E-commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

E-commerce - Essay Example The E-commerce revolution has surged forward with applications appearing in the airline industry as equitable with fast and easy modern technology service in the new age. This scientific protocol allows the industry to communicate internally with suppliers and partners and with their customers. Plagued with a series of economic downturns and fierce competition and global critical issues, the airline industry had no other recourse but to adjust and adapt itself to the current business scenario than remain covered in dust as other competitors fly by. Although most airlines were reluctant to engage strategically in electronic commerce giving justification to their highly exceptional personalized service, the Paris Crash in 2000 and the September 11, 2001 downfall made every international flag carrier cringed at the thought of closing its doors forever and were instead forced to lunge for drastic measures to regain its earning equilibrium. Bigger airline industries brainstormed their ma rketing specialists while directors hold close door meetings in the effort to address the problems besieging the entire future of everyone associated with the business. Small players beyond 2003 were still struggling to keep up with the prevailing market scene but bigger players had adjusted faster but then again faced with the critical issue of mass employee lay-off for most of its workers affected by the online economic measures. However the e-business held promises to lower the operating costs of these sectors as well as connections to the wider world in a matter of seconds. Flag carriers like British Airways, KLM, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, American Airlines and Singapore Airlines responded by installing e-commerce platforms as the robust channel for business. The Paris Crash in 2000 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks the following year, coupled by fluctuating maintenance costs, and the future of Concorde was limited despite the expensive modifications after the crash.

IT CAN BE ABOUT ANYTHING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT CAN BE ABOUT ANYTHING - Essay Example Many protesters on the West Coast are starting to form a general game plan that protesters on the East Coast have not done. They are shutting down ports owned by large financial firms such as Goldman Sachs. These are the real firms that the protestors are trying to harm. Alliances with some labor groups have put the protestors in a position of power. Some sociologists see this as a recipe for increasingly militant protests in the coming months up and down the West Coast. I rally liked this article because it was very informative and answered questions that I had about the Occupy Wall Street movement on the West Coast. I did not understand why so many people showed up to shut down the Port of Oakland. As far as I was concerned, that wasn’t hurting anyone other than the men and women working at the dock. They surely didn’t get paid for that missed day of work. I now realize that it was actually a part of a plan between the protestors and the workers on the docks. This article is an important one because it confirms how I feel about the Occupy Wall Street movement. I do not think it is going to go away. Something is sure to happen eventually that will motivate more people to get out in the street or to elect different sorts of people to government in Washington DC and in state governments all over America. I believe in this movement and would like to see the rules that favor the richest Americans changed so everyone can have a better chance at moving up in life. These are some of the issues that will define my generation. How we handle ourselves at this point in time is very critical, because if this Occupy Wall Street movement fails or fades away, then that will embolden the richest Americans even more. I felt that the authors Wholsen and Collins did a great job with this story. It was a fair, unbiased

Medmira Case Essay Example for Free

Medmira Case Essay MedMira Case Course: Marketing Planning What changes in the environment made it possible to consider the launch of an OTC Aids Test? Be specific. MedMira is known by developing and manufacturing quality diagnostics to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases. All tests used a flow-through membrane technology and were fast and easy to use. Medmira was distributing rapid HIV tests in Canada, United States, South Africa, Latin America and China, and selling them to hospitals, pharmacies and aid groups. One of the focuses of MedMira was to expand to Over-the-Counter market as there happened some changes that made it possible to consider this attempt: New infections were happening and about 3.1 million people were dying from HIV. This adds a higher preoccupation to the government and specialists on the health sector and pressure to arrange a solution. During the 80’s, there were few available treatment and when people knew they had the virus they would see it as a death sentence. Nowadays this idea is disappearing as technology is more advanced, it is a â€Å"more manageable illness† and there is an increase of information available about HIV. Due to legal approval of the tests, MedMira was able to distribute rapid HIV tests in Canada, United States, China and European Union. This is a step closer of entering the OTC market. Rapid testing was expected to grow between 20 to 30 per cent of the market. This expected growth was also related to a higher approval by governments as there were changes in the society acceptance and technological improvements on this area. Comparison factor as Medmira’s first rapid HIV test for OTC, Miracare, had a big success in China and this could happen in the rest of the world. Due to this accomplishment, international demand for this product has increased. Prepare a SWOT analysis for MedMira Aids Test. The following SWOT analysis contains the most significant and strategically important internal and external conditions that MedMira faces. The Internal is divided into strengths and weakness and the external is divided into opportunities and threats: Internal Strengths: -HIV test market leader -Easy use Weakness: -Ethical concerns -Cannibalization of revealing G2 External Opportunities: -Partnership with HA -Open door for testing other diseases -Growing rapid test market Threats: -Ethical concerns -Possible partnership of HA with competitors -Entry costs MedMira has some internal strengths by being a HIV test market leader, specially selling to hospitals, and suitable for at-home use. The Aids test is also easier to use and faster on getting the results relative to the competition, result of this was a higher international recognition. Relative to weakness aspects, there are some ethical concerns such as the possibility of testing without another person’s authorization that is a negative aspect. Apart from this, in case MedMira is able to enter the OTC market, there is a possibility of cannibalizing the sales of Reveal G2 to laboratories and hospitals, as the products would be considered as â€Å"substitutes† as they practically have the same objective. One of the opportunities is the partnership with Home Access and develop a revised  version of HA’s Consumer Advocate System. This partnership would eliminate the ethical concerns MedMira couldn’t address and would also help to remain competitiveness, build a barrier to entry of other firms on the phone support system and reduce courier costs. Another opportunity is if MedMira could enter the OTC market, it would be an open door for rapid tests of other infectious diseases that are worth millions. For last, the development of the rapid test market is a favorable trend to higher sales and profits, which is seen as a good opportunity. If Home Access, which possesses a patent on phone support system, joins with one of the competitors, MedMira will eventually lose competitiveness with this partnership, being one of the main threats. For last, entry costs on the OTC market are high and it is not clear if the company could afford the expansion at this moment. To conclude this analysis, the partnership would have a positive impact in the society. Because if consumers are able to buy rapid tests, this could prompt people to be tested earlier in a faster, easier and more accessible way, which would reduce the instances of transmission.

Billy Budd Essay -- essays research papers

BILLY BUDD   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many ways you can argue if the novel Billy Budd was a good novel or a bad one. You can determine this by looking at such things as plot, character, and the use of language. The book is about a sailor that has been impressed (the act of forcibly taking sailors and making them serve in the navy) by the British navy. It is set in the late 1700’s during the French Revolution which overthrew the anarchy, addressed peoples concerns, and it was mainly a focus on human rights. The Revolution also influenced the way sailors thought because of the mutinies at Spit head and Nor. And due to Billy’s notable qualities he became the handsome sailor(the natural leader of the crew). Also since the British Navy needed so many people to fight with them they picked up many people making their ships crew multi cultural. But Billy went onto the ship not only to find out that his life will come to an abrupt stop. The novel appealed in many ways with both likes an d dislikes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel was fairly good due to its plot layout. The early setting in the late 1700’s, and the whole sailor aspect was good. the things that make the novel interesting is that its on a boat in the old age and if someone gets injured or something similar to that the healing process will not be as good. just knowing that can make you look at the book a whole new way because you look more for violence sometimes than peoples discussing something. The...

Career Management Week 4 Hrm 531

Career Management Plan HRM 531/ Human Capital Management Career Management Plan Introduction The Career management plan begins with the employee themselves. They are the key to their own success. ‘A career is not something that should be left to chance; instead, in the evolving world of work it should be shaped and managed more by the individual than by the organization. † (Grove, 1999). While it is important for the employee to manage their own career it is equally important for their managers to develop a career management plan to guide them within the organization.The employee may take this information and either develop from it or become stagnant. This paper will discuss different aspects of Career Management such as: feedback, how a manager will help employees reach higher levels of performance, opportunities for advancement to increase skills, flexible opportunities for dual-career parents, adaptation to team diversity and a justification of every member’s ca reer and how they will be handled along with the expected benefits and types of costs. Analysis FeedbackDevelopmental feedback should be given to each employee by their manager or supervisor. Feedback is defined as, â€Å"An employee performance appraisal is a process—often combining both written and oral elements—whereby management evaluates and provides feedback on employee job performance, including steps to improve or redirect activities as needed. † (Cascio, 2006, p 327). Feedback may be both positive and negative. Both should be presented to the employee. If negative feedback is offered the manager should be cautious and sensitive on the presentation of the material.There are different kinds of feedback that should be offered to the employee. The different periods that feedback may be offered in are; after thirty days of starting in the position, immediately as needed in a situation or regularly scheduled. New Employee Each new employee will be evaluated 3 0 days after their first day of working in the position. This feedback will allow the employee to see how they are performing to the job description of the position. It will also give the manager the information on how the employee is performing to the expectations of the position.If redirecting and review needs to take place, this is an important time in the career path of the employee. This sets the foundation for good employee habits. Immediate Feedback In a heightened situation a review and feedback should be done in a timely fashion or immediately as the situation requires. This allows the employee to redirect if necessary and build good work habits. While feedback cannot always be managed so quickly, this is the optimal solution. Immediate feedback should be in the manner of oral and written communication.The supervisor should counsel the employee and speak to the employee with immediate feedback, then follow up with written communication. The employee should then have the abi lity to respond to the supervisor in writing within thirty days. Scheduled feedback Feedback will be given to the employee on a scheduled basis. A review will be done both semi-annually and annually. The format for the semi-annual and annual appraisals will be the same. The goal of each manager will be to provide the employee important information on their performance. The appraisal will be non – biased and informational.The employee should be rated on their individual strengths, including: the quality of their work, knowledge of the job, communication between other members of the organization, work habits, job knowledge and the behaviors and relations with others. The feedback from the appraisal should show how the employee can improve their performance and the tools and resources they have available to improve their performance. After the feedback is presented to the employee in oral and written format, the employee will have thirty days to respond to the feedback.The manag ers or supervisors will then have thirty days to respond to the employees’ feedback. How a manager will help employees reach higher levels of Performance The basis of goal setting and the appraisal and feedback process is to assist the employee to reach higher levels of performance within their current position and to set the stage for future performance and growth. This performance may benefit our company or the employee may leave and take the skill sets they have learned with them.It is the job of the manager to assist the employee to gain higher levels of performance so that they will want to stay with our company. Cascio describes performance as, â€Å"A manager who defines performance ensures that individual employees or teams know what is expected of them, and that they stay focused on effective performance. † (Cascio, 2006, p 329). . How do we as managers accomplish this task? â€Å"By paying careful attention to three key elements: goals, measures, and assessm ent† (Cascio, 2006, p 329). Setting goals for employees sets the expectations that they will work toward.Cascio describes the goal setting process, â€Å"Set specific, challenging goals, for this clarifies precisely what is expected and leads to high levels of performance. On average, studies show, you can expect to improve productivity 10 percent by using goal setting. ’ (Cascio, 2006, p 330). The employees should have realistic and measureable goals. The more defined the goals are the easier they will be understood and be able to be assessed. These goals should align and incorporate the corporate objective of increasing market share and customer based sales. The measures and assessments are part of the appraisal and feedback process.Opportunities for Advancement Opportunities for advancement are largely dependent on the employee and their desire to meet and exceed the goals a manager has set for them. The long term goals for each person vary. It is a managers’ job to realistically discuss what the goals of each employee’s are. Individual goals vary from person to person. One goal for an upcoming salesperson may be to be a Sales Manager within five years. For an older person it may entirely different. Cascio describes an older person’s goal, â€Å"Late careers increasingly are defined in terms of phased retirement.In this new world, the ultimate goal is psychological success, the feeling of pride and personal accomplishment that comes from achieving your most important goals in life, be they achievement, family happiness, inner peace, or something else. † (Cascio, 2006, p 376). Options for Advancement Once individual goals are set, the manager may look at the various options available within the company to meet the needs of the employee. There are a variety of options available to the manager to meet the different goals of an employee. The goals may include upward or lateral moves within the company.To meet the indivi dual goals, training or retraining in different areas may be necessary. The employee may need to be challenged so that they do not become stagnant. The manger may identifying skill sets of the employee and suggest vacancies or positions within the company that would utilize the employees’ strengths to move upward. If the company adds a new market segment, retraining may be offered to current employees. The tuition reimbursement plan of $2000. 00 per employee per year allows the employee to have the company pay for further education at an accredited institution.The focus of the education must align with the employees’ position or future goals. The tuition reimbursement plan is part of the employees’ total compensation package. Other offerings to employees may be established if the manager identifies an unmet need that would benefit many employees. Flexible opportunities for Dual – Career Parents In current studies we see that â€Å"forty five percent of t he workforce is made up of dual- career couples. † (Cascio, 2006, p 379) The dual career couples and parents have presented to be a unique concern in our company.To meet the needs of this group we have offered a variety of opportunities to our employees. Flexible work hours have been established in departments that are not schedule based. Employees may use accrued compensation time to meet family needs. They appreciate work times that may tailored to their family needs. Since beginning this policy, we see that the turnover rate of dual career couples has decreased. Telework from home is allowed for approved employees. When employees are sick or have sick children they work from home, which has reduced company absenteeism.This has allowed employees the flexibility to meet the needs of their families while maintaining productivity. On-site daycare facilities have been established in many of our site locations. This allows parents to spend more time with their children. It has de creased absenteeism of parents. Reviews from parents with children in the company day care facilities have stated that they no longer have to take time off because of private care facilities closing during work days. In many instances productivity has increased because of these measures. The goals of a dual career couple employee may also be unique.The manager should be aware of any special concerns regarding lateral, upward or career relocations this may have for the employee. Adaptation to team diversity and a justification of every member’s career Our company has a combined workforce made up with a very diverse set of employees. There are new graduates directly out of high school and college that have little to no work experience. There are seasoned employees that have been with the company for a number of years. There are individuals from a variety of races that speak many different languages.Our workforce is comprised of nearly equal genders. We are a non-biased company that is utilizing each employee’s strengths. When a unique talent is needed in a specialized market we try to fill the position using the employee’s strong points. Culture differences and fluency in different languages is definitely a plus in our company. An example of the current views on cultures shows that most companies are trying to diversify their workforce. â€Å"We feel it’s important to have employees who represent all walks of life from many diverse cultural backgrounds. (Burden, Octo) We have recently marketed to the Health Care industry in a Spanish speaking region. We have realigned the Spanish speaking sales representative and customer support to these accounts. Productivity and sales have increased three times in the account. Participation in these market segments is voluntary and should be part of the personal goals of the employee. Bonuses and salary increases of five percent will be given to bilingual employees that work in these diverse marke t segments. Bias toward any particular group of people will not be tolerated.Justify the report and the expected benefits and types of costs. The process of appraising, rating and feedback allows for clear and concrete goal setting. The cost of the process and employee offerings far outweighs the cost of doing a mediocre job of employee development and career planning. With concise goals and managers that assist in employee development a strong workforce is being developed within the company. There are many benefits to assisting employees with their career plans. We have a workforce that is staying with the company for longer period of times, more nowledgeable about many departments within the company and more loyal. We have workers that are telecommuting, getting more work done at home than at the office. These are just some of the benefits of career planning. There are also many costs that are avoided with having a stronger workforce. These costs are associated with the lack of em ployee development and career planning. Employee retention and turnover is one of the largest costs to a company. In an industry average we see that employee turnover has a great impact. These calculations will easily reach 150% of the employee’s annual compensation figure. The cost will be significantly higher (200% to 250% of annual compensation) for managerial and sales positions. † (Bliss, May) Retraining employees to work in another department allows them to share and expand their knowledge and eventually make for a stronger company. â€Å"While it is true that sales and other financial statistics determine the success of a company, what most people overlook is the fact that employees are among the most important determinants of the success of a company. (Icles, Apri). Conclusion This paper has shown the process of feedback, how managers may assist employees to reach a higher level of performance, a discussion on lateral and upward advancement, dual – coupl e careers, diversity and the benefits and types of costs of having a career plan. It has been seen that having goals that are derived from an appraisal may start the employee on a career plan. While the employee is ultimately responsible for developing their own career, their manager will play a significant role in modeling the way for that development.Developing a career management plan for employees has associated costs, but we have seen that the benefits outweigh these costs. These benefits are retention of happier, more productive and loyal employees. It appears that career management planning is the way to go for any company. References Bliss, W. G. (May 9, 2010). Cost of Employee Turnover. Retrieved from http://www. isquare. com/turnover. cfm Burden, M. (October 15,2010) Flint Journal – Michigan Business Flourish Because of Bilingual Workers. Retrieved from

Hunting snake Judith Wright Essay

The main subject of the poem is the sudden appearance of the snake and the surprised reactions of the poet and her companion. The snake does no harm to the walkers and they in turn do not harm the snake. As an environmentalist, Wright sought to preserve the natural surroundings in Australia. She cared intensely for the Aboriginal people who lived in close intimacy with nature which the settlers did not. The poem, on the surface, is about the sudden appearance of the snake but it could also be about the various creatures that lived in Australia and the animal friendly way of life of the aboriginal people. The initial emotion that overtakes the poet and her companion is shock or surprise. They are walking along a grassy patch (not a jungle) when they see the snake â€Å"reeling by†. Soon this surprise is overtaken by admiration for the perfection of its body, the symmetry of the scales on its surface and the single minded (â€Å"fierce intent†) pursuit of its prey. Structure The poem has a tightly controlled structure that does not permit much innovation. The beginning of the poem describes a peaceful scene when nature is full of the mellow sunshine of autumn, then comes the surprise of finding a snake in their midst. But there is no sudden movement or strong emotion expressed so there is no change in the structure either. The poem has four quatrains with a traditional rhyme scheme of abab, cdcd, efef in the first three stanzas but the fourth stanza is ghhg. The change in the last stanza is like the letting out of breath (â€Å"We took a deeper breath of day,†) after having unconsciously held it while the snake was around. Thereby emphasising the relief that the observers felt. If you extend beyond the surface level meaning, you could explore the symbolism here: is Wright challenging the attitude that we have towards the indigenous Aboriginals, by highlighting the judgement that the observers have made (that the snake is dangerous) when in actual fact, it is just going about it ´s daily life? Are we too quick to make a judgement on a people group that has different values  to us? You might like to link this to A Different History, as the Brits coined the category, â€Å"Aboriginal Australians† after they begin colonising Australia in 1788. Notice how language is used to form stereotypes. Language The language used is very simple but the imagery is strong making it a visceral poem. The choice of sibilants (â€Å"we scarcely thought; still as we stood†) mimics the movements of the snake to highlight the immediate fear that the observers feel towards it. Again, are we afraid of what we don ´t fully understand and therefore, make unnecessary judgements? Imagery The use of strong imagery marks the poem. The opening images are of a balmy day in autumn when there is a â€Å"mellow fruitfulness† everywhere. The calm is broken by the sudden arrival of the snake. The picture of the snake in single minded pursuit of its prey, tongue darting as it feels the ground, the grass parting as it moves through are pen pictures which allow us to â€Å"see† the event. The poem focuses on the event rather than the narrator allowing us to share in the emotions. Symbolically, is Wright encouraging us not to impulsively respond to our immediate reactions when faced with something unknown, or something that we don ´t fully understand, so that we reflect upon our preconceived notions about a person/situation? Thus, is she challenging the stereotypes surrounding the Aboriginies? Movement / Rhythm The rhyme scheme is a simple abab, cdcd, efef and ghhg. The rigidity of the scheme allows the poet to focus on the event rather than on the emotions or the feelings of the poet. The movement of the snake is copied in the movement of the lines and the sibilants evoke a slithering sensation. Sounds Alliterative and sibilant sounds as in â€Å"sun glazed his curves of diamond scale†, â€Å"we scarcely thought; still as we stood† convey the impression of a slithering movement of the snake as it moved fast over the grass. These  devices continue to relate to the relationship that humanity has with nature: we should respect nature, the natural world and the people who live in it. Figures of Speech Through an extended metaphor, the poet tells us of the symbiotic relationship between the snake and man. There is no maudlin talk about the prey or the cruelty of the snake as a hunter but merely an acknowledgement of the sense of purpose behind the movement of the snake. Mainly, Wright depicts this symbiotic relationship so that man reflects upon his treatment of a) the natural world around him and b) the indigenous people group found in a country.

Free Essays on Socrates “most Important Thing Is Not Life But The Good Life“

, the individual beliefs in what’s right and what’s wrong (just and unjust). Now, the problem is should we obey or disobey the laws that we believe is unjust? I feel we should disobey it, in a non-violent fashion. Dr. King stated â€Å"An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself†. (p. 252). Even though, laws are meant to put a social order in life some laws may apply to degrade some individuals or groups, and if a law applies in inferiority then it should be disobeyed. I believe Socrates beliefs in a â€Å"good life† were right and he send was a good example. Socrates questioned society, the gods, and the laws of his civilization and for his questionings he was sentence a death penalty. In the dialogue of Crito, Socrates went on into explaining why he wouldn’t escape from jail. Socrates stated, â€Å"for anyone who destroys the laws could easily be thought to corrupt the young and the ignorant†. (p. 55). He believed that running away would give influence society that he was really an ignorant person and was really corrupting the you... Free Essays on Socrates â€Å"most Important Thing Is Not Life But The Good Lifeâ€Å" Free Essays on Socrates â€Å"most Important Thing Is Not Life But The Good Lifeâ€Å" Socrates argues the (1981) â€Å"most important thing is not life, but the good life† (p. 50). I strongly agree with Socrates statement because I couldn’t live life oppressed forever; I’ll even sacrifice my life for a â€Å"good life† because without a â€Å"good life† it wouldn’t be worth living. Therefore, I believe in a good life as long as you fight it in a non-violent fashion just as the great Marting King Jr, and Gandhi has done. In order to live a â€Å"good life† you have to fight for it even if it means your life. History has shown it, fighting for what you believe in will get you somewhere; look at Marting Luther King Jr and Jesus Christ. To give you a better understanding of what is a â€Å"good life’, â€Å"good life† is what an individual believe what is morally correct; in other words, the individual beliefs in what’s right and what’s wrong (just and unjust). Now, the problem is should we obey or disobey the laws that we believe is unjust? I feel we should disobey it, in a non-violent fashion. Dr. King stated â€Å"An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself†. (p. 252). Even though, laws are meant to put a social order in life some laws may apply to degrade some individuals or groups, and if a law applies in inferiority then it should be disobeyed. I believe Socrates beliefs in a â€Å"good life† were right and he send was a good example. Socrates questioned society, the gods, and the laws of his civilization and for his questionings he was sentence a death penalty. In the dialogue of Crito, Socrates went on into explaining why he wouldn’t escape from jail. Socrates stated, â€Å"for anyone who destroys the laws could easily be thought to corrupt the young and the ignorant†. (p. 55). He believed that running away would give influence society that he was really an ignorant person and was really corrupting the you...