The Positive Effects of Hosting the Thirty First Olympic...

More recently passed the closing of the Olympic Games in Sochi, and now the whole world is looking forward to the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, known as marvelous city, whose government allocate huge amount of money for this event. The marvelous city has been elected in October of 2009, after the election of the hosting city among Madrid (Spain), Chicago (U.S.A), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Tokyo (Japan), becoming the first host city of the Games of the Summer Olympiad in South America. In order to be ready for hosting, the government of the Rio de Janeiro has already started to prepare for the Olympic Games, which will continue from 5th to 21st of August 2014. About 15 villages, stadiums were built and reformed. Moreover, 5 stadiums are going to opened in 2015. (www.olympic.org) The overall budget for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro is approximately $14.4 billion, which is about R$5.76billion.(www.brazilnyc.com)Despite this, to attract more tourists f rom all around the world and gain more profit from the games the government should spend more money, even if it is over the budget. To be ready to hosting the Olympic Games, the city’s life conditions must be convenient. Nonetheless, the Rio de Janeiro’s most residents’ life conditions are the worst. The index of Rio de Janeiros population has led to a severe shortage of housing. Millions of people had to build their own houses from crowbar materials, such as wood, metals, sheet. That kind ofShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Impact of the Olympic Games3036 Words   |  13 Pagessignificant economic and social benefits for communities and regions. In seeking to understand the field of special events, I took as a case study the Olympic Games mega-event. 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How Cultural Economic Factors Affect International Business Free Essays

Assignment on communication in GrameenPhoneLTD. Assignment ON Communication in GrameenPhoneLTd. Prepared for: Ishtiaque Arif Assistant professor School of business Studies Southeast University Prepared by: Name Burhan Uddin Rabbani ID- 2011110001065 MBA(regular), Batch -28th Institution Name: Southeast University Submision Date: LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL July28, 2012 Ishtiaque Arif Assistant professor School of Business Southeast University. We will write a custom essay sample on How Cultural Economic Factors Affect International Business or any similar topic only for you Order Now Subject: Submission of Assignment report Dear Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the guidance and support you have provided me during the course of this report. Without your help, this report would have been impossible to complete. With deep gratitude, I also acknowledge the help provided by Mr. Shariful Huq, Customer Development Manager Grameen phone Ltd. To prepare the report I collected what I believe to be most relevant information to make my report as analytical and reliable as possible. I have concentrated my best effort to achieve the objectives of the report and hope that my endeavor will serve the purpose. The practical knowledge and experience gathered during report preparation will immeasurably help in my future professional life. I request you to excuse me for any mistake that may occur in the report despite of our best effort. I would really appreciate it you enlighten me with your thoughts and views regarding the report. Also, if you wish to enquire about an aspect of my report, I would gladly answer your queries. Thank you again for your support and patience. Yours Sincerely, Burhan uddin Rabbani Program: MBA (Regular) ID: 2011110001065, Batch: 28th (B) Southeast University Acknowledgement All praise to Allah, the almighty, and the merciful. Without his blessing and endorsement this report would not have been accomplished. The successful completion of this report might never be possible in time without the help some person whose inspiration and suggestion made it happen. First of all I want to thank my honorable teacher Ishtiaque Arif for helping me completing my report on â€Å"Assessment of Communication† in the context of Grameen phone. I would also like to thank Mr. Shariful Huq, customer development manager at Grameen Phone, and my friend who helped me by providing informative instructions. Without them this project would have been very difficult. And finally I also express my sincere gratitude to all those who participated to prepare the report. They were busy employee of Grameen Phone. Executive Summary Grameen Phone is the number 1 mobile operator with 44% market share (September, 2010). Number of subscribers stands at 2865 mn (Sep’10). – For 2010 up to end 03, total revenues were SOT 55. 1 ho versus R0T48. 6 hr for same comparable period in 2009, whereas 525 for 2010 up to end 0. 3 was SOT 523 against BDT 537 for the same period in 2009. This project was designed to assess the Communication process in grameen Phone . t is generally recognized that, although Grameen phone is leading the market of mobile telecommunication industry, they have some communication error. Grameen Phone Communicate with the agents, dealers, employees in the following way: # Mobile Phone # Online # Face to face communication. Basically these are the communication process GP use d in operate their organization. GrameenPhone divides its communication process into three sectors These are explained below: Communication with the customer Communication with the organization Communication with the dealers or agents The Communication process of Grameen Phone helps the organization to enlarge its business. So there is no doubt that â€Å"Business communication skill is important for a business to achieve its organizational goal†. Table of contents | Contents| Page no. | Chapter 1| Introduction| 1| 1. 2| Objectives of the study| 2| 1. 3| Methodology | 2| 1. 4| Significance of the study| 3| 1. 5| Limitation of the study| 3| Chapter 2| Findings and analysis| 3| 2. 1| Communication method with customer| 3-6| 2. 2| Communication methods in the organization| 7-8| 2. 3| Communication Flow in GP | 9| 2. 4| Communication system in GP| 10| 2. | Communication with the agents| 11| Chapter 3| Conclusion| 12| 3. 1| Reference| 12| 1. Introduction: Company profile Grameen Phone is the number 1 mobile operator with 44% market share (September, 2010). Number of subscribers stands at 2865 mn (Sep’10). – For 2010 up to end 03, total revenues were SOT 55. 1 ho versus R0T48. 6 hr for same comparab le period in 2009, whereas 525 for 2010 up to end 0. 3 was SOT 523 against BDT 537 for the same period in 2009. – Initial capex cycle of geographical coverage build Out complete. – Subscriber churn levels at 1% per month in 2010; amongst the lowest in emerging Asian markets. One of the largest ISPs in Bangladesh with approximately 4. 5mn active subscribers. – Its network covers over 99. 14% of the population in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and 88. 84% of the total land area, and the network infrastructure included around 114,000 TRXs in more than 7,200 base stations. – Grameenphone operates on both OSM 900 1800 bands with a bandwidth of 22MHz. The recent allocation of 7,4M1-lz to OP in addition to the 14. 6MHz it already has will help to decrease the pressure on GPs network. OP has 11300 base stations in over 6500 locations across Bangladesh. Overview Grameen Phone (GP) started operations in 1997. In 2009, GP offered 69,439,400 ordinary shares at BDT 10 (US$. 014) each, in addition to a BDT 60 (US$ 0. 871 premium, totaling BDT 4. 86 bn (US$ 70. lSmn) got Listed on OSE CSE. – Quickly after its inception in 1997, GP established itself as the leading mobile operator in the country by providing superior coverage and better network quality perception than its competitors. – In the last 4 years, market dominance of GP has slowly eroded through intense competition, falling from 63% in 2005 to about 44% (September 2010). GP’s AR? U has teen constantly declining, as mobile voice tariffs continue to fall and as greater numbers of subscribers come from lower income groups. From USD 5. 4 in Q1’07, the ARPU has come down to USD 3. 03 in 03’10 (02 2010 USD 3. 47). – GP was the first mobile operator to introduce prepaid mobile connections in Bangladesh in 1999. Apart from internet services thr ough EDGE, Crameenphone is also the only medium through which Cell Bazaar operates a service where people can buy and sell products through a mobile. It also operates a telemedicine service called Health line, It provides a host of other VAS services including ringtones, welcome tunes, SMS-MMS, instant messaging, sports-news updates, stock market updates, electronic ticketing service etc. . However, to turn its business GrameenPhone divides its communication process into three sectors These are explained below: Communication with the customer Communication with the organization Communication with the dealers or agents 1. 2 objectives of the study The primary purpose of the report is the fulfillment of the course requirement. The main objectives of the report are as follows: * To fulfill the partial requirement of the â€Å"Business Communication† course offered in MBA program. * To explore advantages provides by the skill of Business Communication and contribution to the profitably of the organizations as well as economy of Bangladesh. * It will also enable me to improve my skill on report writing. As corporate executive put great value on report writing as an important element in management success, this part of the course will repare me to face the future challenges of corporate world. * To analyze the benefit of applying the skill of communication in organizations. * To analyze how GP build up their Communication System. 1. 3 Methodology Source of data: I would like to make sure that I have all the necessary data required to come up with effective result. Therefore, I have combined both primary and secondary data collection method. All data related to this study is attached with the appendix. A . Primary source of data: * Interview of customer manager working at GP B. Secondary source of data: * Internet * Newspaper archive * Annual Report of GP 2010 . 4 significance of the study The reason behind choosing this topic, there are basically 3 reasons behind choosing this topic. 1. It is one of the most important matter for us how a large multinational Company operates their Communication process. 2. What is the main communication strength of maintaining large scale of customs? 3. How GP keep up Communication process? 1. 5 Limitation of the study In doing this study we have to face some limitations, those are Employers were not interested to talk. Employees reluctant to share internal matter. For understandability we had to use very simple statistical tools. We were not able to collect enough information from government research agency. 2. Findings and Analysis 2. 1 Communication method with customers: After fourteen years of operation, Grameen Phone has about 30 million subscribers as of may 2008. To retain the current subscriber and to increase the number of them, Grameen Phone has to communicate its customer continuously. As a result it comes to know about customers problems, expectations and demand from the company. To do so, Grameen Phone gets linked to its subscriber 24 hours throughout the year by providing information. Moreover, the company fascinates the customer by giving every type of facilities such as SIM replacement, change of address as so on in their customer care centre. To provide these services. The company communicates with its customers through direct or indirect method. These methods are described below. Products and service Direct Method Through this direct process, the effective communication of Grameen phone with its customer occurs in a two way, face to face situation where both verbal and non verbal symbols and languages are apparent to both parties, which can be called level 1 communication. Moreover the company deals with its subscribers by level 2 communication where a two ways, but now face verbal situation occurs. Both in these two types of communication, instant feedback are available. As a result, the company can gradually learn about what subscriber wants from the company and can fill its subscribers demands, expectations and solve problems as per as its ability. However, after learning about the expectation, demand and problem of subscriber, Grameen phone divide these things into three segments and these are Request # Complains # Queries After doing so, then Grameen phone inform their management by doing email in he internet. Actually, in the whole process of corresponding, Grameen phone prefers too email subscribers and management. There are some kinds of examples on direct method are shown below through which Grameen phone be connected with customers. $ *111*# all time get to any information $ 121 hot online service: $ Message service ; Email contacts $ Custome r Management centre 121 HOTLINE SERVICE GrameenPhone Ltd. Launched â€Å"GP Service Month† from March 1 , to further improve the delivery of after-sales services Enjoy prioritized customer service by simply dialing121. Dedicated customers care managers are available round the clock, 24 hours A day and 7 days a week only to serve you better. Business Solutions postpaid subscriber can call 121 absolutely free of cost. Customer Management Center In an effort to provide after sales services closer to where the customers live, more than 8000 GP Service Desks have been opened around the country, located in all upazila in the 61 districts where the Grameen Phone network has coverage. These GP Service Desks are equipped to provide most of the after sales services and are open from 10am – 6pm on all weekdays. In addition, all the 600 GP customer Centers located in the divisional cities now remain open from 8am – 8pm everyday including all holidays. Email And Message Service On the other side, if any subscriber wants to inform about their problems, they can do it through email contact or message service also. As a result, they can be linked with GP very closely. Indirect Method On the other side, Grameen phone communicate with its subscribers through indirect method by level 3 communications where a two way, face verbal communication does not occur. Only written or printed documents or photo mages are circulated on bill board and advertisements are telecast on television and so on. As a result, instant feedback is not available in this process. Thus the company their facilities of SIM card to subscribers. Some kinds of indirect method are also given below: # Advertisement on television # Advertisement on bill board # Advertisement on newspaper. # Advertisement on internet. 2. 2 Comm unication Methods In The Organization: To achieve its operating goals, Grameen phone’s needs to direct and coordinate its interdependence of units and individuals toward a desired point. As a result, a formal organization structure results from efforts to achieve coordination. On the other side, coordination results from effective communication and well organized programs or systems. There is a formalized hierarchy of Grameen phone has been shown below. Here, organization chart defines the scope of the organization. The people generally occupy roles and perform functions in all those spaces in the organization chart, he pictured structure could seldom be considered a final answer. However, to conduct function, the officials of GP have o contact with each other. Generally, GP believes in informal communication when they usually talk to each other. But, to submit a proposal, report to their management, they prefer to email communication better. They do not submit these things by direct handing over. On the other side, their communication in mobile by colleague is free as they have their own company mobile SIM. 2. 3 Communication Flow In The GP The flows of communication within the organization may be upward, downward, or horizontally directed. Grameen Phone Limited has downward and upward communication flows which are following: Downward Communication: Downward Communication is that from superior to subscriber-from boss to employee, and from policy maker to operating personnel. Five elements of downward communication are following: Job instruction: Teaching new or current employees how to do a particular task. Rationale: The justification for the organization and its goals; how a particular function fits into the total organization. Information: Orientation to the company – its rules, practices, procedures, and history. Feedback about job performance: Supervisors evaluation or appraisal of employee performance. Ideology: The effort to convey to and install in employees a degree of enthusiasm, loyalty, or support for the organization. This flows, of course, related to the hierarchical structure of the organization. Upward communication: When management requests information from lower organizational levels, the resulting information becomes feedback to the request. This is called upward communication. This communication keeps management informed about the feelings of subordinates, helps management identity both difficult and potentially promotable employees, and paves the way for even more effective downward communication. Basically these two types of communication flow are used by the Grameen Phone. 2. 4 Communication System in GP Every organization has two types of communication system. Grameen Phone is not except from them. It has also two types of communication system which are following: External System: This system is typified by the formal organization chart. This system is used to control individual and group behavior and to achieve organizational goals. Some elements of external system are following: #Business letter #Report writing #Business proposal Memorandum report etc. Internal System: The internal system develops as people interact within the formal, external system and certain behavior patterns emerge, patterns which accommodate social and psychological needs. In internal system, both formal and informal elements of communication are used which are following: #Grapevine #Face to face communication #PABX #Mobile #Letter etc 2. 5 Communication With The Agents The products and services of Grameen Phone are sold through the following channels: Grameen Phone at present has 450 Point of sales all over Bangladesh in order to sell their mobile phones. These Point of Sales include # 11 Dealers and their franchises. # 78 Outlet Agents. # 52 Individual agents. Among the 11 Dealers, at present –Flora, Grameen Telecom, Brothers and Butterfly, are the leading ones, with the maximum number of franchises. Besides their products, Grameen Phone also sell service. Services are sold through info Centers and Hotline. Info center provides spot solutions. Here subscribers can get subscription. Trained and friendly officers are serving at Info Center from 8am-6pm. There is also 01 Sales ;Logistics officer who is responsible for providing SIM(Subscribers Identification Module) cards and handsets to the subscribers and distribution of marketing items. At present there are 6 Info centers, two in Dhaka and rest four in the other four regional heads, namely, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna. Not only has that Grameen Phone interacted with the agents in the following way: # Mobile Phone # Online # Face to face communication. Basically these are the communication process GP used in operate their organization. 3. Conclusion: By conducting survey I am able to reach this point that the communication skill of Grameen Phone is really overwhelming. Not only that its effectiveness in communication helps it in a large way to achieve its organizational goal. The Communication process of Grameen Phone helps the organization to enlarge its business. So there is no doubt that â€Å"Business communication skill is important for a business to achieve its organizational goal†. 3. 1 Reference #Grameen Phone Annual Report 2010 # Communication for Business by Shirley Taylor # â€Å"Business communication and English† by Lecica. http://www. grameenphone. com/ How to cite How Cultural Economic Factors Affect International Business, Papers

Analysis Of Key Issues Axel Construction †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Analysis Of Key Issues Axel Construction. Answer: Introduction An Information System is the collection of components that process, store, collect, and distribute information to help in organizational decision making and control. In relation to business, this is a system of value-adding processes for disseminating information to be used by management in making decisions that promote performance and profitability.The success of a company in the current dynamic business world is dependent on how quickly they respond to environmental changes (Reichert Weber, 2012). Business Information Systems (BIS) propagate lasting organizational competitive advantages by integrating business processes with Information Technology (IT). This report provides an analysis of key issues relevant to Axel Constructions initiative to enhance and upgrade their IT infrastructure and BIS. Business Process A business process may be defined as the pool of activities that collectively add value to the organization.It is simply what thebusiness undergoes on a daily basis toachieve its goals or objectives. Business processes are wide-spread and usually cover various departments in an organization, or even cross the organizational boundary to include stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and partners. Organizations can acquire resources they need to re-energize performance, innovate and deliver the value demanded by todays market by prioritizing business processes. Incorporation of information systems into the business processes effectively minimizes the gap between execution of decisions and management intent(Smith Fingar, 2003, p. 1).It is therefore prudent for Axle Construction to understand and improve its business processes. The effectiveness of a businessis analyzedon the basis of their processes. Some organizations even evaluate their processes as a competitive advantage strategy. Incorporation of information systems can improve Axles processes and set the construction company apart while lowering operational costs. Information systems make relevant and useful information readily available to its users. The management team of Axel construction company can obtain updated and comprehensive information necessary to make quick decisions that will help the firm respond to business challenges. A smooth and efficient system with further cut down on unnecessary expenses incurred as a result of misuse, misappropriation, and fragmentation of company information in non-integrated systems. Furthermore, information systems will improve the current processes by providing a monitoring and evaluation platform that will help the management pick out redundant or inefficient aspects. Management Challenges Although information systems pose a lot of advantages and benefits to the growth of organizations, there are some crucial challenges faced by managers especially in Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The first challenge a manager may encounter is to do with the designing and building of the system. With the management being faced with cost and functionality questions, they have to make carefully informed decisions. They need to determine the need and purpose of the system. Once an appropriate information system is in place, the next challenge is to ensure its integration into the business. To establish the system, both the management and employees need training on the functionality of the system. The final challenge lies in cost accountability and maintenance of the information system in a manner that continuously aligns with the organizations objectives(Kautz, Madsen Nrbjerg, 2007, p. 220). Challenges that the management of SMEs facewith regard to Information Systems may alternatively be categorized into investment, strategic decisions, globalization, ethical andsecurity challenges.A basicchallenge encountered while building or operating an information system is related to value addition. Managers have to carry out cost-benefit analyses to determine whether the system is a viable investment idea. This decision should take into account both the long term and short returns on investment. In strategic decision making, the management has to determine the complementary assets required for the information system to function effectively. Likewise, the infrastructure of the information system should be able to accommodate their goals in an environment with rapid technological and market changes. Globalization challenges require the SME to understand and adjust to the world economy. In a digital world, ethics and security are always a challenge to the management of organizations . The management must, therefore, put in place safeguards to prevent loss or leakage of crucial information to competitors. Competitive Advantage It is prudent for organizations to realize that to gain a competitive advantage, they must look into their processes and consider the possibility that their business mechanisms may be outdated and inefficient if the current market. While putting this into consideration, Axle construction should keep up with the level of competition and consider theintegration of updated and relevant information systems such as the ERP system, the CRM system and the EAI systems. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems standardize, integrate and automate business processes to enhance planning and control. A defining characteristic of ERP systems is the consolidated database that gathers all relevant organizational data into one complete system. An ERP system is founded on a database that caters for decision making and operational needs of the organization(Bradford, 2015, p. 2). Employees of Axle construction from different departments such as manufacturing, accounting, purchasing, and sale can access any information they need from the same data source. ERP systems, promise various benefits that may give Axle construction competitive advantages over other market players. The systems can help increase revenue by reducing operational expenses. Thisis achieved through improved customer service and marketing, lower inventory costs, and enhanced revenue generating processes. The single system integration also allows for effective monitoring and evaluating while enabling the management to make quick and informed strategic decisions that put Axle construction ahead of thecompetition. Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM) are information systems that coordinate business processes revolving around an organizations interaction with customers in marketing services, sales, customer retention, and satisfaction. The system allows users to evaluate or manage customer-focused marketing campaigns through channels such as telephone, direct mail, e-mail, wireless messaging, and social media. With companies depending on technology for day to day activities, the need to unify the separate applications into an integrated set of processes has become a priority. Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)is the activity of consolidating and modernizing the various programs or systems in an organizations information system infrastructure. Linthicum (2000) describes an EAI as an age old process of integrating applications in a firm in a manner that allows them to share processes and information freely. EAI reduces costs and time that would have been lost in disparate applicat ions. Social Media Information System (SMIS) This is an information system through which information and other content are shared in a social network. Axel construction can use social media to form relationships with employees, customers, and partners through productive interactions. SMIS help with organizational strategy by creating a platform through which the company can inform people in the network, influence them and build a conformity to the companys ideals. Presence in social media strengthens relationships, increases the number of target customers and even connect an organisation to partners. SMIS has allowed sales of many companies to appreciate greatly. The system supports sharing of information among the community, users, and social media providers. The first step must be doing appropriate research on the system and the market. This necessary to position Axle using its core competencies and objectives. So as to implement SMIS in Axle, it is important to establish a social relationship between the organization and the target customers. This relationship may be created throughcrowdsourcing or Social CRM. An effective marketing and user engagement policy are the use of stories and repetition. Fruitful interaction will help build a brand image and boost the companys sales and profitability. The final step in theimplementation of a successful SMIS in Axle would be to develop a social media policy for the company. The importance of SMIS in today's digital market is demonstrated by companies such as Bruce Clay and Newpath WEB who have successfully used SMIS to boost their revenues. Conclusion In conclusion, for Axle construction to enhance its collective performance, the company should embark on effective integration of their business processes. In order to achieve this, Axle construction company can leverage some possible information systems in a bid to position itself competitively. Effective implementation of the ERP, CRM, and EAI systems may enhance the competitive advantage of the company. These information systems should be enforced only after careful investigation and consideration onto their compatibility with Axles business processes. In addition to the above Enterprise systems, the company should consider boosting sales through SMIS. References Bradford, M. (2015). Modern ERP. 3rd ed. Morrisville, NC: Lulu, p.1-10. Kautz, K., Madsen, S. and Nrbjerg, J., 2007. Persistent problems and practices in information systems development.Information Systems Journal,17(3), pp.217-239. Linthicum, D.S., 2000.Enterprise application integration. Addison-Wesley Professional. Reichert, M. and Weber, B., 2012.Enabling flexibility in process-aware information systems: challenges, methods, technologies. Springer Science Business Media. Smith, H. and Fingar, P., 2003.Business process management: the third wave(Vol. 1). Tampa: Meghan-Kiffer Press.

The Fugitive Slave Act Essay Example

The Fugitive Slave Act Essay As the evolution of this report on Fugitive Slave Act goes into progression you will learn about what this act changed in the world we live in today. This report will help you understand what differences this Act bought forth to the nation in a whole. I will cover plenty of aspects to make up what the Fugitive Slave Act stood for.On January 29, 1850, the 70-year-old Clay presented a compromise. For eight months members of Congress, led by Clay, Daniel Webster, Senator from Massachusetts, and John C. Calhoun, senator from South Carolina, debated the compromise. With the help of Stephen Douglas, a young Democrat from Illinois, a series of bills that would make up the compromise were ushered through Congress. The Fugitive Slave Act was created in 1850 as a part of groups of laws. Those laws were in reference to the Compromise of 1850. It was created in the compromise that antislavery advocated to the gain of California to be as a free state. The group of laws that were created mandated the return of runaway slaves, regardless of where in the Union they might be situated at the time of their discovery or capture.(Foner)Along with the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the ratification of Kansas admission for free statehood; this legislation is part of the chain of events which culminated in the American Civil War. The Kansas-Nebraska Act stated that slavery question would be decided by popular sovereignty.In addition, Fugitive Slave Act prohibited slave-trading in the District of Columbia and also required that the citizens be assistants in the recovery of fugitive slaves. It also denied a fugitives right to a jury trial. Ironically, the passage of this law grew great resentment by the abolitionists. The abolitionists detested the law because majority of the Americans embraced the law.The reason this act was created to free slaves and make abolitionists resolve their differences and put an end to slavery. Even though it was

The Date Palms Industry in UAE Essay Sample

The Date Palms Industry in UAE Essay Sample The Date Palms Industry in UAE Analysis Essay The Date Palms Industry in UAE Analysis Essay The date palms industry in UAE is a vast industry that generates a significant amount of revenue and employment for people. The industry had been in existence for several thousand years and was the main source of income before oil was discovered in the region. As an agricultural industry, date palms offer a large compensation for the Sahara region because it provides work and sustenance for over 60% of the population. Basically, date palms are an agricultural relief for an area with very extreme temperatures like the UAE among other countries. The date palms are found in areas that are arid or semi arid, but with a water supply either as an oasis, a river like the Nile for Egypt, or an irrigation system as used in other parts of the desert nations. Aside from the fruits that are considered an Arabic delicacy all over the world, date palms are also useful in the making of confectionery and sweets, as well as baking products among other things. In addition, the industry not only provid es labor in the production department, but also in marketing, processing, packaging and exporting as well as local supply and vending. Thus, it can be considered as a very lucrative industry in the UAE and beyond. Considering how vast and extensive the date industry is in the UAE, this research proposal is aimed at examining the details of the industry with regards to the culture, history, benefits, and types of date palms cultivated in the UAE. The study involves examining companies that deal in the date palm industry to establish how they operate, and the driving force behind them in a bid to establish just how beneficial date palms are to the social and economic well being of the UAE. Date Palms In their analysis, Alhudaib, Arocha, Wilson and Jones (2007) established that date palms belong to the Palmae family, and their scientific name is Phoenix dactylifera. Just like other palms, they are tall with a great capacity to survive in high saline conditions and water scarcity. As a fruit tree, the date palm outdoes all other fruit trees with regards to tolerance and value considering it can be replaced in a very short time and can be used continuously under good conditions without being completely depleted of its resources. In more ways, the date palm can be considered as an exotic fruit that is tied to the heavenly religions and with the most emphasis in Islam considering even mentioning in the Koran and thus takes on a central position in the meals especially during Ramadan and other religious festivities (Al-Maary, 1995). Date palms are also a great part of the socio economic structure in many nations, most Arabic including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Pa kistan, Algeria, Sudan, Oman, Libya, and Tunisia (Oxford Business Group, 2009). This plant does especially well in areas otherwise considered to be barren and beat up by the sun and other degrading forces of nature. Furthermore, it can be stated that date palms are not as demanding as many other fruit trees, and thus they are able to do well in some of the harshest conditions known to plant life. Also, considering that the fruits do not all ripen at the same time, these plants provide the farmer with sufficient harvesting work in the ripening season as they have to be waited before they can be harvested. Also, the fruits are consumed worldwide and thus have quite a large market for the large volumes produced in the Sahara region and beyond. In their research, Oxford Business Group (2009) establishes that date palm is a highly tolerant plant and its fruit is a drupe with one seed which shape and size depends on the variety. The tree is propagated from either the seeds or the offshoots which only grow in the first four to five years after planting and have to be removed carefully to avoid damaging the entire plant. The fruits also do not ripen at the same time and thus harvesting is occurring later and not at once as in the case with other fruits. Various varieties produce different fruits with some being soft, others semi dry and others simply dry. They all however have a pleasant taste and are healthy, complete and with a very high energy content. The date palms are best suited for desert regions of the Arabic Peninsula, Sahara and Sabel (Oxford Business Group, 2009). In the UAE, the date palms are largely grown in three main regions which include the Western and Eastern Coastal areas as well as the Inland areas and Oases (Noack, 2007). The country has dedicated itself to cultivating date palms in all regions in which the trees can grow as it is considered not only as an agricultural oil well, but also as an enabler of agriculture owing to the shielding properties of the tall trees and deep roots. Moreover, they are believed to protect the shorter trees and annual crops from harsh weather conditions like excessive heat from direct sunlight, and the strong desert winds. The fruits are also highly nutritious and have both a cultural and religious value to people of the UAE. Unlike other regions which devote their date palms plantations only to areas with a natural water supply, UAE uses underground water supply in some of its date palms plantations to increase the amount of land that is viable for its cultivation. It is for this specific reason, along with the fact that the UAE is a geographically endowed nation with vast expanses of land at its disposal that have propagated the nation to the status of world’s highest producer of date palms. The History of Date Palms The history of date palms, along with the history of many other crops, has been hard to trace accurately. However, studies place the date palms as far back as 4000 BC with appearances in many historic writings and geological findings that include the Egyptian civilization, Syria and larger Mesopotamia. The fruit is also extensively mentioned in Islamic writings and it must have existed well before the religion has been founded. Currently, the cultivation of these date palms is largely limited to the Arabic countries in the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara region stretching from Egypt all the way to Nigeria. All these countries draw their inspiration from the fruit’s global consumers who are attracted by its exotic nature besides the nutritional values. The date palms are largely considered as a natural part of the ecosystem in the Gulf region. Most of the population cannot imagine a land without date palms as they have grown to see them as a part of the environment (UN Press Release, 2004). Even in ancient stories that are passed down from generation to generation, date palms are frequently mentioned implying they have always existed. While these fruits may not have originally come from the UAE, they are an irreplaceable part of its historical heritage and now even more as a part of its socio economic construct. In the UAE, date palms were just another fruit trees and were largely produced for local consumption and for the tourism industry. However, under the leadership of the President, the crop began receiving much more consideration as an opportunity to build a civilized society that can sustain itself through agriculture and not just depending on the oil industry. As a result of this opinion and vision, the UAE increased its production of date palms by more than 4000% in a span of about 10 years. Date Palms in the Culture of UAE As a largely desert country, the UAE does not have many crops to boast about. However, the country has very deep attachments to the date palms. Historically, these fruit trees were considered heavenly by the ancient religions and they also were symbols of God’s mercy with regards to its ability to withstand the scorching desert sun and severe water scarcity and provide fruits for people to live on (UN Press Release, 2004). The UAE is largely Islamic, in that Islam is not only the state religion, but also largely the only religion that can and should be practiced within state borders. This means that every citizen has a tie to the date palms considering it has religious roots. Moreover, the fruits are offered as gifts and blessings, and make up a large part of the menu during religious festivities that include the Holy Month of Ramadan. In this sense, the entire population of the UAE recognizes these fruit trees and acknowledges their centrality in the religious practices and festivities. Also, there are quite a number of tourists who visit the UAE and are taken through the date palms culture and history thus increasing their interest in the fruit. Most of the produce, before exportation picked up, was actually meant for tourists and local consumption. To this day, the country has a date palms festival during which visitors are encouraged to buy various types of date palms at very competitive prices from different producers and marketers available. Generally, the nation’s leadership has a lot of faith in the country’s agricultural potential with special regard for the date palm and this faith has played a great role in pushing the UAE to its current status away from oil dependence. As a visionary leader, the President continues to lead the nation into an era of abundant wealth and prosperity that is not dependent on the oil resources of the Gulf region, and agriculture is at the center of this plan with date palms playing the leading role. The Socio Economic Aspect of Date Palms in UAE The UAE is a country with well developed economy, largely hinged on oil exports and tourism. There are numerous economic activities, however, currently agriculture has been given a top priority as well. Given the instability in the global oil market, the UAE government has sought to create an economy that can sustain itself even without its oil resources. To realize this vision, agriculture has been emphasized and the country is now very successful in producing its own dates as opposed to importing it from other Arabic countries in North Africa and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. This was of course achieved through a series of policies and incentives that were formulated and enforced by the government of the day. As more people became interested in the agricultural industry, the country’s sustainability also increased and currently it is largely independent of the oil industry given its agricultural potential. Initially, most of people in the UAE were living in poor conditions given that not everyone could get work in the oil industry. Also, there wasn’t much to do in an economy that largely depended on oil. With the introduction and emphasis of agriculture and especially date palm trees, there has been a drastic change in the living conditions of a vast majority of people in the UAE. The industry currently employs a sizeable portion of the population in cultivars, and packaging companies as well as the exporting industry. In the global front, date palms employ over 60% of the Saharan population by providing income generating opportunities as farmers, local vendors, exporters and middlemen. Numerous members of the UAE community have managed to amerce vast wealth from the date palm industry through cultivars, exporting companies, local supplies, and packaging companies. The date palms have not only improved the lives of people in the UAE, but also greatly grown the country’s economy and pulled it out of its previous dependence on oil as its major economic resource. The industry has also saved the country from having to import dates from other countries for its largely Islamic population given its importance to them. International Perception of the Date Palms For many years, date palms have been an exotic fruit to people outside the Arab world. The concept of the date palm remains a fascinating one in which most foreigners are curious about. As a fruit, it is considered rare and luxurious, often associated with royalty and power. The fact that the fruit is also mainly cultivated in Arabic countries also adds on to their fascination as they associate it with Arabic culture and heritage. Therefore, the international community largely perceives date palms as an Arabic staple delicacy which is highly valued and appreciated in numerous other cultures as well. Considering that the fruit has religious connections in Islam, the global community also perceives it as a religious symbol especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The main reason behind this association is that many Islamic families stock their fridges with these fruits during the holy month and give them away as gifts to their friends and relatives. This is how most foreigners get to experience date palms for the first time, although others have to visit an Arabic country for their first encounter with date palms. The Date Industry Globally and UAE Nowadays, there are ten major date palms producing countries in the world. These include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Tunisia, Pakistan, Sudan, Algeria, Iran, Yemen and Oman. Out of these countries comes a total of about 10 million tons of date palms distributed across the world for consumption. A majority of these date palms end up in the hands of Muslim believers while the rest is consumed by people from other religions with a love for the fruit or a curiosity based on what they may have read or heard of it. Egypt, with its dependence on the Nile for water, boasts of the highest volumes of date palms produced. The nation has date palms planted all over in areas that are accessible to water. Its date palms are also high yielding varieties owing to the fact that they have an all year round access to the Nile’s waters. The country has also largely invested in irrigation as a way of sustaining its agricultural sector and thus they have the best chance of leading the pack in production and export of dates. However, they do not have sufficient capacity to package and export all of their date palms given the industrial limitations in the country. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia elevated date palms as the most important cash crop with a representation of vitality and growth in its national emblem. With its vast land under date palm plantations, this country commands a market share of up to 18% worldwide with a production that is approximately 10% of the world’s total date palm production. In essence, Saudi Arabia has given the date palms industry the priority it deserves and thus they are reaping the benefits of their focus. Tunisia also boasts of a great amount of date palms production coming in with over 120,000 tons annually. This nation has dedicated over 60% of its land to cultivating date palm plantations and they supply more than half of Europe’s date fruits demand. However, Algeria produces 500,000 tons and competes with Tunisia for the Europe confectioneries market, and has dedicated over 80% of its land to date palms given their pivotal position in the desert’s ecosystem. These countries, however, do not only use the fruits off the trees. They also use the other non fruit components for various things like feeding the livestock, building fences, mulching, weaving baskets, making textiles, and roofing among other things. They have also established new ways to use the fruit tree’s fruit and non fruit parts as raw materials for industries, such as sweet making, confectioneries and baking products among others. Of all the date palm producing countries in the world, the UAE has the largest amount of land dedicated to the crop and this is estimated to be about 220,000 hectares with a potential production of over 800,000 tons of date fruits annually. The world’s date palm industries largely produce for export into the European market, but the local markets also play a big role in the industry. For example, Egypt is unable to process all of its date fruits for export despite the high amount of produce realized annually and thus it largely produces for the local market and its immediate neighbors. Growth of the Date Palms Industry Initially, dates were a local delicacy. A fruit considered to be wild and only palatable to the desert dwellers. With the spread of Islam, this perception changed and more people began to identify with the fruit. A further spread of civilization then opened the date fruits market up for exploitation by creating markets for the fruit both far and wide. As the demand grew, the enterprising nations gained interest in the industry to a point that some economies are currently hinged on the date palms production for sustenance. In the beginning, the industry was all about producing the fruits and packaging them for export. However, there have come many more uses for the produce as opposed to being consumed as a fruit. Sweets and confectioneries, as well as baking products and even health supplements are being made from the date palm fruits. In this sense, the market is not restricted to the end consumers, but to sweet factories and bakeries which use them fruits as ingredients in their recipes. Also, the industry largely had to suffer destruction and degradation by pests and diseases. With revolutionary studies and discoveries in the field of disease and pest control in agriculture, the problem is in control and probably on its way to elimination. While there still are few reports of pests and diseases, the damage is no longer as crippling to the industry as it used to be in the past. The industry now stands among the most successful in agriculture and possibly the second best industry after oil in the Arabic countries. In some of these countries, dates production and export as a source of revenue is only rivaled by tourism in second place after oil production. Considering how many people have been employed in the date palms industry, it is not exactly determined, but in the Sahara region alone over 60% of people directly depends on the date palm plantations for their livelihoods (Bashah, 1999). Thus, this means that the industry has the potential of sustaining a very large percentage of the populace in terms of work and sustainable income. This in turn means that the world’s population is less likely to have as high levels of poverty as it has been without the date palm plantations. Benefits of the Date Palms Industry in UAE Date palms have a wide variety of benefits to the populations as a fruit, a tree, a cash crop, a symbol in the national emblem and even a cultural and religious delicacy. The date palms have been cherished throughout history for a number of reasons some of which are known to us and proven by science, while others remain mystical and mythical to the present generations (Ferry Gomez, 2002). Some of the known benefits are discussed below with a special focus of the agricultural, nutritional and medicinal, socio economic and religious values of the date palms. Agricultural Values Date palms are mainly planted in desert regions with high temperatures, high salinity and low humidity, but with an access to water. These areas are often around oases or just in the desert where irrigation has been factored in as an aid to agriculture. In such areas, there is very high sunlight intensity, strong winds and often extreme temperatures both cold and hot alternating. Date palms are often tall trees with deep and strong roots (Saudi Press Agency, 2009). Their leaves are long and provide a shade as well. Using the principles of soil conservation, trees help to break strong winds and thus protect the soil from being eroded. In an agricultural setting, these trees not only prevent soil erosion, but also protect the smaller trees and plants from being broken or uprooted by the strong desert winds. Thus, this means that the farmer can easily indulge in the cultivation of other smaller fruit trees as well as annual crops within the date palms plantations. Additionally, the date palms have both fruit and non fruit components that are useful to the farmer. The low quality fruits can be used to feed livestock. The leaves are also often used for fencing and mulching in horticulture to protect the fragile plants from harsh environmental and climatic conditions. Basically, it can be said that the cultivation of date palms in the desert regions enables the farmers to engage in other farming activities thus boosting sustainable food production along the economic benefits of exporting this exotic fruit that is a secondary oil well in the Arabic world. Nutritional and Medicinal Values The date fruit is a drupe, with one seed per fruit. The fruit has numerous nutritional attributes aside from the pleasant taste and high energy content. The fruit is largely valued for its high fiber content as well. Other than its sophisticated categorization, date fruits are a real asset when eaten on a regular basis as they have numerous significant benefits to the body. With regards to its medicinal values, there are a large number of ailments and physical troubles that the fruit and other tree components are said to handle successfully. While there may not be sufficient scientific proof to strengthen or eliminate these claims, some of them have scientific explanations while others are left to speculation from stories passed on from previous generations. Some of the problems said to be solved through the use of parts of the date fruits and trees are ulcers, halitosis, sore throats, colds, fevers, toothaches, diarrhea, cystitis, edema, kidney and liver problems, as well as ague, alcohol induced hangovers, and gonorrhea. All these problems are delegated to various parts of the date palm tree including fruit seeds, roots, bark, flower and even leaves. Socio Economic Values The date palm tree, due to its majestic height is considered to be a beauty in the desert. For this reason, it is often grown in residential settings as a method of landscaping vast lands. The trees are also used to as land marks and for boundaries in cases of vast land ownership. Another major use of the date palms is that they provide food not only for people, but for animals as well. Over the years, desert populations have depended on the date fruits to feed themselves and their livestock too. As a cash crop, date palms provide an alternative source of sustainable income that pulls countries away from their dependence on oil as an economic driver. As an agricultural produce, date palms give countries a sustainable source of income that is not only dependable and sustainable but also environment friendly. The industry employs a significant number of individuals in production, processing, curing, packaging, marketing and exporting. Also, there are a number of other industries, such as confectionery and sweets that depend on the date palms industry, thus more jobs and more revenue. Another significant socio economic value of the date palms industry is that it has encouraged desert dwellers to settle down and practice agriculture as opposed to moving around and engaging in clashes and livestock rustling. Previously, desert communities were considered hostile and insecure, but currently they are settled and producing over 10 million tones of the precious fruit annually. In these countries, date palm production has boosted national income thus improving the living conditions of the general population. As countries grow richer on agricultural production, more people are likely to benefit as compared to oil production which often benefits the wealthy few who have land titles and money to buy oil rigs. Religious Values The highest amount of date fruits is often consumed during the Holy Month of Ramadan globally. The fruit is mentioned in the Koran and thus the Islamic community has a religious connection to it. Also, during the fasting period it is considered an asset due to its high energy content. The date fruits have a capacity of up to 3000 calories per kilogram and this is among the highest in all foods (Greiner, 1998). Otherwise, it was historically lauded by the ancient religions that considered it symbolic in their communion with heavenly powers. Challenges of the Date Palms Industry In all the ten top producers of date palms in the world, three challenges stand out significantly. These are pests and diseases, inadequate skilled labor and insufficient capacity for processing the fruits in readiness for exporting. Other major constraints are lack of research, climate changes, and market limitations. While these countries have all prioritized date palms production and exportation, they are yet to deal effectively with these problems as discussed below. Pests and Diseases Just like the rest of the agricultural industry, the date palms industry is heavily riddled with problems of pest and disease control (Mahmoudi et el., 2008). The farmers sometimes are exposed and experience severe losses due to pests and diseases and especially the Red Palm Weevil that causes extensive damage to palm groves. This results in significant damage to the crop and thus extremely low yields if any at all. As scientists try to come up with ways to eliminate this menace, farmers remain at risk of experiencing tremendous losses in the industry. Inadequate Skilled Labor Date palms take a relatively long time to grow and mature into a productive plant with a full capacity to be fruitful for years on end. Before they mature, however, they need a lot of care including cutting the offshoots for planting. If this is not done well and carefully then the trees are at risk of not being as fruitful as they should be. Another challenge in managing date palms is in caring for them and protecting them against pests and diseases. This also needs some amount of skill that is often lacking as most plantations are run locally by untrained personnel and farmhands. Insufficient Processing Capacity Some of the date palms producing countries have such high yields that they are unable to process all of it for exportation (Sawaya, 2000). This leaves the farmers with most of their produce to sell cheaply to the local market or export illegally to their neighboring states for processing and exportation. It is for a reason that the countries do not have the commitment to expand their processing industries or build more to satisfy the large date palms production that they have. Lack Of Research Agriculture requires constant research to come up with more productive and more resistant strains of crop. While there are several agricultural research facilities worldwide, none of them has focused its attention to this very important cash crop. The date palms have been left to adapt to the environment and suffer their fate of pests and diseases without trying to modify them and make them stronger and with a better chance of survival (University of Delaware, 2004). Also, research would have been able to create strains of the crop that do not need such extreme climatic conditions and can thus be grown in the tropics as well. This would further enlarge the industry and create more produce for the market. Climate Change Date palms are very specific in their required conditions for growth. The trees need to be able to access water regularly so that the roots can soak it up for the rest of the plant (Zohary Hopf, 2000). Also, the fruits need a prolonged summer heat with very low humidity in order to ripen well. With the changes in climate, however, these conditions are being threatened and thus the trees may not be able to yield good fruit in the same high quality and quantity as before (United Nations Development Program, 2004). Market Limitations Some people grow the date palms, but are unable to sell it due to the fact that most local markets are already flooded with the product. The cost of processing and packaging for exportation on the other hand is also seemingly too steep for some small scale farmers and thus they are unable to sell their produce at all. live CHAT Methodology The research will involve interviews with stakeholders in the date palms industry in the UAE. First, we will need to collect information on how much date fruits are being exported annually and to which specific destinations. Also, we will need information on how many date palm trees are there in the country and possibly find out how expensive or cheap it is to run these plantations as well as the average realized profit margins. Another important information will be which industries the data palm industry is partnering with locally in terms of product modification and manufacture of sweets, confectioneries, baking products and any other items from date palm derivatives. Considering how large the country is and how wide spread the date palm plantations are, it would be much easier to conduct the research through the use of secondary resources with regards to information about the cultivars (Williams, 2008). All the major ones are well established and thus information on them can be easily found online and in business publications. Thus, this part of the research will involve the business websites and online journals as well as publications. The information required from the government can also be found online in the economic journals as released by the government annually. This is where we will get information on how many tones of date fruits are being exported on an annual basis and to which countries do they go. The local industries can also be contacted through their websites to provide information on what business is like for them and which local industries they are partnering with to improve the date palm industry. This will also involve primary research as the required information may not be readily available on the company websites and online journals or articles. Lastly, the study will obtain primary research by interviewing the local citizens in order to find out just what they think about the date palms industry in the UAE and what should be done to improve the situation and prevent it from deteriorating as it supports a large portion of the population as well boosts some aspects of the tourism industry as the staple exotic fruit of the Arabic world that is sought after by foreigners. The collected information will then be analyzed and represented in the form of charts and graphs as it will be comparing the date palms industry’s performance and growth potential in the UAE with the rest of the world to establish the industry is doing in a global scale. Considering that this country is just one out of the top ten date palm producers in the world, detail is a key component of the study as the minor details may be the distinguishing factors between good performance and better performance.

Quick Review of Radioactivity and Radiation

Quick Review of Radioactivity and Radiation Unstable atomic nuclei will spontaneously decompose to form nuclei with higher stability. The decomposition process is called radioactivity. The energy and particles which are released during the decomposition process are called radiation. When unstable nuclei decompose in nature, the process is referred to as natural radioactivity. When the unstable nuclei are prepared in the laboratory, the decomposition is called induced radioactivity. There are three major types of natural radioactivity: Alpha Radiation Alpha radiation consists of a stream of positively charged particles, called alpha particles, which have an atomic mass of 4 and a charge of 2 (a helium nucleus). When an alpha particle is ejected from a nucleus, the mass number of the nucleus decreases by four units and the atomic number decreases by two units. For example: 23892U → 42He 23490Th The helium nucleus is the alpha particle. Beta Radiation Beta radiation is a stream of electrons, called beta particles. When a beta particle is ejected, a neutron in the nucleus is converted to a proton, so the mass number of the nucleus is unchanged, but the atomic number increases by one unit. For example: 23490 → 0-1e 23491Pa The electron is the beta particle. Gamma Radiation Gamma rays are high-energy photons with a very short wavelength (0.0005 to 0.1 nm). The emission of gamma radiation results from an energy change within the atomic nucleus. Gamma emission changes neither the atomic number nor the atomic mass. Alpha and beta emission are often accompanied by gamma emission, as an excited nucleus drops to a lower and more stable energy state. Alpha, beta, and gamma radiation also accompany induced radioactivity. Radioactive isotopes are prepared in the lab using bombardment reactions to convert a stable nucleus into one which is radioactive. Positron (a particle with the same mass as an electron, but a charge of 1 instead of -1) emission isnt observed in natural radioactivity, but it is a common mode of decay in induced radioactivity. Bombardment reactions can be used to produce very heavy elements, including many which dont occur in nature.

Data Protection and Privacy Issues with Social Networking Sites within Dissertation

Data Protection and Privacy Issues with Social Networking Sites within the context of EU Data Protection Legislation - Dissertation Example In view of this contentious issue, this article will present a basic overview of the data protection (DP) legislation as framed by the European Commission, with regard to Social Networking Sites (SNS). It will also discuss some specific DP issues within SNS focusing on the roles and responsibilities of the various actors i.e. the SNS providers, users and regulators. The article will study and review certain sources of concern about user privacy in relation to the functionality/operations of SNS; while taking into account the conflicting needs of SNSs to profit from the personal data of their users, and their legal obligation to protect the privacy of their users, viewed within the context of EU Data Protection Legislation. It will also recommend suitable potential changes to the current EU DPP legislation necessary to fit in with modern and continuously evolving communication methods within the virtual world. 7 1.3Significance of the study 7 2Literature review 9 2.1Emergence of the S NSs and the nature of the information stored in them 9 2.2The concept of information privacy and the subsequent threat to privacy within the Internet (primarily the SNSs) 17 2.3Data protection in the context of EU Data Protection Legislation 24 3Analysis 32 4Methodology 41 5Conclusion 43 6Recommendations 44 Bibliography 46 Applause Store Prod. Ltd. vs. Raphael, [2008] EWHC 1781 (QB). 46 Boyd, D., and Ellison, N. 2007. Social network sites: De?nition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1):210–230. 47 Brown, I., Edwards, L., and Marsden, C. Staking 2.0: privacy protection in a leading social networking site, Retrieved from, 47 Burns, E., 2007. Marketing to Social Networking Sites, Targeted. ClikZ, retrieved from 48 Bygrave, L. 2001. Minding the machine: Article 15 of the EC Data Protection Directive and Automated Profiling. Computer Law & Security Report, No. 17, 17-24. 48 OfCom. August 2010. Consumers spend almost half of their waking hour s using media and communications. Retrieved from 53 Abstract Various observations have revealed that in the modern 21st century the various social networking sites (SNSs) on the Internet have become immensely popular, forming an important part in the life of many of the users. The SNSs form a platform where the users create various types of networks to forge social relationships. While forming relationships on such platforms, the users often share a good deal of personal information, ignoring or underestimating the potential risk from such information sharing. As for example, the uploaded personal information of a user may reach more people than actually intended. Often the anonymity and the lack of formal guidelines allow users to post information about other users without any prior permission. Often unawareness and a lack of experience, and furthermore the composition of the SNSs, work towards exacerbating the situation. Recently many of the well-known social networking sites have faced severe criticism for inadequate data protection and privacy accorded to its users. This paper aims to give an insight into the various privacy issues and risks related to the SNSs, in the context of EU Data Protection Legislation, while it also aims to study the matter in order to seek certain workable solutions as regards this problem. Data Protection and Privacy Issues with Social Networking

How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage 'green Essay

How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage 'green consumerism' - Essay Example Contemporary educated consumers must be aware of the burning environmental problems as well as informed by the product labeling and according to this knowledge to purchase only the goods which are environment friendly. Such â€Å"new† consumers also should lead a way of life that matches their new â€Å"green† tastes. In the work we are going to examine the roots of â€Å"green consumerism†, its main manifestations and define the impact of this trend on the â€Å"green movement† as a whole. How relevant are contemporary attempts to encourage green consumerism? The idea of â€Å"green consumerism† trend is when the environmental benign awareness enters the life and mind of most people the purchasing force of markets will make all manufacturers to turn their products and production into green. Otherwise these manufacturers will be rejected from the markets by the green customers. According to this strategy, only the manufacturers, which meet the deman ds of greening will preserve their positions on the market. This approach also allows people to participate in decision-making process voting by their credit cards. However, there is another view of green consumerism, according to which the whole mass of consumers is considered to be exploited by misleading advertising appealing to badly-informed environmental consciousness of people. According to the first point of view ecological crisis is the result of low-quality consumption, while according to the second one, this crisis is â€Å"caused not only by the quality but by the volume of consumption† (Goldberg et al, 1997). There are even skeptics who think that the green consumption may increase the environmental problems as it encourages the manufacturers to produce new products under the misconception that they are environmental friendly. Some people respond to green appeals that â€Å"there is no such thing as a green lunch† (cited in Goldberg et al, 1997). Environme ntal sustainability is one of the three key elements of corporate sustainability – other two are economic and social. Although these three elements are interrelated, e environmental one is often stay behind economic and social elements. A cost benefit analysis of environmental management systems found that average pay-back period makes 2 years. According to other studies better management of environmental risks (for example, environmental marketing strategies) are linked to lower cost of competitive advantage. Generally speaking, marketing managers are often concerned about the appropriate shade of green they should apply in their companies. The question is whether a â€Å"deep green† approach can be used in ecological sustainable organization, whether this approach an be considered proactive, long-term oriented, beneficial and preserving the environment. This problem involves a two-fold challenge. First of all marketers should understand which consumer attitudes shoul d be taken into consideration while making green performance assessment. The better marketers understand what makes consumers evaluate â€Å"green strategy† of the organization, the better they will be able to create strategies answering consumer demand. Unfortunately up to date the sufficient investigations of green consumer behavior have not been conducted. The second task for marketing managers is to access how well they are doing within the green conception of their organization. There exists

How Technology Has Change Our Lives Essay Example for Free

How Technology Has Change Our Lives Essay Throughout the years technology is in constantly changing. It’s almost impossible just to think how different the technology was. I noticed how rapidly the technology change in our classrooms. For example, a video recorder or a side projector is almost obsolete now in days. We can now rely on most efficient technology. There are some good sides to this, for example we are no longer held captive by the prime-time schedules of a handful of networks. Now, with cable, internet and DVRs, we dont have to wait for our favorite shows. Now we can go back and watch an entire seasons that we may have missed the first time around Social media has been for me the most important change; because, we depend on them as a way of communicate nowadays. Websites like twitter and Facebook have given birth to the new concept of social media marketing. From chat rooms, Messenger, Myspace and social dating has changed the way we are communicating, Instead of sending letters to respective destinations, it is very easy to send an email which will be received instantly. Along with these social sites, the way that people put themselves in the internet has now more impact in others than it did ten years ago. I think we underestimate the power of social media. Now days whatever you put on any social site is for the entire world, and is likely to be for a long time in the future. Family, friends, new bosses and co-workers, potential clients and business partners, prospective love interests theyre all checking you out. How you present yourself in the province of social media can change your life in ways you never thought possible for better and for worse. Read more:Â  Technology Changed Our Lives

An Overview of Reggae Music Essay -- Music

Reggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. It is known for the heavy and strong emphasis on the bass within the background beat. Reggae was perceived as a kind of music used to express feelings about the social, political, and economic hardships in Jamaica during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was performed by musicians from black ghettos who used unhurried beats to make a style of music of their own. Reggae became an important part of the lifestyle of many Caribbean islanders; expressing a sense of pride of their Caribbean culture. Reggae was developed from ska and rocky steady. Ska consists of elements of Caribbean and mento, calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat. Rocky steady uses musical elements such as jazz, R&B, African and Latin drumming and other genres. It is noticeable by the counted off beats with a slow tempo. A reggae beat is most distinguishable by having a slow tempo, bass beat within the background with an up-tempo beat over it. If you count 1 2 3 4 to the beats, the instrument’s accent is played on the off beats; giving it a relaxed sound. Reggae music consists of a relatively small variety of instruments because of its distinct sound. Bass drums, drum symbols, and guitars are the most common instruments used to play reggae songs. Bongos are used to play broken patterns with the usage of African style rhythms. An important factor to understanding Reggae music is having knowledge about the history of Jamaica. In 1962, Jamaica gained its independence from the British. Around that time, reggae music began to become prominent within the music industry. The most important form of reggae w... ...ic is an important aspect of the many cultures in and outside of the Caribbean. It instills different moods into people and comes in various styles. It has been used to express oppression and joy. No matter how people make or hear reggae music; it will be a distinct sound that lures one’s feelings towards the unique culture. Works Cited Bays, Barry, P. Renee Foster, and Stephen King. Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control. University Press of Mississippi. United States of America. 2002. Chang, Kevin O' Brian, and Wayne Chen. Reggae Routes. Temple University Press. Philadelphia.1998 Jahn, Brian and Tom Weber. Reggae Island. Da Capo Press, Inc. New York. 1998 Latin Pulse Music, Inc. n.p. 2006-2011. Web. 2 April 2012. Sarno, Alberto, Sarno, Marcello. Reggaeton in Cuba. 2007. Sprachcaffe Sprachreisen.Web. 10 March 2012.

Teenage Wasteland

Anne Tyler’s short story â€Å"Teenage Wasteland† illustrates a mothers struggle to understand and help her child. The story takes place in a middle class neighborhood, where the protagonist Daisy, is a mother of two and a housewife. Daisy tries to help her son Donny, a stubborn and misunderstood teenager. Donny is a troubling teen who is rebellious and always causes misfortune. When Daisy gets a call from the principal of Donny’s private school requesting a conference about Donny’s poor grades and immature behavior, she does everything she can to help Donny grow and mature by hiring a tutor.Unfortunately, Daisy discovers that Cal, Donny’s tutor, didn’t help Donny raise his grade, but instead made his grade drop. Daisy noticed that Donny has showed some improvement in his behavior and attitude in school. Anne Tyler reveals that being a parent is never an easy job, some parents, like Daisy and Matt, have no control over their kids. Throughout Daisy’s life she has tried to get a better understanding of Donny, she wants to be around him and wishes to know what he’s really like. As a mother Daisy is caring and interested in Donny’s well-being, she is insecure because of Donny, and Donny is Daisy’s main priority.Like all mothers Daisy is interested in her child's well-being. In this case, Donny’s well-being is all that she cares about. Daisy has gone through so much trouble in the past couple of weeks just for Donny to be happy. Daisy is very curious about Donny, he is very secretive and likes to keep things on the low. â€Å"Well? What did you think? †(Tyler. 260). Daisy asks for Donny’s opinion, she’s wants to know how he feels. Also, it’s as if his decision is the only thing that matters to her, she wants to know what his standards are.Daisy cares for Donny, she wants to communicate with him and get to know him. Daisy is insecure about herself because of Donny ’s behaviour towards her. Because of the way Donny treats her, Daisy feels no confidence even with the way she dresses. In this case, she is self-conscious because she feels that Donny is uncomfortable being around her. She becomes self-conscious over the slightest things that don’t mean anything. â€Å"Daisy held in her stomach in and gave Mr. Lanham a firm, responsible handshake†(Tyler. 258). Daisy tries to suck in her stomach when giving a handshake, thinking that she is  overweight.â€Å"She wished she’d worn nylons instead of knee socks†(Tyler. 257). Also, she is insecure about the tiniest things like the way she’s dressed, she gets concerned over socks thinking that they make her look unprofessional and ignorant. She tries the cover and hide the parts where she is insecure about, like the things that may embarrass her. Daisy’s main person of interest seems to be Donny. She finds Donny intrigueing, he confuses her with his mixe d emotions. In this case, Daisy wants to get to know Donny he confuses her alot, all mothers are curious about their children.When she picks Donny up from Cal’s he’s having a great time, smiling and laughing which Dasiy has never seen that side of, but when he gets in the car he becomes mute and irritated a bit. Donny is causing trouble which is gaining him attention, shes putting all her care into him. â€Å"She had always told Donny he had talent, was smart, was good with his hands†(Tyler. 258). Donny has always been Daisy's main priority, until his younger sister was born. But even after, he was still her main person of interest.Daisy puts all her attention into Donny, she tries to figure him out in every way she can, but she can’t break him. She doesn’t understand Donny and the cause of his actions. Donny tries to avoid his parents in any way he can, he ignores them and gets annoyed over everything they tell him to do. The start of all of Donny ’s ruckus is what brought Daisy to care about him, and what made him her main person of interest. Throughout Daisy’s life she has tried to get a better understanding of Donny, she wants to be around him and wishes to know what he’s really like.To conclude, Daisy’s desperate struggle to understanding and getting along with her son, Donny, comes down to them becoming even more like strangers. Daisy’s plan on getting along with Donny fails terribly due to the cause of her hiring Cal, Donny’s tutor. Soon she discovers that the cause of Donny acting rebellious, is because she didn’t care too much about him before. If Daisy would have accepted Donny the way he was, and focused more on other things than him it would have probably turned out differently and he wouldn’t have run away.

The Social and Legal Aspects of Homosexuality in Hong Kong

The social and legal aspects of homosexuality in Hong Kong In 1988, there was an intense argument on whether to legalize homosexuality. Different groups expressed their views on public discussion hold in Victoria Park. A group of homosexual men declared that they have the same contribution to the society as others. The existed law infringes on their human right. On the other hand, Dr. Philemon Choi who opposed decriminalization was afraid of the impacts of decriminalization such as the increase of male prostitution although he agreed to lower the penalties.Besides, the Law Reform Commission had also discussed on this topic for 8 years but the progress was very slow. The main consideration was that homosexuality was not about legal issues but morality; therefore, the commission suggested loosening the law. However, it did not mean the Acceptance of homosexuality. Many people still thought some criminal offences were related to homosexuality and it was against the morality. Moreover, D espite the relation between Hong Kong and Britain, the liberation movement of homosexual laws was restricted because of the International Covenant.One of the options from consultation paper from LRC was maintaining the existed law. It argued that it was a waste for the police to put so much focus on homosexuality instead of other more serious cases. What I think is totally different from the essay since there is about 20 years culture gap. People now are open-minded and more willing to accept others. The discrimination is less common in the modern society, and I hope all the people will accept homosexuality. REF: Louis Lee. â€Å"The social and legal aspects of homosexuality in Hong Kong† The HKU scholar Hub, (1988) 117-122,web. 9 Apr 2013

Intellectual Property Assignment The WritePass Journal

Intellectual Property Assignment Introduction Intellectual Property Assignment ) MacQueen, Waelde Laurie, Contemporary Intellectual Property (2nd ed. OUP 2010)

10 Roommate Gift Ideas That Wont Blow Your Budget

10 Roommate Gift Ideas That Wont Blow Your Budget Even though you sometimes know more about your roommate than anyone else on campus, finding the perfect gift can still be challenging. Fortunately, with a little creative thinking, you can get your male or female roommate the perfect holiday, birthday, or farewell gift without blowing your budget. Something OnlyYou Know They Need You may see your roommate struggling with something that has been well-loved for a little too long. It could be a new hair dryer, a new towel set, a new shower caddy, or generally anything they use frequently. Something of Yours That They're Always Borrowing Your rain boots, favorite shirt, jeans, cute black pumps, or basketball may technically be yours, but seem to have been adopted by your roommate lately. Give them a new, similar product of their own so they can enjoy it without worrying- and without having to check with you first. A Gift Certificate to Their Favorite Restaurant On or Off Campus Does your roommate always walk around with a Starbucks coffee, Jamba Juice smoothie, or burger from the place across the street? Consider getting a small gift certificate to a place you know they already love. A Gift From the Campus Bookstore Because honestly, who minds having another t-shirt, sweatshirt, or pair of comfy pants with your school logo on them? A Small Gift Every Day of Their BirthdayWeek This is a great option if youre a little short on cash. You can surprise your roommate with something fun every day of their birthday week: their favorite candy bar placed on their computer keyboard one day, a box of their favorite cereal the next. A New Laptop Bag/Backpack/Gym Bag/Purse/etc College students are notoriously rough on their bags. And, given that you share living quarters, youve probably seen the worst of the worst when it comes to how your roommate treats their backpack, gym bag, etc. Consider getting them a replacement or even just an extra one for when things get really ugly. Some of Their Favorite Personal Products Does your roommate have a favorite perfume? Cologne? Brand of flip-flops theyre always wearing? Grab an extra one, throw it in a gift bag, and ... voila! Instant personal roommate gift. A Book by Their Favorite Author or on Their Favorite Topic Chances are, your roommate has some passions and interests that they dont get the chance to read about just for pleasure. Surprise them with something theyll enjoy without having to worry about writing a paper on later. A Simple Electronic Device to Make Life Easier You can never have too many thumb drives, phone chargers, or earphones. These inexpensive electronics make for great, inexpensive gifts. A Gift Certificate to Their Favorite Website Does your roommate love iTunes? An online game? Consider getting them a gift certificate that they can use electronically. Added bonus: These make great last-minute gifts since theyre often delivered instantly.

ORGANIZATION THEORY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

ORGANIZATION THEORY - Essay Example Edgar H. Schein’s article basically looks into the possibility of coming up with a viable definition for the term â€Å"organizational culture.† He has approached the endeavor from the symbolic-interpretive perspective and he has utilized the metaphor of culture as he tries to define and understand â€Å"organizational culture.† I have classified his work under symbolic-interpretive perspective because one can read from his work the pervading idea that it is persons themselves who have negotiated and created the symbols and have provided the meanings of the symbols that they themselves are using in organizations. And this â€Å"empowerment† is clearly manifested by these people when they work from the same underlying assumptions, hold onto similar values and norms, affirmed and accepted behavior patterns and other similar signs. As such, Schein is operating from the metaphor of culture. Not because he is to define culture, but because he presents the ideat ion that organization behaves or acts in a particular manner because it is the â€Å"pattern of meaning created and maintained by human association itself† (Hatch, 1998, p52) Edgar Schein’s (1988) article â€Å"Defining Organizational Culture,† presented the notion that the term culture â€Å"has different implications and meanings† (p.371). However, the moment that you attached it to the concept of organization one has more or less limited its application to the notion that one is to deal with a particular group in society. And it is in this context he claims that culture though ambiguous, can be appreciated as the coming together of concepts on the basis that is commonly shared by the players creating basic assumptions that becomes the foundation of values, norms, behaviors and traditions. In trying to come up with a working definition for â€Å"organizational culture†, Schein has taken us back to the important dynamic roles and functions that human beings play and perform in the organization. Some