VoIP at Butler University

Butler University identified weaknesses in the existing campus communication systems. Chief Information Office (CIO) Scott Kincaid's identified the need to upgrade or replace the Centrex system as Butler student enrollment and administrative data communication needs had outgrown its usefulness. Arguments for the Centrex system were that users found the system reliability to be beneficial. Once employees have a system that meets their current needs, some are reluctant to go embrace the next step to enhancing Job capabilities.The majority of students liked having campus rovided email even though 92% had cell phones. Various problems were associated with the existing system but it was not without failure. For no other reason than advances in technology, the current analog system had become outdated and hard to customize. Moving lines was labor intensive with student and administrative shifts. Changes become labor intensive and difficult to perform because not only is the hardware diffic ult to repair, at a certain point the system will be so antiquated that it won't be compatible with new vendor technology upgrades outside of Butler.A large amount of administrative time was spent reconciling the current billing system each month showing that again unnecessary labor was a hindrance to efficiency. Changes aren't without risk and administrative staff viewed merging data and voice networks was viewed as risky. A major concern was regarding the voice quality of VoIP technology. The IT department also knew that network security risks were a concern addressing other data network risk concerns post 9/1 1 . An efficient and flexible integrated emergency notification system was required to remedy this concern.Campus administration also feared virus attacks that commonly affected data networks. Unified communications is a term used to describe a system that integrates call and data communication applications that are interactive and collaborative with real- time and transacti onal capabilities. Butler hired the Dietrich Lockard Group, a telecommunications-consulting firm, to address the primary issues and needs of the university and to recommend a unified communications solution.To pinpoint the real needs of the university, Dietrich formed an advisory group comprised of dministrative staff from a variety of departments around campus who required a high-level of data usage and accuracy from the system. Those departments were admissions, financial services, student life, facilities management, the libraries, and department faculty. The advisory group and technical staff were taught about VoIP and steps that can be taken to mitigate its risks.The strategic plan involving integrating these five goals: improve student communications, improve handling of callers, leverage new services to assist staff and improve training on these systems, emain competitive with other institutions regarding the level of student services offered, and to provide more immediate ac cess to key Butler personnel. The options presented to Butler were to continue with the existing systems and make no changes. Many people find the system reliable.Another solutions would be to continue upgrading the existing system and equipment. Although expensive, IT staff was familiar with the system and, while difficult, upgrades were possible – at least in the system and integrate and independent VoIP for a few selected offices. This would llow Butler to make a small-scale technology change without compromising the entire communications network. The last and most expensive option is to acquire a new in-house PBX system for unified communications.The concern with this option is if Butler were to invest in a new PBX system would it have a limited life? With Dietrich's guidance, Butler drafted an RFP and put the project out for bid. Vendor selection would be based on the an analysis of the variables effecting choices, the vendor's ability meet the universitys needs as defin ed in the RFP, cost, availability of ocal support once the network was installed, and the vendor's experience with new VoIP and other enterprise systems.A vendor was selected and a very aggressive implementation schedule was initiated. Staff and students found the changeover simple and the pilot program made training fun. The IT department described the changeover as the â€Å"week from hell†. Phone system registration was labor intensive when each needed to be registered manually. Other problems were malfunctioning equipment, the 2,000 additional phone numbers provided by SBC came up missing nd required a 45-day window to fix the problem and food service and the bookstore didn't have Ethernet wiring.The biggest problem was that department safety alarm wiring was not compatible with new VoIP and the old system needed to be recreated to make them work. My concern with the alarm system was based on 1970's technology and should have been updated. I would consider the upgrade to be a wise decision on Butler's choice. Analog systems are antiquated and had they not made the change now, it may have been more costly in the future. Technology ntegration with outside source such as telecommunications companies and software support for financial and accounting systems.Any department that required data sharing and collaboration, mixed media messaging was at an operational risk had the change-over not been implemented. By converging systems for a unified communication solution, Butler had taken the proactive approach. It wasn't without unanticipated costs – a new IT staff position was created, and the unforeseen costs to the department alarm system and Ethernet cabling to food services and the bookstore were substantial. What Butler gained was collaborative applications, improved communications and convenience.Having a different call centers around campus, Butler could now examine call records and identify inefficacies within a specific area. The economy of i mproving these areas will be cost and improved university services. I believe Butler made the correct choice in moving forward with a new system. The only fault I found was in their not revamping the existing alarm system. The problems experienced during the changeover were minimal and solvable without reconstructing the plan. Again, a solid strategic and farsighted plan.

Distance Education Essay

Similarities and Differences Between Richard Henry Lee and Abraham Lincoln A reserved man, Abraham Lincoln rarely talked about his childhood. He was â€Å"also embarrassed by his crude family background. † (Gienapp, 1) He also knew little about his ancestry, save for what his father Thomas repeatedly narrated about his grandfather being killed by Indians â€Å"while laboring to open a farm. † (Gienapp, 1) He was born in a one-room log cabin, built by his own father. He grew up on a farm, which was at first rented, but eventually was paid for by his father from his painstaking labor as carpenter and cabinetmaker. Although he was barely literate, he performed several official duties and appeared several times in the local records of his community, having a scrupulously honest and moral reputation. On the other hand, Richard Henry Lee was the scion of one of the colony’s first families. The first Richard Lee came from Worcester, England where their family was into the manufacture and trade of cloth. Upon the deaths of his parents, their mother’s brother was awarded guardianship of him and his three brothers. Richard was sent to America to help expand the family business. Twenty-five years since his arrival in Jamestown, Richard Lee had amassed 10,000 acreas, three plantations in Jamestown and established an impressive commercial empire that spanned both sides of the Atlantic. The civil war in England and the Cromwellian interregnum had little affected the Lee businesses. By the restoration, Richard had decided to move his family to England, grooming the eldest, John, for eventually assuming control of the family business in England and America. Upon Richard’s death at forty-five, he had successfully ensured that his three sons would continue the family’s flourishing transatlantic commercial empire. John and Richard II returned to the colony and divided management of the business. The third son, Francis, stayed in London as their father wished, to be the family’s London commercial agent. This second generation of Lees shifted the family business from fur trading to tobacco, showing an adaptability to challenges within the economy and Virginia’s provincial government. When Richard II became the family’s patriarch, he learned the advantage of fostering cordial relations with the provincial government as the surest way of retaining royal patronage. This practice was continued by the third generation of Lees. Thus, despite the disarray in their transatlantic interests following the death of their London sibling, Thomas, the third patriarch tended to political matters in Virginia and shied away from their London affairs. Thomas entered the political arena; with a short-lived first attempt, the second was not only successful in the House of Burgess but advanced further to the Council of State. His marriage produced six children, one of whom was Richard Henry. Richard Henry Lee was ten when the family moved into the comfortable Stratford Hall. His boyhood was spent running â€Å"around the plantation grounds, making friends with the children of the slaves living on the plantation, unfettered by parental supervision†. (McGaughy, 17) In stark contrast, Abraham Lincoln’s life was that of a typical pioneer farm boy: doing chores, such as hauling water and chopping wood, and helping in the fields. The area was heavily wooded, and since he was remarkably strong for his age, the tall youngster was soon set to work clearing land with an axe. He later recalled that from then â€Å"till within his twentythird year, he as almost constantly handling that most useful instrument – less, of course, in plowing and harvesting seasons. † (Gienapp, 3) Thomas Lee devoted a â€Å"tremendous amount of time and energy making sure his sons were prepared to assume their legacy when the time came. (McGaughy, 18) He understood the value of providing his children with formal education. Three different tutors catered to the children’s needs in reading, writing, mathematics, Greek, Latin and religion. In addition the children were introduced to dance, music appreciation and performance lessons seriously. They were later sent to England to continue their studies. This, perhaps, more than anything, else fostered a close bond between him and his children. The sudden deaths of both parents when Richard Henry was in his teens was strongly felt. He isolated himself from the rest of the family and articulated his feelings in a poem that was later inscribed on Thomas’ gravestone. The last verse was concluded with â€Å"what limit can there be to our regret at the loss of so dear a friend† (McGaughy, 32). The other Thomas, Thomas Lincoln, on the other hand, was barely literate and did not put much value on education. Abraham and his sister Sarah attended local schools for short periods only and by the time he was seven, Abraham still could not write. Yet, even as a child, Abraham exhibited a burning desire for knowledge and self improvement. He was described to have no energy for anything except reading. He read and re-read the limited books that his stepmother, though illiterate herself, valued knowledge, brought to their house. His father did not approve of his constant reading. â€Å"Thos Lincoln never showed by his actions that he thought much of his son Abraham when a boy,† one Hanks family member noted, adding, â€Å"He treated him rather unkind than otherwise. † Dennis Hanks admitted that Abraham’s father sometimes â€Å"slash[ed] him for neglecting his work by reading. †(Gienapp,7) This would explain Abraham’s closeness to his stepmother as his friend, rather than his father, unlike the Lees. â€Å"He later said that she had been his best Friend in this world and that no Son could love a Mother more than he loved her. † (Gienapp, 5) He supported himself by manual labor until he reached twenty one and he had moved to New Salem, Illinois where he continued his self-education while working as storekeeper, militia captain and postmaster. He lost in his first bid for the state legislature but won a seat as a Whig 2 years later. He served four terms and gained state-wide popularity for his homespun wit and integrity. This time, Lincoln began his private study of the law, borrowing books from a local attorney, and earned his license to practice in 1836. He settled in Springfield, the new capital, after his marriage to Mary Todd of Kentucky and became one of Illinois’ ablest lawyers. He was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in 1847 for a single term, during which he gained attention for his opposition to the Mexican War and the institution of Slavery. He switched to the new Republican Party in the next election and ran for the U. S. Senate against Stephen A. Douglas, to whom he lost. The race attracted national attention because of the widely reported debates over the issue of slavery in the territories. Ironically, his winning opponent had unknowingly granted him the break not only to resume his political career, but set him on his path to the White House. This was the Kansas-Nebraska Act which repealed the original prohibition of slavery in the region of the Louisiana Purchase and replaced it with popular sovereignty to decide on the status of slavery. The ensuing â€Å" hell of a storm† (Gienapp, 49) correctly predicted by the proponent, Senator Stephen Douglas, brought together Whigs, Democrats, Free Soilers in indignant protest. Pondering Douglas’ motivations and the significance of this legislation, Lincoln seemed more withdrawn than usual on the circuit. Back home in Springfield he began reading the congressional debates on slavery, taking notes at the State Library for future use. (Gienapp, 49) On February 27, 1869, he delivered his famous Cooper Union speech, where he lambasted the federal government on the slavery issue, to an influential audience. In July, he won the nomination for presidency on the third ballot at the Republican convention. The following November, Lincoln won over 3 other candidates with only 40% of the popular vote. This was unacceptable to Southern politicians; South Carolina, quickly followed by 10 other states conveniently used this pretext to secede from the Union. When he arrived in Washington for his inauguration as the country’s sixteenth president, the Confederate States of America had been formed. In 1747 Thomas Lee had been appointed president of Virginia’s Council of State. Two years later, he assumed the governorship. As a tobacco planter, he was concerned with having access to western lands, target for England’s and France’s rivalry for dominance in North America. With other planters, they directed their efforts toward trade and cultivation of new lands for tobacco production. Thomas established the Ohio Company of Virginia, which had been likened to the Virginia Company established in 1606, from which the Jamestown settlement sprung. His will gave one of his two full shares to his eldest son, Philip. The second full share he divided equally among the younger sons led by Richard Henry. The two oldest sons realized the significance of active association in the Ohio Company and in Virginia politics. In their father’s absence, they could only achieve any gains if they put family above personal interests. Richard Henry decided to fulfil his father’s aspirations. Richard Henry and his cousin Richard â€Å"Squire† won a seat each in the House of Burgesses. They were shortly followed by Thomas Ludwell and Francis, both Richard Henry’s brothers, and another cousin Henry. Within one election cycle, the Lee family once again emerged as a powerful voting bloc in the House of Burgesses, especially when combined with their many friends and allies, (McGaughy 42) Richard Henry became the spokesman of his family and the Northern Neck proprietors in the capital. He served on several important committees that soon put him in a position that challenged Speaker-Treasurer John Robinson’s role as leader in provincial politics since 1738. While the governor and the Speaker-treasurer disputed over provincial leadership, Richard Henry worked actively to continue the war against the French. Among his duties was monitoring the British and colonial forces by regular correspondence with the highest ranking officers in Virginia’s colonial militia. By the time the Board of Trade had authorized the immediate separation of the offices of speaker and treasurer, the governor had announced vacation of his post and returning to England. Richard Henry’s role in the effort to separate the offices of speaker-treasurer helped establish his leadership position in the House. His former tutor Alexander White wrote to congratulate him, though surprised, â€Å"at how quickly Lee had challenged the established leadership in the House so soon after winning his first election. † (McGaughy, 44). Abraham Lincoln entered the presidential office conscious of his lack of administrative experience. But as president and commander in chief, he learned from his mistakes. In his Inaugural address he tried to woo the Secessionists back to the Union, which responded with bombarding Fort Sumter. Lincoln reacted with a firm hand; he declared a blockade of Southern ports, authorized the suspension of Habeas Corpus in areas threatened by pro-secessionists. Lincoln’s conservatism made him accept the fact that only a vigorous war would restore the Union, which was his primary aim. This strengthened his will to win, despite enormous battle casualties and strong political opposition, from his own cabinet members and radical fellow Republicans. He was careful not to alienate his basic constituency, the citizenry of Northern and Western states, while advancing the progress of the war. He carefully worded his Emancipation Proclamation to avoid offending loyal but slave owning states in the Union. Like Lincoln, Richard Henry Lee had a similar affinity for books, which was revealed most when he became a family man and had his own home, Chantilly, away from Stratford Hall. He built an impressive library with almost 100 titles, covering historical topics and biographies, not to mention scientific, theological and philosophical studies, plus various literary works of Shakespeare, Milton, Jonathan Swift and Laurence Sterne. He had conservative views about slavery, himself. †¦ like many of his contemporaries, (Lee) expressed contradictory views toward slavery, expressing their hatred of the institution yet refusing to abolish it because he and other planters needed slave labor to run profitable tobacco plantations. (McGaughy, 63) Richard Henry’s defiance of convention is best exemplified by his reaction to the enactment of the Stamp Act. He launched his own protest separate from his peers; he led a procession to the county courthouse parading effigies of Mercer, the Crown-appointed stamp distributor for Virginia and George Grenville, Britain’s lord of the treasury. Ultimately, Richard Henry’s concerns for his and fellow planters interests overtook the interests of the Crown in Virginia and the colonies. A series of legislations made for the evolution of Richard Henry from loyal British subject with the interests of the Crown at heart (in the footsteps of his father and grandfather) to American revolutionary. Their distinct childhoods and family backgrounds in no way prevented the occurrence of similarities in their personalities, ambitions, careers, and family lives, not to mention their fathers with the same first names. The antislavery borne out of Abraham Lincoln’s parents’ Baptist faith had been internalized in him that he could not not fight for it. His gentle nature was overcome by his fierce resolve to win the war. But, as mentioned above, he also exercised prudence in words to avoid rocking the boat of his constituents who may have been loyal but were still slaveowners. As a revolutionary, Richard Henry Lee evolved. It could be described as almost like a natural evolution, if one traces a person’s loyalty and interests originate from the self, radiating to the family, to the immediate community and the larger community. When it came to a conflict of interests between his own as a planter, a family man, and Representative of his community as opposed to the interests of the Crown, it is easy to deduce whose side he would take. More so, when the interests of the Crown were to the detriment, loss and eventual harm to his family and community. The goals of both Abraham Lincoln and Richard Henry Lee reveal their deep patriotism and mature adherence to what their country (province, as in Lee’s case) had evolved into. Their political careers were run within a framework of what can be now termed â€Å"public service† in their hearts.

Amazon in ECommerce

com has revolutionized the selling and purchasing of all products over the internet. It started with selling books over the internet and progressed in selling almost all consumer goods within a short span of time. Its engineering and quality principals make sure that all the various standard compliances are met and justified for improving the system behavior for its customers. Customers have now moved from the brick and mortars model, a traditional model for purchase of products, to the click and mortars model for ease of access, anytime anywhere access, take part in auctions and avail several promotion offers and gifts. The very perspective towards retail buying has been changed by Amazon.com. The virtual store concept is quite likely followed by many retailers after the success of Amazon.com and they have created a benchmark for its products and selling models define the very success over the long period since its inception. Question 2: Comparisons have been made by giant bookstore retailer Barnes Nobles and Amazon.com. Barnes and Noble operate dozens of bookstores in many local communities. Yet Amazon.com’s reach goes anywhere and everywhere with the Web. What, in your opinion, should Barnes and Nobles do to compete with Amazon.com? Answer 2: Barnes and Nobles must identify the very future requirements for its physical bookstores and come up with â€Å"click and mortars† model for fetching the right customer focus and model. Identifying the competition around and the changing outlook of the customers towards decision making for purchasing products is the greatest differentiator for change. The decision making for taking the business of Barnes Nobles over the internet would make sure that all the various present disadvantages would be capitalized upon. The brand mark of Barnes Nobles makes sure that every activity towards the envelopment of skyrocketing technologies would develop into a mammoth in promoting its success and growth. Only setting up the website is not enough. The representation model, sound engineering techniques, quality standards and affiliation techniques makes sure that its representation over the internet is strong and makes a presence really promising. Question 3: In order to more quickly realize and sustain its profitability should Amazon.com have remained a solely clicks based e-business (without warehouses) selling only books? Why or why not? Answer 3: Amazon’s decision to cater to several products would definitely move its primary base of selling books to other products. This is a sort of erosion of its primary brand which it created for selling books. The very brand creation and sustenance for selling books online had created a larger market share for book selling. The various bookstores at that time were in greater risk concerning their sales as Amazon grew in its market share for selling books. It was a brand which no one could deny. Its decision towards clicks business for selling other products over books makes sure that monopoly was broken to some extent and other small to medium sellers in the market found opportunity to make some business. These created a balanced view for existence in the marketplace allowing every dimension of sellers and customers to interact for good. Another reason for making the right move is for long term business continuity and spreading its wing to several other products which did not make it to the internet in that era. Amazon’s decision to be clicks based business must be changed into â€Å"clicks and mortars† business model for improving its supply chain by making it efficient and effective. The effective supply chain would cut down extra costs of transportation and shipping and would in turn create trust for its safety and quality policies. Warehouses would make sure that timely delivery of products can be made at lesser costs, which otherwise would create a sense of misunderstanding and evolve privacy and security aspects to a larger scale. Question 4: How can Amazon.com complete Bezos’s vision? What do they need to do to individualize their services to 25 million customers? Answer: 4 Amazon.com must fetch the customers according to their tastes and product liking. The following can be the various options that can be exercised: Provide a survey with questionnaires of what is important, how it can be bettered, what else is desired and so on. The survey questions would serve quite helpful in fetching the right suggestion from its customers to in turn get them everything they desire. The adoption of B2B and C2C model where various sellers and buyers can meet for selling the products of their choice. This would help users to customize according to their preferences so that more number of customers is fetched for purpose. The customer logs must be duly analyzed for fetching the right decision and data mining approaches to the vast data can be devised for getting the facts out for better customization of products and services. Request boxes and techniques must be presented so that in case a customer fails to find exactly what he desires, he can make a request for the new product. This would help to fetch the needs in micro detail for better capturing of the customer base. The above approaches would enhance Bezos’s vision to cater to individual needs and demands. Amazon is a virtual reseller, one of the main new intermediaries (Sarkar, 1996.) They are an electronic-commerce only intermediary; business and customer relationship management (CRM) is conducted purely via their website; a virtual marketplace with no direct contact between buyers and sellers. Amazon have created a virtualized value system through their accelerated ordering, delivery and payment of goods and services, while reducing operating and inventory costs associated with traditional bricks and mortar stores. This model demands a change to bring every buyer and seller to meet for catering individualized services. References Sarkar, M., Butler, B. Steinfield, C. (1996) Intermediaries Cybermediaries. Amazon in ECommerce com has revolutionized the selling and purchasing of all products over the internet. It started with selling books over the internet and progressed in selling almost all consumer goods within a short span of time. Its engineering and quality principals make sure that all the various standard compliances are met and justified for improving the system behavior for its customers. Customers have now moved from the brick and mortars model, a traditional model for purchase of products, to the click and mortars model for ease of access, anytime anywhere access, take part in auctions and avail several promotion offers and gifts. The very perspective towards retail buying has been changed by Amazon.com. The virtual store concept is quite likely followed by many retailers after the success of Amazon.com and they have created a benchmark for its products and selling models define the very success over the long period since its inception. Question 2: Comparisons have been made by giant bookstore retailer Barnes Nobles and Amazon.com. Barnes and Noble operate dozens of bookstores in many local communities. Yet Amazon.com’s reach goes anywhere and everywhere with the Web. What, in your opinion, should Barnes and Nobles do to compete with Amazon.com? Answer 2: Barnes and Nobles must identify the very future requirements for its physical bookstores and come up with â€Å"click and mortars† model for fetching the right customer focus and model. Identifying the competition around and the changing outlook of the customers towards decision making for purchasing products is the greatest differentiator for change. The decision making for taking the business of Barnes Nobles over the internet would make sure that all the various present disadvantages would be capitalized upon. The brand mark of Barnes Nobles makes sure that every activity towards the envelopment of skyrocketing technologies would develop into a mammoth in promoting its success and growth. Only setting up the website is not enough. The representation model, sound engineering techniques, quality standards and affiliation techniques makes sure that its representation over the internet is strong and makes a presence really promising. Question 3: In order to more quickly realize and sustain its profitability should Amazon.com have remained a solely clicks based e-business (without warehouses) selling only books? Why or why not? Answer 3: Amazon’s decision to cater to several products would definitely move its primary base of selling books to other products. This is a sort of erosion of its primary brand which it created for selling books. The very brand creation and sustenance for selling books online had created a larger market share for book selling. The various bookstores at that time were in greater risk concerning their sales as Amazon grew in its market share for selling books. It was a brand which no one could deny. Its decision towards clicks business for selling other products over books makes sure that monopoly was broken to some extent and other small to medium sellers in the market found opportunity to make some business. These created a balanced view for existence in the marketplace allowing every dimension of sellers and customers to interact for good. Another reason for making the right move is for long term business continuity and spreading its wing to several other products which did not make it to the internet in that era. Amazon’s decision to be clicks based business must be changed into â€Å"clicks and mortars† business model for improving its supply chain by making it efficient and effective. The effective supply chain would cut down extra costs of transportation and shipping and would in turn create trust for its safety and quality policies. Warehouses would make sure that timely delivery of products can be made at lesser costs, which otherwise would create a sense of misunderstanding and evolve privacy and security aspects to a larger scale. Question 4: How can Amazon.com complete Bezos’s vision? What do they need to do to individualize their services to 25 million customers? Answer: 4 Amazon.com must fetch the customers according to their tastes and product liking. The following can be the various options that can be exercised: Provide a survey with questionnaires of what is important, how it can be bettered, what else is desired and so on. The survey questions would serve quite helpful in fetching the right suggestion from its customers to in turn get them everything they desire. The adoption of B2B and C2C model where various sellers and buyers can meet for selling the products of their choice. This would help users to customize according to their preferences so that more number of customers is fetched for purpose. The customer logs must be duly analyzed for fetching the right decision and data mining approaches to the vast data can be devised for getting the facts out for better customization of products and services. Request boxes and techniques must be presented so that in case a customer fails to find exactly what he desires, he can make a request for the new product. This would help to fetch the needs in micro detail for better capturing of the customer base. The above approaches would enhance Bezos’s vision to cater to individual needs and demands. Amazon is a virtual reseller, one of the main new intermediaries (Sarkar, 1996.) They are an electronic-commerce only intermediary; business and customer relationship management (CRM) is conducted purely via their website; a virtual marketplace with no direct contact between buyers and sellers. Amazon have created a virtualized value system through their accelerated ordering, delivery and payment of goods and services, while reducing operating and inventory costs associated with traditional bricks and mortar stores. This model demands a change to bring every buyer and seller to meet for catering individualized services. References Sarkar, M., Butler, B. Steinfield, C. (1996) Intermediaries Cybermediaries.

The impact of the current recession (global financial crisis) on human Essay

The impact of the current recession (global financial crisis) on human resource management - Essay Example y, 2004), and its results have affected all international economic sectors of production, triggering a huge and deep job crisis which has directed to a profound social downfall around the globe. In Spain, the impacts of the crisis on the labor industry have been much more distracting as compared to the rest of the continent(Burke, 2013), and almost six million individuals have lost employments. In the shadow of this background, it became imperative to analysis what further impacts have emerged on the human resource management after the current global economic crisis and what roles of human resource management have been to react after the crisis. What are the major aspects in acquiring the employee involvement? And what changes have occurred in the HRM operations. The competency of a suitable communication strategy in a situation of crisis, both with regard to organizations and employees, comprises an important aspect which could be elaborated as the strategic responsibility of HRM wh en confronting with a shift in the economic scenario. In this context, the aim of this research study is to evaluate the response of human resource management in the current economic recessions. Afterwards, there will be a reflective learning about the topic which will highlight the major concepts and learning essence which have been acquired throughout the course. Acquiring sustainable competitive edge relies on creation and execution of adequate human resource policies in complex and dynamic contexts. The augmenting interest focus in the strategic management of companies has caused in emphasizing on numerous functions of companies with their responsibilities in the strategic management procedure. Strategic human resource management is the framework of the structured human resource activities and usage intended to facilitate a company to acquire its objectives. Strategic human resource management is a concept to take decisions on the plans and policies of the business focusing

Richard Wright's view about religion (according to the book, Black Essay

Richard Wright's view about religion (according to the book, Black Boy) - Essay Example In an effort to ascertain Wright’s overarching perspective on religion, this essay considers the development of Wright’s views on religion throughout his autobiography. Wright’s first confrontation with religion comes as a direct consequence of his going to live with his grandmother after leaving the orphanage. Up until this point Wright has made no attempt to gain overt sympathy from the reader, and indicates a number of uncouth actions that he participated in as a youth, including frequent cursing. Upon moving in with his grandmother the reader witnesses the confrontation of these two cultural perspectives. It is no surprise then that Wright’s early views of religion are an oppressive and overly restrictive oppressive system. Even as Wright enjoys the rural environment that surrounds his grandmother’s home, he openly rejects the restrictive internal environment. While one of the initial restrictions that Wright objects to occurs in regards to his grandmother’s belief that the only thing that should be read is the Bible, perhaps Wright’s first-outward objection to the religious restrictions is through the symboli c utterance of a curse word while he was taking a bath. Throughout the novel there are a series of such restrictions that function to characterize religion as an oppressive belief system, further articulating Wright’s views on the subject. For instance, Richard is unable to work on Saturdays because his grandmother so strictly follows religious principles; similarly, he is forced to become baptized in chapter 6 – after which Richard tells the others that were baptized that he feels no different after the ceremony. At the age of twelve, before I had had one full year of formal schooling, I had . . . a conviction that the meaning of living came only when one was struggling to wring a meaning out of meaningless suffering. At the age of twelve I had an attitude toward life that was to

Critical Review and Critique on Rapid Response Team Policies for Acute Essay

Critical Review and Critique on Rapid Response Team Policies for Acute Patients in Riyadh Military Hospital and the UK - Essay Example Moreover, in an article published back in 2007 entitled â€Å"Safer Care for the Acutely Ill Patient†, the National Patient Safety Agency (2007) reported that 576 out of 1,804 hospital deaths were due to diagnostic errors, unrecognized patient deterioration left untreated and problems with resuscitation after a sudden cardiac arrest. It is for this reason that many countries have come up with the idea of forming Rapid Response Teams (RRT) in hospitals to address acute condition cases (Berwick et al., 2006). II. Aim Considering the average waiting time before each patient receives health care intervention, this paper will also focus on discussing rapid response for suddenly ill patients strategies used in the United Kingdom (UK) and Riyadh Military Hospital (RMH) to ensure that its health care professionals are able to deliver quality care and treatment to each patient on a timely basis. III. Critical Review and Critique on Rapid Response Team Policies for Acute Patients in Riy adh Military Hospital and the UK To enable readers to gain better understanding concerning the effectiveness and differences between the ICU RRT in Riyadh Military hospital and NHS hospitals in the UK, this report will first discuss the main purpose of RRTs. Rapid response teams in United Kingdom also referred to as medical emergency teams are multidisciplinary teams that consist of satisfactorily trained clinical personnel. In Riyadh Military hospital, the rapid response team’s core obligation is to examine and evaluate patients who portray symptoms of medical deterioration outside the intensive care unit (Winters, Pham and Pronovost, 2006, p.1647; Nakagawa, 2007, p. 1371; Addington-Hall and McCarthy, 2005, p. 295). Such a team provides early rescue to patients who are in critical health condition in hospital settings. The first team of this kind was created in 1995 as an experiment team in Riyadh Military Hospital before spreading to other hospitals in United Kingdom. The t eam served as a proactive mechanism for reducing unexpected death incidences in hospitals. The core reasons for the introduction of rapid response teams in health care in United Kingdom were to increase patients’ safety and to reduce the rate of inpatients’ deaths in hospitals. InRiyadh Military Hospital, rapid response teams work hand in hand with primary physicians and bedside nurses to resuscitate patients in acute need of medical attention (Sebat, Musthafa and Johnson, 2007, p. 2575). a. Main Purpose of Rapid Response Teams A RRT is a medical emergency team in the intensive care unit that is responsible for assessing and giving initial treatment to deteriorating non-critical care patients (Chan et al., 2008). The purpose of a Rapid Response Team (RRT) is to quickly extract the right cause from the situation of any acute condition. In any case, where the team takes too much time to do this, then their main purpose is unaccomplished (Adams and Failano, 2011). In the UK, the main purpose of Rapid Response to Acute Illness (RRAI) is â€Å"to support clinical teams in the reduction of harm and mortality associated with the acutely deteriorating patient† (1000 Lives, n.d). The policies for the RRT in United Kingdom have recently been addressed by the medical services. It has been suggested in the main protocol of the program that the response team will be selected based on certification. This is similar to the criteria of UK RRTs. The only difference is that the

Sino Indian War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sino Indian War - Essay Example The war forges an abiding Indian apprehension of China that deeply colors India’s response to China’s activities throughout Indian Ocean littoral. The war entails a high degree of Indian cooperation with concealed Tibetan operations in America Central Intelligence Agency. Mao Zedong had the conviction that China’s foreign policy decision contravened with India that colluded with America to undermine China’s role in Tibet. Indian military pushed deep into Chinese territory. India progressively ratcheted down trade with trade to create compounding China logistic problems. The war left behind much causality on each side as China retained control of Aksai Chin region. Garver says that both scenarios take place in 1962 and involve battle for supremacy. Cuban Missile Crisis entails America and Russia clamor for super power in the nuclear missile crisis. Sino-Indian war entails India and China clamor for resources and expansion capabilities. Allison observes a correlation between Sino-Indian War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. India like America has always sought global great power status. Prior to the 21st century India has heightened its speed of development of a strong navy with global war-fighting capabilities. In the 1960s, America had well-established military intelligence that was able to capture nuclear installations with specialized U-2 Spy planes. Recently, India has managed to increase the joint exercises with strong*- naval countries such as United States, Russia, and France. It has also speed up the development and purchase of new naval equipment. Saalman asserts that China and India remained locked in an intractable security dilemmas such as the Sino-Indian border issue. Chinese and Indian interlocutors spent many hours debating on the border issue in the years following Sino-Indian border conflict in 1962. The border issue assumes a looming and lingering presence in Sino-Indian relations. The disparity between

Writing inventory (Areas of strength and weakness) Essay

Writing inventory (Areas of strength and weakness) - Essay Example Broad content seems to be relatively self-explanatory as it looks at how well the finished document accomplishes its intent. Organization and presentation seems also self-explanatory as it refers to the way in which the information is presented. Surface areas refers to the basic elements of writing such as grammar, spelling and punctuation. To make this clearer, I will analyze a piece of my own writing regarding broad content, organization and presentation and surface areas to discover those areas in which I am strong and where I can improve. In terms of broad content, I feel my paper on Anne Hutchinson is very strong. It never truly states its purpose, but the introduction makes it clear that the paper is about to present evidence as to why Anne Hutchinson was a woman ahead of her time as the title claims. The paper gives a brief biography of the woman and points out those areas in which she behaved differently from the way women of her time were expected to behave. The paper is clearly addressed to students of history and, as such, offers important information about what was expected of women in this time that a student of the modern age wouldn’t necessarily know. Numerous credible sources are used to illustrate what life was like for women in the Puritan colonies as well as to support the various ways in which Hutchinson struggled against these constraints. Overall, the paper seems very strong in its broad content. In terms of organization and presentation, I have to again say that I feel the paper is very strong. It starts with an introduction that could perhaps be better organized or more focused, but then goes into strong organization and presentation. Each segment is clearly labeled with a sub-heading and the essay follows a roughly chronological structure. From introducing the brief overview of Anne Hutchinson’s life until she moved to America, the essay examines her

Is it fair to suggest that the German state is a 'frozen landscape Essay

Is it fair to suggest that the German state is a 'frozen landscape - Essay Example Criticising the trend of confining welfare state to the element of social spending, he contends that the social expenditures are â€Å"epiphenomenal to the theoretical substance† of welfare states (p.19). Thus, he denotes the inflexibility of continental welfare state system and refers to it as a â€Å"frozen continental landscape† deriving from the â€Å"frozen Fordism† existing in countries Germany, Italy and France and concludes that the situation favours a â€Å"status quo† in these countries (Palier and Martin, 2007, p.538). However, Scharpf and Schmidt (2000), as quoted in Palier and Martin (2007), challenges this notion and contends that social insurance based welfare systems â€Å"face the biggest difficulties† among welfare states (p.538). Therefore, to accommodate the changes in economy, the welfare state system of Germany has evolved to align with the transition and it may not be fair anymore to call it â€Å"a frozen landscape.† P alier and Martin (2007) contend that the Bismarckian welfare system has initially been unable to cope with the problems due to the rigidness of â€Å"their own tradition† while the other welfare regimes have done so by adapting to the changes through the implementation of various structural reforms (p.358). However, they concede to the fact that with some reforms introduced after the year 2000, the Bismarckian system has been able to incorporate drastic changes within their system, which may account for the emergence out of the frozen landscape. In the modern day of complex economy, states cannot focus too much on social welfare, ignoring other aspects that deserve better attention. Quoting Therborn (1983), Esping-Anderson (1990) argues that if one considers the historical changes in the activities of the states, it appears that only when countries invest the majority of its resources for â€Å"servicing the welfare needs of households† they can be called welfare state s (p.20). But, it has transpires from historical evidence that countries usually spend a greater part of their funds on â€Å"defence† and â€Å"administration† than on social welfare and, therefore, no state can be called a welfare state (p.20). Therefore, it appears that Germany’s continued existence as a Bismarckian welfare state has become impractical, forcing them to adapt to the changing environment. The country, over a period of time, has hence been evolving various strategies and changing their rigid stance on welfare orientation, incorporating various changes in their systems. Gosta Esping-Anderson again finds a possible failure of the welfare states to stand up to the â€Å"edifice of social protection† which remained â€Å"frozen† due to socio-economic pressures of the past and the system became incompatible to the emerging economic conditions and needs (Esping-Anderson, 1996, p.2). Developing nations such as the US and UK have prospered in the twentieth century by their focus on developing technology rather than investing on social welfare schemes. However, it becomes evident from the examples of these countries that when aspects such as technology is accorded adequate priority, the resultant growth in industry as well as other employment avenues will offer the citizens better jobs and living conditions and thereby improve the overall standard of living. This situation also seems to have

Mackinsey and Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mackinsey and Company - Essay Example The challenge is that it is extremely difficult for modern leader-managers to motivate and inspire employees, analyze their needs and meet these needs. Lack of leadership and management skills may lead to a failure, low productivity and poor organizational performance. In modern environment, the main challenge is that leader-manager deals with culturally and economically diverse workforce, so he/she should be well aware of motivational theories and their practical application. Combs (2002) pays a special attention to leadership challenges and motivational problems typical for modern organizations. Motivation is one of the main factors which influence productivity and morale, feelings and human relations in the workplace. There are different theories of motivation which try to explain human needs and intentions, intrinsic and extrinsic drivers. People with a high degree of achievement motivation are more persistent, realistic, and action-minded than people with other kinds of motivat ional patterns. Silva (2005), Schultz (2003) and Meuse and Claire (2007) show that motivation has changed influenced by external and internal stimuli.This does not necessarily make them more productive; that seems to depend on whether the task requires some degree of personal initiative or inventiveness. If it does, the achievement-motivated person is very likely to leave his competitors far behind. A great deal can be learned from the cultural environment if attention is paid to complaints, compliments, surveys, and other opinions of employees and patterns of service demand. Finally, among the factors to be considered as part of the internal organizational environment are the structure of an organization, its history, its distinctive strengths and weaknesses, changes in its values, and its culture. Kiel (1999) and Barak (2000) examine and analyze Mallow's hierarchy of needs and motivation principles. Once basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter are satisfied, he wants friends and to get folksy and group. Once these needs for belonging are satisfied, he wants recognition and respect from his fellowmen and he wants to achieve independence and competence for himself. One approach, widely known by managers, is set out by Abraham H. Maslow in his book "Motivation and Personality". Maslow's theory of motivation claims that human motives develop in sequence according to five levels of needs. These needs are: psychological (hunger, thirst), safety (protection), social (be accepted, belong to a certain group), esteem (self-confidence, achievements, respect, status, recognition), and self-actualization (realizing one's potential for continued self-development). This theory show that needs follow in sequence and when one need is satisfied it decreases in strength and the higher need t hen dominates behavior. This leads to the statement that a satisfied need is not a motivator. There is a doubt whether this really applies in practice to the higher needs as it is likely that self-esteem requires continues stimulation and renewal. Few attempts have been made to test the validity of Maslow's ideas. A big problem is that Bill does not satisfy higher-order needs through their jobs or occupations, and this cannot really be tested. Another point is that he viewed satisfaction as a major motivator and this is not directly related to

Time Warner Beta Essay Example for Free

Time Warner Beta Essay Introduction – Definition of Beta Beta, which is represented by the Greek symbol, is also denoted as the Beta Coefficient and is identified as the slope of the linear regression of the portfolio in which within a specific period or point served as benchmark. (Risk Management,) Beta is the assessment of the market risk or ‘volatility’ of the stock. With this, it may help investors to make the right decisions when investing stocks because of some fluctuations in price of the stocks. (Beta: Gauging Price Fluctuations, July 29, 2005) Volatility which is the measure of the uncertainty or risks accompanied in investing due to fluctuation of the prices is determined its relativity by approximating its Beta. Volatility is associated with security’s value which means that when the investment is said to having a higher volatility, there is a bigger potential of security’s value for expansion over a larger range. Thus implying that within a shorter period of time, price of the security can vary significantly. On the contrary, a lower volatility insinuates that the fluctuation in security’s value is unnoticeable; however there are small alterations of the value within a stable range of time. (Volatility,) With that, Beta being the measurement of volatility, it offers meaningful significance to the market risk compared to the greater market. Furthermore, Beta is used for comparison along with the other stock, estimating the overall volatility of the return of the security in contradiction of the return in the market. Computation of Beta ÃŽ ²   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In investment and finance, Beta is the connection or the coefficient of a portfolio or an individual stock in contrast to the market all together. So as to compute for the beta, the regression analysis is used. The Beta of an asset is calculated using the formula: where in, ra is the gauge of yield profit of the asset; and rp is the evaluation of the rate of the yield profit of the portfolio of which the asset is a component. (Beta Coefficient,) Furthermore, the cost equity of a company can be projected using the Capital Asset Pricing Model in which the operation of equity beta of the company and again, equity beta is the operation of both the weight and asset risk. This is calculated using the formula: where in, KE is the cost of equity of the company, RF is the rate of return on a risk free investment also known as the risk-free rate, RM is the market portfolio return, and ÃŽ ²E is the equity beta which is computed: which is derived from this formula: , and the formula of a Firm Value (V) Firm Value (V) = Debt Value (D) + Equity Value (E)(Beta Coefficient,)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applying this entire concept in chosen business which is the Time Warner, the world’s largest media company, had beta of greater than 1 which indicates that the price of security will be more volatile than the market. This means that the investors accept the additional risk accompanied to attain the possibility of more rewards. The Time Warner had a fixed exchange rate during their merger with the AOL. The conditions contain include the 1.5 shares of AOL Time Warner would be given to the Time Warner for each share their stock and America Online shareholders will get one share of AOL Time Warner stock for every share of stocks that the America Online owns.(Dignan, 10 Jan 2000 ) Using the Charts in Beta, investors could observe the fluctuations and changes in the charts, its opening, closing prices and the high and low points in a specific period of time (Time Warner Inc.,). References Beta Coefficient [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/Beta. Beta: Gauging Price Fluctuations [Electronic (July 29, 2005). Version]. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://www.investopedia.com/articles/01/102401.asp. Dignan, L. (10 Jan 2000 ). AOL, Time Warner tout broadband future, synergy [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,2076198,00.htm. Risk Management [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 22, 2007 from http://www.tradetrek.com/Education/risk_management.asp. Time Warner Inc. [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 24, 2007 from http://finance.yahoo.com/charts#chart1:symbol=twx;range=1d;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;logscale=on;source=undefined. Volatility [Electronic Version]. Retrieved May 23, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/volatility.

Sampling Probability Essay Example for Free

Sampling Probability Essay Probability And Non Probability Sampling Cultural Studies Essay A probability sampling method is any method of sampling that utilizes some form of random selection. In order to have a random selection method, you must set up some process or procedure that assures that the different units in your population have equal probabilities of being chosen. Humans have long practiced various forms of random selection, such as picking a name out of a hat, or choosing the short straw. These days, we tend to use computers as the mechanism for generating random numbers as the basis for random selection. Probability sampling methods are those in which every item in the universe has a known chance, or probability of being chosen for sample. This implies that the selection of the sample items is independent of the person making the study that is the sampling operation is controlled so objectively that the items will be chosen strictly at random. Types of probability sampling Simple Random Sampling: The simplest form of random sampling is called simple random sampling. Neither of these mechanical procedures is very feasible and, with the development of inexpensive computers there is a much easier way. Simple random sampling is simple to accomplish and is easy to explain to others. Because simple random sampling is a fair way to select a sample, it is reasonable to generalize the results from the sample back to the population. Simple random sampling is not the most statistically efficient method of sampling and you may, just because of the luck of the draw, not get good representation of subgroups in a population. To deal with these issues, we have to turn to other sampling methods. Systematic Sampling: Stratified Random Sampling, also sometimes called proportional or quota random sampling, involves dividing your population into homogeneous subgroups and then taking a simple random sample in each subgroup. There are several major reasons why you might pref er stratified sampling over simple random sampling. First, it assures that you will be able to represent not only the overall population, but also key subgroups of the population, especially small minority groups. If you want to be able to talk about subgroups, this may be the only way to effectively assure youll be able to. If the subgroup is extremely small, you can use different sampling fractions within the different strata to randomly over-sample the small group. When we  use the same sampling fraction within strata we are conducting proportionate stratified random sampling. When we use different sampling fractions in the strata, we call this disproportionate stratified random sampling. Second, stratified random sampling will generally have more statistical precision than simple random sampling. This will only be true if the strata or groups are homogeneous. If they are, we expect that the variability within-groups are lower than the variability for the population as a whole. Stratified sampling capitalizes on that fact. Strati fied Sampling: For this to work it is essential that the units in the population are randomly ordered, at least with respect to the characteristics you are measuring. For one thing, it is fairly easy to do. You only have to select a single random number to start things off. It may also be more precise than simple random sampling. Finally, in some situations there is simply no easier way to do random sampling. For instance, I once had to do a study that involved sampling from all the books in a library. Once selected, I would have to go to the shelf, locate the book, and record when it last circulated. I knew that I had a fairly good sampling frame in the form of the shelf list (which is a card catalogue where the entries are arranged in the order they occur on the shelf). To do a simple random sample, I could have estimated the total number of books and generated random numbers to draw the sample. Cluster Sampling: The problem with random sampling methods when we have to sample a population thats disbursed across a wide geographic region is that you will have to cover a lot of ground geographically in order to get to each of the units you sampled. Imagine taking a simple random sample of all the residents of New York State in order to conduct personal interviews. By the luck of the draw you will wind up with respondents who come from all over the state. Your interviewers are going to have a lot of travelling to do. It is for precisely this problem that cluster or area random sampling was invented. In cluster sampling, we follow these steps: divide population into clusters (usually along geographic boundaries), randomly sample clusters, and measure all units within sampled clusters. Multi Stage Sampling: The four methods weve covered so far simple, stratified, and systematic and cluster are the simplest random sampling strategies. In most real applied social research, we would use sampling methods that are considerably more complex than these simple variations. The most important principle here is  that we can combine the simple methods described earlier in a variety of useful ways that help us address our sampling needs in the most efficient and effective manner possible. When we combine sampling methods, we call this multi-stage sampling. Non probability Sampling Non probability sampling methods are those, which do not provide every item in the universe with a known chance of being included in the sample. The selection process is to some extent The difference between non probability and probability sampling is that non probability sampling does not involve random selection and probability sampling does. Does that mean that non probability samples arent representative of the population? Not necessarily. But it does mean that non probability samples cannot depend upon the rationale of probability theory. At least with a probabilistic sample, we know the odds or probability that we have represented the population well. We are able to estimate confidence intervals for the statistic. With non probability samples, we may or may not represent the population well, and it will often be hard for us to know how well weve done so. In general, researchers prefer probabilistic or random sampling methods over non probabilistic ones, and consider them to be more accurate and rigorous. However, in applied social research there may be circumstances where it is not feasible, practical or theoretically sensible to do random sampling. Here, we consider a wide range of non probabilistic alternatives. We can divide non probability sampling methods into two broad types: accidental or purposive. Most sampling methods are purposive in nature because we usually approach the sampling problem with a specific plan in mind. The most important distinctions among these types of sampling methods are the ones between the different types of purposive sampling approaches. Types of non probability sampling Accidental, Haphazard or Convenience Sampling: One of the most common methods of sampling goes under the various titles listed here. I would include in this category the traditional man on the street (of course, now its probably the person on the street) interviews conducted frequently by television news programs to get a quick (although non representative) reading of public opinion. I would also argue that the typical use of  college students in much psychological research is primarily a matter of convenience. In clinical practice, we might use clients who are available to us as our sample. In many research contexts, we sample simply by asking for volunteers. Clearly, the problem with all of these types of samples is that we have no evidence that they are representative of the populations were interested in generalizing to and in many cases we would clearly suspect that they are not. Purposive Sampling: In purposive sampling, we sample with a purpose in mind. We usually would have one or more specific predefined groups we are seeking. They size up the people passing by and anyone who looks to be in that category they stop to ask if they will participate. One of the first things theyre likely to do is verify that the respondent does in fact meet the criteria for being in the sample. Purposive sampling can be very useful for situations where you need to reach a targeted sample quickly and where sampling for proportionality is not the primary concern. With a purposive sample, you are likely to get the opinions of your target population, but you are also likely to overweight subgroups in your population that are more readily accessible. For each type of sampling give the advantages and disadvantages. Advantages and Disadvantages of Probability sampling Simple Random Sampling: Advantages: It is easy to implement It requires a listing of population element. Since selection of its items in the sample depends on change there is no possibility of personal bias affecting the result. As compared to judgment sampling a random sample represents the universe in a better way. As the size of the sample increases, it becomes increasingly representative of the population. The analyst can easily assess the accuracy of the estimates because sampling errors follows the principle of chance. The theory of random sampling is further developed than that of any type of sampling, which enables the researcher to provide the most reliable information at least cost. Disadvantages The use of simple random sampling necessitates a completely catalogued  universe from which to draw the sample. That is it uses large sample size. The size of the sample requires ensuring the statistical reliability is usually under random sampling rather than stratified. From the point of view of field survey it has been claimed that the cases selected by random sampling tend to be too widely dispersed geographically and that the time and the cost of collecting data becomes very large. It produces large errors. Random sampling may produce the most non random looking results. Systematic Sampling Advantages It is simple to design and convenient to adopt. It is easier to use than simple random sampling It is easy to determine sampling distribution Less expensive than random sampling. The time and work involved in sampling by this method are relatively less. The result obtained are found to be generally satisfactory provided care is taken to see that there are no periodic features associated with the sampling intervals. If the population are sufficiently large, systematic sampling can often be expected to yield results similar to those obtained by proportional stratified sampling. Disadvantages Using intervals may squeeze the sample and the result. If the population list has a monotonic trend a bias estimate will result from the starting point. The main issue is that it becomes fewer representatives if the analyst is dealing with populations having hidden periodic that is not all the elements are known. Stratified Sampling Advantages The researcher control the sample size in each group Increase efficiency It is more representative as population is first divided into various strata and then sample is drawn from each stratum. Thus there is little chance that any essential group of the population is being completely excluded. There is greater accuracy as each stratum will consist of uniform or homogenous items. Disadvantages Provide data to represent and analyse sub groups. Increase error in reason if sub group are selected at different rate. It is expensive because it is widely distributed geographically and the sample costs per observation are high. If the sample is not homogeneous the result may not be reliable. It requires assistance of skilled sampling supervisors. Cluster Sampling Advantages It provides a unilateral estimate of population. It is more efficient It is easy to do without population unit. It enables each sub division of the population to be used at various stages and permits the fieldwork to be more concentrated. It is valuable in surveys of underdeveloped areas. Can be cheaper than other methods e.g. fewer travel expenses, administration costs Disadvantages It is more error prone. Higher sampling error, which can be expressed in the so-called design effect, the ratio between the number of subjects in the cluster study and the number of subjects in an equally reliable, randomly sampled unclustered study. Multi Stage Sampling Advantages The main purpose of the creation and present-day use of multi-stage sampling is ti avoid the problems of randomly sampling from a population that is larger than the researchers resources can handle. Multi-stage sampling gives researchers with limited funds and time a method to sample from such populations. This sampling procedure in essence is a way to reduce the population by cutting it up into smaller groups, which then can be the subject of random sampling. As long as the groups have low between-group variance, this form of sampling is a legitimate way to simplify the population. The multi-stage form of sampling is flexible in many senses. First, it allows researchers to employ random sampling or cluster sampling after the determination of groups. Second, researchers can employ  multi-stage sampling indefinitely to break down groups and subgroups into smaller groups until the researcher reaches the desired type or size of groups. Last, there are no restrictions on how researcher s divide the population into groups/ This allows a large number of possibilities for methods of convenience, the maximization or minimization of variance or interpretability. Disadvantages The flexibility of multi-stage sampling is a double-edged sword. Because of the lack of restrictions on the decision processes involved in choosing groups, multi-stage sampling has a level of subjectivity. Thus, there will always be questions as to whether the chosen groups were optimal. Researchers must find a way to justify their choices when presenting the studys findings. Due to the fact that multi-stage sampling cuts out portions of the population from the study, the studys findings can never be 100% representative of the population. Even though the theory of multi-stage sampling is to focus on the within-group variance and de-emphasize the between-group variance (which should be minimized), there is no way to know if the demographics cut from the study could have provided any useful information to the researchers. (http://www.ehow.com/info_8544049_advantages-disadvantages-multistage-sampling.html#ixzz27Sqmq8C8) Advantages and Disadvantages of Non probability sampling (Non Rando m Sampling) Convenience Sampling Advantages Convenience samples are cheap. Convenience samples can be used to intervene to satisfy dissatisfied customers. A key, often forgotten aspect of probability sampling is its dependence on external selection: inviting and then repeatedly reminding people to take a survey, which helps ensure representativeness. Putting a survey postcard with every bill presented at a restaurant is a convenience sample, since there is no follow-up and encouragement to take the survey: no true external selection. And in such cases dissatisfied customers are often more likely to complete such surveys – the survey does provide an opportunity to hear from such customers and ask them for contact information in order to take action to improve their satisfaction. Convenience samples  can provide rich qualitative information. When illustrative quotes are important, surveys to convenience samples can be a great source of rich verbatim comments on specific topics. The survey can also provide detailed demographic profiles to shed further light on the comments. Convenience samples may provide accurate correlations. Some argue that correlation research is accurate enough with convenience samples, since the study is not of proportions of the target audience but of the relationship between variables. Disadvantages Convenience samples do not produce representative results. If you need to extrapolate to the target population, convenience samples aren’t going to get you there. The natural tendency is to extrapolate from convenience samples. The tendency when using convenience samples is to treat the results as representative, even though they are not. Many people do not understand the theoretical underpinnings of probability sampling and treat any survey results as accurate representations of the target audience. While mainstream media outlets often will not publicize the results of surveys that used convenience samples, small media organizations often will, without describing the methodology as a convenience sample. The results of convenience samples are hard to replicate. If you analyze the results of a convenience survey by list source, you will often find dramatic differences in the answers from the different lists, often in ways that confound easy explanation Quota Sampling Quota sampling is particularly useful when you are unable to obtain a probability sample, but you are still trying to create a sample that is as representative as possible of the population being studied. In this respect, it is the non-probability based equivalent of the stratified random sample. Unlike probability sampling techniques, especially stratified random sampling, quota sampling is much quicker and easier to carry out because it does not require a sampling frame and the strict use of random sampling techniques (i.e. probability sampling techniques). This makes quota sampling popular in undergraduate and master’s level dissertations where there is a need to divide the population being studied into strata (groups). The quota sample improves the representation of particular strata (groups) within the  population, as well as ensuring that these strata are not over-represented. For example, it would ensure that we have sufficient male students taking part in the research (60% of our sample size of 100; hence, 60 male students). It would also make sure we did not have more than 60 male students, which would result in an over-representation of male students in our research. The use of a quota sample, which leads to the stratification of a sample (e.g. male and female students), allows us to more easily compare these groups (strata). Disadvantages of quota sampling In quota sampling, the sample has not been chosen using random selection, which makes it impossible to determine the possible sampling error. Indeed, it is possible that the selection of units to be included in the sample will be based on ease of access and cost considerations, resulting in sampling bias. It also means that it is not possible to make generalisations (i.e. statistical inferences) from the sample to the population. This can lead to problems of external validity. Also, with quota sampling it must be possible to clearly divide the population into strata; that is, each unit from the population must only belong to one stratum. In our example, this would be fairly simple, since our strata are male and female students. Clearly, a student could only be classified as either male or female. No student could fit into both categories (ignoring transgender issues). Furthermore, imagine extending the sampling requirements such that we were also interested in how career goals changed depending on whether a student was an undergraduate or postgraduate. Since the strata must be mutually exclusive, this means that we would need to sample four strata from the population: undergraduate males, undergraduate females, postgraduate males, and postgraduate females. This will increase overall sample size required for the research, which can increase costs and time to carry out the research Purposive or Judgemental Sampling The advantages of Judgment sampling are: Lower cost of sampling Lesser time involved in the process A select number of people who are known to be related to the topic are part of the study which means that there are lesser chances of having people who  will distort the data Good method for pretesting instruments like questionnaires. Some disadvantages are: It can be subject to experimenter’s bias and stereotypes that may distort the results. The group selected may not represent all the population It might not be possible to accurately identify the sample using this method in case the population is very large.

Direct Marketing Is The Main Application Marketing Essay

Direct Marketing Is The Main Application Marketing Essay Direct marketing is the main application areas of data fusion and data mining, because the direct marketing industry collecting large amounts of data about sales, customers shopping history, transportation, consumption and services. Especially since the Web or e-business activities become much more convenient, the amount of data collected has a rapid growth. Today, many stores has a website, customers can easily purchase products online. Some companies, such as Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com), only on the line to trade, there is no physical shopping. Direct marketing data for data mining provides a wealth of resources. Direct data mining can help the designer identify the behavior of customers, found customers shopping patterns and trends, improve service quality and achieve better relationship with customers, achieve better customers satisfaction, improve the sales ratio, design a more rational direct marketing strategy, and reduce costs (Decker, 2007). à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚  .What is Direct Marketing? In the classical works in marketing, direct marketing is a form of non-store sales, however, classified in the form of non-store sales also as mail order, TV sales, telephone sales, vending machine sales and Internet sales. In the previous theoretical study of direct selling, direct marketing definition has always been different (Bennett, 1998). Industry trade association in Washington DC gives direct marketing the definition: a method of distribution, through personal contacts to sell products and service. Not have a fixed trading site, mainly at home. This definition is different from other definitions. Direct marketing be defined in the methods of distribution. This definition means that direct marketing model attach to distribution channels incorporated direct marketing into its connotation to the concept in turn. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¡.What is Data Fusion and Data Mining? A brief definition of data fusion and data mining in marketing area is: extraction of previously unknown, comprehensible information from large storage of data, and understand it to make important business decision and support their design, including tactical development and strategic marketing plans and measuring their success (Sumathi, 2006). à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¢. Why Using Data Fusion and Data Mining in Direct Marketing? Data fusion and data mining aims to obtain a sufficient understanding of market behavior patterns, to allow the benefits to be the recommended behavioral changes in the analysis obtained (Michael J. A., 2004). This involves understanding the market behavior of previously unknown facts, answering specific questions, including the prediction questions (Sirmakessis, 2005). In deciding whether to use data fusion and data mining, we must develop our policy on how to use the output, clear view. Too many data fusion and data mining projects have been conducted on IT sector initiatives. These often lead to many interesting findings, but need a number of operations. Companies with large amount of customers need to provide a reasonable degree of stability of the marketers and their marketing service providers, should be the heads of the people in their wealth of knowledge of customers and their past activities. Data mining tends to confirm their faith, improving the quantity or add more practical advantages .For example, specify the size of a long-suspect segment to identify which customers belonging to it. Some deductions are reasonable, such as purchase behavior depends on the socio-economic status, these are the data should be collected in a survey. Data fusion and data mining is more than simple data analysis. It is the understanding of a business environment, such that relevant questions can be answered by the use of the appropriate data analysis tool on the properly selected data. As such, data mining requires: Understanding the industry conditions Appreciation of specific factors which apply to the company Familiarity with a wide range of analytical tools. à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ £.Case Study Amway Amway Global is a multilevel marketing company that produces quality consumer products. Amways direct selling pattern is the best model to considerate each person into to the marketing , everyone can do this agent, Amway has indeed brought great profits and also a considerable number of people also brought profits, not only Amway has the achievements of their own brands, but also provides some peoples wealth achievements (Wei, 2010). Amway takes one to one direct marketing strategy: one to one marketing is to understand every customer, build lasting relationships with the customers. By data fusion and data mining method, Amway grade a large number of customers into different categories, each category of customers with similar attributes. The properties of different types of customers are different. Through data fusion and data mining to understand the different customer preferences, to coordinate the products and services, greatly increased the types of customers business and product satisfaction. It is through the methods of data fusion and data mining that for customer relationship management to Amway Corporation acquired sound business strategy. For four years, the U.S. experienced two serious economic depressions, but Amway never reduced operating efficiency. In the recession period, including IBM and GM companies have massive layoffs, but Amway has never been cut-off employees. The scale of its production and operation has remained stable. It is particularly worth mentioning is that Amway has been maintained no lending operation in four years, but keep sustainable development. Keep the record has not been lending money to the bank. This proves that the advantage of data fusion and data mining in the companys development. Dell Dells direct sales in the world are using the way of Internet, there are several special models weekly promotions, and used to do advertising. Dells use data fusion and data mining method for customer profitability analysis. In the customer group, customer profitability is quite different. If you do not know the customers profitability, it is difficult to develop effective marketing strategies to obtain the most valuable customers. Data fusion and data mining technology can be used to predict activity in the different market situations change in customer profitability. From the customers transaction history to find some discipline seeking behaviors, and use these patterns to predict the level of profitability of depositors, or find new clients with higher profitability (Max, 2007). Through data fusion and data mining technology to determine their own direct sales model. For 20 years, Dell has revolutionized the industry to customers worldwide, including commercial, institutional and individual customers can access to computer products. Caused by the Dell direct model accepted by the industry, information technology becomes more powerful and easy to use, more affordable accepted to provide customers with full use of these powerful, new tools, opportunities to improve their working and living conditions. Tiens Group Tiens Group is the largest direct selling company in China, established in 1995, stepped into the international market in early 1998. Tiens Group use data fusion and data mining technology for cross-selling. Between enterprises and customers is a continuing business evolving relationship. After the client and the company set up this two-way relationship, you can use many ways to make this tends to improve customer relations. Includes, extending the time of this relationship, increasing maintenance fee of such contact during the relationship, gaining more profit in every contact during the relationship. Cross-selling aims to keep the customers that the company possess and provide new products and services to the customers. Keep cross-selling is to build a win-win principle. The customer is concerned to get more and better services to meet his needs and due to sales growth the enterprise will also get benefit. With this direct marketing business model, Tenis direct sales have a rapid growth in 3 years adds up to 300 million people. The market has now worked out a development consistent international road in 103 countries and to District established a branch, and the United States, Germany, Malaysia, Spain, Egypt, a dozen foreign enterprises industry to establish a broad strategic partnership, registered in the country of 30 provincial branches and more than 100 To the municipal office, consists of nearly 2,000 stores. Tiens brand products are exported to 190 countries and area, 1,000 million people worldwide stability of consumer groups Conclusion From the above three cases, we can clearly understand that direct marketing is a perfect way of marketing. Direct marketing companies should choose appropriate way to build. Direct selling enterprises can take a variety of direct marketing, in addition to mail, visits and other traditional marketing methods, and now the most striking is the network of direct sales. Whether a business operation pattern is success, not only depends on what sales model, but also the method hidden behind the management. Data fusion and data mining is a highly efficient enterprise sales management. Data fusion and data mining in E-commerce market has a broad and in-depth direct application of this research reflects a growing field of research value. With data fusion and data mining technology to further develop, will certainly bring a wider range of direct marketing prospects and market value.

Order, Disorder and Imagination in John Buck’s Sculptures :: Art Essays

Order, Disorder and Imagination in John Buck’s Sculptures There is always a first impression, a first glance seeping through the corner of your eye. When passing by one can’t help but to notice the overwhelming presence of John Buck’s freestanding sculptures which stand in front of the Gallery. I find myself overwhelmed by both the size and the boldness by which these sculptures speak. Their organized structural nature combines a variety of ideas from branches, birdhouses to molecular structures and globes, and in the middle of it all stands the ringing human form. Initially, the forms and elements I saw in these sculptures impressed me but their composition did not challenge or stimulate my curiosity. So I kept up with the flow of traffic and continued on walking by. I couldn’t quite figure out why I had an aversion to these sculptures. It wasn’t until I started to break down the elements of these sculptures and take a closer look within the walls of the gallery that my first impression faded and a new aur a of his work came into being. A have found an appreciation for both his ways of making and the perceptions he presents. I am a big fan of wood carving, so I am thoroughly impressed by John Buck’s carvings of both his sculptures and woodblock prints. I appreciate the details of his work for instance the visibility of the chip carving and the control he has over the bends of the wood. I am curious to know the techniques he uses to get these details and his methods to making them. I read that John Buck uses a special kind of wood called jelutong. The artist said about working with wood, â€Å" There is an automatic and direct relationship between the nature of the wood and how I am able to work with it†¦In the carving of wood there is a physical activity that is more about nature in the making –not just the concept of the image, but the actual making, is connected to nature.† His connection to nature and the environment go beyond his use of wood as a medium, but are explicit in the stories he tells. In the lecture ‘Pillar to Pole’, Bruce Gunter commented on three forces which he found impacted Buck’s art work, these being: Midwest roots, environmental degradation and relationships to humanity.

Thoreaus Elements of American Romanticism Essay -- essays research pap

Elements of American Romanticism Henry David Thoreau pens his book Walden during a revolutionary period of time known as American Romanticism. The literary movement of American Romanticism began roughly between the years of 1830 and 1860. It is believed to be a chapter of time in which those who had been dissatisfied by the Age of Reason were revolting through works of literature. All elements of Romanticism are in sharp, abrupt contrast to those types of ideas such as empirical observation and rationality. An online article describes American Romanticism in the following manner, â€Å"They celebrated imagination/intuition versus reason/calculation, spontaneity versus control, subjectivity and metaphysical musing versus objective fact, revolutionary energy versus tradition, individualism versus social conformity, democracy versus monarchy, and so on† (Strickland). In 1845 during that period of time, Thoreau decides to spend two years of his life in an experiment with Mother Nature in a cabin at Walden Pond. H e tells exquisite tales of life in natural surroundings in his book, Walden, through a most primitive organic style. Walden is a key work of American Romanticism because of its embedded ideas of solitude, individualism, pantheism and intuition. Romanticism seeks nature as a means for obtaining knowledge, and while Thoreau heavily spends his time in the woods and around the pond by himself, he inevitably feels a sense of solitude. Solitude is not necessarily loneliness or intentional isolation of oneself. It is merely an acknowledgment of the fact that he or she is alone. Thoreau has his own thoughts about solitude in which he writes: In the midst of a gentle rain while these thoughts prevailed, I was suddenly sensible of such sweet and beneficent society in Nature, in the very pattering of the drops, and in every sound and sight around my house, an infinite and unaccountable friendliness all at once like an atmosphere sustaining me, as made the fancied advantages of human neighborhood insignificant, and I have never thought of them since. Every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me. (88-89) He acknowledges his distance from humanity in the preceding passage, yet he does not feel lonely because Nature upholds him. Additionally, he clearly states that the living organisms around him are what he dwells upon for his emotional su... ...ing Henry David Thoreau into a prominent American Romantic writer. Such elements include his writings about life in Nature having great solitude; he became friends with the surrounding plants and animals. Secondly, he wrote about what was occurring day to day at Walden’s Pond which showed him as being individualistic. Moreover, there was the idea that God can only be found in nature, and pantheism was constant idea in his book. Finally, Thoreau wrote about intuition as a means of obtaining knowledge, and his use of senses as a tool for building intuition. These ideas time and time again show the various aspects of Thoreau being portrayed as an American Romantic which has lead to a great historical achievement as a writer that he well deserves. Works Cited Harrison, Paul. â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions about Pantheism.† (1996). 10 December 2004 . Pohle, Nancy C. and Selover, Ellen L. â€Å"Awareness & Intuition.† 10 December 2004 . Stata, Raymie. â€Å"What is Individualism.† (1992). 10 December 2004 . Strickland, Brad. â€Å"AMERICAN ROMANTICISM (1828-1865) OVERVIEW.† (1997). 10 December 2004 . Thoreau, Henry David. Walden and Civil Disobedience. New York: W. Norton & Company, Inc, 1966.

Marketing Strategies for Businesses Essay -- Business Marketing Essays

Marketing Strategies for Businesses Introduction: Samuel Whitbread established Whitbread plc in 1742, originally as a beer producing company. Since then, Whitbread has moved from strength to strength incorporating wider varieties of businesses under its wing with each growth. Today, Whitbread owns and operates some of the most popular business in restaurants, hotels and leisure and health. Beefeater Vision 'To make Beefeater the first choice as a great place to eat and drink.' The Lydiard Travel Inn, Beefeater restaurant, Pub and Touchbase is situated just off junction 16 of the M4, beside the Hilton International. It has a 150 seater Beefeater restaurant, which is open all day from breakfast for overnight guests until evening dinner. For Beefeater to function efficiently and effectively the marketing team must analyse past performance and present trends, and attempt to predict the future in the form of marketing plan. There are a number of planning techniques and processes which have been used successfully, they are:  · SWOT analysis  · Marketing mix  · Boston matrix  · Ansoff strategy  · PEST analysis Objectives  · To comply with the task that has been set by the Beefeater manager. This is to identify the following objectives and present fresh new ideas for the business. This task will try to solve her problem of relatively low growth and boost sales to increase revenue.  · To identify the external forces influencing the competitive environment of the U.K. hospitality market.  · Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Lydiard Beefeater through an internal audit.  · To identify the political, economic social and technological influences on the Lydiard, Swindon. ... ... of 35-44 yr olds, and 4% of 45+ yr olds agreed. 6% were "currently a meat eater but would like to become a vegetarian". 25% thought that is not "safe and healthy", rising to 34% in 15-24 yr olds. 36% of non-vegetarians would consider becoming a vegetarian if they felt animal farming was cruel. 82% felt that in the future there will be more vegetarians. 75% felt that in the future people will eat less meat. 80% claimed to prefer to buy food that is cruelty free and good for the environment These statistics clearly show that there needs to be a provision for vegetarian customers. The data however would need to be compared to more recent data to check validity and to identify any trends in the data such as cruelty to animals. Bibliography Customer questionnaire Advanced business www.Beefeater.co.uk www.ask.com

History of Retail Industry Essay

Department stores were gradually introduced which gave customers a chance to choose between brands and products at one location. From JC Penney founded in 1902, to Piggly Wiggly in 1916 who was the first to offer checkout lines and self service. In 1961, Target was founded with Wal-Mart in 1962 and Kohls right behind them in 1963. It wasn’t long and Best Buy, Kmart, TJ Maxx, Costco, and many more retail stores opened their doors to the industry of shopping. It didn’t take long for the retail industry to take off and attract consumers of all kinds with the convenience of shopping and with it ame an experience as well. From department stores to grocery stores they transformed their ways of selling to gives customers not only the products they want but the atmosphere that was appealing. With Wal-Mart opening its doors in 1962 it made the 1960s the revolution in the world of retail. Today, retail industry is booming, yes with the recession it hurt some of the smaller busine sses but for the most part they have stayed afloat. We did lose some big retail businesses in 2008 such as Linens N Things, Mervyns and Circuit City. With this being said, the retail industry needs to make stakeholders understand the role in the industry to help protect and improve their reputation as well as build the confidence in consumers. Corporate stakeholders have to be more than a moral responsibility to the company. They need to be a part of much more from how much consumers spend to supporting key policy issues and in the end will change the shareholder value. Social, Economic, and Political Setting The retail industry does a lot for the social and economic setting. Wal-Mart alone does a great deal for the communities where their stores are located. Not only do they provide jobs for around 1. 5 million people, they also have competitive pricing to help local economies. Their competitive pricing brings in more than 312 billion dollars. So not only is Wal-Mart a thriving company they believe in a family work culture as well as supporting their local communities. Many retail stores leave a big footprint in their communities and worldwide. They rally around charities and do their part to put a stamp on the map. On the other hand, most in the retail industry try to keep business and politics separate which seems to be the safest position to take. Some retail businesses like Wal-Mart and Coca Cola are open to their affiliation with the Republican Party and seems to help their image with the traditional consumers but most do not want to take a chance of offending their customer base. Domestic and International Ethics Starbucks who opened their doors in 1971 to forty-one year later they have become a global company with more than 19,000 stores in 60 different countries. They have made the Ethicsphere Institute’s World most Ethical Company List for six straight years. They introduced the Ethical Coffee sourcing program in 2001 to help farms in Central and South America improve their crops while remaining environmentally aware. They helped local nurseries plant over 200,000 seedlings to restore natural forest cover as well as decreasing the use of herbicides and chemical fertilizers with farmers. They also helped train farmers to help reduce the use of carbon by replacing more than 200,000 trees. Ecological and Natural Resources The retail industry has regulations made by the Environmental Protection Agency that they have to comply by to meet regulatory obligations as well as helping reduce environmental impacts such as waste management, product selection and construction of new facilities. Retail businesses may have state regulations to comply by as well as Federal regulations. Many in the retail industry are taking great strides to help impact the environment. There are four areas that highly impact the environment. One is the choice of raw materials for clothing has big impacts on the environment. Cotton is known for its rigorous use of water and pesticides and the so called natural dyes that rely on the harvest of millions of insects to reach the â€Å"natural†color. The second is manufacturing. Textile dyeing and finishing mills can be high producers of water pollution and carbon dioxide emissions and by improving their mills to reduce water, energy and chemical use can really reduce the footprint of their global supply chain. The third is transportation which unfortunately manufacturers and retailers are on other ends of the globe which any mode of transportation sends some sort of pollution into the environment. The last impact is consumer care which many consumers may not even be aware of how a few simple steps can help reduce environmental impacts tremendously. One is washing in cold water and air drying if possible. Dry cleaning is another risk to the environment due to the chemical that is used to clean the clothes called perchloroethylene which has been known to cause many health effects with exposure to this in high levels. So it is not just the retail businesses that can help make changes to better our environment it also falls on the shoulders of designers to use fabrics that don’t require dry cleaning and to the consumers that purchase to make choices that help the environment. Clean by Design launched their program in 2009 to help reduce the environmental impacts by using buying power of multinational corporations by improving processes in the environment to reducing emissions and waste. It is astonishing to see by 2011 that Target, Wal-Mart, Gap, Levis, H&M, Nike and Li & Fung are all participating in this program and hopefully they corporations will continue to get in board and the list will continue to grow. Social Issues In today’s lively and unstable business world of retail industry they are always faced with social issues such as customer choices, brutal competitors, complex global economy and the use of the internet. Retailers are constantly trying to find new ways to make their business more profitable and ways to get more shoppers through their doors. Retail industry has caught on to engaging with society and the consumers on a personal level. They are adapting and changing to the environment around them and constantly developing new ways to serve their customers with trust and brand loyalty. Just like Timberland Company did in 2008 by making a â€Å"nutrition label† on their shoe box to show the environmental impact it has from beginning to delivery of the shoe. The company did this in hopes of giving consumers the information they need to make environmentally smart decisions on buying. Not only did Timberland Company do this they also comprised their shoe box that is made up of 100 percent recycled post-consumer waste fiber, no chemical glues and only soy-based inks to print labels. Timberland is just one of many retail stores that take a stand on social issues. Target is another big business in the business industry that comes to mind. From opening its doors in 1988, Target has always tried to be a step above in the industry with the competitive edge logos to their reputation for low prices and offering organic foods in their superstores. They always try to maintain their mission statement which reads, â€Å"to make Target your preferred shopping destination in all channels by delivering outstanding value, continuous innovation and exceptional guest experiences by consistently fulfilling our Expect More. Pay Less.  ® brand promise†. They not only cater to the consumers they are extremely involved with schools and the communities that surround them. They are partnered with St. Jude which is a huge plus for them and provide disaster relief and are always raising funds for our country’s children. Another company that has taking great strides to make their place in this economy just as their mission statement says to â€Å"Inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. Rating of the industry’s overall social responsiveness I believe the retail industry for the most part is trying to take the right steps to make a difference in the economy and help insure the environment is first priority. Over the years we have seen so many big corporations leave footprints in the global economy as well as making the appropriate changes to better the community and environment we live in. References Retail. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. ceres. org/roadmap-assessment/sector-analyses/retail Wal-Mart. (2012, December 9). History timeline. Retrieved from http://corporate. walmart. com/our-story/heritage/history-timeline https://corporate. target. com/about/history/Target-through-the-years (2012, March). In Starbucks Ethical Coffee Sourcing and Farmer Report. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://assets. starbucks. com/assets/6e52b26a7602471dbff32c9e66e685e3. pdf Clean by design. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. nrdc. org/international/cleanbydesign The evolution of retailing. (2009, 12). Retrieved from http://www. kpmg. com/CN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Evolution-retailing-o-200912. pdf Ken, A. (2012, March 31). Wal-mart company.