Manufacturing and Packaging Line

CASE ANALYSIS MEMO – SESSION 06 Keurig 2012. 11. 07 Entrepreneurial Management Dr. Sean M. Hackett Waseda Business School, MBA Fall, 2012 Panjapol wariratanaroj (pe)– #35112329-5 JOanna chen (joanna)– #35112318-7 li wei– #35122327-5 kemal SADULLAYEV (kemal)– #35129403-1 Gaetano d’imprima (tano)– #35129755-8 I. Identify/Define the Key Issues/Situation Analysis A. Key issues that will impact Keurig to survive, thrive and grow †¢ Strong bargaining power from a supplier: MTS, being the only supplier for the K-Cup packaging line, has a control over the machine.Having no substitution plan in place, Keurig is forced to follow MTS’s request to fulfill the K-Cup manufacturing capacity. †¢ Difficult to ‘reverse engineer’ the manufacturing technology: despite the alternatives of having new K-Cup suppliers, there is no assurance that the new suppliers could complete the project on-time and on-budget as the learning cu rve is hard to be built at an initial stage. †¢ Delays in the full roll-out of the new coffee brewing system: delays in manufacturing lines (both K-Cup’s production and brewing machines) caused a subsequent delay in distributing goods to consumers.Thus, it created risk of losing market opportunity to other competitors. B. Critical Success Factors †¢ Quality of the final product: despite marketing efforts and distribution channels, if either the final product (coffee) tastes bad or the brewer does not perform well, it can’t be sold. †¢ Consistent and sufficient funding prior to the product launch: in order to create an impact to the coffee market, the large amount of funding is required to support the operations. Ability to bring a brewer’s price down in a consumer segment while keeping the good quality product: considering the high quality coffees, people are more likely to purchase a less expensive household version especially at a supermarket or grocery, which has the highest percentage for buying locations. II. Mobilize Strategic Choices A. Choice 1 – Work with multiple packaging line manufacturers at the same time and take advantage of the brewer that would take Keurig more seriously – Pilla. 1. Significance of choice 1 †¢ The supplier in less favorable financial situations is more likely to pay attention to Keurig’s needs.In this case, Pilla also possesses the capability to support the brewer production. †¢ Keurig can prepare Pilgrim and Quantum for future production while MTS is currently manufacturing the K-Cup packaging lines. This will cover the delay time needed by Pilgrim and Quantum to deliver future productions. †¢ More risk averse, multiple suppliers will decrease Keurig’s dependency on suppliers. Delivery time and costs can be more efficiently managed. Also, Keurig can observe suppliers’ efficiencies before deciding the major supplier. †¢ Multiple packagin g lines can provide larger supply of K-cups for future expansion. . Reasons why choice 1 may not be optimal †¢ More price negotiations and work in progress varied by suppliers. Also, the working procedures may be different and buyers-suppliers relationship may be more complexed.†¢ The standard of the final products can be varied by suppliers due to a slight difference in manufacturing capability and technology. †¢ The financially unstable suppliers can be unreliable. For example, they may be in risk of facing bankruptcy, or they may lower SG&A expenses and it will affect the operations. B. Choice 2 – Continue cooperation with MTS and change brewer to Pilla . Significance of choice 2 †¢ Does not waste time on searching for alternative packaging line manufacturers. Hence, avoid the time to be consumed by ‘reverse engineering’ process. †¢ MTS already has experience in making the first packaging line. Moreover, the product quality delivered b y MTS is already known and acceptable. †¢ Good communication with MTS would ensure on-time delivery of future packaging lines. †¢ Enjoy cost-benefits from possibility of lower price from Pilla. 2. Reasons why choice 2 may not be optimal †¢ MTS still have very large bargaining power for future productions.Thus, the cost for K-Cup packaging line activities could be driven up significantly. †¢ Pilla, being financially insecure, can be a risk for the roll-out schedule in case there is a problem in the manufacturing processes as it links to the packaging line. †¢ Single packaging line supplier and brewer means lower production capacity compared with Choice 1, this would limit Keurig’s future expansion plans to go into the consumer market. C. Choice 3 Internalize brewer production and work with multiple packaging line suppliers 1. Significance of choice 3 Keurig will gain more control over the production because it’ll be easier to forecast production capacity and there’ll be more inventory control. †¢ Kuerig already have the people and the capabilities that it needs.†¢ Finally gaining the learning curve: product brewers will help Keurig to reduce its production costs and thanks to this reduction it’ll be easier to sell more brewers to distributors at less price and less defected products. †¢ Working with multiple suppliers on the packaging line side will give them less bargaining power making us more â€Å"independent†. 2. Reasons why choice 3 may not be optimal A big amount of investment required in terms of money to internalize the production †¢ Keurig need to buy new assets and it will need time to set-up the production in the new factory. †¢ Keurig will face the risks concerning the manufacturing activity. III. Recommend a Specific Strategic Choice Recommendation: . Choice 1 – Work with multiple packaging line manufacturers at the same time and take advantage of the brewe r that would take Keurig more seriously – Pilla. 1. Keurig will be much more independent and it’ll not face again another situation as those encountered with Vandelay and MTS.This choice, even if could be risky at the beginning due to possible delays in the delivery of the complete brewer system (K-cup+Brewer), will ensure Keurig not to rely too much to only one supplier with a lot of bargaining power. 2. Relying on many suppliers will give Keurig much more control over their suppliers’ prices, unleashing a competition between them to gain more and more orders. It’ll also help Keurig to draw up more precise budgets and business plans that will not be affected by suppliers’ whims. 3. Thinking on a future expansion, Keurig need to find new suppliers who can easily support the capacity it needs. Risks/Limitations: . Even if it is a good time to find new suppliers, the moment is very risky because we have a schedule that we need to respect to start bui lding the company reputation.Delays and other on-the-road problem with the new suppliers could be fatal for Keurig. 2. Some of the new suppliers suffer financial problems that, if not solved, can surely affect Keurig. A. Recapitulation of why this choice is the right recommendation We have a marketing plan that can be fulfilled only if everything on the supply side goes as it was supposed to. In order to penetrate the market K-cups will be sold to the Office Manager at a price of 0. 0$, with no charge to the coffee machine. The price of a cup of coffee is higher than our direct competitors but compared to other premium coffee (as Starbucks) the quality is very high and the people who tried our coffee â€Å"loved† it. The wholesale price to the OCS distributors and to the Food Service suppliers will be at 0. 25$ per cup and initially we will give them the machine for free if they buy a certain amount of cups. That’s the real marketing strategy, because distributors play a central role in this industry, so we need to be able to offer (actually fill them up with) machines so they’ll push hard to introduce it inside the market.The free machine plus high margin (100%) per K-Cup will help us penetrate the market. However to do so we need an efficient supply chain that could grow with us and not take advantage of us. We need to take the risk and diversify our suppliers so we will be able to give our machines for free to distributor. We also need to get ready with our capacity for when the demand will grow. We can’t manage such changes in our business plan if we are to haggle with insolent suppliers.

Beano?S Cafe

OMPANyCaSe Beano's Cale: n Egyptian Flavor COMPANY ~car†lO'S BACKGROUND Cafe, one of the most successful and popular cafe chains in =~ypt. has branches throughout the country, including locations in ::† ro. Alexandria, and Giza. At Beano's, customers can enjoy excele- quality coffees, soft drinks, shakes, and infusion drinks, as † as a wide variety of sandwiches, hot meals, and desserts. Beano's Cafes aim is to offer its customers a convenient, relax-9 place where they can purchase food and beverages of a high :uality at an affordable price.The cates have a distinctive layout ,,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœd style which is achieved through a combination of contempo? ry design and warm colors that give them a pleasant atmosphere. –e cafes environment is characterized by simplicity, elegance, : eanliness, and a modern design. It is known as a place where ung people can gather and where people can enjoy an afford::0 e outing, listen to the latest musie, and use wireless Intern et. Cafe, and from other smali, local cafes. Despite these concerns in 2000, Beano's opened its first cafe in Egypt, introducing new coffee products such as cappuccino and espresso to the Arabie market.Beano's wanted to increase its market share and target a new segment-senior citizens-along wit h maintaining and/or increasing its appeal to the youth segment, which represents the majority of its customers. The senior citizens represented the higher socio-economic class; however, Beano's discovered that young clients represented up to 70 percent of their daily clients. Beano's Cafes higher management wanted to retain its satisfied clients while also increasing its share of the customer base. They therefore put together a new marketing strategy.REVISING THE MARKETING STRATEGY EY MARKET –e creators of the Beano's Cafe Group had wanted to open a -ew coffee shop in Egypt for a long time but they saw problems .. ,entering the Egyptian market. They believed that the Egyptian oopulat ion would not be keen on coffee made from unfamiliar, -ew ingredients. The Egyptian market was locally driven toward ::Jr ental cates, Turkish coffee, and shisha (water pipe); thus, 3eano's' marketing strategy was to introduce the Egyptian consurner to a new cafe experience.There was also fierce competi: on from other coffee shops, including Cilantro Cafe and Costa Beano's Cafe's management team knew through customer surveys carried out in their chains that 60 percent of their customers keep coming back because of staff friendliness, 20 percent because of the quality of the service, and 20 percent because of the overall atmosphere at Beano's Cafe. The cafs's new marketing strategy was divided into three parts: The first was 13 percent value (offering more for the same price). he second part was 17 percent quality (offering an affordable, quality cate experience, and improving the taste of the coffee), and the final part was 67 percent service (improving the face-to-face interaction with customers inside the cafe). Beano's placed the greatest emphasis on improving the level of customer service in its cafes. The company did this in a number of ways. First, management decided to speed up the serving process by allocating one minute for taking orders, seven minutes to make the order, and a final one minute 244 Part Three IDesigning a Customer-Driven Strategy and Mix modern cates were established in the Egyptian market; the focus was more on the local â€Å"kahwa† (Turkish/Arabic coffee), tea, and shisha. Beano's Cafe positioned itself as an affordable, modern cafe with a lively, entertaining environment. Beano's Cafe's targeting approach became youth oriented. The cafe was representing a new approach to coffee, selling cappuccino and java solo drinks like espresso. Thus, the segmentation approach started to focus more on the youth differentiated segmentation market approach.As mentioned, the use of a kitchen provided the company with differentiation over th e competition, however, Beano's also has a new advantage: It offers a creative art foam that is placed on top of the cappuccino. The consumer's name or birth date can be written on a cappuccino cup or any picture can be drawn with the because the mafoam. Consumers can even do it themselves chines are manually operated. This level of personalization, allowed Beano's to differentiate itself from its competitors by offering its customers what they want and exceeding their expectations.By satisfying customers' desires, Beano's sawa growth of the company and an increase in sales of its coffee products. III to give the table the bill. Therefore, the whole process took a very fast nine minutes. Beano's also improved its communication with customers by greeting them and paying attention to their needs. Beano's has an ultimate advantage that none of its competitors have-the kitchen. Having a kitchen allows Beano's to offer a larger menu selection. Customers can also ask for items not include d in the menu or can modify their chosen item.These options are not available in most cates in the region and impress consumers. Having the advantage of a kitchen allowed Beano's to discontinue using ready-made food and instead making every meal to order, thereby differentiating itself from its closest competitor, Cilantro Cafe. This enabled customers to modify their orders. It also permitted customers to create new, customized products. Beano's is now able to forecast real quantities and therefore store essential, everyday ingredients, getting rid of unnecessary stock of less in demand products. This method turned out to be very efficient in their storage management.Becausecustomer service is such a high priority in the company's new marketing strategy, the marketing department conducted a new survey designed to improve customer service. It was executed through the cafes' branch managers and administrated by a smali team from the research department. One of the most effective quest ions concerned what customers liked and disliked about Beano's Cafe. The survey revealed that customers liked the cafe's service, atmosphere, and quick response; they did not like the company allowing some private celebrations to be held, nor did they always like the type of musie played in the cafes or the furniture.Beano's bega n to consider how to react to ali of these reported dislikes from its consumers, especially as the competition was rising with both Cilantro Cate and Costa Cafe, In addition, other new cates, such as On The Run Cafe in the Mobil Petroi Station, were improving their quality and pricing to an affordable level. Despite making these advances, Beano's had weaknesses to overcome. The cafes were not located in the main, central business streets in Egypt. These untapped areas of business opportunities prevented the company from increasing its market share.Cilantro, a competing cafe, employed successful promotional tools to spread its brand image in Egypt, including high-profile commercials. Beano's could not match the level of advertising in terms of budget and instead focused more on customer relationship management (CRM) and relationship marketing (RM) To this end, Beano's introduced a customer loyalty and smart card program that enabled customers to collect points for each separate order. The customer could then redeem the points and receive free products. Beano's also targeted ali customer segments by introducing a promotional Beano's points card.Customers pay for the cards, starting at 50 to 200 LE and use them whenever they wish. The cards turned out to be very effective for customers who are entertaining friends and for family outings. Another area that Beano's needs to improve upon involves making the cate more family friendly-an area where Cilantro is excelling. Cilantro Cafe provides coloring books and crayons for children, encouraging families to spend more time in the cafes and thus increasing business from this particular market segment. OELlVERING ON CUSTOMER SERVICE As customer service featured 50 prominantly in their marketing strategy,Beano's had to ensure that once a high level of service was achieved it was also maintained. One strategy put in place aimed at achieving this was mystery shoppers, who visited different branches to monitor and evaluate the service they receive ano the quality of the cafe's products. Among other things, they note how fast and responsive the staff members are and whether the deliver on time. The mystery shopper, a regular customer chose by the branch manager, also evaluates the quality of the coffee served, the food, the environment, the speed and care of sta and the cleanliness of the facility, including the bathrooms.RESPONOING TO THE CUSTOMER As previously mentioned, market research carried out by the company indicated that customers did not like waiting in some of the Beano's Cafe chains and did not like its prices. Its response to the problems was to put more tables in the crowded location: and to reduce prices for some popular, existing products, wh E increasing prices for newly introduced products. Customers ais disliked the musie, which did not change over the course o~ the day, and at the various locations, some said the cafcs playec the â€Å"same musie for each branch in every vi sit. Manaqemec: responded by introducing new musie every couple of hours in Ci chains. To improve the brand image of Beano's, the company also OEcided to redesign the cafe's logo, making it more attractive to c 5tomers. More money is also being spent on advertising for ne and existing products. Most of the advertising appears in prin ec materials to be displayed in cate branches to motivate COnSUrT'E' purchase of the newly launched products. BEANO'S CAFE'S MARKETING MIX SEGMENTATION In the beginning, Beano's Cafe focused on appealing to the whole Egyptian market, especially young people.The first focus for the company was to create brand awareness, as people did n ot understand the word † Beano's. † So,the cafe owners added the word cafealittle modification that solved the issue. At that time, not a lot of Beano's Cafe's marketing mix begins by developing new produ _ by studying consumers' needs, and then developing and crea ~~ a strong brand. Beano's Cafe's distinctive design and pleasan c-mosphere are the first components in its unique dining experien ~ Market research indicates that the brand's most distinguishing E::ture is the company's use of the vibrant orange color for all ad E'tising.The company also stands out because it is the only local cc== Chapter 7 I Customer-Driven Marketing Strategy: Creating Value for Target Customers Smart pricing, reviewed from a consumer perspective . Updated produet lists wit h new menu offerings. 245 â€Å"†¦ :~ers desserts, which are prepared by La Poire. According to 3†³e's market research, 21 percent of customers indicated that =-:e-: was the most prominent feature of the cafe. ‘:==110'5is putting great efforts in establishing new branches : :cpping newareas, bot h local and international.The new 10=†Eas are Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada El Gouna Resorts, and, =~ationally, Paris, France. –e company advertises its existing products, but in only a few =:=5: FM radio, on the October Industria I City bridge, and in 2;azines. For the Cafe's new products, it relies only on banners nt of the chain. The focus of Beano's Cafe's advertising and _+otion is primarily on the youth segment (ages 18 to 25). The -:-::>any is collaborating with the advertising agency Adhoc, – ::n is spearheading the marketing campaign. The agency has 3~ed out market esearch and has also designed and imple-=-~ed promotions. The company also collaborates with White ::_0 o, a full-service design studio that offers creative, profes_-al graphic designs and development services in order to deliver –= oest image of the brand to customers. White Studio designed -= com pany's brochures, logos, ads, and flyers. -or its principal advertising campaign, Beano's used Nugoom – , 104. 2 FM), and Nile FM (100. 6 FM), presenting creative ads –a: would catch listeners' attention because of their humor, :-unds, and clever use of musie.The company made extensive use ::-= orint media resources, including magazines (Teen Stuff, Sayyedaty, – =oer alnugum, Laha) and newspapers (Alahram, Alahbar, Almasr :: oum, Almussauar). Ali were very effective media in building . set and usage imagery. Beano's created its advertising in a simple . ay by featuring its logo and photos of its cafes to build brand s. vareness and invite ali potential customers in for a visit. The -::'Uthful, non-intrusive ads generated a positive response from the :c'get audience and collectively helped to expand the cafe's brand age in the market.The ads also give customers an opportunity :0 receive unique offers, making them memorable and meaningz: . II. Each month, the cafe introduces a new special offer; for example, in December 2009, it offered a special on American coffee  ·. th chocolate fudge, and at the beginning of 2010, caramel â€Å"‘1acchiato with a muffin. Those offers are the unique invention of 3eano's Cafe and are not offered in other cafes in Egypt. The of†er of the month is always supported with printed brochures, oosters. nd other ads that allow customers to get familiar with tne latest promotions. .z; Better hiring and training programs to ensure a capable staff who deliver more than what is expected. Better quality coffee: People are happy to go to Beano's but respond negatively to the quality of coffee. By offering better coffee, the company will be able to compete wit h the 10cal, classie Arabicffurkish coffee shops. By offering new, modern European flavors, Beano's will also be able to compete with the international chains (such as Starbucks) entering the market.According to Beano's Cafe's previously mentioned mark et research, the main source of the information about the brand was Beano's itself, and then the information obtained from its customers. Research indicates that there is still a performance gap in advertising activities that the company should explore and take advantage of in the future. Its future marketing approaches should also concentrate on e-marketing via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, MSN, Google, online radio, digital radio, e-mail marketing, mobile phone advertising, Yahoo online display banners, satellite TV channels, PRand sponsorship of cultural events and musical concerts. Questions for Oiscussion 1. Based on the segmentation variabies, how is Beano's Cafe now segmenting and targeting the coffee market? 2. Discuss how Beano's positioned itself in the Egyptian local market. Also explain how Beano's differentiated itself from the competition. 3. What changed first, the Beano's customer or the Beano's Cafe experience? Explain your response by discussing principles of market targeting. 4. Briefly outline a marketing campaign targeting a new segment for Beano's Cafe.Sources: Adapted fram Haddad, The Marketing Excellence Handbook, BUE British University Egypt, Dar El Fekr El Arabi Publications (2008); Kotler, P. , & Armstrong, G. (2010), Ptlnciples of Marketing, 13th edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall; Grewal & Levy (2010), Marketing, 2nd Edition, McGraw Hill; William Pride, & O. C. Ferrell (2010), Marketing, Cengage Learning; Adcock, D. , Halborg, A. , & Ross, c. (2000), Marketing Princip/es and Practice, 4th edition, FT/Prentice Hall; Blythe, J. (2005) Essentia/s of Marketing, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall/FT; Brassington, F. & Pettit, 5. (2005), Princip/es of Marketing, Prentice Hall/FT; Dibb, 5, Simkin. L. , Pride, W. and Ferrell, O. C. (2001), Marketing: Concepts and Strategies, 4th edition, Houghton Mifflin. FUTURE STRATEGIES As Beano's develops and looks to the future, it has identified areas where it needs to improve to continue and build upon its succes s: o Continued development in terms of the cafes atmosphere, pricing, produet, and staff. Increased investment in the branches and the equipment to enhance the atmosphere.

Still Night by Li Bai

Key Words: poem, translation, comparison Text Introduction: â€Å"Still night thoughts† Is one of the most popular poems In china, for Its words are simple, sentences are easily understood, and Its meaning arouses sympathy. It depicts in a silent moon night, the author sitting on the bed saw bright moonlight on the floor, and then he raised his head and watched the same moon that was above him and also above his homeland, which reminded him of his home. After that, he hung his hand, missing his hometown.There are dozens of â€Å"Still night thoughts% translations, I pick up five of them and compare them as following to present the effect of recreation and word selection in the poetry translation. Comparative Analysis: Version one: Night Meditation In front of my flooded with moonbeam, I mistook for frost appears on the floor; Lifting my head trying to watch the moon, I dropped again for missing our home town. This version is from a veteran writer Line Juliann The length of se ntence Is almost the same that each sentence Is composed of seven or eight words.At this point, It resembles five character quatrains. Meanwhile, the meaning of every sentence Is very closely to the original one and there Is only a little adjustment of rod order In first two sentences. Obviously, Len tried hard to accommodate his translation with the original one. In terms of form, this version Is very faithful. However, the use of some verbs Is not proper. For example, â€Å"trying† means make an attempt or effort, but in the third sentence, the author raised his head spontaneously when he found the light from the ground.In the fourth sentence, the verb â€Å"drop† means Tall suddenly, out In Tanat scene, writer was adsorbed In nostalgia; odometer, according to common sense, he must not have made such a big movement. In addition, there are some commendable creations in this version. In the first sentence, Line used the verb â€Å"flooded† vividly to highlight t he brightness of the moonbeam. In the fourth sentence, â€Å"our hometown† instead of â€Å"my hometown† arouses association that someone in the author's hometown is also watching the moon and missing him. They are the translator's recreation of the original poem.In general, it is a good translation and expresses Lie Basis emotion accurately. Version two: Thoughts in a Tranquil Night Athwart the bed I watch the moonbeams cast a trail So bright, so cold, so frail, That for a space it gleams Like hoarfrost on the margin of my dreams. I raise my head -? The splendid moon I see: Then drop my head, And sink to dreams of thee -? My fatherland, of thee! This version is from the British gemologist L. Crammer-Bang. His translation is very different from the original poem in form and meaning. The sentences are complicated and the expressions are too far away from the original one.We can find no evidence in Lie Basis poem about â€Å"so cold, so frail† in the second senten ce and â€Å"on the margin of my dreams† in the fifth sentence. Also, in the last sentence, the noun fatherland† departed from the author's opinion, because the creation time of â€Å"Still night thoughts† was in the glorious age of Tang dynasty, Lie ABA wrote this poem to express his homesickness rather than patriotism. I suppose the translator was not familiar with the creation background of the original poem, yet the culture background is the important part to analysis the motivation of writer's work and to comprehend it better.Though L. Crammer-Bang tried hard to recreate â€Å"Still night thoughts†, his lacking of culture background led to improper change. As a whole, this version is not a successful translation. Version three: So bright a gleam on the foot of my bed, Could there have been a frost already? Lifting my head to look, I found that it was moonlight, Sinking back again, I thought suddenly of home. This version is from a Harold Witter Banner , an American poet. Though its form differs from the original one, it is a simple and beautiful poem.It began with the phrase â€Å"so bright† attracting the readers to read forward and distinctively showed ten Darlingness AT ten Mooney. In ten second sentence, ten translator a mention what the bright gleam was, instead he wrote a rhetorical question â€Å"Could here have been a frost already? † he did not used any words to express â€Å"R' in the original poem, his expression manifested it well. In the next sentences, he selected the word â€Å"lift† and â€Å"sink† to display the writer's movement. â€Å"Lift† and â€Å"sink† comported the slow movement which implied the complex emotion of he writer.In the last sentence, Banner utilized the adverb the â€Å"suddenly' which added the finishing touch the pen. Despite of no related words in the original poem about the word â€Å"suddenly', we can feel from the scene that Lie ABA watched th e moon which associated him with he homeland, and then the strong emotion of homesickness occurred to him, so the nostalgia was a spasm. Banner stretched his imagination moderately and added the hidden meaning into the translation. Overall, this version not only displays the beauty of â€Å"Still night thoughts†, but also showed the translator bilingual language skill.Version four: As by my bed The moon did beam, It seemed as if with frost the earth were spread. But soft I raise My head, to gaze At the fair moon. And now, With head bent low, Of home I dream. This version is also from a foreigner John Turner. This version and it is a typical English poem. There are various sentence patterns and some sentences are separated into different lines and different in size. For instance, in the last two sentences, â€Å"With head bent IoW' is an independent nominative sentence and â€Å"of home I dream† is an inverted sentence.All these sentences in picturesque disorder presen t the irregular beauty of the English poem. As for selection of words, Turner did a good Job as well. Since the translator has already mentioned the moon in the first line, it is proper to use â€Å"seemed as † to express Also, the verb â€Å"gaze† emphasized the writer looked at the moon for a long time that well displayed the complicated feelings in the writer's heart. The phrase â€Å"bent IoW' used by Turner accurately depicts the slowly and gently movement of the writer's head. Anther apparent characteristic of this translation is its rhyme.It adopts iambic pentameter that is â€Å"ABA CD b† rhyme which makes the poem full of beauty of sound. However, the word â€Å"beam† in the second sentence is not suitable, for â€Å"beam† is used to indict a line of light which is different from the scene that the moonlight covered the ground. Soft† in the fourth line is unnecessary, for the reason that the writer is not prepared to feel sad and he raised his head naturally when he saw the light on the floor. It is superfluous to add the word â€Å"soft† here to enhance the emotion of homesickness.In general, it is a good translation and displays â€Å"Still night thoughts† with the beauty of English language. Version Twelve: Moonlight before my bed, Could it be frost instead? Head up, I watch the moon; Head down, I think of home. This version is from Chaos Sheehan This translation is simple and easily understood, its structure is clear and lucid, and it is easy to read, sing and memory. At this aspect, this version is very alike the original poem. But this translation is a good poem, because the wording of it is rough.For example, â€Å"head up† and â€Å"head down† in the last two sentences express the movement of raising head and falling head of the writer too straight and directly that they can not present the subtle emotions implied in the movement. In the first two sentences, the translator o mitted all words about the brightness of the moonlight in order to keep the translation succinct. However, moon is the most important imagery in this poem in that moon as a special meaning in the Chinese culture that it often closely related to the family, hometown or motherland, and it is the key to arouse the nostalgia of the writer in this poem.Therefore, this omission is not desirable. Meanwhile, Chaos made little creative changes in the translations. Although this version gets on for the regular beauty of Chinese ancient poem, it is not a beautiful English poem and can not represent the splendor of â€Å"Still night thoughts†. Conclusion: Generally speaking, the criteria of poetry translation are according to three sections faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance. Without enough knowledge of the culture background and the accurate understanding of the original poem, it is hard to achieve faithfulness and will mislead the readers, as version two mistakes homesickness wi th patriotism.On the base of faithfulness, excellent bilingual language skill is a must; otherwise original poem will lose its beauty under the translator's hand, as version five is a plain and too direct poem. In addition, apt recreation is needed to cater for different language user and even add beauty to the poem. Version one, three and five are successful examples with the translator's ingenuity, including wording, sentence pattern and organization.

Competition Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Competition Theories - Essay Example The primary role of government then is to ensure the flexibility of the market through supply-side policies. There were three main theories used to justify this - Free Market Theory, Say's Law, and the Quantity Theory of Money. In the Free Market Theory, it is assumed that if they economy were left to fend for itself, then it would tend to full employment equilibrium. For instance, in a classical scenario a surplus of labor equates into unemployment, which results in falling wages. Once wages fall, there would be an increased demand in labor, and hence equilibrium is achieved. Say's Law (named after 19th century economist Jean Baptiste Say) argues that "supply creates its own demand", and gives credence to the traditional belief that the economy will make provisions for full employment. It states that an increase in supply will always have a resulting increase in demand, and since there will be no shortage in demand jobs will always be available. Unemployment would thus be temporary as the pattern of demand adjusts itself. Lastly, the traditional view of inflation is based on the Quantity Theory of Money. Quite simply, this outlines that an increase in the money supply would lead to inflation. Thus, if the money supply could be controlled, inflation would be at a low. The Neoclassic approach to perfect competition essentially defines a competitive market as one in which there are a large number of small firms, all selling a homogenous good and possessing perfect knowledge. Using this analysis, it is the structure of the market which determines the inherent competitiveness of the market. The Austrian school of thought firmly rejects this. Hunt (2000) states that the "Austrian school's theory of competition is noted for its insistence that competition is a process, and is not a thing, place, or collective entity." (p. 26) To the Austrian economist, competition is defined by rivalrous behavior, meaning competition is simply offering better deals than the prevailing competition. Competition arises from one firm establishing a pronounced differentiator that is parlayed into a sustainable competitive advantage against other firms. Now, because firms in the real world do not have access to perfect information, the viability of a competitive strategy wou ld not be known. Ergo, if one is to assume perfect knowledge, then in essence you are placing by the wayside the pressing quagmire that competition is supposed to solve. Consumer preferences are not handed on a silver platter, by taking part in the competition process firms discover them. Likewise, the cost-effectiveness of a firm's technology is never freely provided, this is something that is learned as well. This makes the basic tenet of the Austrian theory of competition as "knowledge-discovery" - the challenge of working one's way through relatively incomplete information. In relative comparison, the Post- Keynesian theory of competition revolves around the premise of each plant being built on a scale lower than the optimum one. Soon after, the long-term average cost is prone to decrease and may lead to significantly increasing returns. Straffa (1926) put it succinctly in stating that "firms operating under perfect competition must be subject to decreasing returns of scale, and that increasing returns would only exist in the presence of a monopoly. (p. 535) The foundation of the Keynesian theory

A Socioeconomic Analysis in Sierra Leone Research Proposal

A Socioeconomic Analysis in Sierra Leone - Research Proposal Example The aggregate microfinance program in Sierra Leone has currently a loan portfolio worth US$3.4 million, with some 45,717 active borrowers and 23,243 depositors accounting for US$963,373.90 (MIX, 2011). Microfinance has been intended as the flagship project through which the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may effect grassroots level economic development while at the same time providing women the impetus to explore a wider range of possibilities and thereby contribute to the advancement of their families and communities. There is great difficulty, however, in the sourcing of loans for women to establish their businesses with. Traditionally, women are able to get loans only from their male relatives, and oftentimes with substantial collateral. While loans are available from the bank, this channel would only grant loans to women who have a man’s backing. When the loan is being taken out without a male endorser, it has been the case that women are commonly pressured into having sex by bank staff (Guardian, 2011). The sorry state of women under the traditional norms in Sierra Leone has prompted development planners to embark upon sustained and organized microfinance aimed specifically at women. Recently, the U.S. State Department had sent a mission, comprised of women technology experts, to Sierra Leone in order to gather the facts and recommend a solution as to how technology can improve women’s ability and subsequently empower them.... The sorry state of women under the traditional norms in Sierra Leone has prompted development planners to embark upon sustained and organized microfinance aimed specifically at women. Recently, the U.S. State Department had sent a mission, comprised of women technology experts, to Sierra Leone in order to gather the facts and recommend a solution as to how technology can improve women’s ability and subsequently empower them. â€Å"We know effective development comes when women are targeted† (Guardian, 2011), because of women’s generally close affinity to the household. As it stands, there are still no businesswomen’s group or any organization of the sort which could accelerate the process of enabling women to be economically productive 1.3 Statement of the research goal Briefly stated, the goal of this research is to determine whether or not the microfinance programs undertaken among the women in Sierra Leone have succeeded in empowering Sierra Leonean wom en in a significant way. 1.4 Research objectives In order to arrive at relevant conclusions in response to the research goal, the research shall seek to find answers to the following objectives: 1.4.1 To describe the state of operations undertaken by microfinance programs implemented in Sierra Leone 1.4.2 To determine the impact of microfinance programs on the economic development of the country 1.4.3 To determine the perception of women microfinance borrowers of their level of empowerment as a result of their availment of microfinance programs 1.4.4 To compare the data on the microfinance programs and the perception of respondent women borrowers of their level of empowerment, in an effort to correlate the two 1.4.5 To

Symbolism of Movie The Matrix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Symbolism of Movie The Matrix - Essay Example Symbolism in this movie is portrayed specifically by the characters and its plot. The movie focuses on how a small group of humans waged war against Artificial Intelligent Machines which seemed to have overtaken humanity (Roz Kaveney 34). In the movie, the machines take part in destruction and simulation of the world. The name of the movie refers to the simulated world, that is, a faked world. Matrix believers, as the movie depicts, agree with everything they do, feel, touch, do or anything that comes in their sight as real. In the movie, Zion City, which is located underground remains as the only human city where the machines have not conquered. Those who are not believers of Matrix together with those who have pulled out, reside in this city. However, just like extentialists like Kierkegaard, who do doubt the existence of God who can help us can be compared to those who believed in the Matrix. They did not believe that there was existence of a better place than where they were at t he moment. The symbolism used in the movie comes directly from the scriptures. It is however not concerned or related with any particular claims of a given religion. In Philosophy, this can be termed as Philosophy of Religion. For instance, the hidden city called Zion in the movie is what, according to the scriptures, called the wilderness. Just like in the scriptures, the wilderness is a truth that not many people know about. The same applies to Zion, which is actually hidden. In addition to this, according to the scriptures, the wilderness is a place God has created to protect his people against the evil when satan knocks at the door. Just like the children of Israel entered the wilderness as a place where they could find refuge, Zion served as a place where those people who did not believe in the Matrix ran to hide against the wicked Artificial Intelligent Machines. Just as an addition, Zion, the name used for the city in the movie, was one of the names given to the Children of I srael. Another area where symbolism is used in the movie, just like in the scriptures, when satan waged war against the children of Israel, not all children ran to the wilderness for hiding. The same applies in the movie where it is seen that all people run to the hidden city for refuge. Most of the key characters taking up various roles in the movie are Hebrews (blacks). This makes one to arrive at a conclusion that the person who did the writing of the movie, most likely was a black person. It is actually true, Sophia Steward, also referred to as the Mother of the Matrix who is a Hebrew Sister is the original author of the movie. The simulation used in the movie portrays the deceptive nature of the satanic world. According to Revelations 12:9, it is said that the great dragon, which is an old serpent also referred to as the Devil or Satan, has his main mission to deceive the world. This simulation, as used in the movie, makes those who believe in the Matrix not to have any questio n marks in their actions, whatever they see and feel. They take everything as real. According to From Alien to the Matrix, it is obvious that some roles were to be played no other group but the Hebrews. It is clear that none of the Hebrews did take up any role associated with the evil. The agents, on the side of characters and characterization, were allocated the most diabolical roles. In essence, they were used to

Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vincent Van Gogh his artwork and life - Essay Example â€Å"Vincent Van Gogh, for whom color was the chief symbol of expression, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland. The son of a pastor, brought up in a religious and cultured atmosphere, Vincent was highly emotional and lacked self-confidence. Between 1860 and 1880, when he finally decided to become an artist, Van Gogh had had two unsuitable and unhappy romances.† His early life was less than ordinary. He worked as a clerk in a bookstore, as an art salesman, and a preacher. He was unsuccessful in all these ventures. The real start to his life as an artist was in 1886 when he went to Paris to join his brother Theo, the manager of Goupil’s gallery. His brother stood by him through thick and thin and offered valuable solutions to secular problems and gave financial support, when needed. â€Å"Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more impassioned in brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and i n the movement and vibration of form and line. Van Gogh's inimitable fusion of form and content is powerful; dramatic, lyrically rhythmic, imaginative, and emotional, for the artist was completely absorbed in the effort to explain either his struggle against madness or his comprehension of the spiritual essence of man and nature.† The works of this post-impressionist painter had a far-reaching influence on the 20th century art for its emotional impact and vivid colors. His mental illness reflected in his paintings. He was not known and his paintings were not appreciated during his lifetime. Today he is ranked as one of the greatest painter in the history of art, and an important contributor to the modern art. Today his paintings are in great demand and fetch astronomical prices.

VIDEO 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

VIDEO 2 - Assignment Example All my dreams and ambitions for the future have literally gone down into the drains. ME: I understand your fears but I would strongly urge that you put away all that negative emotion and embrace life in its fullest now more than ever. You are right to assert that AIDS still has no cure but the ART therapy is there to ensure that you continue to live a healthy and long life. I will give you a small booklet featuring stories of HIV victims like yourself from all across the globe who have managed to survive with the virus for as long as 45 years. And who is to decide that you can’t go past that? Who determines whether you achieve or not? There are numerous patients around who discovered their status and yet set out into achieving their goals and dreams, and because of their extra-ordinary drive, many of them have since time immemorial been recognized by prestigious institutions and awards such as the Nobel – feats that ‘healthy’ (gestures with fingers to mean word ‘healthy’ is in quotes) folk like us can only dream of. In additio n, the mere fact that you have acquired the virus does not mean that you will die before everyone. Death can come in any form, for anyone, and at anytime of the day. I silently know in my heart from my interactions with life that I can walk out of this meeting and meet an untimely road accident and die or be left in a vegetative state, for instance. But this uncertainty in mankind’s life does not imply that we should stop living and dreaming for a better life. No. That would be to miss the point of living in the first place. Every day is a new possibility and one that must be cherished. So soldier on and choose for yourself whether you want to spend the rest of your life wallowing in self-pity or whether you want your name etched in the books of history. ME: I have known you for quite awhile now. I know you are talented in a number of ways and I want to see you use

Innovation and change - open innovation and strategy Essay - 4

Innovation and change - open innovation and strategy - Essay Example More importantly, it is realized that innovation is normally a very expensive process for most organizations hence it really requires that its success be effectively determined in order to justify the financial allocation on the process. Most importantly, the present business environment mostly relies on innovation as the engine through which success and positive change can be realized in the organization. Any innovation process in the organization is normally intended to achieve the basic goals of the organization which include revenue growth, customer satisfaction and profit maximization. These fundamental metrics are therefore the core factors that any model for the measurement of innovation performance should focus upon. However, it must be realized that these success metrics can normally be influenced by other factors other than innovation. In this regard, it is much important to draw the line between the successes realized as a result of innovation from other influencing factors. Like in the overall business growth, measuring innovation performance is never limited to the tangible goals realized in the organization. Quite a number of intangible factors normally indicate the success or failure of a given innovation process in the organization. In measuring the performance or success of innovation in the organization, the success metrics are weighed against the inputs towards the innovation process. Inputs in this regard are normally both tangible and intangible. Tangible inputs include the financial resources needed in the process and the quantifiable adjustments done in the organization as a result of the innovation process. On the other hand, intangible inputs include staff-behavior adjustments and increased attention in the organization in order to successfully enhance the innovation process (Shehabuddeen, 2007). The simplest generic model in the measurement of innovation can focus on the opportunity costs of the innovation process. In this process,

Candide El Dorado sequence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Candide El Dorado sequence - Essay Example Candide and Cacambo are appreciated in this strange land. Their host, the king and the old man together personify the goodness inherent in all human beings. Remember Candide has had a rough time since his fleeing the home of the Baron. He nearly gives up on the concept of equality and fairness. Despite the lessons received from Con’egonde’s tutor - the philosopher on equality of humanity, the harsh conditions in life alter his mentality towards a state of despondency (Shmoop 32). Eldorado therefore, offers an opportunity to dream again of a just society. Once again Candide is offered a lifeline. He has a reason to live more and appreciate life for what it is. The comparisons by Candide of the life in Westphalia and the life in Eldorado serve to show that Eldorado offers humanity a fair share of life. Candide compares the smiles of the schoolmaster to that of the old man, the kind of excuses given by the old man and even the life lived by the royalty under the king compa red to life in the baron’s palace. The depiction is of a people respectful of the sanctity of life. The society in Eldorado respects life. They purpose to preserve life. This is a major difference from the other cities and places Candide visits in his journeys (Voltaire 24). In his own land, he was forced out merely due to his unpermitted interaction with the daughter of the baron. This is due to an intolerant despot in the person of the baron. He represents the irony of societal leaders. Ideally, leadership was for maintenance of order, peace and harmony. Leaders are expected to be servants of the people. However, the baron’s demeanor full of contempt towards his own subjects who he openly discriminates offers the least of that. Consequently, Candide is denied with the pleasure and privilege of engaging with the baron’s daughter Con’egonde. Therefore, the warm reception Candide receives in Eldorado surprises him. This is a significant aspect of leadershi p. The author depicts the king in Eldorado as the true leader. The reception to the king’s residence not only amuses Candide but depicts the humility of the royalty in Eldorado (Wilson and Reill 201). Eldorado is a world of liberalism. The king allows ideas and pursuit of individual happiness. The bigotry and hypocrisy of other world leaders are openly disdained. The Eldorado’s are free to trade through the market system. Merchants, currency and commerce in general exist without an exploitative regime. The king does not hide behind service provision to collect taxes (Kohler and Magill).While other governments and societies employ the concept of laissez faire, they frustrate the spirit through the abuse of state resources. The free market system ideally views the government as the facilitator of free markets. It is on this premise that they pay taxes to enable governments provide the facilitating environment. However, in society, the governments of the day have continua lly abused state authority to satisfy their own selfish interests. The leadership of the king departs from this tradition. He allows economic empowerment. He uses the resources efficiently for the benefit of the people. Ideally, the author uses this to show his disdain of governments. He champions patriotic leadership that has the interest of the people at heart (Voltaire 24,25). Further a veiled effort to chide class struggles in society emanates. The primary reason that leads to Candide’

International Financial System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International Financial System - Assignment Example The international gold standard was declared dead in 1933 at the London Conference although all major nations including the UK, the US, Italy, and France wanted a return to the international gold standard. The proposal of drawing rights with the aim of stabilizing exchange rates also could not be initiated. The reason for the collapsing gold standard was attributed to the US and the UK forcing low peg to gold, as a result no consensus could e reached among major countries on returning back to gold standard. Increased tariff barriers were also one of the reasons hindering other nations to support a return to the gold standard; also other nations doubted Britain’s intentions of getting the benefit in the Commonwealth by not effectively forcing fiscal measures (Action Forex 2010). Some of the rescue options included reining in of foreign capital flow to safeguard emerging economies, strengthening the monetary power of the IMF and codification of debt rescheduling by permitting co untries to request IMF to file for a debt hold agreement (Mandel & Foust 1998). From 1939 to 1942 Britain exhausted all its stock of gold in purchasing ammunition, which made it clear that return to the gold standard was not possible. The predictions of John Maynard Keynes got proved to become a part of the â€Å"stability pact† finding Keynes voice heard in the Bretton Woods Agreement, signed on 1944 (Action Forex 2010). Bretton Woods Agreement was signed for the establishment of International Bank for Reconstruction (IBRD, the World Bank), etc.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essay Example for Free

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost Essay The act of choosing is one of the most basic, yet complex thought processes of the human mind. We humans encounter the action of choosing every single day, it can be as simple as picking out what shoes to wear, or as life altering as deciding to get an abortion. In modern western culture, citizens have the right of freedom, thus granted independence of choice. This in effect, generates unlimited amount of opportunities and choices to be made. The obvious dilemma here, being which choice is the correct one, and why we pursue to make this choice. After reading the poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, the act of choosing strikes me as the main concept of the poem. The concept of choice is introduced and used throughout the entire poem, in a first person narrative style of writing. My interpretation of â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is that Robert Frost delivers a thoughtful way of expressing a first person choice process. He demonstrates just how important choices can be in our lives, done through writing about his decision to travel through a road over another, and later comes to the conclusion he should have taken the other road. Another important concept Robert Frost puts forward, is that one choice may perhaps lead to another choice by delivering the phrase â€Å"Yet knowing way leads to way† in the fourth sentence of the thirds stanza. I therefore believe that the poem can be compared to a gradual experience of a choice made in ones life. Demonstrating how usually one decides to follow a certain path in their life, as it seems the more suitable choice at the point in time. However it may not be the best choice or seem as good as it did in the beginning.

Comparing Human Resources United States And Japan Commerce Essay

Comparing Human Resources United States And Japan Commerce Essay Comparative HRM seeks to describe, compare and analyse the way human resource management and deployment is carried out in various countries amid the globalisation of businesses, people, goods and services. Although most HRM systems across the globe will contain similar key functions as recruitment, deployment, compensation, as well as training and development, the ways they are carried out in each country are very much influenced by the varying national culture and the institutional framework and settings. Differences in these contexts and environment play a key role in how HRM practices are carried out, defined and accepted across regions and nations. Universalist Vs Contextual Fundamentally, there are two approaches to exploring HRM: the universalist approach and the contextual (Brewster, 1999) approach. These two approaches are reflected in two further dichotomies: the cultural and institutional school of differences, and the convergence and divergence schools of thought. The universalist paradigm, which is dominant in the USA, assumes that the purpose of HRM is to improve the way human resources are managed strategically so as to achieve organisational performance and goals, as judged by its impact on a companys declared corporate strategy and its respective stakeholders (Brewster, 2011). Based upon this concept is the assumption that there exists a good standard practice of HRM which were characterised by the US Department of Labor (1993) as having certain characteristics: Careful and extensive systems for recruitment, selection and training Formal systems for sharing information with the individuals who work in the organisation Clear job design Local-level participation procedures Monitoring of attitudes Performance appraisals Properly functioning grievance procedures Promotion and compensation schemes that provide for the recognition and financial rewarding of high-performing members of the workforce. However, other researchers and practitioners, especially those with knowledge and interests in other countries, find the list contrary to their own experience and what they perceive of as good practice. For example, companies operating in a high power-distance environment with a heavy top-down management approach may not find it a necessity to implement local-level participation procedures or grievance channels. In contrasts, the contextual paradigm focus recognises that different HRM systems are contextually unique. It focuses on asking the hows and the whys of the existence of different perceptions and practices of HRM in different countries. The policies and practices of leading-edge companies are of less interest to contextualists than explaining how certain labour markets work and why certain practices are adopted by most. And contrary to the Universalist approach, measurement and attainment of organisational performance is secondary. Contextualists explore the importance of factors such as cultures, labour market regulations, role of governments, unions, and ownership structures in influencing HRM and accepts that within an organisation, people has differing views, beliefs, needs and requirements. The universalist paradigm excludes much of the work of HRM specialists in areas such as compliance, equality issues, trade union relationships and dealing with government and other governing bodies, due to its focus of operation within the level of the organisation. Contextualists, on the other hand, involve themselves beyond the organisation level to issues at the national or international level. Culturalist Vs Institutionalist Within the Contextualist paradigm, there are two schools of thought, namely the cultural school and the institutional school. Proponents of the culturalist approach would argue that national cultural differences while difficult to observe and measure, are important in shaping the ways human resources are managed and deployed across different countries or regions. Culture is defined as a set of shared values, assumptions and beliefs that are learnt through membership in a group, and that influence the attitudes and behavious of group members (Pankaj, G., 2011). This definition includes 3 key characteristics: First, culture can be understood as a group phenomenon that distinguishes people of one group from another. From this perspective, cultures exist at many different levels, including organizational funchtions or business units, occupational groups, organizations, industries, geographical regions, and nations (Kwok Leung 2005). Second, the above definition implies that culture is not obtained by birth but rather acquired through a process of socialization. The learning of shared values, assumptions and beliefs occurs through interactions family, teachers, officials, experiences and society at large. Geert Hofstede speaks of culture as a process of collective programming of the mind(Hofstede, G., 1980). Third, it is this collective programming that determines what is considered acceptable or attractive behaviour. In other words, cultural values provide preferences or priorities for one behaviour over another. Cultural value differences have persisted to exist despite some convergences in cultural habits, artefacts and symbols. For example, in Korea, employees observe a strict code of deference and utmost submissiveness to their superiors while a Swedish or Danish employee might feel more at ease to challenge their superiors over a differing opinion. Some cultures put more emphasis on honesty whilst others on loyalty to friends and relationships. From the perspective of institutional theory, organisational decision making is not an outcome just of strategic choice but also of powerful social forces within and outside organisations. The forces emanate from social institutions such as region, family, work, school, politics (Berger P.L. and Luckman T., 1967). The theory acknowledges that organisations operate within a specific political, economic, social and technological environment largely shaped by history. In order to be effective in that environment, these organisations need to manage in way that recognise the local circumstances and create and sustain legitimacy with key stakeholders. For example, in Europe compared to USA, the government plays a larger role in deciding how employees is to be protected of their jobs and what terms they are to be employed. Convergence Vs Divergence For at least four decades the international management literature has been characterized by two recurring and very central debates: on the macro (country) level the so-called convergence vs. divergence debate, which remains a key point of controversy in cross-cultural management; and, on the meso (company) level, the standardization vs. localization debate, one of the central questions in the literature on multinational corporations (MNCs). Since HRM deals with the management of people, it is often seen as one of the functions that will be least likely to converge across countries and where MNCs are more likely to localize their practices than to export their country-of-origin practices. While there is considerable support for this assumption, the question remains whether the increasing importance of globalization and the ever-growing presence of MNCs will not diminish the localization of practices. In this context, the dominance effect assumes particular importance. It occurs when management practices of subsidiaries are neither shaped in accordance to the host country (localization), nor to the home country (country-of-origin effect), but according to that country which sets the standards for what are perceived global best practices. (Markus ,P. and Anne-Wil, H. 2007) The convergence vs divergence debate is one between those who argue that all aspects of management are becoming more alike due to the forces of globalisation and those who believe that each country continues to have its own approach to management and HRM, in particular. Convergence can be viewed from a market-based perspective where the logic and diffusion of technology and data mean that in order to compete successfully, everyone will seek to adopt the most efficient management and HRM practices (Kidger P.J., 1991). The predominant model is assumed to be the US univeralist model (Smith C. and Meiskins P., 1995). This is also referred to as the dominance effect as mentioned above. From the institutional perspective, similar legislation or institutional framework across a region or group of countries e.g. the European Union would mean more similarities in the ways countries handle HRM. On the other end of the wider debate, the concepts of cultural differences and institutional theory would support the argument for divergence. Proponents of divergence theory do not believe that the same management or HRM practices can be used across different countries due to the shaping forces of cultural and institutional differences, and that practitioners must be aware of, understand and respond to these national differences. Hofstedes study of culture Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by national culture. (Hofstede 1980, 2001) He started off with analyzing a large data base of employee values scores gathered by IBM between 1967 and 1973 covering more than 70 countries, from which he first started using the 40 different largest companies and further extended the analysis to 50 other countries. Hofstedes value dimensions comprise of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism and Masculinity. Power distance  : Power distance is the extent to which the members of power distance organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. ( Hofstede 1980, 2001) Individualism vs.  collectivism: The degree to which individuals are integrated into groups. In individualistic societies, the stress is put on personal achievements and individual rights. In contrast, the individuals in collectivist societies act predominantly as members of a lifelong and cohesive group or organization. Uncertainty  Avoidance: The focuses on the tolerance level for uncertainty and  ambiguity within the society. It reflects the extent to which members of a society attempt to cope with  anxiety  by minimizing uncertainty. Masculinity  vs.  Femininity: The distribution of emotional roles between the  genders. Masculine cultures values are  competitiveness,  assertiveness,  materialism, ambition and power, whereas feminine cultures place more value on  relationships  and  quality of life. Geert Hofstede added a fifth dimension after conducting an additional international study using a Chinese value survey instrument developed within the Chinese region. Hofstede described this dimension as Confusion Dynamism which is also known as Long Term Orientation. Long-Term Orientation vs. Short-Term Orientation: The degree of focus on the society embraces dealing with virtue. Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth. In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on circumstance, contexture and timing. Japan HRM practices vs. America HRM practices Japan as one of the world major growing economies, has a homogenous culture which many countries have tried to emulate the management policies and practices with varying degrees of success. The Japanese society is highly characterised by a strong sense of group and community. Strong loyalty enrooted in their character, for which they are prepared to sacrifice their personal interests for the benefit of the group. In contrast, America being the world most dominant leader, has a influential management style and culture contexts. The rest of the world has looked upon it as models and sources of managerial innovations. American strong strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people make it the top notch leader in todays Human Resource Management. Differences in Power Distance between Japan and America Japanese are mindful of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly to the existing culture. Culture in Japan are define as high power distance as mostly of the decisions must be confirmed by each hierarchical layer and finalised by the top management. An example is the Ringi method of decision making. This process involves a great deal of informal consultation and leads to the preparation of a written proposal which is circulated to affected employees by the implementation and then to the senior management level. Being a particularistic country, employees in Japanese company are treated based on ranks and seniority and the number of years they served in that particular company. Long term and life-time employment are often offer for regular core employees who are loyal and display commitment to the company. On the other hand, American displayed small power distance. They tends to treat people fairly. American hierarchy is being established for convenience purpose. Communication is open, informal and direct. They tends to express what they exactly mean without talking around things. Leaders are approachable and accessible and individuals are being rely based on their expertise. Collectivistic Japanese vs. Individualism American Japanese society shows many characteristics of being a collectivistic society and also being classified as collectivistic by Western standards. The integration of the individual into groups is part of the principal goal in Japanese society. Relationship and harmony becomes an crucial part of the working society and prevails over business itself. Mass focus in strong group -cohesiveness include extended families such as putting harmony of group above the expression of individual opinions is the differentiated characteristics in which Japanese displayed. The Japanese emphasize teamwork, participation and leadership in the organisation. They discourages open expression and open conflict because of the importance of avoiding embarrassment. American comprises highly individualistic culture. They are self-focused and prefer to act as individuals rather than members of the group. There is individual freedom and success to purse ones career progression and interests and they believe individuals can shape and control ones destinies. Employees are more concerned with their own careers and personal success rather than the goals of the organisation. They do at times, displayed collectivism in the face of a common threat. Masculinity focus vs. Masculinity focus in Japan and America Japan is one of the most masculine societies in the world which is highly driven by competition, achievement and success. Even at the very young age, they are being taught on the importance of winning. And in corporate Japan, employees strive to the best of their abilities when they are fighting against their competitors in winning. On the other hand, It is still tentatively hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their masculine norm of long working hours which result in high  discrimination against woman. In contrast, Male seniors are still much more appreciated and stand a higher chance in achieving the promotion opportunities. American are ambitious, competitive, goal oriented and high achievers. American tends to display and talk openly in a friendly manner on their achievements. In the States, hiring and firing employees are justify accordingly on the market conditions. Employees are employ based on individual skills and working experience. Hiring and promotion decisions are based on the basis merits as opposed to status, hierarchy and gender. The American system is performance orientated and job status is based on the performance of their job scope. Many new hires are professional who are highly educated and well-trained. High Uncertainty Japan vs. Low Uncertainty Avoidance America Japan is rank as one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries which is easily differentiated from the rest of the countries. They dislike uncertainty and everything must be in good control without any uncertainty occurring. Japanese spent a lot of time and effort into feasibility studies and all risk factors must be minimize before any decision is make. Detailed facts and figures must also be provided for supporting every decision the organisation makes. This high degree for uncertainty avoidance is one of the reasons why changes are still so difficult to realize in current Japan. America are being describe as most uncertainty accepting country. There is a large degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try new invention. Americans are more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression.   They accept risks and are risk-takers. American live more easily with uncertainly and skeptical about rules and regulations. They believe all problems can be solved and all obstacles will be overcome. Long-Term Orientation in Japan vs. Short-Term Orientation in America Japan being long term orientation is seen in the consistent high rate in terms of investment and research and development even in economically down time. Japanese prefer to progress slowly towards a long-term goal. Values associated with long-tem orientation are thrift, perseverance and making sacrifices for the future. Japanese embraces long-term commitments and sacrifice for a purpose. Serving the stakeholders and future generation are the long term commitment for most Japanese company at current. American orientation dimension focus on short term oriented culture. They measure their business as a short term basis as they are performance-oriented and result-oriented. Individuals are drives for quick results and are expect to produce quick results in the shortest time. American value the past and current resulting in respect for tradition and fulfilling social obligations. Varieties of Capitalism Facing the globalization process national economies and their institutional arrangements are confronted with the increasing competition to each other in order to generate the best economical results as national wealth growth, high employment etc. The liberal argumentation in this issue supports therefore institutional deregulation and the welfare-state retrenchment as the adequate responses to the challenge and names the economies of the USA and of the UK as the successful models of capitalism. In their opinion, the less liberal market economies as f. ex. Germany, Sweden, France or Japan should change their institutional arrangements into liberal ones to keep competitive on the global markets. The varieties of capitalism approach to the political economy is actor-centered, which is to say we see the political economy as a terrain populated by several actors, each of whom seeks to advance his interest in a rational way of strategic interactions with others. In which the relevant actors may be individuals, firms, producer groups, or government related. LME Vs CME Liberal market economies (LMEs), which coordinate activities via hierarchies and competitive market arrangements, classically described by Williamson. The LME system is based on arms-length exchange of goods and services, in the context of competition and formal contracting. Actors adjust to the price signals generated by markets. In many cases an effective coordination is achieved and equilibrium outcomes of firms behavior are given by supply and demand. Coordinated market economies (CMEs),  which make more use of non-market relations. Key elements of non-market relations are extensive relational investment, incomplete contracts and network monitoring based on the exchange of private information within networks, as opposed to competitive behavior. Both LMEs and CMEs have institutional capacities-albeit different capacities-for being competitive. For instance, firms in LMEs tend to compete on the basis of low cost and radical product innovation. Why? Because LMEs have institutions like weakly regulated labor markets as well as financial systems that impose short-term investment horizons but allow high risk taking. These enable firms to keep labor costs down, shed labor and close plants quickly, shift capital rapidly from one industry to another, and invest in risky but potentially revolutionary and lucrative research and development projects. In contrast, firms in CMEs compete more on the basis of quality and incremental innovation, such as adopting breakthrough technologies developed elsewhere. This is because CMEs have institutions like cooperative industrial relations systems within firms, coordinated wage bargaining across firms, national vocational training programs, and financial systems that allow for long-term investmen t horizons. These produce highly skilled managers and workers who tend to cooperate in planning, trouble shooting, and the introduction of the latest technologies in ways that enhance product quality (Hall and Soskice 2001b; Soskice 1999; Streeck 1991). This is not to say that all LMEs and CMEs perform successfully. Many firms in a coordinated market economies employ productive strategies that rely on highly skilled labor force given substantial work and encourage to share information it acquires in order to generate continuous improvements in product lines and productive processes. However, companies which adopt such strategies are vulnerable to hold up by their employees and stealing of skilled workers by other companies. Labour legislation in United States Wages Working Hours In US, the Department of Labor enforces the  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which sets basic minimum wage and overtime pay standards. (US Department of Labor, 30.10.12). The Act requires that employees must receive at least the  minimum wage  of $7.25 per hour and may not be employed for more than 40 hours in a week without receiving at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for the  overtime  hours. Overtime Pay: Not less than one and one-half times regular rate of pay Vacation and Sick Leave The  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)  does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations, sick leave or federal or other holidays. These benefits are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employees representative). The  Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)  provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain medical and family situations (e.g., adoption) for either the employee or a member of the covered and eligible employees immediate family; however, in many instances paid leave may be substituted for unpaid FMLA leave. Severance Pay Severance pay is often granted to employees upon termination of employment. It is usually based on length of employment for which an employee is eligible upon termination. There is no requirement in the  Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)  for severance pay. Severance pay is a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employees representative). The  Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)  may be able to assist an employee who did not receive severance benefits under their employer-sponsored plan. Equal Opportunity Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964  prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment, on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin. This law is enforced by the  Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Unemployment insurance programs In general, the Federal-State Unemployment Insurance Program provides unemployment benefits to eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirments of State law. Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law. Each State administers a separate unemployment insurance program within guidelines established by Federal law. Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts and the length of time benefits are available are determined by the State law under which unemployment insurance claims are established. In addition to helping workers and their families, the Unemployment Insurance programs play a key role in helping businesses, communities, and the nations economy. The program helps cushion the impact of economic downturns and brings economic stability to communities, states, and the nation by providing temporary income support for laid-off workers. Unions and their members The  Labour-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA)  of 1959 deals with the relationship between a union and its members. It protects union funds and promotes union democracy by requiring labour organizations to file annual financial reports, by requiring union officials, employers, and labour consultants to file reports regarding certain labour relations practices, and by establishing standards for the election of union officers. The act is administered by the Office of Labour-Management Standards (OLMS). Summary In summary, we can see that the labour system in United States is fairly open with moderate regulation with emphasis on human rights with regards to minimum wages and equality of employment. Most of the other aspects of labour employment including severance pay, vacation pay, sick leave are left to the agreement between each firm and their employees. This is in line with their low uncertainty avoidance culture in which they accept risks and are risk-takers. American live more easily with uncertainty about rules and regulations. They believe all problems can be solved and all obstacles will be overcome with the right resolve. As Americans generally display small power distance, they tend to treat people fairly. American hierarchy is being established for convenience, communication is open, informal and direct. This could be one of the reasons behind their Labour-Management Report and Disclosure Act and the foundation behind the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). This open-culture nature of labour regulation would be a big draw for multinational corporations who are seeking overseas expansion in the face of globalization. Labour legislation in Japan Wages Working hours Japans Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare dictates that an employer shall not have a worker work more than 40 hours per week, excluding rest periods, and more than 8 hours per day for each day of the week, excluding rest periods. (Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training, 27.10.2012) Overtime Pay In the event that an employer extends the working hours or has a worker work on a day off, the employer shall pay increased wages for work during such hours or on such days at a rate no less than the rate stipulated by cabinet order within the range of no less than 25 percent and no more than 50 percent over the normal wage per working hour or day; provided, however, than in the event that the working hour thus extended exceed 60 hours per month, the employer shall pay increased wages for work during those hours at a rate no less than 50 percent over the normal wage per working hour. The Ministry may prescribe changes to these standards or limits or other items as they deem appropriate. Rest periods An employer shall provide workers with at least 45 minutes of rest periods during working hours in the event that working hours exceed 6 hours, and at least one hour in the event that working hours exceed 8 hours. Annual Leave An employer shall also grant annual paid leave in accordance to the following table. Number of years of continuous service from the 6 months completion day Working days 1 year 1 working day 2 years 2 working days 3 years 4 working days 4 years 6 working days 5 years 8 working days 6 years or more 10 working days Dismissal A dismissal shall, where the dismissal lacks objectively reasonable grounds and is not considered to be appropriate in general societal terms, be treated as a misuse of that right and invalid. An employer shall not dismiss a worker during a period of absence from work for medical treatment with respect to injuries or illnesses suffered in the course of employment nor within 30 days thereafter, and shall not dismiss a woman during a period of absence from work before and after childbirth nor within 30 days thereafter; provided, however, that this shall not apply in the event that the employer pays compensation for discontinuance in accordance nor when the continuance of the enterprise has been made impossible by a natural disaster or other unavoidable reason. In the event that an employer wishes to dismiss a worker, the employer shall provide at least 30 days advance notice. An employer who does not give 30 days advance notice shall pay the average wages for a period of not less than 30 days; provided, however, that this shall not apply in the event that the continuance of the enterprise has been made impossible by a natural disaster or other unavoidable reason nor when the worker is dismissed for reasons attributable to the worker. Equal Treatment An employer shall not engage in discriminatory treatment with respect to wages, working hours or other working conditions by reason of the nationality, creed or social status of any worker. In addition, under the Principle of Equal Wages for Men and Women), an employer shall not engage in discriminatory treatment of a woman as compared with a man with respect to wages by reason of the worker being a woman. Employment Insurance System Employment insurance in Japan is an obligatory insurance managed by the government and it is compulsory for any enterprise which employs more than one worker. Under this scheme, benefits are granted to the unemployed, to workers who are having trouble continuing their employment and to those who voluntarily receive vocational training. It aims to promote workers welfare and prevent unemployment by increasing work opportunities and skills training. Summary On the contrary from the United States system, labour employment conditions in Japan are very much regulated and controlled by the government. This is due in part to the fact that Japan is one of the most uncertainty avoiding countries. They dislike uncertainty and everything must be in good control without any uncertain occurring. As such, this is the need for many specific standards and limits in the form of exact figures to avoid ambiguity and confusion. There is also government emphasis on gender discrimination as Japan is a highly-masculine society. These rules protect working women as it is still tentatively hard for women to climb up the corporate ladders in Japan with their masculine norm of long working hours which result in high  discrimination against woman. An interesting point to note is that their labour legislation takes into account the impact of natural disasters on employment terms and agreements. Quite appropriate since Japan is an earthquake-prone country. Japan

Fundamentals of Information Technology

Fundamentals of Information Technology Human Computer Interface (HCI) Kurosu (2011) defines usability as the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use. Usability is dependent on the context of use and that the level of usability achieved will depend on the specific circumstances in which a product is used. The context of use consists of the users, tasks, equipment, and the physical and organizational environments which may all influence the usability of a product Microsoft Visio and Word Interfaces look almost identical with its white shaded ribbons of tools. What are so vastly different between the two applications is their uses. Microsoft Word is a word processing application used for professional looking documentation while Visio is a diagramming and vector graphics application.ÂÂ   An enhancement in terms of usability with Microsoft Word would be its spelling and grammar tool found on the review ribbon. An integrated Speech to text within Word could add to its HCI.ÂÂ   This type of feature could make Swagger Distributions document creation seamlessly faster by adding speech dictation. Databases The Clothing Manufacturers Table houses the manufacturers name, street address, city, state and zip. The Clothing Products table holds the clothing item, color, manufacturers name, wholesale price and retail price The Retail Stares table stores the information for store name, street address, and city, state, zip and clothing item. The Clothing Products table bears currency fields while the Clothing Manufacturers and Rectal Store table has number fields, When opening the Clothing Products table, I could see both the wholesale and retail prices were incorrectly formatted. When changing the retail price from text to currency the prices became correctly formatted. Custom formatting only changed how the data is displayed and does not affect how the data is stored in a Microsoft Access database, or how users can enter or edit data (Microsoft Blog, n.d.). The query creates a list of clothing items in retail stores. It shows the retail store name and state and the clothing item, manufacturer name and retail price. The report is sorted alphabetically by retail store name. There is no secondary sort, because of this, the list of clothing items in each retail store will come out in a random, unpredictable and inconsistent order (Microsoft Blog, n.d.). The Retail Stores table links to the Clothing Products table based on the clothing item. The Clothing Products table links to the Clothing Manufacturers table based on the Manufacturer Name. Visio There are many kinds of Visio diagrams, including flow charts, networking diagrams, and home or office plans. However, you use the same three basic steps to create most of them: Opening a template. Dragging and connect shapes. Adding text to shapes. The Connector Tool in Visio 2013 found in the tools section of the Home Ribbon is used to Auto Connect shapes and stencils. On the insert ribbon of Visio you can insert objects such as pictures on to the canvas. You can begin this process by clicking insert on the Insert ribbon and clicking the option youd like in the illustrations section.. Within the Visio Design Ribbon a user can select their page layout between Portrait and Landscape, whichever works best for that users display. To select an orientation, click on the Orientation option in the Page Setup section of the Design Ribbon. Users can Save their stencils and diagrams by clicking the save option on the Title Bar. A user can consult the Help option on the Visio Title Bar to search the database for help using the application. Visio Help Database Networking Computer Rooms typically provided by libraries to the public, academic institutions to retain access to the Computers (Tomsho, Tittel, Johnson, 2015, p. 315). Swaggered Distributions consists of three segments towards network offices, computer room, and warehouse. The wide area network fits into the computer room private network with the means of the T1 demarcation router. The demarcation router switches over toward the public wide area network where swagger distributions private network resides. The system has a main router whose main is to apply Dynamic Host Control Protocol and routes IP addresses to all connected devices in the network segment. The DHCP server then allocates IP address to the firewall. The firewall based on the security policies allows certain packets of information in and out of the network. Within the computer room, there is a server which acts as a dedicated place for storing files applications where other network based computers which are permitted to log i nto and retrieve specific information. There is also an Ethernet switch whose main duty is to direct packets of information towards the correct connected device in the network and allocate the priority for each data packet sent and received throughout the network. The Ethernet switch acts as the type of hub that extends the network in the direction of the warehouse where it connects by using fiber optic cable to link the two network segments. The fiber optic cable transmits data. The computer room then has another panel that functions as a hub to the segment of the computer room along with the office PCs. The warehouse and the office consist of one remote Ethernet switch. The office, where the PC are connected via category 5 twisted-pair networking cabling runs through the wall into a face plate and directly to the PC allowing that PC to connect to the central servers. Diagram for WLAN Programming: import java.util.*; import java.lang.*; import java.io.*; /* Name of the class has to be Main only if the class is public. */ public class HelloWorld { public static void main (String[] args) throws java.lang.Exception { int day; int month; int year; GregorianCalendar date = new GregorianCalendar(); day = date.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH); month = date.get(Calendar.MONTH); year = date.get(Calendar.YEAR); System.out.println(Welcome to Swagger Distribution!); System.out.println(Welcome, Todays date is +(month+1)+/+day+/+year); } } Code Compiled Successfully The main changes to the original code have been bolded and can be summarized as follows.ÂÂ   SYSTEM.OUT.PRINTL is a built in class in the Java language in which Downing (1999), states the OUT aspect functions to print various data values specified While the PRINTLN() aspect prints data values within a a public method (p.144). The SEMICOLONis a Java compiler expression that communicates within the compiler a statement is complete. The Calendar Code is a built in Java class returns a general object of its type whose calendar fields have been initialized with the current date and time (Downing Downing, 1999, p. 217). Web Technologies According to W3CS standards a website built solely with HTML 5 may have cross compatibility issues across multiple web browsers. HTML5s is not always supported on all browsers, so it is one of the major drawbacks of HTML5. (Dahl, 2017) Core Web Functionalities: Navigation: The ease of access and functionality of a user navigational experience improves the initial website assessment of said user which if positive will cause the user to become a repeat customer. Search:ÂÂ   A search function could prove to be beneficial to a user in the case of Big Data.ÂÂ   The website has too large data set volumes for traditional data processing applications to handle. Readability:ÂÂ   All part of ease of access; readability is just as pivotal. A user should have a seamless time reading the content presented in all aspects. Site Map: A secondary to navigation provided to the user when said user has trouble finding specific information. Accessibility: Following the W3 standards it is important to have accessibility features so that the disabled users can also access and utilize a website successfully with features such as page magnifying, text to speech and on board keyboard. Plug-in: Plug-ins such as social media accounts and other traffic building tools add functionality to a webpage. Subscribe: Subscribing to the companys mailing list to receive the latest on the company happenings and offers to persuade user purchasing of participation. Validation: Ensuring that all vital information required for successful submission on a form is present Conditions and Privacy: It is imperative to cover the legal aspects of using a Companys services and how they may us your entered data. Speed: The speed in which a website loads relies on whether its content and media is optimized appropriately. Amazon, one of the largest online retail stores utilizing the Search Box function. Same retailer, Amazon utilizing structured navigation with the added user ability of headings and sub-headings. Information Security Vacca (2014) defines Information as data that we can organize and process and store distributive or centrally. Any company large or small, data is the most valuable asset and must be securely protected. In terms of the Customers, a data breach could result in the loss of financial information in the form of credit card information and other crucial details. Consumers may lose faith and credibility in the Company for data lose which in turn could cause the total demise of the Company. It is imperative Swagger Distributions has a well conceived plan ofÂÂ   attack and also a preventive plan as well. This past year, half of organizations suffered multiple levels of security incidents. It is recommended that a centralized security team be hired. This team will be responsible for coordinating and executing the security plans. In keeping with a Central Security Team concept there should be a dedicated Security Monitoring team keeping real time track of Applications that has access to Swagger Distributions Data. Statically, hackers attack through the least secure Applications (Vacca, 2014, p. 3); making it easier to corrupt and steal sensitive information. This Monitoring team will report directly to the head of the Central Security Team. One of the largest data break-ins in history (Consumers International, 2015, p. 417); Sony Play Station Network was hacked April 2011. Consumers International (2015) reported the attack is speculated to be an external intrusion that caused the reveal of reported 77 million user accounts information. This information included names, birthdays, email addresses, passwords, security questions, and credit card credentials, of all Play Station Network users. The hack was reportedly caused by an unknown weakness (Consumers International, 2015, p. 418). In Sonys Network causing Sony to temporarily shut down their Network to investigate. References Consumers International (2015). Consumers in the Information Society: Access, Fairness and Representation. Consumers International. Dahl, D. (2017). Multimodal Interaction with W3C Standards. Springer. Downing, D. A., Downing, D. (1999). Computer programming in java, the easy way. New York, NY, United States: Barrons Educational Series Inc.,U.S. Microsoft (2017a). Microsoft A Beginners Guide to Visio. . Retrieved from : https://support.office.com/en-us/article/A-beginner-s-guide-to-Visio-bc1605de-d9f3-4c3a-970c-19876386047c Microsoft. (2017b). Support. Retrieved from Microsoft Blog, https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Specify-how-data-displays-by-using-custom-formatting-a5e5bcde-85da-4c7a-8164-1fe286636668?ui=en-USrs=en-USad=US Tomsho, G., Tittel, E., Johnson, D. (2015). Guide to networking essentials (7th ed.). United States: Thomson/Course Technology. Vacca, J. R. (2014). Computer and information security handbook (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers is an imprint of Elsevier.