Research Outline

Submitted by : Group 5 Topic: Mussel Shells, Crab carapace and PVC as an alternate aggregate and filler in concrete making Research Outline I. Problem and its background (chapter 1) A. Introduction 1. Concrete Fillers and Aggregates a. Composition of Aggregates b. Different Kinds of Filler 2. Mussel shells, Crab carapace and PVC as alternative aggregates and fillers a. Similarities of Mussel shells, Crab carapace and PVC’s to other aggregates and fillers b. Advantages and disadvantages of using Mussel shells, Crab carapace and PVC’s as aggregates and fillers for concretes B.Rationale of the study C. Significance of the study D. Hypothesis II. Review of Related Literature (chapter 2) A. Nature of the Subject (background) 1. Crustaceans a. Cancer Pagurus b. Scylla serrate 2. Mollusks a. Perna viridis more commonly known as the Asian Green Mussels b. Perna canalicula more commonly known as the Green Lipped Mussels B. Related Studies 1. Characterization of Calcium Carbonate Obtained from Oyster and Mussel Shells and Incorporation in Polypropylene a. alcium carbonate in mussel and oyster shells used in the formulation of medicine, in construction or as filler in polymer materials b. calcium carbonate from mussel and oyster shells and used as filler in polypropylene compared their properties with polypropylene and commercial calcium carbonate composites. C. Info Sources III. Methodology A. Experimental Design Used 1. Brittleness of shells induced by heating in microwave a. One hour of treatment b. 18 Shells B. 6 samples for Mussel shells, Crab Carapace and PVC C. MaterialsD. Procedure Submitted by : Group 5 Submitted To: Mrs. Bernardino Score: Proposal Sections of Research Methodology I. Overview of research design A. Mussel shells, Crab Carapace and PVC abundance B. aggregates and fillers in concrete 1. Components of aggregates and fillers 2. Similar qualities of components C. Procedures in making Concrete Aggregates and Fillers D. Application of Muss el shells, Crab Carapace and PVC’s into Aggregates and Fillers. II.Questions/ queries about the topic A. Are Mussel shells, Crab Carapace and PVC strong enough to hold as fillers and aggregates? B. What kind of Mussel shells, Crab Carapace and PVC will be best in making fillers and aggregates? C. Will the Aggregates made out of Mussel shells, Crab Carapace and PVC be able to withstand strong force? III. Boundary Setting Procedures A. Shells, Carapaces, and PVC’s 1. Shells, carapaces and PVC’s to be used will be limited to the â€Å"left-over† components of each after the edible parts are consumed. . Shells, carapaces and PVC’s to be used will not exceed six per subject IV. Action Processes V. Subjects A. Crustaceans 1. Cancer Pagurus 2. Scylla serrate B. Mollusks 1. Perna viridis more commonly known as the Asian Green Mussels 2. Perna canalicula more commonly known as the Green Lipped Mussels VI. Study rigor validity, reliability/ trustworthiness, authenticity VII. Assumptions and study limitations A. Crabs, Mussels and PVCs 1. Value for each subject 2. Accessibility to the types of subject VIII. Timetable

Hero and Beowulf

Epic heroes possess many traits that other characters lack. Among these are physical strength, bravery, and wisdom. These attributes aid the heroes with their journeys throughout the epic. Beowulf exemplifies each of these traits somewhere is the story. They aid him in his battles with monsters and allow him to be a leader to his people. These traits cause Beowulf to stand out among his peers and endear him to the reader. Beowulf is definitely a perfect example of an epic hero. Beowulf's physical strength, bravery, and wisdom characterize him as an epic hero.Beowulf's physical strength is revealed to the reader through his amazing feats and his unbelievable battles with mystical creatures. In lines 91 and 92 it states that Beowulf was the strongest man in the world. These words come from the Geats who are barbaric people to begin with. The fact that they speak so highly of Beowulf's strength is a testament to its truthfulness. After Beowulf arrives in Denmark he quickly travels to He rot to prepare for his battle with Grendel. In the lines following 307 it is stated that Grendel was instantly seized by Beowulf upon trying to clutch him.This is a feat that no man was able to accomplish before Beowulf's arrival. Beowulf's strength is also shown in his battle with Grendel's mother. In lines 465 and 466 it states that Beowulf was able to throw the she-witch to the ground. This only reemphasizes Beowulf's great physical strength. Finally, Beowulf's strength is shown in his battle with the dragon. Beowulf's battle with the dragon occurs when he is an old man. The fact that Beowulf is still able to defeat the dragon shows the reader the extent of his great strength.Beowulf's great physical strength is one of the characteristics that make him an epic hero. The second characteristic that Beowulf embodies is bravery. In the beginning of the story it is made obvious to the reader that Beowulf has led a glorious youth. He preformed feats that no other man would dare try. As soon as word of Grendel reaches the shores of Geatland, Beowulf makes it his personal mission to defeat the monster. During the battle with Grendel on lines 295 and 296, Beowulf lies patiently on the floor and waits for Grendel to seize him.He also chooses not to use weapons to fight the monster. When pursuing Grendel's mother on lines 307 and 308, Beowulf jumps into the lake without a second thought. As he sinks to the bottom the thoughts crossing his mind are of the battle to come and the glory he will gain. During the battle with the dragon Beowulf continues fighting alongside Wiglaf even after all others abandon them. One of the main sources of Beowulf's bravery is his belief that â€Å"God† is in control. Beowulf believes that he has no control over his own death.With this knowledge Beowulf can storm into battle with no hesitations. Beowulf's bravery is the second characteristic that makes him an epic hero. The final characteristic that sets Beowulf apart as an epic her o is his wisdom. From the beginning of the story Beowulf is painted as a wise individual. On the long journey from Geatland to Denmark Beowulf serves as the boat captain. He is the figurehead of his fellow Geats and is shown as the leader. During his battle with Grendel, Beowulf displays superior fighting ability and combat strategy.By pretending to be asleep, Beowulf surprises Grendel and gains the upper hand in the fight. When Beowulf is dragged into the she-witches lair he quickly realizes that his weapons have no effect. Beowulf sees the giant's sword hanging on the wall and draws it. Using the sword he severs the head of Grendel's mother and wins the battle. When Beowulf was faced with an unusual condition, he used his wisdom to guide him through the battle. Eventually Beowulf became the ruler of Geatland. His years of fighting had given him the wisdom to effectively lead his people.There he would rule until his return to Denmark and his final battle with the dragon. Beowulf's strength is the third quality that defines him as an epic hero. Beowulf is one of the most popular examples of an epic hero. His physical strength, bravery, and wisdom set him apart from all other warriors. Beowulf was able to defeat enemies that no other man would challenge. Even though Beowulf was eventually slain in battle, he died never knowing defeat. This is an accomplishment that few heroes make. Beowulf represents one of the most notable epic heroes in history.

Collective Security Essay

Collective security has been both supported and criticised as a method of preventing the outbreak of war. It’s an idea that has been around for centuries but it wasn’t until post World War I when it was truly utilized. Throughout my paper I will discuss in further detail what is meant by collective security and how the theory of collective security has been implemented. I will discuss the criticisms of collective security and what conditions help it succeed. I will go into additional detail upon the prospects of collective security with modern challenges such as terrorism, civil wars, and secessionist revolts. What is Collective Security? Collective security originated from former President of the United States of America Woodrow Wilson (Krause, 2004), and is defined as â€Å"a security regime agreed to by the great power that set rules for keeping peace, guided by the principle that an act of aggression by any state will be met by a collective response from the rest† (Kegley, 2010). In other words, a security system is created in which each state within the system develops a security agreement to collectively respond to attacks or threats to their peace. The theory of collective security is intended to protect the security and maintain peace through an organization of sovereign states by entering an agreement that will prohibit them from attacking one another. When joining the â€Å"alliance†, states agree to, and must rise in defence if one of their member states is attacked. With this theory, it is believed that it will serve better to have a multilateral agreement rather than a large, confusing set of bilateral treaties. According to Inis Claude (1956): â€Å"The twentieth-century hope that international organizations might serve to prevent war, or, failing that, to defend states subjected to armed attack in defiance of organized efforts to maintain the peace, has been epitomized in the concept of collective security. . . . Collective security can be described as resting upon the proposition that war can be prevented by the deterrent effect of overwhelming power upon states which are too rational to invite certain defeat.† (Boyd, 2007) Using the Theory of Collective Security The first recognizable form of collective security began with the formation of the League of Nations established at the Paris Peace Conference right after World War I in 1919 (Veatch, 2011). The League of Nations (LON) was built on the single goal to bring world peace and to insure that war never broke out again. After the chaos from the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations was looked at by many to bring stability to the world. Sixty-three states eventually became members of the League of Nations, including Canada, but excluding the United States of America and Germany. The League of Nations had various successes and settled many disputes. Some of their successes have been: the dispute of the Aaland Island in 1921, and whether or not it belonged to Finland or Sweden, the Upper Silesia riot in 1921, and whether or not it was part of Germany or Poland, the conflict of Memel port in 1923, and it belonging to Lithuania, the rescue of Turkey in 1923, and the Greek invasion over Bulgaria in 1925 (Trueman, 2010). Along with its successes came many failures. A prime example of the League of Nations’ failure with collective security is that of the Manchurian Crisis. When Japan occupied part of China, – which was a member of the League of Nations – they were ordered to withdraw from the invasion and failure to do to would have resorted to penalties. Japan responded by simply withdrawing the League of Nations two years later. Many limitations were associated with the League of Nations such that any state could withdraw from the agreement (in which many did), and that they couldn’t control the great powers (howstuffworks, 2008). Eventually, the League of Nations came to an end during the outbreak of World War II when it failed to prevent the war. After the war, the League of Nations was replaced by the United Nations (UN) where it inherited a number of organizations and agencies from the League of Nations. Currently, the United Nations has 192 member states and is a prime example of collective security. Their main focus is to facilitate cooperation in internal law, human rights, economic development, international security, social progress, and achieve world peace with collective security throughout its 192 member states (Stromberg, 2002). Another form of collective security is the Collective Security Treaty Organization (SCTO) as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). While collective security regimes are to overwhelm power onto aggressors, there are also regional collective defence regimes which are set in place to prevent threats to the peace of the region. Collective defence regimes are â€Å"collective security agreements by members of a geographical region to join together to prevent armed aggression by an expansionist state† (Kegley, 2010). Collective defence organizations include: The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the ANZUS pact (Australia, New Zealand, and the United States), and the most commonly known North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Criticisms of Collective Security Collective security is an â€Å"all-for-one-and-one-for-all† idea that has been around for a long time, but when in use, it proved to be somewhat problematic (Miller, 1999). The theory of collective security has been criticized by its limitations and eventual downfalls. As seen with the League of Nations, while it did bring some good and was able to settle disputes between small countries, it didn’t last very long, nor did it accomplish its primary focus, which was to prevent war. The most popular criticism of collective security is that it’s often viewed as being naive. With collective security, members tend to only act upon defending another member’s state if it is in their own best interest. Before making a decision to take action, states usually consider the expense and potential risk involve with aiding another member within the security regime. In addition, with the collective security agreement set in place, it focuses primarily on military action right from the start and ignores any attempt to seek more peaceful solutions first, such as diplomatic and economic sanctions (Cartmell, 2010). Another criticism of collective security is that many of the member states will join the system and not pay for its costs. Arguably, the smaller member states tend to free ride on the system rather than add any contribution to it. It’s because of this free-riding that an organization is likely to under-produce to its cause. In contrast, with organizations based on collective security (like the United Nations), it is difficult to acquire the great power states, such as America and Russia. Conditions Which Helps Collective Security Succeed Even with the many criticisms of collective security, there are still instances for when it can succeed. Take the United Nations for example. The United Nations demonstrates collective security through its 192 member states and has been active since 1945. It actively participates in improving the development and security of states to help achieve world peace In order for collective security to demonstrate its ability to be an effective and successful tool, there are several conditions in which needs to be met to flawlessly prove it optimal efficacy. Firstly, all threats to peace must be a common concern to everyone (Kegley, 2010). That is, if aggression on a state is ignored, then it will eventually extend onto other countries and be more difficult to stop. Therefore, an attack on any one state within the organization must be treated as an attack on all states. Secondly, every member of the global system should join the collective security organization (Kegley, 2010). Instead of developing alliances against rival states, every state should join to a single united alliance. With this single alliance including each and every state, it is assumed that it would be strong enough to withhold world peace and put an end to war and terrorism in the world. Thirdly, members of the organization should pledge to settle their disputes through pacific means (Kegley, 2010). Collective security requires that all members are willing to peacefully change any disputes they may have before it turns violent. Furthermore, other means of decision makers for disagreements include a judicial organ authorized to settle controversial disagreement within the organization. Finally, if a breach of peace occurs, the organization should apply timely robust sanctions to punish the aggressor (Kegley, 2010). Members must be willing and able to assist any state that is being attacked, whether it is by public condemnation, economic boycott, or military retaliation. Prospects for Collective Security against Modern Challenges Despite the criticisms of collective security, and its past failures and successes, it still holds prospects against modern challenges such as, terrorism, civil wars, and secessionist revolts. In the case of terrorism, it is the responsibility of the collective security organization such as the United Nations, not individual member states to determine the â€Å"rules of the game† for consistent and efficient multilateral action against terrorism (Koechler, 2002). After September 11th or 9/11, the United States in particular, began focusing more on terrorism and increasing its country’s security against and threats or terrorist entering the country. If the United States were in alliance with the United Nations through collective security, then the probability of the attacks would have been greatly lowered. Alongside terrorism is another type of modern challenge known as civil wars, where a war breaks out between organized groups in a single state. If collective security were emplaced under the United Nations, and applied through every state, then again the probability of wars diminishes. Even with the lack of the great power within the United Nations organization, there is still a prospect for collective security in preventing most civil wars. The existence of secessionist revolts wouldn’t be an issue if collective security was successfully imposed among every state. Secession or separative revolts are â€Å"a religious or ethnic minority’s efforts, often by violent means, to gain independent statehood by separating territory from an established sovereign state† (Kegley, 2010). They attempt to overthrow the authority of the state by withdrawing from an organization or political entity. The way collective security can come into effect is that if the secessionist revolts have no other state to turn to because the majority of states are within the collective security organization (such as the United Nations), then they don’t withstand a chance against every nation within the organization. The revolts will easily be overruled and forced not to quit the organization if a successful collective security agreement was in effect. Conclusion Through reviewing collective security and the many implication of its theory throughout history, we can see it has the potential to be an essential tool for world peace. That being said, there are conditions that must be met for that to come in effect. Unfortunately, for it to work flawlessly it becomes too good to be true and that’s where collective security gains its reputation for its many criticisms. There are prospects for collective security against modern challenges and it stands somewhat of a chance to reduce wars and reach world peace. Every state must adapt this theory and collectively unit as a single alliance. Those states that are unprepared to form an alliance with each and every state must face the brutal fact that there will always be rivalry between nations and its people, and must understand that it will continue to lead to wars and alike. We must all put the theory of collective security to the test and strive for unification and world peace.

Business Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Strategies - Essay Example This essay discusses ways to develop and execute different Business Strategies. In the process of developing a Business Strategy the firm uses its competencies to gain, sustain and enhance its strategic or competitive advantage. The source of competitive advantage for any business operating in an industry arises from the skillful use of its core competences. A combination of organizational behavior and resources ultimately leads to the development of capabilities that a firm used to build competencies. These competencies are used to gain a competitive advantage against rivals in an industry. Competitive advantage results in above average returns to the company. Businesses need a set of strategies to secure competitive advantage. The concept of strategies is not consensual in nature and has significantly evolved during the past decades, influencing the development of business strategy theories. In literature, it is usually considered that one can distinguish four main theoretical appr oaches to business strategies. These business strategy theories can be grouped into four main approaches: 1. Classical; 2. Evolutionary; 3. Processualist; and 4. Systemic. All these approaches are covered in this essay as well as concepts developed by the main thinkers associated with these four main approaches: Chandler, Ansoff, Porter, Cyert & March, Mintzberg, Pettigrew, Hannan & Freeman, Williamsons, Granovetter, Whitley. This essay also states that the nature of the power balance within organizations is an important consideration when discussing strategy development. ... According to Mintzberg (1998), strategy emerges from a pragmatic process of learning and adaptation. |in fact, the focus of this approach is the enterprises internal resources and their capacity to generate the firms' competitive advantage. This implies that strategy is all about long term construction and consolidation of distinctive internal competences. In the same way evolutionary strategies theories during 1980's state that environment is normally unpredictable to anticipate effectively and hence future oriented planning becomes unrealistic. It is the market which makes the important choice not the managers as established by the classical approach. For long term survival basically depends on best strategy which concentrates on maximizing chances of survival. The only real comparative advantage is relative efficiency; hence managers must concentrate on cost leadership. In 1990's the systemic approach emerges, taking the relativist position and considering that the objectives and practices of strategy depends on the cultures and powers of the respective local systems. Strategies may pursue objectives other than profit maximization if their social background frames other interests for them (e.g. personnel pride, managerial power, excellence). In this view, the parameters that guide strategy drive not so much from human cognitive bounds as from the cultural rules of the local society. As a result companies from different systems have different strategies i.e. strategies vary according to socio-political-economic systems & geographical locations. Almost all the strategies basically focus on private organizations and on competitive markets and consider profit maximization as their ultimate aim of strategy

How Will Retail Look like in 2020 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

How Will Retail Look like in 2020 - Essay Example Consumer changes, preferences, and tastes are constantly changing giving the retail sector a new look. By 2020, the retail sector will have more connected consumers, increased trust and transparency, buying will be frictionless, a change in-store experience, and will be more challenging to retailers.Considering the ostensible fact that the 2020 consumers will be more tech-savvy than the present, they will be more connected through wearable technology. While laptops, tablets, and smartphones will undoubtedly have their place, digitally connected contact lenses, earpieces, and watches will imply that the consumers will be permanently connected. Consequently, customers will straightforwardly blunderbuss online marketing thus living in a world where their buying decisions will be influenced by personalized recommendations. The unwarranted staff costs attributable to property leasing and gratuitously lengthy trading hours will be eliminated as wholesalers and manufacturers will have recog nized how lucrative and simple it is to make undeviating online sales. Apparently, this will bring consumers close to the manufacturers thus jettisoning the middlemen who often hike the prices of retail goods.Additionally, buyers will buy by a single command without having to click severally. Chatting with retailers, choosing products, trying samples, and getting endorsements will be fast and proficient. This will also be bolstered by the mixture of frictionless imbursement systems and virtual currencies such as the Bitcoin Mark 5 that will be in circulation. More contactless technologies will be in existence particularly considering the speed at which the US and UK consumers are embracing the technologies. A good example is the NFC (Near Field Communications) technology which is presently making it a realistic to pay for a myriad of products ranging from bus tickets to chocolate with merely a tap of the credit card. The PayPal and Visa.me services will be extremely advanced. The 20 20 customers will simply use their mobile phones to make and implement pay arrangements (Kare-Silver 72). Similarly, retailers will concentrate more on the use of social forums such as Twitter and Facebook plummeting street shopping. The number of retailers running ‘real’ shops will, thus, be enormously abridged. However, as the intrinsic need to touch and feel will still be high, consumers will still visit stores maintaining the resilient social component connected with shopping as asserted by Meng (N.p).

In Bacon's rebellion, why was it said to be only a rebellion, not a Essay

In Bacon's rebellion, why was it said to be only a rebellion, not a revulation - Essay Example Bacon thought the Indians, all Indians, were the enemy. After warring Indians made raids on the white population, Bacon wanted to eradicate them. The common men liked this sentiment, so started following Bacon. Fear and racism led to Bacons successful recruitment of his followers. Bacon did not have a revolutionary statement. His rallying cry to the men was kill the Indians, not overthrow the government. Since, the government wanted to capture and execute the warring Indians, Bacons ideas were not revolutionary. Bacon rebelled because the government would not give him permission to kill the Indians. Even the permission that Bacon did receive was forced by Bacons men. The King never gave Bacon permissio to lead this band of men. If Bacon would have stuck to fighting Indians, his actions might not have even been considered a rebellion. However, his men started plundering richer citizens that sided with Berkeley. Racism against the Indians motivated Bacon, but so did greed. He plundered not only from the Indians, enslaving them, but Berkeleys friends and the richer class. When Bacon died of the bloody flux, his followers quickly disbanded. Other than a few followers, when Berkeley came back the men switched allegiance to him. The Bacon followers who did not vow allegiance to Berkeley were executed. No real change was made in the government by Bacons influence. Bacons original message about eradicating Indians was the intent of the Berkeley led government all along. Thus Bacon did not even influence this aspect of governmental policy. Berkeley had made up his mind that all Indians were bad. Bacon did not give Berkeley a chance to implement this idea, until after Bacons own death. Both men shared their hatred of the Indians. If Berkeley would have focused on taxes, corruption, or lack of protection from the Indians, a revolution could have occured. Real change could

Measuring Customer Satisfaction Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Measuring Customer Satisfaction - Term Paper Example Measuring Customer Satisfaction There are many possible dimensions that a company could take to measure customer satisfaction. These may include measuring; quality of service, swiftness of service, pricing, grievances or problems in the delivery of a service, trust in the company staff, the accessibility and the relationship between customers and the company, a description of other services needed, and the company’s positioning on the consumers’ minds. Very often, key long lasting adjustments which incorporate the customer preferences require an overhaul within the organization. Measures aimed at training of the employees, and ensuring cultural change, have been attributed to best customer satisfaction levels. The basic business goals should prevail, however. These include; making sure that the outcome of customer satisfaction does not eat into much of the company profits or cause more customer churn. Additionally, increased market shares, stronger brands and brand name, and satisfied staff are other important organizational aspects, which should not be sacrificed. Nonetheless, a company must be ready to pay a price for guaranteeing customers of satisfaction. Costs will soar. More time will also be spent on preparing an action plan. According to Brady, Voorhees, and Brusco (2012), employee training may be needed to enhance the customer service. It is notable, therefore, that the repercussions of measuring customer satisfaction may be quite involving and the successes of such initiatives depend on the positive input of the senior executive teams. Contact with customers The easiest way to establish how customers receive goods and services and what they expect of the company is to talk with them (Zamil, & Shammot, 2011). Addressing each customer individually, regardless of the number is one of the best ways to achieve customer satisfaction. This approach is beneficial because an organization will get an individual response from each customer. The use of this method results in the collection of different information based on the dimension of the qu estion or the customer understanding. The use of customer surveys involving standardized questionnaires ensures that a company will gather uniform and necessary information from the customers. The use of a questionnaire will

RESPIRATORY CARE TO PREVENT COMPLICATIONS AFTER THORCOTOMY Essay

RESPIRATORY CARE TO PREVENT COMPLICATIONS AFTER THORCOTOMY - Essay Example Up to 65% of patients may have an atelectasis, and 3% may develop pneumonia (Pasquina et al 2003). They are the result of progressive changes in the respiratory status of the patient and play a significant role in postoperative morbidity and mortality (Leo et al 2006). They also prolong hospital stay and increase healthcare costs (Pasquina et al 2003). Thoracotomy is performed for various surgeries like resection of pulmonary and esophageal tumors, operations on the lung like pneumonectomy, lobectomy, segmental resection, wedge resection and lung-volume reduction surgery, operations on the pleura like pleurectomy and decortication, operations on the esophagus and on the heart (Porter 2003). The pulmonary complications are usually delayed, occurring 48–72 hours after thoracotomy (Leo et al 2006). The commonly seen complications are adult respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, atelectasis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary edema, asthma and respiratory failure (Leo et al 2006). Since pulmonary complications increase the morbidity and mortality of patients following surgery, many studies have been done to look into means of preventing these complications. Leo et al (2006) evaluated the benefits of identifying these complications early in the course of post-operative care after thoracotomy, so that appropriate interventions can be delivered to prevent and manage these complications. They used a multifactorial score called FLAM score to identify postoperative patients at higher risk for pulmonary complications at least 24 hours before the clinical diagnosis. The FLAM score was based on 7 parameters, namely, dyspnea, chest X-ray, delivered oxygen, auscultation, cough, quality and quantity of bronchial secretions. The researchers concluded that changes in FLAM score could be detected atleast 24 hours before the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary complications, giving as opportunity for the clinicians to take action much before overt symptoms. Algar et al

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Study - Essay Example The company reviewed it’s its operations in the 2006 when SABMiller had just completed a three-year turnaround plan, establishing a platform for future growth. From that report it can be noted that in North America the company had made progress as it had continued to grow while giving better prices to the customers than its competitors in that market. SABMiller had heavily invested in that market which enabled it succeeds in price cutting without passing on the costs. It had a three year investment strategy which has enabled to remain strong despite tough conditions. From the foregoing, it can be deduced that SABMiller’s strategy in the North American market is heavy investment which in turn enables it lower prices hence driving out competitors (Hal, 2002). In relation to Europe SAB’s strategy was to increase its share and to expand its capacity. This was to be achieved through introduction of new brands and new packaging methods. This strategy has enabled it to increase its share, volume and expand its capacity in various European markets. SAB’s strategy in most of the countries has been to acquire an initial local stronghold firm to enable it advance into other markets which it had not penetrated before. It has achieved this by acquiring other brewing businesses in most cases to focus on brand portfolio which gives it a better market position, increases sales and to enjoy economies of scale in production and distribution. It seems that SABMiller has shifted its focus to developing countries having already established a substantial presence in the developed countries. It realised that its ability to succeed in developing countries has proved to be of advantage. This was noted in the company’s report of 2006. This strategy has to an increase in consumption of soft drinks by consumers in South Africa which in turn has led to increased sales ( Donald , 2008). To meet the demands of changing consumption patterns, SAB has introduc ed new sales and distribution systems and enhanced the flexibility of its production facilities. It has licensed more agents has brought more outlets into the mainstream. This means they can now operate more professionally and it can deliver to them direct - which in turn raises the performance of the business. The stakeholders expect that SAB’s businesses in Africa will continue to grow being helped by broader distribution and a clearer segmentation of SAB’s brands. The stakeholders also see plenty of opportunity to keep improving efficiency in these relatively underdeveloped countries and see the outlook for Africa as a whole to be encouraging. Possible strategic options open to SAB First of all, SAB can penetrate the market with its current products. This can be through heavy advertising or using any other strategy enable existing and potential customers get knowledge of its existing products. With this option, SAB needs to come up with a strategy to enable it incre ase sales to its current customers by convincing them without change of its original products. SAB can also gain competitors customers by improving the quality of its beer compared to that of its competitors. Since it is cheaper to retain current customers than acquire new ones, hence in this option SAB needs to improve its relationship with its current custo

How a project different from operations work Essay Example for Free

How a project different from operations work Essay A project is very different from an operation work. In fact, projects and operations comprise the only two aspects of work existing in any organization. Of course, depending on the size and the needs of the organization, projects may or may not be part of existing programs or portfolios- both of them can be broken into several projects (PMI, 2013). Projects and operations are different in various ways. Here I list some of them in contrast: initiation, duration, operation process and budget. 1. Initiation. Projects are initiated by organizations for a variety of reasons, such as to meet a business need, attain a strategic objective or meet a market demand. Projects are created under specific needs. While operations work are to make sure the organization run smoothly, effectively, and professionally. Operations consist of all the activities that contribute directly to an organizations main areas of work (Wetfeet, 2012). Consider a clothing manufactory, which manufactures and sells clothing in its own stores. Operations would include everything from the manufacturing of clothing, to the shipment of that clothing to its retail stores, to the systems the company uses to track clothing thats sold at regular prices, at sale prices, returned by the customer, and so on. It would also include the fulfillment of orders placed on the companys website, and the customer service staff that helps customers with problems, complaints, or other issues. However, if the company has decided to produce a series of special clothing for this year’s Christmas, which will be sold only during the Christmas season, this initiative has become a project. 2. Duration. Projects are temporary in nature with a definite start and end. A project will end when it reaches its goal, or is terminated for various reasons (eg. the organization has changed the goal of the project, or the goal is not achievable†¦etc.), while operations start and end with the establishment and the closing of the company. It is also notable that a project can last for years or months and the effect and impact can last even longer far beyond the end of the project. 3. Operation process. Each project is aimed to create a unique outcome- a product, service or result. The operation process might be very different from one project to another, and the expertise involved can also be very distinctive. For instance, the operation process of a construction project is very different from an agriculture project, and the specific knowledge required will also be different.

Green Telecommunications Reducing Opex And Capex Engineering Essay

Green Telecommunications Reducing Opex And Capex Engineering Essay In the last 10 years, mobile and wireless communications have seen tremendous growth. The growth in the networks along with fierce competition has led the telecom operators to focus on logistics, security and costs. Since each operator competes to provide the customer the best service possible at minimum price, reducing operating costs is of prime importance. In addition, environment has also become a major issue worldwide affecting most of the telecom operators. Legislative pressures and the potential for Carbon trading revenues are causing the Mobile Telecommunications Industry to become mindful of its impact on carbon emissions. Green considerations are coming into prominence in network design. This paper discusses various eco-friendly solutions in network design to reduce CO2 emissions leading to reduction in Operating Expense (OPEX) and Capital Expense (CAPEX). Introduction Telecommunication Industry has helped the world in a big way to reduce carbon emissions by reducing unnecessary business travel, improving efficiency of freight transport and other logistics. The carbon footprint of a mobile phone call or video conferencing is thousand times smaller than the environmental impact of travel required for personal meeting. However, running these telecommunication systems also creates a load on the environment contributing to about 0.5% of global carbon emissions. Though, this is much less as compared to the other industries, it has brought in a lot of criticism from various environmental agencies and green campaigners. In addition, powering these systems makes up half of a telecom operators operating costs and with energy prices rising, these expenses are hurting the profits of the operators. The only solution for the Telecom Operators to jump out of this situation is to adopt Green Technology in the networks. This will not only reduce the OPEX and CAPEX of operators substantially but also lead to energy-efficient and self-sustainable telecommunications systems. Energy Concerns for Telecom Operators Today, around 50% of the operating costs of a network company goes into electricity. With electricity prices rising, it is eating a lot into the revenues earned by these network companies. The various network elements that contribute to these costs are the Radio Base Stations, the equipments used in the network and the mesh of connecting cables required to interconnect Fixed-Line operations. Out of these, Radio Base Stations account for two-thirds of the power costs with the equipments being the second largest contributor. Along with increasing costs due to excessive power consumption, network operators also contribute significantly to the carbon emissions. In order to overcome these issues, the operators must look at developing sustainable network solutions. The following steps such as developing energy-efficient products and features, creating energy-efficient site solutions, designing energy optimized networks and harnessing alternative sources of energy can help pave the way for telecommunication operators towards sustainable growth. Developing energy-efficient products and features Many network equipment providers these days have developed or are in the process of developing products that are eco-friendly. Apart from this, many new features are also being developed so as to minimize energy consumption during operations. Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and Motorola are some of the significant contributors to this new generation of energy-efficient products. Ericsson has developed an innovative design for housing Radio Base Stations called the Ericsson Tower Tube. The Tower is made from concrete which has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, consuming up to 40 percent less power from a life cycle perspective. This is due to the fact that concrete results in less energy consumption and CO2 emission than steel during production and transport. However, the most important part is that during operation, feeder losses are substantially reduced, and no active cooling is needed. Thus, adopting a solution like this, helps operators to not only reduce their construction and power costs but also reduce their capital expenditure as active cooling units are not required. Nokia Siemens Networks, on the other hand, has developed the award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station. The unique capability of such a Base Station is that it can support all the 3GPP technologies i.e. GSM/EDGE and WCDMA/HSPA to LTE in a single unit with all running simultaneously. This technique of running multiple radio technologies in a single Base Station leads to multiple advantages for operators such as reduced OPEX from fewer site visits, simplified logistics, reduced maintenance and a smaller requirement for trained staff. In addition, this concept can also reduce the carbon footprint of a single Base Station by 70% which corresponds to approximately 70 GWh of annual energy saving. Another important advantage is that it is only 20% of the size and weight of a conventional base station leading to reduction in the carbon footprint from transportation and installation. Due to reduced size, it is possible to install base stations in places previously considered impossible such as densely populated urban areas thus saving space, installation time and costs. Flexi, as it is called, has been designed so that it can function even without external air conditioning, thus reducing around 30% in site energy consumption. Its other prominent features like software-based capacity and capability upgrades further help in reduction of operating expenses as Flexi can be controlled via remote software whereas conventional base stations require site visits and sometimes hardware replacements. Furthermore, the Flexi Base Station can work on renewable energy such as solar or wind power. Like other Nokia Siemens Networks products, Flexi has been designed so as to facilitate ease of recycling at end of its life. This also helps solve the various end-of-life problems that many operators face. Apart from hardware products, new software technology can also help to improve energy efficiency of base stations. Ericsson provides the Base Transceiver Station Power Savings feature while Nokia Siemens has its NetActà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Service Quality Manager (SQM). Ericsson has introduced the new Base Transceiver Station Power Savings feature in many of its base stations across the world. Due to this feature, during low-traffic periods, the radio resources of the network that are unused are put into Stand-By mode, thus lowering energy consumption. Depending on the network traffic patterns, this feature can reduce 25% of energy consumption. The added advantage of this innovation is that it can be installed in any of Ericssons existing Base Stations by a mere software upgrade. Thus, if this feature is installed in all the existing Ericsson Base Stations, it can reduce carbon emissions by 1 million tons a year. The Nokia Siemens Networks NetActà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ Service Quality Manager (SQM) is used to provide better control of BTS power settings. The night time power saving feature allows an operator to set a time when traffic prioritization is enabled in the network. NetAct SQM will control the operation automatically according to pre-configured settings, such as Schedule and BSC/BTS list. By using such a feature, a network operator with around 10,000 base station sites can potentially save the average energy consumption of 1000 households per year. Translating this into monetary values would suggest an estimated à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬5,000,000 annual savings in OPEX, an estimate which naturally depends on the marketplace. Designing Energy Optimized Networks Another key aspect for network operators to look into is energy-efficient network design and planning. More often than not, operators tend to design networks with as many as Base Stations in order to provide maximum coverage and signal strength. However, by taking into consideration the challenge of providing almost the same amount of coverage with less number of base stations can help telecommunication operators achieve optimization in their networks. With optimized networks, the operating costs of operators can come down drastically as the number of base stations can be reduced by 30% 50%. Now, a sustainable network has its foundation in good design. At the core of any efficient and sustainable network is good design. Without doubt, the best way to achieve an optimized, energy-efficient network is to build it on good foundations, based on sound design principles. Even if a company achieves energy efficiency at the component level it does not mean that it can make up for an inefficiently designed network, in which the number of radio sites could potentially be double than what it needs to be to achieve the same coverage with the same quality. By hiring experienced network designers to become involved from the start of the design process, operators can typically reduce the number of radio sites needed overall by between 30 and 50 per cent. Energy-Efficient On-Site Solutions There are many areas on-site where energy efficiency can be achieved. By adopting certain ingenious and innovative solutions, a lot of unnecessary energy wastage can be avoided and thus costs can be reduced. One of the main causes of power consumption on-site is the air-conditioning required for cooling the telecom shelters that contain the radio equipments. These air-conditioning units consume anywhere between 1200W 2000W. However, with recent developments, the radio base stations can endure higher temperatures thus enabling new cooling techniques to be used. One solution is to have heat exchangers which can efficiently transfer heat from one medium to another. Thus the heat generated by using the Radio Base Stations can be captured by the heat exchangers and transferred to the water kept outside in a tank. This method of heat removal can help maintain temperatures 20oF to 15oF less than ambient. Also, it does not require any power source as heat is dissipated by means of natural convection. This method can be used in dry regions mainly in North-Western India. Another innovative solution that can be used in tropical regions is Phase Change Materials (PCM). These help in maintaining tem peratures in the shelters between 20oC to 35oC without use of any air conditioning system. Thus, implementing innovative solutions for cooling telecom shelters, a telecom operator not only reduces its OPEX (due to reduced energy costs) but also CAPEX by minimizing the amount spent on equipment needed for cooling. Another area where power can be conserved is by minimising the Feeder losses. This can be established by placing the Radio Base Stations closer to the antenna. Since feeder loss is minimised, it helps in improved network coverage and capacity. This, in turn, helps the operator to reduce the number of RBS in the region leading to network optimization. The Ericsson Tower Tube discussed above implements this solution in an efficient manner. The tower consists of an elevator. The base stations are installed at the bottom of the tower and then lifted by the elevator to top where they are operated. Thus by being close to the antenna the feeder loss decreases. Harnessing Alternative Sources of Energy With conventional energy prices rising, operating telecom networks is becoming very difficult for the operators. The rising operating costs are affecting the bottom lines of the network operators. Apart from this, there are various sites which are beyond the reach of electricity or have unreliable electricity provision. Thus, operators need to set up diesel powered base stations in these regions. However, regular maintenance and refuelling the diesel becomes a very costly affair. In order to overcome these issues, a single solution is available at hand i.e. harnessing alternative sources of energy to power the telecommunication systems. There are various renewable energy sources that can be used efficiently these days. This includes Solar, Wind, Biofuels, Fuel Cells etc. Solar As the cost of Solar technology continues to fall, it is becoming a very popular technology to be used as primary power source for various base stations. Though the initial capital expense (CAPEX) is higher for a solar-powered site, however, over a period of 5 years the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for such a site is 30% less than a conventionally powered site. Also the life span of a solar powered BS is higher than a usual BS, thus in the longer run the network operators can reap more benefit out of this solution. A key point in using Solar technology is also the fact that its maximum outputs align with the maximum load on the telecom networks. In other words, the peak of mobile phone calls overlaps with the peak of solar power and at night when the mobile phone usage tends to drop, the solar power switches to battery phase. Solar energy can be prominently used to its best effect by regions coming in the equatorial sun-belt. And this is where most of the emerging markets, like India and China are located. Thus network operators in these markets can readily adopt solar technology and reduce their OPEX by huge amounts. With the extensive competition in these markets, an operator adopting this technology can forget about the power related costs of the OPEX and focus on improving customer satisfaction. Major network solution providers like Motorola, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens have developed various techniques to provide solar technologies to various network operators. Ericsson has developed a special Radio Base Station (RBS) for solar power called SunSite. A typical RBS requires 142 W of power; 110W the RBS itself, 20W transmission equipment and 12W Obstruction lights. Thus, Ericsson developed a solar system that can provide this much amount of power. The first solar powered site delivered by Ericsson was in the year 2000. Since then it has delivered 200 SunSites in various countries. Now that Ericsson has also developed energy-efficient RBS, sites have become more energy-lean. As a result, the large solar panels are no more used. Instead small solar panels are effective enough to provide the required amount of power. This is reducing the costs for setting up SunSites and thereby reducing CAPEX for the operators. A very good example in case of Ericsson Sunsite was the set up for Telekom Indonesia which was a 100% solar powered site. The SunSite helped Telekom Indonesia reduce its energy consumption by 60% and also made the site almost maintenance free. This led to decrease in power costs, fuel costs and maintenance cost leading to reduction of 40% in the OPEX. Nokia Siemens has also developed its Renewable Energy Source (RES) Autonomous site solutions. It provides various options like Standalone Solar Sites, Solar-Wind hybrid sites and sites with a combination of Solar-Diesel Generator. Motorola has also recently developed its solar solutions under the name Horizon II DC Macro/Mini BTS. Wind Wind is a plentiful resource across all regions of the world with varying degrees of intensity albeit considerably stronger in coastal regions. The main drawback to wind energy is the reliability of the source which is the main reason we do not use wind as a standard power source. Coupled with solar energy and the reserves in battery bank storage, wind does continue to provide an abundant, free-to-use, easy to access and environmentally friendly means of supplying power for the Autonomous Sites. Wind turbines can be placed in different configurations at the site. An early site analysis will determine the ideal turbine configuration as well as the correct direction and height to maximize the energy output from the turbines. Moreover, many governments offer tax benefits and direct subsidies for wind and solar energy expenditures making wind an ideal solution in most situations. Wind power has very low operation expenditure. BioFuels Biofuels are liquid fuels that are derived from plant materials. These fuels are entering into the market, driven by factors such as fuel price rise, reducing carbon emissions and the need for increased energy security. Ericsson has pioneered the use of biofuels in telecoms. For instance, Ericsson, Idea Cellular and the GSM Association Development Fund have launched several base stations powered by locally produced biofuels to extend Ideas commercial mobile network in rural India. They are being deployed at greenfield sites that have not previously had access to a mobile network and are located in areas with unreliable power supply. The biodiesel for these base stations comes from used cooking oils from restaurants. Idea currently has 23 sites running on biodiesel in India, and hopes to expand this to 40 to 50 sites. In the long term, it is expected that locally produced jatropha oil will be used, as soon as this is available in sufficient quantities. The selected sources for biodiesel have low environmental impact and follow responsible environmental practices for the production of biodiesel. Fuel Cells Fuel cells are also being developed so as to efficiently use them as a source of energy for telecom networks. In recent years, a lot of improvement has been done in the Fuel Cell technology which has led to many benefits over generators such as fuel efficiency, climate resistance, reliable start-up, and compact size. They operate at very low noise levels. Due to this, there is no indication of a power source running on the site and hence reducing the likelihood of theft also. With development, fuel cells are being manufactured in great numbers due to which its cost have come down considerably as compared to engine driven fuel cells. Operation of a fuel cell is to convert any fuel, like Hydrogen into electricity without combustion. There are several types of fuel cells, of which the most useful telecommunications is the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC). The PEMFC operates at low temperatures and runs at 40-60% efficiency. Motorola, which is involved in fuel cell research for networks and mobile devices, is also exploring micro fuel cell technologies as a replacement for rechargeable batteries in mobile devices. In partnership with various companies, Motorola is developing technologies such as: Hybrid fuel cell technologies for radios A hydrogen generator as a miniature fuel-cell power source5 Improving PEM fuel cell performance, durability, and manufacturability using single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) Fuel cell technology is maturing and advancing rapidly. However, a disadvantage for fuel cells is that at higher loads, cooling is required. Thus a trade-off has to be made in reducing the OPEX due to low operating costs for using fuel cells and increasing CAPEX due to extra cooling units required. End-of-life Solutions Technology, today, is changing so rapidly that in a very short span time the network equipment becomes old and needs upgradation. In these situations, network operators often feel pressurized to dispose old equipment and set up the latest one. However, this can create a lot of strain on the OPEX and CAPEX and also have a negative impact on the environment. Thus, the network equipments providers these days provide solutions to cater to the end-of-life scenarios as well. Nokia Siemens provides Asset Recovery Service which is based on recycling of old equipment and refurbishment of existing network elements. There are two modules in the Asset Recovery Service. Recycling Service module looks into the proper waste disposal of old equipments in an environment friendly manner. The Refurbishment Service Module looks into the upgradation or extension of lifetime of existing network equipments. The benefits to the customers include: Reduced obsolescence cost Development of new technology is always good for the industry. However, the problem is the piling of obsolete equipment. Using Asset Recovery Service, the obsolete inventory can be converted into useful, re-usable equipment. Environmentally Responsible Approach Due to tight regulations regarding disposal, it creates a problem for the companies to get rid of old elements. Thus, this service helps customer to dispose in an environmentally sound manner. OPEX and CAPEX savings By reducing warehousing cost for obsolete inventory, OPEX can be saved. Also due to the Refurbishment Service, the need to spend on new equipments reduces, thus CAPEX can also be saved. Carbon Credits By reducing their carbon emissions, telecom operators can also exchange them for carbon credits. One carbon credit is equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. And one carbon credit is priced in the markets at around 22 Euros (price fluctuates according to market). This concept of carbon credits is very favourable for companies operating in the developing countries as according to Kyoto Protocol, there is no restriction on these companies to limit their emissions. However, all the developed countries (except US as it has not signed the Kyoto Protocol) have to restrict their emissions by 2012. They can achieve this by either implementing new technology to reduce their emissions or by helping companies in the developing countries to reduce their emissions and buying the carbon credits that are obtained. As there is a very huge scope for reduction of carbon emissions in the Telecommunications industry, all operators in developing countries can immensely benefit from carbon credits. Also, as the deadline year 2012 nears, it is expected that there will be a surge in the demand of these carbon credits and hence the price of one carbon credit will also increase. Thus, if the telecom operator companies act quickly to reduce their carbon emissions, they can accumulate carbon credits now and reap the benefits in the future. Hence, implementing Green solutions in their networks, will not only benefit the network operators to reduce their OPEX and CAPEX but also act as means to generate more revenue. Conclusion As the World moves towards Greener solutions, it has not only reduced the carbon emissions but has also helped to provide ample new opportunities for business. As we have seen in this paper, network operators have ample amount of opportunities to reduce their OPEX and CAPEX. By using energy efficient products and features, optimizing networks, smart innovative energy-saving solutions and powering Telecommunication systems with renewable sources of energy, the Telecommunication network operators can reduce their power consumption by 50% 70%. This can in turn lead to proportional reduction in the energy costs. As the energy costs make up for around 50% of the OPEX, the operators can drastically reduce their operating expenditure and improve the bottom line of their companies. This also gives operators a chance to venture into new markets, provide better services for their customer and also come up with innovative cost-effective schemes to retain their customers. Adopting green methods, also leads to reduction in the CAPEX as has been discussed in the above topics. Though, the initial investment in Eco-friendly solutions is higher, the reduction in energy consumption and costs brings the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) much less than in conventional networks. With tremendous potential for curbing CO2 emissions, Telecommunication operators can also generate a lot of revenue by using their Carbon Credits. In India, Bharti Airtel is one of the operators, who has entered into the carbon credit venture with partner ACME Telepower. This partnership has brought about $30- $40 million revenue to the both companies involved. Hence, Carbon trade is also another major incentive for the operator s to adopt environment friendly solutions within their networks.

Development of Womens Rights in Afghanistan

Development of Womens Rights in Afghanistan Progress, Stagnation and Regression A lot needs to be done before the equality of political rhetoric becomes an everyday reality for  women in Afghanistan (Amnesty International UK, 2013). Since the disempowerment of the Taliban, the status of women’s rights has seen  progress, stagnation and even regression. The Bonn Agreement of December 2001, endorsed  the establishment of a â€Å"gender-sensitive† government and laid the groundwork for the  Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In addition to MOWA, the Afghan government also created the  Office of the State Minister for Women and set up a Gender Advisory Group (Sarabi, 2003:  3). Moreover, the Bonn conference endorsed the establishment of the Afghanistan  Independent Human Rights Commission which is, amongst others, responsible for the  advancement of women’s rights. Over the years the Afghan government continued its efforts to promote women’s  rights by adopting its Constitution on January 4, 2004, that incorporates the principle of  equality in article 22 as well as a guaranteed quota for women in the bicameral National  Assembly in article 83 and article 84 (Ballington; Dahlerup, 2006: 253). On October 1st, 2004,  after years of political oppression, women voted in the first democratic elections; over the last  years, women held 27-28 percent of parliamentary seats in the Wolesi Jirga (The World Bank,  2013). These positive developments, however, are not secure. For example, the latest electoral  law has reduced the quota of guaranteed seats for women in provincial assemblies from a  quarter to a fifth (International Crisis Group, 2013: ii). Furthermore, it is often criticized by  feminists from within and outside of Afghanistan that those women who hold a political  mandate are only there to symbolize the Western su ccess, and simultaneously support with  their presence the Western imperialist as well as the Afghan patriarchal oppression, but in fact  have no say in politics (Franks, 2003: 148; Wajika, 2008: 140). An example for this claim is  the report of Malalai Joya, a former assembly women, who was pelted with water bottles by  other male assembly men and threatened by â€Å"Rape her!† calls (Ihlau; Koelbl, 2009: 253)  while delivering a speech in parliament. Another issue is the serious discrepancy between theory and practice, between words  and signatures on paper and effective actions to implement signed conventions and approved  laws. The Afghan government ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of  all Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2003, and adopted the Elimination of Violence  Against Women Law in 2009, what can be described as positive developments. However,  often not all adopted laws are known by judges, prosecutors and lawyers, nor are they always  agreed to, and therefore are not applied. Furthermore, that conservative members of  parliament oppose, for example, the EVAW law, calling it â€Å"un-Islamic† (International Crisis  Group, 2013: ii), is an example of the fundamental incompatibility of article 22 and article 7  (compliance to the UN Charter, inter-state agreements, international treaties to which  Afghanistan has joined, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rig hts) with article 3 (no  law shall contravene the tenets and provisions of the holy religion of Islam) of the Afghan  Constitution. The interpretation of what counts as â€Å"un-Islamic† differs immensely in  Afghanistan. That girls and women now have the right to education and to employment is also a  very positive development. However, statistics show that the proportion of girls who go to  school and university is not only lower than that of boys, but declines with every level of  higher education; less than one in five women in Afghanistan is literate (CSO; UNICEF,  2012: 110). Also the female labor participation rate did not significantly increase over the last  ten years (World Bank, 2014). But with the historical background of women’s rights  violations under the Taliban regime as well as the decades of war in mind, no one can expect  women to suddenly break out of the traditional role allocation between men and women in  Afghanistan. Furthermore, it needs to be pointed out that not all Afghans support the  emancipation of girls and women. Girls’ schools are burned down as a symbol for the fight  between tradition and change (Brieger, 2005: 134). There is a com mon use of â€Å"night letters† – messages of insurgents groups to threat women and girls who go to school or to work, leave  their homes, speak to non-family men, or call radio stations with music requests (ACUNS,  2013: 108). Last year, UN Women condemned the increasing intimidation and targeted  killings of Afghan female government officials and public figures and called for justice (UN  Women, 2013). Moreover, it has to be mentioned, that in 2011 Afghanistan was named â€Å"the  most dangerous country for a women to live in†, because of high levels of violence, poor  healthcare and poverty (BBC, 2011). Especially domestic violence against women is a  problem that has become a regular feature of almost all households, and that shapes every  aspect of women’s and girls’ lives – their health, their livelihoods, their access to social and  cultural resources, and their educational opportunities (Global Rights Partners for J ustice,  2008: 1). Besides, many cases are not reported to the police nor prosecuted. The continuing  practice of child marriages and forced marriages is one of those forms of violence against  women and girls. Although getting reliable data is difficult, it is estimated that 60-80 per cent  of all marriages in Afghanistan are forced (UNFPA, 2012). All in all it can be said that there are improvements of the situation of women and girls  in Afghanistan. However, the level of progress differs between the regions of the country,  urban and rural areas, and between those districts where ISAF troops are present and those  where they are not. In a country where the emancipation of women has always been a  controversial issue (there have been multiple efforts to establish women’s rights in  Afghanistan from above in the past one hundred years – see AmÄ nullÄ h KhÄ n, Mohammed  Zahir Shah, Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan, or the PDPA) a change of the status of women  in society is a long-term process. After thirteen years of intervention in Afghanistan, the IC  has to recognize that fact and has to admit that a lot of mistakes were made. In their article  Schwere strategische Fehler des Westens, Mariam Notten and Ute Scheub cited the survey of  the Afghan author Lina Abirafeh about the counterproductive gender-strategy of the West. Abirafeh criticizes different circumstances that led to the partial failure of Western attempts to  establish gender equality in Afghanistan. Amongst others, she mentions the fact that many  Afghan women feel like their own wishes of a self-determined life are not heard by the IC,  but rather ignored. The stigmatization of Afghan women as victims and not as active members  of the Afghan society is considered to be problematic. The result of this treatment is that there  is resistance against the Western efforts to enhance women’s rights in Afghanistan (Notten;  Scheub, 2009: 34). The IC has to recognize that it is not only necessary to establish a legal  framework for the implementation of women’s rights, but that the volition to actually live in a  community where men and women are equal has to come from within society. Therefore it is  important, for instance, to support NGOs in their grass-roots work. Also in the future.

The Lesson of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen :: Potok Chosen Essays

The Lesson of The Chosen The Chosen, written by Chaim Potok, is about two boys from different religious sects that become friends despite all of their conflicts. Danny and Reuven participated in a baseball game against each other and Danny smacked the ball directly into Reuven's face, shattered his glasses, and a piece of glass penetrated his eye. Danny went to visit him in the hospital but, before he could say anything, Reuven started screaming at Danny and commanded him to leave while Danny only wanted to say that he was sorry. When Reuven's eye healed, Danny went over to Reuven's house and they apologized and forgave each other. From then on Danny and Reuven help each other achieve their foremost important ambition in life. Reb Saunders poses an important question, "How can we raise ourselves above the dust?" which is the main theme in the novel. Danny searches for intellectual truth, Reb Saunders, Danny's father, tried to become as spiritual as possible while still on this earth, and Reuven desires to help other people. Danny Saunders yearned for more knowledge other then Talmud and wanted to raise his intellectuality higher then what he obtained in his isolated world. He learned Talmud most of the day and "After a while it gets a little boring"(69). The first time Danny met Reuven properly, Rueven was astonished because, " [Danny] recited about a third of [a] page [of Talmud] word for word, including the commentaries and the Maimonidean legal decisions of the Talmudic disputations. He did it coldly, mechanically, and, listening to him, [Reuven] had the feeling [he] was watching a sort of human machine at work"(69). He studies Talmud as if it were involuntary. Danny himself sometimes even "...gets the feeling we are all ants" because he has the same routine everyday, and learns Talmud over and over as if he was programmed. Also, ants do not do what they wish but are programmed and have natural instinct. This is beneficial in some ways, because if they all do the same thing their work pay s off. They are capable of building magnificent mounds that are amazing knowing that they are still ants and if it is destroyed they can speedily and sufficiently rebuild it exactly as it were before.

The Sacrifice of Life :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A simple definition of sacrifice is to give up something for the sake of something else, whether it is for another human life, for an idea, or even for a belief. â€Å"She was 17 years old. He stood glaring at her, his weapon before her face. ‘Do you believe in God?’ She paused. It was a life-or-death question. ‘Yes, I believe in God.’ ‘Why?’ asked her executioner. But he never gave her the chance to respond. The teenage girl lay dead at his feet.† (DC Talk 17) This example of a sacrifice really happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, on April 20, 1999. In the story Iphigenia and in today’s society, justification can be found in favor of the sacrifice of life for the lives of others, for the sake of one’s country, and for one’s religious beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, one can see the importance of the sacrifice of one life in order to save many more. In the Grecian tale, Iphigenia is forced by her father and the multitudes of Grecian soldiers to sacrifice her life in order to appease the god that controls the winds. Her inner struggle consists of the desire to live verses the knowledge of the fact that if she doesn’t die, her family will be executed along with her. Iphigenia must decide which is more important in the grand scheme of things. Her decision to die is only made because she realizes that she is the sacrifice for the ones she holds dearest to her heart, her own family members. This devotion to her kindred is her reason for willingly giving her life. As Achilles speaks with Iphigenia about her decision, he notices the nobility and courage that she is putting forth in order to make such a huge sacrifice. This courage is much like the courage that is shown in the sacrifice of lives today for others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When searching today’s society for those that show courage and nobility like that of Iphigenia, one acknowledges the work of the firefighters and police departments. Every time a person of this profession leaves their station in lieu of a call, they are potentially sacrificing their lives for the lives of others. The many possible things that could happen to one of these workers while on the field could put them in a situation where their safety is questionable. It is understood that this worker must sacrifice his or her life for whatever person that is in need of help.

Business management

It has a database holding various companies' records specifically job vacancies. Therefore, it matches the qualities required and the candidates' qualifications. BBC, S company structure In any firm, the organizational structure is a vital factor which determines the success and achievement of the set goals. The structure of a company portrays not only the hierarchy of responsibilities in the company but also it defines the division of functions (Allen, 2000). The hierarchy determines various levels of personnel in the organization.The main role of the hierarchy is to substantiate the person or groups of persons responsible for the development of the company's vision and their tasks in pursuit of the session aimed at achieving the set goals (Bassett, 2004). On the other hand, the division of roles amongst the workers places each employee in the most efficient position viable for maximum production. BBC Company is made up of various positions. The main positions include the managing D irector, business development manager, recruitment manager and the support stuff which include the accountants, legal officers and the technical personnel.Abs's organization Chart I. Managing Director The managing director is the overall supervisor. He oversees the entire operation of the company. Some of the primary duties of the managing director are to supervise the general operation of the company, coordinates the financial management tasks and also initiate the development ideologies important for the achievement of the mission, vision and objectives (Shoehorning, 2013). Ii. Development Manager The development manager works in coordination with the marketers in order to bring the clients.The development manager is responsible for the initiation of the strategies required for creation of health network with the clients (Smith,2003). However, he is under the managing director. Iii. Recruitment Manager The recruitment manager works closely with the development manager. While the d evelopment manager markets the company and brings in the clients, the recruitment manager is responsible for the verification of the clients' qualification to find the potential candidates for particular available job vacancies. He also sets the recruitment conditions and standards. Additionally, he develops the recruitment goals (Steen, 2006).The recruitment manager takes instructions from the managing director. Iv. Support Staff The management team cannot operate without the support staff. For the ease of the BBC Company, the support staff includes the accountants, the Technical personnel and the legal officers. The role of the legal officer is to ensure that the recruitment contracts are in accordance with the relevant legislations. The technical persons are responsible for maintenance of proper computer networks and development of more efficient management systems. The accountants are responsible for the maintenance of financial records and provide the statements when required.T he support staffs receives instructions from the managers. BBC Company's Objectives The company's main objectives include; . Increase the number of the clients. Ii. Improve the service delivery. Iii. Satisfy the client needs to the fullest. Mission To be the leading recruitment company globally and which inclines its efforts towards satisfying the clients. Process Map for clients' recruitment Plan to Ensure Legal, Regulatory and Ethical Objectives The company needs proper plan which ensures consistency in legal, regulatory and ethical objectives in its operation. The plan is as follows I.The management should review the business contracts and other legal documents to find their validity and compatibility with the state laws. I. The company's operation to be conducted in accordance with the state law. Iii. The recruitment exercise must never subject any client to any form of injustice. Iv. The management to seek to have feedback from the clients on the quality of service delivery. Re commendation on Alignment of manpower and available resources Using SMART. SMART is an acronym which refers to Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. This provides the guideline for setting up the objectives. S: Specific.The desired goals and objectives by the organization should be specific. For instance, the management should be specific on the type of qualification required when recruiting the clients. M: Measurable: The management should establish concrete methodology used to measure progress towards achievement of the desired goals. For instance, the organization should ask itself how many available job vacancies are available against particular number of candidates. A: Attainable: The objectives should be within the reach especially in terms of available resources for instance, finance. R: Realistic: The goals or objectives must be within the capability.The company can fail if it Sets Very high objectives and goals which are never attainable. In regard to this , the company needs to consider the available resources and their efficiency to enable the achievement of the desired goals. T: Timely: Any goal is bound to a specific timeshare. This determines the time required for a goal to be attained. The availability of resources and their alignment enables timely attainment of the goals. The BBC Company New System. Considering the weaknesses associated with the current system, a new system is implemented which is more efficient and ensures SMART attainment of the set goals.The previous system was associated with poor uncial management, slow service delivery and generally poor leadership. Therefore, the new systems are as follow. Service Delivery system: A new digital system is put in place to enable service delivery in the shortest time possible. With this system, the clients have to deliver their academic and personal documents are delivered to the company's website via the Internet. The recruitment officers' access the documents, verify the ir originality, test the qualification and communicate to the applicant online.Therefore, the applicants do not have to appear at the company offices in person. Digital ATA management system: The new management system is deployed which is used to manage data in the most convenient way. This system minimizes human error and also saves time when retrieving information because the officers do not have to go through big files in search of records. Payment system: There is no more cash payment, rather, the clients make payment directly to the company s account and deliver the bank payment slips.This minimizes corruption where money gets lost in the hands of the officers. Work activities meeting operational plan Planning: This activity involves outlining objectives, and setting the prospected results. The techniques for achievement are also outlined under this activity. Organizing: organization of the BBC Company is crucial because it enables establishment of the structures and systems in which the activities are arranged and coordinated based on the particular plans and objectives. Staffing: this activity involves accomplishment of the personnel functions.The functions involve selection and training the staff members and also maintenance of proper and favorable conditions for work (Personnel management function, 1993). Directing: Directing is done by the managers and it involves embodying decision making through instructions. This activity is done in line with the set operational plan. Coordinating: coordination is an activity which is aimed at inter-relating the various activities undertaken within the organization. For instance, it inter-relates the highly ranked managers and the support staff. Reporting: Reporting is one of the tools important for ensuring quality checks.This involves making the various organs which include the shareholders, managers, the public, clients, us pliers and others informed regarding the progress of the organization. Budgeting: budget ing refers to the setting of financial plans, financial management control, keeping of financial records and also ensuring that the cost is in line with the set goals and objectives. Quality Management Systems Quality management systems refer to the techniques employed to enable proper communication between the manager and the employees concerning the quality of service to be delivered to the clients (Quality management systems, 2008).The employees are kept in check to deliver services in accordance to the set standard specifications. Quality management system design. Below are the steps important for designing of the quality management system. I. Studying and Understanding the current organizational structure and the associated processes. This involves studying the environment, the competitive level and others. Ii. Development of performance priorities. The BBC performance priorities are in line with shareholders and other stakeholders' expectations and desires. This is done before the action design is done. Iii.Development Of performance indicators. The measurement Of every department's performance enables tracking of the general performance of the organization. In this case, the top-down approach meets the bottom-up approach. Iv. Collection of the required data. This involves the calculation of the performance indicators. V. Designing reporting and performance data representation formats. This step involves the decision on how the data is presented to the end users. It also entails how the users provide the feedback for management, monitoring and improvement purposes based on the data provided. Vi.Testing and adjusting the performance measurement system. This step involves improvement of the previous performance system based on the feedback from the users. All elements working in unplanned manner are adjusted to enhance desired level of performance. Vii. Implementation of the system. This is the final step after designing the quality management system of BB C recruiting company. This is where the system is officially launched and put in use for the entire organization operation. The implementation stage involves the managing the user access, training of the users and also the demonstration of the system operation.The system designing process can be presented in chart as follows Quality culture to ensure continuous monitoring ,evaluation and development of process Demonstration of culture is a vital exercise in the organization. This can be demonstrated as follows; I. Leadership emphasis Managers in BBC Recruitment Company must understand that the basis of leadership is quality. The key objective worked on is to promote quality service delivery in the most efficient and faster way. Ii. Maintaining a leadership emphasis on quality. In any case, there are always gaps between what the managers advocate for and what they do.Therefore, awareness about the gaps must be made obvious to the employees. Additionally, the managers and executive di rectors must demonstrate commitment towards promotion of the quality service delivery. Iii. Ensuring message credibility. The messages provided by the company regarding the quality of services just be realistic and trusted. Credibility Of message earns the company clients loyalty. Credibility of messages is one of the legal and ethical conditions that the company must observe and practice. Iv. Encouraging peer involvement. Exercising peer engagement in the organization is a crucial balancing of act.Showing little support by the managers leads to loss of important opportunities. Therefore, they should be fully involved in activities. The managers also can consider important printing materials such as burners in the working place reminding the employees on the importance and needs to deliver quality service. The workers also should be motivated on their good performances (Purposive, 2006). Recommendation on the improvements The Abs's current system is associated with various weaknesse s which have led to complain from the clients. The complaints are centered on poor leadership which has resulted to a lot of deficits within the company.Therefore, changes must be recommended in order to improve the service delivery as stipulated in the organizations, objectives and set goals. The recommendations are as follows. I. The company must ensure employing qualified managers and other persons in charge of various positions in order o improve the productivity especially the top most positions. For instance, the operation managers must have full knowledge and skills on how to pursue the various roles relevant to their positions. The managers must be well equipped with skills for initiation of valid ideologies important for the development of the company.Unqualified personnel are liabilities within the company since they earn a lot and produce less hence earn the company a lot of deficits. Ii. Proper marketing strategies must be put in place in order to increase the number of clients who are the main source of revenues to the company (Lick, 1999). The main cause of the deficits in the company is that the company spends a lot and the returns from the clients are minimal because of the small number of clients. Iii. The company should adopt the modern system of service delivery which speeds up the process. This will ensures timely service delivery to the clients.The manual systems are time consuming and also never efficient in handling large number of clients. The modern system, probably the digital systems ensures quality service delivery. Iv. Also, the other reason for the deficits within the organization is corruption amongst the managers and other officers. There should be a proper monitoring system which ensures frequent generation of financial records in order to trace the revenues and the expenditure. Also electronic mode of payment and banking should be embraced unlike the manual handling of money which provides opportunities to some corrupt workers to steal and misappropriate funds. . Also, legal and ethical values should be observed in the company's processes in order to remain relevant to the state and client expectation. Unethical operation makes the clients develop negative attitude towards the company hence underperformed. Report on the implication of he proposed changes The proposed changes are of great importance to the company. BBC Company is under crisis under its current management system. Qualified Personnel Qualification in any relevant position is very important since it ensures maximum productivity.Any position, irrespective of its level within the company is associated with particular skills. These skills are the key resources for productivity. It is also important to match one's qualification with the relevant job category. Operating in one's level of expertise ensures quality and improved level of performances. Therefore, it is worth important o ensure that the roles in BBC company are allocated considering t he qualifications of the workers. Taking an example of the operation managers, they are tasked with management of the processes within the company.Therefore, they are required to be skilled on the relevant processes being undertaken and also possess techniques of aligning the available resources to their tasks to ensure maximum productivity (Product liability,ND). Proper marketing strategies Marketing is the key factor that fascinates the clients to seek services with the BBC Company. There are various other companies providing the name recruitment services and the company is tasked to strategies the best ideas that can make them develop competitive advantages over the others.There are various ways for marketing which include making advertisement via radios, televisions, social media such as faceable and also using marketing agents who make direct contact with the clients (Foss, 2012).. Develop financial monitoring system Corruption and misappropriation of funds within the organizat ion is one of the worst practices that can kill the general development. Therefore, the company must put in place monitoring system which includes safe moment mode which includes direct banking by the clients on registration and frequent generation of the financial records which enables tracing of revenues and expenditure.Modern service Delivery system The modern digital service delivery system is very crucial at the current generation since it is very convenient and safes time. The client may not even need to appear to the company registration premises rather he or she may need to make online application and the records are delivered directly to the company's portals for verification and approval is communicated to the client via email or phone. Also, the digital mode of keeping records is important because it ensure easy retrieval of the same when required (Davis, 1993).The record keepers waste a lot of time accessing records saved in hard copy files. Proper legal and ethical valu es Legal and ethical values are very crucial factors in general processes in the company. They ensure relevance with the client and state expectation (Cross,2007). Risk Assessment Working with BBC Company is associated with some risks. Computer operators within the company suffer risk of developing computer syndrome. Long term use of computer leads to complication which includes eye implication and also the long term effects may be cancer due to exposure to Radiant from the cathode ray tube screens.Also, the field marketers suffer risks of getting indulged in accidents such as road accidents because they travel almost daily. Also, the buildings are under risk of catching fire because of heat generated by heavy machines used for instance, the generators. Demonstration Health and safety regulations To minimize the risks, the company has set the maximum time one has to work on the computer probably two hours in a day (Design to reduce technical risk, 2007). This is achieved by employin g sufficient employees who work in shifts.Also, the vehicles used are serviced regularly to ensure that they are in good conditions. Over speeding the company's vehicles are illegal and the company's mechanics have fixed speed governors to all the company vehicles. Additionally, the building has a lot of fire extinguishers which ensures safety in case of fire (LEN Site 200 Risk Management Plans, 2008). Review of BBC Company Health and safety policies Below are some of the company's health and safety policies and regulation; I. It is illegal to spit carelessly within the company. Ii. No smoking in the work place iii.In case of fire, get out of the building as soon as possible through nearby exit and use the available fire extinguishers to fight the fire. Iv. Strangers are not permitted into the company premises unless permitted. V. Make use of the dust pits. Implementation of the health and safety policies. A body is formed to ensure that the health and safety policies are observed b y all. Also the body is responsible for taking legal actions against anyone breaching the policies. The group also conducts the seminars on the important of the observing the safety and healthy policies. Business Management Pandora Medal In terms of risk, uncertainty, and how its managers handled the company's challenges. What Is the current news on this company? The meaning of a business operating under conditions of uncertainty Is the lack of pertinent information and cannot estimate accurately the likelihood of different results of their actions. Pandora media provides internet radio services in the united States. Some of Pander's risks that would lead to the company's probability of success would be the uncertainty at the core of finance.Meaning, even though Pander's music service has grown to 80 million registered users and a database of over 800,000. They still lack to generate sufficient revenue to turn a profit due to the economy. Managers handle the company challenges by modifying its original commitment to the free radio model, offering users an alternative. Listeners who would prefer to skip the advertising have an option to pay $36 per year for ad-free streaming of their music. 2) What effec ts does time pressure have on your decision making?In what ways do you handle It well and not so well? The effect time pressure has on an Individual loud be the use of proper time management. For example. Your boss need you to pick up the slack for someone who took a sick leave you have their work as well as your. The best way to handle the situation is organization. Being able to accomplish doing your work and theirs without falling behind. I had a situation were I was on call working a IT position that required me to monitor a server for a fortune 500 level company.Hardware needed to be repaired overnight. Time management was key because I knew that if I got paged late at night I would have to prepare time to work he issue as well as has have enough sleep to work the next day. 3) Recall a recent decision that you had difficulty making. Describe it In terms of the characterless of managerial decisions. I can recall a situation working for IBM as a storage admit working a seventy Is sue on a hardware server some ports failed causing failure to the internet between our service and their company.I had to call a IT in another state where the company was located to schedule time to repair the problem. I designed an Microsoft excel design plan that needed to be approved by y manager in order to processed in resolving the issue. Being new to the company I took a lot of sufficient notes in order to be successful. This improved my personal growth within the company helping me design the plan for reviews and get approved by my 1st line manager for the process.I also had to use my networking skills by listening and asking my co-workers if I needed answers. This is were my programmed decision were critical when It came to dealing with technology. 4) What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages to using computer technology In decision making? The advantages of technology are the Improvement of company relative cost. Also the company's overall business strategy m eaning the important technologies to reinforce the company's competitive position.The disadvantages of using computer technology are failure of hardware and software that is purchased by a company. Also having outdated technology that causes problems to compete with other companies as well as performance issues on company projects. 5) Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of using a group to make decisions. Give examples from your experience. The advantages of using group sections for business project would help give better perspective of the work.Also the ability to use ready-made solutions or custom made solutions between the experience and non-experienced members of your group. For example, if you work in a pool environment for a company the advantage would be networking with your time to improve your skills for your Job position. The only disadvantage is someone in your group lacks the ability to perform at the level of the group members in order to successful finis h work. Or a uncertain team member not being optimistic about the causing the group to fail. Business Management Pandora Medal In terms of risk, uncertainty, and how its managers handled the company's challenges. What Is the current news on this company? The meaning of a business operating under conditions of uncertainty Is the lack of pertinent information and cannot estimate accurately the likelihood of different results of their actions. Pandora media provides internet radio services in the united States. Some of Pander's risks that would lead to the company's probability of success would be the uncertainty at the core of finance.Meaning, even though Pander's music service has grown to 80 million registered users and a database of over 800,000. They still lack to generate sufficient revenue to turn a profit due to the economy. Managers handle the company challenges by modifying its original commitment to the free radio model, offering users an alternative. Listeners who would prefer to skip the advertising have an option to pay $36 per year for ad-free streaming of their music. 2) What effec ts does time pressure have on your decision making?In what ways do you handle It well and not so well? The effect time pressure has on an Individual loud be the use of proper time management. For example. Your boss need you to pick up the slack for someone who took a sick leave you have their work as well as your. The best way to handle the situation is organization. Being able to accomplish doing your work and theirs without falling behind. I had a situation were I was on call working a IT position that required me to monitor a server for a fortune 500 level company.Hardware needed to be repaired overnight. Time management was key because I knew that if I got paged late at night I would have to prepare time to work he issue as well as has have enough sleep to work the next day. 3) Recall a recent decision that you had difficulty making. Describe it In terms of the characterless of managerial decisions. I can recall a situation working for IBM as a storage admit working a seventy Is sue on a hardware server some ports failed causing failure to the internet between our service and their company.I had to call a IT in another state where the company was located to schedule time to repair the problem. I designed an Microsoft excel design plan that needed to be approved by y manager in order to processed in resolving the issue. Being new to the company I took a lot of sufficient notes in order to be successful. This improved my personal growth within the company helping me design the plan for reviews and get approved by my 1st line manager for the process.I also had to use my networking skills by listening and asking my co-workers if I needed answers. This is were my programmed decision were critical when It came to dealing with technology. 4) What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages to using computer technology In decision making? The advantages of technology are the Improvement of company relative cost. Also the company's overall business strategy m eaning the important technologies to reinforce the company's competitive position.The disadvantages of using computer technology are failure of hardware and software that is purchased by a company. Also having outdated technology that causes problems to compete with other companies as well as performance issues on company projects. 5) Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of using a group to make decisions. Give examples from your experience. The advantages of using group sections for business project would help give better perspective of the work.Also the ability to use ready-made solutions or custom made solutions between the experience and non-experienced members of your group. For example, if you work in a pool environment for a company the advantage would be networking with your time to improve your skills for your Job position. The only disadvantage is someone in your group lacks the ability to perform at the level of the group members in order to successful finis h work. Or a uncertain team member not being optimistic about the causing the group to fail.