The Commercial Banks in Singapore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Commercial Banks in Singapore - Essay Example Commercial banks are the backbone of any economy and they contribute to the economic development in the following ways: 1) Promoting capital formation in the economy 2) Promotion of trade and industry through loans and investments 3) Development of agriculture through Agri-financing 4) Transferring surplus capital from developed to less developed regions to allow for balanced development of the economy 5) Encouraging businesses related to export by providing them support so as to improve the GDP of the country through positive trade (Janan, 2009) b.1. Following are the 5 principles on which the Islamic banking model operates: 1) Sanctity of contract – it must be ensured that the contract is halal (all components valid and not voidable) according to the Sharia rulings 2) Risk Sharing – profit must not be earned by a party without having a stake in the asset generating the said profit 3) No Riba/Interest – money should not be lent to earn additional amount on its u nderlying value 4) Economic Purpose – the activity should be for economic purpose 5) Fairness – the terms and conditions should be fair to all parties involved and be disclosed fully to avoid any doubt in the contract (Ahmad & Shabbir) b.2. Advantages of Islamic Banking over Conventional Banking: 1) Islamic modes of finance can’t be marketed beyond the initial parties of the contract and are also non-callable – both these features protect the financial system from collapsing. Conventional bank lending is a pyramid-shaped chain where one party can further the loan attained from the bank, thus when a financial crisis occurs and one party defaults the whole system crashes. Also, the non-callable feature allows for more certainty as the party is able to keep the loan until its maturity. (Ahmad & Shabbir) 2) Islamic banks bear the liability of getting involved in a transaction with the customer unlike conventional banks – thus they do not have a guarant eed return in form of fixed payments from customers (interest) rather they take risk of partnering in a venture with their client. For example in Musharika which is a mode of Islamic finance, the bank gets into a partnership agreement with the client and the profit sharing ratio is agreed upon by the parties while the ratio of loss sharing is in proportion to the capital invested by the bank and the client. (Ahmad & Shabbir) 3) The creditworthiness of the client is not the only determining factor in Islamic finance – the type, nature, viability, and profitability of the business are the main determining factors. Islam does not allow unethical and immoral business activities, thus lending to businesses such as alcohol, pornography, etc. is forbidden as these activities are also harmful and negatively affect the productivity of the economy. (Ahamed, 2008)

Connection between language,culture and identity Essay

Connection between language,culture and identity - Essay Example d accent, be the words written or in an electronic form, however in Hall’s view â€Å"Language is one of the ‘media’ through which thoughts, ideas and feelings are represented in a Culture† (Hall, 1968, p. 1), which is true since language is the only mode of transportation in a culture and for these thoughts and ideas to be transported from one person to another it is necessary that the individuals or people between whom thoughts have to be transported speak and understand the same language thus enabling them to decipher each other’s thoughts, feelings and ideas. When we discuss language as the only means of transportation of thoughts and feelings from one person to another we not only speak of words spoken or written but also of symbols and signs and any other means which we classify into one word ‘language’ to simplify things a bit. Hence language is a mode of representation; this representation may be in any form, including symbols, w ords, sounds, musical notes, body language or facial expressions. As Stuart Hall explains about the relation between language and representation; insisting that languages ‘utilise’ representation and are in fact methods of representation which, not only in written form or through dialogue, help in expressing ourselves be it an idea or a feeling. Hall further debates that all of the languages function on similar elements feeding their own creation by the need of people to express and communicate. Therefore all our actions or gestures represent something and ‘language’ is what delivers that representation though the case may be that a particular language delivers the representation of a particular culture. Moreover Hall points out that apart from us people, industries such as fashion industries also use representation through clothing and hence a language to express their ideas, but what factor it is that gives ‘meaning’ to these ideas and though ts and even to people and language? Hall clarifies that;

Analysing The Market Of Milk Economics Essay

Analysing The Market Of Milk Economics Essay 1. a.) Highlights of scientific studies in an advertising campaign that find drinking milk can help reduce weight gain. The campaign will positively affect both the price and the quantity demanded, as a result more consumers will demand for large quantities of milk. High demand will cause a shortage of milk supply, therefore the quantity supplied will be insufficient, and this will result in the increase of the market prices for milk (Doherty, 2007). b.) presence of a mad cow disease epidemic. In this case, the consumers will refrain from milk consumption causing a decrease in the quantity demanded. This will result to surplus milk being produced and consequently lead to a fall in the price of milk. c.) A decrease in the price of milk. A decrease in the price of milk implies that the consumers will have high purchasing power; they will probably buy more of the milk. As it is explained in (Mankiw, 1998). Due to the low prices of milk the producers will be discouraged due to the accompanied expenses of production; as a result there will be a decrease in the quantity supplied. d.) The government decides to implement a price ceiling on milk. Government interventions always have a very significant effect on supply of any commodity. If the Government sets the price of a commodity to a value which is below the market-clearing level, then the quantity that the producers are willing to supply will be less as compared to the quantity that consumers will be willing to purchase. Consequently, the extent of the excess demand that is implied by this kind of response will directly depend on relative elasticitys that exist with respect to the demand and supply. In case both the supply and the demand variables are elastic, then the price ceiling will create a shortage that is larger than when both are inelastic. Other factors such as the willingness of the consumers to more milk and the farmers ability to change the sizes of their herds and to produce less will also determine these elasticitys and influence the governments regulation pattern and hence magnitude of excess demand (Arnold, 2007). As Rosen, (2005). Explains, the governments price will result in the situations of excess demand where some producers will be unable to incur the expenses that are associated the production. In case the government price ceiling impacts negatively to consumers of milk, then those whose demands cannot be met will possibly attempt to purchase the substitutes, therefore increasing the demand for the milk substitutes, a phenomena leads to the rise in the prices of the substitutes. 2. The advantages and disadvantages to price controls Advantages The incentive to minimizing of the cost re-emerges due to the regulatory link that is created between the costs and the ceiling prices. The connection between the profits and rate base is broken. The Price ceilings on the monopoly products can help in the prevention of the predatory pricing on the competitive services. This is necessary when the regulated and the competitive products are placed in different baskets for the purposes of formulation. Disadvantages The farmer is usually the residual claimant of the surplus below the cap; therefore it has the incentive of minimizing costs. This has an implication that it also has the incentive of lowering the service quality, for any decrease in the quality it is equivalent to an increase in the price. The incentive that is associated with the predatory pricing persists in case both the competitive and the regulated services are subjected to a similar X-factor and specifically if the firm exhibits the joint costs. The Implementation of the price caps especially in the context of the informational asymmetries is complicated. Price-cap regulation has no obligation to the publication rates of return, and therefore they have greater discretion, which also entails a greater potential in capturing of the regulatory process of the government. In case when there is lack specific obligation to serving all customers of the monopolized products, then the regulation process may lack the incentive to serve the categories of the customers with the highest costs or those who are less willing to pay. (Colander, 2008). 3. Milk in this case has elastic type of elasticity. This is due to the responsiveness of the consumers to the changes in the prices of milk, which has direct impact on the supply and demand of milk. According to (Harris, 1958) elasticity of supply measures the magnitude of the responsiveness of the quantity that is supplied in relation to the changes in price, since the percentage change in the quantity supplied is induced by a small change in the price. Since the supply is usually increasing with the prices, then the price elasticity of the supply is usually positive. Other elasticitys are calculated for the non-price determinants of supply. For instance, a percentage change in the amount of goods supplied that is caused by a one percent increment in the price of related goods is an input elasticity of supply if the related goods are the inputs in the production process. The significant determinants of elasticity include: The availability of substitutes; Substitutes play the role of replacement thereby reducing the demand for the main product there by making the consumer to be non-responsive to the change of the prices. The percentage of ones budget that is spend on the product; The higher the percentage of the budget that is spend on the product, the more responsive the consumer is and vice versa. Reaction time: The price elasticity supply coefficient is largely determined by how quickly producers can react to the price changes by increasing or decreasing the rate of production and the supply of goods to the market. The Complexity of Production process: Elasticity depends mainly on the complexity that is associated with the production process. Milk production process is relatively simple. This is because the labor is largely unskilled and the production facilities are very cheap. There are no special structures that are needed. Therefore, the price elasticity supply for milk is elastic. Contrary to this, the price elasticity supply for other production process facilities such as the types of milking machine is relatively inelastic. Machine milking of the cows is a simple process which requires very specialized equipments, some partly skilled laborers, and very large suppliers network to reduce storage costs (Carley, 1968) Consumers response time: The more the time that a consumer takes to respond to the price changes the more elastic the supply is. For example, a milk consumer cannot immediately respond to the increase in the prices of dairy cow feeds as compared to the price of milk. Excess capacity: A milk producer who has excess capacity in the production units can quickly respond to the changes in the price of his market with the assumptions that the variable factors are readily available which is advantageous. The Inventories: A milk producer with a constant supply of milk or who has the available storage capacity can quickly respond to the price changes. 4. The total revenue decreases with the increase in the price of milk; this is attributed to the elasticity of the dairy industrys products. The consumers of dairy products, specifically milk in this case are very responsive to the changes in milk prices. Increase in the price of milk means that there will be a shift on the demand curve to the right; this is because the consumers will tend to reduce the rate of milk consumption to curb on the costs. This will cause a decrease on the total revenues due to the low demand for milk. (Tucker, 2008)

Riot police clash with SLC crowd :: essays research papers

I’VE BEEN IN riots and this was not a riot,† Salt Lake City Police Chief Rick Dinse said at a news conference at midmorning Sunday. â€Å"†¦ I believe it was the right amount of force at the right time.† Dinse said windows in several buildings and at least one vehicle were damaged during the clash, which began when individuals in a boisterous crowd in the thousands became unruly after the Bud World beer garden attraction was closed after reaching capacity. Dinse estimated damage could reach â€Å"the low thousands,† but both he and Mayor Rocky Anderson objected to early reports that characterized the incident as a riot. 2002 Winter Games Full Salt Lake coverage †¢ Gold medals stripped from two skiers †¢ Police, crowd clash in SLC; arrests made †¢ Celizic: There should be gold medal for whining †¢ Sorry Ohno, but these are the No Games †¢ NBCOlympics.com: Torson Injury Library †¢ Ask the Olympic Expert †¢ NBCOlympics.com †¢ Official Salt Lake site †¢ Local Games coverage †¢ More on Olympics â€Å"We want to emphasize that this was a relatively minor disturbance,† Anderson said. â€Å"†¦ Frankly, I anticipated far worse than this and far earlier (in the Games).† Dinse said between 180 and 200 helmeted and riot-gear clad officers responded to the area near Main and 200 South Streets after receiving reports that the crowd was getting out of hand. The gathering was declared an â€Å"unlawful assembly† about midnight and officers began slowly pushing the crowd, many of whom were chanting â€Å"USA, USA!†, down Main Street to the south, Dinse said. Rob Garcia, 18, of Salt Lake City told the Associated Press the crowd was yelling at police, and officers forced people against cars. â€Å"The police were pushing people,† he said. â€Å"The cops just jumped across and set up a barricade.† Two revelers fight in the street during a riot. Several shop windows were broken, but no injuries were reported. While many in the crowd obeyed orders to disburse, some individuals began hurling glass beer bottles at the officers, who responded by firing about 40 rounds of â€Å"impact devices† at the lower extremities of members of the crowd, he said. The action quickly scattered the crowd. Eighteen adults and two juveniles were arrested during the clash, and most were charged with public intoxication and failure to disburse, Dinse said. Most of those arrested were locals, but at least one was a Canadian citizen, he said.

Take America Back

The Christian Right and Major Players' Influence in the Values of Middle and Working Class America† Introduction! It's February 2011. Barack Obama is the president of the United States. Despite sagging poll numbers, a slowly recovering economy is supporting the push of health care reform. The Democratic Party controls the Senate. The Republicans, led by midterm-elected John Bonder, control the House. Progress is tedious, but moving. Disdain for the President, spurred on by mass media and the murmurings of the Tea Party, is gripping hold of what seems to be a substantive chunk of voting Americans.Wing for the Republican nomination, looking to feed off these energies, Georgia businessman Herman Cain stands in front of a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Cain is good at the rhetoric. He takes the underpinnings of conservative media and turns them on the crowd. † â€Å"Stupid people are ruining America,† he says to applause. â€Å"It's sad†¦ I'm talking about the liberals. They don't have tactics. They don't have a strategy. They have an objective. The objective of the liberals is to destroy this country.The objective of the liberals is to make America mediocre Just like everybody else who aspires to be like America. † Cain takes in the applause and pauses for the audience to sit down. â€Å"They are trying to destroy this country at all costs! â€Å"† Fast forward to March 2014. Americans have seen the failings of the roll of Beam's Affordable Care Act. Hobby Lobby has refused to offer birth control to its 2 employees under the plan, citing their religious beliefs. Arizona governor Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to LIGHT people.Seizing the opportunity, former congresswoman Michele Buchanan gets on the radio with a conservative talk show host. † l think the thing that is getting a little tiresome, the gay community, they have so bullied the American people, and they've so intimidated politicians. † She goes on to insinuate that the â€Å"liberals† have initiated an attack on religious Americans: â€Å"Just like we need to observe tolerance for the gay and lesbian community, we need to have tolerance for the community of people who hold sincerely held religious beliefs. † † This type of speech from right-wing populists isn't anything new. In fact, it's been surfacing for some time, since the mid-twentieth century, a stand against the moving regressive of women's rights, civil rights, challenges to the traditional patriarchy, and fear of communism. Pushed for some time beginning with post-World War II and beyond, today, rabid defense of religious liberty and unapologetic perpetuation of deregulated capitalism as a divine force infiltrates the very fiber of American political, public, and religious discourse. This project will examine several angles, arguments, and accounts of the power of right wing popu lism, religiously motivated or otherwise, in the mainstay underbelly of middle and working class white America. Presupposing that this regiment of withdrawing American â€Å"conservatives† is modernly strong and the consideration of it is worthwhile, I will offer research and commentary. To accomplish this, I will consider several academic and media sources, authored by political scientists, religious studies scholars, sociologists, philosophers, and ethnographers. 3 The main concepts necessary for context on this project are two. First, I will take into account William E. Connelly â€Å"Christian-capitalist resonance machine,† an idea articulated in his 2008 book Capitalism and Christianity, American Style. Second, a good deal of this study will focus on analysis of Thomas Franks 2004 book What's the Matter with Kansas? : How Conservatives Won the Heart of America and his notion of a â€Å"backlash culture. â€Å"† These two trends, as they may be called, are powerful and are ingrained into American political culture, embedded in a power structure of the Right Wing, both Christian and secular.Now, the backlash drives the Right Wing, and the Wing itself is a volleying voice in the Christian-capitalist resonance machine. Importantly, however, these trends did not always exist and emerged over some time. † † So my thesis argument is this: the unconditional accepting of the Christian- capitalist resonance machine has been growing in the national discourse of government over time, beginning with anti-communist movements after the Second World War and a wave of Southern evangelicalism establishing an effective empire on the tails of earlier labor movements.This coincidentally intersected with the changing face of populism to resent the progressivism of the second half of the Twentieth Century, namely desegregation, increased legality for abortion, and increased teaching of evolutionary science in public schools. This occurred as th e Right learned from its failings during the Goldwater campaign and transformed itself into a force ready for alliance with the Christian Right, which itself had become more powerful on account of television and radio.Now, nostalgic sentiments of a supposedly better America in the past permeate the psyche of a white middle and working class that dollies the Christian-capitalist 4 resonance machine and unleashes blame of what it perceives to be moral flaws at the feet of the â€Å"liberals,† effectively promulgating a backlash culture. † † I will supplement the study of those two trends with theoretical methods of interpretation, analysis, and study, heavily relying on Sarah Diamond's 1995 book Roads to Dominion: Right-Wing Movements and Political Power in the United States.With Diamond as a starting point to understand the comprehensive formation of power to create a culture of backlash and Connelly Christian-capitalist resonance machine, pushed by an unlikely all iance of libertarians, evangelicals, conservatives, and moderates, I will add to her analysis with other scholars, most notably Michael Akin, Darrel Docks, and Lisa McGuire. † Thomas Frank, Joe Pageant and the Backlash Culture! Patriotism has woven itself deeply into this generation's personality.The attacks on September 1 1, 2001 solidified a culture of burgeoning nationalism. The United States became an identity for many young people in a new, vibrant way. To disgrace the flag is to disgrace the people who were victims in terrorist attacks and to undermine the military, whose interest, after all, is rooted not in violence but in protection. The PATRIOT Act of 2001 called into question the importance of personal privacy in an era with the nation's enemies are technologically as'. N. And that foe is n insurgency with no national ties, but who seemingly target the red, white, and blue hostilely. For a time, resulting from disgust for the French for seemingly not supporting the Just cause of the 5 United States, French fries were Jokingly renamed â€Å"freedom fries† and the French kiss dubbed the â€Å"All-American lip lock. â€Å"† Even discarding trivial pop culture phenomena like these, it is clear that the government denial that bubbled toward the end and in the aftermath of the War in Vietnam became questionable at best for the public in the early new millennium.President Bush, to many, represented a strong, moral, religiously devout leader hose intentions in super sizing the United States military were only a vehicle through which to enact democratic change on behalf of oppressed people in the Middle East, specifically in Afghanistan and Iraq. For a time, intervention in the Middle East was patriotic and an offshoot of the De facto mission of the nation: that all people should be free and entitled to certain rights of privacy and prosperity in a venue of individualism and free exchange of ideas.This obsession with capitalism with shad es of manifest destiny eventually wavered when it was clear that there old be no â€Å"winning† the War on Terror, at least for the time being. It wasn't until President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of Seal Team Six in 2011 that it looked like the insurgent al-Qaeda was on the run at A growing disparity of wealth in the United States resulting partially from offshore labor and the continuing success of Internet companies coupled with an unwavering patriotism in the new millennium.What used to be a substantially sized white middle class in the United States was either being absorbed into the upper class or pushed downward into the working class. Combine this with a recession at the hands of the housing market collapse and you have an environment rich for what political scientist 6 Thomas Frank calls â€Å"backlash culture† Just at the time that Barack Obama took the oath in January 2009. † In What's the Matter with Kansas? How C onservatives Won the Heart of America, Frank discusses how a progressive hub like Kansas gradually turned into a prototypical example of the effects of the New Right on the middle of America and became symbolic of what he calls the â€Å"backlash culture. â€Å"† † Backlash, by definition, is reaction to social change among a mass group of people toward what they feel is an outside, intervening power. For our purposes, the backlash of the second half of the twentieth century can be boiled down to a distrust of both big government and Wall Street powers, both of which are run by the elite and neglect the average, pious American.However, according to Frank, an opportunist group of conservatives hijacked the distrust and malaise toward elite east-coast and west-coasters and morphed it into a political machine. We will examine this shift more, but it safe to say that Kansas was an exemplary microcosm of such radical change. † Frank alleges that the backlash is a work ing-class movement hat has done incalculable, historic harm to working-class people and that confident liberals who led America in a previous wave of populism are a dying species.Carefully cultivated derangement in places like Kansas have stirred these movements. The narrative has been perpetuated to paint liberals as out of touch and move Middle America from liberal to staunchly conservative. † Frank is a Kansas insider, having grown up outside Kansas City on the KS side. 7 One of Franks big themes is the idea of â€Å"Two Americas. Fox News, Heartland, and others have espoused two entirely separate Americas where red-starters are down to earth and reverent and blue-starters are lazy and elitist.Kansas used to be extremely progressive, but the red-states dynamic combined with huge telecommunications industries have pushed taxes low and labor cheaper. The huge industries play towns off against each other; it's economic growth that makes an area less wealthy and less healthy a s its population increases. Farm towns are in decay. Deregulated capitalism has allowed Walter to crash local businesses. Huge food reparations have used legislation to get richer while disenfranchising farmers. † Kansas has found its most aggressively pious individuals and elevated them to public officer.He gives an example: the leader of the Wyandotte County Republican Party reportedly once told a reporter, â€Å"Primarily my goal is to build the Kingdom of God† (69), a statement that any secularist might find alarming. Another prominent example of this trend is Sam Brownian, who as Kansas Secretary of Agriculture, may have been responsible for running the state's small farmers into the grips of large agriculture corporations (73). Ironically, even though he once denounced the presence of PACK money in politics, corporate telecommunications front groups soon funded him and he and eventually voted against McCain-Feinting (74). Some of Franks conclusions to the change o f culture in Kansas may be representative of much of middle America. The â€Å"rebels† (as they are called) of Kansas Imagine Georgia, Texas, or much of the Southeast and Midwest. Imagine ideally Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, Washington, and Oregon. When you are looking for a change in dialogue, why not find the person who cares hyperbolically the most? Want to tear down federal farm programs and privative utilities because big business has told them to.Towns that are dependent on the government want the â€Å"liberals† to pack up and leave them alone because the Cat Institute and others have created this mindset, and corporations dangle money over their heads because they are mobile and cities are not. † The most consequential shift has been within the Republican Party, which has been pushed more and more to the right. Through the sass, the legislature was dominated by traditional moderate Republicans. This changed in 1991 when a pro- fife group push ed conservatives and rendered Democrats helpless.Strangely, this populist movement was at the heeding of a policy that is is difficult to defeat in legalized abortion. Even so, anti-abortion protesters who were looking to build a â€Å"kingdom of God†, worked harder than the moderates to achieve their success. † † Only the conservatives' complete opposition to taxes has any sort of tangible use anyway, but they stir the pot and push what would seem to be a class war, except that the war is from the top down, not the bottom up. The working class heroes are even more Republican than their bosses. This echoes Joe Pageant, whom I will mention in a moment. The conservative social critique always boils down to the message that liberals are rich and lazy, and Frank alleges all claims on the right advance from victimized. The backlash suspends material needs for grave social grievances. Frank writes that the backlash movement says that nothing can protect humble Americans from the alien forces of liberalism. For backlasher, business is natural and good, and the liberals want to destroy business. Frank alleges that Republicans have to lie about being the 9 party of the common man by concealing that huge business is actually their main interest.Then, the backlasher label universities as places of evil â€Å"liberal† elitism, attempting to articulate that the future for them is doomed as well. Thus, conservatives pretend to be â€Å"persecuted, powerless, and blind. â€Å"† The backlash is about individual identity, and those who perpetuate it have used gun control, abortion, and evolution to manipulate voters. Ann-intellectualism is one of their unifying themes. Backlasher blame intellectuals for calling the shots in the political sphere. This anti-intellectualism can be dated back to the sass against New Deal regulations.Then more came in the sass with McCarthy, as we have already seen. Republicans have hijacked several anti-intellectu al traditions including Protestant evangelicalism (194) and in every social issue Republicans perceive the same pattern of a conflict of the â€Å"authentic† with the liberal and arrogant. Anti- intellectualism makes pro-life movements central to contemporary conservatism (198). † † The idea that the liberals are calling â€Å"all the shots† in America in a time of a worsening economy and the perceived debilitation of traditional morals affects these average Americans directly.Social movements in LIGHT progress allegedly threaten heir families and religious freedom. The advancement of gun control legislation threatens their sacred constitutional rights. In all, I argue that the election of an Africanizing president contributes to a white fear that the average white American is somehow being made to pay for the inherent advantages in opportunity that they did not choose. † The resonance was that the liberal elite were meddling in the definition of huma n life with their cliquey liberalism.The backlash movement is becoming permanent in the 10 resonance machine, like the liberals against which they dissent (242). But what it has in common with mainstream culture is the refusal to think about capitalism critically. Because liberals have dropped the class language that distinguished them from Republicans, they have left themselves vulnerable to the cultural wedges. In short, the backlash works. † It is no secret that Frank is writing from a left-leaning perspective, lamenting the ways large businesses like Boeing have taken over legislative imperatives in his hometown.Even so, I think his argument is pessimistic and is one of more description than action, as we will see in Connelly. † In summary, the government backlash has been emerging over time, a product of the response to progressive social movements. Because those social movements were often pushed by those called â€Å"liberals,† the other side of the coin bl ames the liberals for irrevocable progressivism that has negatively changed the values of the nation. † † Franks commentary connects well with Joe Pageant's 2007 book Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War.In a return trip to his home town of rural Virginia, Pageant, a Journalist, condenses interviews and relationships into this book, articulating what he calls the â€Å"American hologram. This hologram is the belief that white people must be middle class, even if they are living paycheck to paycheck. Starkly, Pageant writes,† â€Å"If middle-class Americans do not feel threatened by the slow encroachment of the police state of the PATRIOT Act, it is because they live comfortably enough to exercise 11 their liberties very lightly, never testing the boundaries.You never know you are in prison unless you try the door† (263). † Though Pageant's people are less the backlasher than Franks people, they are a group of working class whit e people who have come to ascribe to the political levels of their bosses so as not to hurt their Job status. Pageant tells of a world where â€Å"liberals† are dubbed weak-willed people, and social questions aren't about complexity, but about good guys versus bad guys (67). A good example of the cause of the malaise that Pageant describes is the actions of Rubberier, who, at the time of publishing, employed a good many of people in his hometown. Walter, in an attempt to lower the prices that Rubberier cost them, began replacing Rubberier with other products. After seeing a sales drop, Rubberier caved, shutting down sixty-nine of its 400 facilities and firing 1 ,OHO workers (76), some of whom Pageant knew. † But for the people Pageant knows, this is the fault of the liberals, partially because they never reached these people with any message at away.As Republicans became uneasy in the sass with change, they trapped into the uneasiness among middle Americans by lamenting the â€Å"loss of community and values and attributing it to the ‘cultural left's feminism and Antarctica,† etc (82). Guns are American, and liberals are against them. Cultural freedom is American, and liberals are against it. He sums it all up â€Å"That's what they [the people he knows, whites living paycheck to check] voted for – an armed and moral republic. And that's what we get when we stand by and At least the Republicans had a message, even if it was only about values. 2 watch the humanity get hammered out of our fellow citizens, letting them be worked cheap and farmed like a human crop for profit† (91). † Finally, the Christian element about which Pageant writes cannot be neglected. He writes, â€Å"you don't need a degree in sociology to see that the most obvious class indicator in America is religious belief and that religious zeal is concentrated in lowercases and working-class whites† (182). † † Franks culture of back lash is a common one through the history of the United States. There has always been contempt for those in power on the part of a certain sect.In sum, after the Second World War, ideas of anti-communism turned any type of progressivism into a wary opponent to â€Å"true† Americanism. Social Justice between desegregation and increased women's rights, including eventual rulings on Roe v. Wade, added to a middle class restlessness about changing times, threatening the class' prosperity. That middle class fed on alleged threats of progressivism to promulgate a backlash culture against the amoral and progressive government, effectively ensuring a discourse of the â€Å"two Americas† in Franks book that were at war for the heart of a real America. Even though there have always been backlash movements, times changed in the twentieth century when mass media became available to the backlogging populists who used a rhetoric of fear to convince others to Join them. This backlash culture culminated at the right time with the Christian Right and the New Right to form a pervasive Christian-capitalist resonance machine. † William E. Connelly and the Christian-capitalist Resonance Machine† 13 In his book Capitalism and Christianity, American Style, William E.Connelly explores how an ethos of existential revenge permeates a culture, including those of â€Å"work, investment, church assemblies, educational practices, modes of consumption, avowing habits, electoral campaigns, and economic theory' (4). With an ethos a â€Å"shared spirituality,† this theme of revenge has been incorporated into an evangelical wing of Christianity and resonates with â€Å"exclusionary drives and claims to special entitlement running through the cowboy sector of American capitalism† (7). To me, it seems clear that the ethos of existential revenge is another facet of the backlash ultra introduced in the previous section. This ethos of existential revenge exist s in a vacuum of what Connelly calls the â€Å"Christian-capitalist resonance machine. † The confluence of backlash culture with the resonance machine creates a powerful motive for political activism in the Right. In his book, Connelly articulates this resonance machine and proposes a way to combat it. I will summarize his articulations and, at the end of the project, offer analysis and a new thesis of how to combat the resonance machine from the Left. † † Connelly posits as early as page 7 that he would like to explore what it would

Strategy in Global Context

Strategy in Global Context January 29 2010 Submitted To: Mr. Nirmaalya B Biswas Submitted By: Jaskaran Singh Apoorva Veeksha Rai Robin Gupta ` ? Table of Contents Executive Summary3 Introduction4 External Environment5 Internal Assessment6 Organizational Purpose8 Strategy Analysis and Choice9 Current Strategy11 Conclusion11 Bibliography12 Annexure-113 EFE Matrix13 Annexure-214 Per capita income14 Annexure-315 IFE Matrix15 Annexure-416 The Internal – External (IE) Matrix16 Annexure-517 The Grand Strategy Matrix17 Annexure-618 QSPM18 ? Executive Summary McDonald’s is a signature restaurant chain serving 58 million customers each day all over the world through its 31000 restaurants in 119 countries. This report views the various internal and external factors affecting the McDonald’s prior to that the report gives a brief introduction about McDonald’s, its evolution and the way it entered the Indian market. Evaluation of the response McDonald’s is giving to the internal and external factors has been calculated through the Internal Factor Evaluation matrix and External Factor Evaluation matrix. We have used the I/E matrix and the Grand strategy matrix to formulate strategies. We formulated two possible strategies i. i. expansion in the market and product development. The strategies that we formulated using the above stated matrices have been evaluated by using the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix to know which strategy is more viable. Furthermore, the report provides an insight into the organizational purpose of the McDonald’s. Current strategies and recommendations include the analysis of the strategies that McDonald’s is using to hold and maintain its competitive advantage. Introduction McDonald’s is the largest burger fast food chain which has its operations in 119 countries. It serves around 58 million customers every day through its more than 31,000 restaurants (McDonald's, 2009). McDonald’s was started by two brothers Dick and Mac McDonald’s in the year 1940. Ray Kroc became the first franchisee as he opened a restaurant in Chicago. Restaurant became so popular among the masses that in just four years the number of McDonald’s restaurants reached 100. QSCV i. e. Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value became the motto of the company and the execution of the same is one of the primary reasons why McDonald’s is what it is today. In 1961, Ray Kroc payed $2. 7 million to Dick and Mac McDonald’s and acquired all the rights reserved of McDonald’s. McDonald’s was growing at such a fast speed that in 1963, 500th restaurant was opened. In 1965, McDonald’s went public and in 1967 first restaurant across the borders of USA was opened in Canada and since then McDonald’s has never looked back. Presently McDonald’s has its restaurants in 119 countries of the world (McDonald's History, 2009). McDonald’s got the approval to enter in the Indian market in the year 1991 itself but it took 5 years to study the market, needs of the people, adjust the menu according to the culture and to build a strong supply chain. McDonald’s finally entered India in 1996 as it opened its first restaurant in New Delhi. McDonald’s is a joint venture in India, which was signed in April 1995 and is managed and owned by Mr. Amit Jatia (MD of Hardcastle Restaurants private Ltd. who heads the operations in South and West India and by Connaught Plaza restaurants Private Ltd. which looks after the operations in North and East India. There are 158 restaurants in the whole country today (About McDonald's, 2009). McDonald’s has always believed in thinking global and acting local. Before entering into the Indian market McDonald’s made to changes in its menu as in Indi a beef and pork items cannot be offered because of the religious sentiments of the people so they had to be eliminated from the menu. Thus, making India the first country where McDonald’s does not serve beef and pork in its burgers. External Environment External factors are the factors which do not exist within the realm of business itself and on which business has no control at all. We have used the EFE Matrix to conduct an external strategic – management audit (Annexure-1 shows the EFE matrix). The total weighted score of McDonald’s is 3. 04 this shows that it is performing with regards to the external factors in a very good manner. According to Technopark report in 2009 the food industry in India stood at $13 billion and estimates say that by the end of 2011 the fast food industry alone will grow to $6. 3 billion (Economic Times, 2010). The Technopark report also says that within the organized food service which is growing at a furious pace of 20% per annum the quick service restaurants are the fastest growing. This forms a huge opportunity for McDonald’s and it is determined to grab that opportunity with both the hands as it is planning to open 180-190 more restaurants in the country by the year 2015 (Financial Express, 2009). McDonald’s is determined to expand its market share in the industry which is growing at a fast pace. The other reasons which are triggering this expansion are the high youth population in the country and rise in urbanization and per capita income. These reasons develop the new opportunities for McDonald’s. Population living in the urban areas has also increased to 28% in 2004 and is expected to be increase by another 12% by year 2025 (Indian Demographic Scenario,2025, 2009). In urban areas the number of dual income households is increasing. Thus females, like their husbands, spend time away from home which has marked the way the females use to mange family meals. People have started opting for food away from home. Per capita income in India is also increasing very rapidly and moreover according to the World Resource Institute report ‘Structure of poverty in India’ which was published in the 2004 around 53% of the household income in India is spent on food, beverages and around Rs. 35000 crores is spent on eating out annually (Annexure-2 shows the rise in per capita income). Thus, the fast food industry has good prospects ahead. Other key external factor that forms an opportunity for the fast food industry as a whole and also for McDonald’s is the fact that 30% of the population of the country is the youth which is in the age group of 10-24 years of age who are generally inclined towards the fast foods (Youth in India, 2009). Rising consciousness about the health forms one of the greatest threats for the fast food industry. The trend has been changing towards the organic foods and the quick service restaurants will have to adapt themselves to sustain their market share. McDonald’s has slowly started to adapt to this change by introducing salads. For the foreign fast food chains like McDonald’s, KFC etc. nationalism remains a constant threat for example when in 2005 USA denied a diplomatic visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, various protests were launched by the BJP party activists against the American MNC’s. Low barriers to entry in the fast food industry is also a potential threat for the players in the market because if the barriers are low and the growth opportunities of the industry are high, new players will be willing to enter into the market and thus increasing the competition. Internal Assessment Internal factors are the factors which exist within the realm of business itself and on which business exercise certain amount of control. We have used the IFE Matrix to conduct an internal strategic – management audit (Annexure-3 shows the IFE matrix). The total weighted score of McDonald’s is 3. 14, which means that it is performing with regards to these factors in an exceedingly well manner. McDonald’s is a well known and a recognized brand across the globe. This familiarity of the brand among the masses forms one of the biggest strengths for McDonald’s. Efficient supply chain is one of the other key strengths for McDonald’s. In India 50,000 crores of food produced gets destroyed because of lack of proper infrastructural facilities of transportation and storage. McDonald’s had set up an efficient supply chain by investing 450 crores in supply chain management even before opening its first restaurant in India to implement its Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value principle (About McDonald's, 2009). For any business, employees form the greatest asset and it is even truer in case of McDonald’s. The proficient work force that McDonald’s has is one of the key reasons why it is one of the key players in the market today. The ability to provide the order within one minute is one such manifestation of this proficiency. The efficiency of the employees is also increased because of the various training programmes they go through which help them in performing their tasks quickly and in a better way but also enhances their capabilities which help them rise in their careers. Around 40% of the employees in middle management of McDonald’s in India are the ones who had joined as crew members. Business environment is very dynamic no business can afford to remain static; it has to work continuously towards innovation. Nearly 80% of McDonald’s restaurants in India give certain percentage of their profits for research and development activities. This is another important strength for McDonald’s. McDonald’s has its operations in 119 countries; one of the key reasons for the McDonald’s is the ability to make itself a part of the community. In India also McDonald’s has been a part of various social welfare activities like – raising funds for charity on World’s Children Day, helping in setting up pulse polio to eliminate polio. McDonald’s strategy revolved around customization of the menu to suit the Indian palate. (About McDoanld's, 2009) One of the key weaknesses that McDonald’s has is that it faces a high attrition ratio as high as 83%, which means that company has to invest money for training of new employees again and again. (Business Standard, 2009) McDonald’s often faces protests from environmentalists for promoting practices harmful to the environment through the disposal of tons of packaging material and through the effects of cattle ranching. Another internal weakness for McDonald’s is that is yet to capitalize on the trend towards organic food. Even though it has reacted to the changing preferences of the consumers by introducing salads in the menu but it is still to make the most of the opportunity. Organizational Purpose Clearly defined organizational purpose is very important for an organization as it describes the basis for its existence. It works as a directing force on the basis of which every decision is taken. The organizational purpose can be known with the help of three elements which are: 1. Vision . Mission 3. Objective McDonald’s vision is to be the world’s best quick service restaurant experience. ([email  protected]'s, 2010) Being the best means offering excellent quality, service, cleanliness and value, so that it makes each customer in every restaurant smile. It has been the execution of the motto of QSC and V i. e. Quality, Service, Value and Cleanliness that has made McDonaldâ₠¬â„¢s a success story. It strategizes to attain best value by providing top quality products at reasonable prices. McDonald's mission is to be its customers' favorite place and way to eat. To fulfill this McDonald’s has been using the concentration strategy where in it is trying for greater market penetration by attaining high level of efficiency in servicing its customers with a limited product line. Delivery of QSC and V on one hand keeps the customers satisfied and on the other hand also maintains the competitive edge over the competitors. The delivery of QSC and V is accomplished by taking care of every minute detail whether it is the unique cold chain network which makes sure that the customers get fresh products at low cost or the supply chain management which makes sure that customers are offered good quality products. About McDoanld's, 2009) Moreover to keep the customers satisfied McDonald’s continuously updates its menu. Strategy Analysis and Choice In the IFE matrix the total weighted score came out to be 3. 14 and in the EFE matrix the total weighted score was 3. 04. This means that McDonald’s is responding to the internal and external factors in a good way. We have used I/E matrix to come out with a strategy for McDonald’s on the basis of its score in the IFE and EFE matrix (Annexure-4 shows the I/E matrix). The basis f I/E matrix are the total weighted score of the IFE matrix which is represented on X axis and the weighted score of EFE matrix is represented on Y axis. The I/E matrix is divided in three regions which have strategy implication. Quadrants I, II and IV are the regions of grow and build. Firms which position in Quadrant III, V and VII can be managed with hold and maintain strategy where as the organizations positioned in Quadrant VI, VIII and IX can be managed with harvest and divest strategy. McDonald’s is placed in the I/E matrix it comes in the Quadrant-I because of its score in the IFE and EFE matrix which is 3. 4 and 3. 04 respectively. The business organizations which are positioned in Quadrant I can be best managed through grow and build strategy. The Grand Strategy Matrix is ano ther widely used tool for formulating strategies. A firm can be positioned in the four quadrants on the basis of market growth and competitive position that it holds in the market. When we placed McDonald’s in the Grand Strategy Matrix it was positioned in Quadrant I mainly because of its high market share of 18% in the highly fragmented quick service restaurant and also because of rapid growth of the quick service restaurant industry itself. Financial Express, 2009)Thus, McDonald’s is in a strong strategic position (Annexure-5 shows the Grand strategy matrix). For the firms in Quadrant I market penetration, market development and product development are appropriate strategies. By using the Grand strategy matrix and Internal/External matrix we have come up with two strategies which are expansion in the market i. e. opening more restaurants in the country and the other strategies is product development which is developing the new products and continuously updating the m enu in order to pull more customers. Need for product development arises specially because of the rising health consciousness among the people particularly in the educated class. To identify which strategy is more feasible we have used the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix popularly known as QSPM. QSPM is a strategic management tool to evaluate which of the possible strategies is better for the business organization. In QSPM weights and attractive scores are given to each factor according to the amount of effect it can have on each strategy and then the product of weight and attractive score is calculated. The product for whichever strategy is greater is selected. We used two strategies expansion in the market and product development, the total attractive score for expansion in the market is 3. 37 and for product development is 2. 60. Thus, opening more restaurants is a more viable strategy than product development. Currently McDonald’s has 157 restaurants all over India, majority of these are in the metropolitan cities or in larger cities like Chandigarh, Kanpur, Jaipur so it has very less or limited presence in smaller cities. So, McDonald’s should target these cities as they form a large potential market for it. With the per capita income on rise, high youth population in the country and increasing urbanization the smaller cities can prove promising markets for McDonald’s. If we look at the current plans of McDonald’s it becomes clear that they have spotted this opportunity as they are planning to open 180 restaurants by the year 2015 majority of these restaurants will be opened in smaller cities. Retail initiatives are being taken up by petroleum companies like Bharat Petroleum Corporation. Financial Express, 2009) McDonald’s can capitalize on this trend and can set up more outlets near the petrol stations on the highways and can thus increase its presence. Current Strategy McDonald’s is currently focusing on expanding its base in the Indian market. By the year 2015 McDonald’s is planning to start around 180 more restaurants, majority of which will be opened in T ier II cities where McDonald’s has very limited presence. (financialexpress, 2009) So, McDonald’s is trying to penetrate very deep into the Indian market. McDonald’s is also trying to come up with new products so as to satisfy its customers. Nearly 80% of McDonald’s restaurants in India give certain percentage of their profits for research and development activities which helps McDonald’s in coming up with new products and efficient service. When McDonald’s entered the Indian market it had to re-engineer its menu and since then it has included several products especially for the Indian customers as McDonald’s believes in thinking global but acting local. McDonald’s should continue with its strategy of expanding its base into the Indian market as still there are lot of untapped regional markets in the country especially in the Eastern India where it has less presence as compared to the other parts of the country. McDonald’s should also concentrate on the smaller cities as large amount of population (nearly 177 million people) lives in smaller cities. So there is a huge market potential for McDonald’s in Tier II and III cities. (Population in small cities, 2010) Conclusion The Indian Quick Service Restaurant industry is growing at a very fast pace. Per capita income, urbanization and youth population is also increasing in India. So India is a very potential and attractive market for the quick service restaurants. McDonald’s should make the most of the opportunity and should penetrate deep into the market by increasing the number of restaurants in India. It should concentrate on increasing its base in the smaller cities which can form potential markets for McDonald’s. References About McDonald's. (2009). Retrieved 2009, from mcdonaldsindia. com: http://www. mcdonaldsindia. com/aboutus. html Brief history of McDonald's. (2009). Retrieved December 22, 2009, from mcspotlight. org: http://www. mcspotlight. org/company/company_history. html Business Standard. (2009). Retrieved January 2010, from business-standard. com: http://www. business-standard. com/india/storypage. php? autono=290494. Economic Times. (2010). Retrieved January 2010, from economictimes. indiatimes. com: http://economictimes. indiatimes. com/News/articlelist/1715249553. cms Financial Express. (2009). Retrieved 2009, from financialexpress. com: http://www. financialexpress. com/news/mcdonalds-india-to-open-180190-more-restaurants-by-2015/466279/ Financial Express. 2009, June). Retrieved January 2010, from financialexpress. com: http://www. financialexpress. com/news/mcdonalds-to-invest-rs-400-cr-in-india/321481/ Financial Express. (2009). Retrieved January 2010, from financialexpress. com: http://www. financialexpress. com/news/bpcl-plans-to-grow-in-retail-initiative/101536/ financialexpress. (2009). Retrieved 2009, from financialexpress. com: 3. http://www. financialexpress. com/news/mcdonalds-india-to-open-180190-more-restaurants-by-2015/466279/ McDonald's. (2009). Retrieved January 2010, from aboutmcdonalds. com: http://aboutmcdonalds. om/mcd/our_company. html McDonald's History. (2009). Retrieved January 2010, from aboutmcdonalds. com: http://aboutmcdonalds. com/mcd/our_company/mcd_history. html Population in small cities. (2010). Retrieved January 2010, from infochangeindia. org: infochangeindia. org/†¦ India/Cityscapes/Slumdogs-and-small-towns. html [email  protected]'s. (2010). Retrieved 2010, from mcdonaldsindia. com: http://www. mcdonaldsindia. com/workat. html Youth in India. (2009). Retrieved 2010, from www. popcouncil. org: http://www. popcouncil. org/projects/TA_IndiaYouthSituationNeeds. html Annexure-1 EFE Matrix S. No. Key External FactorsWeightageRankWeighted Score 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. Opportunities Increasing urbanization High youth population Rise in per capita income Indian quick service industry expected to be around $6. 3 billion High proportion of household income spent on food and beverages. Threats Rising health consciousness Anti American sentiments Low barriers for entry 0. 10 0. 15 0. 10 0. 15 0. 10 0. 10 0. 10 0. 20 1. 00 4 3 3 4 3 4 2 2 0. 40 0. 45 0. 30 0. 60 0. 30 0. 40 0. 20 0. 40 3. 04 Annexure-2 Per capita income Annexure-3 IFE Matrix S. No. Key Internal FactorsWeightageRankWeighted Score 1. . 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4. Strengths High brand awareness Efficient supply chain Community involvement Efficient workforce World class training programmes Investment in research and development Quality of food Customization of menu Weaknesses High employee turnover Less variety Environmental issues Yet to capitalize on trend towards organic food 0. 10 0. 10 0. 05 0. 10 0. 09 0. 10 0. 10 0. 08 0. 10 0. 08 0. 05 0. 05 1. 0 4 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 1 0. 40 0. 40 0. 15 0. 30 0. 36 0. 40 0. 30 0. 24 0. 20 0. 24 0. 10 0. 05 3. 14 Annexure-4 The Internal – External (IE) Matrix McDonald’s Strong(3. 0 – 4. ) Average (2. 0 – 2. 99)Weak (1. 0 – 1. 99) High (3. 0 – 4. 0) Medium (2. 0 – 2. 99) Low (1. 0 – 1. 99) Annexure-5 The Grand Strategy Matrix Annexure-6 QSPM Expansion in the marketProduct Development Key FactorsWeightAS TAS ASTAS Opportunities Increasing urbanization0. 1040. 4010. 10 High youth population0. 1540. 6010. 15 Rise in per capita income0. 10—- Indian quick service industry expected to be around $6. 3 billion by 20110. 1530. 4520. 30 High proportion of household income spent on food and beverages0. 1030. 3020. 20 Threats Rising health consciousness0. 1020. 2040. 40 Anti-American sentiments0. 0—- Low barriers to entry0. 20—- 1. 00 Strengths High brand awareness0. 1020. 2010. 10 Efficient supply chain0. 1030. 3020. 20 Community involvement0. 05—- Efficient workforce0. 1030. 3020. 20 World class training programmes0. 0920. 1810. 09 Investment in research and development0. 10—- Quality of food0. 1020. 2030. 30 Customization of menu0. 0820. 1640. 32 Weaknesses High employee turnover0. 10—- Less variety0. 0810. 0830. 24 Environmental issues0. 05—- Yet to capitalize on the trend towards organic food0. 05—- 1. 00 Total Attractive Score 3. 37 2. 60

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Economics 2 questions-u7 - Assignment Example Depreciation of euros because of the increase in financial capital influences the European net export. To this end, import becomes expensive and export become cheap (Krugman, and Wells 123). This led to increase in export and decline for imports. The resulting net export is favorable, as exports, shall outweigh imports. The European Union will experience surplus in the current account. Labor productivity can be improved through education and training to employees. To this end, workers increase their knowhow and effectiveness. This improves the quality of service delivered thereby improving productivity. Technology can improve labor productivity. A well-equipped worker with necessary equipments can deliver services more effectively and efficiently compare to unequipped worker. Technology eases the time and efforts employed by worker in delivering service (Krugman, and Wells 167). The above diagram assumes increasing opportunity cost between the two goods. The increase in labor productivity increases the production of the two goods. Therefore, the production possibility curve shifts outward as shown

Jesus and Gospels Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jesus and Gospels - Essay Example 2. Jesus used parables to teach his disciples and anyone who wanted to listen because it was the easiest form to talk about theological aspects. The Jews were simple people and enjoyed listening to stories. The parables that Jesus used were supposed to show that He could connect with the world and understood its problems. Many of the parables that Jesus used were culturally relevant for the Jews at that time and so they had a better time understanding them. 3. Before Jesus was born, many Jews wanted the Messiah to come as a military strongman and free them from the Romans, who controlled Israel at that time. Many Jews despised the Romans because they were required to pay taxes to the Caesar. The Jews worshipped at Synagogues on every Saturday. It was here that Jesus first was able to speak to Jews about the reasons why he had come and what he needed to do. The Jewish people were crying out for a savior because the economy was not favorable for Jews and it was dominated by Roman rule. 4. For the immediate years after the death and resurrection of Jesus, His story was passed down through oral tradition. Mark was the first book to be written, around 60 to 70 AD, while Matthew and Luke were written partly based of this book twenty to thirty years later. All of these books were written in Greek. The book of John was written in the late first century and took Lukes Gospel as inspiration. The reason why the first three are called the Synoptic Gospels is because they have much of the same information but told from a different point of view. Unlike John, the Synoptic Gospels include stories from first-hand witnesses. 5. Jesus concept of the Kingdom of God was that it was open to anyone who chose to receive Him. Jesus used many parables to portray the Kingdom of God, including one that said how hard it would be to enter the Kingdom. Although Jesus encouraged good works, He proclaimed that no one could come to the

Socialnetworkingsecurity Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8750 words

Socialnetworkingsecurity - Dissertation Example Instead, many organizations either prohibit social media use altogether, or have no policy at all regarding social media use. These two approaches are unsatisfactory. According to the global socioeconomic trend, people and organizations that do not adopt social media are left behind and fail to reap the significant benefits. Therefore, social media could be branded a necessary evil. We allow social media use without any policies or guidelines, therefore exposing ourselves to security threats. This paper basically explores the security risks associated with social networking to individuals and organizations, and the possible technical and administrative safety measures. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION, STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM, SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS, PREMISE, DEFINITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS Introduction Social networking sites popularity has greatly increased. No one can argue the usefulness of sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. They are used for professional networking an d job searches, as a means of increasing sales revenue, as an information tool regarding safety and other issues or as a way to reconnect with friends. Evidently, emails have lost their position as the main internet-based communication tools due to the explosion of other social networking options, interaction and collaboration (Freeman, 2004). According to a report by The Wall Street Journal in 2009, there are more social networking accounts than Webmail account. Nowadays, users rely more on blogs, tweets and social networking posts to supplement their exchange of personal and professional information. We live in a period where our identity online seem to overshadow our actual identity, as well as key personal and financial systems, thus posing major security risks that are associated with them. Over the years, security risks on process, people and application have been identified by researchers and hackers (Abraham, 2012). This study’s main purpose is to provide an overview of the main security issues or risks pertaining to social networking. Statement of the Problem Why should access to personal data be limited, and what are the security risks arising from social networking? Situational Analysis In an effort to employ a more strict process for carrying out a situational analysis on social media, the study will employ SWOT model. To commence, we begin by listening, which serves as the market research, content, location and tone of the discussions found in social media. From the listening activities, one will gain insight as follows: Talent: On the basis of listening activities, what skills are necessary in order to take part in social media? Technological talent is required thus as a result of luck of this, participation is highly restricted in the realm of social media (Abraham, 2012). Time: Knowledge regarding the time required will be necessary to dedicate to our social media endeavors is critical. The main aim being the influence to other aspects o f the business as time shifts to activities in social media. Through listening, one is able to acquire some degree for the timeframe faced in terms of being involved (Abraham, 2012). Capital: Through listening, one is able to determine the span covered by online discussion, thus giving a suggestion to what is necessary to become engaged. Obviously, there is a cost involved when it comes to training employees on participating in social media, which has to be considered - this is regarded as the

The Underclass and Group Offending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Underclass and Group Offending - Essay Example However, since the term underclass was coined, there has not been a precise definition of the term underclass but most sociologists have now come to define underclass as those members of the society whose incomes fall below the level of poverty and may be eligible for assistance by the government. Wilson (1987) attempts to define the underclass as the most deprived sections of the urban community composed of black population, the heterogeneous grouping of individuals and families outside the main employment of the American system. He stated that this group includes those people lacking necessary skills, training to secure employment, have not been in employment for a long-term or are not members of the mainstream labour force. They are those individuals that are often engaged in crime and other forms of behaviour that are abhorred by the society and have experienced long spells of poverty relying on assistance by the government (Wilson 1987, p.8). ... power, the labour government of Prime Minister Tony Blair appreciated the menace posed by the underclass by setting p a social exclusion unit that would deal with what it referred to as Margaret Thatcher’s underclass that defines people who were without jobs and skills, often without homes and hopeless. These individuals were also considered alienated from the conventional setting of a society (Mark 2011); therefore according to the studies by Murray, the underclass are not only defined by their economic positions but also by their behaviour in that they respond to their lowly economic situations through engagement in behaviour that can be deemed to be deplorable (Murray 1990, p.68). One distinct area associated with the underclass and group offending is found among gangs who in most cases belong to a minority underclass found in urban areas. Gangs are often avenues for particular groups of people especially the underclass to get out of poverty and in the mix, they are always brought into the world of crime and the gangs are normally organized in peer groups, street gangs or criminal networks that are organized. Several researchers have suggested that the existence of gangs and gang-related crimes increase when there are limited economic opportunities available. A study conducted by the Crime Justice Research Centre of Ohio State University found that when jobs were lost in the industries, unemployment became rampant; consequently, there was always an upsurge of gangs engaging in criminal activities (Watts 1992, p.819-820). These findings confirm that there is a direct correlation between criminal activities, lack of employment and poverty often associated with the underclass, and most people join gangs discerning that it can provide them with an opportunity to be

Status of Recruitment in UK Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Status of Recruitment in UK - Research Proposal Example This will also give the employers the idea on the satisfaction level of their employees in terms of their policies, salaries and benefits, and professional growth. This will give the employer ideas on what to improve more to satisfy the needs and expectations of their employees. This study will employ the descriptive method using questionnaire as the main data-gathering tool. The questionnaire will be composed of two, first is for the employers and the other is for the employees. The questionnaire for the employees will use a Likert scale for the responses of the employees. The questionnaire will be floated personally by the researcher. In terms of analysis, the gathered data will be treated statistically. The frequency counts, percentage and graphical presentation techniques will be employed. The weighted mean will also be employed to determine the satisfaction level of the employees. To test the hypotheses, the chi-square test of independence will be utilized. This test will try to evaluate if two variables affect one another (Pagoso and Montana, 1993). The alpha level will be .05. The formula to use is: Where: Oi = observed frequency; Ei = an expected (theoretical) frequency; and n = the number of possible outcomes of each event. Reference: Pagoso and Montana (1993) Introductory Statistics Rex Bookstore Manila,

American Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Community - Essay Example Indeed, and as the case of example of the Asian American immigrants establishes, not only are groups divided between themselves but, within themselves. Affirmative action, primarily targeting the African American community, is alternately viewed as a means of leveling the playing ground and as a discriminatory practice. Insofar as its proponents are concerned, affirmative action effectively ensures that colleges and universities, among other institutions, maintain a quota for African American candidates/students. In this way, African Americans are assured a place in institutions which would have otherwise been closed to them, largely because of their socio-economic circumstances and, as such given an invaluable opportunity for mobility. It is important to note here that proponents regard affirmative action as society's responsibility towards the African American community and, the least of that which is owed them. Opponents, on the other hand, inclusive amongst which are some members of the African American community, maintain that affirmative action is inherently discriminatory and racist. ... rican American community does suffer from a more restricted range of opportunities than does the majority and in light of the fact that latent racism may further constrain these opportunities, affirmative action is necessary. Indeed, rather than consider it a negative remark on the abilities of African Americans, it could be more properly understood as a policy predicated on a lack of faith in society's own ability to judge African Americans on their own merit, rather than their skin color. Further fortifying the importance of affirmative action is the status of African Americans on all of the socio-economic indicators versus that of a comparatively recent immigrant group, the Asians. In direct comparison to the African American's close to four centuries of history in the United States, the Asian American's history in the United States is short, with the first immigration wave dating to the mid-nineteenth century. This first influx of Asian immigrants was almost wholly comprised of Chinese manual laborers. Before this ethnic population could swell in numbers, Chinese immigration exclusionary measures were instigated in 1882, effectively halting Chinese immigration while encouraging Japanese Asian immigration. Eventually, however, discriminatory policies, halted Asian immigration to America from the 1920s to the 1960s. Anti-Asian sentiments, as which instigated the implementation of discriminatory and exclusionary immigration policies, reached its peak during World War II. Japan's alliance with Nazi Germany and most especially its attack on Pearl Harbor, led to widespread violence against Asian Americans. Indeed, following the said attack, Japanese Americans were interned in camps, unthinkingly classified as enemies despite the fact that many had been born in

Status of Recruitment in UK Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Status of Recruitment in UK - Research Proposal Example This will also give the employers the idea on the satisfaction level of their employees in terms of their policies, salaries and benefits, and professional growth. This will give the employer ideas on what to improve more to satisfy the needs and expectations of their employees. This study will employ the descriptive method using questionnaire as the main data-gathering tool. The questionnaire will be composed of two, first is for the employers and the other is for the employees. The questionnaire for the employees will use a Likert scale for the responses of the employees. The questionnaire will be floated personally by the researcher. In terms of analysis, the gathered data will be treated statistically. The frequency counts, percentage and graphical presentation techniques will be employed. The weighted mean will also be employed to determine the satisfaction level of the employees. To test the hypotheses, the chi-square test of independence will be utilized. This test will try to evaluate if two variables affect one another (Pagoso and Montana, 1993). The alpha level will be .05. The formula to use is: Where: Oi = observed frequency; Ei = an expected (theoretical) frequency; and n = the number of possible outcomes of each event. Reference: Pagoso and Montana (1993) Introductory Statistics Rex Bookstore Manila,

Social Media Essay Example for Free

Social Media Essay Social Media Discuss the four components of a legally astute social media marketing manager who utilizes social media outlets for consumer transactions and how each component can mitigate the risk involved in doing business in cyberspace. The four characteristics of a legally astute manager are: an acceptance of how important the law is to the success of the organization, a proactive attitude toward legal issues and regulations, the ability to use informed judgment when faced with decisions involving legal implications, and having the knowledge of specific laws, regulations, tools and resources. Social media marketing manager should be well educated about these four components. Today, more and more companies are using the social media for marketing purposes. Moreover, you might fall far behind, if you don’t. So, it’s important to be well informed about legal aspects of social media, since it’s a new way for building relationships with the customers. List and analyze methods of alternative dispute resolution and determine which would be most effective in resolving genuine disputes that arise with consumers who may make purchases from businesses that provide links via social media. Cortes, P. (n/d) talks about online dispute resolutions: ODR in the consumer context refers to the use of ICT tools and methods (usually alternative to the court system) employed by businesses and consumers (B2C) to settle conflicts that arise out of economic transactions between the parties, particularly in e-commerce. It is often distinguished from other fields where ODR is used, such as in the commercial field (B2B), in the public sphere to resolve government and citizen (G2C) disputes, and in the  resolution of disputes related to intellectual property. A consumer transaction (B2C), akin to a consumer dispute, will be one where an individual, acting on a personal capacity, buys goods or services for his or her personal use. Conversely, a business is an individual or an entity that acts on a professional capacity selling goods or services as part of their profession. In a B2C dispute, the aggrieved party is frequently the consumer as they normally pay in advance for their purchased goods and services. Consequently, the consumer is the weaker party in a dispute where the business has the payment and the experience of dealing with similar disputes. Consumers will often get more involved in the dispute, taking it more personal, and thus requiring a more transformative solution, while the business is mostly interested in resolving the dispute as fast and inexpensively as possible. In certain cases, businesses will be keen in resolving the dispute in order to maintain their reputation. This is relevant when, as it happens in eBay, the buyer leaves feedback after a transaction. When ODR is effectively used in this way, it has an added value for the parties; it increases the consumers’ trust in those online sellers that provide ODR services. Greater trust means that reliable sellers would boost their trade and consumers will be protected from the potential abuse by the dominant party in the transaction. ODR services may be employed to ensure that consumers’ rights are respected by the online vendor, hence enhancing consumers’ confidence in the online transaction.1 As a result, ODR would ultimately enhance the business’s ability to sell while at the same time protecting the consumer’s ability to participate safely in e-commerce. E-commerce is thought to be one of the areas where ODR will flourish as it seems logical for parties that enter into disputes online to use the same medium, the Internet, to resolve their disputes. The resolution of small value disputes that inevitably arise out of millions of transactions taking place every day between parties located far from each other require the use of cost-efficient methods of dispute resolution. Examples of ODR providers that resolve high volume of consumer disputes are eBay and PayPal, which act as third neutral parties encouraging first business and consumers to reach amicable agreements through automated negotiation, and when parties cannot reach consensual agreements, they adjudicate the disputes. Since consumer transactions on social media can occur across state lines, determine how the  federal government can bet control these transactions. Selis; Ramasastry; Kim; Smith (n/d) have noted that the Web have provided tremendous opportunities for both businesses and customers. Businesses can reach lots of customers across the globe in much easier and faster ways. Customers can complete their transactions a lot faster too. They can also find anything they want. However, online transactions also create possibilities for online crime too. Below are some laws that were created by the government for online transaction regulations: The United States does not have a comprehensive privacy statute that governs the collection and use of personally identifiable information, either online or through traditional business practices. There are, however, a number of sector-specific laws that govern the collection and use of data. 1. COPPA Currently, no federal statutes require the placement of privacy policies on Internet web sites other than the Children’s Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA is applicable only to web sites collecting information from children who are younger than 13 years old.53 The law became effective on April 1, 2000. The Act requires Internet operators, including ISPs and web site operators, to: (1) Provide parents with conspicuous notice of what information is collected, how the information will be used, and the websiteÕs disclosure practices; (2) Obtain prior, verifiable parental consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information from children (there are limited exceptions); (3) Provide parents the opportunity to view and prevent the further use of personal information that has been collected on the website; (4) Limit collection of personal information for a childÕs online participation in a game, prize offer, or other activity to information that is reasonably necessary for that activity; and (5) Establish and maintain reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the personal information that is collected. 2. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act (GLBA) The GLBA was signed into law on November 12, 1999 by President Clinton. Title V of the GLBA governs the collection, use, and dissemination of non-public consumer financial information by financial institutions. Gramm-Leach-Bliley requires financial institutions to: (1) Provide clear and conspicuous notice to consumers of their privacy policy upon establishing the customer relationship and at least annually thereafter; (2) Give consumers the opportunity to Ã’opt outÓ of having their non-public personal information disclosed to nonaffiliated third parties; and (3) Provide a reasonable method for consumers to Ã’opt outÓ of such disclosures to nonaffiliated third parties. 3. Other Statutes, Regulations, and Directives Containing Provisions Protecting Privacy of Consumer Information Include: a. Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 (47 USC  ¤521 et seq.,  ¤611) This Act addresses concerns about the ability of interactive cable systems to track cable consumer viewing or buying habits. It prohibits the collection of personally identifiable information without the consumer’s prior consent except as needed to render service provided by the operator or to prevent interception. b. Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Ac t of 1994 (47 USC  ¤Ã‚ ¤1001-1- 10;  ¤1021; 18 USC  ¤2522) This Act establishes protection for cordless telephone conversations and establishes a warrant requirement for government access to e-mail addresses. c. Driver Privacy Protection Act of 1994, and as amended in 1999 This law protects state motor vehicle records and restricts their dissemination to only authorized parties and in many instances only for specified purposes. The 1999 amendments tie state compliance to the appropriation of federal transportation funds for states. d. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 USC  ¤1367,  ¤ 2232,  ¤2510 et seq.,  ¤2701 et seq.,  ¤3117,  ¤3121 et seq.) This Act protects all forms of electronic transmissions, including video, text, audio and data from unauthorized interception.  e. Electronic Fund Transfer Act (15 USC  ¤ 1693) The Act requires financial institutions to include in an initial account disclosure the circumstances under which it will disclose information to third parties. f. Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 USC  ¤1681 et seq.) This Act regulates the disclosure of personal information by consumer credit reporting services. It requires such services to adopt reasonable procedures  to ensure the accuracy of personal information contained in their credit reports. It also provides a process for consumers to review and correct inaccurate information on a credit report. Credit report information can be shared with affiliates when a consumer is told the information may be shared and is given the opportunity to opt out from information sharing with affiliates. The FCRA does not restrict the amount or type of information to be released to third party inquirers when the reporting agency has reason to believe it will be used for credit, employment or insurance evaluations or other Ã’legitimate business needsÓ affecting the individual consumer. It prohibits those who are no credit reporting agencies from disseminating or redistributing credit information. The law does not explicitly address the sharing of transactional, empirical information. This silence has been interpreted by the Office of the Comptroller to mean that the information can be shared freely with third parties. g. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 USC  ¤1232g) This Act protects the accuracy and confidentiality of student records. h. Federal Trade Commission Act (15 USC  ¤41 et seq.) This Act, which creates the Federal Trade Commission (Ã’FTCÓ) establishes among other things consumer fair business practices and gives the FTC jurisdiction and authority to address unfair, deceptive or misleading business practices. Examine the three branches of government and discuss which can effectuate the most significant impact on regulating significant impact on regulating consumer transactions via social media outlets. The government has three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.  · Executive: Ruled by the president. The president transfers out federal laws and endorses new ones, leads national defense and foreign policy, and performs ceremonial duties. Authorities include guiding government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting as chief law enforcement officer, and rejecting laws.  · Legislative: Ruled by Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws. Its powers include passing laws, creating spending bills (House), impeaching officials (Senate), and approving treaties (Senate).  · Judicial Ruled by the Supreme Court. Its authorities include understanding the Constitution, revising laws, and determining cases involving states rights. Explain the agency relationship that exists on social media sites between the social media provider and businesses that utilize the site for advertising. Almost all organizations are trying to use social media in order to reach potential customers. However, it’s not so easy as it sounds. A company should have a certain strategy in order to promote itself on social media. Manage My Socials (2013) explains the social media agency: The social media agency actually works for building new bonds and making the existing bonds stronger among the company and its customers or followers. Once the company becomes famous and people get to know about its existence and start trusting it, half of the work of marketing department is done. Therefore, a few starting years are very crucial for any organization from marketing point of view. Once the company becomes renowned by the general public it becomes easier to make them follow. The area of a social media management encompasses the social media as well as building the online public relationship between the company and its customers stronger and more trustworthy. In addition with the marketing department, the social media agency collaborates with the search, planning, development and customer services departments to fulfill the need and demands of the customers and earning their trust. This also brings about healthy exchange of information within the complete organization of the company. Marketing and communication within the company and outside the company becomes more effective with the involvement of these social media managers. Thus, the overall productivity and efficiency of the other departments is enhanced and the business also flourishes. The scope of a social media agency has increased many folds these days in the modern business strategies. Some organizations seek the services of these managers for specific duration of time while others hire them permanently. Both approaches are equally beneficial for the business  and you should assess which one of them is more suitable for your business. There are some specialized social media management agencies which provide professional and specialized managers to work on a specific project for a specific duration of time.