Process Steam Boiler Conversion Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Process Steam Boiler Conversion Project - Essay Example Failed projects have a colossal negative impact to any business, especially due to the time and resources spent. Ensuring that the project management process continues in a successful manner, tools are available to support and ensure that the aspects of project integration, time, cost, quality, as well as human resources are effectively covered. The project charter for instance is a very important document that is prepared to support a successful project management process (Schwalbe, 2009). This lays the framework for the project management process and remains a strong reference point during the progress of the project. Lack of a project charter reflects negatively on the project and can adversely affect its success. Scheduling under project time management can be demonstrated using scheduling chart tools such as Gantt chart and critical path method (CPM). During project activity documentation, the project manager can use illustrations and diagrams to ensure that communication is wel l effected among the members of a project team and with other stakeholders. Charts are used to ensure that information is accurately passed across to the target audience. Another common tool in use in scheduling is the project evaluation and review technique (PERT) which is an analysis tool that can also be used by the manager to schedule the project’s activities. The most important key to successful and effective project management is through planning. A logically constructed and orderly plan is essential to direct any type of project and to help in preparing a report from conception through completion. The key to good planning is in its turn founded on clearly defined project objectives. For instance, project planning can begin with the identification of the client's needs, the development of a budget and work schedule that fit these needs, and the planning for resources, including staff and materials. The setting up of a clearly defined project proposal plan is therefore v ery useful from the beginning as it can help ensure that matters as a technically capable staff and an adequate budget are part of the process. The understanding of the assumptions is important given how the expectations for the final results of the project are based on the initial suppositions made. Furthermore, changing assumptions throughout the project can bring about lack of satisfaction about the final results among the senior management; a scenario that is rather frequent in the project management field. Therefore, and despite the fact that project length remains a critical factor in the eventual extent of satisfaction exhibited with regard to the final results, assumptions should be documented at project initiation and throughout using the project charter as a possible means. The project manager should from then on continue to challenge and revalidate the assumptions to ensure that the project is either redirected towards a different set of objectives or simply terminated fu lly in the event of changing assumptions. Among the assumptions that need to be considered are related to both enterprise environmental factors as well as organizational process assets. Assumptions related to the external environment, and which can affect any given project and should be therefore taken well into account, include for

Evolution and History of Cooking Essay Example for Free

Evolution and History of Cooking Essay The value of history is that it helps us to understand the present and the future. In food service, knowledge of our professional heritage helps us to see why we do things as we do, how our cooking techniques have developed and refined and how we can continue to develop and innovate in the years ahead. THE EGYPTIANS: †¢ First recorded instance of inn-keeping †¢ Generally managed by mother and father operations †¢ Most food was from their own gardens and flocks †¢ Meals consisted of mainly dates, figs, apricots, fish, chicken, duck, onions and red cabbage. †¢ Cooking media was largely olive oil. †¢ Poorer inns served predominantly ‘pulses’ that is soups made from a base of lentils. THE GREEKS: †¢ Ancient Greeks were the next who left written and pictorial records of eating, drinking and sleeping away from home †¢ Culinary world owes much of its knowledge to the Greeks †¢ Almost all of the foods purchased and prepared today, as well as many types of beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic were used during middle and Late Greek times. †¢ The oldest cookbook preserved today is that of â€Å"Apicius† written sometime between400 BC and 100 AD depending upon the historical source. †¢ This book contains not only detailed instructions for preparing the cuisine of that day, but also rigid specifications for purchasing foodstuffs †¢ The art and cookery then spread to the Roman chefs of that day who were both negatively as well as positively motivated to learn the art of cooking food. †¢ The Greeks are also credited for developing the first comprehensive set of kitchen utensils and equipment †¢ Tools like frying pans, sauce pans, colanders, Bain Marie and butcher’s knives are being used even today. THE ROMANS: †¢ During this time, a group of scholars were sent to Greece to study literature and arts, including culinary arts †¢ Many of the finest Greek chefs were lured away and were treated as professionals worthy of the highest respect and esteem. †¢ The best of Greek culinary achievements were brought to Rome and were integrated into the Roman culture. THE FRENCH: †¢ The marriage of Catherine de Medici to King Henry has brought a whole battalion of Florentine cooks to France. †¢ In the 17th and 18th Century, the Royalty and high ranking people started taking great interest in foods and the cooks in gratitude started naming the dishes after them. †¢ By the end of the 19th century, French culinary art reached its peak, the highest point of perfection. †¢ Chefs like Escoffier and Prosper Salles etc published books on cookery, which had fat reaching importance and are known throughout the world today. †¢ France’s contribution to the international culinary repertoire is well known and has bestowed her own names on the majority of dishes creating technical terminology of international usage. †¢ Every ingredient speaks its own language. The most important role is to use only the best and perfect ingredients and proper blend of colour and taste of ingredients. †¢ Garnishes and accompaniments play a key role in French cuisine and dishes are identified by them. CHINESE COOKING: †¢ Chinese culture is the oldest continuous civilization in the world. †¢ In china, friendship and food are inseparably linked, a gathering without food is considered incomplete and improper. †¢ One thousand years ago, before BC, they were already experimenting with fancy cooking, recording their recipes on silk and bamboo. †¢ Considered the best in the Eastern world, they have been gastronomically courageous, setting no limits to their experiments. †¢ They put everything edible to use, finding wonderful ways to utilize strange plants and roots like lily buds, bamboo shoots, jasmine etc. †¢ Strong sense of artistry is expressed in Chinese cooking. †¢ Chinese cooking needs the shortest time, uses intense heat sealing the juices and preserving colour and texture. †¢ Regional cuisines of China include: Cantonese, Sichuan, Hunan, Fukien and Xhanhung. INDIAN COOKING: †¢ Indian cuisine can be said to have evolved along lines parallel to Indian history †¢ Bhima, the Pandava prince and Nala, a King in Hindu Mythology have been acclaimed to be the best chefs. †¢ Strong impact made on Indian cuisine was during the reign of Moghals in the 16th Century, who were fond of good living, eating and cooking. †¢ The regional dishes are influenced in different parts of India by religion, caste and old traditions and customs. †¢ The preparations of various dishes are handed over from one generation to the next †¢ Indian cuisine can be broadly classified into North Indian and South Indian Cuisines.

Effects of Price Changes in Customers

Effects of Price Changes in Customers Demand and supply are two very basic and important terms in economics to study and determine the market equilibrium. A market is the process of buyers and sellers exchanging goods and services. Buyers, as a group, determine the demand side of the market, whether it is consumers purchasing goods or firms purchasing inputs. On the other hand, sellers, as a group, determine the supply side of the market, whether it is firms selling their goods or resource owners selling their inputs. It is the interaction of buyers and sellers that determines market prices and output through the forces of supply and demand. Demand simply means the ability and willingness of consumer to buy certain amount of goods and services at a particular price. According to the law of demand, the quantity of a good or service demanded varies inversely with its price, other things equal. A demand curve is a downward sloping curve and it shows negative or inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. When the price increases, the quantity demanded by consumer decreases, conversely, when the price decreases, the quantity demanded by consumer increases. A change in quantity demanded is a movement along the demand curve, when price increases, point A moves to point B, and point A moves to point C when there is a price drops as figure 1 shown. Movement along the curve occurs only when there is a price change. There are several reasons why the relationship between price and quantity demanded is negative or inverse. Observed behavior tells us that consumers will buy more goods and services at lower prices than higher prices, ceteris paribus. Diminishing marginal utility is also one of the reasons, it means in a given time period, a buyer will receive less satisfaction from each successive unit consumed, therefore, consumers will only buy added units if the price were reduced. Whereas, a change in demand is a shift of the demand curve, demand curve shift rightward when demand increases and shift leftward when there is a drop in demand. A shift on the curve is caused by the other factors than the price of the good such as government regulations and technology change. When there is a price change, there will be two effects on consumers. First, the substitution effect is an effect caused by a rise in price that induces a consumer (whose income has remained the same) to buy more of a relatively lower-priced good and less of a higher-priced one. For instance, when the price of coffee increases, there are many close substitute goods as options to replace coffee, and consumer can replace coffee by tea with the same amount of income that they are holding and the same price of tea. In this case, it brings a result that the quantity demanded for coffee decreases and the demand for tea increases. Generally, the consumption of goods and services is vastly related to the income available to consumers. Income effect suggests that at a lower price, one can afford more of the good without giving up any alternative goods. In other words, a drop in price will increase the purchasing power of an individual, thus, they are able to buy more of the product than before. For instance, initially, the price of a product is RM200 per unit, and the constant income of an individual is RM1200, this individual is able to purchase 6 units. However, when the price of the product increases to RM220 per unit, he or she can only purchase 5 units. Apart from that, the other important term is supply. Supply means the ability and willingness of producer to produce and supply certain amount of goods and services at a particular price. A supply curve is an upward sloping curve and it shows a positive or direct relationship between price and quantity supplied. When price increases, the quantity supplied increases as well, vice versa, the quantity supplied drops when there is a decrease in price. Changes in prices of a good lead to changes in quantity supplied, which are shown as movement along the supply curve in figure 2 from point A to point B to point C. Changes in supply occur for other reasons than changes in the price of the product itself. For instance, natural disaster, expected future price and many more. A change in any other factor can affect supplier behavior results in a shift of the entire supply curve. A leftward shift is a decrease in supply, and a rightward shift is an increase in supply. Market equilibrium is a situation where quantity demanded equals to quantity supplied at a particular price. The market equilibrium is found at the point E at which the market supply and market demand curve intersect as shown in figure 3. The price at the intersection of the market demand curve and market supply curve is called the equilibrium price, P* and the quantity at the intersection of the market demand curve and the market supply curve is called the equilibrium quantity Q*. A shortage exists at when the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied, whereas, a surplus exists at when the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded. For example, when the market equilibrium price is at RM10 and it increased to RM15, then there will be a surplus of 20 units in figure 4. The quantity demanded dropped to 10 units. Hence, the solution is to decrease the price to market equilibrium price, RM10, to achieve market equilibrium. In figure 5, there is a shortage of 20 units. Suppose the market equilibrium price is also RM10 and the price is decreased to RM5, the quantity demanded increased to 30 units. Thus, it brings a result that quantity demanded exceed quantity supplied which means shortage. To resolve this problem, the price has to be increased to the market equilibrium price, RM10. There are various types of government policies to change the market equilibrium. In an open-market, government intervenes to control the market prices to make improvements on the development and economy of the country as well as social well-fare in view of a conflict that consumer always wants lower prices and supplier wants higher prices. Besides, government intervention in the market also with aims to correct the market failure and minimize the income inequality. The motivations for price controls vary with the market under considerations. Government sets a price ceiling for goods deemed important to low-income households such as flour. A price ceiling is a legal maximum on the price at which a good can be sold. Conversely, a price floor is a legal minimum on the price at which a good can be sold, it is often set by government for wages, since wages are the main source of income for households. When government imposes a price ceiling on a product, there are two possibilities, either a binding or a non-binding price ceiling. However, for a price ceiling to be effective it should be a binding price ceiling and the price ceiling must be set below equilibrium. A price ceiling set above the equilibrium is a non-binding price ceiling, and the price will go back to the equilibrium price eventually by the demand and supply forces. In Malaysia, during the festive season, The Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-Operatives and Consumerism will impose price ceilings on the essential goods for various festivals. In a recent year, 2013, the Controlled Price Goods Scheme have imposed price ceilings for 20 essential goods including standard chicken, super chicken, local beef, imported beef and so on. For instance, as figure 6 shown, the market price of chicken per kg was initially RM8.50 and the government fixed the price ceiling at RM7.70 per kg which is 70sen lower than the market price. This price ceiling was in force for 17 days only, from 26th July to 11th August 2013 for the festival, Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Themalaysianinsider.com, 2013). The objective of setting the maximum price for the essential goods is to avoid the sellers raising the prices of the essential goods for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. When a price ceiling is imposed, the quantity demanded will exceed the quantity supplied, and a shortage will occur (Thesundaily.my, 2013). Price ceiling is often applied on rent controls, the objective of controlling the prices of rent is usually to counteract the inequality of bargaining power between landlords and tenant, as part of a minimum set of rights to make the market fair. It is very well-known that there has always been housing shortage in New York City, therefore, to avoid rent hikes caused by housing shortage, New York State legislators defend the War Emergency Tenant Protection Act to protect the tenants from rent hikes. For instance, the equilibrium rent is $1000 per unit per month, and the government imposes a price ceiling below the equilibrium rent at $800 per unit per month as shown in figure 7, thus, the price of rent cannot go any higher when it hits the price ceiling and the maximum price of rent will be $800 per unit per month. Rent ceiling is imposed to protect the low-income households in the short run but the long run impact is to avoid abandon of property out of the reason that the investors a re not willing to purchase or construct new housing with low rents, because it is unprofitable to the investors. Beside the benefit of low rent for tenants, there is also a bad impact on tenants. When the rents are low, the landlords tend to provide improper maintenances, poor repairs and painting in order to minimize the cost of renting to make more profit (Block, 2008). As it was mentioned before, price floor is the same as price ceiling but the opposite, it is a legal minimum on the price at which a good can be sold. The best example would be wages as it is the primary resource of most households’ incomes. For example, the New York government has fixed a minimum wage at $8.75 which is above the equilibrium wage ($8.00) in 2014 as figure 8 shown, the wages cannot go any lower than $8.75 as it hits the price floor. This price floor is effective and is called binding price floor. Therefore, the minimum wage is now fixed at $8.75, and the market wage is equals to the price floor (Labor.ny.gov, 2013). Thus, for a price floor to be effective, it must be fixed above the equilibrium wage which is called a binding price floor, a price floor that is set below equilibrium is a non-binding price floor. When a price floor is imposed, there will be a surplus of low-skilled workers, because it would produce willing workers who will be unable to find jobs, an increase in the minimum wage would create additional unemployment for low-skilled workers. The unemployment impact of the minimum wage falls vastly on the least experienced, least skilled persons, often teenage labour, holding the lowest paying jobs. In the most recent case, the Malaysian government has increased the price floor for the acquisition of property for foreign buyers from RM500000 (2010) to RM1million in Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan, according to a circular issued by Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister’s Department on 1st March (Thestar.com.my, 2014). The main reason for this implementation is aim to control the ownerships of properties by foreign interests. Refer to figure 9. Beside imposing price floor and price ceiling, the government also intervenes to change market equilibrium through taxes and subsidies. There are two forms of taxes, direct and indirect tax. Direct tax is a fee levied by government on income, whereas, indirect tax is a fee levied by government on the price of goods and services, and indirect tax is the tax that able to make changes on market equilibrium. The objective of collecting taxes is to finance government expenditure, and the government uses the collected taxes for public infrastructure such as streetlamp and so on. Another reason is to discourage of production and consumption. The changes in demand and supply curve vary from the tax levied on sellers or buyers. When government levies taxes on buyers, the consumers tend to buy less. On the other hand, when tax is levied on suppliers, the cost of production will be increased and the suppliers tend to produce less. Just like many other countries do, Malaysian government is imposing Goods and Services Tax (GST) organized by Royal Malaysia Customs Department starting on 1st April 2015 in response to the fiscal deficit that Malaysia is experiencing. GST is an indirect tax based on consumption that applied on all goods and services and it is set at 6%. GST is imposed to provide more revenues to government besides income tax, it is also said to offer a more comprehensive, efficient, transparent and effective tax system (Khoo et al, 2013). As shown in figure 9, when GST is imposed, the supply of goods and services will decrease from SS to SS1 and causes prices rise from P to P1, and the equilibrium quantity will decrease from Q to Q1, thus, the new equilibrium is at E1. Apart from GST, imported motor vehicle tax in Malaysia is very high and it can be taxed up to 100 percent or even more. According to Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), the excised duty imposed on vehicle ranges from 65 percent to 105 percent on top of the 10 percent sales tax. A Japan-made 2013 Toyota Prius, the price after tax is around RM140000 but a similarly equipped Prius sells for only around RM80,000 in the US and Japan (Hans, 2013). The objective is to reduce the loss of Ringgit Malaysia outflow to foreign country and protect local vehicle manufacturing industry. The local vehicle manufacturers, Proton and Perodua are heavily supported by the Malaysian government through the National Automotive Policy (NAP) (Lee, 2013). This is the reason why the price of vehicle in Malaysia is very expensive as shown in figure 10. Lastly, subsidy can also change the market equilibrium and it may be regarded as a negative tax. Subsidy is a benefit given by the government to groups or individuals usually in the form of a cash payment or tax reduction. The subsidy is usually given to remove some type of burden and is often considered to be in the interest of the public. A subsidy might be given to assist the poor, to help producer and to encourage consumption of goods and services. The Malaysia government has been subsidizing cooking oil since 1992, and more than RM1billion will be given out to stabilize the price of cooking oil every year. Without subsidy, the price of cooking oil was RM3.50 per kg, and the subsidized price is RM2.50. Refer to figure 11, when the cooking oil is subsidized, the supply will shift rightward which is an increase in supply from SS to SS1, then the price of cooking oil drops and the quantity increases from Q to Q1. The government provides subsidy for cooking oil is targeted for household consumers, unfortunately, 30 to 35 percent of subsidized cooking oil are flow to the restaurant operators, hawkers and small-scale food-based industry, it is also said that even 10 percent of them has flowed to foreign countries (Adnan, 2012). On 2nd October 2014, there was a decrease of 20sen on fuel subsidy and the price has increased from RM2.10 per liter to RM2.30 per liter. As shown in figure 12, the supply for fuel decreases from SS to SS1 and the quantity decreases from Q to Q1. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who is also the finance minister stated that the reduction in fuel subsidy is due to the reduced revenue for national expenditure. The fuel subsidy was also reduced for other assistance such as education aid and many more (Ahmad and Singh, 2014). Reference List Adnan, H. (2012).  Archives | The Star Online.. [online] Thestar.com.my. Available at: http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=/2012/10/2/business/12110226 [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014]. Ahmad, S. and Singh, N. (2014).Najib talks about further subsidy cuts. [online] Free Malaysia Today. Available at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/10/22/najib-talks-about-further-subsidy-cuts/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2014]. Block, W. (2008).Rent Control: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics | Library of Economics and Liberty. [online] Econlib.org. Available at: http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/RentControl.html [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014]. Hans, (2013).Explaining The Mystery Behind High Car Prices in Malaysia Part 1. [online] Livelifedrive.com. Available at: http://www.livelifedrive.com/malaysia/news/view/3802/explaining-the-mystery-behind-high-car-prices-in-malaysiapart-1 [Accessed 23 Nov. 2014]. Khoo, C. (2013).GST in Malaysia. 1st ed. [ebook] Malaysia: KPMG tax Services Sdn Bhd, p.2. Available at: http://www.kpmg.com/MY/en/services/Tax/gst/Documents/tl-gst-malaysia.pdf [Accessed 23 Nov. 2014]. Labor.ny.gov, (2013).Minimum Wages New York State Department of Labor. [online] Available at: http://www.labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/workprot/minwage.shtm [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014]. Lee, I. (2013).What Causes High Car Prices In Malaysia?. [online] iMoney.my. Available at: https://www.imoney.my/articles/high-car-prices-in-malaysia [Accessed 24 Nov. 2014]. Themalaysianinsider.com, (2013).New ceiling price for chicken from July 26 – RM7.70 per kg The Malaysian Insider. [online] Available at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/new-ceiling-price-for-chicken-from-july-26-rm7.70-per-kg [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014]. Thestar.com.my, (2014).Foreigners can only buy properties costing RM1m and above from March 1 Business News | The Star Online. [online] Available at: http://www.thestar.com.my/Business/Business-News/2014/02/28/Foreigners-can-only-buy-properties-costing-RM1m-and-above-from-March-1/?style=biz [Accessed 22 Nov. 2014]. Thesundaily.my, (2013).Ceiling price for chicken fixed at RM7.70 | theSundaily. [online] Available at: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/775160 [Accessed 20 Nov. 2014].

John Miltons Paradise Lost Essay -- Epic Biblical Poems Blind Faith E

John Milton's Paradise Lost Freedom (free will) is the absence of imposed behavior. Individual freedom is obviously attractive, but when there is real freedom of choice, the wrong choice is the one that is made - such as the choice made by Satan who although he can be admired for his having dared to rebel against the norm, is not heroic for having chosen to plot against God. Free will was given to man in order to be able to choose the faith since in the absence of free will, there is no way to test faith. The more tested we are, the closer we are to God although whether we truly exercise free will is questionable since perhaps it is simply enforced via the threat of punishment upon transgression. In any event, despite the sanctions, man continues to disobey. Paradise Lost begins in medias res, i.e. in the middle of the action and from line 1, the association is made to the consequences of sinning (disobedience). Such is the responsibility of free will. The motivation to sin is the associated pleasure of fulfilling individual desires. Disobedience leads directly to punishment. It is important to note however that there is no fulfilment with transgression since the feelings associated with this fulfilment disappear before they can even be apprehended while the punishment lasts. Milton surely knew all about since as a puritan, he was a great believer of penance. It was also believed by Protestants at the time that without deprivation during life, there was no ascent to Heaven upon death. Satan's flaw in one word was pride. For any true protestant, this is a terrible sin since any achievement is directly attributable to God and not to the man in question. Milton identifies pride as the cardinal sin b... ...ms throughout Paradise Lost that this simple equation might work : since God is good and Charles II can be compared to God then logically it can be deducted that he is also good. Conversely, in the poem, we arrive at the conclusion that Satan is bad and this time, since milton compares cromwell to Satan then it would seem logical to deduce that cromwell is also bad. However, this equation does not hold up to close inspection and in this way, it is evident that in fact, this is a test since we should properly analyse the facts and not simply accept things at face value because they seem right. He encourages us to make our own investiations and make informed, knowledgable decisions. Consequently, it cannot be simply stated that all monarchs are good since such sweeping statements are false and it is primordial to properly examine each separate individual.

Privacy on Social Networks

Network Sites (SNS) are websites that allow users to upload information to a public profile, create a list of online friends, and browse the profiles of other users of the SNS. The websites have membership rules and community standards. Users disclose identity-relevant information via their profile to others. This information is referential, directly referring to a person, or attributive, describing attributes to the data subject. Although most laws and regulations restrict the access to referential information, attributive information is not protected as such. However, the aggregation of large amounts of attributive information on SNS profiles poses new privacy risks, disclose identity-relevant information via their profile to others. Also, the privacy options in social networking sites do not work out in the way they are supposed to do. Keep your private life private! What does social network do? In real life, you have a circle of your friends. But what about their friends? And the friends of the friends of your friends? You can get to know people from literally any part of the world. That means you are sharing information with them. And that also means you are sharing a lot of information that you don't want to share! Information spreads faster through a Social Network Site than through a real? life network. Information might be disclosed to a group of people unexpectedly, because the digital information is easily copied, can be stored indefinitely and is searchable. It especially harms users when information travels through different social spheres, and ends up with people whom it was not intended for. People have been fired, missed out on job interviews and academic opportunities, and been suspended from school for instant messages, wall posts and other messages they mistakenly thought were like private real world conversations with friends. Do not post anything in social networks that you won't want to shout out in public. You can send private emails for that, but NEVER social networks. Social network is a place where you never know whom you are sharing private information with unless you yourself created the network! So be careful, stay safe! Applications and external links on social networking sites Have you ever used the ‘applications' of facebook, myspace or any other social networking sites? Did you read the policies of that site about those applications? In most cases, the games or applications owners have access to almost all of your information that you provided in your social networking account. Moreover, they may also use them for commercial purposes. Some of these applications may offer you to participate in a survey to earn ‘credits' or virtual ‘money'. You might, for example, earn some quick Farmville cash by answering a brief survey. Sounds a lot better than using your credit card, right? But you're probably safer breaking out your wallet. TechCruch cites one instance in which players could win currency if they filled out such a survey. At the end of the survey, they would be asked to provide their phone number so that they can receive a PIN via text to get the results. Once they've entered that PIN into the site, they're subscribed to a horoscope service for $9. 99 per month–something they won't know unless they diligently read all the fine print. Ouch. The victims could immediately try to cancel the subscription, of course, but they could still end up being charged. Unwanted charges aren't the only thing players are susceptible to: Social networking games make you a target for viruses and hackers as well. You will find a couple of threads in Zynga's community forums in which moderators warn users against accepting any gifts or invitations within a certain game on Facebook. (They didn't specify exactly what would happen if users accepted these buggy gifts or requests! ) Sometimes users also claim that a bug in the game wiped out all of their game progress. That can be pretty devastating for someone who has dedicated lots of time and money to it. Laws to minimize privacy threats Not all threats for privacy in Social Network Sites materialize and damage users in the same way. A risk analysis approach is needed to incorporate these insecurities into the analysis. The experts identified multiple threats for users of Social Network Sites. When these threats materialize, they become incidents that affect a certain amount of people. However, not all of these incidents damage users in the same way. The damage incurred depends on the type of threat and the perception of the user. Laws are directed at preventing the threats from materializing. More specifically, American tort laws create means for people to find compensations against the damages they incurred. Experts rate to what extent the tort laws address the threats for privacy and resulting damages they identified. The ratings of the various tort laws are depicted in illustration below. In 1986, Congress passed the Stored Communications Act as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to address privacy issues attendant to the advent of the internet. Through the SCA, Congress intended to restrict disclosure of private communications by providers of electronic communications services. However, when Congress passed the SCA, the internet was in its infancy. The few networks available to consumers, such as Prodigy and America Online, were self-contained, and most people had never heard of the term e-mail, let alone utilized the limited form of electronic messaging that existed at the time. The World Wide Web did not yet exist, and it would be nearly a decade before the introduction of the web browser in the mid-1990s. Do you think the social networking sites abide by laws? Just because they are popular and big-game websites, doesn't mean their policies are always convenient for you. The Privacy Policies of popular social networking sites were found contradictory to the Canadian privacy law. In July 2009, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued a report on an in-depth investigation triggered by a complaint from the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. Third-party application developers Deactivation of accounts Personal information of non-users Accounts of deceased users Uses of user information Facebook did agree to change their privacy policies to avoid being banned or may be sued by Canadian government. But did that really make any difference? The Privacy Commissioner herself expressed dissatisfaction with the result. â€Å"While Facebook took some steps to resolve privacy concerns, the Commissioner remained dissatisfied by Facebook’s response at the end of the investigation. She was particularly concerned about the risks posed by the over-sharing of personal information with third-party developers of Facebook applications such as games and quizzes. † [Source: News release from Privacy Commission of Canada; Ottawa, August 27, 2009: ‘Facebook agrees to address Privacy Commissioner's concerns'] As having access to other people's private information is getting easier, laws can do a very little to protect us. We, ourselves have to be aware of where our information is going and who can have access to it.

The Effects of IT Outsourcing on Retail Companies

The Effects of IT Outsourcing on Retail Companies Introduction Information technology has changed the business processes tremendously. This technological revolution has transformed organizations and businesses such that transactions can be initiated and executed within the shortest span of time. The introduction of the Internet further contributed to the revolution with remote sites able to connect over the Internet and exchanging data, information, and currency.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effects of IT Outsourcing on Retail Companies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The businesses that pioneered information technology quickly included this technology in their business processes. These developed into showcase models in information technology. The cost of implementing these technologies increased over time. As such an opportunity gave itself in which information technology service providers would offer tailored and business-oriented services to willing bu sinesses at a fee. This option was considered against the rising costs of setting up an IT department. It is this process of outsourcing that has taken the information technology age to the next level. Outsourcing has enabled businesses in need of technologically knowledgeable processes but lack the technical and human capacity to outsource such services and processes to technological experts at a stipulated cost (Pinnington and Woolcook 1999; Stakes 1995). Outsourcing has opened up frontiers in IT standardization, especially in the business world where these businesses can acquire IT services from third party organizations and as such benchmark their processes to the global standards. This study is specifically going to address the effects of information technology outsourcing among retail businesses in the United Kingdom. Background and research problem definition IT outsourcing has been around before the turn of the century. Indeed as more businesses discovered the need and advan tages of including IT in their business processing, information technology became the most expensive form of technology then. However, in this a business opportunity arose where information technology astute organizations would lend out their technology by outsourcing to those businesses and organizations that had need then.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is during this period that businesses such as the British Steel turned to Gap Gemini to outsource their central management service (CMS) unit. British Steel has a workforce of about 50,000 with a turnover of more than 7000 million UK pounds (Brown and Wilson 2005; Linder, Cole and Jacobson, 2002). This company runs a central management services unit to provide exceptional IT support for the company’s finance, payroll, and human resources. CMS also covers some processes within the company’s ope rational system. The British Steel case study is indicative that IT has brought with it special organizational need to ensure facility management. On acquiring new systems through business re-engineering, organizations often realize that they are not able to optimize these systems and therefore have minimal benefit. This is mainly caused by resistive organizational culture that offers little room for change to take place within the organization. Such organizations or businesses turn to outsource such processes to ensure to ensure the processes are carried out professionally and at exceptional standards because IT has a global scope. Therefore, British Steel just like many retail businesses in the United Kingdom turned to Cap Gemini a world class IT Company that the steel manufacturer outsourced about one third of its processes covered within their CMS. British Steel intention to outsource was to gain competitive advantage by maintaining high quality standards with more tahn 99% for key indicators, establish perpetual improvement programs even through the British Steel business improvement program; ensuring a smooth transition of IT responsibilities with minimal disruption to the existing IT system, and safeguarding the interests of its workforce. Several years down the line, the British Steel management intimate that it is about the right IT that can help a company gain competitive advantage in the global market and to this company, outsourcing was the key. Research Questions The British Steel case is just one among the many cases that has experienced the benefits of, IT outsourcing considered a vital undertaking and has vast influence on the economies of countries over the world (Sullivan and Steven 2003).Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on The Effects of IT Outsourcing on Retail Companies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Retail businesses form an important stratum of the general business eco nomy. Retail businesses must have the capability to support evolutionary business processes as the customer needs continue to change. It is this flexibility that can enable such businesses to remain competitive. However, these technology changes come at a high cost of implementation. Faced with such a dilemma, retail businesses will undoubtedly resort to outsourcing to maintain competitive advantage. This research proposal therefore aims at studying the effects of outsourcing in IT and their effects on retail companies, especially in the UK. In so doing, the research will be guided the following main research questions: What are the factors that lead to IT outsourcing among retail companies? What are the effects of IT outsourcing among retail companies? What is the general trend among retail companies in the UK as concerns IT outsourcing? Upon answering the above research questions, a conclusion could be made on the relationship between IT outsourcing and retail companies (De Vaus 2002). Recommendations will also be made after this study on the emerging retail business trends in the UK poised to benefit from IT outsourcing to establish competitive advantage. Research Objectives Based on the research questions, the research objectives can be derived. As stated earlier, the main aim of this research is to establish what effect IT outsourcing has on retail companies in the UK (Bryman and Bell 2007). This research focuses at clearly identifying the IT outsourcing processes with reference to retail business and how the two are related. This implies that the research objectives will include:- To determine reasons IT outsourcing is gaining attention among retail companies. To determine typical effects of IT outsourcing among retail companies in the UK. To determine the general IT outsourcing trends among retail companies in the UK. Literature review IT outsourcing continues to draw much attention from many scholars, academicians, professionals, and business exper ts. This has resulted in a continuous expanding knowledge base focusing on outsourcing and its effects on business processes. However, a review of most of these articles reveals that even though writers differ in some instances, the fact still remains that IT outsourcing has had a significant impact on retail companies all over the world (Jack 2009). This impact affects countries’ economies in many ways. In the article; How Outsourcing Affects the U.S. Economy, Hasan (2008) agrees that indeed outsourcing has brought with it a mixture of effects.Advertising Looking for proposal on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some of the effects according to the articles have been beneficial, especially to retail business. The author notes that the dynamitic advantage that outsourcing brings with it has benefited retail industry because of cheap imports and subsequently stronger exports. It has also saved money for these companies. Gordijn (2002) concurs that the outsourcing process is currently considered as a positive contributor to any country’s economy. Research has shown that service jobs generate less income as compared to manufacturing jobs. In fact, the latter are considered as those responsible for creating the wealth in any nation. On the contrary, service jobs consume this wealth. Research findings further indicate that more businesses are currently depending on IT to gain the needed competitive edge. However, it is also true that information technology implementation, especially for a business critical process has a high price tag. As such, IT outsourcing puts the country’s econ omy on the line (Stern and El-Ansary 1992). The trend is not any different with retail companies that must adhere to the state of economy. The outsourcing practice can apply to nearly all types of business. This process is preferred by most business experts because it is considered cost effective. It has been statistically proven that outsourcing can result into reduced costs by between 50 and 60%. For instance, companies in Europe outsource up to $19 trillion spent on a daily basis on processes like sales and administration. Nevertheless, in Futurist (2011) review of literature, he states, â€Å"despite outsourcing being cost-effective, efficient, productive and strategic, it is also condemned as evil, money-grabbing, destructive, ruthless, exploiting the poor, destroying communities and nations† (Futurist 2011, p. 1). Futurist (2011) further asserts that outsourcing has compromised low-cost nations. This is evident with the increased migration from the high-earning nations to the compromised ones. This has led to labour shortages. China and India are a perfect example in this context (Outsource mag, 2011). These two nations, especially China, are experiencing close to 100% salary inflation, and India has been hit by an acute shortage of corporate leadership as a result of large-scale outsourcing. Some of the typical business processes that qualify to be outsourced to IT- oriented companies are those involving electronic data interchange (EDI). According to Fernie (1999), sending financial information is a vital undertaking for any business. However, the process is considered very sensitive. Retail companies continue to focus on electronic automation of such processes as invoicing, order processing dispatch, and other routine processes. Such processes will definitely require EDI to simplify trading cycles and accelerate transactions. However, based on the sensitive nature of the data and information handled by the EDI systems, the cost of their impleme ntation remains high and beyond the reach of many retail companies in the UK and around the world. According to Pinnington and Woolcook (1999) electronic commerce that fundamentally relies on EDI is quickly becoming standard based. Accordingly companies such as Microgen UK are seeing an opportunity to provide the EDI functions to small and medium enterprises who cannot afford to implement EDI full-scale. With companies such as Microgen UK, these retail companies have an opportunity to outsource their EDI processes and therefore compete effectively on the global market. Generally, there is much literature on the outsourcing process and the effect and benefits to the business or organization. However, little is available in this domain, especially related to the effects of IT outsourcing among retail companies within the United Kingdom (Linder, Cole and Jacobson, 2002). This research focuses on this area of study and intends to draw vital conclusions that can be used by professionals, academicians, and businesspeople. Theoretical framework Theories are usually developed to try to predict certain happenings. These happenings may include events of behaviour. A theoretical framework of the study here will include a structure capable of holding a theory during the research. The study here is about the effects of IT outsourcing among retail companies in the UK. The research problem addresses IT outsourcing among retail companies in the UK. The purpose of this research is to relate IT outsourcing to retail businesses in the UK and highlight the effects of outsourcing on retail businesses. The theoretical framework here will represent a theory that can be used as a basis for conducting the research. This research is likely to build a theory in line with the objective of this research. The researcher will use inductive reasoning to address the research problem the effects of IT outsourcing among retail companies in the UK. The research proposal will focus on all variabl e involved in the relationship between IT outsourcing and retail companies (Halvey and Melby, 2005). Based on the literature review it has been established that the two are interconnected and affect each other. The research proposal therefore aims at determining the link between them. The variables will also be vital in determining statistical relationship between IT outsourcing and the performance of retail companies (Eriksson and Kovalainen 2008). Research methods and sampling techniques to be used Collection, sampling, and analyzing of data should be done methodically and with much keenness (Veal 2005). There are a number of research approaches proposed for this study. In the article; The Research Process, Bouma (2004) states that the researcher during the inductive approach makes specific observations from the collected data and arrives at a new theory by observation and hypotheses (Stakes 1995; Yin 2008). The deductive approach starts by reviewing and gathering theory, collecti ng data, and drawing conclusions. However, these two research approaches are not mutually exclusive; hence a research study may have elements of both (Hamel 2000). This research will also take a quantitative research approach. In this approach the problem t be addressed will require an in depth explanation (Saunders 2009). Additionally, this approach will identify the variables within the problem and establish a correlation between these variables. This research is mainly literature-based where the researcher is intending â€Å"to rely on scholarly evidence to justify the research problem† (Saunders 2009, p. 58). There will be a deliberate attempt to address the inadequate knowledge that exists in this field of research. The research approach will also attempt to quantify the data collected. According to Kumar (2005), the quantitative approach examines and interprets data quantifiable, measurable, and finite. Acquiring quantitative data can be by experimentation, testing, and calculation. The results from this approach are usually displayed in a statistical format (Neuman 2006). Data analysis techniques to be used During this research the data collection strategy to be used will include transcription of the interview responses and field notes. These data will be categorized after open coding that includes an analysis of each interview question described as an item on term approach. Cross analysis as a data analysis technique is used for this research and will ensure that the process is analytically exhausted. The study must also be calibrated for credibility. The data on evaluation should be credible. Credibility involves truthfulness and value of the data. The proposed study will use triangulation where multiple data sources are considered. This enhances the data’s validity. Data validity and reliability Validity measures the extent to which an instrument used in data collection gives a true picture of what has been measured. Validity also refer s to the accuracy and meaningfulness of inferences derived from research data. Validity describes the degree to which the findings retrieved from a research are reflective of the concept under study. Structuring the interviews including the items selected for the interview schedule must be closely related to the variables under investigation for the instrument under consideration to qualify (Saunders 2009). The instruments used for this research study will be further evaluated as the study makes use of construct validity. This means that the instruments used will be constructed as suitable as possible to evaluate the theoretical concepts under study. As described earlier the effectiveness of the sampling process will work in conjunction with a sampling technique like snowball sampling at some point. The instruments used here will be constructed by the researcher with reference to the research objectives and under the supervision of a number of experts. Expected outcomes and research contributions The research will proceed on using the quantitative approach in which case the researcher will gather data using data collection instruments such as questionnaires and interviews. The researcher will also carry out document inspections and observations to identify data accurately that is pertinent to the study. The resulting data will be indicative of the fact that IT outsourcing has had various effects on retail companies in the UK. Ultimately, the outcome of this research is will determine that IT outsourcing is increasingly becoming a necessity for all retail business organizations that intend to harness the present technological advancement to their advantage. As such, target respondents will include retail business owners, scholars, government officials, and consumers. Based on the research questions practical and accountable the results are likely to be authoritative and can be used to develop a hypothesis and assist in decision making (Fink 2003). The hypothesi s of the research is based on factual literature views from previous researches. Similarly, the literature review will help give facts about the problem as it appears in different contexts and the various measures put in place and basing on the outcomes from these measures, the researcher will make recommendations (Collis and Hussy, 2009). Ethical issues and research limitations Most research studies have limitations and in this case, the following are the limitations and ethical issues expected in this research: The research will â€Å"quote some facts from secondary sources† (Saunders 2009, p. 256). There are high chances that the gathered information may be biased or outdated. Some vital information to help answer the researcher’s questions might not be made available because of limited research on the topic. Similarly, the study will heavily rely on the information collected from respondents. Therefore, selfish or biased response may affect the results of the whole project rendering it inaccurate. Due to financial constraint coupled with limited time, all effects of IT outsourcing on retail companies might not be adequately brought to light. The complexity of the whole process of theoretical study brings with it many processes that can lead to some aspects of the topics being forgotten. However, I will address this by being very careful to ensure that every aspect in the research questions and aims are adequately addressed (Neelankavil 2007). The limitation of using a descriptive survey research method is that a large descriptive survey may give superficial results. Alternatively, a small-scale descriptive survey with an emphasis on â€Å"qualitative† or â€Å"rich† detail has the limitation as poor generalization. Such small surveys are difficult to know how far the results can be applied elsewhere. The research may also suffer time constraints due to delayed approval by targeted study sample population, especially organization s. Project plan The research proposal includes a number of key activities. It is important that each of these activities is carried out comprehensively. From the methodology and research design, the project can follow the plan highlighted in the table below. Key activities for the project plan Setting up of the research questions and objectives (this includes deciding on the hypotheses of the expected results). Appropriately prepare the research instruments. This includes setting up the required mechanisms to facilitate research proposal such as recording materials and so forth. Paying a pre-visit to sights of the research. This will help in estimating various variables of the proposal like the expected budget as well as time scheduling. Reviewing the study objectives and questions based on the pre-visit findings. Carrying out the study and collecting data through the various methodologies highlighted. The collected data should be sampled and grouped for analysis and te sting the hypotheses to answer the research questions. Making conclusions and recommendations based on the research findings with reference to the literature reviews. Recording and present the research results. Reference List Bouma, G.D., 2004. The Research Process. 5th ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Brown, D. and Wilson, S., 2005. The black book of outsourcing: How to manage the changes, challenges, and opportunities. New York: Wiley. Bryman, A. and Bell, E., 2007. Business Research Methods. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Collis, J. and Hussy, R., 2009. Business Research: A practical Guide for Undergraduate Postgraduate Students. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. De Vaus, D., 2002. Surveys in Social Research. 5th ed. Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen and Unwin. Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen, A., 2008. Qualitative Methods in Business Research. Los Angeles: Sage. Fernie, J. 1999. Outsourcing distribution in UK retailing. Journal for Business Logist ics, 21(2), pp. 83–95. Fink, A., 2003. The Survey Kit. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication. Futurist, K., 2011. The Future of Outsourcing Impact on Jobs. Journal on High Growth Economy, Web. Gordijn, J., 2002. Value-based Requirements Engineering Exploring Innovative e- Commerce Ideas. Amsterdam: Vrije Universiteit. Hamel, G., 2000. Leading the revolution. Oxford: UK Oxford University Press. Hasan, A., 2008. How Outsourcing Affects the U.S. Economy! Directory Journal,  Web. Halvey, J and Melby, M., 2005. IT Outsourcing transactions: Process, strategies,  and contracts. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley. Jack, W., 2009. The Almanac of American Employers: Market Research. New York: New York Publishers. Kumar, R., 2005. Research Methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. 2nd ed. London: SAGE. Linder, J., Cole, M, and Jacobson, A., 2002. Business transformation through outsourcing. Strategy Leadership, 30(4), pp. 23-28. Neelankavil, J.P., 2007. International Business R esearch. New York: M.E.Sharpe. Neuman, W.L., 2006. Social Research Methods - Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson A B. Outsource mag, 2011. Separating retail and investment banking: the impact on outsourcing arrangements. Finance and accounting Journal, Web. Pinnington, A, and Woolcook, P., 1999. How far is IS/IT outsourcing enabling new organizational structure and competences? International Journal of Information  Management, 15(5), pp. 353-365. Saunders , M., 2009. Research methods for business students. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Stakes, R., 1995. The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Inc. Stern, L. and El-Ansary, A., 1992. Marketing Channels. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall. Sullivan, A. and Steven, M., 2003. Economics: Principles in action. New York: Pearson Prentice Hall. Veal, A.J., 2005. Business Research Methods: A Managerial Approach. 2nd ed. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Addison Wesley. Yin, R., 2008. Case stud y research: Design and methods (Applied social research methods). 4th ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage Inc.