much faster than that of the desktop computers. This general trend lends itself as a great opportunity for Dell’s laptop business to grow in all segments. Another opportunity for a; the targeted segments relates to the first trend that was mentioned. Customers are becoming more educated about personal computers, as an increasing number of them are second-time buyers. Consumers who have purchased computers in the past know what they want, and Dell can cater to them. The Direct Model can provide the framework for customers to make truly personalized computers in a qualified hassle-free environment. Increased communication and technological integration also create great opportunities for Dell. Customers can now go on the Internet to personalize their computer, place an order, or just simply get information. This is more efficient and effective for both Dell and the customer, and its benefits are many. In such a volatile market as personal computers, threats are great and many. Because of the ever changing nature of the computer industry, companies are constantly being challenged to produce higher quality, lower priced products, and do it faster and more efficiently than the competition. One to Dell primary external threats is that the prices between brands are getting smaller all the time. Dell’s Direct Model benefits the consumer in many ways, one of which is cost savings. Now that other companies are finding ways to combat the low costs of Dell, they can to pass along savings to their customers. As a result, price differential is becoming less of an issue, if not nonexistent, for buyers. Many of Dell’s competitors are therefore becoming closer substitutes. Another serious threat is simply that the growth rate of the computer industry is slowing. At this current time, Dell owns a greater market share than any of its competitors throughout the world. However, as the market slows down, competition for market shares will intensify. Companies will have to work harder than ever before to distinguish their brand from substitutes. If a company has trouble differentiating its brand from its competitors, they will find it hard to hold a significant market share. Finally, the face pace of technological advancement, while being a tremendous opportunity, is also a great threat. The newest, fastest, most efficient technology and most durable, user-friendly products are going to sell. If the company fails to keep up-to-date with innovations in technology, they will quickly see decline in performance. Conclusion With the competitive advantage that Dell Inc. has they have a product that every consumer and organization wants. Besides the fact that Dell is the preferred desktop and laptop of enterprises in the United States and Europe and winning more than 400 product awards in 2007, Dell is a company that believes in what they are doing and will stop at nothing to become the best in the computer industry. The current market trends in the personal computer industry, for laptops in particular, are being driven by ever changing consumer needs, wants, and demands. As a result, companies like Dell Computer Corporation are forced into constant state of adaption in order to satisfy their customers. By taking full advantage of their strengths, paying close attention to their weaknesses, and identifying both opportunities and threats from the macro-environment, this company can position themselves as significant shareholders in an intensely competitive market. References About Dell. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/about-dell. aspx? c=us&l=en&s=corp Corporate Responsibility. (n. d. ). Retrieved June 29, 2010, from http://content. dell. com/us/en/corp/cr. aspx Ghillyer, A. W. , (2010) Business Ethics: A Real World Approach. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Sliver, R. , (2002) the 21st Century Executive: Innovative practices for building leadership at the top, San Francisco, Jossey Bass.