Political Corruption Essay Example for Free

Political Corruption Essay Greetings and good morning to all of you. My speech today will address the topic on corruption and mainly the corrupted political system of India. After many years of ceaseless struggle for freedom, India gained it’s independence in the year 1947 at the cost of some brave and noble lives whom we still remember and pay our tributes to on the memorable days of India’s fight to freedom. Our dignified leaders with a team of members over a series of studies and meetings drafted, the Indian Constitution, in which every citizen has an equal standing before the law and this came into effect on January 26th 1950. After having come so far where does India stand today with relevance to equality for citizens. Everything in this era revolves around the decisions made by powerful people in society, particularly politicians resorting to misuse power for their personal gain and today’s India does not reflect the same spirit of our faithful leaders. The influence of money has crept into our society and corruption has become so common a thing that people have come in terms with this social evil. Be it politics, sports, media, or court, anything seems to be achievable in India if you have fame and money while the less privileged experience the hard hand of law thus depriving citizens of their rights to equality. This kind of fraudulency over a period of time thwarts a person’s morals and ethics, consequently leading to the nation’s intolerance against its leaders and outbursts of mass protests dragging a nation to agitation, confusion, social disorder and on top of these, innocent lives being sacrificed for the wrong deeds of a despotic leader. As we all know Egypt and other countries like Libya and Yemen had witnessed this kind of tumultuous protests and as we all know gruesome fights against the corrupted government are still ongoing in Syria. It’s time that the citizens of India wake up and join hands with anti-corruption crusaders like the 72 year old Gandhian, Anna Hazare, an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption and he pressed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This is a bill that aims to change the way India tackles corruption. We should be determined not to allow corruption cripple our resourceful nation and tamper the economic growth of our country anymore. We children who are India’s future need to strongly value the good morals taught in homes and schools and strongly abide by them and fight towards a clean system and strive in every small way to bring about a change in this social evil. It is not an easy road and we as individuals can participate in this struggle by beginning to say NO to bribes. Dear friends, finally let me encourage you all to live by our motto â€Å"Lead kindly light† and radiate the values of life by our education and who knows we could probably be the future bearers of these offices that will pave way to be an exemplar of an ideal leader.

Principle And Practice Of Assessment Theory

Principle And Practice Of Assessment Theory Within unit three of principles and practice of assessment, we as students were required to research the following areas: Principles of assessment, Peer and Self Assessment, Feedback and Questioning and Assessment Record Requirements. Research was completed on the four topics to help increase understanding and background knowledge of the areas. Further examination of these topics would allow me to think about the way in which I teach my students, be able to incorporate the ideas and illustrate the process of teaching and learning using these methods. During the research, it was intended that we explore the topics given, selecting and analysing material and using it to relate to the specialised area in which we teach. Initially, we worked as a group to research the principles of assessment which we were then to present back to other students as a micro teaching session. Petty (2004, pg 219) suggests that group work is active and gives students †¦chance to use the methods, principles and vocabulary that they are being taught. Assessment is a method which measures the extent and degree of learning which has taken place within or outside of the classroom. Skills, knowledge and attitudes can be measured against a pre determined standard set by the tutor or examining body of a subject module or qualification. Dictionary.com (2009) defines assessment as the act of assessing; appraisal; evaluation. As Petty (2004) suggests, assessment serves many different purposes. It can grade the attainment of learners, help to select candidates for jobs or courses, contribute to evidence the effectiveness of a course content and tutors abilities and provide a long term goal for learners. Assessment also allows opportunity to adjust teaching to ensure all targets or criteria is being met. However, it has been argued that assessment is unreliable and inaccurate and is a poor tool of predicting a students future performance. There are various types of assessment methods; these include initial diagnostic, formative, summative, norm and criterion referencing. Assessment starts at the very beginning of a students academic career. The initial or diagnostic assessment can take on many forms such as an informal chat to an entrance essay or examination. The goal is to attempt to find out as much information as possible about the student. The more information we have on the student, the more we can adapt the learning experience, to suit the learners needs. When working with adults with learning disabilities it is crucial that a tutor tries identify the abilities of a student as soon as possible. This is so we can identify their basic literacy and numeracy and as to whether we will have to place extra staff support into the classroom to ensure an inclusive environment. Often a student and tutor will create an Individual Learning Plan or ILP, which will identify learners needs and support they may require as well as any goals they may have for the future. Initial assessment can also help identify a students learning style. Gravells (2008) believes that †¦a key part of initial assessment is to involve your learners in assessing their own skills and knowledge. Formative assessment is continuous and frequent and is a tool used to inform the student and the tutor of students progress and whether they are meeting the objectives of the course. This form of assessment provides information and feedback upon which decisions and adaptations can be made and provides students with directions for future learning. Research has shown, (Petty, 2004) that this feedback while you learn has more effect on student achievement than any other factor. It gives students an intrinsic motivation to learn rather than extrinsic, therefore doing something or learning something because they want to not because they have been told they have to. Generally the results of formative assessment do not contribute to a students final grade but are purely for the purpose of assisting students to understand their strengths and weaknesses in order to work towards improving their overall performance. A major barrier to the effectiveness of formative assessment is the fact that t he mark generated doesnt usually count towards a students final grade and therefore students can be less motivated to put a great deal of effort into such assessment. Brown and Knight (1999) suggest that if used in an effective manner, formative assessment can help students to be more autonomous in their learning and to reflect on their performances and take responsibility for their academic growth. As a tutor, I tend to rely on formative assessment with my students; the reason for this is to alleviate any stress or nerves for the student. Due to having a student with autism, the idea of a formal summative assessment would upset that student and impact on their final grade. Summative assessment occurs at the end of a course or academic year. It is often achieved by the means of an examination or test which is †¦designed to differentiate between candidates on the basis of the breadth and depth of their learning. (Petty, 2004 pg 466). Summative  assessment is also seen as formal testing of what has been learned in order to produce marks or grades which may be used for reports of various types.  Ã‚  Research by the Assessment and Learning Research Synthesis Group has shown that the emphasis of formative assessment can help students to learn and be motivated to learn, whereas the use of summative assessment can have a negative impact on pupils motivation. Within the learning environment, norm and criterion referencing is also used. James (2002) suggests that Best practice in grading in higher education involves striking a balance between criterion-referencing and norm-referencing. A norm referenced test compares students achievements relative to other students achievements. This is often apparent with the General Certificate in Education (GCSE). Criterion referenced test does not compare student with student but requires the student to meet a certain set of criteria or targets to be seen as competent. This can be seen in National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ). Criterion referencing emphasizes the achievements of a student against a predetermined set of standards rather than comparison to another student. Criterion referencing can provide a tutor with the information of exactly what a student has learnt; therefore identify the abilities of that student. With this information, a student can then fill in any gaps of knowledge they may have missed. Whereas norm referencing can only show a tutor how one student has performed against another. When working with students with learning disabilities, I often rely on initial/diagnostic assessment to ensure I can provide the correct support for that student. Using formative assessment can also motivate my students, Most students with learning disabilities respond favorably too seeing their academic progress charted, and this can become†¦a very motivational tool. Bender, 2002, pg 116). Another area that we researched, through individual research and peer micro teach sessions were peer and self assessment. Petty (2008) believes that Self assessment encourages reflection and purposeful activity towards useful goals, as well as encouraging learners to become responsible for their own learning. Kolb (1984) proposed a four stage cycle of learning and within one of those stages was observation and reflection. This stage allows students to take a step back from the task in hand and review what they have done and the experience of it. Which then moves on to the abstract conceptualisation stage and allows students to plan how they might carry out the task differently. Whilst working with students with learning disabilities, I often use peer assessment. Behaviourist theory suggests that giving feedback whether positive or negative, will enable students to behave in a certain way. Skinner (1974) believed that a learner will repeat a desired behaviour if positive reinforcement follows. During a session with my students I often allow them to assess each others work, students are always almost honest and do not hold back their thoughts and feelings. This often motivates students to work harder or continue that particular behaviour due to the fact they get praise and can encourage self correction. On the other hand, when working with mainstream students, they may not always be honest when assessing each others, worrying in case they upset their peer or being bias because they have issues with the student they are assessing. Feedback and questioning can play an important role in assessing our students. There are many reasons why as a tutor we would use questions, but mainly it is to assess our students learning. Questioning allows us to check understanding and whether learning has taken place. It can also encourage participation within a classroom and allows us to draw on students experiences. Effective questioning is an assessment tool in which I use as a tutor of adults with learning disabilities, as many students cannot portray their ideas or thoughts on paper due to their lack of literacy skills. Using probing questions, either open or closed allows differentiation within my classroom and ensures an inclusive environment. Petty (2008) implies that questioning has a crucial advantage when considering student motivation in the classroom. Nothing motivates quite as much as the glow of satisfaction that a student gets when he or she answers a question correctly. (Petty, 2008, pg 183). Giving rewarding fe edback following this will encourage student learning and they have seen they can succeed. Feedback is a way of communicating information back to the student. We must ensure that when giving feedback to a student, it should be done in a positive manner which enhances, rather than damages their self-esteem. Negative feedback will often demotivate the student and make them feel as though they have failed. Internet site Brooks.ac.uk (2009) suggests that There is a school of thought that praise of a students work will lead to under-performance, whereas criticism will spur them on to greater achievements. There seems to be very little evidence that such a strategy is successful in achieving its goals. While there are dangers in becoming too blasà © about ones achievements, negative criticism can be highly de-motivating. However, it is necessary that as a tutor we must point out the shortcomings of a students work to ensure they meet the criteria set, it is the manner in which we do it to ensure progression. We as a teacher should †¦support the student in finding their own way of correcting problems, and should not do all the work for them. (Rogers, 2001). When giving feedback to my own student, it is essential that it is clear and specific and must not focus on too may aspects at the same time as this may confuse or upset the student. We must also ensure that feedback is delivered in a suitable area or environment so not to distress the student. A feedback session should also conclude with the student and tutor agreeing what should be done for the student to succeed. The final area that was to be researched was the types of assessment records that which would be needed to meet organisational and external requirements. It is important that as a tutor we keep records of our learners, both personal and how they are progressing. Initial assessment records are an essential tool as this would inform us of the students background and where the student expects the course to take him or her. Information received by these methods needs to be recorded in a way that the student, tutor, organisation and external bodies can access at any time. External bodies may need access for funding reasons. They can be stored in a portfolio for the student for ease of access by all concerned. An awarding body such as City and Guilds will monitor the teaching of a course and therefore teachers must keep records of what and how they are teaching, as well as formative and summative assessment records. This will allow a process called internal or external verification to take place to ensure quality teaching and learning is taking place. Formative assessment records will also allow teachers to fill in any gaps of knowledge that their students may have. Learning institutions will often be inspected by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), this is to promote service improvement and ensure an inclusive educational environment for all students. The points which were researched, by group work, individual research and through peer micro teach sessions are areas that tutors need to be aware of and are imperative to successful teaching. As a tutor we need to be tuned in to a variety of issues to ensure that we meet the needs of all learners and organisations.

7 Elevens Information Systems

7 Elevens Information Systems 7 Eleven commenced operation on 11th July 1927 in Dallas Texas and has gone on to be an industry leader for more than 40 years (http://www.rimag.com). Originally the stores operated from 7am to 11pm, a trading span that was unheard of at the time. However most 7 Eleven stores now operate 24 hrs a day (www.answers.com). 7 Eleven has approx 7100 stores in North America and over 30,000 stores world wide. It has the largest ATM network of any other convenience store in the United States. 7 Eleven have had many convenience store firsts including being the first retailer to sell coffee in take away cups and offering all major soft drinks brands at their fountains. To put the size of 7 Eleven into perspective they sell 41 million gallons of milk each year, which is enough milk to pour more than two glasses of milk for every person in the United States (www.7-Eleven.com). The diagram below demonstrates the expanse of 7 Eleven world wide. Q.1 7 Eleven competes with both other chains of convenience stores and independent stores. What competitive advantages can you identify in this case? According to the J.D Power and Associates (www.jdpower.com) customer satisfaction survey the following are the most important contributors to customer satisfaction in Japan. There are 3 key areas encompassing the many aspects that provide 7 Eleven with their competitive advantage. As you can see from the overview below 7 Eleven are able to compete and more often than not dominate in each of the key areas identified in the aforementioned study. Extensive Knowledge of the market The management information systems utilised by 7 Eleven allow them to be able to capture crucial data on their customer base, which ensures that are providing customers with the products and services they need and want. Additionally it enables 7 Eleven to be able to track products and utilise a sophisticated inventory system to provide exactly what the customer wants at the time that they need it. Furthermore it refines 7 Elevens inventory system as they are more accurately ordering and restocking products that they are confident will sell. They have developed a streamlined value chain through electronically transmitting orders and keeping product turnover high. They are using computer based information systems to connect all the partners in their value added chains directly into flexible manufacturing systems (Best, 1993, pg. 49). The management information systems also offers added value as it provides 7 Eleven with an avenue to monitor staff performance, thus providing them with the ability to continuously provide a high level of customer service. Technological advances The time distribution system provides competitive advantage on two fronts, the ability to be able to be utilise the small spaces in Japanese retail outlets and to be able to provide customers with a greater range of products more accurately catering for there needs. The information available through their management information systems not only assists in building relationships with their customers, it also allows 7 Elevens vendors to anticipate their needs and prepare and deliver items in a faster than expected timeframe (Buchanan, Thunderbird, Simmons, Washington and Lee University, 2004, pg. 6) providing advantage to 7 Eleven, their customers and their vendors. Expanding core business The expansion of the core business into services such as Internet provision and hot fresh meals sees 7 Eleven providing an alternative service to it customers. This gives customers additional reason to come to 7 Eleven thus expanding the clientele base. 7 Eleven uses its management information systems to obtain competitive advantage that not only helps them decide which products to make available to their customer base, it also allows them to determine how they are going to deliver the product, a crucial component to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage (Buchanan, et. al. 2004, pg.1). In Japan, 7 Eleven have thoroughly engrossed themselves in the concept of expanding their core business to provide their customers with a one stop shop. They provide alternatives to some of the more difficult aspects of the hectic Japanese life style such as meals, ATM access and a pick up point for Internet shopping. In a cash based society they even provide a cash pick up point for e commerce goods and services. 7 Eleven in Japan has truly embraced customer service, which has helped them achieve a distinct competitive advantage in this market. 7-Eleven has exploited the economies of scope of a customer relationship business by working with a broad range of product and service vendors to define new products and services tailored to the needs of their customers (www. edgeperspectives.typepad.com). Q.2 Use the internet to find the major competitors of 7 Eleven in Japan, the United States and other countries where 7 Eleven is active. Describe the competition faced by the company. 7 Eleven has convenience stores in Japan, Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Canada, the Philippines, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Thailand, Norway, Turkey, Malaysia, China and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico (www.7-eleven.com). The following chart depicts the breath of 7 Eleven across its territories. In Japan the major competitors of 7 Eleven are Ministop and Circle K with 1700 (www.ministop.com.ph) and 3000 (www.circlek.com).stores respectively. Compared with the number of stores occupied by 7 Eleven (www.sej.co.jp) it could be concluded that the neither poses any real threat. Both provide very similar services to 7 Eleven including the provision of ready to eat food products, internet services and bill payment facilities (www.circlek.com and www.ministop.com). It is worth noting that Circle K is also a major competitor in Hong Kong. In North America two of the major competitors are B. P North American with 5166 stores including trading names such as AM/PM Mini Market, Amoco, Arco, BP, B Connect, BP Express and Shell Oil Company with 4907 stores (www.csnews.com/csn/images/pdf/CSN_2006_Top100_CStores_Chart.pdf). In Australia the two major competitors to 7 Eleven are Caltex with 566 stores and Coles Express with 595 stores (http://www.cstore.com.au/industry/acn/acn2006.pdf). In Australia both Caltex and Coles Express enjoy a higher market share than 7 Eleven. All of 7 Elevens competitors use management information systems to assist them with data collection and smooth management of their value chain. The evidence suggests that in Australia and North America, the biggest competitors are those that also provide petrol. In Australia this could be partially attributed to the incentive schemes offered by Coles Express and Caltex, providing a distinct competitive advantage that gets the customer through the door and whilst they are there they pick up their bread and milk and other last minute items. The difference could also be distinguishable due to a cultural difference between Japan and western nations such as Australia and North America. Unlike Australia and North America, Asia does not operate on a car dominated transport system. Due to high levels of congestion and inadequate roads, on the whole Asia does not compare with Australia or America in the car ownership stakes. (Moriaty, P, 2000, para.3) Australia has 522 passenger vehicles for every 1000 people in (www.abs.gov.au) the United States has 776 per 1000 population (http://www.unece.org/stats/trends2005/transport.htm) compared with 374 per 1000 population in Japan (Moriaty, P, 2000, para.6). Perhaps the difference in market domination can be attributed to the difference in a cultural need. 7 Eleven have managed to find the niche market in Japan but perhaps they have failed to recognise the key aspect of the consumer oriented decision making in Australia and America. Q3. Which of porters five forces are countered by the 7 Eleven system described here? With a large and varied operation base, 7-Eleven requires advanced business processes and information systems to keep ahead of rising customer expectations and an increasingly challenging business environment. To accomplish these goals, 7- Eleven maintains a business and technology alignment that produces strategy and tactics that are not only efficient and cost effective but are also capable of delivering competitive advantage. The system adopted by 7-Eleven has a consistent and predictable IT infrastructure, one that can adjust to capitalise on changes in the business environment. The Five Forces model of Porter is an outside-in business unit strategy tool that is used to make an analysis of the attractiveness (value) of an industry structure. The Competitive Forces analysis is made by the identification of 5 fundamental competitive forces; the following are countered by the strategic framework for 7-Eleven. Threat Of New Entrants The system adopted by 7-eleven maximizes the threat for new entrants the reason being that 7-Eleven has already reached economies of scale through maintaining a strong customer base and brand loyalty. The access to latest technology and capital investments in the same ensures that the barrier for entries for new entrants is huge .The chain also maintains a wide distribution channel thus the likelihood of retaliation from existing players is diminished. Bargaining Power of Suppliers With the implementation of inventory control systems such as JIT and production of customised products by specialized companies the supplier base is strong for 7-Eleven. However since these suppliers are not dominant they do not threaten to integrate forward into the industry, the reason being the product line is huge and few specific products do not dominate customer requirements. The broad range of products supplied has seen them forge sound relationships with a plethora of suppliers. Additionally they have achieved a level of horizontal integration with the creation of their own supply companies who make customised products under their own branding. Intensity of Rivalry 7-Eleven has emerged as a clear market leader in terms of competition with similar convenience stores because of its highly customer focused orientation and implementation of various information systems adding to its differentiation strategy. Rivalry is further reduced because of the switching costs buyers face with the presence of customised goods. The organisation does not possess high fixed costs and this discourages competitors from manufacturing with price cuts. Q.4 Which strategies of those suggested in the various frameworks are noticeable in this case? 7-Eleven Japan is thriving, owing largely to their digitized foundations, IT infrastructures and business processes that automate core capabilities. Building such foundations requires a sound operating model, a solid enterprise architecture, and IT engagement throughout the company. The company bases its business strategy on a retailer initiative. Each 7-Eleven store tailors its products and services to its neighborhood; the retailing environment is highly dynamic and complex. 7-Eleven Business Model The 7-Eleven business model consists of five key strategies: 1. A differentiated merchandising strategy; 2. utilisation of 7-Elevens retail information system; 3. managed distribution; 4. providing a convenient shopping environment; and 5. a unique franchise model (Stout J, 2005). Differentiated merchandising strategy. 7-Eleven offers a broad array of products, including many not traditionally available in convenience stores, to meet the needs of its customers. These products include high-quality fresh foods that are delivered daily to stores. In addition, the company sells a number of products that are developed specifically for its stores. Utilization of 7-Elevens retail information system. 7-Eleven was the first major convenience store chain in the United States to use an integrated set of retail information tools. Effective utilisation of the system is the foundation of the companys business model. Managed distribution. 7-Eleven works with its vendors and distributors to provide daily delivery of fresh food and other items to its stores, to lower the cost of delivery, and to shift deliveries to off-peak hours. Providing a convenient shopping environment. 7-Eleven seeks to provide its customers with a convenient, safe and clean store environment. The majority of 7-Eleven stores in the United States and Canada provide more than 6 million daily customers with 24-hour convenience, seven days a week. Unique franchise model. More than half of the 7-Eleven stores in the United States are operated by independent franchisees. The companys franchise model is different from most others because 7-Eleven owns or leases the stores and equipment used by its franchisees. In addition, the ongoing royalties that the company receives from its franchisees are based upon a percentage of store gross profit (Stout J, 2005). Apart from this The Just In Time approach for inventory management makes sure that the goods are delivered on time to the point of sales keeping the customer orientation strategy in mind. Q.5. Which business pressures are evident in this case? Retailing is a competitive market in Japan. As stated by Lohtia Subramaniam (2000), in 1994 Japan had 1.5 million retail stores. To put this into context, there were 12 retail stores per 1000 persons in Japan compared to six in USA. In the countries of western Europe, the number of establishments per 1,000 people was close to seven, (Tsuchiya Riethmuller, 1997). While this trend is slowly changing in Japan with the number of retailers declining, the number of convenience stores has been growing. In 1994 there was 48,405 convenience stores compared to 29,236 in 1985. In this same period 7-Eleven has grown from 2,651 stores in 1985 to 5,905 stores in 1994, up to 11,310 (as of February 28, 2006) (www.sej.co.jp, 2007). Low availability and high cost Japanese real estate has seen a trend of small food retail outlets across the country. In 1993, 28.3 per cent of stores had a selling area of under 20m2 and 89.2 per cent had a selling area of under 100m2, (Tsuchiya Riethmuller, 1997). In addition to the high competition the floor space to display and store stock is very limited in Japan. In contrast to the typical US distribution channel which is open, independent and margin-driven, Japanese distribution channels have typically been long, complicated networks where it was not uncommon to have as many as four layers of wholesalers. Such intricacy of the Japanese distribution channel is deeply rooted in the Japanese culture and socio-economic setting that underlies Japanese business customs (Min,1996). Wholesalers have long controlled the Japanese distribution channel through vertical integration, financial linkage, and reciprocity dealings. By the late 1980s 7-Eleven US was losing a lot of money, which continued through to the early 1990s. It was seen as a franchise system with retailers sharing little more than a common brand name with tired generic products. A lot of stores were not only performing badly, they looked run down and unappealing to the customer. Due to poor management of its supply the fresh foods where limited in range and often far from fresh. Pricing was inconsistent with high discounting on some lines and prohibitively high prices on others. It was viewed as a last resort rather than a convenience-shopping experience. 7-Eleven US had got itself into considerable debt and was bankrupt when it had to be rescued by its Japanese franchisee in 1991. Q.6. Which corporate response activities are evident in this case? The success of 7-Eleven Japan has set itself as a benchmark. Meyer-Ohl (2004) states that the perception of the convenience store in Japan is of being the most advanced form of Japanese retailing in having considerable success in merchandising backed up with comprehensive systems. The achievements of 7-Eleven have largely influenced this as it is the largest company and most other companies did not achieve the same level of profitability. 7-Eleven Japan has displayed strong growth and today it remains Japans most profitable retailer and has a market capitalisation that ranks it in the top three retailers in the world. It has achieved this despite the fact that the Japanese economy in the 1990s had been in deep recession and many retailers have seen major losses and faced incredible operating difficulties (Sparks, 2000). Japans success came from a customer driven merchandising system. Its implementation of a $200 million information system for its stores in the early 1990s. The purpose of this system was to (1) discover who their customers were and what they want and (2) create a sophisticated product tracking system, (Case Study). It based its operations around the information provided. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Relays its orders electronically to its distribution centres and suppliers directly from its point of sale system. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 7-Eleven Japan has formed relationships with its suppliers that break the traditional Keiretsu networks of distribution, where wholesalers have had control of the relationship. It has formed strategic relationships with suppliers where it orders directly from them using a Just-in-Time approach. It has even created its own companies to manufacture customised products in response to its market trends. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitoring customer preferences from both the point of sale system and staff entering data about the customer as well as any requests customers make for products 7-Eleven doesnt have. This enables individual stores to change stock from slow moving lines. 70% of products are replaced each year. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Determining product mix and how much shelf space allocated to each product. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rotating stock at least twice each day to suit purchasing trends of customers throughout the day. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitoring staff performance and rewarding high performers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality control data is collected by a team of 200 inspectors regularly visiting the stores. This is entered into and analysed by a computerized decision support system at headquarters. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanding on its traditional convenience food, beverages and fuel type product offerings with, such as ATM, phones and phone cards, internet kiosks and even beer. As outlined by Sparks (2000), the Japanese model of convenience stores has been introduced to the United States. 7-Elevens core functions are managing the data on what its customers buy and honing its unique merchandising skills. 7-Elevens core business is merchandising the pricing, positioning and promotion of ready-to-eat food, snacks, fuel and sundries (Gottfredson Phillips, 2005). It improved its systems to enable it to control and make the most of critical capabilities such as stock price to key metrics like inventory turns. While sticking to its core competencies and some core products the Japanese model used market information for a localised approach at the store level in product offering. The slow but strategic changes for 7-Eleven US have been concentrated on the following elements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poorly located and performing stores have been closed. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The stores have been remodeled, with new designs and layouts. The remodeling has included the introduction of point of sale systems (POS). This enables a customer driven approach where using their feedback for product selection and development. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offering a core range which is supplemented by products selected to meet local needs, stocking proprietary or exclusive products where possible. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Non-food products have been introduced including phone cards and phones as well as additional services through ATMs and trailing of a financial services centre. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Standardised pricing that is more competitive. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Re-positioning of the business to have fresh foods and convenience elements to meet modern consumer demands. Daily supply of many of these products through a reconstructed distribution and production chain. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The combination of new products of a high quality and found only in a 7-Eleven, and backed by trademark development and protection and a more focused advertising strategy is summarized in the companys first, best and only slogan. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The distribution system itself has been re-engineered and Combined Distribution Centres have been introduced to better manage the flow of products into the stores. A high level of control of the supply chain has been achieved. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A high quality and advanced retail information system has been introduced, which closely resembles the model in Japan. Many of the business processes were operated manually for a long time to understand the critical elements driving the business. Now with the introduction of technology this process can move further ahead and can aid the store employment and management situation by freeing up staff time. This extra time will enable gathering market information. Q.7 Does the procedure of collecting customers information infringe on their privacy? Why or why not? Is it unethical? Should customers have the right to anonymity, or check that information collected on them is accurate? The procedure of collecting information about customers does not infringe on their privacy at all. The procedure is very simple and is done by observing customer behaviour and preferences in order to serve them better. It does not involve any sort of interviewing or interference with the customers. It is only an efficient way of running an organisation. As 7-Eleven is well aware of customer preferences and choices it makes it easy for them to make only those products available in ample quantities so as to serve the customers better. It is not at all unethical. Different customers have different choices. As per demography i.e. age, location. Thus 7-eleven keeps a perfect record of demand of products as per their age and location. At different times during a day different products are required by the customers. The information collected is purely from 7-Elevens point of view a way of serving them better. There would be no point of having products that do not match the customers need. So every store must be well aware of the demand of customers. If some customer questions the management as to why a particular product is always available and why some other product is not then in such a situation he can be given the reason of the information collected. Besides there is no reason for the customers to interfere with the 7-Eleven way of managing as it does not in any way infringe on their privacy. Q.8 Surf the Internet to find information about recent IT related initiatives of 7 Eleven, both in Japan and the United States. Relate them to gaining the strategic advantage. In its latest effort, 7-Elevens procurement staff have developed a tool that makes procurement productive and efficient. Its an automated system where procurement professionals can manage hundreds more requests for proposals (RFPs) and contracts per person. An important part of 7-Elevens procurement initiative is to encourage franchisees to use the new streamlined system and, ultimately, buy from recommended suppliers. Although franchisees can purchase from any convenience-product supplier, the new centralised system enables 7-Eleven to aggregate suppliers and items for consolidated negotiations (7Eleven news room, 2007). With a solid enterprise IT foundation in place, 7-Eleven has begun adding layers of advanced systems and functionalities to its industry-leading business process and technology strategy. Recent initiatives include a contact less payment option at POS to provide more convenience to 7-Elevens customers. Using radio-frequency (RF) technology, these systems enable customers to make quick and secure transactions by holding close to or tapping a reader with an RF-enabled credit card or alternative device, such as a key fob. All other aspects of the contact less payment process are handled in the same way as a traditional credit-card or debit-payment transaction (Anonymous, 2006). The contact less payment initiative has gone chain wide to 5,300 stores in the U.S. in 2006 in partnership with Chase with Blink, the MasterCard PayPass, American Express Express Pay and Visa Contactless systems. Authorisation is accomplished in seconds, and no signature is required for many purchases under $25, making this a speedy, easy, convenient and secure customer transaction. Contactless payment systems are often a first step by retailers into the emerging world of radio frequency identification (RFID), and this may be the case at 7- Eleven. We anticipate adding RFID technology to other products and services offered at 7-Eleven stores, adds Rick Updyke, 7-Elevens vice president of business development, to provide even convenience for consumers( Updyke R., 2006). Other Initiatives à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increasing use of an integrated set of retail IT tools to analyze sales on individual items, sales trends and customer preferences to improve product assortment, eliminate slow-moving product from inventory, and increase same-store sales by developing new products, such as the new fresh-food offerings that attract new customers and increase transaction size. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanded use of Vcom, a proprietary multi-function, self-service kiosk that offers check-cashing, bill payment, money order, money transfer, pre-paid credit cards, ATM services and access to residential telephone services (Updyke R., 2006). Conclusion Through its long term involvement and study of the market along with its extensive information systems Seven-Eleven Japan has been characterised as a major innovator in convenience store operations. By its continual improvement and sustaining this over a long period of time it has resulted in significant growth. 7-Eleven has used continual improvement in its model of a customer focused information systems approach. 7-Eleven has succeeded in the essential steps for marketing management as outlined by Wen Peng (2002), market segmentation, market segment targeting, and design and implementation of marketing mix. It has used its information systems combining its POS and staff driven customer profiling to capture market trends to base its selection and stocking of products through to aiding its inventory management and Just-in-Time approach. 7- Elevens distinct competitive advantage can be attributed to the way the information management system links with the corporate strategy and the o perational strategies of logistics, merchandising and day to day store operations (http://www.worldscibooks.com/eastasianstudies/4981.html). From this it has gleaned efficiencies that enabled it to become the number one retailer in Japan at a time of fierce competition and poor economic conditions.

Postmodernism and the commodification of art :: essays research papers

Postmodern Methodology is Hypocrisy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"What is striking is precisely the degree of consensus in postmodernist discourse that there is no longer any possibility of consensus, the authoritative announcements of the disappearance of final authority and the promotion and recirculation of a total and comprehensive narrative of a cultural condition in which totality in no longer thinkable.† So there is a consensus that there is no consensus, an authority saying there is no final authority and a totalizing narrative that totality no longer exists. These three ideas could lead one to believe that postmodernism is hypocrisy. In a way, it has to be hypocritical. If a definition of postmodernism is the erosion of the six pillars of modernity but those six pillars still exist regardless of postmodernism that how does postmodernism exist? Postmodernism seems to have two completely separate trains of thought. The first train of thought is the idea of paralogy and disrupting the hegemony . The second train of thought is the idea of commodification. The two seem to have nothing to do with each other. On one hand, one could think that postmodernism is a good thing because it frees people’s thought processes. Postmodernism is the destruction of hegemony, opening up plurality, diversity, and heterogeneity. On the other hand, it commodifies culture and feeds into capitalism†¦though back over in the first hand it seems to be against capitalism because capitalism is hegemony. Why does postmodern thought try to disrupt the modern capitalist hegemony that it is also feeding into? Postmodernists can claim to argue against everything modern, but where does that actually get them? They use the claim that there are no patterns or archetypes as a paradigm for postmodernism, therefore defeating the purpose. Postmodernism seems to be a push for Lyotard’s idea of paralogy. We’ll define paralogy as â€Å"faulty or deliberately contradictory reasoning, designed to shift and transform the structures of reason itself.† It seems that postmodernists are argumentative to modernists in hopes of changing reality and power structures, but appear to create a new just as static reality and power structure in their places. This new reality becomes hegemony, becomes modern. So do postmodernists need to evolve to stay ahead of the ever-changing modernism that they help create? Is the purpose of postmodernism only to engage modernism in some sort of power struggle? This is, of course, only my own speculation. Culture is Commodified After an arduous analysis of the reading, class notes and discussions, the author of this paper has come up with the following summary: All the forces of media and cultural production are interrelated.

Failure of a Marriage Depicted in Ibsens A Dolls House Essay

A House in Ruins In Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House", the subject most important to the story is marriage. "Until death do us part" well, not always. Everywhere one looks, divorce is plaguing society. The treasured marriage vows have become nothing but a promise made to be broken. A Doll's House is a prime example of a relationship that didn't work. To keep a marriage alive and well it must hold onto certain qualities: love, communication, trust and loyalty. With these qualities, any marriage is bound to work. Without love a relationship would never even begin. The basis for Nora and Torvald's relationship appears to be centered around love, but this was not exactly obtained. Torvald doesn't really love Nora in a mature way; he just looks at her as another child. He has many nicknames for his wife including "lark" and "squirrel" which are small animals and used as symbols of foreshadowing. By using these symbols, Torvald looks at his wife as being smaller than himself and therefore easy to control. He always refers to Nora as my something. "Is that my little lark twittering out there?" and "Is it my little squirrel bustling about?" (438) He emphasizes the ‘my' which makes him think that he owns his wife and he is in control of her. Calling his wife names such as ‘skylark', ‘squirrel', and ‘spendthrift', Torvald does not love his wife with the respect and sensitivity a man should. He gives Nora an allowance but thinks she spends it frivolously. "What are little people called that are always wasting money? It's a sweet little spendthrift. One would hardly believe how expensive such little persons are" (439) Here, Nora is referred to as a small subordinate creature once again. Torvald is so concerned about... ... for his wife. Nora and Torvald's marriage fails because they lack in all of the qualifications for a successful marriage and because of Torvald's control over his family. Before Nora leaves, she tells Torvald, "But our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa's doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald." (491) Nora wants change. Marriage is a two-way street and in order to ensure a wonderful and happy life together, any sort of doll house must be torn down. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. "A Doll's House." Literature the Human Experience. Shorter 8th Ed. Eds. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. 2004. 437-495.

Counseling: Meaning of Life and Client Essay

Abstract This paper consists of my ideas on therapy and the roles of therapy. It also involves the ideas of a person’s relationship with Christ, their purpose and meaning in life, and what changes they need in their life for the therapy to work. My ideas on therapy stem from Existentialism and Person Centered Therapy. Personal Theory of Counseling Counseling is the ability to help people with their problems and assist them in finding their purpose in this life. Counseling is also helping people learn how to be open to new experiences, be more independent, and teach why the willingness to grow is important (Corey, 2009, p.169). Change is also a big part of counseling. People have to be willing to change in order for counseling to work. This therapy’s human nature involves trusting people, being positive, allowing for change, having self-understanding, and self-direction (Corey, 2009, p. 139-140). It also includes having self-awareness, being responsible, creating your own identity, knowing your values and goals, finding God, and realizing death will happen (Corey, 2009, p. 139-140). It also includes unconditional positive regard, which is accepting and caring for others (Corey, 2009, p. 174-175). Throughout the beginning of people’s lives they feel fulfilled, and they have self-determination to motivate them (Corey, 2009, p. 139-169). During sessions the client needs to be able to take charge of his or her own desired change. This means the client should be able to state and know what he or she wants out of therapy. The client should also be able to identify what he or she wants to change in their life. The counselor can only help as much as the client wants to be helped. So the client has to be able to make choices and help in their change (Corey, 2009, p. 165-175). Also, during sessions it is important to focus on the positive things in the person’s life. This can be done by allowing the client to think about things that have brought them happiness. Happiness according to Walker (2010) is, â€Å"A sense that life is good and a state of welling-being that outlasts yesterday’s moment of elation, today’s buoyant mood, or tomorrow’s feeling of sadness† (p. 500). These thoughts help the client to understand why they are here in this world, and it helps them find their meaning in life (Corey, 2009, p. 144-146). It is significant the client knows he or she has a meaning in life. If the client does not feel like they have a meaning in life, the counselor should help in this area of their life (Corey, 2009, p. 144-146). This can be done by having the client do an activity involving writing down all the good things of their life. Also, the client needs to understand and know he or she is in charge of their self-understanding and self-direction. This means the client needs to focus of their self-understanding and self-direction (Corey, 2009, p. 139-142). This can be done by having the client do activities that involve discovering their self-understanding and self-direction. Focusing on these areas will help the client through more difficult issues in counseling. This therapy will help target the key problems causing issues in the client’s life. These problems stem from not allowing change and development to take place in their life (Watson & Tharp, 2007, p. 200). An example of this is not fixing problems as soon as they happen in their life. The client has to learn the skills needed to allow for change and development. This will include working on problem solving skills and developing a better understanding on how to address their daily issues. The client also needs to learn how to take responsibility and handle their problems. Another problem is focusing on past experiences rather than the present. During therapy the client will learn how to focus on the here and now, not focus so much on the past (Watson & Tharp, 2007, p. 205). This will be done by having the client think about past experiences that still bother them. After thinking about the experiences the client will work on letting those issues go through role playing. The therapeutic process of this therapy has a set of goals for the counselor to use to help the client during the sessions (Watson & Tharp, 2007, p.210). These goals help the client learn how to be more independent and self-aware of the changes they need in their life. The point of this therapy is helping the client realize being independent and self-ware of the changes in their lives is very important and can lead to positive results. The first goal of the therapeutic process is allowing the client to be in charge of the change they want to accomplish (Corey, 2009, p. 170-171). An example of this is allowing the client to decide what change they want to master first. Through this goal the counselor and client can build a more trustworthy and deeper relationship. This also leaves room for a more positive and realistic change. The second goal includes working on the needs of the client (Corey, 2009, p. 170-171). This involves teaching the client how to identify their identity, learn self-awareness, and what their purpose is in life (Corey, 2009, p. 139-146). This goal also helps the client develop the skills needed to meet their needs. An example of how this will be done is using role playing and journaling. Another goal is allowing the client to be free in choosing their therapy topics. This means to some degree allowing the client to choose what he or she wants to talk about. Letting the client choose the topics helps make them more comfortable in talking about the more touchy subjects needed to reach the root of the problem. The next goal is opening doors in the client’s life to figure out where God is in their life. This includes showing the client the love of God and what God can and will do in their life. Also, this goal will give the client the opportunity to develop a relationship with God. The last goal is allowing the client to establish goals they want out of the sessions (Corey, 2009, p. 170). An example of this is allowing the client to explore what goals they want. The goal also includes letting the client decide whether the goal is working or not. If the goal is not working, the counselor should allow the client to drop the goal if they want to. It is very important the client feels like they have a say in their therapy. The client will be more willing to be open and honest if they have a say in their therapy. The relationship between the counselor and client should be friendly and trustworthy. The client needs to be able to trust and depend on the counselor. The relationship should develop over time and be positive to the client. Even though the relationship is friendly, there should only be contact during sessions or on the phone. The client needs to understand this is a concrete rule because of ethical standards. Also, the client needs to know that you are just his or her counselor and not a close friend. This is also because of ethical standards. The client needs to be aware that experiences during sessions will be comfortable, but they should also understand the sessions will not always be easy. The hard parts, though, are necessary for their desired change. During the sessions there will be no assessment, because it is not needed for this type of therapy. This is because the client will be choosing their desired change and what they want out of therapy. A normal session will involve the client being in a comfortable chair and feeling free to say what is on their mind. Even though they are free to speak what they are feeling, there will still be general topics for each session. During each session there will be a planned topic, but the topic may not get covered until later if the client needs attention on other topics. The first few sessions will involve the client and the counselor getting to know each other. This will include the client sharing about their life and what brought them to this point in their life. Also, these sessions will involve a few techniques to help the client feel more comfortable around the counselor. These techniques will include saying words that describe who they are as a person. Another technique will be having the client write down thoughts they are having about the counseling sessions. The next few sessions will cover the client’s self-awareness, his or her identity in this world, the client’s goals and values, and their relationship with God (Corey, 2009, p.139-147). During these sessions the client will work on building up his or her self-awareness through writing down their feeling. Also, the client will work on their self-awareness by thinking about what makes them who they are as a person (Corey, 2009, p. 139-140). The client will also work on figuring out their identity in this world (Corey, 2009, p. 139-140). They will do this through writing down and thinking about what they are doing in the world to make a difference. They will also journal their thoughts on their identity in the world and what makes it their identity. During the sessions the client will also work their goals and values. This will include the client making a list of their current goals and values and what they want their new goals and values to be. Also during these sessions the client will work their relationship with God. This will include going over who God is, what His son done for them on the cross, and how they can have a relationship with God if they want to. After those sessions the counselor will cover the client’s goals for therapy and the issues the client may be facing. This will include the client stating what goals they want out of therapy and how they want to achieve them. After the client decides on what goals they want to work toward, the counselor and client will work together on techniques to help the client. Throughout this process the client can move on and work toward fixing their problems. During the sessions it is significant to cover important topics about life and death (Corey, 2009, p. 147-148). This will include using the Word of God and other resources to reveal what life and death are. After the sessions are complete the client should have an understanding of their self-awareness, his or her identity in this world, their goals and values, their relationship with God, and what death is. Also, they should have a basic plan to help them through future problems and issues Overall, this therapy can help people who have the desire and drive to make it work. People can benefit from this therapy by getting the help they need. This therapy is set up to motivate and help people learn about themselves and how to solve their problems. It is also designed to help people reach their desired change and help them learn their meaning and purpose in life. This therapy can aid people in building a better life and future. References Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (8th ed. ). Australia: Thomson/Brooks/Cole. Walker, V. (2010). Becoming aware: A text/workbook for human relations and personal adjustment (11th ed. ). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Pub. Co.. Watson, D. L. , & Tharp, R. G. (2007). Self-directed behavior: Self-modification for personal adjustment (9th ed. ). Australia: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Planet Earth Essay

Earth is the third planet from the sun. The place where many organisms exist, enhance with the beauty of nature. Packed with rich biodiversity, streams and rivers. Have you seen this place before? Maybe yes, but for how long? How much it matter to us if it is lost? What can we do to save them? Those are questions that that will hopefully strike our nerves. In this new millennium, many changes have occurred that altered the condition of the nature. Nearly all the natural rainforest has gone from several countries. It’s very alarming to know that our planet’s wealth is starting to vanish that provides us the basic-life supporting services. Imagine life without these resources, if we don’t put into effort conservation, were not going to only make our lives worse but it also going to impact wild life. People must keep in mind that gross materialism and the search of material wealth is not the only thing in life. Many species of animals are now in massive decline and various factors contribute to extinction. The Amur leopard that is rare and highly endangered and the wild Bactrian camel, the most endangered large animal are threatened to disappear. Nearly half of the world’s frog is extinct by now because of the fungus that hit them. Forest elephants and Walia Ilex are also on the top list. Folks are shooting them for their bush meat so they tend to go to sheer cliff where they are safe from guns and snares. If your protecting the species, first thing you should know is how close to extinction the species are. Extinction is driven by habitat change, release of pollution into the environment, by global warming. All these things are combining in a series of forces that likely to lead if we don’t take action very soon to the extinction of a large proportion of the wild life species. We can’t concentrate in only important species because every species is important. We need a great diversity of species. We need them all because when you start decreasing their number, you start reducing the stability of the area. To save one, typically means to save them all because if one of them got extinct, it will affect the others since they are part of them. It’s like a domino effect, if one piece falls automatically the rest of them will follow. In hot spot conservation, WWF’s strategy is to use anti-poaching patrols to protect the species, and so the rest get  protected also in the bargain. With extinction so close, conservation becomes desperate. The Audubon zoo creates the species survival plan which is like parent organisation in the United State. The clone the animals an d freeze the cells and 50 years from now, they could pull out the DNA and make them alive. It’s like living library in the future. The main thought is that they are getting attention from us. Protection and right treatment for these animals can give us such benefit in our life.