Management Information Systems IP One Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Information Systems IP One - Essay Example It enhances transparency, reliable and also ensures lower energy consumption. To manage information flow in smart grids, technology is required. There is need to establish network and switches for power management, sensor and monitoring gadgets to follow energy usage and supply trends. The grids should also require systems to supply consumers and suppliers of energy with usage data, communication systems to transmit data along the whole energy supply system as well as systems to run programmable devices when energy is cheaper. The most probable challenge that could hamper the development of smart grids is opposition by consumer advocates. Consumer advocates are out to stop smart grids if it increases energy cost for consumers who are unwilling or unable to pay to use Web portals. Their argument is that smart grids interfere with consumers’ right to use devices without revealing facts about their usage to others. The implementation of smart grids will ensure sustainability of e nergy supply through facilitation of uses of renewable energy sources (Friedrichs, 2011). I would want my house or community to be fitted with smart grids for many reasons. It is believed that smart grids enable smart decision-making on energy consumption. It reduces energy cost and pollution. Smart grids can also detect sources of power outages faster and precisely at individual house level, which will enable utilities to respond swiftly and efficiently to problems. It will allow households to generate their own power. CASE STUDY 2: Collaboration and Innovation at Procter & Gamble Procter & Gamble’s business strategy is to develop new brands and maintain brand recognition with distinct business innovation. Collaboration and innovation facilitate development of new ideas, which is crucial for product development and improvement of existing products to meet emerging market needs. Because the company’s business centers on brand creation and administration, it is crucial for the company to establish collaboration between researchers, marketers and administrators. Procter & Gamble focuses on consumer goods, which demand extensive research for better innovative approaches to develop new ideas. For a giant corporation like Procter & Gamble, identifying effective collaboration approaches is often an intimidating task. For this reason, the company has established information systems that promote effective collaboration and innovation to facilitate product development ideas. The collaboration technologies that the company is using include: e-mail: this is a presumable tool for communication that enables the sender to control information flow. Many people are accustomed to e-mails. Blogs: this collaboration method is open and permits any interested party to access its contents. It also enables interested users to comments on the blog contents. SharePoint: it enables to share bookmarks and tag content with descriptive phrases that feature in successive sear ches and enhance social networks of coworkers to enable them locate and share information effectively. InnovationNet: contain numerous search related documents (5 million) in digital format accessible through a browser gateway.

Customer Satisfaction In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay

Customer Satisfaction In The Hotel Industry Tourism Essay The Study mainly reviews and discusses the topic of customer satisfaction and its application to the Hospitality and Tourism industries. Defines the concept and analyzes its importance to services and its importance to serves in general and to hospitality / tourism services in particular. Following a discussion on the dimensions and attributes of satisfaction, lists the main methods of measuring satisfaction and concludes with a review of global and cross-cultural issues that affect satisfaction in hotel industry. Customer satisfaction is the leading decisive factor for determining the quality and standard which is actually delivered to the customer through the product, service or by the accompanying servicing. (Vavra, 1997); Its simply stated, Customer satisfaction is essential for corporate survival Several studies have found that it costs about five times as much in time, money and resources to attract a new customer as it does to retain an existing customer (Neumann, 1995). This creates the challenge of maintaining high levels of service, awareness of customer expectations and improvement in services and product. Hayes states that Knowledge of customer expectations and requirements is essential for two reasons it provides understanding of how the customer defines quality of services and products, and facilitates the development of a customer satisfaction questionnaire (Hayes, 1997, p7). Furthermore, customer satisfaction is recognized as of great importance to all commercial firms because of its influence on repeat purchases and word of mouth recommendations (Berkman and Gilson, 1986). The researcher interest is to carryout a study of customer satisfaction at Express by Holiday Inn, London. Research Problem Customer satisfaction research is not an end into itself. The purpose, of course, in measuring customer satisfaction is to see where a company stands in this regard in the eyes of its customers, thereby enabling service and product improvements which will lead to higher satisfaction level. Satisfaction is not a universal phenomenon and not everyone gets the same satisfaction out of the same hospitality experience. The reason is that customers have different needs, objectives and past experiences that influence their expectation. The results of a customer satisfaction survey need to be evaluated to determine what needs to be improved. Goals should be as specific as possible. Hotels are often challenged on how to best increase guest satisfaction, and how to optimize both price and occupancy. Employee satisfaction, guestroom cleanliness, amenities, appearance, food and services all contribute to customer satisfaction, and increase customer satisfaction is a proven driver of guest retent ion and higher occupancy rates. Understanding customer experience through research is widely recognized as a key factor in improving long-term business performance. Express by Holiday Inn Hotel had a requirement to obtain daily feedback at an individual level by rooms/reception questionnaire in general for its GSTS (Guest satisfaction tracking system). It has to introduce web based questionnaire survey to create an opportunity to built feedback interface for general public to get provided a cost-effective and practical methodology so hotel future guest see the reviews in term of past feedbacks. In the customer arena, we believe that regular, quantitative measurement of customer satisfaction provides a much better lead indicator of future organizational health than profitability of market share change (Tom Peters, Management guru) Objectives of the Study The main objective is to conduct the customer satisfaction and its measurement in the hotel industry with special reference to Express by Holiday Inn Hotel, London. Subsidiary Objectives Analyses of costs demonstrating that customer retention is substantially less expensive than customer acquisition. Customer behaviourists in the area of lodging, restaurant, food services and tourism. Customer satisfaction is a psychological concept. Customer purchase goods and service with pre purchase expectations about anticipated performance. Assessment of satisfaction is made during the service delivery process. Satisfaction is not a universal phenomenon and everyone is not getting the same satisfaction out of the same hospitality experience. Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy and Tangibles. Significance of Study Customer Satisfaction measurement (CSM) consists of on two major roles Providing Information Enabling Communication with Customer The initial or primary reason for taking the time to measure customer satisfaction is based on to collect the information. It means that what customers say that need to be done differently or on the other hand to assess how well an organization is currently meeting its customer needs or requirements. But the secondary is not less important function of CSM in hospitality industry that by surveying customers. An organization is emphasis its interest in communicating with its customers. In hotel industry, its always finding out customers needs, pleasures, displeasures and overall well being. Though it is impossible to measure the satisfaction of every single customer needs. The customer satisfaction may different from organization to organization or hotel to hotel. Here we would like to quote Neumann (1995) five objectives suggestions as follows: To get close to the customer Measure continuous improvement To achieve customer driven improvement To measure competitive strengths and weaknesses To link Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) data to internal systems Hypothesis Customer Satisfaction is a psychological concept. Customer purchase goods and services with pre purchase expectations. Assessment of satisfaction is made during the service delivery process. Satisfaction is not Universal phenomenon. Recognition of the employees who contribute to the Customers satisfaction Customer based improvement goals Plans for improving operational variables Incorporation of customer satisfaction skills into employees training programme Measurement and plan for improvement of employee satisfaction Importance of my Study To satisfy each and every customer or to meet his / her expectation every time is not an easy task especially in hotel industry. This work is to investigate and examine the psychology of the customer, their expectations and behaviour. Methodology My methodology of research will be based on experience, day to day operation of the hotel, customer complaint, customer satisfaction standard, theory, hypothesis, observation and confirmation. Universe of the Study The research would be conducted Hotels based in London, utilizing my own experience but the mainly focused on the Customer Satisfaction Measurement. Sample Design My sample will be comprised of the Customer Satisfaction Measurement in Express by Holiday Inn Hotel, London Data Usage In my research I would like to go for primary data collection, secondary data collection, quantitative and qualitative data collection. Tools of data Collection The data collection would include the use of questionnaire, scheduled interviews, guest feedback, and management feedback, guest services track system (GSTS), guest survey, and personal experience along with personal observation. In the questionnaire design, I will use the respondent completes short closed ended questions and long open ended questions. In the interview design, I would like to use personal forms, sharing their experience and work directly with the respondent. In the guest feedback, I would like to get the guest feedback while they are checking out from the hotel, compare their past and current experience. In the management feedback, I would like to get the information from management regarding the standard and complaint level of the guest activities in the hotel. Hypothesis Testing My hypothesis is Customer Satisfaction is a psychological concept. Customer purchase goods and services with pre purchase expectations. Assessment of satisfaction is made during the service delivery process. Satisfaction is not Universal phenomenon. I would like to test this hypothesis with my proper research along with my personal experience with respect to the Customer Satisfaction Measurement theory. Research Design and Timing Feb 2010 In the month of Feb 2010 I will finish my primary data collection (questionnaire, interviews, guest feed back, and management feedback, guest services track system, guest surveys, personal observation and experience) Feb 2010 In the month of Feb I would like to finish my complete data collection and I will systemize the data in the proper form according to the distribution of report. March 2010 In the month of July I would like to finish my final report writing and I will make it ready for the submission at the end of March 2010. Structure of the Report Chapter No 1 : Introduction Chapter No 2 : Literature review Chapter No 3 : Theory base (all theoretical background) Chapter No 4 : Analysis of the findings Chapter No 5 : Discussions Chapter No 6 : Conclusion and Recommendations Monitoring and Evaluation Feb, 2010 by Researcher Feb, 2010 by Supervisor March, 2010 by Researcher March, 2010 by Supervisor Literature Review My literature review comprises of theories, models, customers satisfaction surveys and related information. Brief and summarized form of my most important literature review is given below: Satisfaction Theories: Satisfaction Models: Satisfaction Surveys: Express by Holiday Inn Hotel Experience of Guest Satisfaction: Recently, numerous researchers have attempted to apply CS theories developed by consumer behaviorists in the areas of lodging in order to investigate CS applicability to the hospitality and tourism industries. The majority of these theories are based on cognitive nine distinct theories of customer satisfaction. The majority of these theories are based on cognitive psychology; some have received moderate attention, while other theories have been introduced without any empirical research. The theories include: Expectancy Disconfirmation Assimilation or cognitive dissonance Contrast Assimilation Contrast Equity Attribution Comparison level Generalized negativity Value precept Cognitive state of reward Customer satisfaction can also be defined as satisfaction based on an outcome or a process. Outcome definition of customer satisfaction characterizes satisfaction as the end-state resulting from the experience of consumption. This end state may be a cognitive state of reward, an emotional response to an experience or a comparison of rewards and costs to the anticipated consequences. Vavra also puts forth a definition of customer satisfaction based as a process, emphasizing the perceptual, evaluative and psychological processes contributing to customer satisfaction. In this definition, assessment of satisfaction is made during the service delivery process. Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory Richard Oliver has developed the expectancy disconfirmation theory in 1980. According to his theory, customers purchase goods and services with pre-purchase expectations about anticipated performance. Once the product or service has been purchased and used, outcomes are compared against expectations. When outcome matches expectations, confirmation occurs. On the other hand when there are differences between expectations and outcomes then disconfirmation occurs. Negative disconfirmation occurs when product / service performance is less than expected. Positive disconfirmation occurs when product / service performance is better than expected. Satisfaction is caused by confirmation or positive disconfirmation of consumer expectations, and dissatisfaction is caused by negative disconfirmation of consumer expectations. Basically we may say that Customer satisfaction is a psychological concept that involves the feeling of well-being and pleasure that results from obtaining what one hopes for and expects from an appealing product and/or service. Satisfaction is not a universal phenomenon and not everyone gets the same satisfaction out of the same hospitality experience. The reason is that customers have different needs, objectives and past experiences that influence their expectations. Therefore, it is important to gain a clear idea of the customer needs and objectives that correspond to different kinds of satisfactions. This necessitates the segmentation of the market, because no service or product can offer everyone the same degree of satisfaction. Experience may result from changes in the perception of the actual quality of outcomes received, or from changes in the expectations against which these outcomes are compared. The components of satisfaction Most hospitality experiences are an amalgam of products and services. Therefore it is possible to say that satisfaction with a hospitality experience such as a hotel stay or a restaurant meal is a sum total of satisfactions with the individual elements or attributes of all the products and services that make up the experience. Reuland Model of Satisfaction There is no uniformity of opinion among marketing experts as to the classification of the elements in service encounters. Reuland suggests that hospitality services consist of a harmonious mixture of three elements: The material product in a narrow sense which in the case of a restaurant is the food and beverages; The behavior and attitude of the employees who are responsible for hosting the guest, serving the meal and beverages and who come in direct contact with the guests, The environment, such as the building, the layout, the furnishing, the lighting in the restaurant, etc. Reuland et al. (1985, p. 142) Czepiel Model of Satisfaction On the other hand, Czepiel suggests that satisfaction with a service is a function of satisfaction with two independent elements, the functional element, i.e. the food and beverage in a restaurant, and the performance-delivery element, i.e. the service. To prove the independence of the two elements from each other, the authors claim that restaurant clients are quite capable of having responses to each element that differ one from the other: The service was great, the food poor or conversely. (Czepiel et al) (1985. P. 13) David and Stone Model of Satisfaction Davis and Stone divide the service encounter into two elements: Direct Services Indirect Services For example, direct services may be the actual check-in/check-out process in hotels, while the indirect services include the provision of parking facilities, concierge, public telephones for guests use, etc. (Davis and Stone (1985, p.29) Dimensions of satisfaction In service organizations, the assessment of the quality of a service is made during the actual delivery of the service usually an encounter between the customer and a service contact person. Parasuraman identified the following five generic dimensions of service quality (SERVQUAL) that must be present in the service delivery in order for it to result in customer satisfaction: Reliability the ability to perform the promised services dependably and accurately. Responsiveness the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance the knowledge and courtesy of employees as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy the provision of caring, individualized attention to customers, and Tangibles, the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials. The model conceptualizes service quality as a gap between customers expectations (E) and the perception of the service providers performance (P). According to Parasuraman that service quality should be measured by subtracting customers perception scores from customer expectation scores: (Q = P E) The greater the positive score represents the greater the positive amount of service quality or vice versa. The gap that may exist between the customers expected and perceived service is not only a measure of the quality of the service, but is also a determinant of customer satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Measuring the gap between expected and perceived service is a routine method of utilizing customer feedback. Measuring service quality via customer satisfaction Hayes states that Knowledge of customer expectations and requirements is essential for two reasons: It provides understanding of how the customer defines quality of service and products and facilitates the development of customer satisfaction questionnaires. (Hayes, 1997) Customer satisfaction is recognized as of great importance to all commercial firm because of its influence on repeat purchases and word of mouth recommendation (Berkman and Gilson, 1986). Satisfaction, reinforces positive attitudes towards the brand, leading to a greater likelihood that the same brand will be purchased again, but on the other hand dissatisfaction leads to negative brand attitudes and lessens the likelihood of buying the same brand again (Assael, 1987) Guest Expectation from Express by Holiday Inn Hotel Expectations can be described as a mutable internal standard which is based on a multitude of factors including needs, objectives, past personal or vicarious experiences with the same establishment restaurant, with similar establishments, and the availability of alternatives. To recapitulate what we have established by now is that an individuals satisfaction with outcomes received from a hospitality experience results from a comparison of these outcomes with expectations. Some hotels / restaurant attributes are more likely to earn guest complaints than compliments. Availability of parking, hours of operation, traffic congestion, noise level, and spaciousness of the establishment all appear in the top-ten complaint list. In contrast, guests express appreciation for high performance in some areas, but rarely complain when performance is so-so. The survey results suggest that guest react favorably to a clean neat restaurant, neat employees, ample portions, and responsiveness to complaints. The quality and quantity of service, food quality, helpfulness of the employees, and the prices of drinks, meals and other services appear in both the list of most frequent complaints and the list of the most frequent compliments. Cadotte and Turgeon attribute model of performance Cadotte and Turgeon divided the attributes into the following four categories: Satisfiers Dissatisfiers Critical Neutral Satisfiers were those attributes where unusual performance apparently elicited compliments and satisfaction, but average performance or even the absence of the feature did not cause dissatisfaction or complaints. Large-size food portions, smartly dressed employees, clean and neat restaurants are all examples of a restaurant satisfier. Normal food portions, regularly dressed employees and not so neat restaurants do not cause dissatisfaction. In contrast, large food portions and well-groomed and smartly dressed employees please the restaurant guest. Satisfiers, represent an opportunity to shine, to move ahead of the pack, and to stand out from the crowd Dissatisfiers were more likely to earn a complaint for low performance or absence of a desired feature than anything else. But an operation that exceeds the threshold performance standard apparently will not receive compliments on the attribute. Parking and excessive noise are good examples of dissatisfiers; they have to be provided and maintained at a minimum or sufficient level. But efforts to achieve a higher performance level will not be appreciated by customers nor will it cause them satisfaction. Dissatisfiers particularly require management control to prevent poor performance. Minimum standards should be established, and the focus should be on maintaining these standards. Be as good as your competition, but do not waste resources trying to be better. Critical attributes were capable of eliciting both complaints (dissatisfactions) and compliments (satisfactions), depending on the situation. Quality of service, food quality and helpful attitude of employees ranked high in eliciting both complaints and compliments. Critical factors deserve special attention, because of their potential for both hurting and helping a business. Like dissatisfiers, minimum standards must be set to avoid negative responses to your service. For the critical attributes, the objective is to raise performance beyond the norm Neutral attributes neither received a great number of compliments nor many complaints, therefore probably indicating that they were either not salient to guests or easily brought up to guests standards. Cadotte and Turgeon draw our attention to the fact that the classification of these factors is not permanent but constantly changes. Some dissatisfier type attributes were probably critical at one time. Higher industry standards, though, may have improved performance to the extent that most restaurants are able to meet guest requirements on these factors. For example, in warm climates, the availability of reliable air conditioning in hotels or restaurants was a critical factor; today, with the advent of modern refrigeration technology, all hotels and restaurants in such climates will have it. Having more of it will not satisfy anyone, but when air-conditioning breaks down, suddenly everyone becomes dissatisfied. Resources I would like to use limited resources for my research. I will use internet, complete media library, company visits, interviewing with different guests who are staying in different hotels or regular guests and frequent flyers, news papers, journals, books, telephone and other possible resources which are easily available and easily accessible. Possible outcome of my study I would like to say that my research work on Customer Satisfaction Measurement will bring new turn and increase the satisfaction level in Central Park Hotel Hyde Park, London. More importantly, my study will analysis the guest satisfaction level and will point out the main causes, how to improve and bring the level of customer satisfaction up to the mark. Limitations of the Study My study on Customer Satisfaction Measurement in hotel industry will be limited only as well as on Express by Holiday Inn, London and other Hotels in London.

The Beet Queen :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louise Erdrich, the author of The Beet Queen, is the oldest of seven children. Erdrich, was born in Little Falls, Minnesota, on June 7, 1954. The daughter of a French Ojibwe mother and German American father, Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Erdrich's large extended family lived nearby, affecting her writing life from an early age. Her father introduced Louise to William Shakespeare's plays and encouraged Louise and her sisters to write their own stories. Erdrich attended college at Dartmouth and John Hopkins before marrying author and anthropologist Michael Dorris. When she married Dorris, he had three adopted children and later the couple had three more children of their own. When the two separated in 1995, Erdrich moved six blocks down the street in order to share custody of their children. On March 29, 1997 Dorris committed suicide. Erdrich now lives in Minneapolis, MN with her three children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a spring morning in 1932, Mary age eleven and Karl Adare age fourteen arrive in Argus, North Dakota. Having parted and going separate ways Mary having gone to live with her aunt, while Karl goes on to explore and live on the wilder side. These children were orphaned in a strange way; their mother took off with an airplane stuntman. Haunted by disturbing images of her mother, Mary seeks refuge and stays with her mother's sister Fritzie, which with her husband Pete, run a butcher shop. This begins the forty-year saga of abandonment and unstinting love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel, The Beet Queen, deals with the elements involved to create plot movement. First off is exposition, since every chapter in The Beet Queen is narrated by a different character in the book it tells the story of each character in first person and in great detail chapter by chapter. It tells you the story from their point of view. It is very effective it allows you to be in their mind thinking along with them seeing what they are going through and feeling. At the conclusion of each chapter you want to keep reading to see what will happen to a specific character when it is there turn to narrate again. One event in The Beet Queen is when Sita is put into a psycho ward because she pretended to lose her voice, and ever since then her neighbors and everyone she came in contact with would have to read her lips.

Pollution and Poverty Essay

Authorities on the environment claim that a wealthy state could also be a polluting state and affluence can constitute a serious threat to the environment. The movement for protecting the environment commenced with a slogan of conservation and gradually changed into an anti – technology movement. It opposed the activities of the government, oil companies and the nuclear industry. The impetus for the movement included several contrasting factors, such as developments in the physical sciences, which resulted in the capacity to detect very small amounts of chemicals; the Vietnam War; and the decisive book on this subject by Rachel Carson, namely, Silent Spring. The movement against the use of nuclear energy was stimulated by the proliferation of nuclear weapons. However this movement had exaggerated the dangers to the world, by expressing unfounded fears over minute traces of radiation in the environment, caused by the nuclear energy programs (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is important to consider the Montreal Protocol, which was the first international consensus reached on prohibiting the use of certain chemicals. This Protocol was inspired by the movement, which had opposed the operation of supersonic aircraft for transportational needs. The operation of supersonic aircrafts damages the stratospheric ozone layer of the atmosphere. The documentary Against Nature depicts the views of wealthy Western nation environmentalists who argue that providing help to poor nations will compel them to increase production, which would make the world less sustainable. Those advocates of elitism demand that the poor nations should continue their traditional way of life such as agriculture, to be powered by animals or humans and not by tractors, and that energy should be produced by using cow dung rather than oil.   These comments address the social issue of population growth. However, population growth depends on the rate of fertility, which is continuously declining in every country. Thus, population growth should not be considered as a long – term global problem (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the case of fisheries such a viewpoint would be incorrect, because nearly a fourth of the world’s fisheries have been over exploited. There is a severe depletion of fish resources all over the world. In order, to address this problem there should be adequate institutional systems to ensure property rights. This arrangement could also prove to be unendurable for the poor people who live in the coastal areas and whose principal source of living is fishing (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just a century ago, fundamental elements like water and air were unsafe in the rich countries. For instance, there were killer smogs half a century ago. However, efforts were undertaken to provide better health to the public and that goal was achieved. Politicians have actively involved themselves in matters relating to measures that seek to reduce the pollution of the air, acid rain and stratospheric ozone depletion. These areas are fully controlled by political ideology, with little or no leeway for science and economics. For instance, in the year 1973 there was an oil crisis due to the vicious control exercised by OPEC on oil production. This was the creation of politics. There will be no shortage of oil in the coming years, because there are still unexplored deposits of heavy oil and tar sands. The earth contains vast resources of oil, which have not yet been explored. Such a measure involves a high cost factor (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Sophistication in science results in new types of automobiles such as hybrid – electric cars and fuel – cell technology based cars. Consumption of fossil fuels such as coal is increasing every year and the burning of coal provides eighty percent of the energy requirements of the US. Nearly half of the electric power derives from the consumption of coal. In the US, eighty – five percent of the fossil fuel reserves consist of coal. Even if the consumption of coal continues at the current rate, it will be available for another two hundred and fifty years (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Solar energy is an abundant natural source of energy, but producing energy from solar power is not cost – effective. All the same, the utilization of solar energy is gradually on the increase. This is due to its high cost and the government’s reluctance to encourage its use by subsidizing it production and reducing costs. Uranium based nuclear fission energy is also a renewable energy source. The drawback with this source of energy is its cost and the requirements of technological infrastructure, moreover, the poor countries would not be able to afford nuclear fission plants (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is on the increase. This leads to global warming. However, it is very difficult to evaluate human contribution to the warming process, amidst natural temperature variations. In the period between 1940 and 1975 there was a thermal cooling of the atmosphere and this phenomenon defied a proper explanation. The analysis of satellite data has revealed that there was no global warming in the last two decades. At this juncture, it can be stated that human contribution to the global warming process is of lesser significance. The theories, which attribute global warming to human activities, do not clearly integrate various atmospheric changes and properties. The meteorological experts are in agreement with the fact that there are uncertainties in the atmospheric temperatures. Changes in the climate could be dealt with by making certain adjustments. Such adjustments are easily available to the affluent nations. Poor nations would have to face much difficulty, in switching over to alternative adjustments provided by the Kyoto Protocol. Natural calamities such as floods, droughts, hurricanes and earthquakes affect the poor countries more severely. The economies of the poor countries would be damaged further, with the result that the impoverished countries become much poorer There has been a prediction that the sea level would rise if the snow caps melt due to global warming, but that is a natural process, which is not dependent on human contribution (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The remedial actions agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol would require the US to curtail its fossil fuel consumption by thirty percent in the next ten years. This would require the US to spend more money on other energy sources and would not achieve any tangible results. The estimated cost to be incurred by the US, if it was to go in for non – fossil fuel sources of energy, would be of the order of $2.3 trillion. The remedial actions provided by the Kyoto Protocol to mitigate the problem of global warming, energy rationing schemes and the adoption of stricter measures after 2012, would only serve to curtail the economic growth of the poor countries.   (Hollander, 2003. Pp. 251).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The sophistication of science and improved living standards provide an opportunity to mitigate the problem of environmental pollution. Poor people do not attach much importance to problems arising from pollution. This is because they encounter more immediate problems to be resolved. Despite, affluence being a contributory factor to pollution, nevertheless, it provides an opportunity to address such problems   (SWAN, September 1972).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In poor nations, basic requirement like food, water and shelter are difficult to fulfill. Only on the fulfillment of these basic needs, will there be any devotion of thought to issues beyond such immediate requirements. The rich countries are at the moment opening their factories, on a very large scale, in the poor countries. This is because the labor there is cheap and abundant, and more importantly, the laws regarding environmental pollution are lax or non – existent. This permits the rich nations of the world to totally ignore all safety measures in such countries, while causing immeasurable damage to the environment of those countries. Such an incident transpired in 1984, in the city of Bhopal in India. The Union Carbide Company operated a battery plant in that place, without paying heed to safety regulations and with scant regard to the safety of the inhabitants. A large amount of methyl isocyanate gas leaked into the atmosphere, causing a large number of deaths and physical impairment. In the event of the existence of uniform standards, in the context of environmental pollution, such malpractices will be curtailed. From the foregoing discussion it is evident that it is essential to maintain the same environmental standards throughout the world. References    Hollander, J. M. (2003. Pp. 251). The Real Environmental Crisis: Why Poverty, not Affluence, Is the Environment’s Number One Enemy. Berkely, California: University of California Press. SWAN, J. A. (September 1972). Poverty, Prosperity, Pollution. Annals of Internal Medicine , Vol. 77. Iss. 3, Pp. 465 – 465 .

Productive and Counterproductive Behavior

Productive and Counterproductive Behaviors An organization will have employees with one of two behavior types. They can either be productive or counterproductive. The root cause of counterproductive behavior can be rooted in employee turnover, attendance issues, or lack of training. It is up to the organization to make an attempt to identify what the causes of their employees’ counterproductive behavior and attempt to find a workable solution. Productive Behavior and its Impact on an Organization Employers want productive behavior out of their employees because productive employees create revenue for the organization. However, employees tend to think just because they are doing â€Å"something† and not idle they are being productive. Their way of thinking would be incorrect. Productive behavior is â€Å"employee behavior that contributes positively to the goals and objectives of the organization† (Jex & Britt, 2008). As we can see merely doing something to occupy ones time is not being productive. Whether or not an employee is being productive can be measured by the cost associated with the employee’s performance and how effective they are. For example, there are two employees in a shoe store with similar sales figures and they sell the same number of shoes each month. The only difference in these two employees is that employee A works ten hours per day and employee B works a six-hour day. Employee B is the more productive employee because employee B accomplishes the same goal in fewer hours. There is a lower cost associated with employee B making him the more productive employee. Efficient employees are productive because they complete large amount of work in a short period of time. When employees are being productive they are concentrating on performing â€Å"core tasks† (Jex & Britt, 2008) and are bringing in revenue for the organization. An organization with productive employees will see less employee absences and in their turnover rate. Counterproductive Behavior Counterproductive behavior is â€Å"behavior that explicitly runs counter to the goals of an organization† (Jex & Britt, 2008). Employees who are counterprodtive may be employees who have issues with absenteeism or frequently tardy, substance abuse, they may steal from the employer, or simply have â€Å"ineffective job performance† (Jex & Britt, 2008). Any behavior that prevents an employee from conducting their job and producing for the employer is considered counterproductive. An Employee who take all day to complete a task because they are there all day and getting paid by the hour is an employee that is counterproductive. Another behavior that is counterproductive is an employee that uses unsafe practices at work. By not following safety rules employees can cause an injury to themselves or to another causing the employee to miss work. As previously stated, absenteeism is a counterproductive behavior. Strategies to Increase Productive Behavior To increase productive behavior in an organization and decrease counterproductive behavior an organization must investigate the cause. Sometimes the reason an employee is counterproductive are out of the employees’ control. For situations that are within the employees’ control, the organization must clearly outline their expectations for their employees. An organization must also outline the consequences for such negative behavior. Drug and alcohol testing and an attendance guidelines policy can be established. These policies will let the employee know what is expected of them and the consequences for not complying. The organization should also make efforts to understand why their employees are not coming to work (Associated Content, 2007). There are times when a personal issue can have its affect on an employees’ behavior. An organization can begin an employee assistance program that would offer counseling to employees if such a program were within the organizations budget. Lack of training and the appropriate tools for performing necessary job functions are factors that are out of the employees’ control. The organization needs to ensure all of their employees have all the proper tools. They can easily do a visual survey and question employees asking them what tools they could use to better perform their job function. Organizations must also ensure all of their employees have the proper training. If employees are not adequately trained they do not know how to perform their job functions. Organizations must adequately train or retrain if necessary any and all employees that require training. At times performing follow up training with all employees ensures employees are all on the same page as far as what their specific job functions are. Performance appraisals also need to be performed on all employees in order for them to know how they are performing in according with their job expectations. These performance appraisals will also serve as a tool to help the employee improve their performance and productivity. A performance appraisal should also be used to praise employees and let them know what they are doing that makes a positive impact on the organization (hrVillage, n. d. ). Both of productive and counterproductive behaviors have their impact on an organization. There are a number of reasons an employee can be counterproductive. Once the root cause has been identified an organization can begin to turn the counterproductive behavior into productive behavior. References Associated Content. (2007). Call Centers: 6 Steps to Improving Employee Attendance and Performance. Retrieved, March 29, 2010, from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/189770/call_centers_6_steps_to_improving_employee. html? cat=31 hrVillage. (n. d. ). Employee Productivity. Retrieved, March 29, 2010, from http://www. hrvillage. com/human-resources/employee-productivity. htm Jex, S. M. &Britt, T. W. (2008). Organizational psychology: A scientist-practitioner approach, 2nd ed. New Jersey: John Wiley and sons.

The case of Jones v Padavatton Essay Example

The case of Jones v Padavatton Essay Example The case of Jones v Padavatton Essay The case of Jones v Padavatton Essay Essay Topic: Law The case of Jones v Padavatton concerned whether or not a legally enforceable contract existed between the parties, in this case a mother and daughter. The judgements of Salmon LJ and Fenton Atkinson LJ, although reaching the same conclusion have very different reasoning. Salmon LJ considered that two main factors needed to be addressed; whether or not the parties had intended a legally binding contract, and whether the terms of the contract were sufficient to be legally enforceable. The English law operates generally on an objective approach based on what a reasonable person in the position of the parties would have intended. Salmon LJ follows this approach in his judgement, stating it is a presumption of fact that when arrangements are made between family members, they are not intended to create a legal relationship but are rather based on mutual ties of trust and affection. This presumption was established by Atkins LJ in his explanation of the case Balfour v Balfour and is cited by Salmon LJ, however he does go on to accept that in some circumstances just because a, Contracting party is unlikely to extend his pound of flesh does not mean he has no legal right to. I consider that the principle illustrated by Balfour v Balfour, although fundamental for many cases, may not be so relevant considering the circumstances of this case. In a society of increased domestic disruption, illustrated through statistics such as rising divorce rates, it is very arguable that family arrangements are becoming more likely to be intended as legally enforceable. In considering the very special circumstances of this case, I consider it is possible to distinguish it from that of Balfour v Balfour and rather follow the approach of Fenton Atkinson LJ, studying the specific intention of the parties rather than the presumption derived from the case of Balfour v Balfour. Salmon LJ considers the second factor to be addressed is whether the terms of the agreement were sufficient enough to be legally enforceable. He considers the intentions of the daughter were clear- to leave Washington and study for the Bar in England, but did not consider the mother would have intended to give up all her rights concerning the house. The arrangements were too vague to have contractual intent. Similarly there is no evidence that the mother ever intended her daughter to receive any more than $200 in West-Indian terms, a month maintenance support. On this point I agree with Salmon. In English law, if the terms of an offer are not certain, the resulting agreement can fail. I do not consider that the terms were certain enough to ensure a legally binding contract, and here agree with the explanation from Fenton Atkinson LJ, that the responsibility was for the daughter to establish a contract in relation to the house and she totally failed to do so. Salmon LJ considered alongside this, that the terns of the offer could not possibly exceed five years from 1962 considering all circumstances of the case, and thus the daughter was entitled to nothing further under the original agreement Salmon LJ concluded his judgement by addressing the counterclaim referred to by the CCJ, and states that a reasonable compromise should be reached on the figures, so as not to exacerbate ill feeling between parties. This view in considered too by Fenton Atkinson LJ. Fenton Atkinson LJ addresses the issues of consideration and intention in his judgement; issues which I have to consider are far more relevant to the specifics of this case. He addresses several points in his judgement, firstly whether the agreements made between the parties were intended to be legally enforceable, secondly did the mother intend to be legally bound to support her daughter for an uncertain period of time, and thirdly did the daughter assume a contractual obligation to complete her studies. Fenton Atkinson LJ concludes that consideration was given by the daughter in the form of executed consideration, evident through her move from Washington to London, but does not consider that here consideration can determine whether the parties intended a legally binding contract. The courts generally apply an objective approach when studying intention, however I agree with Collins, who states that this objective approach conflicts with reality. Fenton Atkinson LJ, following this approach, states that it is the history of this case which most accurately points to the intentions of the parties, and highlights three important factors. Firstly, that the payments of $200 were accepted by the daughter without any indication that the mother was contractually bound to a larger sum, secondly, that when in 1964 The mother bought the property, many matters had been left open, such as the control of rents, and occupation boundaries. The final factor highlighted, and which I consider to be of huge significance, is the behaviour of the daughter when her mother visited. The daughter was evidently extremely upset that the issue had become litigated, and stated that a mother does not normally sue her daughter. This is perhaps the strongest indication that the daughter had never intended legal consequences to arise from the agreement. Fenton Atkinson LJ was satisfied that no legally binding contract had been intended, and the arrangements had been based on mutual trust. He held that the mothers claim for possession should succeed, and the appeal allowed. Although Salmon LJ and Fenton Atkinson LJ reached the same final judgement, I do not consider that the reasoning of Salmon was as relevant to this case as that of Fenton Atkinson LJ. As I have mentioned above, the objective approach applied by Salmon LJ cannot be applied in every case and may in fact be becoming outdated. The approach adopted by Fenton Atkinson LJ must be considered more appropriate for the very special circumstances of this case, and I agree that the intention of the parties was best determined through the behavioural history of the mother and her daughter rather than the judgement of Balfour v Balfour. I do not deny that the reasoning of Salmon LJ is that which the majority would be likely to adopt, and agree with many other factors he addresses, such as the judgement of reasonable time not exceeding five years. I cannot however conclude that his reasoning is of such relevance to this case, as that of Fenton Atkinson LJ.

Essay about Learning and Sales Assistant

Essay about Learning and Sales Assistant Essay about Learning and Sales Assistant TASK 2: Employability, Personal & Communication skills. Sales Assistant job in Bentalls (Kingston) Employability Skills:- Employability skills Assess why each employability skill is important to Bentalls for a sales assistant and any job in general Why must HR look for this employability skill when interviewing? How important are employability skills to the successful running of the centre? Rate from 1-5 (1=most important & 5=least important) Apply situations within the daily running of the centre How do good employability skills ensure employees keep their jobs? suitable qualifications For sales assistant a suitable qualification would be C+ in Maths and English, this is because they would have to know calculations off by heart and also they have to know basic English to communicate with the customers. HR must look for this employability skill even before interviewing to ensure that the candidate has the qualification so that they can process the application and call them through for the interview. 2- It would be important because this is what they would require the most when applying for the job as this decides if you have the qualifications to apply or the job or if you are suitable for the job. Because they would require someone who can speak English and can do basic maths otherwise they would struggle to communicate or if calculating something manually. experience in similar role This is required so the candidate have knowledge of what they will be doing, and what they want each sales assistant to be like. HR must look for this skill to see if the candidate has had any sort of experience so they can see if the candidate is capable of the job. 2- It would be important because the candidate would need some sort of experience and idea of what they will be doing. If they don’t have any sort of experience then it would be difficult for them to work in a retail environment. Knowledge of products/services This would mean that the candidate would already have the skill and this is not necessary in training. HR must look for this skill to know if the candidate has any sort of knowledge of the products to be able sell it to a potential

Best Places For Internship To Make Awesome Career by BestEssay.Education

Best Places For Internship To Make Awesome Career Best Places For Internship To Make Awesome Career Making the Right Choice At Start As an intern, you are never seen to be a threat to the established order of things within a department or organization. It gives you a unique opportunity to observe, suggest, and even implement ideas that might take months of meetings, and many hours of presentation time to explain, in the normal course of events, simply because of the temporary nature of your tenure. Most successful careers require a degree of politics and guile, and this is probably the only chance you will ever get to explore different tactics and methods without upsetting too many people along the way. It also gives you the opportunity to see, live, the way other people address these issues in the workplace. As an intern, you usually have huge flexibility to flit between departments, and the different parts of an organization, and because of that, you can speak to people that you would not normally meet in the normal course of your duties. Students internships cover a multitude of situations and are a great opportunity to pick the brains of everyone from the warehouseman, through to the chief executive; students employment covers a multitude of situations. Great Options For Early Career There are a huge number of student internship opportunities available; and to give you an idea of the scope and scale of these opportunities we have listed some below, along with some notes on each. Before we forget; here is a list of internship programs 2016  which you may find useful after reading this article. As you can imagine, the competition for places on internships is fierce; your resume and cover letter have to be spot-on. For this reason if you are not confident that you can put together a compelling and convincing case, it may be worth considering cover letter writing help to get your point across and to secure that elusive interview. Resume editing is another approach you may need to consider, just to get the final polish into your application. One of the other things that you need to consider is that many of the applicants will come from similar backgrounds, similar colleges, and have similar approaches to gaining that place on the internship program, as you. In this situation, thinking outside the box, taking up advanced learning techniques  is an incredibly powerful way of looking at the whole idea of gaining an internship placement. Investigate some of these ideas if you want to give yourself an edge. Let's take a look at a few Internship programs, from varying industries, in more detail: KPCB Design and Engineering offer a Product Fellows Program, which enables students to spend a whole year at a Silicon Valley startup and see the action from the ground floor. On the program, they meet with other design students and engineering gurus, and there is a three-month summer program focused just on design and engineering. Incidentally, they also run a new year-long program which is focused solely on product management. The Boston Consulting Group The chances are that if you have ever read a financial newspaper, magazine or publication, you will have heard of The Boston Consulting Group, even though you may not have any idea what it is that they do. They are, in fact, one of the world's leading management consulting firms; with a staff of over 10,000, working in 45 countries. They offer a summer placement for over 100 students, for between 6 to 12 weeks. The idea behind the program is that it enables students to get to know the business and the staff, and work on projects whilst assuming the same responsibilities as those of the permanent staff in order to give them a proper insight into what business strategy and management consultancy involve. Kohl's Stores operate an 8-week program in which students can have a realistic experience of retail management by exposure to managing a team, and running a department. This practice is followed by a full debriefing via a store walk with district managers and concentrates on business analysis, motivation, and leadership skills. Areas of participation include human resources, purchasing, logistics, marketing, finance, e-commerce, IT programming and IT business analysis, technical design, textiles design, product development, and buying. In addition to this corporate program, there are distribution center courses, which are a 10-week program, and a contact center program, also of 10 weeks, which are designed to give insights into the â€Å"backroom† operations of Kohl’s structure. MossAdams  Is one of the largest accountancy firms in America, with 27 offices around the country, and with a presence in more than a hundred other countries. It offers internships via the Moss Adams Foundation â€Å"Campus† program. These internships are part of the tax and assurance groups and are an 8 to 10-week program, which simulates the assignments and tasks you are likely to encounter as a staff accountant in your first year. There is also a state and local tax services internship that covers subjects such as law and compliance requirements and involves keeping the clients up to date with changes in legislation, Nexus analysis and planning, as well as undertaking refund audits and tax credit calculations. 3M has connections in over 70 countries, and works in fields as diverse as transportation, office products, safety, and health care. It is responsible for many household products such as Post-Its and Velcro. Internships are available in the domains of marketing, finance, sales, HR, engineering, research and development, IT. Internships are usually of 6 to 12 weeks duration full-time comprising 3M's corporate student programs. These programs are designed to help 3M to find the most promising students and to allow the students themselves to appraise 3M and see if it is a suitable employer for them. Two-thirds of the intern intake are based in the headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota. Comcast/NBCUniversal are a massive media, film, and telecommunications company. They offer a number of internships based on their financial functions. These can be located at a number of posts including Atlanta GA, Denver CO, Englewood NJ, Los Angeles CA, Miami FL, and New York NY. The Internship allows the students to see the way in which financial viability and risk assessment apply to everything from television programming through to the network cell coverage of a telecommunications system. So; there are half-a-dozen examples of internships which are currently available and many more can be found, together with reviews and rankings, more details and information on pay packages and housing allowances, travel arrangements, and so on. Just enter your criteria and the software will pull up whatever is available. We hope this has been a helpful insight into some of the aspects of internship and gaining a place on some of the more prestigious internship programs. Being on an internship is one of the most fantastic experiences of your career. It is something that you will never be able to repeat, and as well as giving you immense satisfaction, will be something that you will always look back upon fondly in the latter stages of your career. Getting the best out of your internship starts with getting the right course in the first place. Making sure that you have the best resume that you can possibly create, and an exemplary cover letter to accompany it, will be the best foundation possible for achieving this goal. Good luck!

Integrated Models And Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrated Models And Performance - Essay Example In explaining the integrated healthcare system, the author presents two types of integration models. In model one: IDS or MSGP with a Health Plan, the author describes, with examples how an organization can apply insurance and other managerial strategies to best serve its patients. By giving and example of North Carolina-based Kaiser Permanente Hospital’s Patient-Panel Management Plan, the article provides an insight on such integration. Having carried out a feasibility study, the hospital realized that it has a diverse category of patients who have special needs to be addressed based on their demands. Thus, it has managed to improve the quality of service delivery. The same trend is seen in Model Two in which reputable facilities like Mayo Clinic and Partners Healthcare have gained significance success because of their integrated insurance covers. I would like to point out that this is a great article. The chapter touches on one of the most significant areas in healthcare. Actually, provision of high-value service should be the core goal for every organization. As a healthcare provider, a lot of care should be taken to ensure that the patients are satisfied. Once deliberate efforts are made to help the patients to improve their heath conditions, the hospital would have achieved a major objective. At all times, each medical facility should have a deeper understanding of those whom it serves. By using insurance or non-insurance services, the management can still perfectly respond to its patients’ needs. This was demonstrated by Kaiser Permanente which, through its Patient-Panel Plan, managed to categorize its patients into Primary Care; Assistance Care Management; and Intensive Case and Specialty Care so as to make it much easier for the physicians and doctors to effectively serve them based on the level of their needs. It was indeed a good initiative that made it much easier for the hospital to accomplish its goals. In conclusion, I

Professional Development about Constructivist Learning Environments Research Paper

Professional Development about Constructivist Learning Environments - Research Paper Example Self-regulated Learning with technology accounts for much of the present thinking about the utilization of technology as a supporting tool for learning. As a tool, the internet can be a means of finding and processing information, and to reflect on one’s understandings, beliefs, and thinking processes. Utilized in such a manner, internet technology provides learner to collect information and explore new content knowledge on his own and without the assistance of teachers and parents. Ordinary application software such as word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, presentation, and database software, problem-solving software, simulations, electronic mail, and the Internet are technological tools that help an individual in his quest of learning. Self-regulated learning with the help of online course animations, hypertext, or clickable diagrams and video clips helped concepts that a static textbook image simply cannot. Video clips showing how to mount a camera on a tripod can help ex plain concepts much more easily through visuals that are not easily explained by a lecturer or a book's textual description. The risks in Self-regulated learning involves learner’s dilemma to gather the right knowledge from the flood of information available and incoherency of some of the documents provided. Many changes, which the learners might get, distracted from their learning objectives and without the proper guidance of teachers and classroom instructions. Self- regulated learner will be consuming his valuable time searching for irrelevant information.

Mobile Development Languages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Development Languages - Research Paper Example But, nowadays, the main concerns are starting to move somewhat in a diverse way. In this regard, a mobile phone is a wide purpose device that facilitates not simply to converse however as well to earn, discover, communicate with friends or relatives and entertain themselves by using different utilities offered by the mobile manufacturers. All these features and facilities are accomplished particularly through the development of mobile applications (gfmstudio, 2011). This report presents a comprehensive analysis of some of the main aspects and areas of the mobile programming languages paradigm. The basic aim of this report is to analyze some of the prime areas regarding the evolution of mobile programming languages paradigm, discuss its main qualities, comparison with the traditional programming languages in addition to popular operation systems applications of the mobile programming languages. ... It is estimated that in January 2011 there were over two hundred mobile trademarks internationally as well as that is predictable to raise over the subsequent three years. In addition, at present most powerful mobile application is Google’s Android mobile operating system that executes over a huge variety of Android facilitated devices plus a rising variety of Tablets. Android application is offered by Google as an open source framework as well as is able to be integrated with Mac OS X, Windows plus Linux and an application developer is able to select his Integrated Development Environment, diverse plug-ins offered for Eclipse (WanaRUA, 2011) and (LMU, 2005). Mobile application development is the procedure through which mobile applications are designed and built for small low-power handheld systems like that enterprise digital assistants, PDAs or else personal digital assistants, otherwise mobile phones. In addition, these mobile applications are either already installed on co mmunication phones system in the course of downloaded or manufactured for clients from the application and other mobile applications system distribution platforms. In view of the fact that mobile devices have become pervasive items the moment people utilized mobile phones, PDAs and smart phones wherever and at anytime. On the other hand, the design and development of mobile applications is not a simple job since the development of mobile applications is completely different from the traditional software development processes. Additionally, the project managers are not able to without difficulty judge the risks and challenges of a mobile application development project because of the troubles to match up to a variety of

Google Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Google Technologies - Essay Example Google also has an unofficial slogan ‘Don’t be Evil’ (Google Investor Relations, 2012). The Trimble 3D Warehouse (previously known as Google 3D Warehouse), is a supplementary website for Google SketchUp. This is a website where modelers can download, share and upload 3D Models (3D Warehouse, 2012). The inauguration of this 3D powerhouse was on April 24, 2006. Modelers can use this website to do many things such as upload a collection of 3D models; moreover, its users can also detect certain patterns through algorithm to create similar looking models. Separate models can be observed in 3D right from the Internet browser. According to PC World,  3D Warehouse lets users lacking significant artistic inclination to make and crowd 3D models (Preston, 2008). According to The New York Times, 3D Warehouse had become a virtual "dictionary" of 3D vocabulary. The virtual 3D workshop is so powerful that it suits film making, for instance; people can find detailed three-dimensional virtual models of famous building structures, all over the world. Even a street in Alabama has virtual set that can be used in the movies. With potent search and design tools, high-definition pictures of any bridge in the world can be incorporated into common visual dictionary for later usage. This is not a dictionary of words, but of pictures, readymade images. And these ‘words’ from the 3D vocabulary can be used to make movie. All needed parts can be mashed up with a snap of the finger. 3D Warehouse is such a powerful tool that it makes up a nice collage of image database, and this serves as a unique grammar for image-motion. This tech product from Google has everything good about it. It is such a great tool for tech-savvy, web designers and electronic artists; they can have tons of fun while working with it. The only bad aspect I see is that professional

Managing Entrepreneur Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Entrepreneur Growth - Essay Example The interviewed entrepreneur, Raif, gave confident opinions and answers in order to confirm the theory. According to the theory of entrepreneurial growth, he gave the idea of being a good entrepreneur and a democratic leader. This has been indicated in the interview by the fact that he runs the family business by involving everyone into it and obtaining the clients’ feedback. He encourages his stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process of the company, as a result of which, the customers, along with providing the feedbacks, also give their suggestions as to what the new product should be like. This helps the entrepreneur manage the creativity and innovation in the product and services being provided. This also confirms to the theory of entrepreneur being creative which has been discussed above. Moreover, Raif also says that his business is trying to compete with the rivals and bringing a new product every year and considers baklava to be more profitable and call s it ‘gold line’. Thus, he is fully aware of the strengths of his business and is a challenging risk taker, ready to take a risk in the form of new product every year. The entrepreneur of the Swan Sweets has also confirmed to the theory of being proactive and promoting expansion. He intends to go international and expand his business geographically to as far as Singapore, Malaysia, WA. But this planning for expansion has been done very carefully and he is well aware of all the places around the world which contain his target markets and potential customers.

Film comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film comparison - Essay Example One particularly important factor to note, with regards to the differences exhibited in style between Hollywood blockbusters and â€Å"new wave† films of the 1960s and beyond, is the freedom of expression and experimentation that is oftentimes exhibited within such â€Å"new wave† films. As Hollywood is creating films on a profit basis and positioning and/or advertising them according to the belief of the analysts that the film is a money maker, the overall ability of the actors, directors, writers, and producers to exhibit the same level of experimentalism and free expressionism that films such as Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless is severely limited if not non-existent. To a great degree, this helps to explain the fact that even the more thrilling and action packed movies that Hollywood churns out for consumption by both the international and domestic market rely on an a heavily formulaic approach that gives many viewers the distinct impression that they may have wa tched the film - or one highly similar to it before. This is a decided drawback to the way that Hollywood blockbusters are made in that expression and experimentation are discouraged in lieu of whatever factors might most broadly appeal to a diverse international audience with different levels of film knowledge, experience, expectations, and likes. In this way, films such as Mel Gibson’s Braveheart have to appeal to the lowest common denominator among these groups without affording the luxury to employ stylistic expression and experimentation throughout the medium. For instance, Jean-Luc Godard experimented heavily with the technique of the â€Å"jump shot† in Breathless in order to convey an unrealistic and decidedly cinematic feel to some of the shots exhibited within the movie. This decision enraged many as it worked to draw the viewer’s attention to the fact that the work was edited and took away from the overall illusion that cinema often had of creating th at alternate reality that film-goers so deeply craved. What is especially fascinating is that although Jean-Luc Godard employed these jump shots to great effect within Breathless, he juxtaposed this with heavy reliance upon another technique that was experimental, somewhat unappreciated at the time, and definitely a harbinger of change that many future films would employ. A secondary feature that Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless employs that was considered highly avant-garde at the time was the use of handheld cameras to film many of the sequences. This allowed for many of the scenes to have a true-life, gritty, and raw feel that was otherwise uncustomary for the movies of the time. Although Jean-Luc Godard did not pioneer this approach, he successfully employed it in such a way that he re-introduced the technique to such great effect that it was later picked up and re-introduced to a number of subsequent highly profitable films. On a side, note, it is possible to say that Hollyw ood might not employ this technique to the extent it does today in such films as the Bourne Identity if it were not for such a bold introduction and use of such an innovative tactic by Jean-Luc Godard during the 1960s. It is important to note that

Managing Entrepreneur Growth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Managing Entrepreneur Growth - Essay Example The interviewed entrepreneur, Raif, gave confident opinions and answers in order to confirm the theory. According to the theory of entrepreneurial growth, he gave the idea of being a good entrepreneur and a democratic leader. This has been indicated in the interview by the fact that he runs the family business by involving everyone into it and obtaining the clients’ feedback. He encourages his stakeholders to participate in the decision-making process of the company, as a result of which, the customers, along with providing the feedbacks, also give their suggestions as to what the new product should be like. This helps the entrepreneur manage the creativity and innovation in the product and services being provided. This also confirms to the theory of entrepreneur being creative which has been discussed above. Moreover, Raif also says that his business is trying to compete with the rivals and bringing a new product every year and considers baklava to be more profitable and call s it ‘gold line’. Thus, he is fully aware of the strengths of his business and is a challenging risk taker, ready to take a risk in the form of new product every year. The entrepreneur of the Swan Sweets has also confirmed to the theory of being proactive and promoting expansion. He intends to go international and expand his business geographically to as far as Singapore, Malaysia, WA. But this planning for expansion has been done very carefully and he is well aware of all the places around the world which contain his target markets and potential customers.

Ryanair marketing strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ryanair marketing strategies - Essay Example According to the research findings Ryanair began its operations in 1985 with a single 15-seater plane, primarily a conventional airline from Dublin and Waterford in the Ireland Republic to London. During the initial years of operations, the airline faced significant financial challenges, which led to losses in the company. After an analysis of its marketing strategies, the company decided to re-launch in 1990/1991 as a â€Å"no frills†, low cost air carrier, replicating the business model of American Southwest Airline. Since then, price has been the integral marketing strategy of the company, promoting and maintaining its growth in the European low-cost airline industry. These changes were the ideas of Michael O’Leary, initially the financial controller of the company. O’Leary, now the chief executive officer at the company, persuaded Tony Ryan (owner) to redress financial issues affecting the company at the time. He developed a marketing strategy based on Americ an Southwest Airlines, introducing the concept of low-cost, â€Å"no frills† in the airline. These changes stemmed the losses of the company, as well as turning the venture into a huge success. According to statistics, the company posted a profit after tax of 303million dollars in 2006, a 13% increase from that recorded in 2005. Currently, the airline operates in more than 146 routes to 84 different destinations in 16 countries, carrying more than 15 million passengers annually. Further, the airline plans to become the largest airliner in Europe in a few years. By any standards, one can consider the company as successful, primarily based on its growth in the market as well as its profitability. 2. Mission and Strategy The objective of Ryanair is to be the largest and leading low-cost airline in Europe through continuous expansions and improvements in its low-cost services. The primary objective that are in place to achieve this include, low-cost fare, industry-leading custome r service, strong commitment to quality and safety maintenance, flight services on short-haul routes, leveraging the internet, and low operating costs that address personnel productivity, aircraft and equipment, airport access fees and customer service costs. The principal policy of Ryanair is to offer the lowest flight fares available from any carrier (Gugenheimer, 2006:67). For instance, the company often matches the prices of a competitor if they lower their prices. Consequently, one may consider this anomaly given that the company has a strong commitment to provide quality customer service, but these two strategic elements are complementary insofar as the company is concerned. Ryanair strategically uses small regional airports for its flight operations, keeping the operations costs low as well as providing a less congested traffic alternative for its customers travelling, thus less delays. Additionally, the frequent, short-haul flights do not require provision of complex service s such as food and drinks, as they are rather short compared

Is Cyber Warfare the Future of War?

Is Cyber Warfare the Future of War? Introduction Undoubtedly, the twentieth century could be counted as the bloodiest in human history; man has been at war for much longer than he has been at peace. The death tolls are incalculable although historians put estimates at somewhere between 170 million to 210 million. No true figures are available but what is undisputed is the proliferation and effect of war on all aspects of society. Its impact on the soldier and the civilian as well as the economy and society or culture has given birth to the concept of ‘total war’  (Marwil, 2000). The last time total war was experienced was the Second World War which invariably led to the Cold War and its all-encompassing nature on every aspect of society  (Stavrianakis & Selby, 2012). Particularly with technology, the 20th century has seen the advancement of technology to epistemic levels where it has produced the concept of ‘modern war’ – atomic weapons, satellite guided missiles, chemical and biological weapons and electronic drones; none of which have eclipsed the older forms of warfare  (Barkawi, 2011). A new form of warfare has evolved and it is part of the 4th Industrial Revolution; it is cyber warfare. To understand its significance, one only has to look at former President Barack Obama declaring the digital infrastructure of the US as strategic national asset to be protected with the entire resources available to the United States. Obama prompted the formation of a special unit in the Pentagon called Cybercom whose sole purpose is to prepare the US for the inevitable cyber war that America will be embroiled in. The UK has also set up the National Cyber Security Programme and NATO has released the Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare; a three-year study by international scholars setting out ninety-rules to govern conflicts among nations. Cyber warfare is definitely gearing up as a new arena for conflict. This dissertation looks at the subject of cyber warfare and examines how widespread a concern this is to nations and if indeed it is just a concern of the super powers. Just like atomic weapons has become a military weapon of magnitude, the world has still not experienced a nuclear war. Instead nuclear energy is being used to advance economies and aid production and meet energy needs. Is cyber space similar to the threat of nuclear weapons? Does it actually do more good that the proposed harm that is being touted? This dissertation will carry out a secondary data analysis to understand the current literature on the subject and determine if indeed cyber warfare is the new arena of conflict. Narrative The organising principle of every theme in this dissertation is layered; each begins with a general historical and contextual appraisal invariably moving to specifics and constantly looking at the problem-solution dilemma. To substantiate or clarify explanations, arguments, themes, findings etc., footnotes will be included and/or non-integral citations will be used to focus attention more on the research being discussed and less on the researchers or authors. All related studies to this dissertation will be research/information prominent. With a few exceptions, English is used entirely in this dissertation and therefore tense usage is important in the organisational narrative. Where reference is made to a single study, the past simple tense will be used. Where reference is made to more than one study or an area of research, the present perfect tense will be used. Where reference is made to generally accepted knowledge, particularly with respect to cyber warfare or generally accepted knowledge in international relations, information technology or geopolitics, the present tense will be used. Finally, the choice of reporting verbs in this dissertation will inadvertently express a certain attitude be it critical distance, doubt, certainty, confusion etc. As much as possible, I have tried to maintain the same reporting verbs used in citing research and evoking emotion in my reflexive thoughts. Sometimes this has not been possible and the same reporting verb will express different attitudes depending on the context. Where this has occurred, I have elaborated any misconception or misunderstanding in the corresponding footnotes. Themes and concepts The chronological order of the table of contents gives a straightforward description of the chapter and sub-chapter headings in this dissertation. Thematically, the dissertation is divided into 4 chapters. Chapters 1-3 deal with the research justification as well as academic and methodological underpinnings. These chapters set the terms of reference for the dissertation and elaborate its research direction and deal with the subject matter, cyber warfare. Chapter 4 deals with the results, discussion of the results and conclusion. Theoretical and conceptual framework War, Conflict and Anarchy It is imperative to understand international relations and the theories and concepts underpinning them before looking at cyber warfare as a new arena for war. The Melian Dialogue in the great 5th century BC classic of Thucydides’ â€Å"History of the Peloponnesian War† best describes the context in which one looks at the international system. At a point in the Peloponnesian Wars, the Athenians wanted to take over the neutral island of Melos to obtain control over the Aegean Sea. An Athenian fleet was dispatched to Melos to try and negotiate a surrender and the ensued dialogue, as told by Thucydides, captures the essence and birth of our international system today. The Athenians declared to the Melians that â€Å"since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.† (Thucydides) The international system today is premised on the fact that nation states can and do exert their power over weaker states although some do work through a collaborative system to ensure a common purpose. The study of international relations begins with the very notion that there is no central authority which acts as the ultimate arbiter in world affairs. Nations simply do what they can through mutually beneficial alliances and discard them when their interests are no longer served. If we look at world history before the 20th century, international relations could be said to be in a state of anarchy as there was no central figure. From 1078, China was the world’s major producer of steel, the world’s leader in technical innovations, the world’s leading trading nation, possessed the largest commercial ships and these are just to mention a few. Few academics would now dispute that China was the world’s hyperpower for 800 years before the rise of British imperialism in the 19th century. Despite China being a hyperpower for 800 years, there is no record of any central authority governing the behaviour of nation-states. They simply did what they could to nations who couldn’t fight back. Ironically China was insular and did not engage in any international conflicts. Every study of international relations or politics beyond that makes assumptions about the state of anarchy and offers a counter explanation of an international system with inter-state relations and a hierarchical intrastate system. A system that we have now with bodies like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization regulating economic relations and the International Criminal Court prosecuting crimes against humanity.   International relations deals with how nation states decide to exist without a central authority or with no structure or how they choose to create one. Waltz (1979) describes the juxtaposition of the international system and the domestic system by explaining that   domestic systems are centralized and hierarchic†, international systems are decentralized and anarchic†Waltz 1979, p. 88 All approaches to international relations and studying the behaviour of nation-states begins with an assessment of the anarchic structure in the international system. Anarchy is the starting point of viewing international relations but that view depends on the perspective a country chooses to take. Let’s begin with the oldest view recorded since the Melian dialogue between the Athenians and the Melians. The ‘political realist’ perspective is known as a theory one subscribes to in international relations. A political realist is under no illusions that countries behave with the single purpose of self-interest and therefore actions and reactions are done to defend that interest. Nation states are geared towards survival, according to the realist and this can often mean exerting strength over a weaker enemy or acceding to a collaboration with a stronger foe. All is done for the purpose of ensuring the continuation of the state by any means necessary. Therefore, the only way to predict behaviour is to predict survival. Realists do not see a set of behavioural guidelines but a survival of the fittest in the ‘international jungle of world politics’. Or as one might put it succinctly, ‘might is right’. To the realist, the international order is that of ensuring that power relations are conducted in such a manner that outcomes are mutually exclusive. One party will always gain over the other so the purpose for the nation-state in any negotiations is to be the winner. Where this cannot be achieved then the realist will view this as a precarious position to be in. Realists’ view of the anarchical order can describe the behaviour of nation-states in various ways from the classical realist to the neorealist and several forms in between. Whichever view is subscribed to, anarchy forms the basis of that world view and the expected behaviour of nation-states  (Heginbotham, 2015). Liberalist recognise the importance of anarchy in the international system in just the same way as the realists. Both liberal and realist accept the absence of a supreme authority directing the affair of nation-states. Where liberals and the liberal view differ on the subject is what can be done within the anarchic system. Liberals believe that nation-states and state actors can actually come together to build rules, guideline, set up institutions and appoint various monitoring bodies to govern or at least modify the behaviour of nation-states so that they can work together for a common person  (Barkawi, 2011). Outcomes do not have to be mutually exclusive but can be mutually beneficial in an anarchic system, according to the liberal view of international relations. Through joint cooperation, liberals believe that the behaviour of nation-states can be changed to achieve a level of power where states feel secure about their relationships with other states and do not seek to consolidate power at the expense of others. This classical liberal view can be seen in the world today as neoliberalism. Liberals still see anarchy in the international system but see it as something that can be overcome through a concerted effort. Whatever view one prescribes, the prevailing wisdom is that nation states will shift between theories and concepts to advance their own agenda and not confine themselves to an enduring guiding principle. The concept of cyber warfare, I would argue, follows suit. Defining the cyber world Almost twenty-five years ago, ‘cyberspace’ as we know it did not exist beyond the primitive computers placed in research laboratories and academic institutions. In fact, cyberspace was merely a theoretical concept that was considered unachievable. Today that has drastically changed. Our world would be unfathomable without cyberspace. To put its vastness into perspectives, approximately 4 billion people are online with roughly 50 billion devices ranging from super computers to desktops to laptops to smartphones to tablets. On a yearly basis, 90 trillion emails are sent and two trillion transactions are conducted in cyberspace (Turns, 2012). Cyberspace permeates are lives so much that we use it for everything from international trade, to logistics, communications, record keeping, financial transactions to sending flowers! All these positive contributions are the benevolent side of cyberspace. The malevolent aspect of cyberspace is ignored by the public unless a scare or scandal brings it to the surface. Figures estimate that on a daily basis, around 55,000 pieces of malware are found, 200,000 computers are ‘hijacked’[1]as well as the countless number of frauds that go unreported. How exactly does one define cyberspace? That question is not easy to answer as there are as many answers as there are experts in the field. A notable expert worth considering is Daniel Kuehl who collected a series of definitions from various sources and analysed his findings  (Curran, et al., 2008). He concluded that cyberspace consisted of a few dimensions namely; An operational space – it is an operational space where proponents of the domain ply their trade and perfect their skills. An electronic domain – it is an electronic network comprising of computers and a vast network of electromagnetic activityInformation domain – it is a network of information that is not limited to a particular location, time and space Kuehl analysed all these aspects and offered his own definition which will be used in this dissertation: â€Å"A global domain within the information environment whose distinctive and unique character is framed by the use of electronics and the electromagnetic spectrum to create, store, modify, exchange and exploit information via interdependent and interconnected networks using information-communication technologies.†Kuehl, 2009 Cyber terrorism is a portmanteau of the words cyberspace and terrorism and was first recognised and used in 1996 but became popular after a 1998 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies titled Cybercrime, Cyberterrorism, Cyberwarfare: Averting an Electronic Waterloo. The report discussed the possibilities of an electronic attack, likely outcomes and expected methods  (Carr, 2011). Three terms are often confused when discussing Cyber terrorism so it is crucial that they are defined here. Cyber terrorism: â€Å"It is premeditated, politically motivated attacks by sub national groups or clandestine agents, or individuals against information and computer systems, computer programs, and data that result in violence against non-combatant targets (Colarik & Janczewski, 2012).† Information warfare: â€Å"It is a planned attack by nations or their agents against information and computer systems, computer programs, and data that result in enemy losses (Colarik & Janczewski, 2012).† Cyber crime: â€Å"Cyber crime is a crime committed through the use of information technology (Colarik & Janczewski, 2008).† This is more of the documented cyber related terms because it has received adequate coverage due to its proliferation in domestic law enforcement. In the U.S., the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act defines Internet criminal acts (Jensen, 2009). Furthermore, the â€Å"European Union members of the NATO alliance have domestic laws implementing the 1995 E.U. Data Privacy Directive† (Knapp & Boulton, 2006). For argument’s sake, cybercrime includes offences such as; the impairment of data, misuse of devices, interception of data offenses. traditional criminal offenses facilitated through the use of the internet, e.g. fraud, copyright infringement, child pornography Cybercrime has received a lot of international attention and was formally discussed at the Council of Europes 2001 Convention on Cybercrime  (Robinson, et al., 2015). This convention is still the only international understanding in place that exclusively focusses on cybercrimes. Terrorism: â€Å"The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons (Dragan, et al., 2012).† Research Approach Research Questions This research will attempt to explore and answer three questions regarding the broad themes that preliminary research has shown and in line with the gaps in current academic research; What exactly is cyber space?Is an information war a ‘war’ in the conventional sense?Is Russia engaging in a cyber war with the West? The dissertation considered various approaches to address the questions above as well as examine different options such as sources of data, type of research framework, timescale and methodology. In trying to answer any of the research questions, it was clear that any primary data used to carry out the research and with the available time limit would not be possible or indeed produce valuable information. This dissertation needed to design an analytical framework to counter this problem. Thus, I attempt to make a justification for carrying out secondary analysis of qualitative data and the benefits and limitations of the approach Secondary Data Collection In setting about the data collection, it was imperative I included boundaries for the study, the protocol for recording the data as well as the methodology for analysing it which are all set out below. The secondary data included qualitative documents and qualitative audio and visual materials. The list of secondary evidences kept evolving and the research continued. However, below is the final list of secondary evidences used. Data from various government departmentsNews articles from newspapersData and analysis from periodicals, books, journals etc.Data from non-governmental agencies and public bodiesData from online sources Secondary Analysis of Qualitative Data Secondary data analysis is essentially re-analysis of data collected by another researcher (Elliot, 2015). Andrews et al gave a definition of secondary data analysis as the collection and use of previously collected data for another purpose  (Andrews, et al., 2012). In addition, they also explained that the use of secondary data analysis first appeared when one of the founders of Grounded Theory (Glaser) discussed the possibility of re-analysing data that had already been collected for other purposes (Andrews, et al., 2012). Notwithstanding, secondary analysis is still not very popular and there have been very limited reviews of its use (Hinds, et al., 1997). At this point, it is pertinent that a distinction be made between secondary analysis, documentary analysis, systemic reviews and meta-analysis. Secondary data analysis is the examination of primary data[2] from previous research studies. Such data would include examples such as semi-structured interviews, research diaries, responses to open-ended questions in questionnaires, transcripts of interviews/conversations etc. On the other hand, documentary analysis would involve the analysis of data such as auto-biographies, personal diaries, photographs etc. Heaton does point out that there could be some considerable overlap between secondary analysis and documentary analysis (Heaton, 2008). Meta-analysis and Systematic Reviews both involve both involve going over published findings of previous research studies unlike secondary data analysis that looks at the primary data and not just the published findings. Review & Discussion Introduction Cyber warfare has different definitions depending on which theorist is applying it and which country is examining and applying the concept; for example, the U.S. military view cyber warfare in very different terms from the Russians. To begin with the word â€Å"cyber† is a completely new phenomenon that arose after the dot com boom and the start of the 4th Revolution. Not surprisingly, it has not filtered into the established rules of war or armed conflict adhered to by other nation states  (Chen, 2010). For starters, the word â€Å"cyber† is not found in the 1949 Geneva Conventions and any of the additional Protocols (it has not been inserted there). The word, in common usage, relates to a whole host of things ranging from computers and their networks to the information in these computers to even the process of uploading and retrieving this information. By extension, the word cyber warfare will include acts committed in furtherance of any act against and adversary using everything that is considered part of the ‘cyber’ domain. In looking at acts, cyber warfare would include offensive acts, defensive acts or acts of deterrence. By this explanation, it will include disseminating offensive information through computers or computer networks  (Andress & Winterfeld, 2011). Cyber warfare is one that has no clear boundaries or actors which makes a lot of the current legislation unhelpful. Acts of war or states of war are usually assigned to recognised states and combatants. But in this case, cyber warfare can be conducted by states, agents of states, non-state actors, international groups or any collection of people with a single vested interest or even one individual  (Cornish, et al., 2010).   Cyber Warfare and the legal question This dissertation started off with trying to determine if cyber warfare is the new arena of conflict. Even though I have attempted to define ‘cyber’ and ‘cyber warfare’, there are still large parts of this area of study that need to be examined. A lot of the current research already makes the assumption that cyber warfare is warfare because of its obvious name or that a few of the permanent members of the UN Security Council are making the case. But what is the legal argument to justify treating cyber warfare as warfare? Let’s begin with the least disputed agreement and definition of what leads to armed conflict. It is generally accepted that â€Å"armed force† is the necessary requirement for â€Å"armed conflict†. The UN Charter Article 2(4) provides, All members [of the UN] shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State . . .,. Exceptions are use of force authorized by the Security Council, and self-defence pursuant to Article 5 1.† Even customary law that applies to non-UN members still has the expectation of the same necessary requirement although it must be pointed out that this is only applicable to state actors (Kelsey, 2008). Non-state actors where not envisioned when the Charter was framed. Nonetheless, this is still the legal argument as it stands. Cyber warfare does not seem to meet the threshold of ‘armed force’ although many would argue otherwise. And it is this argument that is usually translated into the foreign policy of some states  (Gompert & Libicki, 2014). Even the UN Charter Article 51 still proposes that a response to attack is only justified if the initial or first attack is an armed attack. As it stands today, cyber warfare is not recognised as a legitimate war just in the same way that the ‘War on Terror’ is not a legitimate war but a cornerstone of US foreign policy. By extension, it stands to reason that a cyber attack is not in reality an attack recognised by the UN (Droege., 2012). Ultimately the view of whether an act is a cyber attack or part of cyber warfare is merely one that is only determined by the recipient of the act and how they choose to respond; through dialogue or retaliation? In addition, the judgement of the international community plays a significant part even though state actors often form alliances that ensures that an attack on one nation state could be an attack on the entire alliance; e.g. a cyber attack on a NATO member state. Not having a legal basis for an action does not in any way imply that it is not treated as a conflict or war. We only have to look at the U.S. justifications for bombing, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria in clear violation of the U.N. Charter; none of these states had perpetrated an armed attack against the U.S. The international community enjoined the U.S. even though other states had pointed out at the clear hypocrisy being committed by the U.S. If one is to consider cyber warfare and cyber attacks, then answering the legal question is insufficient. One must refer to the prevailing theory of international relations one subscribes to or comment on wider matters governing a state’s behaviour. This dissertation will look at empirical examples of cyber warfare. Global Cyber warfare: China vs US In todays information age, the Peoples Republic of China has replaced and even improved upon KGB methods of industrial espionage to the point that the Peoples Republic of China now presents one of the most capable threats to U.S. technology leadership and by extension its national security.Dan Verton, Cyber Warfare Expert (Hjortdal, 2011) It is easy to forget that in 1820, Greece had revolted against the Ottoman Empire, Britain had opened the first modern railway and was on its way to an exploding industrial revolution, Brazil had nervously declared independence from Portugal and that China was the world’s superpower with the largest share of global GDP. In fact, it is easy to forget because history has been written specifically to gloss over these facts. Western academia has repeatedly highlighted China as a collective of starved, dispossessed and slaughtered people and not a prosperous, dynamic and global power from 1100 – 1820. From 1078, China was the world’s major producer of steel, the world’s leader in technical innovations, the world’s leading trading nation, possessed the largest commercial ships and these are just to mention a few. Few academics would now dispute that China was the world’s hyperpower for 800 years before the rise of British imperialism in the 19th century. Western imperialism and China’s decline has been documented in detail which this book cannot do justice to. The rise of Chinese economic and political strength is unquestionably due to the Communist Party of China which began when the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of Communist Party of China adopted a reform policy triggering the private sector[3].   Since 1978, entrepreneurship has driven the Chinese economy and the economic and political changes since then remain unprecedented. So transformative has this change been that China is now a threat to the US in the information superhighway. A recent event in 2016 puts this threat into context. China builds world’s fastest supercomputer without U.S. chips â€Å"China on Monday revealed its latest supercomputer, a monolithic system with 10.65 million compute cores built entirely with Chinese microprocessors. This follows a U.S. government decision last year to deny China access to Intels fastest microprocessors. There is no U.S.-made system that comes close to the performance of Chinas new system, the Sunway TaihuLight. Its theoretical peak performance is 124.5 petaflops, according to the latest biannual release today of the worlds Top500 supercomputers. It is the first system to exceed 100 petaflops. A petaflop equals one thousand trillion (one quadrillion) sustained floating-point operations per second.†ComputerWorld (June 20, 2016 http://www.computerworld.com/article/3085483/high-performance-computing/china-builds-world-s-fastest-supercomputer-without-u-s-chips.html) It has earlier been argued that cyberspace is open to both state actors and non-state actors. Because actions can be taken by an individual in a state, it is extremely hard to prove culpability of the state. In other words, a cyber attack from a computer in China in no way implies that the cyber attack was orchestrated by the Chinese state. Proving culpability is extremely hard and this fact alone hinders the argument that cyber warfare could be a new arena of conflict. Having said this, the media is awash with stories of Chinese cyber attacks on the U.S. but it is always lacking in evidence. Ironically, one never hears of U.S. cyber attacks on China or at the very least the mainstream media never reports it. Despite China’s repeated denials of culpability and its demand for proof that its citizens are responsible for cyber attacks on U.S. interests, the U.S. have taken the bold step in 2011 to issue a statement from the National Counterintelligence Executive that China is the â€Å"most active and persistent perpetrator of cyber intrusions into the United States† (Heginbotham, 2015).    As there are no clearly defined rules on cyber warfare, any escalation of tensions between China and the U.S. could be construed and framed in the words of a potential conflict similar to the rhetoric that started and fuelled the Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. This Cold War metaphor is how commentators are viewing the Cyber race between China and the U.S. According to President Barack Obama’s 2011 Cyberspace Policy Review, â€Å"cybersecurity risks pose some of the most serious economic and national security challenges of the 21st century† (Solis, 2014). This rhetoric is backed up by the steps the U.S. has taken to secure its strategic advantage in the domain. In 2009, the U.S. created the Cyber Command under the National Security Agency (NSA) with the express purpose of putting cyber warfare in the forefront of its military and defensive strategy. In addition, the Department of Defence (DoD) also has the Pentagon Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace with China clearly set in its sights. These aggressive overtures by the U.S. have not been ignored. According to the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, they are of the opinion that cyber attacks on Chinese computer installations grow at a rate of 80% annually making China the largest and most venerable recipient of cyber attacks   (Robinson, et al., 2015). To put it into context, in 2011, China succumbed to a cyber attack where 100 million usernames, passwords and emails were leaked unto the internet. What is commonly acknowledge is that the U.S. practically controls the entire internet and other states are using every means possible to reduce the influence of that control and threat even though the US was instrumental in the development of the internet. For the global internet to be fully operational, it requires 13 root serves. 10 of the 13 are based in the US and the other 3 are based in Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands. ICANN, the body that authorises domain names and designations is based in the U.S. With these facts in mind, the U.S. has the most potential to turn cyber space into a cyber threat. At least that is the argument posed by China and they insist on being able to protect their national interests. With both sides staking a national interest priority, it is not surprising that cyber warfare could be the next arena between the U.S. and China (Lieberthal & Singer, 2012). Global Cyber warfare: Russia vs the rest of the world The Russians view cyber and cyberspace in completely contradictory terms to the U.S. and the West in general. First and foremost, the Russians do not generally refer to the term cyber as a distinct concept in the way political theorists in the West do. Russia, and to some extent China, have a wider understanding of information and its control regardless of the medium chosen. So, given its long history with controlling information about and through the state during the era of the Soviet Union, electronic information is just one conduit or category of information that can be utilized, manipulated and harnessed for the greater good of the state. That is to say that the notion of cyber is just another mechanism by which information is relayed and does not take priority over other mechanisms in importance just in practical relevance. In Russian military doctrine, information and disinformation go hand in hand and are tools used by the state apparatus to achieve a desired objective for its citizens or against its adversaries. It is utilized with judicious foresight towards a purpose in addition to other traditional methods and processes. In practical terms, if information (or disinformation) helps another weapon to tool, then Russian military theorists see electronic information merely as an enabler or facilitator. Therefore information is relevant to already established practices of the state such as disinformation operations, electronic warfare, Psychology Operations (also known as PsyOps), political subversion and subterfuge, economic warfare etc. According to (Carr, 2011), â€Å"this is stated clearly in the Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation (2010) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. features of modern military conflicts is the prior implementation of measures of information warfare in order to achieve political objectives without the utilization of military force and, subsequently, in the interest of shaping a favourable response from the world community to the utilization of military force.†Carr, 2011 Cyber warfare, according to Russian theorists, is just information warfare by another means but more efficient than other types of information warfare. Cyber warfare is a legitimate tool of the state, so the argument goes, in peacetime and in conflict. It does not hold a special prominence like it does in the U.S. Cyber warfare is regulated to accompanying other tools of the state but given its nature, it has no set rules, no boundaries, no prescribed limits and no real restrictions or applications. Such a view is diametrically opposite to that of the concept of cyberspace held in the West. In support of this theory, the Russian state apparatus is structured quite differently from the U.S. Cyberspace and cyber warfare started under the remit of the Federal Security Service (Federal’naya Sluzhba Bezopastnosti: FSB) which was tasked with initiating information and disinformation wars using whatever means necessary including cyber warfare. The FSB also maintains and controls SORM, the State’s internal cyber surveillance system. In addition to the FSB, The Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor), is also tasked with controlling the civilian media, telecommunications, the internet, the radio and any electronic media. Russia’s strategy of seeing cyber warfare as a continuation of normal political and military overtures was witnessed in the war with Georgia in 2008  (Robinson, et al., 2015). To date, Russia is still the only country to use all three of military, economic and cyber warfare on an adversary in the international arena. Russia had a two-pronged attack when it used military weapons and cyber warfare to defeat Georgia. Similarly, in its conflict with Ukraine in 2014, its conventional use of military weapons and cyber warfare resulted in Ukrainian government websites being shut down, massive ‘denial of service’ attacks being reported and energy installations being hacked into. This is the first of many of these sorts of ‘total warfare’ that will continue in the new future. One only has to read newspaper reports of cyber attacks occurring on a daily basis. But does this constitute a new arena of conflict? I think given what is already going on in conflicts around the world, the question has already been answered. Whether by design or accident, states are using cyber warfare as a tool against their adversary  (Lieberthal & Singer, 2012). World’s first Cyber War No other body of research could be more persuasive that presenting details of the world’s first cyber war to support the argument that cyber warfare is now a new arena of conflict. The first known incident of an entire country being subjected to an all out cyber war was Estonia. To understand the gravity of this event is to look at the history of Estonia.   Estonia was controlled by the Soviet Union for nearly 50 years and obtained its independence in 1991. Then it was a desolate country which has been starved of infrastructure and economic development. With a population of just under 2 million, it has carved a future for itself as one of the most wired and technological advanced countries in the world. It is truly a model of a smart country with widespread ecommerce and e-government services almost unparalleled anywhere in the world. As a state once controlled by the Soviets until 1991, the country is punctuated with Soviet history and struggle. The capital city, Tallinn, had monuments erected to the Soviet soldiers who fought and died in the struggle to keep Germany out of Russia. Estonia, as it is their right, decided to move the monument to a cemetery which met angry objections from Russian leaders and the large Russian community that grew out of a 50 year occupation. Russia saw Estonia as a symbol of struggle and the Estonians saw Russia as a symbol of oppression. After altercations in the city centre following the removal of the monument, Estonia found that its entire electronic infrastructure was disrupted. The state administration was paralysed, banks and companies had to freeze their operations, the internet was practically down and nothing was working. Culpability was had to prove but it was the first recorded total cyber war against a state. Again, there is no proof that the perpetrators were state spon sored or indeed it was a malicious attack but the timing and the magnitude points to more than a criminal cohort (there was no financial advantage gained in the event) and to a state sponsored cyber attack. More importantly, Estonians pointed the finger at Russia and being members of NATO, they retained the prerogative to invoke Article 5 of NATO: an attack against one is an attack against all. Postscript If there was any uncertainty about cyber warfare becoming the new arena of conflict then the headlines below might seem ominous as they are similar to the headlines that preceded the First World War and the Second World War. And these were in just over 3 days. â€Å"Malta accuses Russia of cyber-attacks in run-up to election The embattled Maltese government has claimed that it has come under attack from a Russian-backed campaign to undermine it, amid worsening relations with the Kremlin. Malta assumed the presidency of Europe’s Council of Ministers in January, an important position under which it chairs high-level meetings in Brussels and sets Europe’s political agenda. Since then, the Maltese government’s IT systems have seen a rise in attacks, according to a source working within its information technology agency, a government body. He claimed the attacks, which have increased ahead of next month’s general election, are designed to damage the government. â€Å"In the last two quarters of last year and the first part of this year, attacks on our servers have increased,† the source said.†Ã‚  (Doward, 2017) â€Å"Trump executive order aims to protect US from ‘catastrophic’ cyber attack US President Donald Trump this month signed an executive order that aims to increase protection for US essential services in case of a cyber attack that results in catastrophic regional or national effects on public health or safety, economic security, or national security†. (Kuchler, 2017) Nth Korea launches cyber attacks on US North Koreas main spy agency has a special cell called Unit 180 that is likely to have launched some of its most daring and successful cyber attacks, according to defectors, officials and internet security experts. North Korea has been blamed in recent years for a series of online attacks, mostly on financial networks, in the United States, South Korea and over a dozen other countries. Cyber security researchers have also said they have found technical evidence that could link North Korea with the global WannaCry ransomware cyber attack that infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries this month.   Pyongyang has called the allegation ridiculous. (Reuters, 2017) The research question of whether cyber warfare is a new arena of conflict is probably not in any doubt. The argument reverts back to the beginning of this research when examined the realist approach to international relations. Even if one were to look at the vast number of institutions in the international system and make a please for calmer heads prevailing, the realpolitik of current geopolitics shows that cyber attacks can, and will most likely, be used as a pretext and as a tool of war. 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The party decided that China should start shift its economic focus from class struggle-oriented to economic construction-oriented, from semi-rigid/rigid to comprehensive reform, and, from semi-closed/closed to opening up.Invalid source specified.