The Byzantine Empire and Greco-Roman Culture

The Byzantine Empire has a very strong connection to Greek culture. In 1453 A. D. the Byzantine Empire was very important in not just only the world, but also in terms of economic, political and militaristic strength. The Byzantine Empire was a significant part of the Roman Empire and historical research has helped unravel the strong relationship between the Byzantine Empire, Greek Heritage and culture.In addition to what I listed above, the Byzantine Empire was important because it maintained the given knowledge from the Greeks and the Romans The strengths of the Byzantine Empire are the preservation of Roman- Greek culture and cultural diffusion. When the Roman Empire collapsed in 476, the Byzantine Empire survived. As a result of this collapse, the empire served to preserve the majority of the Greek and Roman achievements for Western Europe.In the aspect of cultural diffusion, the Byzantine Empire not only helped to preserve Roman, Greek culture and Christianity but it also spread these ideas to other parts of the world. Another big impact of the Byzantine Empire are the achievements of architecture and art. The greatest example of this is the Church of Hagia Sophia. The purpose of this monument was to symbolize the unknown of Christian religion. A weakness of the Byzantine Empire is that the position of the church was detrimental to the Orthodox Church.It had no influence on the people, it did not have any control over a prosecuted ruler, it was not a substantial leader in education, and it lacked the power of growth. As a contribution of Islam to the Byzantine Empire, the Islam’s occupied the reconquered Byzantine territories and then proceeded to claim Jerusalem as a religious site for Muslims. They also took in the Persian Empire and went westward to North Africa.

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

â€Å"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities†¦ because it is the quality which guarantees all others,† (Winston Churchill). There are several different ways t be courageous. Harper Lee, in her 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, uses courage as a main theme. Harper Lee demonstrates that if one can tell the truth, change or remain rooted in their morals, they are a minority among people who lack the ability to do so. In To Kill a Mockingbird there are different characters that show it takes a certain amount of courage to tell the truth. When Dolphus Raymond said, â€Å"You little folk won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did,† (Lee 227) after he showed the kids that is was Coke in his paper and not alcohol. It was to make the children feel better about the trial. He had the courage to tell the kids the truth, right when there was a whole lot of lying going on in the courtroom, and risked them spreading his story. Another great example is that Tom Robinson, during his trial, had the courage to tell the truth about why he regularly helped Mayella. When Mr. Gilmer asked Tom why he was so obliged to do Mayella’s chores for free, Tom ruined any chance he had of winning the case by answering, â€Å"I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em,† (224). Back in the 1930’s in the southern hills of Maycomb County, Alabama, where this story takes place, how dare a black man feel sorry for a white woman. The white citizens of the south believed that blacks were the lowest of the low. Lower than trailer trash, like the Ewells. What Tom said contradicted the mindset of the time and he died because of it. Not many characters have the strength to tell the truth, however some do and the make a world of change. Harper Lee, in To Kill a Mockingbird, shows the readers that having the ability to change is quite significant. Not everyone can, and change can take your life, shake it a bit and when it’s put back down you don’t know if it is for better or for worse. Scout always used to get into fights. One day, Atticus asked Scout to stop fighting. Scout loves her father very much and doesn’t want to disappoint him so she listened, no matter how much she got chided for it. When I committed myself to a policy of cowardice. Word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight anymore, her daddy wouldn’t let her,† (92). It was courageous of her to change because fighting was a big part of her life and her peers were sure to tease her. Another character that exemplifies the courage to change is Mrs. Dubose. She was addicted to morphine but had the courage to change for the final hours of her life, even though she knew she would die soon no matter what. â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what,† (128). Mrs. Dubose had the courage to change and died content with herself. It’s clear that you need to be courageous to change because not many characters change in this story. Maycomb was born in ignorance and Maycomb continued to live in ignorance. The most courageous acts in To Kill a Mockingbird occur when a character is alone in their morals and remain rooted in those morals no matter what. Atticus is a perfect example of someone â€Å"sticking to their guns†. The reason that he gives his children as to why he is defending the black man, Tom Robinson is, â€Å"Before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself,† (120). A different example is at the end of the book, when Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell. Sherriff Tate sticks to his morals by reporting that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Sherriff Tate told Atticus that if Boo was charged with murder, the attention he would receive from the town’s women would kill Boo. Another example of a character being steadfast in their morals is when Calpurnia, knowing that everyone is equal, takes Jem and Scout to the black people’s church. Some of the black folks weren’t very welcoming to the kids because they were white. â€Å"Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church ain’t it Miss Cal? ‘ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God ain’t it? ‘† (136). These characters truly are minorities. That is when they shine and are model citizens of Maycomb County. Seems like being alone, fighting for what they believe in, makes them stronger. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is the characters that have the courage to stand out against racism and break the status quo of Maycomb County that are a minority among the characters that don’t. Courage is one of the biggest themes in To Kill a Mockingbird and only a special few are able to possess it. As Reggie White said, â€Å"God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight. â€Å"

Public Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Public Policy - Essay Example The underground economy is seen as only a means of criminality and any efforts outside of the mainstream is thought to be an effort to defraud the government for welfare. There are a great number of misunderstandings of both financial success and poverty. There is the belief that success is found through individual effort. This is not true. There is also the belief that if they tried harder, those who are poor could do better. This is also not true. To understand the nature of poverty and how the truth of success includes a much more collaborative experience, one must take a look at the way in which the inequalities in the nation have set people up to either succeed or fail based on their circumstances. There is no doubt that the nature of life for those who live in poverty could be raised from that level into success, but in order to do that a number of different factors need to change. Neighborhood regeneration, public transportation, equal school opportunities, and better infrastructure on the whole would all contribute to better opportunities for those who are poor. This is not the problem, however. The problem is that there is a belief that pove rty is a state of criminality and does not deserve resources because of its nature. Addressing this issue will begin meaningful change. In order to address public policy through changing social policy about the poor, it is important to follow a path towards public policy. Stone (2002) writes â€Å"A theory of policy politics must start with a model of political society, that is, a model of the simplest version of society that retains the essential elements of politics.† (p. 13). Stone (2002) goes on to discuss public policy in relationship to a market as individuals are all competing for their position in the market and for the ability to use available, but limited resources. Trying to gain what they can at the lowest possible cost means that they can change those raw materials into something

If and when I raise children, I'll never Assignment

If and when I raise children, I'll never - Assignment Example I shall also try not to have arguments with my partner when my child is around so that s/he always feels secure. I shall never try to compare my child with any other child. Instead I shall encourage my child to work harder and also try new things so s/he may find where his/her aptitude lies. I will try to set up a solid support system at home that will reassure my little one that no matter what, we will always be there for him/her and our love will always be as strong. My child’s health will be a major concern and I shall always strive to keep the child away from passive smoking – meaning a strict no smoking at home, and reduce to the minimum unhealthy eating. Stressing the importance of a healthy mind in a healthy body will be an important part of my efforts to raise my child. I shall encourage the child to play outdoor games and maintain hygienic habits. I would like my child to develop the ability to keep an open mind and not rush to conclusions without due thought and consideration. I shall therefore encourage reading habits and logical thinking. I think a parent’s listening skills are very important to a child’s overall development. I shall never brush aside the child’s fears or doubts. I shall set time aside for my child in order to give him/her the confidence to be able to confide problems or worries thus helping avoid major disturbances. I sincerely hope that when I do become a parent, I shall be a good one and bring up a physically and emotionally well-balanced human

Performance Improvement Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Performance Improvement Program - Essay Example (Coutts and Schneider) Emery and Giauque also found that non-monetary forms of remuneration, such as the organization of working hours, improvements in equipment and work resources and the development of skills, are appreciated by employees. In some of the instances the inefficiencies in employee performance may be the result of an inconsistent behavior of the people representing the management. A number of behavioral issues may be responsible for this state of affairs. There is an absolute necessity of diagnosing the performance management problems to identify the causes for the inconsistencies in the behavior of the management towards subordinates. Such an examination becomes vitally important in the case of a service organization such as a consulting company, since the revenues of the organization depend entirely on the performance of the individuals working with the organization. The analysis of the performance management problem will lead to the implementation of a proper Perfor mance Improvement Plan. The purpose of such a plan is to identify weaknesses and strengths as well as opportunities for improvement and skill development of the individual employees. This report examines the performance management problems being faced by International Assignment Services PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hong Kong Limited, a multinational consulting organization, due to lack of an effective system of performance improvement plan and feedback in the company and also to suggest a suitable Performance Improvement Plan for the organization to improve the performance of the organization. International Assignment Services - A Background PricewaterhouseCoopers Hong Kong Limited is an international consulting organization with a number of professionals working with the organization at various levels. The company has an 'International Assignment Services (IAS) department providing consulting services to different types of clients in Hong Kong and China. The structure of the department consists of professionals working in different hierarchical levels such as Partners, Senior Managers, Managers, Senior Consultants and Associates. The individual job responsibilities and hierarchical position of people at these levels is provided below. This presentation assumes importance to understand the intricacy of the performance management problem in the organization. Partners The highest level within the department, who set objectives and gives direction to the team, have at least 10 years of experience in the fields, with strong relationship with commercial clients and officials in the China and HK tax bureau. Senior Managers Have years of experience in IAS, have a strong client base, work closely with Partners in setting team objectives and most of the tax compliance and consultation work will be delegated to Senior Consultants. Other than client work, Senior Managers will have other internal roles in the department, e.g., Head of the Coaching team, System improvement/ developer, Career Counselor, etc. Managers Less experience than Senior Managers, fewer clients than Senior Managers, so for most of the time, Managers will be out to seek for new clients, for example holding tax seminars

Freight Transport in Europe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Freight Transport in Europe - Essay Example In the modern era when every field is shaping itself, European freight transports have had to update according to globalization practices. However the hope of 2010 is there according to which it is expected that EU would take serious measures to half the road distance. According to Pompeo and Sapountzis (2002) one of the major reasons that could be count towards a constant rate in freight growth is being over confident in taking risks. (Pompeo & Sapountzis, 2002) Of course, the risk factor is there when ERTRAC is keen to achieve the following by 2010: During 1973 to 1976 and 1977 to 1981 the priority of the EU was to avoid damaging policy impact; and in 1982 to 1986 and 1987 to 1992 the emphasis was on risks and benefits of environmental policies for the internal market of cargoes. Even the European Environmental Agency held responsible the EU for the road static transportation infrastructure and for the exposure to the pollution of water and air. However, during 1992 to 1999 there was a stronger accent on 'paradigmatic change' to reflect global environmental risks, with proposed structural change in favour of public transport, energy efficiency and waste prevention. (Carter & Turnock, 2002, p. 57) It started with the UK publication, when in 1989 UK Transportation department concerning continuous growth of roads made some sentimental remarks. The remarks were emotional enough to jerk the Government to think seriously about the then transportation system which consisted of a developing European market in terms of logistics and freight. Therefore a program initiated which required heavy investment in motorways and trunk roads. It was announced that UK Government has decided to make the roads better. The program was so successful that it effectively doubled the existing investment plans and was seen as a commitment to the provision of infrastructure 'suited to the single market and other competitive challenges of the 1990s and beyond'. It was also argued that the investment was necessary for industry and to improve the country's economic geography, through increasing opportunities for less favoured regions, assisting urban regeneration and helping more prosperous areas to cope wi th growth. The programme had resulted from a substantial increase in road traffic (35 %) in the 1980s and the prospects of a doubling of road traffic from 1988 to 2025. Something had to be done and the government decided that road building was the main alternative to be pursued. (Berechman & Banister, 2000, p. 3) The past two decades in EU freight The past 50 years of European market has gone through tremendous ups and downs, where ups have been mostly initiated by the growth of free trade which liberalize the European market. The free movement and removal of transport barriers provide the EU with the motivation to create and groom their economic market. However in the initial 90s the growth through road transport was at little as 3%. There were many transport problems, among which the most

Implications of Globalization and Technology on Negotiation Essay

Implications of Globalization and Technology on Negotiation - Essay Example Our world is dynamic in nature and it has become more advanced with the boom in technology and rapid globalization. The basic aim behind globalization is to promote and increase the trading exercises among different countries. This leads to the equal distribution of material wealth, goods and services which enhances the remarkable growth in overall structure of the economy in any country. Furthermore, it also helps in building sound international relations as well as competition at different levels among different countries. Globalization has left its deep effects on regional economies, trading activities, policies, societies and cultures. It has given a new definition to terms such as communication, trade and transportation. It has been commonly thought that factors like technology, economy, politics and other socio-cultural have played an important role in coining the term known to the world now as â€Å"globalization†. We cannot underestimate the importance of technology in today’s world of extreme modernization and advancement. Technology has played a vital role on the horizons of business and more specifically it has left its deeper impacts on international business. But how globalization and technology have their impact on negotiations and what changes are brought about by both of them? It is worth mentioning that globalization has given rise to tough international competition and in today’s world of advancement it has become a game of the survival for many growing economies and more specifically economies of the third-world countries are already considered as under-threat by such tough competition with technology as a second most important element collaborating directly in this game of survival . (Stroper, 1992). The implication of globalization and technology on negotiations can be explained by a very

What practices pay off best and under what conditions Assignment - 1

What practices pay off best and under what conditions - Assignment Example It is the consideration between the employers and themselves. It is usually a reward for a job done, directly related to the efforts applied in performance of the work. In merit pay/cost of living adjustments form of pay, the employees are paid in relation to past work behavior and cost of living (Belcher, 1996). An increase in merit is triggered by work behavior recognized in the past and the adjustments in the cost of living. The cost of living consideration raises the merit of all the employees without regard to the performance. This form of pay is mostly beneficial when the employer is assured of commitment and professional skills of the workers. This form of pay will work towards ensuring that there is low employee turn over as most appreciate that the employer is considerate enough. Adjustments of pay in relation to the cost of living encourage the employees to be loyal to the company and to increase their output. This form of pay is particularly beneficial to the employees as during harsh economic times they are assured that the employer will adjust the pay in their benefit. The pay system brings on board various groups of people and this determines what they perceive of the company or the employer. The society or the community considers job compensation often referred to as pay as a measure of justice towards the employees. It is the society’s belief that benefits extended to the employees are a reflection of the level of justice in the society. The most beneficial form of pay to the employer is the incentives or the variable pay. In this form of pay, pay rise is triggered by performance of the employees. Some of the assumptions of the variable pay method are: some employees are more productive than their peers; some perform better and are better equipped with technical skills; better performance should be rewarded; and some of the employees’ earnings should be directly proportional

Establish and support your position regarding whether or not today's Essay

Establish and support your position regarding whether or not today's United States government functions as it was intended to - Essay Example II. James Madison on good governance. This section contains James Madison teaching on good governance. It highlights how the United States governance structure does not function as to the expectations of James Madison, contained in his teachings. It identifies the role of state government and what the federal government ought to do. III. Alexander Hamilton on government expenditures. This section contains an analysis on how the government of USA is unable to balance its budget. It also highlights the role of government in enhancing commerce, as advocated for by the founders. It analyzes Alexander Hamilton teachings on how government ought to spend their revenues. IV. James Madison on diversity within a state. This section highlights the importance of encouraging different talents within a state. This section highlights James Madison argument against affirmative action, and on how it can lead to the erosion of different talents within a state. V. Opposing viewpoints. This section cont ains various arguments that support the federal government’s policies and governance procedures. ... I. Introduction: The expectations of the founding fathers are unmet in the current government functions and structure of the United States of America. The founding fathers of the state never had in their mind that the Federal government will usurp powers that the state governments have, or deny some individuals their basis rights. They believed that possession of numerous powers by the Federal government would not result to the proper functioning of the Union. This is because it would promote inappropriate spending. The founding fathers had a vision to create a federal union that would respect the constitution. However, this is not the case as of today, since the federal government of US has on numerous occasions created laws that breach the constitution. A good example of such kind of a law is the defense and marriage act of 1996. Robinson (31) denotes that the act gave authority to the state government, allowing them not to recognize same sex marriages, even if the marriage occurre d in a State that recognizes such kind of marriages. The Supreme Court of America ruled that the law was unconstitutional. Bailey (15) and Robinson (37) believe that this law was against the principles of equality, and right to pursuant of happiness According to the principles contained in the declaration of rights, men have a right to the pursuit of happiness, life and liberty (Bailyn 13). On this basis, this paper analyzes whether the Federal government of the United States of America is operating in accordance to the visions that the founding fathers of the country had. This paper takes the following stands, 1. The congress has managed to usurp the powers given to the judiciary, and limiting its operations. 2. The federal government spends more money than it has

Social And Natural Sciences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social And Natural Sciences - Essay Example A great contribution of positivism into philosophical and methodological explorative methods is considered further on the example of social and natural sciences. In sociology, positivism is the core paradigmatic methodology. Science and inquiry are two basic pillars of positivism. Still, it is very important to solve the major problem of social sciences, which concerns results finding on the basis of complex species research and study. The roots of Positivism can be traced in the French Enlightenment. The philosopher suggested combining natural sciences principles with social sciences. Comte claimed that religion was conquered by science. It was much important those times to refer to facts and laws, than to suppositions and considerations. Scientific knowledge is outlined by Comte in the following way: the stage of fictitious, metaphysical and scientific knowledge. The last stage of knowledge, scientific knowledge, is preferential for Comte. The development of all other stages, if su ccessfully implemented, would result in scientific knowledge emergence. These stages of knowledge can be also sought in Empiricism. This science is based on observable facts, claiming that logical and mathematical roots are in the background of the facts. The main principle of positivism should be also found in â€Å"positive† information, which can be obtained from a positive experience. A methodological paradigm of positivism consists of science and inquiry. An empirical exploration is of crucial importance for any science.  ... These stages of knowledge can be also sought in Empiricism. This science is based on observable facts, claiming that logical and mathematical roots are on the background of the facts. The main principle of positivism should be also found in â€Å"positive† information, which can be obtained from a positive experience. Therefore, a methodological paradigm of positivism consists of science and inquiry. An empirical exploration is of crucial importance for any science. Thus, from positivist perspective it can be claimed that social phenomena are not distributed in accordance with certain or specific types, where the members of these types are homogenous (Cassell, 2002). In other words, positivist vision or methodology implemented in social sciences is not relevant to the fullest extent. Sociological phenomena are of inhomogeneous nature. For example, a structure of any sociological object or phenomena cannot be considered in accordance with specific features or characteristics, w hich are relevant at all times. Moreover, social processes and generalizations cannot be characterized simultaneously in accordance with homogenous characteristics. For sociological sciences it is of crucial importance to formulate specific hypotheses focused on special sociological events or imagination. A development of sociological theory is one possible way to develop explanations concerning sociological events or objects. Therefore, positivism is often criticized as irrelevant methodology applied for social inquiry. Social science requires development of special approaches focused on â€Å"contingency, heterogeneity, path-dependence, and particularity corresponding to the plasticity of

Employee Rewards Essay Example for Free

Employee Rewards Essay Introduction The purpose of this essay is to critically examine the processes used by Scotia Learning and identify if their rewards are appropriate to those of the market. The report will begin by discussing the background of Scotia Learning and follow on to define reward management highlighting the objective and constraints within the reward strategy. We will then consider the legal framework and examine why there are variations in pay and how job evaluation can ensure equity and fairness is achieved. Finally we will discuss the concept of motivation and the implications of pay for performance within the reward strategy. The report ends with an analysis of the key issues of the topic. Scotia Learning is the case study for this essay and is one of a network of university-based study centres offering preparation for students wishing to study undergraduate and postgraduate degrees for progression into university degree courses. The company has joint venture partnerships with top universities throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States of America. â€Å"Reward management is concerned with the formulation and implementation of strategies and policies that aim to reward people fairly, equitably and consistently in accordance with their value to the organisation† (Armstrong Murlis, 2007, p3). Research by Redman Wilkinson (2009) indicates that reward is an enormously complex issue and has to take account of three fundamental principles in determining systems and structures: internal equity, external equity and business strategy. In addition Thorpe Homan (2000) state that the organisation should identify what objectives and behaviours the payment system should have for example, labour market competitiveness and management skills whilst Perkins White (2009) highlight the importance of legal regulations that can put constraints on organisations, for example minimum wage (legal), collective bargaining (trade unions), and the external labour markets. Scotia Learning does not recognise a trade union however it does recognise that collective bargaining has been influential in discussing and setting pay arrangement due to internal and external rates of pay not being equal. Within the employment legislation pay has always been an area of controversy especially when one considers employee’s collective concerns (Brown et al., 2003). The introduction of The Equal Pay Act 1970 outlawing unequal pay for men and women having since evolved into equal pay for equal work and the Equal Pay (Amendment) Regulations 1983 after the UK joined the EU in 1973 (Perkins White, 2009), now gives employees a certain degree of protection in their employment relationship. To strengthen current legislation The Equality Act 2010 was introduced highlighting human rights and discriminatory factors, such as equal pay, sex discrimination, race, disability and equality (religion, sexual orientation, and age) (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2012). In response to this Scotia Learning are aware that they have a ‘duty of care’ to all employees and comply with the Equal Opportunities Policy by ensuring the relevant training is undertaken by managers and employees ensuring everyone understands the importance of and their responsibilities under this Policy. This is also promoted in all recruitment documents, ensuring that wording of job advertisements does not discriminate against any potential applicants. As part of this legislation, employers are legally required to ensure their pay structures are not discriminatory against men and women in terms of valuing work between them in their employment and in order to defend themselves against equal pay claims, organisations must be able to prove that the jobs within their grading system are valued according to the job rather than the gender of the person doing the job. Failure to adhere to these regulations can result in a tribunal claim and if proven the organisation will have to pay all money accrued which can be backdated six years in England and five years in Scotland. In the case of (Birmingham City Council v Abdulla and others [2012] UKSC 47), the Supreme Court ruled that equal pay claims brought in the High Court more than six months after the end of the claimants employment, which would have been out of time in an employment tribunal, should not be struck out under section 2(3) of the Equal Pay Act 1970. The reasons for a claimants failure to bring a timely claim in a tribunal are not relevant in any way to the notion of convenience under section 2(3). (PLC Employment Law Weekly email). Within Scotia Learning pay and benefits are provided on the basis of objective criteria, free from discrimination taking into account the principle of equal pay for equivalent work or work of equal value. In addition we ensure transparency within the reward system is clear to all employees in that they understand how their pay is worked out and what is required from them to achieve this. Job profiles and person specifications for each new vacancy are drawn up in keeping with other jobs of a similar size and responsibility which focus on the skills, experience and qualifications that are directly relevant to the job. Armstrong Murlis (2007, p115) state that â€Å"the payment system is important as it not only conveys a signal to the employees what the organisational priorities are but also acts as a catalyst for wider organisational change† a view reiterated by Armstrong (1996) in which he proposes that the foundations of reward management are to achieve the individual and organisational behaviour that a company needs if the business goals are to be met. Therefore the term ‘employees are the key to enhanced organisational performance’ becomes relevant with links to Kessler and Purcell (1994) where they emphasise that payment systems are related to recruitment, retention and motivation of staff and that the determination of pay is not only the interaction of market forces but also employers. It is also acknowledged that variations in pay can occur for a variety of reasons and from a legal perspective it is important to understand why (Redman Wilkinson, 2009). Firstly the power scenario, in that if labour is scarce, employees will have more power and hence may be able to demand higher pay, in contrast with an over-supply of labour employers have the power and hence may be able to hold pay at lower rates (Redman Wilkinson, 2009). Secondly, it has been acknowledged that ‘the rate for the job’ should be the same for employees doing the same job but considering organisational performance is reliant on the employ ee’s effort, skills and competencies, it is not logical to assume that effort should be rewarded and pay should vary accordingly. A view shared by Redman Wilkinson (2009, p161) who advocate that â€Å"variable pay schemes (VPS) are said to hold out the promise towards the creation of internal labour market that is fairer in rewarding people as it is only ‘fair’ that rewards should have a direct link with effort†. The argument with this theory is that ‘risk adverse’ workers will be less willing to ‘gamble’ on pay related performance than a set amount of pay. Thirdly, we should also take into consideration the external market rate of pay and uneven market pressures such as differing regional or occupational rates of pay as Kessler (2007, p167) states â€Å"external equity is an organisational imperative as failure to respond the labour market changes will leave organisations at a disadvantage competitively†. Scotia Learning responds to these challenges by regularly benchmarking and studying the market rate of pay within the educational sector. Data collected i s beneficial in determining pay to ensure pay scales are in line with and competitive with similar jobs. For example, when recruiting teaching staff, the use of organisations such as SATEFL and other educational websites are particularly useful, for administration staff we would use S1jobs.com and jobseeker.gov.uk website and with management we would use agencies. However, although the aforesaid strategy is very useful, Scotia Learning is a relatively large organisation with Centres worldwide and other factors have to be taken into consideration, such as location and cost of living. In determining the value of jobs within our organisation, although we consider the external market pay rates, decisions concerning pay are done through a coherent wage and career structure internal to our organisation which ensures consistency and fairness in our reward systems. It has been reported that issues with this reward system have arisen within the banking sector resulting in Government intervention to deal with inequalities of pay setting at senior management/director level and low pay via the nati onal minimum wage. This is not an area of concern for Scotia Learning as the annual salary increase is a % rate consistent throughout the organisation and our pay structure process involves a job evaluation â€Å"a systematic process for establishing the relative worth of jobs within an organisation† Redman Wilkinson (2009, p141). In addition Scotia Learning is accredited to the British Council and British Accreditation Council and all HR policies and personnel files are properly documented and filed. Our job evaluation comprises of an analytical (i.e., jobs are broken down into individual components) broad-band pay structure with a range of factors such as knowledge and skills, problem solving, decision making and then allocating points to them. It is interesting to note that research by IRS (2007) showed that an average of 86% of organisations use this form of job evaluation. Within this broad-band pay structure we have 6 wide overlapping salary bands made up of management, HR, teaching staff , finance, student services and cleaning staff with a salary range for each bank of at least 75%. Progression up the bands will be by skills and qualifications, performance and competence enhanced through individual career development thus supplying the motivation for continuous learning. To support this, the annual performance review takes place, however it is not linked to pay or rewards and is based on the objectives of skills and competence which are linked to organisational performance. In terms of equity and fairness the rate of pay for full-time and part-time teaching staff is calculated on the same hourly rate therefore ensuring consistency and fairness within the system. It is interesting to note that research by Redman Wilkinson (2009, p139) argues that by paying an hourly rate â€Å"employers control over pace and performance is reliant on either direct supervision or the willingness of employees to engage with the task† synonymous with the argument surrounding ‘risk adverse’ workers. This point of view may be viable in organisations such as ‘call centres’ where technology enables the monitoring and regulating of work by measuring output and input and within the customer service industry where we have the ‘secret shopper’, but within the education sector autonomy is part of the job as is their professional code of ethics which includes commitment, motivation and discretionary behaviour which is contradictory to the argument by Thorpe Homan (2000) who suggest that non-financial aspects are secondary and rarely given the same prominence in the design of payment systems. Managing rewards is largely about managing employee expectations linking to their psychological contract which is concerned with pay, performance and the development of skills (Armstrong Murlis, 2007). The argument then becomes, if reactions to rewards depend on the psychological makeup, values and needs of individual, one cannot wholly rely on performance related pay schemes to enhance all employees’ performance as not everyone is motivated by money. Motivation only takes place if rewards are worthwhile to the individual and if the process is seen to be fair, therefore, it would require to be customised for every individual in the organisation (Armstrong Murlis, 2007). For example, an employee nearing the end of their career may be more interested in job satisfaction (intrinsic reward), whereas a graduate beginning their career may be more interested in training and development (extrinsic reward). For that reason it can be argued that both intrinsic rewards such as respect, recognition, job satisfaction and responsibility are just as important as extrinsic rewards such as pay rises, bonuses, training and development opportunities and benefits such as annual holidays, company sick pay and company pension. This highlights the importance of implementing an equitable and fair reward strategy in that by incorporating financial and non-financial rewards is that they can be used as a tool to enhance employee motivation resulting in improved organisational performance. Finally the importance of management skills cannot be undermined as they are a fundamental element of human resource management. The management strategy within Scotia Learning is based on autonomy, communication and high levels of trust between management and employees. Evidence to support this is the turnover rate of staff with one employee resigning over the past two years and the annual absence levels within Scotia L earning for all staff inclusive stands at 0.1% of working hours, which is the lowest in the entire organisation. Conclusion This objective of the report was to establish the processes that ensure equity and fairness in the reward systems. We have covered the legal aspects, strategies, market awareness, motivation, job evaluation and performance appraisal and it has become evident that Scotia Learning complies with all legal legislation, and displays equity and fairness within the reward systems. However there was an air of negativity surrounding performance and reward as within Scotia Learning the annual appraisal is not yet connected to pay for performance. It is possible that issues could arise if this was implemented, namely, it could seriously affect the dynamics of the office environment between a very closely-nit team of employees, managers and directors in that, how does the manager justify their decision in the event of a low reward without affecting the equilibrium of the office environment and within a unionised organisation all trade unions argue against performance linked to pay. Schemes relating pay to performance, although generating a tremendous amount of interest have very little in the way of conclusive evidence concerning their effects on performance (Redman Wilkinson, (2009). This echoes Thompson (1992) findings in which he states, â€Å"research fails to provide convincing evidence of a link between individual performance-related pay schemes and improvements in productivity†. The evidence supports that other approaches should be considered in rewarding employees, for example a one-off bonus payment which would not affect the employees’ annual salary. References Armstrong, M. (1996) Employee Reward, London: Kogan Page/IPD Armstrong, M., and Murlis, H. (2007) Reward Management. 5thedn. London: Hay Group Brown, W., Marginson, P., and Walsh, J. (2003) The management of pay as the influence of collective bargaining diminishes. In: P.K. Edwards, Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice, Oxford: Blackwell IRS (2007) Job evaluation is thriving, survey finds: Employment Review, 667 Kessler, I. (2007) Reward Choices: strategy and equity. In: Storey, J. HRM: a critical text 3rd edition, London: Thomson Learning Kessler, I., and Purcell, J. (1994) Performance Related Pay: Objectives and application, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol.2, No.3 Perkins, S. J., and White, G. (2009) Employee Reward: Alternatives, consequences and contexts, 2nd edn. London: Chartered Institute Of Personnel and Development, Redman, T., and Wilkinson, A. (2009) Contemporary Human Resource Management: Text Cases, 3rd edn. London: Prentice Hall, Thompson, M. (1992) Pay for Performance: The employers experience, Brighton, Institute of Manpower Studies Thorpe, R., and Homan, G (2000) Strategic Reward Systems, Harlow: Financial Times Williams, S., and Adam-Smith, D. (2006) Contemporary Employment Relations: A critical introduction, Oxford: University Press Equality of Human Rights Commission, available from: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/human-rights/ date accessed 23/10/12 PLC Employment Law, available from: [emailprotected] – date accessed 26/10/12

Company Selected Reliance Fresh Information Technology Essay

Company Selected Reliance Fresh Information Technology Essay Especially in this case study is based on identifying the most important external issues IT / Reliance Fresh development company whose business mainly to those who are working in the Reliance Fresh in sales accommodation is based on the internal work  environmental impacts. Introduction Main objective of this case and study to design ecommerce website for company Reliance Fresh which include Customer account, Payment System ,Product information, price comparison, so the customer can buy product or anything directly for their home or work place and get well information about each product and can take review about that form internet database it also include about database which store all customer bank detail so company come to know to whom they give discount for regular customer and customer can buy multiple item at single time. It sends conformation mail to client about bill they paid online. Company Selected Reliance Fresh About Reliance Fresh  a convenient store format is governed by the Mukesh Ambani and is the most important part of Reliance Industries retail Business. Reliance Ltd. has planned to invest more than Rs. 25000 crores in the retail division. It also comprises more than 560 reliance fresh stores all over the country. The outlet sells fresh fruits, staples, dairy products, fresh juice bars, groceries and vegetables. A distinctive Reliance Fresh outlet is around 3000 to 4000 sq. feet and accommodates catchment area of one to three Kilometers. History of Reliance Fresh Reliance Group was established in 1970s. The Reliance Retail was found in the year 2006 as an operating subsidiary, Reliance Retail is a part of the Reliance  Industries  Limited. Reliance industries are actually the largest conglomerate in India. It has an annual turnover of US$35.9 Billion. It is also listed on 206th position in the Fortune Global 500 companies. The company started off as a small textile company around 30 years ago. And now it has expanded vertically and horizontally to be Indias Number 1.  Reliance Retail is actually the retail group of Reliance  Industries  Limited. It has a number of brands like Reliance Time Out, Reliance Digital, and Reliance Wellness. Autozone, Reliance Super, Reliance Mart, Reliance iStore, Reliance Fresh. The Reliance Retail had to face various difficulties before the launch of Reliance fresh, because of the various circumstances prevailing in Orissa, West Bengal and UP, along with the news focusing on the dearth of vegetables and fruits stocks. The retail business of Reliance then minimized its exposure in vegetable and fruit business, as a result established Reliance fresh positioning a pure super market play focusing on various categories like IT, consumer durables, home, FMCG and food. Growth of Reliance Fresh The first ever a Reliance Fresh store was established in Hyderabad, wherein the company, mainly focused on the fresh produced vegetables and fruits at comparatively low price along with an introduction of farm to fork theory. This was the idea, which was anticipated by the company was to take the supply direct from the farmers and then sell straightaway to the consumers removing the middle-men off the beaten track. Reliance introduced several formats in the marketplace to cater to needs of common people, which includes Reliance Fresh, Reliance Super, Reliance Footprint, Reliance Timeout, Reliance Jewels, Reliance wellness, Reliance Mart and Reliance Digital, to name a few. In addition to this, the Reliance Retail also entered into a treaty with Apple, which is a leading Information Technology company, to set up a series of Apple Specialty Outlets branded as IStore, with its first ever store in Bangalore. With an idea to produce inclusive prosperity and growth for farmers, consumers, small shopkeepers and vendor partners, Reliance Retail was set up in order to lead the foray of Reliance Group into an organized retail. Mode of Enquire In general term enquiry means an act of asking information, an official investigation. There are many different method of enquiry (for example, Anti-Deductive, System thinking and Inductive-consensual). Provide a short critique of three different techniques. Your discussion to include the current perspective for each types of enquiry drawn from extant literature. Here also include the strengths, weakness and any assumptions that have to be made when using these different modes of enquiry Here we are taking research on RELIENCE FRESH For this research we are using Inductive-Consensual Enquiry method. First of all in Inductive-Consensual Enquiry method I had done enquiry about the place that at what place its situated, Then after the next was the product of it serves to the customer, then what was the price of it product and how its different form other. Then what type of quality its provided. The value of CRM customer relationship management. The research was very simple because the questioners was simple and it was simply answered. The work of research was speedily because the strategy adopted by RELIENCE FRESH: GIVE FOOD TO CUSTOMET AT LESS PRICE THEN MARKET. By this single course of action it can attract easily, but in this method of enquiry in RELIENCE FTESH many answer of a question will be arise. Inductive-Consensual Enquiry is simple, quick to draw a conclusion and most of the time the conclusion is a usually a single number, a fixed strategy, or a single course of action. Inductive-Consensual Enquiry is that there is a possibility that the conclusion drawn could be subjective and that most of the problems encountered these days have multiple answers. 1.1 Inductive-Consensual Enquiries Inductive-consensual enquiry derives a conclusion from a limited set of observations, which may be:- à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analogous à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Historical à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Multiple Independently Sourced 1.1.1 Application of Inductive-Consensual Enquiry The scoring of the Olympic diving competition is an example which employs the use of Inductive-consensual enquiry method. 1.1.2 Advantage of Inductive-Consensual Enquiry Advantage of Inductive-Consensual Enquiry is simple, quick to draw a conclusion and most of the time the conclusion is a usually a single number, a fixed strategy, or a single course of action. 1.1.3 Disadvantage of Inductive-Consensual Enquiry Disadvantage of Inductive-Consensual Enquiry is that there is a possibility that the conclusion drawn could be subjective and that most of the problems encountered these days have multiple answers. 1.2 Dialectic Enquiry Dialectic Enquiry challenges the subjective assumptions, models and theories by which problems are defined and solutions postulated, and it is the debate itself that an objective solution compromise or synthesis will be reached. 1.2.1 Application of Dialectic Enquiry The British system of parliamentary democracy is an example which employs the use of the dialectic enquiry which probes deeply into issues and acts as a practical decision making tool. 1.2.2 Advantage of Dialectic Enquiry Advantage of Dialectic Enquiry is the consideration of facts from various angles and it generates more useful alternative solutions and can sometimes identify unnoticed opportunities. 1.2.3 Disadvantage of Dialectic Enquiry Disadvantage of Dialectic Enquiry is it endangers a person or a group of persons to reach its objectives or decision, from which certain assumptions have to be made and the assumptions might not be right. 1.3 Unbounded Systems Thinking Unbounded System Thinking was described as a new problem-solving method. Major Problem with Reliance Fresh Development A research shows that the company needs a well designed website with online store system, so that customer can check weather thing are present in stock. Main areas where the company is facing problems. Currently, the company, Reliance Fresh Development is facing a number of problems due to its manual sales system. The major problems due to lack of automated data store system are affecting the Services, payment system, and Customer Account of the company. With automated system its easier to keep record of customers Account, payment details and are easier to track product that order. It also takes less Hassel and space to handle customer account and records. Customer Account Currently company doesnt have any customer account as customer account system is required for regular customer through customer have to put there user name and password to log in their account and buy from online so easy to buy have not put their detail every time they visit. Where in store they just put customer id they get detail and can provide them discount for regular shopping from online or store. Payment System Company collect money from manually on store if customer buy from online they can pay from credit card or debit card directly instantly to company for daily customer buy from online data for product they buy each time come to know and can provide discount and other facility. Order Record As customer place an order for something online record should be there in system so we come to know last time which place what order and history each time buying form Reliance fresh and also provide order track system so customer can track their product where it reach and when going to reach destination. System Required for Implement in Store For Customer Account SQL or Oracle data base To run this system properly you will need a computer with Redhat 5.0 installed. The computer will probably need to be at least a Xeon processor with 4 GB of Random Access Memory with 1 TB Hardisk. Broadband Connection is required for connecting internet and other Brach network and main reliance server. For Printing record need Cannon or HP Laser Jet Printer will be needed. Benefit of Online Shopping The main advantage of online shopping is that it allows people to browse through many items and categories without leaving their house, to compare the prices of as many shops as they want, and also to order as many items as they can afford without having to worry about how they will transport them, because the online shopping websites also deliver the things to the buyers home. Furthermore, the Internet is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so you dont have to hurry or worry about finding a parking spot. The Internet allows you to easily compare products and prices, so you can be sure that the item you purchase is the exact item you want. Online merchants can publish much more information about their product on a website than they could affordably publish in a print catalog. And online stores give you the ability to share information and reviews with other shoppers who have firsthand experience with a product or retailer. External Environment Analysis Reason for Choosing India for Retail Market In India population ration is high and more over are middle class for that people reliance fresh is good because it provide product in less price then available in market, India is developing country and progress in economy strength, Reliance is gearing up to revolutionize the retailing industry in india.Towards this end, Reliance is aggressively working on introducing a pan-Indian network of retail in multiple formats, The retail initiative of reliance will be without a parallel in size and spread and make India proud. Economical Environment Companies across the globe are coming to realize the opportunity India presents, and are wasting no time in acting. Siemens of Germany, a company which produces and sells power plants, electric meters, hi tech medical equipment and mobile phones has big plans for India, India is a democracy of one billion people, and economic reform is a consensus shared by its many political parties. They have been quick to embrace free market enterprise, which has attracted a number of American corporations, including General Electric, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson Johnson, and Microsoft, to name a few. Social Environment India perception and trends of the consumers have been changing owing to the liberalization and the changes in lifestyles. Another important aspect of society is the group. The performance of groups differs in individualistic and collectivist societies. The family is an important part of the social environment. It is a primary group and influences the consumption and buying behavior of consumers. The traditional family life cycle has been changing owing to the differing lifestyles. So, marketers have to analyze these trends and bring in products that are suitable to these changing consumer segments. Also jobs and workplaces have to be designed according to the changing lifestyles. Technology Environment Technological environment in India should be favourable to quality improvement, cost Reduction, introduction to new products In market. It should also lead to Industrial development with global competitiveness. In India, the government has setup large number of R D Activities, space research centres etc. for introduction of new technology in different areas. a long period of time, technological environment was not favourable for introduction of updated technology ion manufacturing activities. Funds Import Policies were not freely provided for import of updated foreign technology. Foreign collaboration joint ventures were also not freely allowed. Research development activities were not given encouragement through special facilities/concessions. This suggests that technological environment was not favourable to industrial growth till the Beginning of economic reforms and globalization by 1980s. Information Technology By the early 21st century, nearly every child in the Western world, and many in other parts of the world, knew how to use a personal computer. Businesses information technology departments have gone from using storage tapes created by a single computer  to interconnected networks of employee workstations that store information in a  server farm, often somewhere away from the main business site. Communication has advanced, from physical postal mail, to telephone fax transmissions, to nearly instantaneous digital communication through electronic mail (email). India continues to be the most preferred destination for companies looking to offshore their IT and back-office functions. It also retains its low-cost advantage and is among the most financially attractive locations when viewed in combination with the business environment it offers and the availability of skilled people, according to global management consultancy. Advantage of Information Technology Globalization   IT has not only brought the world closer together, but it has allowed the worlds economy to become a single interdependent system. This means that we can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of information technology allowing countries like Chile and Japan who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas and information with each other.   Communication   With the help of information technology, communication has also become cheaper, quicker, and more efficient. We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost instantaneous response. The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.   Cost effectiveness   Information technology has helped to computerize the business process thus streamlining businesses to make them extremely cost effective money making machines. This in turn increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less strenuous working conditions.   Accurate results Crucial decisions based on computer calculations are more likely to be correct than those based on human calculations. This is because the probability of errors in calculations by human beings is greater. Computers also help in taking a decision when faced with two or more alternatives. They do not need another day to rework the data if any variable is altered. Increase in standard of living cost savings achieved through optimal utilization of resources as suggested by computer calculations, result in lowering the prices of goods. In addition, networking has facilitated access to different markets across the globe, where competitive prices are available for similar goods. This helps buyer to get the best bargains, as similar products across globe have to be priced competitively. Disadvantage of Information Technology Unemployment   While information technology may have streamlined the business process it has also crated job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed. Privacy   Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge. Lack of job security   Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure. Dominant culture   While information technology may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating another weaker one. For example it is now argued that US influences how most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave. Languages too have become overshadowed, with English becoming the primary mode of communication for business and everything else. Impact of Online Shopping on Reliance Fresh Order Placing process and receives immediate confirmations. Product review, Product Detail. The main advantage of  online  shopping  is that it allows people to browse through many items and categories without leaving their house, to compare the prices of as many shops as they want, and also to order as many items as they can afford without having to worry about how they will transport them, because the online shopping websites also deliver the things to the buyers home. Furthermore, the Internet is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so you dont have to hurry or worry about finding a parking spot. Easy Comparison Shopping, Better Selection. Can store their detail for regular customer. Secure bank payment system. Order can be track online 24/7. Future Technology Innovation Technological innovation in general and information technology (IT) applications in particular, have had a major effect in ecommerce and web. Technology change transforms the nature of the market place by making difference in cost feature product accessibility as movement toward new high technology which increase promise and implications on new tech. Revolutionary change in internet technology which make communication system better mobile technology is future as smart technology are coming in market and everything going to that like and advertisement are on internet . Redhat Linux are going to launch new version of OS work on mobile and slate (new tech) through mobile user can access site on their system and buy or place order directly from mobile. Web Security is now better for Reliance Fresh and future IT innovation. Technology Demand for Reliance Fresh. IT System are flexible to change any data and type of process . Technical skill and IT Professional staff training and perform. Change in technology and highly skilled workforce in different special area. Security of IT/IS is main for better performance and regularity needed in many times. Management of IT must make decisions based on traffic flow on site. Company performance to establish future IT development plans. Maintain IT/IS performance throughout the organization plans. Internal Resources, Competencies, and Capability of Reliance Fresh. Internal Resources Company resources are much limited as training to existing employees for this company has to collect fund from different sources like obtaining loan from a financial intuition or issuing their corporate bonds as this company have one option to issue corporate bonds as it also manage form Reliance Retail which is part of Reliance Group in order to implement the IT system in the organization must have to recruit new professional employees and also train existing employees. Competency Reliance Fresh are able to increases its business because of implementing new IT System as well as have a good location in every city of Indian state also have competition is high among Big Bazar ,eShop etc and has to satisfy their customer by giving best value and quality. Company has to make advertise in internet marketing and evaluate with other inside the same industry Have to satisfy their customer buy providing them best service and standard Enhance communication skill with customer visit on site or place order reply with e-mail. As website is effective tool in internet field and give opportunity to get into new market of online shopping and in internet technology world. Have to performer 24/7 service online from different site they provide. Capability Reliance Fresh can bring their business on top because of presence in market with huge reputation as millions of people visit to site of reliance because of presence in every city of Indian state it would be beneficial for company to bring their name in top street supermarket and provide an excellent opportunity to this company and give good standard and accommodation services. Branch in south can drive with huge business because of education presence people most like to proffered there site for online order. Benefits of Implementing The new IT/IS system IT system Features IT must easy for Professional to operate as well as for normal to update daily data have to pay for staff train in computing field its easy for staff to learn system data base update and new product arrive in market and add them in list of system database it also include automatic feature like printing letter and receipts this system is easy to learn. Customer Account Contain detail of customer for regular shopping and easy to order history and also buy multiple item at a same time also easy to review the product for specific customer or supply them different product also give schem like discount or put in prize draw for customer. Payment System From customer account payment detail is save on server on main brance which directly connect with bank system and easy to instant payment and get conformation not have to put detail many time only single time can buy multiple thing provide free credit depend on shopping and term and condition of company single method with security using web technology SSL security provide encryption no fraud are possible. Order Records Customer can trace order online and can cancel or change the order within give time in term and can directly talk to assistance which are present online for helping using system check order history .also reducing risk of fraud of product guarantee show product purchase date and insurance expire date on system easy for customer to make decision. System Specification Below the list of new system specification of new server for store. Account Product Enquiry:- Customer can enquiry about some electronic product as like laptop,mobile,TV,iPod,Camera,etc. Price Comparison:-In this task price of product can be compare with other sote presence in market. Product Reserved:It show wthere product are reserved or want to reserved for future. Stock present: Product showing online are present in stock or take time. Payment:Type of payment accept like visa,debit,credit etc. Customer Detail:Detail of customer for dispatching product Order Record: Include history of old product buy form this site and possible of discount offered by company if reach target of month or week. Check in :It kept record who have take visit of store and web site . Check out:It show which product are comeing soon in which are currently not present. Userfrendly system :Customer get easily whatever they want form site and searchable option to find any product easly it must be well graphically designed . Impact of IT Enable Services on the Reservation of Reliance Fresh. Positive Impact Main benefits of implementing IT system which enhance the company performance and customer. Expand of Company Business Earlier without IT system Reliance fresh have to get business form store onward and advertising in normal media and newspaper and TV ads marketing are not increase for making new development in field of marketing have to build online ecommercial site through which customer ration is going to rise ,as web site very helpful to rise business opportunity and make repudiated in internet world million of people visit site daily they can see and get idea about new product arrive in market via Reliance Fresh . Business rises by Web Site Developing website for Reliance Fresh will able to rise business opportunity it provide service worldwide not only in India ,It provide facility of Customer Accound,Detail ,Payment System and Order Record through which customer form remote country can place order and able to review the product and get best deal as well as price comparison so possibility is high of expanding business using IT also provide 24/7 service. Negative Impact There are bit of disadvantage of implementing IT base system like failure ,hacking site etc it must be considered before implementing a new system because it can be harmful to business . Hackig Hacker is dark light for business world it flow suddenly and brake business there are many type of threats in IT due to less security in system it cause serious damage to business , as they feel unsecure as using system a rliable way of identify threat is to classify them and stop to treat and flow to system . Threats Technical Failure: Through data may be loss or crash file present in system Infrastructure Failure: If customer is in half way to buy thing and sudden failure product are not listing and customer miss out that product. Human error: Main problem created by human are difficulty to recover loss. Effect/Probability/Action Grid Effect of Contingency Plan High: It recognize that a threat on Reliance fresh having high cost impact Medium: Try to reduce to risk to an acceptable stage. Low:Effect of risk are cut by administration need and approach structured Probability High: Scam, Virus, Credit Card Fraud, Hacking etc Medium: Single reply mail sends to multiple user. Low: Individual mistake. Task 4 System. A System is a set of interacting or interdependent entities that interact regularly to perform a task. Factors of System Development. Social, Technology, Economical are external factor effect business of Reliance Fresh. Staff should conduct IT Support Cooperative. Reliance Fresh Data are getting from Reliance Retail Manager and Staff. Reliance Fresh information are kept on Data base as well company member customer record. Soft System Methodology (SSM) Soft systems methodology (SSM) is an approach to solving complex unstructured human problem situations based on holistic analysis and systems thinking. SSM is a participatory methodology that helps different stakeholders to understand each others perspectives. It focuses on creating the human activity systems and human relationships needed for an organisation or group to achieve a common purpose. Systems thinking are a transdisciplinary field that has emerged in response to the limitations of a reductionist and narrowly technical approach to solving problems. SSM was developed during the 1980s as large organisations realised that top-down and highly mechanical approaches to organisational management were not working in a rapidly changing environment. SSM has been used to facilitate change processes in many large private and public sector organisations. Seven Stage of SSM. Define the Problem Situation of Reliance Fresh Express the Problem Situation of Reliance Fresh Creating root definitions of relevant system Making and testing conceptual models based upon worldviews Comparing conceptual models with reality Identifying Feasible and desirable changes Acting to improve the problem situation Define the problem of Reliance Fresh Reliance Fresh are facing problem with customer data storing on paper base but with IT can be transfer to system the main aim of Reliance Fresh to get customer record which are visit and stock in store are change are come through system as result Reliance Fresh is going to implement IT System to shoot out problem with customer data storing. Express the Problem situation of Reliance Fresh a rich picture It show the rich picture of developed that conveys the problem situation from different point of view and base on the perceive the situation and questioning. Information Report Financial inconsistency assessment Report and Examination of Information Initiate Decision Make Decision Policies Recommendations Creating root definitions of relevant systems   Root Definition is a structured description of a system (which is relevant to the problem). It is a clear statement of activities which take place (or might take place) in the organisation being studied. It is structured in such a way as to enable modelling the system. For root definition use CATWOE analysis Customer: Employer of Reliance Fresh can take benefit of newly developed technology or activities. Actors: The management of Reliance Fresh will take part in the application of these activites. Transformations Process: It described by the 5 criteria Efficacy means gives best solution for end of Reliance fresh problem Efficiency means to exposed least and necessary assets of the Reliance Fresh Effectiveness means IT system helps to achieve goals and Reliance Fresh Ethicality means the Reliance Fresh process must be use ethical limitations Elegance means the IT system will easy to use for staff of Reliance Fresh Weltanschauung: means world view will give a clear vision to under stand the problems of Reliance Fresh <

How Do People Become Digital Natives Media Essay

How Do People Become Digital Natives Media Essay Helsper and Eynon argue that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010). But first, we have to understand who can be classified as a digital native. The term was coined by Mark Prensky in his work, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, published in 2001. Prensky described the generation of young people born since 1980 as digital natives due to what he perceived as an innate confidence in using new technologies such as the internet, videogames, mobile telephony and all the other toys and tools of the digital age. (Selwyn, 2009) A  digital native  is someone who was born around after 1980 and has grown up surrounded by devices such as cell phones and computers. Through interacting with these devices from an early age, they have a greater understanding of technology than a digital immigrant. A digital immigrant, on the other hand, is a person born before the introduction of digital technology and have learnt to adapt their lives around technology. A digital native is unique because they have grown up with digital technologies. The exposure to these technologies from early in their lives has made these students native speakers of the digital language. A distinguishing characteristic that Marc Prensky points out is, todays students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. (Prensky, 2001) A few key characteristics of digital natives are always online. By age 20, Dr. Urs Gasser from Harvards Berman centre points out that, kids will have spent 20,000 hours online -the same amount of time a professional piano player would have spent practicing. They tend to be very open about themselves online. It is said that 35% girls and 25% of boys write blogs. This usually works to be an advantage to HR sectors of various companies as they can Google a candidate with ease. They often experience work with community builders, and are responsive to intrinsic motivations. However, a group of academics led by Sue Bennett of the University of Wollongong set out to debunk the whole idea of digital natives in 2008. They say that the idea that digital natives learn in a different manner can actually have diverse consequences in the field of education. (Monitor: The Next Generation Unplugged, 2010) Being born in the digital age has had many significant impacts on fundamental features of human experience. They are wired differently. This affects the way they think and the way they learn. Unlike digital immigrants, digital natives dont have to print out email or other materials for later reading. They usually can read of the screen of the computer. If they want to show someone a website, for example, they just have to send the link to the person in question. Digital natives are concerned about doing things faster. For example, if a digital immigrant were to ask for the address of a five people in a set of people, they would take at least 15 minutes per person writing all the information. A digital native would however search for the facebook profile of the person which would take 15 minutes in total. Brains have different developmental experiences and therefore develop differently. Also, people who experience different inputs from the culture that surrounds them, think differently. (Prensky, 2001) Children raised with the computer think differently from the rest of us. They develop hypertext minds. They leap around. Its as though their cognitive structures were parallel, not sequential. (Winn) Digital natives crave instant responses for their actions as a result of their experiences. Traditional schooling does not cater for such characteristics. One study showed that students in class get to ask a question every 10 hours. (Prensky, 2001) The  digital divide  is the gap between people with access to information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to  technology  and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.    Simply put, the digital divide is the empty space between the two armies, the space they come to do battle. One side of the arena are the digital natives and on the other side, the digital immigrants. There is a huge gap between the two as I pointed out earlier on in the essay. Both generations (digital natives and digital immigrants) are forced to meet which commonly results in conflicting ideologies of digital technology. The everyday regime of life at work is becoming more technologically advanced with improved computers in offices, more complicated machinery in industry etc. With technology rapidly improving, it is getting harder and harder for digital immigrants to keep up. But this is not something new. Neuroscientists everywhere tells us that the brain adapts itself to the technology we use.   It is not just technology that alters our behaviour and habits. It actually changes the way our mind works, and alters the physical structure of our brain. Connections between neurons are created, strengthened, or diminished and severed based on interactions with the world. (davidweedmark). For e.g. take away technology from a teenager for a day and you will see the difference for yourself. From both extremes there is a healthy middle ground. The availability of calculators should not mean that multiplication tables should not be memorized, but it does not imply that calculators should be banned. As Prensky pointed out, there is no reason that a generation that can memorize over 100 Pokemon characters à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ cant learn the names, populations, capitals and relationships of all the 101 nations in the world. (Prensky, 2001) Helsper and Eynon argue that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010). Personally, I agree with the statement. There are four factors that determine whether a person is digital native Breadth of use, self-efficacy, education and age. Breadth of use, as mentioned by Helsper and Eynon refers to the number of times a person uses the internet or any electronic source qualifies them to be that considered as a digital native. As indicated by the graph below, there is an increasing trend in internet usage. singapore internet.JPG The impulse of a digital native to search for information would be going onto the internet, rather than newspapers or books. Unlike the digital immigrants, as defined by (Prensky, 2001) they are people who have lesser knowledge about the internet and the usage of it. Experience, to determine whether a person is a digital native or not, is defined as those who have been on the Internet the longest, while they might not have grown up with the Internet when young, they have been submerged in it for the longest period of time (Helsper Eynon, 2010). It is right to say that those working in the Information Technology (IT) sector will be better off than those who are novices to computer software. The years of experience of these experts determines how good they are in IT. A young person who is below the age of 30 is considered digital native as they will be able to figure out the program easily. This is due to the fact that when digital natives come out into the world, most of the technologies have already been so advanced, some of which are computerised, therefore it is not surprising to know that these natives are already submerged in the digital world. Self-efficacy refers to a persons belief that they can perform adequately in a situation. (Wood, Zeffane, Fromholtz, Wiesner, Creed, 2010). Gender is a glaring is an example for self-efficacy. Many tend to have a perception that boys are better in Mathematics and Physics than girls. Due to this, the self-efficacy produced from boys will be higher; hence their thought processes are better. Likewise for self-efficacy in digital natives, as many perceive that young people, who are born after 1980, to be better at IT skills and knowledge. This led to the increase in their (digital natives) self-efficacy, which also resulted in them being better than the older people digitally. Education simply means the depth with which people are knowledgeable in technical skills and knowledge, and whether education can determine whether someone is a digital native. According to (Prensky, 2001), the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language. Based on the arguments provided in this essay, it can be concluded that Helsper and Eynons argument that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010) holds water. All the factors mentioned are all equally important in defining digital natives. Breadth of use shows us the number of people who use internet on a daily basis. Experience is dependent on the duration one has worked with technology. A digital native is also determined by the self-efficaciousness they exhibit is towards modern technology such as computers and electronic devices. A strong educational background does not prove the existence of digital natives as many digital natives in this world are not well-educated. These factors are as important as age.

Essays --

Paul Rà ©e, an English psychologist, wrote The Origin of the Moral Sensations in 1877. Through this text, he separated morality from God, in order to find a naturalistic source for things like altruism. He discusses an idea of altruistic emotional motivation, such as pleasure, usefulness (benefits), and the avoidance of pain. Nietzsche argues against Rà ©e’s notions, saying that morals do not come from usefulness, pleasure or the avoidance of pain, but through will to power. His notion of will to power is an instinct for independent freedom. This notion is manifested differently in different people, depending on individual traits and circumstances. In his first essay, Good and Evil, Good and Bad, he explains the manifestations of power and how they are viewed. He differentiates the manifestations of the will to power in two categories: Master Morality and Slave Morality. The master morality is the notion that, â€Å"†¦the noble, powerful, high-stationed and high-minded, who felt and established themselves and their actions as good†. The word â€Å"good† in this sense is not a good represe...

What Did We Learn from the Vietnam War? Essay -- Vietnam War Essays

â€Å"Teaching the Vietnam War makes one realize how the shape of a narrative determines, and is determined by, its content† (Franklin 246). The Vietnam War was one of America’s most controversial wars. Many of its aspects are still plagued with great uncertainty. Those aspects of the Vietnam War are argued and debated about, they were argued during the time of the war and the arguing has continued. The Vietnam War was indeed a time of confusion. Why did the war start? What was the United States’ real reason for getting involved? What was the objective of the war? What were the American soldiers really fighting, or in reality, dying for? How do you explain a war to someone who has not experienced firsthand, especially if you were not around yourself? There is no real answer. You can give the facts and figures, but that leaves out the true grit of a war. The human perspective must also be given. As with any war, the Vietnam War had many perspective: th e protestors, the politician, and lastly, but most importantly, the soldier (Although there are many other stories that could and should be told). Through the facts and figures and the eyes of those who were there, an individual could learn about the Vietnam War, although how many actually want to understand war is uncertain. The facts and figures are one of the first things that should be learned about the war (Although many would argue the facts). The Vietnamese waged an anti-colonial war against France between 1945 and 1954. They received $2.6 billion in financial aid from the United States to aid their efforts. The Geneva Convention followed the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, where Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam all received independence. Vietnam was momentarily divide... ...n Vietnamese deaths. Still today, many Americans still ask whether the American effort in the Vietnam War was necessary, a sin, a mistake, or a noble cause, or an idealistic, if failed, effort to protect the South Vietnamese people from the North. In order to truly understand the war you and to determine your own answer to the many questions it is still pending, you must look at the war from every perspective and understand the many facts it produced. Dr. Carl Sagan wrote, â€Å"You have to know the past to understand the present†. The Vietnam War is a large part of America’s past. It is important to know of the Vietnam War and to know of those who experienced, so you may learn of how America came to be as it is today and were it may be heading, of whether or not we learned from our mistakes or if we are destined to repeats those made during the Vietnam War again.

Pat Barkers Regeneration Essay -- Pat Barker Regeneration Essays

Pat Barker's Regeneration As Pat Barker’s ‘Regeneration’ is set in a mental hospital during World War I many aspects of the novel evaluate and discuss the psychological effects that the War has had on the patients. The novel explores the internal struggles of WWI soldiers and their attempts to overcome the trauma of war experiences. In ‘Strange Meeting’ a different approach to the war is addressed with much of the novel being set in the trenches and at the front line. The novel closely examines the relationship between two soldiers Barton and Hilliard and the extent of change caused by the war is a prominent theme throughout, showing clearly the emotional and physical changes the war has caused. Prior is an initially difficult patient who suffers from mutism, writing that he has ‘NO MORE WORDS’ when asked what he could remember from his time served in France. Barker’s use of block capital letters and short, blunt statements here leads us to at first believe that Prior is not only an uncooperative patient hindering a possible speedy recovery but also inwardly angry and agitated. Although Prior gives the staff at Craiglockhart a hard time, describing the night staff as ‘spies’, and with this sarcastic dismissive attitude is perhaps at first perceived as though he doesn’t want to get better we soon realise that he is simply a difficult character who actually really wants to recover and as fast as possible, ‘it isn’t fair to say I don’t want treatment’. He is one of the many soldiers from WWI who is torn between two desires. On the one hand, he wants to recover, enabling him to return to France as soon as possible, proving himself as a soldier as well as a man. However, he still has a selfish side th... ...Prior share a lot in common both having experiencing trench life and struggling with the brutal truths of war. They both create relationships with people throughout the novels and through Barton and Hilliard’s relationship and the relationships Prior shares with Sarah and Rivers we learn a lot about their characters and the difficulties soldiers experienced in talking about their experiences as there were so many people that ‘didn’t understand’. We see that although the physical scars can be healed quickly it is the emotional scars that do the most injury and ironically are the hardest to heal. Barker and Hill both portray this message about the war using a fragmented discontinuous style, which reflects the disjointed thought process of many of the soldiers. From both novels we are shown just how innocent those back at home are and how they really don’t.

Leaf Water Repellency

Cloud forests are characterized by photosynthetic capacity which may be increased by reduced water retention of the leaf. The reason is that carbon dioxide diffuse air faster than water. The article â€Å"Leaf Water Repellency as an Adaptation to Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Environment† by Curtis D. Holder examines lead water repellency in three ecosystems of Guatemala: a tropical dry forest, tropical montane cloud forest and temperate foothills-grassland zone. The author’s hypothesis that cloud forest zones are characterized by higher leaf water repellency failed to be proved as leaf water repellency appeared to be higher in tropical dry forests and temperate foothills- grassland zone. Water repellency is defined as adaptation on the surface of the leaf in habitants which are constantly subjected to daily precipitations during the period of active growth. Holder assumes that leaf water repellency is lower in open-meadow habitants than in dry forest habitants simply because dew formations are occurring faster. Moreover, water repellency of any leaf is driven, primarily, by physiological factors. In wet zones the plants are claimed to be selected due to their water shedding abilities as they have to able to defend their stomatal pores and to enhance photosynthesis abilities after fog interception. Decrease in water repellency may result in increased disease rates, although it doesn’t affect selective traits. Holder argues that it is natural selection that predetermined water repellency on leaf surface in cloud forest zones. Fog droplets negatively affect water repellency as they prevent gas exchange in plants. In such a way, photosynthetic carbon exchange is prevented by fog droplets as carbon dioxide diffuse air faster than water. Leaves with high water repellency minimize the leaf surface and promote the beading of water assisting gas exchange processes. In cloud forest zones, high leaf water repellency increase photosynthesis efficiency. Holder stresses that leaf water repellency â€Å"is measured by calculating the contact angle between a droplet of water and leaf surface†. (p.767) As it is mentioned above, the paper examines three distinct areas and central thesis is that high water repellency is inherent for plants in cloud forest zones as plants are more able to maximize photosynthesis and gas exchange process. Three areas were chosen to test leaf water repellency: Sierra de la Minas, Chiquimula and Colorado. Firstly, leaf water repellency was testified near Sierra de la Minas in lower cloud forest zone. This region is characterized by humid slopes on the windward side and, consequently, slopes on the leeward side. Strong northern winds are prevailing in that region. Night temperatures are about 5-15 degrees all year round. Also, Sierra de la Minas is characterized by variable precipitation – rainy season is observed from May till October. Fogs are more common in dry season, rather than in wet one. Secondly, leaf water repellency was examined in Chiquimula which is situated in 75 km from Sierra de la Minas. Leaves were tested on the leeward side of the region and were selected from dry forests. The precipitation rate is 1050 mm occurring from May till October. The temperature range is 22-26 degrees. Thirdly, water repellency was tested in leaves in Colorado, in particular, near the campus of the University of Colorado. Mainly, Colorado is temperate foothills-grassland zone. Selected species are dormant plants tested in the coldest months. Summing up, all species were chosen from the three distinct regions as they had managed to survive to maturity in their climatic conditions. Researches gathered only leaves which received equal amount of sun light and shade as it would allow more accurate examination. Leaves were dried with filter paper and than were fastened to a wood platform to view the horizontal profile of the leaf. The test aimed at identifying the differences between adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf in terms of water repellency. Holder specifies that â€Å"in the experimental design using nested analysis of variance, species were nested within study sites, leaves were nested within species, and leaf surfaces were nested within leaves†. (p769) The results contradict the initial hypothesis and showed that as leaf water repellency appeared to be higher in tropical dry forests, not in cloud forest ecosystem. Species chosen from Sierra de la Minas region appeared to have the lowest water repellency, whereas species retrieved near the University of Colorado proved to have the highest water repellency. The leaf water repellency appeared to be significantly different in the three distinct regions. Sierra de la Minas’ species differed from those in Colorado and Chiquimula, and water repellency in Chiquimula differed from that in Sierra de la Minas and Colorado. It proves that leaves in different climatic zones can’t have similar water repellency as they have different levels of adaptations. Holder stresses that cloud forests are characterized by reduced capabilities to photosynthesis because of abaxial leaf wetness and constant cloud cover not letting the sun in. Therefore, leaves in this region should develop adaptation capabilities as it would allow maximizing photosynthesis processes in the most humid regions. In cloud forests the productivity of ecosystems is limited. The author concludes that, despite his expectancies, cloud forests aren’t characterized by high leaf water repellency and, therefore, leaves are less able to minimize the water content on their surfaces. As a result, photosynthesis is decreased.   Higher leaf water repellency in Chiquimula and Colorado is related to increased soil moisture and water balance in plants. High water repellency may increase fog precipitation and flow of steam leading to greater hydrological inputs. Summing up, leaf water repellency is plays crucial role in hydrological processes. References Holder, Curtis D. (2007). Leaf Water Repellency as an Adaptation to Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Environment. Biotropica, 39, 6, 767-770.      

The Importance of Manufacturing Industry in Malaysia

1. Discuss the importance of manufacturing industry in Malaysia. com/chapter-practice/">Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing other, more complex products, such as household appliances, automobiles or sold town whole sellers, who in turn sell them to retailers, who then sell them to end users – the â€Å"consumers†.Manufacturing takes turn under all types of economic systems. In a free market economy, manufacturing is usually directed toward the mass production of products for sale to consumers at a profit. In a collectivist economy, manufacturing is more frequently directed by the state to supply a centrally planned economy. In mixed market economies, manufacturing occurs under some degree of government regulation. Modern manufacturing includes all intermediate processes required for the production and integration of a product’s components. Some industries such as semiconductor and steel manufacturer use the term fabrication instead.The manufacturing sector is closely connected with engineering and industrial design. Examples of major manufacturers in Malaysia include Proton, PETRONAS and Palm Oil industry. Recently, manufacturing industries in Malaysia grow very rapidly if compared to previous decades. With the rapidly grow of manufacturing industries, the government has to play its role in order to ensure every aspects of current trading policies and regulatory to be obeyed. Other than that, this will ensure that the current trading and manufacturing environment in Malaysia to be peaceful yet globally competitive.To start with, manufacturing sector in Malaysia contributes almost 80% of overall country’s export and besides, Malaysia a lso known as the 17 largest exporting nations in the world. For that reason, Malaysia’s government has to work hard in order to maintain, preserve and enhance our manufacturing sector. It is stated that products manufactured in Malaysia are accepted in developed countries such as US, EU and Japan. This shows that our manufacturing sector already achieved a level that can be proud of. As we all know, Malaysia also known for its agro-based sector.In Malaysia, some commercial-based plants are heavily grown and these plants are harvested to produce some kinds of raw materials such as palm oils, rubber, timber, rice and fiber. Unfortunately, the income that can be generated from agro-based sector is not really huge compared to manufacturing sector. For that reason, with the availability of the manufacturing sector, Malaysia does not need to rely on the agro-based sector only. Furthermore, manufacturing sector can help in boosting the development of agro-based sector by offering th e capabilities of some downstream activities such as product processing, packaging and distributing.These activities are useful in order to turn the raw material (palm oil, rubber, rice) into finished product or half-finished product. Besides, the manufacturing sector can assist in the utilization and development of R&D and ICT adoption for business and manufacturing purposes. Along the way, ICT adoption can lead to the wider usage of electronic commerce for business to business. Other than that, ICT will facilitate the utilization of RFID and product coding standards. In the education aspects, the development in manufacturing sector can help to boost Malaysia’s education sector.Manufacturing sector has the capability to offer and provide the working experience, industrial training and actual case study for education and other government sectors in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, undergraduate and postgraduate students in Malaysia can take these chances to get some exposur e of working in manufacturing sector in Malaysia. Besides, a lot of researches can be conducted in order to solve industrial problems and this can lead to the occurrence of technology transfer and the discovery of new knowledge.Despite that, Malaysia is one of the Islamic country and other than that, Malaysia also does a lot of active collaboration between other countries. Malaysia can be the â€Å"door† for other countries such as developed countries to do collaboration with other Islamic nations. In the same way, many Islamic countries have the ability to offer lower manufacturing costs especially the raw material, labor charge and business capital. From the collaboration with developed countries, the Islamic countries can enhance their economy conditions and receiving technology transfer.In Malaysia’s manufacturing sector there is no end for continuous development efforts. In order to achieve the competitiveness level and innovative capability that up to the global standard, the manufacturing sector is doing its best. For example, Malaysia is doing collaboration with Australia via Free Trade Agreement (FTA). By implementing FTA, Malaysia is trying to achieve and put herself the global manufacturing environment. Along with that, Malaysia will be a country that manages to produce a higher-tech, higher-value added and more sophisticated products and services.Similarly, joint-ventures and collaborations made with developed nations yield a lot of benefits. Next, Malaysia can go to a higher level and respected globally. In addition, through joint-ventures and collaborations, Malaysia can obtain a flow of expertise that her really need and as well as valuable technology transfer. On the other side, Malaysia can also carry out some projects abroad with the developed countries expertise and material and labor from Malaysia. This will give credits to both parties. After a while, Malaysia can be proud to be known as a successful developed country.