To what extent do politics of the WTO, limit (or increase) developing Assignment

To what extent do politics of the WTO, limit (or increase) developing countries' ability to realize the gains from specializat - Assignment Example Using postulates from the theory, it is clear that the best combination of trade at the international front should be guided by profitability analysis. The Theory of Comparative Advantage The theory of comparative advantage states that a party enjoys a margin of superiority in producing services or goods. This means that the party enjoys comparative over another country due the opportunity cost that exists due to lower production cost Chang (2008). Better said, two parties can each enjoy from trade if they produce the same goods or services at relative costs that are not equal. This theory also applies even if one party happens to have absolute advantage over another country as it enjoys the capacity to gain when it trades with another that is less efficient provided that the relative efficiencies are unequal. The law of comparative advantage is based on a number of vital assumptions. One of the main assumptions is that the parties involved incur no transportation costs in their deal ings. It is further assumed that costs do not vary and no party enjoys economies of scale. Furthermore, it is taken for granted that no trade barriers and tariffs apply to the parties in their engagement in trade. The assumption that factors of production are perfectly mobile also applies for comparative advantage to apply. Yet another assumption is that the goods or services being traded are identical or homogeneous. The final assumption is that the parties involved in trade have perfect knowledge of the goods being traded and therefore buyers and sellers are able to tell where the cheapest products exist. The theory of comparative advantage normally applies in international trade, countries being the parties involved. In its perfect sense, the theory elements responsible for the realization of the theory is very difficult to achieve since international trade often involves transportation, tariffs and trade barriers, the immobility of production factors and imperfect knowledge. Acc ording to classical theories related to international trade, countries are bound to gain mutual benefits when they specialize in making goods or producing services with lower opportunity costs. The theory of comparative advantage advocates for free trade and specialization in production rather that pursuit for self sufficiency. The World trade organization has played an important role in the liberation of trade especially beyond national borders Chang (2008). Three major features of the World Trade Organization negotiating environment are the abidance to the most favored nation (MFN) principle, the occurrence of negotiations among few countries, and the extent in times of time of the negotiations with economically significant nations joining the equation on a continuous basis (Bagwell and Staiger, 2001). Under the MFN negotiating environment, there are two major hindrances to multilateral efficiency that come into effect according to Bagwell and Staiger (2001). For one, every market access concession that a country makes to another country automatically is enjoyed by partners who enter the negotiation later. In order to reduce the free-riding potential a nation may end up offering a little to early negotiator so as to maintain bargaining power in latter times. The second hindrance to

Ventilator associated pneumonia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ventilator associated pneumonia - Essay Example This element decreases VAP by decreasing the risk of aspiration of gastrointestinal secretions and also oro-naso-pharyngeal secretions and also by improving ventilation of the patient through higher spontaneous tidal volumes when compared to supine position (Safer Healthcare Now, 2011). Hospitals in Canada can implement this component by implementation of a strategy that ensures head end elevation like documentation of the intervention in nursing flow charts at regular intervals, as a topic of discussion during multidisciplinary daily rounds and as documentation on goals sheet. A protractor must be brought into the ICU to demonstrate the nursing staff as to how 45 degrees elevation looks like. A piece of colored tape must be pasted on the wall behind the bed of the patient to ensure compliance during ventilator checks. Another implementation strategy would be to include a specification for monitoring of head of the bed by mechanical devices. An environment must be created where all h ealth professionals like orderlies and radiology technicians are encouraged to notify the nursing as to whether the head of the bed is elevated. ... The staff must be encouraged and motivated for compliance (Safer Healthcare Now, 2011). 2. Daily performance of readiness to extubate by interruption of sedation and spontaneous breathing trial This is done to decrease the duration of mechanical ventilation and also early extubation which decreases VAP. This also decreases exposure to ventilator-circuit endotracheal tube device (Safer Healthcare Now, 2011). This element can be implemented by introducing a process which temporarily interrupts sedation every day at an appropriate time, like before rounds, to reappraise the neurocognitive ability of the patient, to assume a breathing pattern that is viable and to ascertain needs for analgesia and sedation. Sedation scale must be used to prevent under-sedation. These must be standardized for all mechanically ventilated patients and both these strategies must be linked into the protocol of weaning process. Non-invasive ventilation can be used as a strategy to liberate patients from mechan ical ventilation. Compliance must be discussed every day during rounds and compliance must be used to motivate and encourage the staff (Safer Healthcare Now, 2011). 3. Use of oral tubes rather than nasal tubes for tracheal or stomach access. This reduces the risk of nosocomial sinusitis and thus decreases the risk of VAP (Safer Healthcare Now, 2011). This element can be incorporated in the hospitals by making orotracheal intubation the standard protocol for mechanical ventilation. In all patients receiving mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours, orogastric tube must be placed for gastric decompression and feeding rather than nasogastric tube and this must also be included in the protocols in not only ICUs, but

Intergrated marketing communications in the retail banking sector

Intergrated marketing communications in the retail banking sector Nigeria is among the developing countries in the World today. In the 1980s, several developing countries pursued some form of financial liberalization program or other, in order to boost the development of their countries. (Ayadi and Hyman, 2006). In achieving this financial liberalization, the First Bank of Nigeria Plc played a major role since the development and maintenance of the Nigerian economy. Being the first of its kind in Nigeria. The Nigerian Banking system started its history as far back as 1892 with the establishment of the African Banking in Lagos, the Capital of Nigeria as at then; it was taken over by the Bank of British West Africa (BBWA) in 1894 and was later acquired by Standard Bank of West Africa in 1965. In 1969, Standard Bank of West Africa incorporated its Nigerian operations under the name Standard Bank of Nigeria. In 1971, Standard Bank of Nigeria listed its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and placed 13% of its share capital with Nigerian investors. The bank changed its name to First Bank of Nigeria in 1979. (The journalof African society). Now, First Bank is the biggest bank in Nigeria out of the 25 banks, it has been rated as the largest RETAIL lender in the country. FBN has a subsidiary in London, UK which started its operation in year 2002 having a branch in Paris. The bank as at 2009 December had a total asset of N2,172 billion (USD14,718 million). (First Bank Financial Highlights 2009). Being the first of its kind in Nigeria, it has made a large clientele base and this has given the management so much confidence and a sense of satisfaction which has led to the neglect of customers satisfaction maximizations and feelings. There are 25 banks in Nigeria, although FBN Plc has been rated has the largest retailer bank, other banks are improving on the loop holes of their products and services and using that medium to sap their customers. The Nigerian populace has come to realise that they own the money (capital) of the bank and because of that; they should get the best products and services possible. Doole et al, (2005) says In the fast moving competitive environment it is vital for organisations to provide customer satisfaction otherwise they risk losing their customers to competitors. The penalty for not providing customer satisfaction can be a steep decline in the organisations performance, as Marks Spencer, McDonalds and British Airways (BA) have recently found. Integrated marketing communication consists of varieties of medium of communication all in the name of satisfying customers in order to get new customer and to retain existing customers. Zeithaml et al (2006) says, marketing communication is more complex today than it used to be. In the past customers received marketing information about goods and services from a limited number of sources, usually mass communication sources such as network television and news papers. With a limited number of sources, marketers could easily convey a uniform brand image and coordinate promises. However, todays consumer of both goods and services receive communications from a far richer variety of advertising vehicles- targeted magazines, websites, direct mail, movie theatre advertising, e-mail socialisation and a host of sales promotion. Consumers of services receive additional communication from services capes, customer service departments, and everyday service encounter with employees. FBN Plc is the biggest bank in Nigeria in terms of asset and clientele base but lacks a proper integrated marketing communication system. It has so much relied on the facts that it is the first bank ever in the country and the Nigerian populace believe strongly in the bank because of its strong asset base and because it has stood the test of times. Despite their strong clientele base, FBN can single handled own 90% of the customer population in the country if it adopts IMC. Chris Fill (2009) IMC has emerged partially as a reaction to this inadequacy and to the realisation by clients that their communication needs can (and should) be achieved more efficiently and effectively than previously. The FBN customers are yearning for qualitative and uniform information about their funds and interest. The Nigerian government created a monetary policy reform that was geared to stabilize the economy in short-run and to introduce a market system for effective allocation of resources. The efforts were directed at promoting financial savings, reducing distortions in investment decisions and inducing an effective intermediation between savers, investors and their financial institutions. (Ayadi and Hyman, 2006). Integrated marketing communication build a strong brand identity in the market place by tying together and reinforcing all your images and messages. IMC means that all your corporate messages, positioning and images, and identity are coordinated across all venues. It means that your PR materials say the same things as your direct mail campaign and advertising has the same look and feel as your website. (Zeithaml et al 2006). Thus this research work aims to explore the opportunities awaiting FBN Plc after adopting a well integrated marketing communications system to boost its customer satisfaction. Research Questions and Objectives: Identify the need, want and demand of the market. Identify the causes of lack of customer satisfaction Identify and evaluate the market opportunities for FBN Plc. Analyse the FBNs competitive advantage over its rivals Develop a well qualitative and quantitative integrated marketing communication system for FBN Plc. Methodology: Conceptual Framework and Design Fisher (2010) says conceptual framework is formed of patterns of concepts and their interconnections. It is usually based on cause and effect relationships which are often the basis of hypotheses that such research seeks to test. It has also been noted by Easterby- smith et al (2002) that conceptual framework helps to take a more informed decision about the research approach, decide which method(s) are appropriate for the piece of research, and also to think about constraints which may impinge on the research. FBN Plc being a bank and with diverse staff and customers spread all over the country, it is therefore advisable from the understanding of methodology (conceptual framework) to go by positivism approach which is linked to quantitative method. Yates (2004) states that other approaches (quantitative methods) within the social sciences may come from the fact that natural science methods appear to be successful in their field of use. Most research texts have categorised research into two parts; quantitative and qualitative approaches. (Knox 2004) notes that this is mostly done for ease of explanation or to reflect differences in style or marketing, (for structural reasons or for addressing alternative research disciplines) or simply differences in approach is in hindsight for the research. It is said by Yates (2004) that from research texts, the relationship between positivism and quantitative method is almost a law or truth. He then further highlights (with other authors) that quantitat ive methods can be used with other areas of examples within the social sciences. Also that one can argue clearly that positivist thinking has influenced quantitative or numeric research. This could be as a result from the justification that quantitative methods are just as appropriate within an interpretivist piece of research. Ticehurst and Veal (2000, p15) support this linkage between quantitative and positivism by stating that the quantitative approach to research is also known as management science or operations research. Therefore linking discipline with philosophy. Saunders et al (2003) sees research process as an onion. Adapted from Knox (2004, P.123) Within this onion the second layer refers to the subject of the research approach that flows from ones research philosophy. Therefore linking the philosophy of positivism with different approaches. This onion has now explained that ones research could make do with Deductive Approach: develop a theory and hypothesis or hypotheses and design a research strategy to test the hypothesis. Inductive Approach: in which data will be collected and a theory will be developed as a result of data analysis. (Saunders et al (2003). Deductive approach is a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is validly inferred from some premises and must be true if those premises are true. And Induction is a form of reasoning that usually involves the inference that an instance or repeated combination of events may be universally generalised. (Malhotra, 2003). From the above, I as a researcher in the case of FBN Plc have chosen to use from the Onion; Positivism approach which will lead me to deductive approach (quantitative method). I am expected to use this approach to identify an area of enquiry which is the customers and members of staff of FBN Plc to be able to have a good background of developed theory, which is seen as crucial for, guide me. The issues to focus an enquiry upon emerge from the established theoretical framework i.e., the customer service procedure, products and services and information given to customers about their funds. Specific variables are identified that the researchers deem should be measured, i.e., hypotheses are set. An instrument to measure specific variables is developed. Respondents give answers to set and specific questions with a consistent language and logic. The response to the set questions are analysed in terms of a prior established theoretical framework. The researcher tests theory according to whether their hypotheses are accepted or rejected. (Malhotra,2003). Knox (2004) concludes that positivist paradigm is majorly used by marketing researchers (positivism = deduction =quantitative methods); in aligning methods with philosophical stances. It also helps to form the nature of techniques that are applicable by researchers. Alternative Paradigm Names Positivist Interpretivist Quantitative Objectivist Scientific Experimentalist Traditionalist Qualitative Subjectivist Humanistic Phenomenological Revolutionist Adapted from Malhotra(2003 p.138). Easterby-Smith et al (2002 p28) argue that the key idea of positivism is that the World exists externally, and that its properties should be measured through objective methods. This infers that only knowledge, which is observable, is in fact valid. This then brings together the epistemology of positivism with quantitative methods i.e. methods which are essentially numerical evidence, following a very natural science approach to the research in hand. In reference to the Onion diagram, the third layers consists of six Research Strategies which include; Experiment, Survey, Case study, Grounded theory, Ethnography and Action result. This research is to make use of all these strategies to know the expectation of customers and what the management and staff are ready to deliver to their customers. Saunders et al (2003) further expatiated on data collection to be by the following which will be the means of my gathering of information; Case study (questionnaires, interviews, observations) and Documentary analysis. Expected data collection: Collection of primary data will be conducted majorly in Nigeria through personal interviews (observations), questionnaires for customers and staff of FBN Plc, and customers and staff of other banks. A major interview will be conducted with the Head of Department of the following units; Retail, Human Capital and Social and Welfare (customer service) at the Regional office. Secondary data will be collected through the customer and staff complaint boxes, financial news and reports and other related websites. Resources: This deals with how to find things out by research than discovering things by reading literature. Fisher et al., (2010). In gathering information for the research work, survey research will be adopted to have accurate and generalised views. In having a successful research work, one needs to make use of several resources in the survey approach which includes the following: Questionnaire: a question is a method of obtaining specific information about a defined problem so that the data, after analysis and interpretation, result in a better appreciation of the problem. In this research work, the questionnaire must have these set of information inclusive Facts and knowledge Opinions Past behaviour Future behaviour (chisnall 2005). Pilot testing questionnaire: chinall (2005) notes that, it is vitally important to make sure that questionnaire are piloted through all the stages of development. He further explains that it contains question which are specific, clearly understandable, capable of being answered by particular population sampled and free from bias. Webb (2002) confirms that piloting of questionnaire helps to evade participants biased answer. Personal interviews: helps with structured questions like rating question in self-response instruments and open-ended questions. These are orally presented, with the advantage that there is the opportunity for the interviewer to interpret questions, clear up misunderstanding, or gather data from those not fully literate from the designers language. (Black, 1999). It also helps observe and quantify the respondents attitude when interviewed. Documentary analysis: this is analysing the news originating from the financial sector of the country, news about the general views of customers and staff and complaints of staff and customers. Ethical issues: this poses as a problem in gathering information from staff and customers when there is a restriction on privacy, customers and staff that believe they should be loyal to their bank and employer and this can be done by keeping some things secret. Research bias: Saunders et al.,(2009) says to avoid research being bias, questionnaires and interviews must be designed and tested before being put to use. Time: a time frame must be set to achieve the expected result for the research. Literature Review To appreciate the importance of integrated marketing communication (IMC) it is useful to understand its origin and the major elements that have helped in its development. For many years agencies and clients believed that to deliver messages to particular audiences it was necessary to use specific tools of the communication mix. At the time it was a common belief that to achieve specific communication effects on buyers it was necessary to use particular tools. (Chris Fill,2009). Schultz et al.,(1993) says the practice of integrated marketing communication is emerging as one of the most valuable magic bullets companies can use to gain competitive advantage. Advertising, sales promotion, direct response marketing, and public relations practitioners are busy finding common ground to meet the coming challenge of selling to customers rather than market. This explains that integrated marketing is not out to increase profitability alone but also to achieve maximum customer satisfaction. IMC has now emerged as the response to this structural shortfall and the realisation by customers that their communication needs can (and should) be achieved more efficiently and effectively than the way it was in the past. IMC develops and extends the notion and value as a communications process targeting a firms external market. By directing Internal Integrated Marketing Communications (IIMC) towards their employees, firms are able to promote employee satisfaction, trust and commitment, thereby strengthening the firm-employee relationship and ultimately affecting profitability by enhancing customer satisfaction (Herington, Johnson and Scott 2006). By achieving employees satisfaction, trust and commitment, it results in employees dedication and putting in their best at their duties and this helps increase customer satisfaction. Gummenson (2002) confirms this, that previous studies have shown that employees who are familiar with and committed to an organisations market orientation and brand values play a critical role as part-time marketers. All customer oriented employees, not just those associated with marketing, help to deliver the brand promise. They can influence relations, increase customer satisfaction, customer perceived quality and ultimately revenue. Therefore, directing integrated marketing communications towards a firms internal market is itself a critical part of achieving sustainability and profitability. (Ferdous, 2006). Schultz et al., (1993) have produces a lively, no-nonsense critique of this fast moving marketing trend in integrated marketing communications. Taken alone, the early chapters documenting the shift from mass production to mass marketing are worth the price of the book. Yet the real meat of the text is revealed as the authors analyze the emerging reality of true one-on-one marketing to individuals, a reality made possible by the power of information technology to develop this ultimate consumer segmentation approach. The fundamental reasons offered for the popularity of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) among marketers is that it is good for the bottom line and a necessity in todays fractured market place. Nonetheless, despite the evolution and increased critical evaluation of IMC, it remains neither universally understood nor universally accepted as a useful construct. Furthermore, IMC is not consistently applied as a marketing principle and according to Hutton à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦has resulted in superficiality, ambiguity and blurred focusà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Hutton 1997, p. 8). It is high time financial institutions realised that they all offer the same products and services and the only thing that can put a major distinctive difference to their services and product is by going extra mile to adopt IMC. Financial products are controlled by regulatory authorities in an economy. It includes administrative tinkering by governments with financial prices such as interest rates and exchange rates. McKinnon and Shaw (1973) further agrees that financial institutions are generally offering the same services and are controlled by government, and this is hindered in a repressed financial system by the low level of savings, it responds in a positive way to real rates of interest on deposits as well as the real rate of growth in output. Moreover, investment is negatively related to the effective real rate of interest on loans, but positively related to the growth rate of the economy. However, if it is proven that the basic financial practices of a bank is solely dependent of government policies, it is only a good thing for the bank(s) to look for best opportunities to improve on their services to survive and sustain their stand in the highly competitive market. This is further proven by Ferdous (2008) that the fundamental reasons offered for the popularity of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) among marketers is that it is good for the bottom line and a necessity in todays fractured market place. IMC has been able to achieve what other marketing processes have not been able to by breaking down corporate, geographic, and political borders to reach into customers homes and offices in a matter of weeks or days through the use of worldwide networks created by computer and communications technology that have been inculcated into the process of IMC. (Schultz et al., 1993). Integrated Marketing Communication Integrated marketing communication plan. PLACE Distribution strategy CHANNEL/MEDIUM CHOICE C OTHERS (PR, POS, etc.) Objectives Strategy ELECTRONIC Objectives Strategy PERSONAL CONTACT Objectives Strategy TELEPHONE Objectives Strategy DIRECT MAIL Objectives Strategy MASS MEDIA Objectives Message strategy Media strategy Adapted from McDonald and Dunbar (2004, p.19). Ferdous (2006) describes IMC to have been variously described in terms of a process, a marketing orientation, an organisational structure, a set of marketing tools, a basis for accountability and a philosophy. In fact it is all of these. However according to Robert Lauterborn who helped coin the IMC label, What IMC has come to mean to too many people is little more than two-from-column A, one-from-column B media selection process (Lauterborn 2003, p.14). Schultz (1997) agrees that the focus has been one of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Trying to integrate discipline rather than customer or prospects communications. In addition, focusing IMC efforts on the integration of a firms external marketing communications disciplines ignores the gains in competitive advantage to be had from a horizontal integration across a firms total communications effort including that of its internal market. The need for integration is the notion that some aspects of marketing communication should be integrated. The origin of IMC can be found in the prevailing structural conditions and the needs of particular industry participants, an understanding of what elements should be integrated in order to achieve IMC needs to be established. The elements to be integrated are; relationships, structures, brands, communication tools, messages, employees, technology, agencies and IMC strategy. (Chris Fill, 2009). The integrated elements are applicable to understanding IMC as a customer oriented process in creating a common understanding of its principles and core values. It is known that the primary aim of any business is profitability which can only be achieved when customers are satisfied. Profitability as defined by Ferdous (2006) is the function of customer behaviour, and then customer orientation is not only logical but essential. IMC integrates everything that impacts customer behaviour, not just the organisations conscious outgoing marketing messages. It begins with product development and includes packaging (branding), selection of distribution channels (communication tools), channel management (agencies), customer behaviour (relationship), customer relationship management and total quality management. It involves the multi-dimensional, interactive, continuously measured communication that connects brands or products and the customer. Lauterborn (2003 p. 15). Furthermore, Cravens et al. (2003) identifies four attributes that set IMC apart from traditional promotional strategies. They are comprehensive, drawing on all of the media, tools and technologies available to affect behaviour; unified execution of all the components of the organisation; and IMC programs em phasise productivity in reaching the designated targets when selecting communication channels and allocating resources to marketing media. Before considering the delivery of values of IMC, the communication channels will be given further attention, the channels are generally complex, and they involve various media for different communication with the same set of target market or customers. Ferdous (2006), these views about IMC values share three key attributes which are fundamental to its values as a marketing concept. They recognise that IMC is about the connection between the brand and the customer and that communication in all its forms facilitates this relationship. Implicit is the understanding that marketing is the whole business from the point of view of its final result, which is from the customers point of view, marketing today is not a function, but a way of doing business; marketing is everything and everything is marketing. (Harris 1993,p.13). Most importantly in this approach is the recognition that purposeful and coordinated management of customers and their relationship with the organisation is at the heart of building brand equity, which at a time of brand proliferation is critical to success. (Ferdous 2006). The Role of Communication. Communication is the greatest use of language. John Locke has seen the use of communication as the clue to an analysis of the notion of linguistic meaning. Customer communication completes the marketing cycle, linking customer with product, service and availability. At a societal level, in order to connect to mass production and consumption there simply must be mass communications. At its best, commercial communication engages in real dialogue, transmitting value and meaning, while responding to feedback and remaining close to the external customer. Communication has the role to announce, inform, promise, persuade and influence customers to buy in by communicating and delivering customer satisfaction. ( Doole et al.,2005). Communication is the best instrument for sustaining a good relationship between a business and its customers if well understood. In as much as communication is essential between a business and its customers, so also a communication feedback is also very crucial. This because; if a wrong interpretation has been gotten from the information passed by an organisation and a feed back is not received from the customer, the customer retains the wrong information , the organisation might be repeating the same information again at great expense. But when a feedback is in place, the organisation has an opportunity to correct the misinterpreted information and pass the right information across which makes the customer a happy one. Communication when used in the right context strengthens relationships. Doole et al.,(2005) recognising that employees deliver quality, internal communication encourages affiliation with organisational values as well as providing everyday working information. He further explains that communication to both external and internal customers is central to both marketing transactions and relationships. LEVEL OF COMMUNIVATION CORPORATE BUSINESS UNIT MARKETING DEPARTMENT Product Price Promotion Place Price packaging BRAND MANAGEMENT People Sales Advertising Public relations Merchandising Direct Adapted from Doole et al., (2005p.249) This explains the level of communication and how uniquely they have their level of importance to the whole communication process of an organisation. If one malfunctions, it invariably affects the whole system. This helps to increase the value and credibility of brand communication. At this stage, it should be clearly noted that commercial communication should be based on clear intent as noted by Doole et al., (2005), a communication campaign generally seeks to both push product on to and pull products off the shelf and position the offer competitively in the mind of the consumer. Its components parts need to hang together as a cohesive whole and remain consistent with core brand values. It is further noted that during the process of product life cycle, communications have very different roles to play; Introducing new products: the role to play at this initial stage is getting target market attention, also getting the market to test the product or service and the major task at this initial stage is acceptance of the product or service. Product maturity: at this stage, the product has been accepted and needs to proceed to the next stage, the task here includes sustaining the brand identity, maintaining the loyalty, defending the market share and adding value to the product or service is the major task at this level. In a situation where the products or services face rejection or losing market share, the need to improve on the product is essential (revitalise and reposition) or direct customers towards alternative, perhaps reducing communications to bare bones dominates. With the aid of product or service campaign, messages can be charged with differentiating, reminding, informing or persuading (DRIP) or sequentially securing attention, arousing interest, building desire and promoting action (AIDA) and moving a customer from unawareness through purchase to brand loyalty. The Communication Process. The communication process of IMC is between internal external customers. This research work is based on the evaluation of IMC between the employees (internal) of FBN Plc. and its customers (external). Groonroos (1985) explained internal marketing as an instrumental behavioural strategy for developing the state of mind that allows customer service effectiveness and building of relationship marketing. Ferdous (2006), in recent times, marketing professional and scholars have given considerable importance and attention to Internl Marketing (IM). According to Lings (2004) much of the literature on internal marketing, contains a variety of interpretations of the domain of internal marketing, it aim and focus. This means, treating employees as customers, understanding and attending to their wants and views which will help achieve a positive change in employees attitudes and on the long run affecting customer (external) satisfaction positively. Chernatony ( 2001 as cited in Ferdous 2006) suggested that in order to coherently transfer brand values to the companys stakeholders, employees must develop a shared understanding of what the brand stands for, through implementation of a unified communication approach. Today, the way organisations communicate with their internal markets, better known as internal communication (IC) (Tansuhaj et al., 1998; Thompson and Hecker 2000; Ahmed and Rafiq 2003; Kong 2007) is considered one of the most essential internal marketing considerations. Ahmed and Rafiq (2003) attempted to give a more acceptable and holistic explanation of internal marketing through the use of internal communication as a cultural framework and instrument for achieving strategic alignment while building customer service competence. This is reveals the importance attached to internal (employees) communication in operationalising internal marketing concepts/activities and achieving organisational competitive advantage and success. (Ferdous 2006). External customers are the major component of a business or an organisation. Customers determine the existence and longevity of a business. It is therefore important to understand how to carefully communicate information across such that it would not be misinterpreted. Organisations should understand how they receive, process and respond to the feedbacks gotten from customers. (Doole et al., 2005). If quality is meeting and influencing customer expectation (Doole et al., 2005) and even delighting clients, then managing expectations matters. It is very crucial that employees (internal customers) do not promise more than what they can deliver. Communicating with customers regularly is critical, keeping in touch with them, comprehending their expectations, apologising and explaining the limits of service possibilities can influence their expectations and may expand their zone of tolerance. Ferdous (2006) emphasises on viewing IMC as a process that focuses on both internal and external customers is the first step to developing a c

Essay --

There are numerous aspects of Let the Right On In that show it to be traditional and yet untraditional when one considers vampire mythology—in essence a hybrid. As Jules Zanger describes modern vampires, it is easy to identify the how many traits of the story’s vampire, Eli, to be modern, and the story in general to be modernized. Despite the subtle references to Dracula, this movie desexualizes the vampire, accepting friendship as opposed to leading a solitary life, and shows her to be sympathetic and possible even gaining the audience’s (and Oskar’s) approval of her existence. The sexual overtones of many vampire stories, including recent ones, in which the vampire bite serves as a stand-in or metaphor for penetration, undergo a radical shift in Let the Right One In. She appears to be young, barefoot, and showing a pale complexion with modest green eyes with dark rings under them. She does not seem to have been living as for centuries as our classic vampires seems to, but rather, she is stuck in this girl’s body. Let the Right One In is absolutely not about sex even if the movie’s primary relationship is romantic. Considering vampire folklore revolves around sex or some form of sexual aura, Let the Right One In completely deviates from this. The vampire in this story, Eli, is not sexualized at all, but rather de-sexualized. There is nothing â€Å"sexually appealing† about an ostensibly asexual girl stuck in a 12-year old body. Important as well is their budding affection that encompasses physical closeness but is emphatically not sexu al. On one level, this exchange illustrates what ‘going steady’ means to 12 year-olds: it is an affirmation of friendship and loyalty quite disconnected from overt sexuality. In one scene, Oscar and ... ...ive friendship and allowing a tender love-friendship grow between Oskar and Eli. A third way that Eli is parallel to classic vampires, say Dracula, is that Eli is cut off from human society in a profound way. Though she is not immediately identified as a vampire, her appearance and behaviour mark her as an outsider. Just as Dracula is visually and audibly coded as an ‘immigrant’ or ‘foreign’, Eli is set apart from clean-cut, blonde Swedish types by her tousled, dark hair and unkempt, waif-like appearance. Her divergence is particularly striking because, with one exception, all other characters in the film are ethnic Swedes. Like classic vampire films, Eli is an outside figure and is invariably menacing, becoming a manifestation of the audience’s deepest fears, while simultaneously feeling compassion and understanding for her alienation, exclusion, and difference.

The War over How Content Providers

The other opponents are the large electrification companies and the Internet Service Providers who will be referred to as Sips. These companies have a new business plan that if allowed to be implemented by the FCC will change the way Content Service Providers Caps and the end users, which are anyone using the internet today, will have their data routed and how they must pay for it. What will happen if the large Corporations win this â€Å"War† and how will it affect the status quo that we've all become used to as the Internet standard? Net Neutrality: The War over How Content Providers and Users Will Pay for Speed andRoutes of internet traffic. What is the real problem being debated? The new laws governing internet traffic if passed will give the large Sips the right to dictate how internet traffic is routed, and how they will charge the content service providers (Caps) and Internet end users (Sis's). Net neutrality has been a core principle of the Internet since its inception . According to (Vogue, 2014) Internet service should be very similar to telephone service. As an analogy, the phone company cannot make the connection poorer if they do not like the person you are ailing.The Sips and the large telecommunication companies don't like this concept and are working very hard to change it. Advocates of this policy are licking their wounds because the FCC recently reported they would likely leave Broadband services deregulated. Many activists for this movement had hoped that the Obama administration would not allow Internet Service Providers (Sips) to charge individuals by the amount of bandwidth they consume (Hudson, 2010). â€Å"Does this threaten freedom and openness on the Internet as net neutrality activist's claim? How would et neutrality impact future investments in broadband?Here are two opposing views on the issue† (Hudson, 2010). It seems as if the favoritism game has begun. A group of Internet service providers, mainly Commas has already begun to raise, and overcharge certain websites for their service. Yet other service providers who are a subsidiaries of theirs, like Hull who provide the same types of service have not had their fees increased (Cry, 2014) This is a growing concern of AN supporters. What is net neutrality? Law professor Www (2003) coined the term â€Å"net neutrality'. Lawrence (Lessee, 2001, p. 68175) can trace the idea of Internet neutrality back to the open access movement that was lead.The debate on AN centers on the potential consequences of network owners exercising control over the data traffic in their networks. The meaning of â€Å"control† can mean anything from blocking certain types of traffic (Www, 2007), to termination fees (Lee & Www, 2009), to offering preferred services to customers willing to pay a fee for it (Hahn & Wallet, 2006). To date, there is not a generally accepted definition of AN. Consumer rights groups have among others; put a strict definition f AN forth. The i nternet has developed at a tremendous rate of speed. It provides users with a platform for information, entertainment, and communication.The role of content providers has shifted to an essential gatekeeper position on the information superhighway. â€Å"Therefore, the public and politicians alike are concerned about how Internet service providers (Sips) are going to noontime access and usage of the networks in the future. The discussion on the future of the Internet is known as the net neutrality (AN) debate† (Kramer & Warrior, 2013, p. 1). Definition 1 Strict Net Neutrality. Net neutrality prohibits Internet service providers from speeding up, slowing down or blocking Internet traffic based on its source, ownership or destination.As mentioned above, the Sips are already planning to implement these prohibitions in their networks. This will endanger the â€Å"openness† of the Internet that has been the standard since its inception. (KerrГmere & Warrior, 2013). Defin ition 2 How AN Applies To Service Providers. â€Å"Net neutrality usually means that broadband service providers charge consumers only once for Internet access, do not favor one content provider over another, and do to charge content providers for sending information over broadband lines to end users. (Hahn and Wallet, 2006) The Pros and Cons The Cons: Sips can block any derogatory statements said about their company. They can block peer-to peer technologies, even those used by software developers used to enhance and grow technology. They can also block certain â€Å"Blobs† because of deals they have made with other higher paying â€Å"Blobs†. Just to name a few, and this list is growing by the day. If the Sips continue with the new business model they have landed they will not only change the face of the internet as we know it, they will lose all trust in the public and customer relations will suffer greatly.No one will trust or buy service from a company who wants t o undermine an institution standard that's been in place since its inception. Most customers will lose trust in them and the customer relations departments of the Sips will be working overtime to try to regain the publics trust and convince them to come back and be a loyal customer once again. I myself hope that it sparks a whole new line of smaller ISP startups who will epithelial on the publics distrust and resentment of the large Sips for betraying the publics trust.If I had the capital, I would start an ISP that would NOT use the new business model they so desperately want to implement. I am sure any company who could do this would grab a huge share of the market. The pros, which in my opinion are few and far in between, and are practically meaningless in my opinion. Congress claims its Constitutional authority to set interstate communications policy, the Constitution's protections, and court precedent, as well as encourage private investment and innovation Just proves Congress' bipartisan Internet policy.It fails to keep a competitive free market, which is not hampered by government regulation. Congress also claims it respects the rule of law, and it also encourages public and Private Corporation's to get the fastest broadband to all Americans under the National Broadband Plan. Smoke and mirrors I say. Legislation, Regulation, and Constitutional Rights Since 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been working towards a set of principles that will ensure the open and interconnected character of he Internet, a restriction to try to avoid the biased term AN.The FCC is seeking to maintain the current status quo and has followed the presented views in this section. There exist several examples of Sips that have blocked voice over IP (Poop) traffic, which is in competition to their regular telephone service. The most prominent example is that of Madison River Communications, which was subject to an investigation by the FCC in 2005 for exactly suc h practice. The case was settled under the old common carrier powers of the FCC, which applied at that point in time o DSL service (c. F. FCC, 2011).Traffic management techniques may be used by the ISP to avoid or limit traffic that, in their view, generates nothing but higher costs. Here, the most prominent example is that of Commas, the largest cable company in the US, which was subject to scrutiny by the FCC in 2008 because it had restricted the flow of peer-to-peer (APP) traffic. The FCC issued a cease or desist order against Commas in 2008, which was overturned by the US Court of Appeals in 2010, because it was found that the FCC has failed to tie its assertion of regulatory authority to an actual law enacted by Congress (McCullough, 2010).In its final Report & Order from December 2010, the FCC adopted the following AN framework. Definition 3 FCC. â€Å"A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall 1 . Transparency â€Å"C†¦ ] publicly disclose accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms [†¦ ]. â€Å"(FCC, 2010, Section 54) 2. No Blocking not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices, subject to reasonable network management. (FCC, 2010, Section 63) 3.No Unreasonable Discrimination not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic over a consumer's broadband Internet access service. † (FCC, 2010, Section 68) The FCC acknowledges the usefulness of reasonable network management, but also says that pay for priority arrangements will raise significant reasons for concern (FCC, 2010, Section 76). They also said that transparency and competition are the main remedies to ensure AN. It is also important to note that wireless network services are not subject to the restrictions of network management.The main reason for this is the competition between wireless network oper ators. Because the effect of competition is still unclear, it is going to be interesting to see whether the PC's AN ruling, which took effect on November 20, 2011, is going to lead to changes of the fixed and wireless networks in the US. The New FCC Rulings In January 2014, the DC Court of Appeals agreed with Verizon and said that the FCC cannot stop Internet service providers from blocking or discriminating against websites or any other Internet traffic unless the Internet is reclassified as a public utility.However, the court also said the FCC does have some authority to implement net neutrality rules as long as it promotes broadband deployment across the country. On May 1 5, the FCC voted to move forward with their proposed rules for net neutrality, the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. The proposal, which is now open for public comment for four months, would dramatically change the Internet. The new rules would allow Internet service providers (Sips) like Verizon or AT&T to charge websites like Backbone and Twitter for faster service.This as a whole range of consequences for all avid Internet users. (Miranda. 2014) The Public Fear The public AN debate it is related to the fear that Sips may be in the position to limit the freedom of speech. Sips could block access to politically controversial (but legal) information, or shut down websites of unwanted organizations, Ex. The websites of labor associations to prevent an assembly of workers (Austin, 2005) Evidence of such practices is not necessarily true, because it will almost certainly cause a loss of reputation for the Sips.It seems obvious that such limitations of freedom of speech would be addressable by constitutional law of the respective country. However, people are aware that there are remarkable differences in the legal basis for preserving free speech online. The Other Side of the Coin Opponents say that strict AN would be taking a step backwards from the status quo of the Internet. If any network management practices are forbidden it could lead to congestion problems at peak times, which could only be counteracted by over provisioning of a networks capacity.In any case, Sips' revenues would be reduced because business models that rely on managed services, like PIPIT, could not be liable offered anymore. The likely result of this strict interpretation of AN would be that consumer prices for (full) Internet access will increase, or that the rate of investments in network infrastructure is reduced which will reduce the SO (Quality Of Service) we are all accustomed to. They also claim that customers with limited needs for internet access will not have the opportunity to purchase these services if they want to.Vice-president of the European commission Nellie Zeroes who said that â€Å"requiring operators to provide only full internet could kill innovative new offers Even worse, it could mean higher prices for those consumers with more limited needs w ho were ready to accept a cheaper, limited package† (Meyer, 2011). Conclusion In general what all of this means is that the Sips have an agenda to create a new business model. If the laws are changed that currently govern internet traffic, it can, and will change the way Internet access is routed and how the users are charged for it.However, for now, they are gunning for the website owner/operators or Caps (Content Service Providers) as they are also called, who provide content to the end users. Specifically the large Caps who rely on fast data transfer rates to provide customers with the services they offer. For Ex. Nettling which is a company that offers subscribers a service that allows them to instantly stream TV shows and movies would be put out of business if they did not agree to pay for their data to travel in the so-called â€Å"fast lane†.This type of service relies heavily on the fast transmission of data packets across a network in order to provide uninterru pted service. If the Sips and large telecommunication companies get their way they can restrict certain kinds f data/traffic at their discretion and direct it into the â€Å"traffic lanes† of their choosing. They wish to divide the Intervention into predetermined lanes of slow, medium, and fast data transfer speeds. Then charge Caps (Content Service Providers) according to the speed that they want, or essentially need their data to travel at.Step 2. Focus on the accuracy of the assumptions and conclusions. I used the scoring guide and the instructions for the assignment to ensure that I have met the requirements and feel confident with my submission. Step 3. Break the problems into workable parts. I used the discussion posts and suggestions of the other classmates as well as the instructor's comments to tackle each perceived item that was recommended to me that needed revision.I approached this by looking at them as a whole and then breaking them down and working on them one at a time. Step 4. Do not guess or Jump to conclusions. I feel I did not Jump to conclusions by using the many credible sources and references to Justify my conclusions used in my draft. Step 5. Employ meaningful self-dialogue throughout the process, including written or drawn prompts as well as spoken words. I'll be quite honest here I still have not mastered how to accomplish this step.I do not talk out loud to myself but do talk silently to myself while writing to make sure my words sound correct and flow nicely together, so in a sense I guess I do implement this process in that way. Step 6. Briefly describe what it felt like to go through the process. Going through this process is a constant learning experience for me. I'm realizing that as my paper develops I find my steps of using the critical thinking process are beginning to change. I'm not sure if this is a good thing but I have noticed a difference in my processes from the beginning until now.

E-Discovery Procurement

Table of Contents Assignment #1: e-Discovery Project Procurement Management2 Introduction2 Plan e-Discovery Procurements3 Conduct e-Discovery Procurements5 Administer e-Discovery Procurements6 Close e-Discovery Procurements8 Conclusion9 References10 Assignment #1: e-Discovery Project Procurement Management Introduction Most projects of whichever size or significance cannot be completed using 100% in-sourced resources. But Project managers must still procure their project’s resources that are not obtained in-house, and that must be done through outsourcing.To that end, the project procurement process â€Å"tries to maximize the value derived from all funds invested in the project to obtain goods and services. This occurs by reducing the cost and using more effectively and efficiently whatever is obtained† (Rapp, 2011, pp. Kindle 2974-2975). Seasoned project managers know that the deceptively humdrum aspects of procurement can be a greater source of pain for a projectâ₠¬â„¢s quality, recovery schedule and budget if they are not given their due recognition and attention.New project managers need to realize that at the core of their success stands, among other things, great management of their project’s procurements and precise logistics, which is essential to success. Therefore, procurement success begins with planning procurements, conducting procurements, administering procurements and closing procurements. The procurement process â€Å"includes the processes necessary to purchase or acquire products, services, or results needed from outside the project team† (PMI, 2011, pp. Kindle 5723-5724).This paper will discuss the procurement process that could have been applied to a law firm matter for which e-Discovery services had to be outsourced. According to the EDRM (2013)E-Discovery is the management of electronically stored information (ESI) to mitigate risk and expenses during the discovery phase of a matter and though it is not alwa ys a full blown legal case , it could evolve into that. The law firm had a client who had a desire to review for relevance hundreds of thousands of documents on a hard drive which held a collection of data from client servers.As project manager of the e-Discovery part of this matter, I was tasked with managing that procurement from inception to closure and the inter-organizational relationships thereof. Plan e-Discovery Procurements For the procurement inputs, we must first document any and all decisions and legal requirements that the appropriate stakeholders or legal entities have made regarding the outsourcing of materials, services, and results expected and acceptable in a legal matter.In an e-Discovery project, this would require the use of and input from the following according to the PMBOK Guide (2011): Scope Baseline Requirements Documentation Teaming agreements Risk register Risk related contract decisions Activity resource requirements Project schedule Activity cost estima te Cost performance baseline Enterprise Environmental Factors Thus, the circumstances and technical reasons that preclude us from in-house e-Discovery can be determined utilizing make-or buy analysis and expert judgment.We would show what we need in order to execute outsourced e-Discovery, and the boundaries within which we must control an outsourced deliverable by using the scope baseline, WBS including jargon definitions for lay stakeholders. Also, the PM would document the level of service that is required to achieve the client’s goals with relation to the legal matter and apply planned value, earned value and actual cost analyses for estimates. Next, all contracts between the firm, the client, the e-Discovery seller and any other parties including the contract types – hether fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, time & material, or some hybrid should be codified. If this is a matter where the government is represented, it is likely that an agreement would disqualify the use of some types of contracts, specifically cost plus percentage of cost contract types. Commercial matters may or may not have the same restrictions. With the preceding inputs the PM can then identify and document risks, risk owners and risk responses at all e-Discovery stages and include all project contributors.Identify and record all contract decisions that could present risks or opportunities during the execution of the contracts and parties that are responsible for those risk responses specific to each contract. Confirm positive market conditions, rate comparisons and local regulatory requirements. The plan began by â€Å"determining which project needs can be fulfilled internally by the project team and which can best be met externally (Marchewka, 2012, p. 382). The project team made decisions about when, how, what quantities and what sources would sustain the insourced and outsourced tasks.With this information and the results of the plan inputs, tools and techniques, eith er a detailed or a broadly organized project procurement management plan that includes guidance for procurements from inception to closure. The documentation would comprise the e-Discovery procurement statement of work identifying where documents should be collected, and from which custodians. Where documents should be sent for processing, processing specifications and options, document review requirements and rules, categorization specifications, production format agreements and production deadlines.Included would be the documentation for any make or buy analyses and peripheral procurement documents like proposals, bids and technical documentation. And finally, the plan will include the final source selection criteria utilized to rate and select the e-Discovery seller would be documented as well. With the attainment of this procurement management plan depicting activities from creating procurement documents through contract closure and accepted by the stakeholders, the PM can comme nce with conducting procurements. Conduct e-Discovery ProcurementsNow that the project procurement plan has been hashed out, the RFP has been sent out, bids have been received and analyzed (this process is often repeated until a select pool is attained), the PM can focus on awarding a contract to the seller that best fits the needs of the legal matter and the e-Discovery requirements according to the plan documentation and some tools and techniques. Utilizing the following inputs, that selection will be made to engage a seller according to the PMBOK Guide (2011): Project management plan Procurement documents Source selection criteria Qualified seller list Seller proposals Project documentsMake-or-buy decisions Teaming agreements Organizational process assets The PM will utilize the above inputs to describe and codify the e-Discovery project procurement process from inception to closure. The objective is to obtain a sensible range of possible high quality proposals in order to achiev e the e-discovery goals of this matter. The project documents help to build a solid selection criteria such as a weighted system, which through past experience will be based on the PM’s expert judgment about seller criteria, independent estimates and bidder conferences to further narrow down the most qualified of sellers.When it is necessary to extend the pool of bidders, some can be obtained through advertisements in industry publications and with organizational process assets such as preferred vendors and partnering agreements. For e-Discovery, it is not likely that a random internet search would suffice to identify sellers as this is a very specialized field. Through proposal evaluation techniques that have been approved by management, the selection criteria will evolve. The details of the sellers’ proposals will have everything that the PM needs to make a fair weighted selection.Matching the requirements to the project documentation will ensure that the PM is stayi ng within the bounds of the project requirements and the risk register. The use of the make-or-buy decisions will determine whether portion of the project should be insourced or should remain part of a teeming agreement. Organizational process assets will identify other sellers that qualified for previous projects as well as documented best practices and lessons learned from previous project whether they were successful or failed.The result of conducting procurement is a selected seller which is typically approved by management and other critical stakeholders if necessary. The contract, with the structure that was approved â€Å"defines the terms and conditions or such things as responsibilities and authorities, technical and project management approaches, proprietary rights, financing, schedule, payments, quality requirements, and price, as well as remedies and process for revisions to the contract† (Marchewka, 2012, p. 83), is signed sealed and delivered. For an e-Discovery project, the contract can also contain the agreed upon project calendar and resource calendars that depict court dates and deadlines, change request procedures with integrated change control measures. Finally, the updates to the project management plan and project documents are executed including the baselines and the risk register. With the project updates complete, the PM can now administer procurements. Administer e-Discovery ProcurementsNow that the project documents are updated the seller and the buyer are in a relationship guided by the contract, the client expectations have been set, resources have been affiliated with the project scope and the stage is set to execute the project deliverables. Each party, buyer and seller must accomplish their obligations at a high level of quality according to the Ts & Cs of the contract. Rules are created to manage changes to the contract, procurements are reviewed on a scheduled basis, reports with the results of inspections and audits to show the effectiveness of the process.Functional structures such as payment systems, claims administration and records management are set up. The inputs toward these activities according to the PMBOK Guide (2011) include: Procurement documents Project management plan Contract Performance reports Approved change requests Work performance information * The PM will utilize the inputs to create the final procurement documentation. In an e-Discovery project the â€Å"contract documentation allows people who did not participate in forming the contract to carry out the agreement made by the people who did† (Garrett, 2010, p. 6). It will contain the collection activities during discovery, the chain of custody for the hard drive or other media containing data, the processing specifications, any de-duplication issues and the exception report showing which documents could not be processed and suggestions for addressing any that are of interest to the client. The contract documentation will contain details about the document review, and â€Å"modifications, invoices, meeting notes, payments, and correspondence† (Garrett, 2010, p. 8), as well as technical facts from the seller about the deliverables. Also, the PM will update the organizational process assets, such as â€Å"assumptions about present or future company assets that can impact the success of the project such as the capability of your enterprise project management methodology, the project management information system, forms, templates, guidelines, checklists, and the ability to capture and use lessons learned data and best practices† (Kerzner, 2009, pp. Kindle 9889-9891).In an e-Discovery project, this is very critical because the industry is always growing and changing. Finally, change requests are processed for review and action and then the project management plan is updated as the final output. With the administration of procurements complete, the project plan updated, and the document review and final production complete, now the PM can close procurements. Close e-Discovery Procurements Closing procurements involves the â€Å"process of verifying that all administrative matters are concluded on a contract that is otherwise physically complete.This involves completing and settling the contract, including resolving any open items† (Kerzner, 2009, pp. Kindle 18292-18293). The PM will commence with closing the procurement with the following inputs according to the PMBOK Guide (2011): Project management plan Procurement documentation Fleming (2003) recommends that it is a best practice to ensure that the seller has completed all of the tasks, terms and conditions of the SOW and contract unless the circumstances dictate otherwise as â€Å"there are often residual issues which must be addressed† (Fleming, 2003, p. 27). Ultimately, with these issues resolved, the PM will use the inputs to conduct procurement audits to identify and document the good, bad an d ugly achievements and disappointments in performance of the contract. The PM can also explore and execute any negotiated settlements of open items to avoid litigation, however sometimes litigation is unavoidable, though not wanted. Finally, the records management system must be updated with the above tools and techniques outcomes.The e-Discovery project is closed when the PM closes procurements and thusly notifies all appropriate stakeholders that the contract has been completed and details any spin-off actions that might apply. The procurement file, derivable acceptance and lessons learned documentation should all be updated, finalized and executed accordingly so that the entire contract process can be written in stone for future reference or projects. ConclusionMost e-Discovery projects of varying scope will not be completely in-sourced so they require some level of outsourcing or procurement. According to the PMBOK Guide (2011, p. 313), procurement success begins with planning procurements, conducting procurements, administering procurements and closing procurements and these steps may intermingle, may require multiple discrete or ongoing efforts and individuals or teams to complete. The PM must initially plan the procurements using the inputs tools and techniques as a basis for the conducting procurement.Next, the PM should conduct procurements using the inputs, tools and techniques as basis for administering procurements successfully while all along documenting the outputs and updates. Third, the PM must administer the procurements using the inputs, tools and techniques as a basis for closing the procurement while updating documentation and resolving buyer and seller differences along the way. Finally, the PM will close procurements and wrap up any lose ends with the ultimate goal of project success and notification to all parties that the procurement is closed.The procurement plan will make it a simple exercise for all of the stakeholders whether they were involved in the procurement or not to know the status of the procurement throughout the outsourcing lifecycle. References EDRM. (2013). The Electronic Discovery Reference Model: Establishing guidelines. Setting standards. Delivering resources. Retrieved from edrm. net: http://www. edrm. net/resources/edrm-stages-explained Fleming, Q. W. (2003). Project Procurement Management Contracting, Subcontracting, Teaming. Tustin, CA: FMC Press.Garrett, G. A. (2010). World Class Contracting (5th Kindle Edition ed. ). (W. K. Legal, Ed. ) Aspen PUblishers. Kerzner, H. (2009). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. Wiley. Marchewka, J. T. (2012). Information technology project management with CD-ROM. (4th). Wiley. PMI. (2011, Jan 01). A guide to project management body of knowledge. (4th). Project Management Institute. Rapp, R. R. (2011). Disaster Recovery Project Management: Brining Order from Chaos (Kindle Edition ed. ). BookMasters.

What to Do Before Leaving for College

What to Do Before Leaving for College Overwhelmed with everything you need to do before heading to college? Familiarizing yourself with everything on this list can help make the process easier. 1. Contact Your Roommate That first conversation is pivotal for getting to know each other, for building your relationship as roommates, and for figuring out whos going to be bringing what. A great roommate can make all the difference in school. 2. Organize All Your Purchases Knowing what to bring is just as important as knowing what not to bring. Deciding on what kind of computer youll have is also a big decision that will influence several aspects of your college life. (Can you bring it home? Is it powerful enough to run graphics programs or economic models youll need for your major?) 3. Understand Your Financial Aid The last thing you want to have happen is for finances to get in the way of your academic progress (yes, it really does matter if you miss that deadline for submitting your FAFSA). Make sure your finances are in order- and that you understand all you need to do while youre in school. 4. Make a Budget Youll need to know, from your first day on campus, how much money you can spend on certain things, whether or not youll need an on-campus job, and how much money you should have at the end of every month so you dont have to beg your roommate for food come December. 5. Take Care of Your Physical Health Picking the right meal plan and knowing how to make healthy choices in your new environment will greatly aid your time in school. Who wants to miss a midterm because of a stress-induced cold? 6. Familiarize Yourself With College Terminology If your RA tells you that the problem youre having with your TA can best be handled by the dean, will you know what all of that means? What if your cute lab partner is complaining because adjunct professors werent invited to convocation? College life is full of acronyms and new lingo: do what you can to familiarize yourself with it before you arrive. 7. Get the Most out of Orientation Everything from meeting people to making it through your first week takes a lot of courage- but pushing yourself through will make a huge difference during your entire time at school. 8. Plan to Keep in Touch With Friends and Family Its a good idea to know how to manage relationships with your boyfriend or girlfriend, parents, and even siblings. If you talk about how to keep in touch before you leave, everyone will know what to expect. 9. Develop a Time Management System Figuring out how to manage their time is often one of the biggest challenges for college students. Set yourself up early with a system that you know will work for you. 10. Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe The last thing you need to be worried about while in school is dealing with something that may have been preventable. Losing your computer, for example, can wreak havoc on your academics- and, if someone breaks into your room while you left the door open, can wreak havoc on your roommate relationship. Its easier to stay safe than to deal with theft. Lastly- an unofficial #11- congratulate yourself on a job well done for getting here in the first place, and have fun!

A guide to the differences between UK and US English - Emphasis

A guide to the differences between UK and US English A guide to the differences between UK and US English According to playwright George Bernard Shaw, the UK and the US are ‘two countries divided by a common language’. We may not need translators to converse, but you can save potential embarrassment or confusion by learning some of the writing differences. Most UK-English speakers know that ‘colour’ (not ‘color’) and ‘centre’ (not ‘center’) are correct, but should it be ‘benefited’ or ‘benefitted’, ‘travelling’ or ‘traveling’, ‘recognise’ or ‘recognize’? You may not be able to rely on the spell check for the answer. Our UK and US English guide reveals the main differences between our use of punctuation, grammar, some vocabulary and spelling. Use it to discover what to do when the rules are not clear cut.

Change Management in Semantic Web Services

Change Management in Semantic Web Services Change Management in Semantic Web Services in Legal Domain using FSM & XXM Introduction With the new paradigm of Service Oriented Computing, many enterprises attempt to utilize services as fundamental elements for developing applications/solutions as an additive layer on top of existing components. The Web Service Controller Architecture (WSCA) for service-based, enterprise-scaled business solutions provides exactly this flexibility. The design, exposure and management of services can be accomplished through a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) that supports the usage, composition and coordination of services in a loosely coupled manner. Web services appear to be particularly suitable for addressing these aspects of a SOA. Furthermore, composition languages such as BPEL add value by composing Web services and facilitating the implementation of business processes. As the SOA paradigm brings this big behavior change relying on loose coupling of services it raises new questions in the area of change management. Change management is a central aspect in any software design, but its complexity for Web services is increased by both composition languages and loose coupling. The resulting advantages like composability, autonomy, message-based communication, and the avoidance of combined compilation and binding prove to be deficiencies in this context. In this paper we discuss these elementary challenges of change management in the area of Web services (Web Service Change Management, WSCM). Currently there are no sound mechanisms and engineering principles for changing Web services and their related entities. Through analysis of a suitable scenario, specifically looking at the details of the Web service provider and consumer roles, one can identify the various problems that exist in this domain. Therefore we will start our approach with the consideration of an application scenario from the business domain of application and change management, the addition of Web servic es in private legal sector. An Overview of a WSCA A WSCA consists of several autonomous outsourced Web services, but acts as a virtually coherent entity. Business entities, in the form of Web services, are often geographically distributed and organizationally independent. While WSCA has a potential to introduce new business opportunities through dynamic alliances, the challenges of fully realizing a WSCA lie in managing changes during its lifecycle through Extreme X Machines (XXM). XXM: In this paper we explore the design changes as made to software projects by the use  of a formal model known as Extreme X-Machines (XXM) [5,6], which  are based on the work of Eilenberg and Holcombe [7,8]. An XXM model describes the functionality of the software without defining exactly how this functionality is achieved. This perspective allows an analysis of functional change whilst excluding specific implementation or requirements issues. XXM are a state based model, they are intended to be us ed by developers as a method to design  their systems from at the top level but here, XXM are used as effectively to analyze and incorporate changes in, even addition of new web services. Each model typically consists of a set of states which correspond to screens in the final system and functions which link the screens together. The functions are typically labeled with an enabling action such as â€Å"click_ok† which corresponds to a user clicking the OK button.

Implementation of the Saudi Mortgage Law Developing an Effective Research Paper - 3

Implementation of the Saudi Mortgage Law Developing an Effective Mortgage - Research Paper Example The provisions of Saudi Arabia ‘real estate mortgage law’, which was signed into law on July 2, 2012, offer different ways through which the law will be implemented. First, under the ‘Enforcement’ Law, the law has provided that judges should hear and enforce mortgage disputes and insolvency actions (Delloite, 2). In this respect, the law has allowed the courts to decide on the order of the repayment of the mortgages, in a way that would guarantee swift repayments. Under the ‘Real Estate Finance’ Law of the Saudi Mortgage Laws, an elaborate architecture and framework for the authorization and licensing of banks and other non-banking companies to offer mortgage facilities has been established. Thus, according to this section of the law, banks will be allowed to own real estate’s for the purpose of facilitating mortgage lending (Khan, 2). Additionally, the government will facilitate the banks and companies offering the mortgage services, through publicizing real estate market activities, while at the same time granting the companies and the banks an access to the notary registers and the courts (Delloite, 2). This s ection of the law has also provided that a credit risk must be undertaken on the borrowers, through the aid of the authorized and available credit bureaus, to ensure the creditworthiness of all borrowers. Further, the Saudi Mortgage Law includes a section under the ‘Registered Real Estate Mortgage’ Law, which provides for the procedures of the registration of mortgages (Khan, 7).

American Occupation in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Occupation in Japan - Essay Example On a realistic echelon, the prime intention of this occupation was to defuse the military, restructure the educational scheme, grant power to the local level, and offer suffrage to women. To commence with, the tremendous success of this occupation was primarily the constitution (Tsutsui 268). The writing of the Japanese constitution occurred during this occupation and presently, it remains wholly unchanged. It is imperative to state that this served as the initial step of the occupation in democratizing Japan. The greatest predicament in the Meiji constitution (Tsutsui 270) was that it did not comprise a system of balance and checks since every component of the government would perform prior to the emperor’s name. Therefore, the constitution had to delineate the roles of the government with apparent responsibility lines. There was the creation of the House of chancellors, the House of Representatives, the cabinet, and judiciary with conventional purposes and responsibilities. The emperor reduced to a rank of common citizenship and the Japanese could no longer be submissive to him (Tsutsui 272). It is worth denoting that this was another mode of democratization. Moreover, this occupation attempted to reorganize the authority relationships in Japan. The Americans strived to break up bureaucracy, develop a sturdy labor movement and union, and finally reallocate resources throughout the economy (Tsutsui 275). Another goal of this occupation was social liberalization. The Americans strived to inculcate the human rights values into Japanese politics and societal ideas. It is imperative to state that the Japanese citizens had a fuzzy idea of human rights, but the Americans strived to delineate them in terms of liberty to dialogue and political freedom. It is worth denoting that this occupation founded a democratic model for Japan and laid the basis for many institutions. It was a successful operation as it ensured an indefinite excellent relationship between Ja pan and America (Tsutsui 278). However, this occupation had some limitations. Some points arise particularly from the American relationship with Japan. Despite the persistent application of mutual pressure by America on the policymakers of Japan, it is debatable on the extent of achievements. Concerning the wide adoption of American norms and practices, the record proves to be ambiguous as the market-oriented reform has been partial and inadvertent. Sino-American relation This relation mainly involved the Sino-American crises, mainly related to military affairs. They include the prime crisis that precipitated the involvement of the two nations in the Korean War, and the Taiwan crises in the 1950s (Swaine & Zhang, 133). A principal distinctive feature, of these crises is that they happened at a time when there was antagonism in the Sino-American relations. The nonexistence of any prime crisis during this lengthy interval clearly outlines that both Beijing and Washington saw a similar threat and did not view each other as latent adversaries. Moreover, they could reach a prompt understanding in order to prevent the emergence of another crisis, but these two sides hardy took management measures (Swaine & Zhang 133). The consistent invoked enemy image is another feature of the Sino-American crisis. Both sides shaped each other’s image before the Korean War in 1950 (Swaine & Zhang 134). The leaders in both countries immensely shared this

Terrorist Scene & Aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorist Scene & Aftermath - Essay Example Terrorist attacks could be planned or completely disorganized, but it is always good to presume that any terror attacks have organized traps for the first responders. This aspect calls for extra carefulness for who should or should not take the first response step (Weiss, 2001, pg.117). First responders do not always find their actions rewarding. In some cases, terrorist ambush those willing to take first action by shooting at them, planting bombs in unexpected locations, trapping them within buildings, or making them appear like they were among the terror attackers among other dangers and traps. Some terrorist attacks however may not need to be planned for the dangers to be high. Attacks made using radiological dispersion devices are generally dangerous for first responders who may lack the expertise to detect harmful radiations (Runge, 2009, pg. 407). The invisible radiations in this regards could be part of the dangers and traps arising from a well-planned terrorist attack of such kind. In the case of terrorist attacks, hospitals within the locality are likely to be interrupted since they are faced with the obligation of accommodating the injured victims. In order for hospitals to avoid adverse interruptions, they should prepare a disaster plan to prepare for major influxes of injured individuals after terrorist attacks. This plan for enhancing preparedness should include an effective plan for handling the deceased especially in worse case situations (Lowe & Hummel, 2014, pg. 211). The preparedness plan may include contingencies that would encompass the hospital’s strategy. The hospital can also adopt the plan to include further actions such as handling victims of terrorism attack earlier even before arriving at the hospital. This could be done like the case of many hospitals that have already implemented plans for handling victims of

Management and personal development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and personal development - Essay Example This research will begin with the MBTI types. The MBTI Inventory measure personal across FOUR dimensions: Introvert [I] - Extrovert [E]; Intuition [N] - Sensing [S]; Feeling [F] - Thinking [T]; Perception [P] - Judging [J]. ISTJ: Serious, quiet, earn success by concentration and thoroughness. Practical, orderly, matter of fact, logical, realistic and dependable. See to it that everything is well organized. Take responsibility. Make up their own minds about what should be accomplished and work towards it steadily, regardless of protests or distractions. ISFJ: Quiet, friendly, responsible and conscientious. Work devotedly to meet their obligations. Lend stability to any project or group. Thorough, painstaking, accurate. Their interests are usually not technical. Can be patient with necessary details. Loyal, considerate, perceptive, concerned with how other people feel. INFJ: Succeed by perseverance, originality, and desire to do whatever is needed or wanted. Put their best efforts into their work. Quietly forceful, conscientious, concerned for others. Respected for their firm principles. Likely to be honored and followed for their clear visions as to how best to serve the common good. INTJ: Have original minds and great drive for their own ideas and purposes. Have a long-range vision and quickly find meaningful patterns in external events. In fields that appeal to them, they have a fine power to organize a job and carry it through. Sceptical, critical, independent, determined, have high standards of competence and performance.  ... MBTI TYPES ISTJ Serious, quiet, earn success by concentration and thoroughness. Practical, orderly, matter of fact, logical, realistic and dependable. See to it that everything is well organised. Take responsibility. Make up their own minds about what should be accomplished and work towards it steadily, regardless of protests or distractions. ISFJ Quiet, friendly, responsible and conscientious. Work devotedly to meet their obligations. Lend stability to any project or group. Thorough, painstaking, accurate. Their interests are usually not technical. Can be patient with necessary details. Loyal, considerate, perceptive, concerned with how other people feel. INFJ Succeed by perseverance, originality and desire to do whatever is needed or wanted. Put their best efforts into their work. Quietly forceful, conscientious, concerned for others. Respected for their firm principles. Likely to be honoured and followed for their clear visions as to how best to serve the common good. INTJ Have or iginal minds and great drive for their own ideas and purposes. Have long-range vision and quickly find meaningful patterns in external events. In fields that appeal to them, they have a fine power to organise a job and carry it through. Sceptical, critical, independent, determined, have high standards of competence and performance. ISTP Cool onlookers – quiet, reserved, observing and analysing life with detached curiosity and unexpected flashes of original humour. Usually interested in cause and effect, how and why mechanical things work and in organising facts using logical principles. Excel at getting to the core of a practical problem and finding the solution. ISFP Retiring, quietly friendly, sensitive,

Case study -- managing the performance of individuals

-- managing the performance of individuals - Case Study Example This model presumes that human behavior is rational, therefore driven by the best information available at the time and designed to maximize individual interest’ (Pheffer 1998). Expected financial return motivates people to accept jobs and exert the level of effort that they are willing to spend on those jobs. If they know an incentive is waiting after a job well done, then they’ll be more encouraged to work. The act of giving inspires people to do more than expected of them. Transaction-cost theory identifies transactions organized by markets and hierarchies. It contains the notion that people not only seek self-interest but do the job with ‘opportunism’ (Meschandreas 1997). If they know that they are monitored by their superiors, then they exert more effort in doing so because recognition or even a possible promotion or other advantageous opportunities are in the offing after a commendable performance. Good examples are what happened in companies such as IT Lab Ltd., Peppermint PR, Metaswitch, Bravissimo and Madgex. Simple tokens or little gifts like ‘chocolates, cups of tea, bottles of wine, vouchers for meal out, manicures at posh beauty salons, jars of sweets or even a simple thank you note’ (employeebenefits 2010) await an employee who had exerted an extra effort in doing a difficult project. These simple little gifts excite the employees because of the rationale behind it. Receiving these small tokens mean recognition and appreciation for a job well done. 2. The article has only a limited number of criticisms on the trivial (gift) token as a reward strategy. With reference to theories of reward strategies expand the discussion of potential problems with this form of reward. Justify your answer with examples from the case study. Though it appears to some companies that giving small token of appreciation to employees is effective because it keeps the employees’ morale high through recognition and reward, still , it is not applicable to all companies at all times. In fact, it has a downside. As Pheffer puts it in her â€Å"Six dangerous myths about pay†, this practice has been shown to undermine teamwork, encourage employees focus on the short term and lead people to link compensation to political skills and ingratiating personalities rather than to performance’ (Pheffer 1998). Consulting firm, William M. Mercer says ‘most performance-based pay plans absorb large amounts of management time and resources and they make everyone unhappy’. If the employees are motivated of the small tokens then the motivation was influenced by extrinsic factor. ‘Extrinsic factor (rewards) has an immediate and powerful effect but won’t necessarily last long (Armstrong 2009 ). Saying thank you and giving small tokens are good motivational practices but the employers should exercise extra caution in doing so because other employees who do not receive a gift may feel left-ou t or feel there’s an ongoing inequity and favouritism. Also, it is wise for the company to be specific in giving presents to avoid tax issues and hurting the budget. They should also remember that rewards should be given infrequently and on schedule to perk the excitement of the employees. There’s also a possibility that the employer overlook someone’s hard work and commitment to the company. If this happens, the little incentive will do more harm than good because it might create grudges between employees. Like

Terrorist Scene & Aftermath Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorist Scene & Aftermath - Essay Example Terrorist attacks could be planned or completely disorganized, but it is always good to presume that any terror attacks have organized traps for the first responders. This aspect calls for extra carefulness for who should or should not take the first response step (Weiss, 2001, pg.117). First responders do not always find their actions rewarding. In some cases, terrorist ambush those willing to take first action by shooting at them, planting bombs in unexpected locations, trapping them within buildings, or making them appear like they were among the terror attackers among other dangers and traps. Some terrorist attacks however may not need to be planned for the dangers to be high. Attacks made using radiological dispersion devices are generally dangerous for first responders who may lack the expertise to detect harmful radiations (Runge, 2009, pg. 407). The invisible radiations in this regards could be part of the dangers and traps arising from a well-planned terrorist attack of such kind. In the case of terrorist attacks, hospitals within the locality are likely to be interrupted since they are faced with the obligation of accommodating the injured victims. In order for hospitals to avoid adverse interruptions, they should prepare a disaster plan to prepare for major influxes of injured individuals after terrorist attacks. This plan for enhancing preparedness should include an effective plan for handling the deceased especially in worse case situations (Lowe & Hummel, 2014, pg. 211). The preparedness plan may include contingencies that would encompass the hospital’s strategy. The hospital can also adopt the plan to include further actions such as handling victims of terrorism attack earlier even before arriving at the hospital. This could be done like the case of many hospitals that have already implemented plans for handling victims of

Case study -- managing the performance of individuals

-- managing the performance of individuals - Case Study Example This model presumes that human behavior is rational, therefore driven by the best information available at the time and designed to maximize individual interest’ (Pheffer 1998). Expected financial return motivates people to accept jobs and exert the level of effort that they are willing to spend on those jobs. If they know an incentive is waiting after a job well done, then they’ll be more encouraged to work. The act of giving inspires people to do more than expected of them. Transaction-cost theory identifies transactions organized by markets and hierarchies. It contains the notion that people not only seek self-interest but do the job with ‘opportunism’ (Meschandreas 1997). If they know that they are monitored by their superiors, then they exert more effort in doing so because recognition or even a possible promotion or other advantageous opportunities are in the offing after a commendable performance. Good examples are what happened in companies such as IT Lab Ltd., Peppermint PR, Metaswitch, Bravissimo and Madgex. Simple tokens or little gifts like ‘chocolates, cups of tea, bottles of wine, vouchers for meal out, manicures at posh beauty salons, jars of sweets or even a simple thank you note’ (employeebenefits 2010) await an employee who had exerted an extra effort in doing a difficult project. These simple little gifts excite the employees because of the rationale behind it. Receiving these small tokens mean recognition and appreciation for a job well done. 2. The article has only a limited number of criticisms on the trivial (gift) token as a reward strategy. With reference to theories of reward strategies expand the discussion of potential problems with this form of reward. Justify your answer with examples from the case study. Though it appears to some companies that giving small token of appreciation to employees is effective because it keeps the employees’ morale high through recognition and reward, still , it is not applicable to all companies at all times. In fact, it has a downside. As Pheffer puts it in her â€Å"Six dangerous myths about pay†, this practice has been shown to undermine teamwork, encourage employees focus on the short term and lead people to link compensation to political skills and ingratiating personalities rather than to performance’ (Pheffer 1998). Consulting firm, William M. Mercer says ‘most performance-based pay plans absorb large amounts of management time and resources and they make everyone unhappy’. If the employees are motivated of the small tokens then the motivation was influenced by extrinsic factor. ‘Extrinsic factor (rewards) has an immediate and powerful effect but won’t necessarily last long (Armstrong 2009 ). Saying thank you and giving small tokens are good motivational practices but the employers should exercise extra caution in doing so because other employees who do not receive a gift may feel left-ou t or feel there’s an ongoing inequity and favouritism. Also, it is wise for the company to be specific in giving presents to avoid tax issues and hurting the budget. They should also remember that rewards should be given infrequently and on schedule to perk the excitement of the employees. There’s also a possibility that the employer overlook someone’s hard work and commitment to the company. If this happens, the little incentive will do more harm than good because it might create grudges between employees. Like

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Discussion About Genetically Modified Foods Essay Genetically modified foods: Beneficial views Adverse views a. What is the possible risk for genetically modified crops considering nutrition and health? b. Whether the economic effects are the most important? c. Will it bring severe environment problems? III. Arguments for beneficial effects of GM foods a. Firstly, transgenic technology has made considerable progress in food applications. b. Transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety. c. GM foods significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Introduction The author, Magana-Gomez, critically analyzed the risk assessment methods of transgenic food for human nutrition and health in the paper, â€Å"Risk assessment of genetically modified crops for nutrition and health†. Magana reviewed various modes including different feeding period, animal modes and parameters in the paper published in 2011 by Nutrition Reviews (Magana G, 2009). In consistent with his studies, negative effects of GM food were identified â€Å"at molecular and microscopic levels†. However, with our entry into the 21st century, genetically modified foods have undergone even faster development. However, there are also many doubts about the safety of genetically modified foods. Therefore, genetically modified foods have become a hot topic issue. Personally, although there are many controversies about GM food, I still insist on the research and promotion of transgenic food due to its diverse benefits. Views According to Curieux-Belfond CL, he could identify the factors that deserve consideration before â€Å"commercialization and promotion of transgenic food† (182). In this paper, â€Å"Factors to condider before production and commercialization of aquatic genetically modified organisms: the case of transgenic salmon†, the author took transgenic salmon as an example, in which Curieux-Belfond examined the corresponding impacts in terms of aquaculture, wildlife, ecosystem and human health. The paper published in 2011 by Evironmental Science Policy suggested that GM food undoubtedly contributed to economic benefits without exerting too much extra burden (Curieux B, 2009). In the end, the author believed that the benefits of genetically modified foods far outweigh the disadvantages. Analysis of the benefits of genetically modified foods Magana’s argument is persuasive when he assessed the risks about GM food. However, since genetic engineering techniques have successfully transferred anti-viral, insect resistance, cold resistance and other genes to cotton, wheat, tomatoes and other plants, we can get stable new varieties of genetically modified, with low production cost and high-yield food, which will ease the world food shortage and reduce the use of pesticides to a large extent. Based on the above reasons, I will provide a critical analysis with the following specific examples which show his argument is partially wrong. Firstly, transgenic technology has also made considerable progress in animal food applications. At present, a variety of mammal and bird genes are successfully integrated into the genome of fish, which can significantly enhance transgenic fish muscle protein content and improve growth speed. With the development of genetic engineering technology, people have been freed from natural enzymes to a large extent. Especially when the enzyme obtained from natural protein material encounters difficulties, genetic engineering has the unique advantages of natural gene cloning (Seralini GE, 2011). Thus, it can be highly expressed in microorganisms with mass production by fermentation. At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content. Secondly, transgenic food has successfully lowered food prices and ensured food safety, which helps increase production and food supply while reducing the farm labor and pesticide applications, agricultural inputs and production costs (Weasel LH, 2009). In the future, GM crops have great potential in solving the food crisis. For instance, by applying transgenic technology to the human staple foods of rice and wheat, people can increase food production and improve nutritional quality, which will provide mankind with higher-quality food. Furthermore, GM foods have also proved effective in alleviating poverty and hunger. The world’s poorest 50% of the population are small and resource-poor farmers, while 20% living in rural areas without their own land actually depend on agriculture. Therefore, the increase in small-scale and resource-poor farmers’ income will directly assist 70% of the world’s poorest people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). So far, genetically modified cotton in India, China and South Africa have already made a significant contribution to more than 1. 2 million poor farmers’ income. The benefits of genetically modified corn in the Philippines and South Africa will be much clearer in the future. In addition, genetically modified rice has great potential to benefit 250 million poor families in Asia, whose benefits will reach 10 million people (Curieux-Belfond O, 2009). Transgenic food also helps to reduce land development. Transgenic technology has been developed to improve the current 1. billion hectares of arable land productivity through conservation of biological resources, thereby reducing land development and deforestation. Thirdly, I will demonstrate such improvement since they significantly reduce the environmental impact of agriculture. Traditional agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, and transgenic biotechnology can help reduce this impact. In the first decade of appli cation of genetically modified crops, by planting herbicide and insect-resistant characteristics, transgenic technologies have greatly reduced the use of pesticides, saved fossil fuels and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Undoubtedly, genetically modified crops with drought-tolerant genes will improve water-use efficiency and maintain sustainable agricultural development, which will play an important role in easing the crisis of population growth and global food shortage (Artemis D, 2009). GM crops have also contributed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in two main ways, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping slow climate change. First, by reducing fuel use, the spraying of insecticides and herbicides, GM crops continue to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In 2007, genetic engineering has been stated to reduce 1. billion kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to a decrease of 50 million cars from the road. Secondly, herbicide-resistant GM crops help reduce tillage applications, which protects the land and enhances soil carbon sequestration. Conclusions Despite the many advantages of GM food, we cannot ignore the risks. After genetically modified foods have been taken into th e human body, they may cause harm to human health. Moreover, after a large number of transgenic crops come into nature, they may be biologically harmful to ecosystems. Since the risks of GM food is serous, it is important for us to reflect on it first. Any of the scientific and technological developments should be comprehensive and provide well-being for human life. If genetically modified foods can only increase our economic interests and improved material life without the moral, social and environmental harmony, they cannot be defined as making great contribution to social development. Therefore, whether GM food is a benefit or a disadvantage really depends on what kind of human values people hold (Qaim M. 2009). That is the question we reflect on deeply. In contemporary society, with the rapid development of science and technology, the economic situation of the human and the material standard of living has been soaring. It seems that mankind is taking great proud for the advanced technology. However, we should look back to what the living environment we rely on is subjected to. Therefore, genetically modified foods are seen as the savior of mankind, which is actually human self-centered ideology. Of course, with the continuous development of biotechnology and genetic engineering, human beings have the ability to create more genetically modified food.