Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Samsung electronic corporate governance practices Essay

Samsung electronic corporate governance practices - Essay Example During the collapse of large corporations during (2001-2002), fraud, embezzlement of funds were notably blamed for this phenomenon (2013 Samsung Electronics Annual Report 10). Today, some of the leading companies such as Samsung have managed to create a monumental corporate governance policy. Sadly, many people have little knowledge on the significance of company corporate governance. This paper will explore Samsung financial reports, the audit committee, board of directors and their roles in order to enhance in-depth understanding of the corporate governance. Besides, a historical review of the company under scrutiny will enhance a better reflection of the milestone that has led to the development of concrete policy. Samsung Company came into existence around 1938 after the first Samsung General stores opened its doors. It is a company dealing with three-tire electronics portfolio, namely electronics, mobile devices and information technology. It is a company that has defined its position within a competitive and dynamic electronic industry over a few decades. During its inception, the company objectives included provision of world-class electronic devices that will improve access to information. Today, the company boost of monumental corporate governance that has led to investment in advance technology and enormous proceeds. By 2013, the company has raised its shares to 130 million that translated to 10% growth rate from the previous year. Today, the company faces vulnerability to litigation due to patent suits. Notably, Apple sued Samsung in 2012 in numerous country, including U.S, Japan, China among other big consumers (2013 Samsung Electronics Annual Report 12). In addition, the company faces a high capital requirement occasioned by unpredictable shift in technology and customers change in taste and preference. Besides, there are new entrants in the market coupled with huge tax levies and international customs poses uncertainty in future profits

Monday, October 28, 2019

Ph Indicators Essay Example for Free

Ph Indicators Essay Preparing the Cabbage-Juice Indicator 1 Chop one head of red cabbage leaves into about 1-inch pieces and place them in a blender. Fill the blender about half full of water and blend the mixture at high speed for about 30 seconds. 2 Place a coffee filter inside a strainer and pour the cabbage juice through the coffee filter into a quart-sized jar. Sponsored Links Forensic Science Courses Take Forensic Science Classes Online or Nearby Start In Fall! www. CampusExplorer. com/Forensic 3 Cap the jar and label it Cabbage Juice Indicator. Measuring pH 4 Place a sample for pH measurement in a small jar, such as a baby-food jar and fill it about half full with the sample. 5 Add approximately 1. 5 ounces of the cabbage-juice indicator solution to the sample and stir it briefly with a spoon. 6 Estimate the pH by observing the color of the sample and cabbage-juice mixture. A light or dark pink solution indicates an acidic solution with pH between 2 and 4, purple or blue indicates a neutral solution of pH 6 to 8, green indicates a basic pH of 10 to 12 and yellow indicates a pH above 13. See the Resources section for a detailed color-to-pH correlation chart. Sponsored Links Raspberry Ketone WarningaPP-aPProved. com/RaspberryKetones Dont Buy Before Seeing This. Report by Rag-Tag Research Geeksâ„ ¢! 100 Business Cards $5www. vistaprint. com Free Shipping. Design your Personal Business Cards Online. Glow Stickwww. ShopAtHome. com/GlowSticks Save Before You Spend! Free Online Coupons, Offers Here. Hydrogen Sulfide OdorOdorManagement. com/refining Control fuel refining odors with OMIs green Ecosorb products

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Saint Joan of Arc :: Essays Papers

Saint Joan of Arc The Lindau Gospel Book Cover is a signatory representative of the early and mid 9th century due to its quality to compel and garner admiration from the common masses. The cover exemplifies the attributes of many other works from its period. It is a safe assumption that the majority of the citizens that lived during the time these works were created couldn’t read, and that works of art such as the book cover could function as a metaphor for the story contained within. Stories like the Passion could be depicted on a slab of stone or pressed into a sheet of gold to show levels of importance on particular moments. One example of a multi-level drawing is that of the Utrecht Psalter. The Psalter, created around 820 in Reims, is a preliminary source for the style of metaphor overlaid in visual representation1. The Psalter provided an interpretation to all of the Biblical allusions, sometimes very cleverly. Though the type of visual representation found in the Psalter are thought to be modeled after earlier forms2 there is a certain simplicity in style that seems to compel not the courtesans, but the common citizen3 . The images are highly stylized, a far cry from the art of the aristocracy; even more telling, it was rendered in the very local artistic style of the workshops of Reims4. The drawings are impressionistic5 and worked as a puzzle for the viewer6. There was a definite link reaching out from the work to the viewer, the Psalter served as a prototypical way of engaging the audience in a visual tale while communicating the literal story behind it7. The viewer was able to take a mental pictu re of a liturgical event8. This style progressed and found its way to other visual forms9. The ivory book covers illustrating Psalms 50 and 51 had drawn influence and may have been in fact directly modeled after the Utrecht Psalter10. The ivories depict the same scenes from the Psalms drawn into the Utrecht Psalter, however, the ivory panels are more of an abridged version11. The progression from drawing to book covers represents a certain leap in audience and visual structure even if just momentarily or inadvertently, since ivory was a luxury few could afford, and the meticulous undercutting even fewer12. The scenes did however grow in leaps and bounds in the method of figural representation, realistic drapery, and depth that is monumentally achieved in such a minimal space13.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Cognitive Ability Essay

Any company needs a system of control and measurement. This is all the more true in the food industry, wherein the expected output is not only about taste or profitability, but also on several factors that could cause a multitude of praise or problems such as quality of service, effective controls, innovative product mix, brand image, etc (Profitable Tips For All Restaurant Owner, by Kevin Moll). Although the restaurant operations group, central office, administrative support, and upper management are all expected to be calibrated and to work in harmony, this type of business requires a funnel point, or local management whose role to act remotely on behalf of, but in full calibration with, upper management in terms of policy implementation, achieving store targets, local marketing, and other operational tasks. This funnel point is the Restaurant Manager (Ninemeier, Jack D. ; Hayes, David K. (2006). Restaurant Operations Management: Principles and Practices. Upper Saddle River, N. J: Pearson Prentice Hal). In recent years, it has been a recurring problem of the Shakey’s Philippines operations team that some of the Restaurants have not been meeting its target Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Hospitality (QSCH) Score and Profitability Goals (Based on the 2012 Audit Scores). Although several initiatives have been rolled out to coach each employee’s performance, the consistency of the store’s QSCH scores and the achievement of target profitability have been directly linked with the performance of the respective Restaurant Manager (Store QSCH Score is included in Restaurant Manager’s total Performance Appraisal rate). Although coaching initiatives and continuous improvement programs have been launched and maintained, the problem resurfaces when attrition happens. Whether the attrition is expected or unexpected, the fact is that new talent coming in, either from the outside or from within, will always face the same pitfalls and challenges, plus problems that have been newly developed or caused by the failure of the previous local management handling the store; this causes the aforementioned coaching and continuous improvement initiatives to be re-implemented and relearned, ending and beginning this loop again with attrition, even slowing down the effectiveness of improvement initiatives. The process of learning and relearning, which is highly dependent on the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability, makes the difference when dealing with this loop(Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s (l986)  causal model of job performance); it defines how much the Restaurant and, consequentially, the store itself can progress from the loop and continuously improve on its operational performance. This study aims to understand the significance and relation of the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the achievement of store objectives, and to address such problems. Background of the study Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s causal model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance and that the relationship between ability and performance is stable over time (Development of a Causal Model of Processes Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt and John E. Hunter). Though there is a lack of studies that specifically discusses the impact or effect of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the store performance, the scope of the universal model developed by Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge could be used for restaurant industry. There are three factors to consider, before discussing the relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and the performance of the stores the Managers respectively handle: 1. The Restaurant Manager’s Duties and Responsibilities needed to be accomplished, as well as targets to be achieved; 2. The Restaurant Manager’s Personal and Technical Competencies needed prior to placing any candidate, external or internal, into this position; 3. The current average and modal store performance in a given sample population versus the scores of the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests taken by the Restaurant Managers who run the stores in the sample population. The first two factors are found in the Restaurant Manager’s Job Description, which differs from company to company, while the third factor will be based on actual data from the sample population within a prescribed performance appraisal period alongside the last known IQ test scores of the respective Restaurant Managers. The first two factors are what will be used to describe, respectively, the current deliverables expected from all Restaurant Managers, and who the ideal Restaurant Manager should be as well as the capabilities in running store operations effectively. From the analysis of this information we can further elaborate the significance of measuring cognitive ability for prospective Restaurant Managers for screening purposes, as well as current Restaurant Managers for continuous improvement and internal screening purposes. The third factor shall be used to analyze the current relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and their respective store’s performance. The analysis will include possible trends to further reinforce or debunk any possible relationships. Objectives of the study †¢ To identify the relationship of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and achievement of store objectives †¢ To determine the acceptable level of applicant’s IQ in hiring or promoting Restaurant Managers †¢ To recommend either changes or retention in assessment tools to accurately determine the cognitive ability of prospective Restaurant Managers Significance of the study This study, if used in similar contexts, may be used as follows: †¢ To improve company selection processes, either to reinforce or debunk current practices of measuring job applicants’ Intelligence Quotients; †¢ To create more focused people development strategies, either more or less focus on increasing employees’ cognitive abilities; †¢ To reinforce or debunk the relevance of cognitive abilities on employees’ job performance, to gauge employees’ and applicants’ capabilities to take on certain responsibilities; and †¢ To properly plan and create succession plans and manpower requests within organizations. Scope and limitations For the purpose of this study, the Job Description, performance data, and IQ test scores to be studied will be those of the Restaurant Managers of company-owned Shakey’s branches, covering Manila areas only. It shall not include data from Franchisee-owned branches and the Restaurant Managers running these branches. This study shall also cover data from Restaurant Managers who have run their respective, company-owned stores for at least one year. This is to ensure the integrity of the data, and factor out possible cultural and functional adjustment periods brought about by new-hire status, lack of experience of newly-promoted Managers, newly-built store locations, and other similar scenarios. As such, data from Restaurant Managers of company-owned stores within the sample population whose tenure is less than the period prescribed in this study shall not be included. The IQ test results to be considered shall be those taken using the proprietary internally-developed IQ test only, and will not include results from any previous IQ tests. It must be noted that this test is used on all Restaurant Managers screened either for hiring or for promotion within all locations of Shakey’s Philippines, and its norms have been based on the current manpower of the company, across all levels and departments. Therefore, this IQ test is, for the purpose of this study, valid. Convenient Sampling Method shall be used for this study, both due to logistical limitations, as well as evening-out the sample population. It should also be noted that this study shall also take into context several factors that could have an effect on the success or failure of any given establishment aside from the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability, such as personal competencies, values, and the working experience of the Restaurant Manager. Whichever outcome and results may arise, this study does not denote that the store’s performance is solely or definitively dependent on the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability. The definition of Cognitive Ability is taken from Dr. Pascale Michelon, (Author of Max Your Memory and the Founder of Memory Practice). Cognition is how a person understands the world; it is a set of abilities, skills, or processes that are part of nearly human action. Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task, from the simplest to the most complex. Dr. Michelon states that cognitive ability has more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, solve problems, and pay attention rather than with any actual knowledge. It refers to the individual’s capacity to comprehend, think, reason and solve problems (What is a Cognitive Ability/What are Cognitive Abilities and Skill, 2006). The hospitality sector is known to have the highest employee turnover rate among all other industries (The Economic Times, Highest Attrition in Hospitality and Aviation Sectors Survey, April 2012). The Human Resources (HR) departments of companies in this sector are required to hire talents who can adjust immediately to their new working environment and possess the ability to learn, continue, and finish the tasks left by the person previously holding the vacated post in the soonest possible time, with minimal training and supervision provided (Copyright 2003-2006  www. iBizResources. com). This also holds true in Shakey’s Philippines where Restaurant Managers leave the company either for opportunities outside the country or because of better offers from competitors. Shakey’s Philippines has an estimated 8% turnover rate for the Restaurant Manager employees in 2012 (Data Collected from Shakey’s HROD). Given this situation, it is important for Shakey’s Philippines, as with any other company facing similar dilemmas, to implement programs and initiatives that will counter the negative effects of this attrition. To better understand the impact of a Restaurant Manager on an organization in the Food industry, analysis of the Restaurant Manager’s job scope is needed. The main duties and responsibilities of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Oversee overall operations of the restaurant including personnel management, stocks and inventory management, maintenance management and other administrative function 2. Develop and implement Local Store Marketing strategies, and ensure proper implementation of company wide marketing promotions 3. Ensure proper implementation and compliance to company controls and standards 4. Solve problems and decide on critical issues concerning but not limited to customer complaints, employee related conflicts, administrative cases, store accidents, decreasing sales due to strong competition, equipment breakage, delayed delivery of raw materials, etc. 5. People Development For Restaurant Managers to effectively carry out these responsibilities, certain abilities are required to be identified in prospective internal and external candidates. The Qualifications and Skills of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Ability to set goals and implement sales building initiatives to ensure achievement of the target sales 2. Ability to use benchmarking and trade area awareness as analysis tools. Can analyze sales trends and performance. a. Has the ability to identify business opportunities within his trade areas b. Has the ability to study competitors within his areas and implement improvements to ensure his store is at par with his competitors, c. Is constantly calibrated with the best practices of the industry, which are to be implemented and practiced in the respective store 3. Ability to plan, direct, monitor, organize, control the restaurant financial resources. a. Has the ability to conduct profit and loss analysis and easily spot discrepancies in financial reports. b. Can determine factors affecting contributing to high cost efficiently. c. Can implement action plans and preventive measures to ensure a sound operational cost d. Can manage restaurant cost to acceptable level, and can create ways and means in managing cost. 4. Can implement and monitor quality standards in the store. Has the ability to consistently achieve an excellent QSCH Audit Result. 5. Ability to develop team capabilities. a. Has the ability to energize and inspire his team, and work towards the common goals. b. Has the ability to train his management team on various restaurant system (inventory, cash control, workforce planning, etc) 6. Ability to develop and implement effective local store marketing that boost sales and build brand 7. Has the ability to develop and implement effective merchandising techniques All these qualifications and skills are most likely to be present in people with higher cognitive abilities, based on Dr. Michelon’s abovementioned definition of cognitive ability. Cognitive ability plays a major role in learning new systems and operations, as well as making correct actions in each problematic situation that people encounter at their respective workplace. This particular ability helps newly hired employees perform well in their recently acquired roles, enabling them to hit the ground running (Development of Causal Model of Processed Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt, John E. Hunter). Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s Causal Model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance; that it is the primary determinant of job performance, and that the influence of this ability either remains stable or increases over time. Further analysis has suggested that cognitive ability retains its influence on the employee well-past the initial stage of employment, when incumbents are learning how o do their jobs, and is still a major contributing factor for job performance measurement among more senior job incumbents. Cognitive ability enables incumbents to acquire and apply job knowledge, and is also related to the employee’s ability to solve novel problems and to make appropriate judgement in situations where routine procedures do not apply; this will be most important in situations where the employee must learn new procedures or techniques, or where novel problems or job demands require sound judgement c alls from the employee. It is necessary, then, to hire Restaurant Manager replacements with high levels of intelligence; without the ability to adapt quickly towards their new working environment, new-hires’ and employers alike will be facing problems such as losing profitability to lost opportunity cost. This is especially true in Shakey’s Philippines, as it is so for all restaurant companies, whose profitability is dependent on their Restaurant Managers’ performance.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Advertising aimed at children Essay

Nowadays, in the developed countries, the need for regulation of advertising aimed at children is generally acknowledged. And that happens because children are a very specific target group with special features due to young age. Children do not have the skills to critique advertisements and are very fooled by them. They cannot recognize if all these things advertised are useful or not. Advertisements influence children in a negative way most of the times. For example, junk food advertisements lead to obesity. Advertising for toys and clothing products lead to consumer mania or antisocial behavior. Regulations should be imposed on advertising aimed at children should cover three areas: the amount of advertising, the advertising time and the concept (theme) of advertising. The amount of advertising intended solely for children should be reduced. Children are bombarded daily with ads from all media especially from television which is the most popular means among children. This bombardment is equivalent to brainwashing for a toddler who has no the resistance to cope with a situation like this. Surveys have shown that many and successive ads cause stress and anxiety in children. Also the time spending on the ads should be reduced. Moreover, timing to run ads must change. To explain myself should avoid viewing commercials that interrupt television series with high viewership among children and adolescents. Regarding the concept (theme) of ads, should be banned ads highlighting a product trough social role. To be more detailed, advertisements today are not so much about the products but rather about the character of the consumers and how they should feel when they use or possess the advertised product. Messages to children are all about the happiness, social status or success which accompanies the possession or consumption of a certain toy or type of food. This type of ads that causes mimicry should be banned. All these regulations in conjunction with education in schools, information for parents and children, I believe will significantly reduce the bad influences of ads on children and adolescents.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Gustav Stresemann - Weimar Foreign Policy essays

Gustav Stresemann - Weimar Foreign Policy essays Gustav Stresemann - - Weimar Foreign Policy When Gustav Stresemann became the foreign minister of the Weimar republic in 1923 it was after two years as chancellor of the Weimar republic. During this time he was able to see, firsthand, the effects of the economic and political isolation upon Germany and the harm it was doing to the country. It was during this time of chancellorship (which is external to the topic yet important) that Stresemann was able to set the tone for the type of brinkmanship that would dominate his career as foreign minister. It is essential to know about the man himself to understand the moves he would later make. Stresemann's character comes into question when it comes to determining the cause for his actions first as chancellor in 1923 and then as foreign minister until his death in 1929. Fiercely nationalistic and monarchist Stresemann did not differ from the main of the German population. He was however educated and incredibly intelligent and it was these qualities which set him apart when he joined the DVP (German People's Party) where he quickly became the Reichstag spokesman for Ludendorff and Hindenburg during World War I. How Stresemann became a staunch supporter of the Weimar republic would make interesting reading in its own right. In short Stresemann saw the realities of the armistice imposed by the Allies and the treaty of Versailles and realized that the only avenue to rebuild the once-great Germany lay on the survival of the fledging Weimar republic. Stresemann came into power as chancellor during the hard times of hyperinflation. Despite the overwhelming nationalistic disapproval he decided to press ahead with his call for the abandonment of the passive resistance scheme. Passive resistance did see the reduction of reparations to France drop to almost negligible levels but also saw the complete and utter destruction of the German economy. Even after the abortive attempt to guarantee...

Monday, October 21, 2019

8 Writing Tips for Beginners

8 Writing Tips for Beginners 8 Writing Tips for Beginners 8 Writing Tips for Beginners By Ali Hale Welcome to the wonderful world of writing! However young or old you are, writing can be so rewarding. For some writers, it’s a fun hobby and a creative outlet; for others, it’s a dream career. When you’re just getting started, you might feel excited but also a little daunted – where should you begin? What do you need to know and learn? The great thing about writing is that whatever stage you’re at, you can keep growing your skills and honing your craft. This applies whether you’re a total beginner or a best-selling author: there’s always something new to learn or try. In your early months (or even years) as a writer, these eight tips should help you on your way Tip #1: Try Lots of Different Types of Writing When you’re just starting out, you might not know what you want to write – you just want to write! Or, you might have a firm idea of the type of writing you’d like to do (maybe you want to be a novelist or a poet, for instance). As a beginner, you’re in a great position to try out lots of different types of writing, without needing to commit to one in particular: no-one’s (yet!) demanding your next book. So have a go at a wide range of genres and styles – you might surprise yourself with what you enjoy. I never set out to be a freelancer (my writing dreams were all about being a novelist) †¦ but ten years into freelancing, I still love it, and I’ve written and published three novels too. Tip #2: Read Some Good Writing Blogs or Books †¦ But Not Too Many There are some brilliant books and blogs out there that’ll teach you the basics of writing (and much more): Daily Writing Tips is a great place to begin, of course! For fiction-writers, I always recommend K.M. Weiland’s blog Helping Writers Become Authors, and Nigel Watts’ book Get Started in †¦ Writing a Novel; for non-fiction writers, the Copyblogger blog is a great read, as is Joanna Penn’s book How to Write Non-Fiction. One trap that beginner writers sometimes fall into, though, is that they read and read, trying to learn everything there is to know about writing – but they don’t actually write! So don’t get too caught up in reading: make sure you’re also setting aside time to try out writing exercises, or to develop your own ideas. Tip #3: Start With Small Projects, Not Book-Length Works If you’ve never written much before, launching straight into a novel probably won’t work: either you’ll run out of steam within a few chapters, or you’ll keep writing but you’ll end up with a story that needs an awful lot of work to make it publishable. It’s better to hone your skills on smaller projects first: think short stories if you’re a fiction-writer, or short articles or blog posts if you’re a non-fiction writer. These can be a great way to explore potential ideas and topics without committing to a book-length work straight away. Tip #4: Write Regularly So You Don’t Lose Momentum Some writers think you should write every day: personally, I don’t think that’s very good advice. Maybe your weekdays are very busy, because you work long hours, but your weekends are clear. Or perhaps it’s the other way round: you have some time during the week while your kids are at school, but your weekends are packed with activities. It’s fine to set a writing schedule that suits you and your life †¦ but do make sure you’re allowing yourself time to write on a regular basis. If weeks go by without you writing anything, you’ll inevitably lose momentum. Writing at least once a week works for most people. For those who need extra help fighting procrastination, this post has many tips to beat writers block. Tip #5: Use Clear, Straightforward Words While I’m a huge fan of words, and love the sound of some more unusual ones (eclectic is one of my favourites!) †¦ I think that as a writer, it’s normally best to keep things simple. Even if, in school, you got extra marks for showing off your impressive vocabulary, readers frankly don’t care! You should, of course, use the word that best fits what you mean: sometimes a precise, technical word is the best choice, even if it isn’t the simplest. But in general, keep George Orwell’s advice in mind: â€Å"Never use a long word where a short one will do,† and â€Å"Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.† Needless to say that you should use clear, correct English as well. Using a spellchecker is not enough. Proofreading and editing is essential to produce quality prose. Tip #6: (Fiction Writers) Don’t Mix Past and Present Tense This can sometimes be tricky to get to grips with when you’re new to writing: but if you’re writing piece of fiction, you need to choose between past and present tense. You can tell the story as though it’s already happened: John hurried down the street. Sue ran after him, furious. â€Å"John!† she shouted. â€Å"Come back here!† Alternatively, you can tell the story as if it’s currently happening: John hurries down the street. Sue runs after him, furious. â€Å"John!† she shouts. â€Å"Come back here!† What you can’t do is mix past and present: John hurried down the street. Sue runs after him, furious†¦ Sometimes, there’s a place for switching from past to present tense or vice versa – but be careful that you don’t switch accidentally. Tip #7: (Fiction Writers) Don’t Use the Same Word Too Often If you use the same word repeatedly within a short space of time, it can start to stand out for the reader and become a distraction from your writing. This is particularly true of unusual words (I read a novel recently by an author with a particular liking for the word â€Å"stolid†). Here’s an example: John locked the door before opening the letter. He could hear Sue moving around in the kitchen, just outside the door. As he drew the letter from the envelope, there was a knock on the door. â€Å"John? What are you doing in there? Open the door!† The word â€Å"door† appears four times in that paragraph, and there’s a danger of it having a slightly comic effect. Some words are fine to repeat as often as you like, however: little ones like â€Å"a†, â€Å"the†, â€Å"and†, â€Å"he†, â€Å"she and so on. With character names, too, it’s best to just pick something to call them and stick with it. So don’t try to remove all repeated words – but do keep an eye out for words or phrases that you tend to over-use. Tip #8: (Fiction Writers) Stick to One Character’s Perspective at a Time Even if you’re writing in the third-person rather than the first-person, it’s a good idea to stick to just one character’s perspective in any given scene or passage – this is called â€Å"third-person limited† or sometimes â€Å"deep POV† and contrasts with the â€Å"third-person omniscient† viewpoint that’s typical of classic 19th century literature. Readers expect this close third-person perspective, and it allows you to give the thoughts and viewpoint of one character at a time – helping the reader to identify with that person and to really understand them. Beyond all these tips, though, there’s one thing I want to leave you with: the fact that no-one is born able to write. You may not yet have the skills you want as a writer †¦ but you can develop those skills. A year or so ago, my five-year-old daughter could only write a few words (and often got her letters backwards); now, it’s fascinating to watch her fledgling attempts at writing stories, messages, and even puzzles. Just like her, you could look back a year from now and be surprised at how far you’ve come. Wherever you are right now with your writing, keep on working at it, keep enjoying it, and keep finding new things to learn as you go along. Good luck! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Capitalize Animal and Plant NamesThe Writing Process20 Names of Body Parts and Elements and Their Figurative Meanings

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Prefix Hyper and Related Words

The Prefix Hyper and Related Words The Prefix Hyper and Related Words The Prefix Hyper and Related Words By Mark Nichol Words with the Greek prefix hyper (meaning â€Å"above,† â€Å"beyond,† or â€Å"over†) are listed and defined in this post. (A subsequent post will focus on words with the antonymic prefix hypo.) In the medical realm, hyperactivity is excessive behavior often associated with attention deficit disorder (ADD)- also referred to as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)- though the term often refers informally to overactivity in general; the adjectival form is hyperactive, which is commonly colloquially abbreviated to hyper. Meanwhile, hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure and the attendant condition affecting the entire body. Another of numerous medical terms with the root hyper is hyperventilation, which originally referred to medical treatment by exposure to drafts of air; now, the word pertains to excessively rapid breathing and is often employed informally to describe overexcitement. Hyperplasia and hypertrophy both refer to excessive growth; the roots mean â€Å"formation† and â€Å"nourishment,† respectively. Hyperaphia, meanwhile, is excessive sensitivity to touch; the adjectival form is hyperaphic. Hyperbole (literally, â€Å"throwing beyond†- bole is cognate with ball) is exaggeration; a hyperbola, by comparison, is a specific type of geometric curve. (Hyperbolic serves as an adjective for both words.) Another term pertaining to rhetoric is hyperbaton (literally, â€Å"overstepping†), which refers to an inversion of the traditional word order in a sentence. A hyperborean is someone who lives in the far north regions of Earth; borean is cognate with boreal, meaning â€Å"northern†- a form of which is seen in â€Å"aurora borealis,† or â€Å"northern lights.† (Because the Hyperboreans of Roman mythology were beyond the reach of Boreas, the Roman god of the north wind, their domain was thought to be a paradise. Another name from Roman mythology is that of Hyperion, a Titan later associated in his characteristics with the god Apollo.) To be hypercritical or hypersensitive is to be excessively judgmental or emotionally vulnerable in the face of judgment, respectively. A hyperlink is an electronically enabled connection between a document or file and a similar element online or an online location; the word is derived from the notion of such a connection being â€Å"super.† (Hyperlink is also employed as a verb to describe making such a connection.) Hypermedia is a lesser-known term encompassing forms of media other than writing. In science, hyperspace describes multidimensional space; in science fiction, the term denotes a distinct dimensional region that enables faster-than-light travel. In the latter realm, hyperdrive is a form of propulsion that enables entering hyperspace, and the velocity at which hyperspace travel can occur is hyperspeed (prominent in Star Wars media but not to be confused with the concept of warp speed, which was popularized by the Star Trek entertainment franchise). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About HandsList of 50 Great Word Games for Kids and AdultsHyphenation in Compound Nouns

Saturday, October 19, 2019

See like a Scientist Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See like a Scientist - Assignment Example In this case, the line length is equated to the product of the represented distance on earth and the distance on scale. In order to understand the linear and the logarithm scale, this paper explores the comparison of the linear and logarithm scales aligning them with clear differences and similarities. The number of fish killed as a human hearing can better be measured using the logarithm scale than the linear scale. This is so because a change between two values, on a linear scale, is considered being the difference between the given values. For instance, the change from 0 to 500 in the linear scale, is perceived to be similar to the change between 500 to 1000. Different from this, on a logarithm scale, the changes between two values is considered as a ratio of the two values. This implies that a change from 1 to 10 in the logarithmic scale (ratio of 1:10) is considered to be a similar quantity of increase as the change from 10 to 100 (also a ratio of 1:10). The hearing sense considers equal frequency ratios as the pitch differences (Kipp 34). Another difference between the two scale is that the logarithm scale can accommodate a great span in comparison to the linear scale. A logarithm scale operates like the case of zooming. For instance, accommodating 10000 fish killed by 1cm would need 10000cm for the linear scale. In a logarithmic scale each cm is taken to be tenfold hence accommodating 10000 fish killed in only 4cm. This means that in the case where the details over a small span should be visualized, linear scale will be appropriate, and in a case where the overall picture is on a large range like in the case of the number of fish killed, then, the logarithmic scale would be the most appropriate scale to be used (Parker 23). In this regard, using the value logarithms rather than the real value will minimize the wide range to form a size that is manageable. Linear scales cannot be used on the charts having the scales

Friday, October 18, 2019

David Bowie and Performativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

David Bowie and Performativity - Essay Example This argument will serve as a lens in analysing David Bowie’s song, â€Å"Queen Bitch.† The song revolves around a hustler prostitute seducing a gay man’s boyfriend. Using stereotyped language and images and an upbeat tone and guitar melody, Bowie challenges the narratives of authentic identity by undermining sexual gender roles and asserting his own lack of performance in contrast to the aggressive nature of the Queen Bitch, although he realises that his gay performative acts include sexual liberation from an unfaithful relationship that is doomed because of heterosexual desires. Butler believes that gender is not biologically-based, but created in the past, and Bowie uses stereotyped language to support that feminine gender is subjected to socially-produced heteronormativity, which society designed for male desires. Butler asserts that gender is â€Å"tenuously constituted in time† (901). The tenuous part can be ascribed to gender norms and roles that ar e passed on from one generation to another, particularly in patriarchal societies that men design and control. Bowie specifically questions the gender norm of the female bitch. In describing her clothing, he demeans the clothing that women wear to attract the male gender: â€Å"She's so swishy in her satin and tat/In her frock coat/and bipperty-bopperty hat† (lines 13-15). The satin and tat are an odd mix because satin can be related to sophistication, while tat is a form of laced clothing. The combination suggests a cheap imitation of the ideal virginal woman. â€Å"Bipperty-bopperty† seems to be onomatopoeic, like something is being conjured out of magic. The effect is that the hat is as â€Å"fake† or as â€Å"contrived† as the woman. To stress the poor choice of clothing of the prostitute, Bowie says; â€Å"Oh God, I could do better than that† (16). He curses and calls the name of God, as if saying that even if God made her a woman, he is a bet ter woman, even if he is a man. Society defines manhood and womanhood, so gender is â€Å"tenuously constituted in time,† a time that Bowie finds hard to oppose (Butler 901). Furthermore, heteronormativity is present in the song because the man, who can be inferred as the boyfriend of the singer, is not loyal to the latter, and instead, acts like a stereotyped womaniser. Bowie notes that though the woman is a â€Å"bitch,† the man is a male version of a bitch: â€Å"And he's trying hard/to pull sister Flo† (4-5). The man is not exactly resisting the charms of the woman, whom Bowie calls sister Flo, probably because she goes with the flow, the flow of men with money or looks or both. Bowie shows that society produces slutty women and men within the context of heteronormativity, where male desires shape social norms. Present gender roles and interactions are products of heteronormative desires. Aside from the tenacity of the past in influencing gender norms, Butle r argues that gender is performed. She maintains that gender is â€Å"an identity instituted through a stylized repetition of acts† (901). The stylised repetition of actions pertains to bodily movements that are socially approved for men and women. Bowie notes the social production of queens: â€Å"She's an old-time ambassador/Of sweet talking, night walking games/And she's known in the darkest clubs/For pushing ahead of the dames†

Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 2 Essay

Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 2 - Essay Example 872). These symptoms have been very evident on one of my residential home care patients named Ms. X. Ms. X is an 80-year old residential home care patient who is pleasant and receptive. She does not want to ask the help of others frequently but acknowledges the advice of the medical practitioners. Although her doctor told her that she has memory problems, Ms. X reports that it does not affect her daily life, except that her niece has to remind her of most of the things to do like turning the stove after cooking, closing the faucets, and even looking for her eyeglasses. Ms. X does not want to take a bath. Often, she would yell at me if I tell her that it’s time to take a bath. As she is receptive towards the help of others, she always insists on dressing up herself but got confuse and wears her underwear over her regular clothes. She wants to do the cooking and laundry in the nursing home but her frequent forgetfulness often leads to accidents such as making the residential hom e care at risk for fire and switching the powdered milk for laundry detergent. When I would remind her of these things that she cannot do, she would yell at me and humiliate my caring abilities. I felt much stressed about the full-time responsibilities of caring for Ms. X in the residential home care setting and this stress has escalated over the past few months because of the frequent yelling of Ms. X. She is also very impatient towards the nursing care I’ve given to her and there comes a time when I would like to quit from caring her but got guilty feelings towards these thoughts as there is no nearby family who could help her. In a case like this, I began to question myself of how would I personally explore and incorporate issues relating to my best interest, advocacy, and empowerment. Then, maybe, I have not yet fully understand the situation of Ms. X. I could have understood her clinical situations but not her personal shortcomings. It was not easy to have dementia and w orst, to be far away from your family which serves as your major social support in life. In addition, it must be also sad for her that she does not have a partner in life which could help her in her fight for dementia. If I would explore and incorporate issues related to my best interest, I would probably resign and request to not take good care of Ms. X as her frequent yelling is humiliating my status and morals as a nurse. However, I also think that staying and caring for her would also be promoting my best interest as this experience will help me grow professionally and will guide me in handling future patients with dementia. In the latest report of (http://nursingstandard.rcnpublishing.co.uk, 2013), the nurse has the full responsibility in exploring and incorporating issues of advocacy; thus, being a patient advocate may mean that a nurse assists, defends, pleads, or prosecutes for the patient while having collaboration with other professionals. In the case of Ms. X, I should ac t as an advocate in referring to the medical provider her progress report while inside the residential h

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Ackermann's Function Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ackermann's Function - Research Paper Example After Ackermann made a publication of his particular function (having only three non-integer functions) a lot of efforts have been done by other authors in the process of modifying the function to apply to various situations, so that at present, this particular function can apply effectively to the numerous variants that comprise the very original function. One of the common versions of the Ackermann’s function is the Ackermann-Peter function, which is a two-argument, is often defined using the non-negative integers m and n as shown (Hazewinkel 2001). From the function below, one can easily deduce that the values are growing and expanding rapidly, even for the tiny inputs (Monin 2003). For instance, take A (4,2), and one can easily see that it is an integer comprising of about 19, 729 decimal digits. Inasmuch as this function has been used widely with success, it has been termed as quite ineffective especially when it comes to computing complex numbers, making the process very slow. The complexity associated with this function often grows quite fast, especially when it comes to its memory and run-time. For this reason, it is often the best and widely used in the process of teaching learners some of the complex types of various recursions. Additionally, it is also used as a test case especially when it comes to compiler development used in optimizing recursions. The numbers used in the illustration for the issue of A (4, n) seem to be quite large, such that one can describe the Ackermann’s function as being extremely slow especially when it comes to computing very large numbers (Sundblad 2003). Inasmuch as the numbers tend to grow very quickly, this function is often concerned with making recursions and subtractions. Following this realization, one can therefore devise some other shortcuts that can bring about another function deemed efficient and effective as shown. The sequence of numbers

Summary What Leaders Really Do) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary What Leaders Really Do) - Assignment Example An organization cannot run in the expected manner if those working under the leader do not receive direction to follow. This direction is very essential in bringing about the desired changes, which is why leaders ought to be on their toes so that these goals can be attained; to help an organization be able to cope as they struggle through it. Leaders do not have to produce a detailed plan on what is to be done, setting direction is the main aspect they are supposed to deal with and leave the rest to the management. There is nothing fascinating about leadership, but the fact that they develop visions that make way for changes, and work towards achieving them. For these changes to get realized, it is necessary that leaders with outstanding competence are selected and exposed so that they can come out with strong leadership. It is however useless having strong leaders with management that is weak, as performance will still be low. An example of visionary leadership that is set to bring about changes in an organization is that American Express at the time it was receiving a lot of competition from other companies that came up with cards to compete with them. Competition is known to hinder growth of a company and being the visionary leader he was, he decided to come up with a scheme that would put the company at its feet again; which was through asking of fundamental questions on economics, market and competition so that he could develop a perfect understanding of the business. It is the above that a leader should do as his dedication made him save the company. In aligning of people, communication is very important, and it is best that leaders be good at it. These challenges are in trying to get people understand a new or alternative vision to be implemented as well as having the people one is dealing with believe the message being put across. Alignment leads to empowerment, which ends up reducing on

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Ackermann's Function Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ackermann's Function - Research Paper Example After Ackermann made a publication of his particular function (having only three non-integer functions) a lot of efforts have been done by other authors in the process of modifying the function to apply to various situations, so that at present, this particular function can apply effectively to the numerous variants that comprise the very original function. One of the common versions of the Ackermann’s function is the Ackermann-Peter function, which is a two-argument, is often defined using the non-negative integers m and n as shown (Hazewinkel 2001). From the function below, one can easily deduce that the values are growing and expanding rapidly, even for the tiny inputs (Monin 2003). For instance, take A (4,2), and one can easily see that it is an integer comprising of about 19, 729 decimal digits. Inasmuch as this function has been used widely with success, it has been termed as quite ineffective especially when it comes to computing complex numbers, making the process very slow. The complexity associated with this function often grows quite fast, especially when it comes to its memory and run-time. For this reason, it is often the best and widely used in the process of teaching learners some of the complex types of various recursions. Additionally, it is also used as a test case especially when it comes to compiler development used in optimizing recursions. The numbers used in the illustration for the issue of A (4, n) seem to be quite large, such that one can describe the Ackermann’s function as being extremely slow especially when it comes to computing very large numbers (Sundblad 2003). Inasmuch as the numbers tend to grow very quickly, this function is often concerned with making recursions and subtractions. Following this realization, one can therefore devise some other shortcuts that can bring about another function deemed efficient and effective as shown. The sequence of numbers

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Japanese tariff on imported rice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Japanese tariff on imported rice - Research Paper Example These policies were modified sequentially thereafter until early 1980s when, as a result of pressure from Trading partners such as US made them open up rice borders. For instance, California rice producers in 1986 filed a petition to the government of United States under section 301 of the constitution that the policies of Japan were detrimental to the industry. During this time, Japan was imposing a subsidy of up to $2,200 per metric ton to domestic producers in Japan. As a result, the subsidies were about 10 times the World prices (Bergsten, Fred, Itō, & Noland, 2001). A tariff is a levied tax on the imports that raise effectively the cost of the goods imported in relation to the domestic products. Some specific tariffs are imposed as a charge that is fixed for very unit of imported good. In tariffs, there are entities that lose and those that gains. In more general terms, the state in most cases increases significantly since tariffs increases the revenue of the state. In addition, domestic producers gain since the tariff offers them protection against external competitors by cost increase of the foreign goods imported. As a result, consumer loses since they must pay extra for the imports. Thus, tariffs are anti-consumer and pro-producer, and they reduce the global efficiency of the economy (Bergsten, Fred, Itō, & Noland, 2001). As part of the policy introduced by the government, imports on rice have been banned by the government in Japan except the processed forms. In the same regard, disproportionate governing authority wielded by rice farmer’s production of rice has been subsidized. Trade friction between US and Japan has worsened. Tokyo logical basis on imposing such policies is to attain self-sufficiency in the production for food security reasons. In the same vein, farm groups domestically have maintained that cultivation of rice is part of their cultural diversity. Hayami (1988) argued that consumers of rice

Monday, October 14, 2019

I-phone and I-teach Essay Example for Free

I-phone and I-teach Essay The highly anticipated and much celebrated release of the newest and perhaps hippest cellular phone on the market has spurred a number of discussions on the applicability of these devices to other forums. With an increasingly large number of prepubescent teens and children carrying cellular phones everywhere they go, a number of educators have begun to inquire as to its applicability as a teaching aid while there are some who argue that cellular phones have no place in today’s educational institutions. There is certainly no clear yes or no answer to this issue and instead it is important to arrive at a certain compromise in order to resolve this issue. There are basically two schools of thought behind this issue, the pros and the cons. The first argues that the changing times and evolving technology necessitate the use of these new devices in order to improve educational methods and take advantage of the ever decreasing attention span of students with regard to traditional teaching methods. The second school of thought, on the other hand, argues that the older methods which have been tested and tried are always better and thus these distractions (cellular phones) should be strictly kept out of classrooms. In order to, however, come up with a reasonable discourse concerning this topic it is first important to examine just how these devices have affected classroom activities. â€Å"Cell phones connect friends and families. In a moment, across the country or oversees a parent can call his son to see whether he is doing alright†. Businessmen can make their business deals and get everything done when away from office. Newer programs event take advantage of the cameras that most of today’s cellular phone models have by allowing one to take a picture of a page and have that file converted into a document that can be edited as reported in the October 29, 2007 issue of Newsweek entitled, â€Å"How to Make the Cellular Phone a Portable Scanner. † (Ellison, 2007, p. 1) In the same way that businessmen take advantage of the ever increasing conveniences that cellular phones have provided, students at schools all over the country communicate frequently with each other through the use of cell phones and this is the case of concern for most of the country’s school administrators (Armbruster-Sandoval, 2005, p. 64) The first school of thought, as presented earlier, argues that instead of banning these cellular phones from classrooms, an alternative can be reached. There is no need to reject this technology advancement but rather there is a need to embrace it and take advantage of it. With the average classroom attention span in the United States dropping, more and more educators have come to realize that there is a pressing concern to come up with new methods of teaching that is able to reach out to these children and one of these solutions is the cellular phone. In response to this, however, detractors have argued that this instant method of communication has its own drawbacks as well. Cellular phones are said foster interpersonal relationships as opposed to direct communication which provides a certain level of personal interaction. The essential factor or edge of having the instructor or teacher personally present to ensure that the student is able to learn will certainly be diminished by using cellular phones as a mode of conveying lessons and learning modules. The second bone of contention with regard to cellular phone use in the classrooms has arisen out of the recent traumatic events that have rocked the American educational institutions. The Columbine tragedy and even perhaps 9-11 have made parents more concerned over the safety of their children and have demanded that schools allow the children to bring these devices into the classroom. In response to this rising safety issue, more and more schools in the United States have begun lifting the ban on cellular phones in classrooms (Shaw, 2005, p. 1). When Mayor Bloomberg banned cellular phones from New York public schools, most of the uproar that resulted from the institution of that policy came, not from the school children as previously anticipated, but rather from concerned parents who argued that the lack public payphones in the area made it more dangerous for their children (Williams, 2006, p. 1). While certainly it may not have an effect on the lessons that these students learn in classroom, it does affect the quality of education a child may receive since a concerned parent may relocate the child to safer place which may not provide as good a quality of education as the previous school. While there is certainly no doubt that the safety of children is of the highest priority, there is also a need to educate today’s youth if they are to stand a chance of surviving in this world. Another issue that has been presented is that cell phones lead to the deterioration of writing skills as the use of the text messaging feature leads to what has been termed txt-lingo. For some, â€Å"text messages, a popular phone feature has affected the English language† â€Å"That is (that the use of) abbreviated messages has also affected the use of vowels† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). This issue has even been made worse by the fact that the new dictionaries or rather predictive text feature on cellular phones make it easier for students to just tap away at the keypad with the phone doing the corresponding spelling changes. The loss of not only personal but grammatical communication skills is indeed an issue which must be tackled in response to the topic on whether or not children should be allowed to bring cellular phones into the classroom. It is important to remember, however, that even though the above argument may present a grain of truth, learning is simply much more that just missing vowels and spelling. Education has never been confined to the teaching of English but rather even to the discussion of the propriety of bringing cellular phones into the classrooms (Shaw, 2005, p. 1). As such, to even argue that cellular phones should not be brought into the classrooms because it leads to bad spelling skills would be totally disregard the other benefits that can be derived from the use of such a device. Benefits such as being able to send images of certain objects that may be used for a lively and scholarly discussion in class, encouraging discourses between students over certain topics and certainly the building of foundations for the educational improvement of today’s youth, far outweigh the simple problem of lacking vowels which can be easily remedied (Shaw, 2005, p. 1). Perhaps the answer to this problem lies in the students themselves who use these devices as argued be certain concerned parents. There are some parents, who can claim that their children are very responsible, and they know when to put on or put off the cell phone and therefore should be allowed to use cell phones even in schools (Fretcher, 2000, p. 69). According to Armbrustor-Sandoval, â€Å"Teenagers have learned to heavily rely on cell phones† thus transforming this into a serious issue. This is why the government is contemplating on banning cellular phones in not only classrooms but inside campuses as well. Banning cellular phones in most educational institutions is a good idea but some exceptions should be allowed since cellular phones can be used in reporting emergencies and the like (Armbrustor-Sandoval, 2005, p. 71). If parents cannot control their own children with regard to the use of cellular phones in education institutions, the question that begs to be asked therefore is whether or not the government is more qualified to make that decision and enforce is it for the students. There is no doubt from this brief discussion that there are indeed a number of pros and cons concerning this issue. On one hand, allowing the use of cellular phones promotes the safety of students and minimizes the concern that parents naturally have over their children and at the same time, the use of cellular phones presents new opportunities to extend teaching to beyond the confines of the classroom. The cons of this issue can be basically be summarized in a single thought which is the concern over the deterioration of quality of education a child will receive in an environment which may no longer be perceived as conducive for teaching if the use of cellular phones is allowed. Cellular phones have improved dramatically over the last few years. With the rate of technological advancement today, it is not far off into the future when cellular phones will be able to do certain things that were but unimaginable in the present. The question, however, is whether or not all these advances will remain to be benefits for just a certain group or if they can be used to improve every aspect of life (as most of the cellular phones are currently trying to do i. e. I-phone). The benefits and drawbacks are certainly very clear. The problem for the government and most educational policy makers is on how to balance these benefits and drawbacks so as to be able to take full advantage of the situation (Shaw, 2005, p. 1). As such, the only solution that remains is coming up with a well thought out cellular phone policy for the school in order for them to be able to continue to reflect the society which they serve. References: Armbrustor-Sandoval, R (2005): Is Another World possible? Is another classroom possible? Radical pedagogy. Activity and social change; social justice, vol. 32 Foust, R. C. , Soukup, C. (2006); Do I Exist? Transcendent subject and secrets in the sixth sense; Western Journal of communication, Vol. 70. Fretcher, H. G. (2000); Power up, Don’t Power Down: Barring students form cell phones, my space, and other communication technologies. Once they enter, the classroom is the wrong approach. A better move would be integrating. Those tools into instructions; The journal (Technological Horizons in Education), Vol. 33 Luke, A. D. (2005); Getting the big picture; community science. Methods that capture context; American journal of community psychology Vol. 35. Shaw, Katherine (2005) Students and Cell Phones: Controversy in the Classroom from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/4903/students_and_cell_phones_controversy.html

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Oman Cement Company

Oman Cement Company Oman Cement Company (SAOG) was formed in 1978. Rusayl Cement plant was completed in 1983 with an annual integrated cement production capacity of 624,000 tons, of cement. In 1999 clinkering capacity expanded to a total of 1.2 million tons per year. The second production line came on stream in mid 1998. Presently the company is working on expanding the capacity of plant form 1.26 MTS per year to 1.70 MTS per year by upgrading production line No. 1 and No. 2. The company facilities are: 1- Computerized Manufacturing Oman cement manufacturing process is fully computerized. This avoids major hazards in manufacturing and needs less manpower. 2- Central Laboratory The Quality Control is supported by central laboratory consisting of robotics, X-ray spectrometers, laser particle size analyzers and computerized physical properties testing equipment. 3- Quality Management System and Environmental Management System oman cement Quality Management System is in accordance with the Quality Assurance Procedures of ISO 9001 : 2000 certification. 4- Pollution Control. The Oman cement company produces many types of cement which are: 1- Ordinary Portland Cement: It is type I Portland cement. Its uses are reinforced concrete buildings, bridges and railway structures. The typical compound compositions of this type are: 55% (C3S), 19% (C2S), 10% (C3A), 7% (C4AF), 2.8% MgO, 2.9% (SO3), 1.0% Ignition loss, and 1.0% free CaO. 2- Sulphate Resistant Cement: It is type V, is used where sulfate resistance is important. Its typical compound composition is: 38% (C3S), 43% (C2S), 4% (C3A), 9% (C4AF), 1.9% MgO, 1.8% (SO3), 0.9% Ignition loss, and 0.8% free CaO. 3- Moderate sulphate resistant: It is type II cement. This type of cement can be used in structures of considerable mass, such as large piers, heavy abutments, and heavy retaining walls. Its use will reduce temperature rise especially when the concrete is subject to hot weather. Its typical compounds composition is: 51% (C3S), 24% (C2S), 6% (C3A), 11% (C4AF), 2.9% MgO, 2.5% (SO3), 0.8% Ignition loss, and 1.0% free CaO. 4- Oil Well Cement Oil well cement, used for oil wells grouting, usually made from Portland cement clinker or from blended hydraulic cements. It is used for cementing work in the drilling of oil wells where they are subject to high temperatures and pressures. Its typical compound composition is: MgO: 6.0% SO3: 3.0% Loss On Ignition: 3.0% C3S: 48%-65% C3A: 3.0% Insoluble Residue: 0.75% C4AF+2C3A: 24% Production methods: There are four stages to produce cement that Oman cement using which are: 1- Preparation of the raw material at quarries 2- Heating and cooling to produce clinker 3- Preparation of the cement 4- Cement packing Process description: 1- Preparation material at quarries The raw material contains of limestone (80% of raw material), silica, aluminate and iron ore. The quarries located around the Oman cement plant. At quarries the raw materials are extracted with heavy equipments. Then the limestones are crushed with mobile crushers connected with long conveyer belt to transport them to storage passing the auto lab to analysis the samples with x-ray each two hours. After that the raw material are moved to reservoirs. Then they are moved with conveyor belt to the raw mill to grind the raw materials. Finally the grinding raw materials are moved to mixture reservoirs to get proper mixture before fed them to kiln. 2- Heating and cooling to produce clinker The raw materials are moved to channel, where heat exchange is occurred between these material and the raising hot gases from kiln, then the materials are separated from the gases. After that the material moved to calciner where the limestone is converted to calcium oxide, and then the calcined materials arefed to the kiln where the temperature about 1400 c and then leave from kiln to get clinker. Then the clinker leaves from kiln to air to reduce its temperature to 100 c to be ready to be moved to cement mill. Kiln process 3- Preparation of cement The clinker that came out of the cooler will be transported by the bucket chain conveyor to the silo. The bag filter on the top of the silo is sized for the feeding by the bucket chain conveyor and thermal air expansion in the storage. The clinker extracted from the silo is transported by belt conveyors to the cement proportioning. The gypsum is added to the clinker. Then the proportioned materials are conveyed via belt conveyor to cement grinding. Materials ground by ball mill are transported separator by bucket elevator. The coarse particles separated return to ball mill for regrinding while the fine product is collected by the bag filter behind the separator and then conveyed to cement silo with an air slide and bucket elevator. Cement silos is used to store the cement. Cement mill 4-Cement packing The cement from extraction systems under the cement silo is delivered to the buffer bin by air slide and the bucket elevator and vibrating screen, before being fed into each packer. The bagged cement can be loaded directly or stored in storehouse temporarily. Machinery and Equipments: No. Name function 1 Limestone Crusher used in stone quarry to crush limestone 2 Clay crusher used in stone quarry to crush clay 3 Limestone Stacker Used to move limestone to preblending stockpile 4 Limestone reclaimer Used to take preblended mixture from preblending stockpile 5 Coal and iron ore Crusher Used to crush additive materials 6 Coal and iron ore Stacker Used to move iron ore to conveyor belt then to proportioning station 7 Coal iron ore reclaimer Used for reclaiming all additive materials and coal 8 Raw mill used for raw materials grinding and drying 9 Raw mill fan Used to adjust the mill inlet temperature. 10 Preheater fan used to dry the raw materials 11 Preheater and precalciner Preheater used for preheating and partial decarbonation, and precalciner for calcination 12 Rotary kiln used to raise raw materials to a high temperature 13 Grate cooler Used for quenching 14 Cement mill Used to grind cement 15 Bag filter Used to collect dust 16 Coal mill Used for coal drying 17 Bulk loader for truck Used to load the bulk 18 Cement packer Used to pack cement product Quality control system: The quality control department in the Oman cement company function is to monitor product quality in every stage of production starting with extracting the limestone from the quarry till the stage of cement mills, by taking samples and analysis them. 1- The computer and x-ray analysis: The automation lab consists of robot, x-ray spectrometers, laser particle size analyzer and computerized physical properties. The samples will be taken by an automatic sampler from a point between the raw mill and homogenizing silo and then transported manually to the central auto lab, where it will be semi-automatically prepared and sent to an X-Ray analyzer. The results analyzed will be sent to a proportioning computer. The computer will calculate the ratio of raw materials and send out the set value to constant feeder according to the chemical compositions and raw meal module required. 2- Physical analysis: To test the fineness, soundness, setting time, strength, specific gravity, heat of hydration and loss on ignition of the cement to achieve the American specifications requirement. Maintenance procedure: The department functions are: -Checking all machinery and equipments are work properly. -Scheduling and planning for preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance. Coordinating with all departments for daily problem. Planning, coordinating of preventive and breakdown activities for achieving high plant availability to meet production target. The procedure that the Oman cement follows in case of breakdown, preventive and shutdown maintenance are: 1. Breakdown maintenance In case of any breakdown maintenance in the production department, they give information regarding the breakdown to the maintenance department, and maintenance workers are sent to the production plant to fix machine failures. 2. Preventive maintenance here, a team of maintenance workers is sent directly to the production plants to check out whether there is any failure in the machinery or not. 3. Shutdown maintenance When the plant is shut down the employees in the production department sent a letter to the maintenance department and successive steps are taken by maintenance department to solve the failures. The plant shutdown occurs every 6 month in March and September. The process of operating and monitoring production lines and machines instantly, so they can watch the failure and damage of the machines and equipments to repair them or replace them. Technical management The technical management responsibility is to supervise all the mechanical, electrical things and maintain the various equipments and everything that related to maintenance procedure, and this management divided in many sections: a- The machine section The responsibility of this section is prepare emergency and planning schedule and do it to all the equipments and report it to diagnose the unusual failure and fix it. Inspect the machinery, check with drawings and specifications and rectification. It contacts with store section to provide the required replacement parts and also contacts with other sections to maintain the equipments at the workshop. At the workshop they fix the equipments in emergency conditions, check the equipments if they work properly and routinely, takes care the equipments and help to clean them. b) The machine operation section The responsibility of this section fabricate the replacement parts, make an order outside the company to get new parts, lathe the machine parts the required the workshops. c) The immediate machine maintenance section The responsibility of this section is to check and fix the production lines. d) The electrical section The electricity department is responsible to repair and ensure the continuation of the work of all electrical and electronic equipment and precision instruments on the production line and also supervises contact with other sections to that the electricity working properly.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Important Role of Transcendentalism in American History Essay

The Important Role of Transcendentalism in American History In 1830, a movement known as Transcendentalism began to gain popularity in America. Representing an idealistic system of thought, "strength, courage, self-confidence, and independence of mind"1 were some basic values admired by the followers of the Transcendental movement. Transcendentalists opposed many aspects of their government, where they felt "many unjust laws existed."2 Therefore, they became the leaders of many modern reform movements. Transcendentalists also had a major affect on their society. Transcendentalism became a "powerful force for democracy."3 Originating in the area in and around Concord, Massachusettes, Transcendentalism was recognized as having an "underlying relationship to the Romantic movement as a whole."4 Three of the most obvious or well known sources or origin of Transcendentalism are neo-platonism, German idealistic philosophy, and certain Eastern mystical writings which were introduced into the Boston area in the early nineteenth century."5 Transcendental beliefs focused on "the importance of spirit over matter."6 Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well known Transcendentalist, felt that "all men aspire to the highest, and most of them spend their lives seeking money and power only because they see nothing higher."7 Followers also believed in a spiritual hunger, or the need to find themselves one with the world. In addition, they believed in "an ascending hierarchy of spiritual values rising to absolute good, truth, and beauty."8 Transcendentalists also believed in a supreme being, the Oversoul, and felt that "if the Oversoul is all powerful and at the same time good, then evil does not exist."9... ...reconciled few of them."19 It was never united by a set program. Transcendentalism was comprised of the various interests and labors of many different personal concepts. Therefore, there were many conflicting values which made it an unsteady system to follow. At the time of the Transcendentalism movement, "it preached, practiced, an idealism that was greatly needed in a rapidly expanding economy."20 However, soon people began to find other, more comprehensible means of dealing within society. Therefore, they began to turn away from Transcendentalism. However, even though Transcendentalism is non-existent as a whole today, many of its ideas, values, and morals are still present in many of the religions and beliefs of today's society. In conclusion, Transcendentalism will always be present in the world, it just will not have as obvious a presence.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Past Semester Questions

CONFIDENTIAL LW/JUN 2012/LAW416 UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA FINAL EXAMINATION COURSE COURSE CODE EXAMINATION TIME BUSINESS LAW LAW416 JUNE 2012 3 HOURS INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES 1. This question paper consists of SEVEN (7) questions. 2. Answer any FOUR (4) of the questions in the Answer Booklet. Start each answer on a new page. 3. Do not bring any material into the examination room unless permission is given by the invigilator. 4. Please check to make sure that this examination pack consists of: i) the Question Paper ii) an Answer Booklet – provided by the Faculty DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SOThis examination paper consists of 4 printed pages  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 2 LW/JUN2012/LAW416 QUESTION 1 a) Parliament of Malaysia is vested with the powers to legislate law. Explain the procedure of the law making process before any law is passed by the Parliament. (20 marks) b) With regards to sources of the Malaysian Legal System, discuss the doctrine of judicial precedent. (5 marks) QUESTION 2 a) Explain the rules in Hyde v. Wrench (1840) 49 ER 132 under the law of contract. (10 marks) b) Ahmad proposed to sell his house to Badri for RM 100,000 on 1st August 2011.It was agreed by both parties that acceptance of the proposal was to be completed on or before 25th August 2011. They also agreed to use the post as the mode of communication. Badri then sent a notice of acceptance to Ahmad through a registered post on 20th August 2011. However, the notice was only received by Ahmad on 27th August 2011. Ahmad then refused to sell the house to Badri. Badri intends to sue Ahmad for breach of contract. Advise Badri on the matter. (15 marks) QUESTION 3 With regards to the law of agency, discuss the following: a) Creation of agency by necessity. (15 marks) b) Termination of agency by operation of law 10 marks)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 3 LW/JUN2012/LAW416 QUESTION 4 a) Ire ne went to Cantikmuka, a shop selling cosmetic products, to buy a set of blusher. The sales assistant, Janet recommended a particular type of blusher, said to be the best in the market and imported from France. Irene told Janet that she was suffering from dermatitis, a skin disease that made her skin very sensitive. Janet told Irene that the blusher was suitable for her and relying on Janet's expertise, Irene bought the blusher. Unfortunately, when Irene used it for the very first time, nasty rashes appeared on her face.Irene now intends to sue Janet and Cantikmuka. Advise Irene on the matter. (15 marks) b) Explain the remedies of a buyer when there is a breach of contract under the Sale of Goods Act 1957. (10 marks) QUESTION 5 Fazril entered into a hire purchase agreement under the Hire-Purchase Act 1967 to purchase a Honda City. Bahrin, the dealer told Fazril that the car was in good condition. Fazril then purchased the car. With respect to the provisions of the Hire-Purchase Act 1967, advise Fazril on the following matters: a) Fazril wishes to let his younger sister, Fazreen, continue with the hire-purchase agreement. 9 marks) b) Fazril wishes to shorten the duration of the hire purchase agreement. (8 marks) c) Fazril wishes to know the current financial status of the hire purchase agreement from the owner. (8 marks) QUESTION 6 Discuss the definition and characteristics of a bill of exchange under the Bills of Exchange Act 1949. (25 marks)  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL 4 LW/JUN 2012/LAW416 QUESTION 7 By reference to section 16(5) of the Companies Act 1965, discuss the effects of incorporation. (25 marks) END OF QUESTION PAPER  © Hak Cipta Universiti Teknologi MARA CONFIDENTIAL

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Honesty in Pride and Prejudice and A Doll’s House Essay

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are set in similar time period and feature protagonists who go through different struggles, but whose themes have some overlap. Honesty is a theme that is played out in both stories resulting in opposite consequences for the protagonists. The power of honesty can either hurt or enhance lives. The truth means ruination in Nora and Torvald’s marriage in A Doll’s House whereas the truth brings Elizabeth and Darcy together in Pride and Prejudice. Honesty in both male and female protagonists is equally important in forging good relationships between each other. In both stories, strong honesty shapes the two couples’ fates. Both novels begin with the dishonesty of female protagonists – one who has lied to her husband for eight years and one who keeps denying to herself her feelings about a man. Nora, the female protagonist of A Dolls’ House, seems happy about her marriage to Torvald. She does not seem to mind Torvald treating and patronizing her like a doll. However, Ibsen foreshadows Nora’s dishonesty with the very first word on the first page of the play: â€Å"Hide the Christmas tree away†¦(1)†, and Nora’s action is eating macaroons and lying to Torvald about it. She also acts like an impulsive and dependent child to Torvald as if she is hiding something, which is her knowledge of her business details – debt – that she acquired to loan in order to save Torvald’s life. Elizabeth, the female protagonist of Pride and Prejudice, is a young, intelligent woman whose virtue and independence enable her to overcome the bounds of social class and harsh society. However, her course of making rash and imprudent judgment often leads to her failure: she prejudged Darcy’s personality as the most â€Å"proud and conceited (11)† after only meeting him once. She hated everything about him based only on her prejudgment. As a result, she was not able to admit her inner affection toward him and kept denying her true feelings about him. Although Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in a most honest and gentle manner – though indirectly insulting her family and status – Elizabeth replies only with lies: â€Å"From the very beginning, from the first moment,†¦fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain,†¦which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike; and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to arry (166). † Elizabeth’s dishonesty to Darcy and to herself is the major obstacle to understand each other. Fortunately, Elizabeth’s mind starts to change as she learns about the truth of Darcy, but on the other hand, when Nora decides to reveal the truth, only disaster awaits her. Although Nora and Elizabeth both started as dishonest, they both decide to reveal and admit the truth that they must affront. Nora has been hiding the truth for several years from her husband because Torvald disallows anyone to make debt. However, she decides to test the truth of her husband’s love by revealing the truth of herself. Nora, who has been a doll of Torvald, is no longer a â€Å"little sky-lark chirruping† or a â€Å"pretty little pet† as her husband calls her. Her decision to confront the truth shows how ambitious, determined, and courageous a woman she is. Elizabeth, who has been trapped by her own prejudice, finally awakens and becomes honest to herself: she admits that she loves and feels compassion for Darcy. â€Å"How despicably have I acted! †¦ prided myself on my discernment! how humiliating is this discovery! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind†¦ but vanity, not love, has been my folly†¦ Till this moment I never knew myself. (178-179)† When Elizabeth acknowledges the truth about herself, her prejudgment vanishes. She allows herself to look back at what she has done and realizes her mistake in the relationship with Darcy. Both Nora and Elizabeth have changed since the beginning of the novel. They discover the importance of honesty in marriages and relationships despite experiencing different results. The two contrasting consequences not only depend on Nora and Elizabeth’s honesty, but also depend on their spouses. Nora believed that Torvald would understand her dishonesty because she trusted his love. However, when Torvald learns about the blackmail, Nora and Torvald’s marriage falls apart: â€Å"Miserable woman†¦who was my pride and joy†¦ a hypocrite, a liar, worse than that, a criminal! †¦they [people] might even think I was the one behind it all, I who pushed you†¦I’ve taken such good care of you†¦done to me?†¦ you’ll go on living here†¦you will not be allowed to bring up the children, I can’t trust you with them (75-76). In this moment of truth, not only Nora but also Torvald shows his true color. In order to keep his pride and reputation, he makes Nora live with him and pretends that they are married. Even worse, when Torvald receives the IOU letter back, he suddenly hides his true color, as if nothing has happened after he had said horrible words to Nora: â€Å"We are saved, Nora! †¦I forgive you everything. I know you did what you did because you loved me. (77)† Nora â€Å"understands† the truth of Torvald after revealing the truth of herself. She learns that Torvald’s love is not genuine, and their marriage has been fake and artificial. Nevertheless, honesty in Pride and Prejudice empowered Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship. Although Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth was not successful, he tries once more as he writes a letter with honesty. â€Å"†¦may be offensive to yours, I can only say that I am sorry†¦I believed it on impartial conviction, as truly as I wished it in reason†¦pardon me, It pains me to offend you (169-170). † In this honest letter, he apologizes for the past arrogance and misinterpretation in Jane – Elizabeth’s sister – and Bingley’s – Darcy’s intimate friend – relationship. In the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy, honesty enables them to understand each other and to succeed in the goal of marriage. Neither Nora nor Elizabeth was able to accomplish a powerful and lasting connection with their spouses until they knew who they were themselves, and until they learned the truth about their prospective spouses. Two male protagonists’ opposite reactions and attitudes in honesty shaped the fate of Nora and Elizabeth – separation and bond in relationships. Honesty makes Nora and Torvald’s relationship to decline but Elizabeth and Darcy’s relationship to succeed. Honesty does not always triumph; it can also worsen a situation. In A Doll’s House and Pride and Prejudice, both women learn that they also have to be honest with themselves, not only with other people. They also see the ultimate consequences in relationship will also depend on their spouses, not only on herself. Although both women were equally honest, perhaps Elizabeth was more fortunate than Nora in her choice of spouse and in finding the opportune moment to be honest, which allowed her to forge a fulfilling and sustained marriage.

Management Information System Essay

Maxis Berhad is a leading telecommunication company in Malaysia with more than 11.4 million mobile subscribers, Maxis has been providing a full suite of services on multiple platforms to fulfill the telecommunication needs of individual consumers, SMEs and large corporations in Malaysia. Other than that, Maxis Berhad is offering on postpaid services under the Maxis brand and via prepaid formast under the Hotlink. It uses the dialling prefix identifier of â€Å"012†, â€Å"014† and â€Å"017†. The uses of different brands are to support each other by synergy value. It helps Maxis Berhad to maintain and develop prepaid businesses while keep on maintaining their growth in postpaid field. Maxis Berhad is the first telecommunication company who build up integrated communication service and launched 4G LTE which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. Besides that, Maxis Berhad is a trendy company that brings in iPhone, BlackBerry and Samsung Galaxy to the local mar ket compare to the other telecommunication companies, it helps local users to catch up their technology knowledge with other countries. In addition, Maxis Berhad is having customer service center throughout the countries, which provides conveniences to the customers for paying bills, signing up, and reporting problems. Customers are now able to reach Maxis service representatives via telephone, web and social media platforms. Maxis Berhad had significant growth and strong track record of bringing innovation and excellent customer service. Maxis Call Centre was awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ honor at the 2012 Customer Relationship Management and Contact Centre (CCAM) Annual Awards. They are the only service provider that awards scholarships to children of their own postpaid customers. Maxis Berhad had awarded as Malaysia’s Top Ten Companies: Ranked 1 – Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies, The Wall Street Journal Asia in 2006. Morten Lundal was appointed as a Director of Maxis on 1 October 2013. Maxis Berhad currently is streamlining its organisational structure into four business areas, each with its respective head in order to strengthen their core business areas for future growth. The first area, enterprise solutions, it manages the company’s enterprise, government and SME business. For the second area is about consumer business. It is responsible for the end-to-end management of all mobile and fixed business for the consumer segment. Sales and service, the third area, focuses on customer service and channel and  supply chain management while the fourth, digital services, oversees the development of Maxis’ innovative digital media and cloud-based services including mobile apps. The four business areas will be supported in their day-to-day operations by the information services, network, finance, human resources, corporate affairs, regulatory & government affairs and legal divisions. In telecommunication industry, there are many companies to choose with, but finally our group end up with Maxis Berhad because we found that it is perform better when compared to its competitors. The primary reason that we choose Maxis Berhad as our company is due to Maxis Berhad has maintained their leadership among the telecommunication companies. They have approximately 13 million of customer during the year end 2013. They were also the first company that launched 4G LTE which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. They always seek for new ideas and innovations by putting a lot of effort and capital on the R&D investment. Next, Maxis Berhad has achieves many awards and recognitions throughout its operations period. There are two awards we have to emphasize here due to these achievements have truly lead them to be more well known. Maxis Berhad has won the prestigious 2011 Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award for the Missed SMS Notification service in the Wireless Network Infrastructure Innovation, SMS network innovation category. Maxis is the first in the world to provide this service in partnership with Acision. Besides, Maxis Berhad has received the award, â€Å"Asia’s Best Employer Brand Award at the second Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards year 2011† which was hosted by the Employer Branding Institute of Singapore. It succeeds in creating a culture of contribution and innovation at work and its belief in consistent improvements in Human Resources policies. Maxis was also recognised for its role in developing future leader. Part 2: Types of e-commerce used Electric commerce is commonly known as e-commerce, and it is defined as the exchange of goods, services, and money through electronic mediation using Internet technology. There are seven types of e-commerce we learnt, which are business to consumer (B2C), business to business (B2B), consumer to consumer (C2C), consumer to business (C2B), government to business (G2B), government to government (G2G), and government to consumer (G2C). First and foremost, one of the types of e-commerce used by the Maxis Berhad is the business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce. Based on the research made, there is a 80% of the internet user has looked for the goods and services to purchase in the internet, however, only 30% of them has really purchased the goods the services online as they may worry about the security system of the online payment. This trend has been observed by the Maxis Berhad and thus, the company has made a strategic decision to have collaboration with the PayPal, a popular online payment platform, to ensure that their consumers (customers) can easily and safely shop online. This will provide the convenience to their customers as the collaboration between the Maxis Berhad and the Paypal will simplify the process of the online shopping today which require the customers to repeatedly fill in payment card and contact details for each transaction or merchant. The customers can enjoy the speed of the online payment with the Maxis-PayPal account. They just need to log in with their Maxis PayPal credentials as well as their phone number to make the payment and the payment option is available online and in all major smartphone platforms, such as iPhone, Android and Blueberry. The most important thing is the customers do not need to worry about their financial details such as credit card number will be exposed to others as the process of the payment is highly secure. Besides, the business to business (B2B) e-commerce is used by the Maxis Berhad. Maxis Berhad offer an online business partnership application to those who are interested in on their main website, https://www.maxis.com.my/en/about-maxis/partnerships/business-partnership.html. On the website, the company show the brief introduction of their business partner, job description and partnership criteria to make the internet users more familiar with the business partnership which the company looks for. There are 3 types of select partners that the company desires, which are application solution provider, content provider as well as system integrator. Furthermore, the types of alliance displayed on the website are technology partners, device and hardware partners, and the consulting partners. As the appliers has been successfully selected, Maxis Berhad will collaborate with the selected business partner (applier) to create a variety of mobile services for the applier’s enterprise. Moreover, the collaboration  will generate repeatable and market-impacting mobility solutions for the selected business partners, within selected industries. There are also some benefits that the selected business partner will gain such as the leverage on the Maxis’s strong branding, leverage on Maxis’s global communications alliances, leverage on Maxis’s communications technology expertise & technology roadmap and so on. Part 3: Identify of the Information System The Information System is explained by the BusinessDictionary.com as a combination of hardware, software, data, telecommunications and trained personnel organized to facilitate planning, control, coordination and decision making in an organization. According to Valacich and Schneider (2014), Information System allows an organization to be more productive and profitable. It also helps the organization to gain competitive advantage towards the competitor in the industry. Most importantly is reaching out to more customers and improve the organization service to their customers. Maxis Berhad as one of the main organizations in Malaysia telecommunications industry, its business nature will generate a huge amount of transactions, each of the transaction contains a specified subscriber’s activity such as phone calls, SMS and data roaming. Maxis Berhad has to use the various information system to help its organization to deal with their customers correctly. 1) Transaction Processing System While any transaction occurs by the subscriber, Maxis Berhad is recording those transactions and encoded into various format. The recorded transactions is called Call Data Records (CDR). The CDRs could be encoded by various formats and protocols, for examples ASN.1, XML and CSV. To allow Maxis’s Transaction processing system to function, first those encoded transaction data will be separated into batches and periodically transfer to the position where this system can process it. The Transaction Processing System is arranged and grouped into batches and periodically to check all the new transactions data batch. The TPS uses standard network protocols to transfer the CDR batch file to the TPS. TPS is responsible in ensuring the integrity of each file transferred, ensuring that no IP network errors renders the file corruption. Other than that, it also ensures the  transaction data are not corrupt and not process more than once. After the error checking complete, those subscriber’s transaction data will back up in a long term memory for future use. Some Governments require that a record of every transaction need to be stored infinitely in its raw format. Once the Maxis Transaction Processing System gathers the batch of transaction data, it will decode the data into human readable format. Followed by, enhances the information within the transaction data regarding the subscriber’s activity and have a duplicate checking. After all the transaction has been processed, it will load into a particular datastore. The decoded CDR batches are then checked for duplicate records. While the intermediate processing on the CDR batches have completed, the CDR will loaded into the specific data store, the Transaction Processing System will summarize the important detail of the CDR and ready to present those details to the Maxis management in order for Maxis management to assess the performance of Maxis Berhad. Lastly, the Transaction Processing System enables Maxis Berhad to present its company performance through the annual report to the shareholder regarding the daily operation. 2) Management Information System According to BusinessDictionary.com, Managing Information System (MIS) is refers to an organized method to understand the information needs of an organization’s management at every level in making operational, tactical, and strategic decisions. This system objective is to design and implement procedures, processes, and routines that provide suitably detailed reports in an accurate, consistent, and timely manner. In management information system, modern, computerized systems continuously gather relevant data, both from inside and outside an organization. This data is then processed, integrated, and stored in a centralized database (or data warehouse) where it is constantly updated and made available to all who have the authority to access it, in a form that suits their purpose. Managing Information System (MIS) is one of the commonly used information system by Maxis to verify the customers, recover pending bills, and distribute the bills to their customers. The information prov ided by MIS enable managers to plan and control the different strategies of Maxis in order to make better decision for the business. The purpose of MIS is to meet information needs for decision-making of all the managers in Maxis. The next objectives of MIS is  provide and set strategies and goals. Those processed data received will be used for different purposes in Maxis. Computer based MIS helps Maxis to gather process and information efficiently. Maxis using the concept of information technology to improve their overall performance and working capacity. Normally MIS is used by Maxis to process their data and present the output in different types of reports used at regular intervals. Different level of managers of Maxis is using the information to recognize the purpose of the organization, its policies, programs, plans and goals. Maxis mainly focus in Customer Verification, Recovery and Bill Distribution. Without using MIS, Maxis will face problems to check the status of customer verification, recovery or bill distributed to the customer. While using the concept of MIS, Maxis can easily determine the status and situation stated above. By developing TAT (Time Allocation Table) in MIS, the MIS executive gives predefine time to each customer verification executive to complete the case. The TAT will complete the verification case by showing the case, assigned executive, date of case allocated to executive and date limit. By using such TAT, the MIS executive or manager is able to check the status of performance of verification easily. In conclusion, MIS is one of the effective systems for collecting and managing the data for Maxis. The development of MIS for organization enables Maxis to find several types of report like pendency at executive level, pendency at agency level, the overall performance of Maxis in an effective way. 3) Electronic Commerce system According to Valacich and Schneider (2014), Electronic Commerce is defined as the exchange of goods, service and money among firms and their customers, and between customers, supported by communication technologies such as the Internet. From the previous study given, the business to customer e-commerce system (B2C) is used by Maxis Berhad. Maxis Berhad has made a world first strategic collaboration with the PayPal, the the world’s leading online payment solution provider to provide their customer a better and efficient online service. With a Maxis PayPal account, the customers can carry out the online payment faster and conveniently. They did not need to go to the Maxis store/department purposely to set off the payment, but instead, they just need to log in with their Maxis PayPal credentials or  their phone number to make the payment and this changes will provide the convenience and save the time of the customers. Besides, there are major smartphone platforms where the payment option is available, such as as iPhone, Android and Blueberry. Furthermore, the customers do not need to have the security concerns about the system and their financial details such as credit card number will be protected under the system as the process of the payment is highly secure. Morever, the business to business e-commerce system (B2B) is also implemented by the Maxis Berhad to ‘communicate’ with the potential partner. Maxis Berhad has created their own website and in the website, there is a webpage of online business partnership application which is used to attract the potential partner. The potential partner (webpage viewer) can get the enough information and details about the partnership in the webpage through the B2B system, thus, it will make them to be more confident in doing the business with the Maxis Berhad. Part 4: S W O T Analysis Strength (a) Quality of Internal and External Communications A good information system must be supported by electronic data communication network systems which are the extranet and intranet. With the proper application of intranet and extranet for their company communication management, both inside and outside party of the company especially among the staffs, customers and suppliers can exchange information more effectively and efficiently. By now, Maxis is no longer relied on papers, telephone and faxes to further convey their information to the public. (b) Quality of Planning Planning is an essential process for every business. Maxis use Management Information System (MIS) which is a computer systems used for data managing to make searching, analysing data and spring information easier. MIS are widely used by Maxis to analyse and facilitate strategic and operational activities to generate information to improve efficiency and effectiveness of decision making. (c) Quality Control and Supervision Maxis with the Transaction Processing System (TPS) and Management Information System (MIS) are built and maintained properly in their management, the activities within the business environment are constantly monitored. This is because monitoring is certainly an impact on improving control over every procedure and activities occurring within the company. By this, Maxis is able to reduce the loss of information and keep a better record of the management. (d) Quality and Responsiveness of the Competitors’ Condition Aspect of business intelligence is very important since a long time with a variety of formats and needs. Maxis in order to reach the point of rapid and appropriate response on the dynamics of the competition, they rely on the Management Information System (MIS) to require, collect, analyze and compile the information needed by decision makers in the company. With the help of information system, Maxis is able to grow and remain competitive in the telecommunication industry. (e) Customers’ Satisfaction Maxis able to easily detect the activities and behaviour of their customers with the help of Transaction Processing System. Besides, Transaction Processing System (TPI) will speed up the process so that, the time required to serve a customer can be faster. This not only helps to improve the effectiveness and efficiency in operation but also increases their customers’ satisfaction of their services. Weaknesses (a) High Maintenance Fees Information Systems such as Transactional Processing System (TPS) and Management Information System (MIS) need a high cost to maintain its operation from day to day as the company need to hire maintenance team for the maintenance to run the system smoothly. Maxis Berhad has to hire employees or technical who can accurately maintain the operation of computers, company website, and other Information Systems as well. It means that Maxis Berhad has a huge budget on the wages and maintenance fees. For example, the organisation has to hire expert technical with high wage to monitor the systems and repair it when it is broke down. This would lead to the increasing of the labour cost and directly increase the company expenses. (b) Lack of internal securities control Information outflow is one of the serious problems faced by Maxis Berhad. Customers’ information is the top priority needed to secure for the telecommunication company. Maxis Berhad has approximately 13 million of customer during the year end 2013. For example, the outflow of confidential information of Management Information System (MIS) will cause the competitors to gain competitive advantages over Maxis and directly lead to the loss of the profit. The existing of the information outflow for Maxis Berhad are when their database system attacked by the outsider or taken from the inside employees. It is because the price for the information is very high. Besides, this is a very strong weapon for the competitors. (c) Unstable Services of the Information System Maxis Berhad has launched 4G LTE, which is the highest internet speed in Malaysia. However, Maxis Berhad has received some complaints from the customers about its 4G and 3G services. Even though the quality of Maxis service has been deemed to excellent in Malaysia, but, the services is yet to be enough stable to reach the customers expectation. The network service of Maxis often drops to edge, and sometimes is very slow and even has no connection. The 3G service still has not fully cover in the Malaysia and for the new 4G service; it only covers for the few particular place. Besides, information system may not be always function perfectly. It may cause by system break down, operations interruptions and so on. (d) Poor customer services Although the distribution of the Maxis outlet is very wide and available in many places, but, not all the Maxis outlet is able to provide the sufficient customer service. For example, some of the Maxis centre is only able to let customer make the payment and deal with some small case, and customers need to travel to urban areas to get further services. For example, the small Maxis firm is unable to help the customer if the customer has loss his simcard and want and get back the number, he might need to go to the Maxis centre in order to get this service. The most important thing is the customer even need to pay for the services. Opportunities (a) Increasing Visibility to Outsider By using the e-commerce system, the message regarding to the sales can be  transmitted to the public by Maxis Berhad more effectively compared to the other communication companies. In that case, the customers can get the latest sales information of Maxis Berhad all the time through their website, those users able to get most accurate data whenever they need. E-commerce system offers different ways to present data. Therefore, Maxis Berhad is more user-friendly when it adding more features to their website. (b) Decision Making of Investment Decision making of investing Maxis Berhad can be made through the reports provided by the Managing Information System (MIS) of Maxis Berhad. Decision supported with faultless information combined with the intelligence of the company’s directors can lead to unexpected opportunities. Maxis Berhad provides their financial report to the public, so their potential investor will make decision whether to invest Maxis Berhad. (c) Speed time-to-market for new products B2C e-commerce of Maxis can introduce their new telecommunication plans more efficient in the market. When Maxis publishes their plans online, it is faster for the information to reach their customers in the market because it eliminated the time consuming processes such as printing and distributing the hard copies, flyers, leaflet and brochures to the customers. In order to compete with other potential competitors like DiGI and Celcom, Maxis have to be first letting the information of their products reach the customers. This way can lead them to have competitive advantage. (d) Focus on Market Segment Using Managing Information Systems (MIS) enable Maxis Berhad to analyse specified market, and narrow the target market in the telecommunication industry. This Managing Information Systems help organization to analyse consumers’ buying behaviour so that Maxis Berhad can efficiently advertising and marketing their business plans to the target market. (e) Lower procurement and distribution costs When there is a direct online interaction between Maxis and its customers, so this company able to understand the market better. The formation of  relationship with the customers will lead to subscribe services or purchase electronic devices from Maxis directly. As a result Maxis can get rid of the middleman; it will result in reduction in cost. At the same time, customer of Maxis will be beneficial from the reasonable price. Threats (a) Strong Competitors In telecommunication industries, there are a lot of other strong competitors such as DiGi, U-Mobile, Celcom and so on. Strong competitor is one of the threats that almost all firms will experienced. Strong competitors will offer much more benefits to the consumers which might influence Maxis’ customer choices. This will cause Maxis to suffer loss on their sales and customer. For example, consumers will prefer a lower cost telecommunication network in order to save more expenses. (b) Malicious Emails Electronic messages enable easy communications between Maxis and their customers in B2C e-commerce but most of the electronic messages today cannot be easily trusted. This is because most of the emails were sent by anonymous and they might attach some phishing links in the messages. With an accidently click of the phishing link will lead Maxis’ computer software defects bugs which will automatically infect computers without further action. (c) Identity Theft and Internet Frauds The bigger the size of the organizations and the more advance information systems used, therefore Maxis will expose to more risk regarding the frauds on the Internet. For example, Maxis will face loss of important information if they fall into the trap of identity theft that uses false credentials to obtain information, services and credit while Maxis using Transaction Processing System (TPS). When TPS is processing the transaction data, the data might be alter and be stole in the process of encoding and decoding. Leak out of important information will give a big impact to Maxis as they might lose the competitive advantages in the telecommunication industry. (d) Blended Attacks Blended attack happens when the criminals use multiple methods to beat even the best security in order to get the confidential information of a company.  Since the competitive advantages are so strong in the telecommunication industry, the hackers might hack into the Managing Information System (MIS) to obtain Maxis’ various confidential reports, Maxis will be the next victim to be hacked as the criminals leak their company’s confidential information to the competitors. Maxis will face losses of their confidential information which might affect the company’s future performance and shareholders’ confidence in their company. (e) Delivery Risk Business to Customer (B2C) as one of the e-commerce using by Maxis. While having online businesses, Maxis facing a very important issue which is how this company deliver the electronic devices. Company must be very careful in choosing the delivery methods to ensure the product reach the customer in time and no damage should be found or to minimize the damages that can be caused. For example, when Maxis deliver handphone device like Apple or Samsung to the customers, they have to ensure the deliver cost be minimized including the damages that might happen in the process of delivery. Part 5: Recommendation Weakness (a) High Maintenance Fees In the telecommunication services market, it is hard to reduce the production costs to set lower price in order to pay for the maintenances fees and compete with the others competitors such as Digi, Celcom, and U-mobile. Maxis Berhad may concentrate to focus on the product innovation and product features in order to fulfill the customer needs. For example, the launched of the 4G LTE services have huge increases in their profit. Besides, Maxis Berhad can apply for funds, discount or allowance from the government to minimize their maintenance fees. (b) Lack of internal securities control Maxis Berhad need to always update and improve their securities system in order to prevent attacked by the hackers and viruses. Maxis Berhad can hire security agencies to monitor and protect their system all the time. Besides, Maxis Berhad has to strengthen internal control policies, processes and procedures as well as monitor their employees which are responsible for the customer’s information to prevent information outflow. The information of  the customer needed to fully secure to protect the company’s image. (c) Unstable Services of the Information System Maxis has to concern about the unstable services. Most importantly, Maxis must spend for the regular upgrade and maintenance for the unstable services although the cost is very high. Besides, 3G and 4G services available place should be expanded in order to get more customers who stay at rural areas. It is because nowadays the 3G and 4G is very important, customers tend connect to internet wherever and whenever by using the services, so, the stability of 3G and 4G will be the important criteria for customers in choosing the telecommunication service. With a better 3G and 4G services and wider coverage, Maxis will have the competence to compete with the strong competitors, for example P1 wimax is a competitor of Maxis who offers cheaper packages. (d) Poor customer services Customer service plays an important role in the business especially in the telecommunication industry, with good customer service, it’s able to retain the existing customers and attract more potential customers to subscribe the Maxis services. Maxis has to make the Maxis centre become one-stop service in order to facilitate the customers and make them to be more satisfied with the Maxis service. Besides, Maxis has to promote their services and offer free services to the customer in order to attract more customers and improve company’s image. Threats (a) Strong Competitors The business nature of Maxis Berhad is oligopoly competition, which is a type of market form in which the industry (telecommunication) is dominated by a small number of sellers. Competitive relationship between the Maxis berhad and other companies is strong. Therefore, the Maxis Berhad have to aware of the actions of others and make the most suitable decision based on the decision of other company. Thus, we will recommend that the Maxis Berhad could implement the market research and analysis system to investigate their competitors as well as deploy the job costing system to control and minimize the cost of production, and indirectly, they could adjust and lower their pricing in order to gain the competitive advantage. (b) Malicious Emails The other threat is the malicious emails. In this case, we would recommend that the Maxis Berhad could create their own unique symbol or signature on the email they sent to the customers in the B2C ecommerce transaction in order to differentiate it with the malicious emails. (c) Identity Theft and Internet Frauds The identity thief and internet fraud is also one of the threats the Maxis Berhad faces. In our opinion, the company could deploy the information security management system (ISMS) to provide an additional protection on the company information to make it secure. (d) Blended Attacks The other threat is the blended attack. In order to manage the blended attack, we will recommend that the Maxis Berhad should master the urge network administrators to make it more vigilant about patch management, employ server software to detect the malware and keep updating and using the firewall products. (e) Delivery Risk The delivery risk is also a threat the Maxis Berhad needs to concern about. In our opinion, the Maxis Berhad should implement the service delivery risk management (SDRM) to enable the Maxis having a better understanding on their client profitability, cost and revenue drivers, and exception management and governance process. Part 6: Conclusion In the beginning, our group decide to choose Maxis Berhad based the company’s performance and its achievement. From the part of the type of e-commerce used by Maxis, our group found that there are two type of it which is business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B). There are three type of information system used by Maxis which is transaction processing system (TPS), process all the routine transactions in the business which is necessary and able to track consumer behaviour at the same time; Managing Information System (MIS), system that produce detailed information to help manage the firm; electronic commerce system (ECS), system enable customers to buy goods and service from Maxis. From SWOT analysis above we recognise the strength part include Quality of Internal and External Communications,  Quality of Planning, Quality Control and Supervision, Quality and Responsiveness of the Competitors’ Condition and Customers’ Satisfaction. As the weakness part of the information system brings to Maxis which is High Maintenance Fees, Lack of internal securities control, and Unstable Services of the Information System and Poor customer services. The opportunities are Increasing Visibility to Outsider, Decision Making of Investment, Speed time-to-market for new products, Focus on Market Segment and Lower procurement and distribution costs. In addition, there are also five threats of the information system assist Maxis which Strong Competition, Malicious Emails, Identity Theft and Internet Frauds, Blended Attacks and Delivery Risk. Reference Artem Evgenovich Babenko, h. (2014). E-commerce Systems. ITSource. It-source.net., from http://it-source.net/en/E-commerce/ Khurana,. (2014). Is Ecommerce Right for Your Business? 36 Pros and Cons. About., from http://ecommerce.about.com/od/eCommerce-Basics/tp/Advantages-And-Disadvantages-Of-Ecommerce.htm MalaysianWireless,. (2011). 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