Study On The Annals History Essay

The Viking colonists took up the Frankish imposts manner of life so wholly that within a few coevalss of their arrival little of their Viking heritage remained. One account for this is that the figure of colonists was few and that they were rapidly absorbed into the local population. Or possibly there was a brief violent coup d'etat, after which the Vikings adopted the imposts of their neighbors out of necessity and political force per unit area. Contemporary Latin beginnings called these colonists Northmanni but this described both the Vikings and, much later, the Normans. It was a general term used to depict the Scandinavians who had become active in northern Francia in the 9th and 10th centuries. But no differentiation was made in the 10th century between the Vikings of Neustria and the Vikings in other parts of the remainder of Francia and elsewhere.A The major job with bring outing the history of the early Viking colony of Neustria is the deficiency of beginnings from the early decennaries of the 10th century, when the colony was formalised. The Vikings recorded their history subsequently and the beginnings we do hold are written by the Franks. The ulterior Norman histories are debatable because of their involvement in buttressing and legalize the baby state.A The beginnings viewed the tenth-century as a violent clip. Frankish Godheads fought for political laterality and, on the peripheries of the Frankish land, smaller groups of peoples fought for domination against each other and against the Franks. In the ninth-century, nomadic Viking forces had frequently sailed up the Seine and besieged Paris, or merely despoiled countries inside Francia. A It is difficult to state where these war-bands wintered, though it becomes clear in the annals that the additions for Viking plunderers were so great that they began to winter in Francia alternatively of returning to Scandinavia. In the early portion of the tenth-century, the Neustrian or Breton March was still regarded as portion of the Frankish land by the Franks. The Viking foraies reached their tallness during a period of instability in the Frankish lands. An component of fortune had played a portion in leting the Frankish male monarchs to govern over an undivided land for many old ages, in malice of the usage of spliting lands every bit between boies on the decease of their male parent. Peppin the Short, Carloman his boy and Charlemagne his grandson ruled over an unbroken land. But on the decease of Charlemagne ‘s boy Louis the Pious in 840, Francia was at last split. There was a period of atomization, with Francia divided into three lands: West Francia, Lotharingia, and East Francia. Charles the Simple, King of West Francia ( subsequently to go France ) from 898 to 922, regained pre-eminence in the Frankish lands after this period of battle, though other cabals existed. It was this political insta bility that Viking leaders exploited as they fought and befriended their Frankish opposite numbers.How make the histories assist?Historians who attempt to retrace the early history of Normandy face a figure of jobs. The beginnings are few and, worse still, their truth is frequently to be doubted. Palgrave warned that â€Å" if you accept the undertaking you must accept Dudo or allow the work entirely. † Today, the history of Dudo of St Quentin is viewed with so much intuition by historiographers that, even where his history runs with other modern-day authors, he is still distrusted. But without Dudo we have small grounds. The Frankish historian Flodoard of Reims[ 1 ]provides some information about Normandy in the first half of the ninth-century, there are a few mentions to early Normandy in Norse beginnings and even a late Welsh beginning. Later Norman beginnings for this period do be, but many of these are based on Dudo ‘s history, so must be treated with cautiousness. With such a deficiency of literary stuff, historiographers are left with the consequences of research from archeology and analysis of place-name. The reading of archeological grounds is hard and the decisions that can be drawn from it can be even more obscure than literary beginnings. The historiographer ‘s undertaking in chronicling early Norman history is therefore a hard one, and the decisions reached are, by necessity, limited in nature. Dudo of St Quentin was born c. 960 in Vermandois. He wrote De moribus et actis primorum Normanni? ducum ( The Deeds of the Early Dukes of Normandy ) from approximately 996 to the clip he became Dean of St Quentin in 1015. The earlier history, including some extremely questionable and fictional inside informations, was based on Virgil ‘s Aeneid and Jordanes ‘ Getica. His chief source for the inside informations of his history was Count Rodulf of Ivry. Commissioned originally by Duke Richard I, the history ended with the decease of Richard in 996. Dudo appears to cognize a great trade about Rollo, and he is the lone beginning for the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, where Charles the Simple granted Rollo the lands around Rouen in 911. Rollo is baptised and, in return, receives the grant of land. The bishops said to Rollo, who was unwilling to snog King Charles ‘s pes: â€Å" You who receive such a gift ought to snog the male monarch ‘s pes. † And he said: â€Å" I shall ne'er flex my articulatio genuss to another, nor shall I kiss anyone ‘s pes. † Compelled, nevertheless, by the supplications of the Franks, he ordered one of his soldiers to snog the male monarch ‘s pes. The adult male instantly seized the male monarch ‘s pes, put it to his oral cavity and kissed it while the male monarch was still standing. The male monarch fell level on his dorsum. This raised a great laugh and greatly stirred up the crowd. â€Å" A A great narrative, but about surely a fable. Dudo was the official chronicler of the Rollonid dynasty, and he portrays Rollo as the leader of the Vikings in many runs and conflicts, possibly excessively many for historiographers to believe it. The facts of Rollo ‘s early old ages as leader of the early Normans a re hence lost in the semblance of ulterior myths. Nonetheless, some of the indispensable inside informations in Dudo ‘s narrative have some cogency. Though Dudo is the lone beginning who dates the understanding between Rollo and Charles at 911, this does look to be a extremely plausible day of the month for the understanding. It is ill-defined when Viking plunderers began to settle in the coastal country, but there is some grounds from the few paperss that survive from this period. A Carolingian charter of 905 records Charles the Simple ‘s grant of two helot of the Crown from the pagus of Rouen to his Chancellor of the Exchequer Ernestus. This was the last royal charter in Normandy.A Three months subsequently, some thought of the convulsion in the part can be concluded from a charter of 906 that records the transportation of relics from Saint-Marcouf ( now in Manche, Basse-Normandie ) to Corbeny â€Å" because of the inordinate and drawn-out onslaughts of the heathens. â€Å" A A In 918, Charles the Simple granted the lands of the old abbey of La Croix-Saint-Leufroi to the abbey of Saint-Germanin-des-PresA â€Å" except that portion of the abbey ‘s lands that we have granted to the Normans of the Seine, viz. to Rollo and his followings, for the defense mechanism of the land. † A The p act entering this land grant to Rollo no longer exists, but it is clear that between the day of the months of these two royal announcements, Rollo and his followings had established themselves. The decisive event may hold been a conflict at Chartres in 911. Later Norman tradition tends to hold with this and places Rollo at the Centre of events, though some historiographers question this. One reading of the beginnings is that as a consequence of this conflict, the Vikings were appeased with a grant of land in order to incorporate and command them. Flodoard of Reims tells us that the Vikings had been granted the lands around Rouen â€Å" had some clip ago been given to the Northmen on history of the pledges of Charles who had promised them the comprehensiveness of the state. † Flodoard ‘s history is of import because it appears to give a modern-day position of the period. He was a canon of Reims, and wrote his annals from c. 925 until his decease in 966. The lone job is that he was some distance from Normandy, and the history of Normandy was non his chief concern. It is clear from his history that the Vikings and the Franks were in changeless battle. In 925, Flodoard records that â€Å" the Normans of Rouen broke the pact which they had one time made and devastated the territories [ pagi ] of Beauvais and Amiens. Those citizens of Amiens who were flying were burned by a fire for which they were ill-prepared. † The Franks responded by looting Rouen: â€Å" they set fire to manors, stole cowss and even killed some of the Normans. † Count Herbert led another force against the Vikings towards the E, and surrounded them in a cantonment on the coast.A A â€Å" It was this really same cantonment, situated on the seashore and called Eu that the Franks surrounded. They broke through the bulwark by which the cantonment was surrounded in forepart of its walls and weakening the wall, climbed all. Once they had won ownership of the town by contending, they so slaughtered all the males and put fire to its munitions. Some, nevertheless, escaped and took ownership of a certain neighbouring island. But the Franks attacked and captured it, although with a greater hold than when they had seized the town. After the Normans, who had been continuing their lives by contending as best they could, had seen what had happened and had let steal any hope of endurance, some plunged themselves into the moving ridges, some cut their pharynxs and some were killed by Frankish blades, while others died by their ain arms. And in this manner, one time everyone had been destroyed and an hideous sum of loot had been pillaged, the Franks returned to their district. † This graphic description gives historians a sense of the force of the age. The Vikings were marauding all across the northern coastal parts of Francia, though Neustria does look to be the chief country of their colony. However, they were surely non confined to this country, or prepared to accept its boundaries. In 937, Flodoard tells us, â€Å" The Bretons retreated to their fatherland after their long peregrinations fought in frequent conflicts with the Normans, who had invaded the district which had belonged to them, next to their ain. They ended up the stronger in many of these conflicts and reclaimed their ain district. â€Å" A Rollo is mentioned in 925 as princeps ( leader ) of the Northmen at Rouen. Although non mentioned at the clip, grounds from the 918 charter strongly suggests that the Norman chroniclers are right in stating that Rollo led the ground forces from the start. However, Dudo ‘s mention to the Treaty of St Clair-sur-Epte is unsubstantiated and should be dismissed as undependable. Dudo was besides misdirecting when depicting the footings of the colony. The granting of â€Å" the land from the river Epte † runs with the other beginnings, but the granting of Brittany does non. Neither does the scene of the arrant wilderness clasp true: if the land granted by Charles to the Vikings was â€Å" uncultivated by the plowshare, wholly deprived of herds of cowss and flocks of sheep and lacking in human life † , so why do Norse place-names merely form a minority of all place-names throughout Normandy? Entertaining though Dudo ‘s narrative may be, his history, and those of his followings and impersonators, can non be trusted for the early history of Normandy and historiographers must vacate themselves to set uping a few bare facts in the thick of ulterior deformations. The extension of Normandy ‘s boundary lines can be seen in Flodoard ‘s history. A King Ralph conceded Bayeux and Maine [ Cinomannis et Baiocae ] in 925 harmonizing to Flodoard, though there are uncertainties about the grant of Maine. Later in 933, the Normans were given Avranchin and Cotentin. Excluding Maine, this established Normandy in the approximative signifier that it existed in 1066. A The Cotentin peninsula was besides settled by Vikings independently of the Vikings under Rollo at Rouen. These early old ages were violent times. The Normans were invariably warring, contending with the Franks in 923, but chiefly concerned with spread outing their ain domain of influence. The people of Bayeux revolted against Viking regulation in 925, a twelvemonth after they had been transferred to the control of the counts of Rouen. Dudo recalls a rebellion against William Longsword by a certain Riulf: â€Å" ferociously filled with ill-famed perfidiousness † . Against all the emphasiss and the strains, against internal rebellion and external menaces, Normandy had secured its place by the center of the tenth-century and, though its security was threatened many times, the Norman district was strongly governed and able to throw off its enemies. This might possibly take us to see the pacts between the Franks and the Vikings as more important than they were at the clip. All the grounds suggests that the boundaries were comparatively unstable. Agreements were made, and Vikings baptised, but these baptisms frequently proved impermanent personal businesss. In the 920s, the archbishops of Rouen and Reims both wrote letters on the topic of Vikings who remained heathen despite holding converted. Herveus of Reims asked the Pope: â€Å" What should be done when they have been baptised and re-baptised, and after their baptism continue to populate in heathen manner, and in the mode of heathens kill Christians, slaughter priests, and, offering forfeits t o graven images, eat what has been offered? † There is small grounds for the widespread debut of Norse establishments or life style. Although in 1013 Duke Richard II welcomed a group of Vikings at Rouen, excessively much should non be read into this. The leaders, Richard and Olaf, may hold felt some commonalty, but this can non be discovered. Merely as Frankish Lords and male monarchs had welcomed Vikings and baptised them as Christians, in the hope of change overing them into a friend and non doing them an enemy, so Richard did with Olaf and his Vikings. Olaf had ravaged Brittany, but had allowed himself to be converted by Richard. The Normans were truly now more Franks than Scandinavians. Dudo claims that at the clip of William Longsword, Scandinavian address was disused at Rouen, and it is so likely that the native lingua was shortly adopted. On the Eve of the first Crusade, the Norman knight Bohemond was able to inquire, rhetorically, â€Å" Are we non Franks? †How does archeological and place-name grounds aid?The lan d divisions in Normandy appear to hold remained unchanged from the Frankish to the Norman eras. Jacques Le Maho ‘s survey of the Pays de Caux shows a continuity of seigneurial abodes, and it has been argued that there was greater continuity in this part than in other parts of Francia. The Vikings did convey bondage with them, but this did non last beyond the first century of business. The Normans seems to hold been extremely integrated with the Franks. One piece of grounds for this is the Fecamp coin host, including some coins struck at batchs in Cologne, Arles and Pavia. In Scandinavia, Norman coins discontinue to look in hosts after the early 11th century, looking alternatively in Francia and Italy. This suggests a continuance of merchandising links with Scandinavia for a piece, but with a steadily increasing Norman accent on contacts with the continent. Frankish justness was adopted ; the Norse thing did non go established. The survey of place-names provides an penetration into early Normano-Viking colony. The comprehensive survey undertaken by Jean Adigard des Gautrie tells the narrative of the Viking inflow. Taking all place-names with a possible or definite Norse influence, it can be seen that these are particularly legion in the Cotentin peninsula and along the seashore, with another big bunch in the Pays de Caux. They were besides legion â€Å" all along the great invasion path that was the Seine † and down the other rivers as good: grounds of the Vikings transporting on their raiding, going by ship across sea and along rivers. It seems rather likely that when Rollo had his territorial claims to Neustrian March recognised, he based his disposal around a coastal group of colonies already in being due to the activities of other Vikings over a figure of old ages. However, Norse place-names ne'er formed a local bulk over preexistent Frankish names, even in the countries of highest Norse place-name denseness. One account for this is the fleet acceptance of the local lingua by the Normans. Frank Stentonhttp: //www.manshead.beds.sch.uk/History/AS and A Level/The Normans in Europe/Normandy/Founding Normandy/when_did_the_vikings_become_norm.htm – _ftn10 made a good point when he compared place-names in Normandy and the English Danelaw. He pointed out that place-names with Viking personal name elements besides had Norse postfixs, for illustration Grimsby: the Viking personal name Grim and the postfix -by, the Norse word for small town. He compared this to Normandy, where place-names that have Viking personal names really frequently have native terminations, for illustration, A Gremonville, the stoping of which comes from the Latin Villa. The former indicates a big colony of Vikings, who named topographic points in their ain lingua. The latter might merely demo that while the Viking incomers founded and took over topographic points, it was the local population who really named these topographic points. This could be an indicant of the extent of the Viking colony in N ormandy. Archaeological grounds can state us small about early colony. Patrick Perik, analyzing the grounds found around the lower Seine, admits that the â€Å" archeological certification is singularly thin. † There is grounds for Norse presence: Viking blades and axes have been found, although Perin points out that despite two discoveries in the land that were likely buried as portion of a funeral, the weaponries found were all in the river. While this shows that Vikings were present here, it is non clear whether the discoveries are chiefly from colonies or chiefly from marauding hosts before the colony epoch. This grounds adds little to our cognition. It is clear that Northmen were present in Normandy for a long clip, but the archeology is scarce and can non be pinpointed in clip to give a clearer image of the early old ages of the Viking colony. The deficiency of discoveries does non problem David Bates unduly, though. â€Å" If an extended colonization can be argued for in Englan d despite the absence of important archeological discoveries, so the same decision seems executable for Normandy. † The deficiency of Viking discoveries does non automatically dismiss a ample Viking colony, but if this was the instance so the colonists really rapidly adopted Frankish imposts. Whatever the size of the colony, there is another argument on the velocity of integrating. â€Å" Whichever manner we turn † , writes Ralph Davies, â€Å" we have to acknowledge that the Viking society of Rollo and his comrades was something rather different from the Norman society of the 11th century. The one developed from the other, but the development was non effectual until the two races had merged and the Northmen had, for all practical intents, become Frenchmen. † The degree of integrating is hard to state, and David Bates and Eleanor Searle keep different positions on this. Bates believes that the Viking incomers rapidly became integrated into the native society, so that they had shortly adopted Frankish manners and establishments. Searle ‘s place is that they remained self-consciously Viking until the mid-eleventh century. The grounds for this period is patchy and frequently inconclusive. The early history of Normandy can be told magisterially merely in really au naturel and apparent footings. Tempting though it is to utilize more expansive and colorful Norman paperss, these tell us more about the demands of the developing Norman province than about its early history. For the period he records, 923-966, Flodoard of Reims seems to be a dependable beginning, though his chief focal point is non Normandy. As for the Norse impact on Normandy, there does non look to hold been an overpowering turbulence. Norse linguas appear non to hold been spoken more than three coevalss after the colony. Administrative territories were kept integral, estates seem to hold survived, and on the whole the Normans ruled through Frankish-style establishments. But Michel de Bouardhttp: //www.manshead.beds.sch.uk/History/AS and A Level/The Normans in Europe/Normandy/Founding Normandy/when_did_the_vikings_become_norm.htm – _ ftn14 warns against the simple premise of continuity merely because of a deficiency of institutional alteration. He talks of the â€Å" energy, the effectivity of ducal power in Normandy † and warns that we should ne'er bury the â€Å" human factor † in all this. Surely, Normandy grew as a power once the Vikings had taken control. There is grounds here for both continuity and discontinuity. Since the beginnings tell us so small, it is a argument that will be difficult to decide.

My Childhood Hero Essay

Every child has a hero, someone they look up to, someone who guides their thoughts and influences their life. My childhood hero was Belle from the fairytale, The Beauty and the Beast. As a child, I watched the movie end to end and read the book countless times, losing myself in her magical world so completely that I actually began to know the lines by heart. I never once got bored of it and frankly, right until today, Belle is still my inspiration. Though I first admired her for her outer beauty, I then began to look up to her for her inner beauty. She was portrayed as such a happy young woman, helpful and loving and with a warm smile for all. Her ability to be everyoneÂ’s friend, to sing such delightful songs always made me happy and feel like part of her world, not just an on-looker. I actually used to wish that Belle would come alive and be my friend. However, the main reason Belle became my hero was because of her sacrifice. Her willingness to let go of all she knew and loved to save her father has never ceased to impress me. This truly showed me the depth of her love for her father and taught me the value of family and parents. Besides depicting BelleÂ’s loving side, her sacrifice also gave me an insight to her courage. She braved the hound dogs in the mountains and continued with what she started out for, as a sacrifice to the beast who resided in a huge, deserted palace in the loneliest part of the mountains. It was through Belle that I learnt the importance of patience, endurance and perseverance. She had the courage to face the beast, to endure his fearful sight and to bear the brunt of his volatile temper just to save her fatherÂ’s life. Not only that, Belle was also able to see through physical countenances and fall in love with the ugly beast instead of shunning him away and marrying the handsome but shallow Gaston. To me, Belle was and still is someone I want to be. I always wished to grow up to be the way Belle was. I related to her through our common passion for books and loved her for who she was. Through BelleÂ’s final victory where the beast transformed back to a Prince and Gaston got defeated, she became my image of how the good and righteous always triumphs over the evil. The magic  within the tale and the “happily ever after” ending has given me a reason to belief in the unbelievable, to have faith and truly trust the existence of a greater power. The true love between the Beauty and the Beast is why I dream of my Prince charming finding me one day. BelleÂ’s heart of gold made her my childhood hero. Ten years have passed and unabashedly I confess that she is still my role model and I still do hope that I am able to be as admirable as her. Who says fairy tales are for kids?

Functional Areas of Business

Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas. Functional Areas of Business Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas.

Conflict Essay

The bringing of people together in social interaction necessarily involves a set of interpersonal dynamics which sooner or later will lead to conflict. Conflict between people or groups often arises from competition for resources, power, and status. Family members compete for attention. Individuals compete for jobs and wealth. Nations compete for territory and prestige. Different interest groups compete for influence and the power to make rules. Often the competition is not for resources but for ideas, one person or group wants to have the ideas or behaviour of another group suppressed, punished, or declared illegal. When you consider what a diverse society we live in, with so many different backgrounds, perspectives and approaches to life, it is not surprising that conflict is established as part and parcel of our everyday life. This is because people will have competing interests and competing perspectives in relation to the same issues, and so we should not be surprised when tensions exist between individuals and groups. Conflict is concerned with difference. If we were all the same, then there would be little or no conflict. However, thankfully we are not all the same, and so part of the price that we pay for the richness of diversity is that conflicts will arise at certain times. Conflicts are inevitable in one’s organizational life and personal life. Conflict tends to have negative consequences for both the individual and the organization. Performance is adversely affected. Decisions made may not be appropriate. Occasionally, they might even be unrealistic or irrational. Thus, conflicts tend to impair one’s efficiency. Sometimes, conflict is also observed to give rise to certain maladjusted behaviours in individuals trying to cope with it. These include alcoholism, drug abuse, excessive smoking, under eating or overeating and extremely aggressive or submissive behaviour. Conflict has also certain physiological consequences in that, certain changes take place within the physiological system which are often ignored or unnoticed. Hence, it may be understood that conflict not only affects an individual’s performance, but also gives rise to psychosomatic disturbances, which undermine the health of the individual. It can also be argued that conflicts are not necessarily bad. The progress we have made so far in our civilization is due to the conflict between nature & man. Conflict releases energy at every level of human activity, energy that can produce positive, constructive results. Conflicts tend to have a motivational value; they drive or energize an individual to tackle a situation. To resolve a conflict one might explore different avenues or alternatives of action, which make him/her more knowledgeable. Conflicts also provide opportunities to test one’s own abilities. Conflict can occur at personal level, interpersonal level, group level. It can be latent or covert. Causes of Conflict 1. Conflicts arise when people are competing for the same resources, when they are not fairly distributed or when there are not enough to go round. 2. Conflicts arise when the people are unhappy with how they are governed. 3. Conflicts arise when people’s beliefs clash. Religious and political views are particularly sensitive, because people often depend on these for a sense of identity and belonging. Sometimes the conflict is caused by a religious/political group being attacked; sometimes it is because the group is eager to spread a particular belief and even enforce it on others. Some leaders may aggravate religious and political differences as part of their tactics for keeping or gaining power. 4. In the same way ethnic differences can cause conflict, or be made to cause it. Again, people’s ethnicity gives them a sense of identity and belonging, and it is threats to this sense which can cause violent responses, just as individuals may lash out with angry words or gestures when they feel threatened. Causes of conflict in the work place The cause of workplace conflict is often misunderstood and blamed on personalities and misbehaviour, but in reality much workplace conflict is systemic and endemic to the workplace environment. Ineffective organisational systems, unpredictable policies, incompatible goals, scarce resources, and poor communication can all contribute to conflict in the workplace. Workplace conflict causes loss of productivity, distractions, and employee dissatisfaction. However, management can produce positive results by paying attention to and addressing the true causes of conflict in their organisations. Managing conflict Managing a conflict contains specialized interaction that prevents a dispute from becoming a destructive battle. Managing a conflict attends to the personal issues so as to allow for a constructive relationship, even though the objective issues may not be resolvable. For example, the former Soviet Union and the United States managed their conflict during the Cold War by using a variety of mechanisms. The objective issues in the dispute were not resolved, and neither were the personal issues, which contained significant perceptual differences. However, both sides attended significantly to the relationship to keep the disagreement from turning into a destructive battle. Ways people deal with conflict There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It depends on the current situation. Here are the major ways that people use to deal with conflict. 1. Avoidance. Pretend it is not there or ignore it. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time. 2. Accommodation. Give in to others, sometimes to the extent that you compromise yourself. Usually this approach tends to worsen the conflict over time, and causes conflicts within yourself. 3.  Competition. Work to get your way, rather than clarifying and addressing the issue. 4. Compromising. Mutual give-and-take. 5. Collaboration. Focus on working together. This approach sometimes raises new mutual needs. Effects of conflict Conflicts have positive and negative effects. They can lead to change if they are well managed, they can be used as a learning experience and they can be used to open up opportunities. However, prolonged conflicts can erupt into violence and disrupt the activities of the organisation, they may also damage relationships permanently and they can also lead to the death of an organisation. Change Most of us live and think as if the world were static, or as if it should be. As individuals, as professionals, and as members or leaders of organizations, too often the way we act, plan, and react betrays the assumption that tomorrow will be much like today, that we’ll slide by all right if we just get a little better, a little smarter, at doing what we are already doing. Some people, and some organizations, fall apart in the face of change. They seem well organized until something changes in their environment. According to Robbins (1999), change is concerned with making things different. Things must be different because they change constantly. When an organizational system is disturbed by some internal or external force, change frequently occurs. Change as a process, is simply modification of the structure or process of a system. It may be good or bad, the concept is descriptive only. † It may be constructive, destructive, comfortable or uncomfortable. People and organizations seem to have a pattern over their lifetimes. People and organizations that thrive on change share some fundamental attributes. Change is fractal: its basic nature looks the same at different scales. So the attributes that make an organization powerfully adaptive also make a relationship flexible and fruitful, a community liveable, and an individual creative, adaptive, and secure in the midst of turbulence. It is not possible to change an organization without changing oneself. Changing oneself will change an organization. The two are inextricably linked. If people seriously intend to help their organization go through the massive changes, they must set out on a path of changing their own lives, of learning the skills of change and applying them first to themselves. Any change is, in part, physical. It can be understood in one’s head, but until it lives in their body, it won’t change their behaviour. If a person wishes to be different, that person must learn to move differently, to make different physical decisions. â€Å"Stick to your knitting,† turns out to be a useful thought for dealing with change. However, at the core of every truth is a fallacy, a route to a deeper truth. The fallacy at the core of â€Å"stick to your knitting† is the invitation not to change, to stay satisfied with the way we are. Many of us have a grudging acceptance of the need to change. The reality is that every change is a new skill, one that takes time and attention to learn. If I wait to change until I am forced to it, I will be too late. To wait until change is forced on me is to stay perpetually behind on the learning curve. Whenever a person is trying to change something in his life, they should always remember that change without getting rid of the beliefs that cause the current behaviour or feelings is almost impossible. Furthermore, change probably is difficult when one is onvinced that they either saw or felt the belief causing their current behaviour or feeling on numerous occasions earlier in life. When they realize they never saw their belief and they caused the feeling, not reality, their belief will just dissolve. Today change is the essential of survival and a way of carrying out business. Every business firm whether big or small has to change with time or it will perish. This change along with it brings insecurities and pain that forces human beings or individuals to come out of their comfort zones to zone of uncomfortable debate and this leads to resistance to change.

How does Flaubert use the Agricultural fair at Rouen to further his satire of 19th century French society?

Gustave Flaubert wrote his novel Madame Bovary in the mid-nineteenth century as a satirical comment on the upper middle class, those who were just rich enough to pretend to be rich. Flaubert loathed them and wrote his novel to make them appear as the fools that he thought them to be. His loathing for the upper middle class of 1850's France stemmed from the ideals which they held. Flaubert saw his fellows as a generation lost to the meritless and frivolous dreams of the French Romantic movement. French Romanticism was a movement through all the creative arts towards idealising the world which artists constructed. Although equally present in music and visual art, Flaubert focused both his hatred and his satire on the literature of the time, this reactionary nature earned him the title of a â€Å"naturalist†. This was however something that Flaubert hated; the Naturalistic movement was one that focused on specifics and on realism in a work, whereas Flaubert sought to make his story one that was applicable to any setting. Though his attention to detail in places mirrors that of a realist or naturalist writer, this is not his essential purpose. Flaubert defies any attempt to fit his work to a particular movement or style in French literature, though there is little doubt that his work Madame Bovary is a reactionary satire of French romanticism and of the bourgeois society that regurgitated the clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s of the movement. Each word in the novel is carefully chosen, so the book becomes a painstakingly constructed trap which ensnares the thoughts of the reader and guides them to the conclusions that Flaubert wants us to make. Although every word in the novel is vital to Flaubert's purpose, there are certain key passages that are particularly pivotal to the book. Among these is his description of the agricultural fair at Rouen in Part II Chapter 8. One section of this describes a conversation that occurs between Rodolphe and Emma in the provincial fair that surrounds it. The passage begins with a monologue from Rodolphe: what he expresses in the passage is a fairly clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ set of ideals from the romantic movement. He talks of â€Å"Striving souls† and â€Å"beating hearts† . Particularly typical is the idea of two souls matched by fate that cannot be drawn apart. However despite the words of the text the tone is not one of romance. Flaubert intentionally marrs Rodolphe's words by introducing them with the sentence: â€Å"Rodolphe had moved in closer to Emma, he was talking in a low voice, speaking rapidly† This has the effect that Rodolphe appears to be making a clumsy attempt to seduce Emma, rather than simply expressing noble sentiments. Another tool that Flaubert uses to make the entire situation still more comedic, is by consistently contrasting the everyday provinciality of the agricultural fair with the frivolous fantasies in which the two â€Å"star crossed lovers† engage. This is used consistently throughout the passage, but it makes its first appearance in introduction to this section: Flaubert talks of bleating lambs and cattle, then suddenly Rodolphe says: â€Å"Don't you find this social conspiracy revolting? Is there one sacred feeling that they do not condemn?†. This adds to the reader's feeling that Rodolphe and Emma are completely in a world of their own with little or no connection to the reality of the bovine conspirators. The reader should note the over-punctuation which creates a disjointed tone: Oh! Come what may, sooner or later, in six months, ten years, they will be together, will be lovers, because Fate ordains it, because they were born for one another. Flaubert runs the entire monologue into a single paragraph. This has the effect that we are left with the impression of a clumsy attempt at seduction muttered quickly under the breath. In the next paragraph Flaubert describes the sensations that Emma feels. He writes of Emma's observations of Rodolphe. Ironically much of the passage is devoted to describing the smell of Rodolphe's pomade and to the fresh scent of the ivy climbing a nearby house, but one can only imagine the onslaught of odours that would campaign against ones nostrils in a rural agricultural fair. Flaubert's writing here mimics that of French Romanticism, his style is an exaggeration of the literary genre that he seeks to mock. This is perhaps also a reflection of the feelings that Emma wants to have as much as the feelings that she does have. The next paragraph contains the concluding section of the Councillor's speech. One should note the immediate change: Emma has been lost to the scent of Rodolphe's hair, and then suddenly the councillor shouts out â€Å"Endurance! Perseverance!†, ideals which are in stark contrast to Emma's thoughts of desire. This serves to make Emma appear petty, concerned only with those matters that are emotive and frivolous. Flaubert makes another sly stab here, this time at the church. Endurance! Perseverance! Heed neither the voice of habit, nor the over-hasty teachings of rash empiricism! Dedicate yourselves above all to the improvement of the soil, to good manure, to the development of the various breeds, equine, bovine, ovine and porcine. If one reads the opening sentences from the Councillor's speech it becomes clear that his manner of oration is based on the stereotype of a â€Å"hellfire and damnation† preacher: the resemblance can perhaps be most clearly seen in the way he cries out virtues, and in â€Å"Heed neither the voice of habit, nor the over-hasty teachings of rash empiricism† a sentence that is quite biblical in its construction if not in its subjects. This is certainly a caricature of an evangelical preacher. This impression is aided by the Councillor's introduction: â€Å"†¦she could hear†¦ the voice of the councillor psalming out his phrases† Mimicking the style of a over-zealous padre serves to mock the church by imitation. Applying this same manner of speech to such a mundane topic as agriculture rather than religion serves to demystify it, making it appear comical. Lieuvain then dismounts his pulpit and is replaced by another speaker. Flaubert takes the opportunity of introducing the new orator to contrast the trivial nature of Rodolphe and Emma's discourse with the profound speech of Monsieur Derozerays. This is done by contrasting pairs of sentences throughout the paragraph, alternating between describing the lovers' conversation, and describing the speech. This technique begins thus: Accordingly, praise of the government played a lesser role; religion and agriculture were rather more in evidence†¦ Rodolphe, with Madame Bovary, was talking dreams, premonitions, magnetism. We now move a little lower on the page and find a similar contrast: †¦Cincinnatus at his plough, Diocletian planting his cabbages and the emperors of China bringing in the New Year by planting seeds, the young man was explaining to the young woman that these irresistible attractions had their origin in some previous existence†¦ Flaubert clearly wants to make a mockery of the whole situation. He is trivialising these matters of the heart by comparing them to the hardworking people of the fields, where the labourers are planting seeds for the New Year. Flaubert continues to alternate between describing the speech and describing the seduction. The contrasts between the two begin subtly but as we continue down the page they grow less and less so. By the time we reach the bottom of the page Flaubert has begun to intermingle the words of Rodolphe, speaking of love and destiny and of all the ideals of French romanticism and Derozerays, who talks of money of work and of that which is concrete and substantive: – Did you know that I would be escorting you? – Seventy francs!3 – A hundred times I wanted to leave, and I followed you, I stayed. – Manures! – As I shall stay this evening, tomorrow and the day after, all my life. Flaubert's purpose in this entire extract is to satirise the seduction. More importantly, it is to show that the ideals that are shared by the Bourgeoisie and the Church concern matters that are emotive and are therefore trivial compared to those things concrete such as land, money and food. Flaubert trivialises the entire Romantic genre by setting a clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d romantic conversation, that proliferates with the language and metaphors that permeate the literature that he is satirising. He then places this exaggeration of the Romantic movement into a situation that is overwhelmingly provincial and agricultural. This serves his purpose of mocking the petty bourgeoisie and the Romantic movement.

Overview of Electronic Commerce Essay

Electronic commerce is the process of buying, selling, or exchanging products, services, and information via computer networks. E-business is a broader definition of EC that includes not just the buying and selling of goods and services, but also servicing customers, collaborating with business partners and conducting electronic transactions within an organization. 2. Distinguish between pure and partial EC. Companies utilizing pure EC conduct all of their business online. Businesses utilizing partial EC conduct a portion of their business online and a portion of their business off-line. 3. Define click-and-mortar organizations. These are organizations that conduct e-commerce activities, but do their primary business in the physical world. 4. Define electronic markets, IOSs, and intraorganizational information systems. Electronic market – An online marketplace where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods, services, money or information. IOSs – Communication systems that allow routine transaction processing and information flow between two or more organizations. Intraorganizational information systems – Communication systems that enable e-commerce activities to go on within individual organizations. Section 1. 2 Review Questions . List the major components of the EC framework. The EC framework is made up of the following components: people, the public policy, technical standards and protocols, business partners and support services. 2. List the major transactional types of EC. The major transactional types of EC include: business-to-business, business-to-consumer, business-to-business- to-consumer, consumer-to-business, consumer-to-consumer, mobile commerce, intrabusiness EC, business-to-employee, collaborative commerce, nonbusiness EC, electronic government and exchange-to-exchange. 3. Describe the major landmarks in EC history. The major landmarks in EC history began with the use of EDI to transmit business information. This was followed by a wide public acceptance of the Internet. The next major landmark was the development of several early electronic commerce sites online and the growth of the â€Å"new economy. † Another major landmark is the winding down of many of these â€Å"new economy† businesses. 4. List some EC successes and failures. Student answers will vary. Section 1. 3 Review Questions 1. Define a business plan, business case, and business model. A business plan is a written document that identifies the business goals and outlines the plan to achieve them. A business case is a written document that is used by managers to gather funding for specific applications for projects; its major emphasis is the justification for specific investment. A business model is a method of doing business by which a company can generate revenue to sustain itself. 2. Describe a revenue model and a value proposition. Revenue model – Description of how the company or an EC project will earn money. Value Proposition – The benefits a company can derive from using EC. 3. Describe the following business models: name your own price, affiliate marketing, viral marketing, and product customization. Name your own price – reverse auction where bidders submit prices they would pay, and the system attempts to match those prices with merchants Affiliate marketing – One firm helps advertise for another and takes a commission on sales from referrals Viral marketing – Word of mouth marketing Product customization – creating products based on individual needs 4. Identify business models related to buying and those related to selling. Some business models related to buying include: electronic tendering systems, find the best price, group purchasing and supply chain improvements. Some business models related to selling include: online direct marketing, name your own price, affiliate marketing, buyer marketing, online auctions, product and service customization, electronic marketplaces and exchanges and supply chain improvements. 5. Describe how a linear supply chain can be changed to a hub. By allowing all members and levels of the supply chain to interact directly with a central hub (private or third-party), members can more easily communicate back and forth while improving and streamlining their overall processes. Section 1. 4 Review Questions . Describe some EC benefits to organizations, individuals, and society. EC benefits consumers by providing them convenience, speed, cost, customization, personalization and communities. EC benefits organizations by expanding the marketplace, creating a cost savings, improving business processes and promoting interactivity. EC benefits society by improving the standard of living and delivery of public services. 2. List the major technological and non-technological limitations of EC. These limitations are summarized in Exhibit 1. 5. Section 1. 5 Review Questions . Define the digital economy. A digital economy is an economy that is based on digital technologies, including digital communication networks, computers, software, and other related information technologies. It may also be called the Internet economy, the new economy, or the Web economy. 2. List the three characteristics of the digital revolution cited by Choi and Whinston. These characteristics include: a wide variety of digitized products, financial transactions being conducted digitally, and microprocessors and network capabilities embedded in physical goods. . List the major business pressures faced by organizations today. The major business pressures faced by organizations can be divided into markets, societal and technological categories. 4 . List the major organizational responses to business pressures. Organizations respond to business pressures by using: strategic systems, continuous improvement systems, business alliances, electronic markets, increased efficiencies, employee empowerment, supply chain improvements, and mass customization. 5. Describe how EC supports organization responses to business pressures. EC, and technology in general, provide organizations with ways to operate their businesses more efficiently by providing services and functions that in the past have been performed by employees at less than optimum efficiencies. Section 1. 6 Review Questions 1. Define intranets and extranets. An intranet is an internal corporate or government network that uses Internet tools, such as Web browsers, and Internet protocols. An extranet is a network that uses the Internet to connect multiple intranets. 2. What is a corporate portal? A corporate portal is a major gateway through which employees, business partners and the public can enter a corporate Web site. 3. Identify EC transaction models (e. g. , B2B) in Exhibit 1. 9 (page 27). These would include: ? Selling online ? Selling digital goods ? Online auctions ? Reverse Auctions ? Supply chains Answers to EC Application Case Questions EC Application Case 1. 1: Voice-Based 511 Traveler Information Line Questions 1. Enter tellme. com and find more information about this case. Summarize the benefits to the users. Student answers will vary. Users obtain a number of benefits, but the largest is the ability to quickly and easily access travel information from a single number. 2. What is the role of Tellme? What Internet technology is used? Tellme is the technology provider that uses a voice portal to access a number of Web sites and databases. 3. Can this application be classified as m-commerce? As l-commerce? Why or why not? This application is m-commerce since it is accessed with a mobile device. It is not l-commerce, since no location sensors (GPS) are used. EC Application Case 1. : The Success Story of Campusfood. com Questions 1. Classify this application by EC transaction type. This is a hybrid business model combining B2B and B2C elements. The business acts as an intermediary to other businesses (restaurants) and then resells these products to students (food). This business could be described as B2B2C. 2. Explain the benefits of Campusfood. com for its students and for the restaurants it represents. Both parties re ceived benefits from this relationship. Campusfood. com is able to create a market and revenue by reselling restaurants’ food to students. The greater variety of restaurants that they represent, the better possible market for students (and thus higher revenues). Restaurants benefits from the additional marketing and sales volume generated by Campusfood. com 3. Trace the flow of digitized information in this venture. Campusfood. com receives restaurant menus and enters them into their EC site. Consumers view this information on the Internet and place electronic orders to Campusfood. com. The orders are then forwarded digitally to the restaurant. 4. How does the outsourcing of marketing activities contribute to the business? By outsourcing marketing activities, the business is able to benefit from the firms expertise in this area. Additionally, the business is able to concentrate on its core abilities. EC Application Case 1. 3: Orbis Group Changes a Linear Physical Supply Chain to an Electronic Hub Questions 1. Identify the benefits of the ProductBank system to the supply-chain participants. The hub model is beneficial to the participants in the supply chain because it eliminates unnecessary steps in the process, and by doing so lowers overall cost and increases the speed of the process. 2. Where does the cost reduction in the ProductBank process come from? The cost reduction comes from several locations. The first area of reduction is the ability for the retailer or their advertising agency to immediately view and select an appropriate image without the use of a courier. When an image is selected it can be immediately pulled from the database instead of being sent out for scanning. 3. Where does the cycle time reduction come from? The cycle time reduction comes from two locations. The first area of reduction is the ability for the retailer or their advertising agency to immediately view and select an appropriate image without the use of a courier. When an image is selected it can be immediately pulled from the database instead of being sent out for scanning. 4. Explain the benefits of electronic collaboration between the catalog owner and the ad agency. Electronic collaboration between the two parties allows them to communicate more quickly and efficiently than traditional methods. The retailer is able to participate more fully in the process of the selection of photos, while the ad agency is able to more quickly process their customers’ requests. EC Application Case 1. 4: The Internet and the Intranet Shorten Time to Market for New Drugs Questions 1. How does the computerized drug application system facilitate collaboration? This application system facilitates collaboration because it provides full and easy access to the information needed. In addition, the information can also be easily searched and specific facts retrieved quickly. 2. How is cycle time reduced? Cycle time is reduced because pharmaceutical and FDA employees are able to concentrate more fully on the review of the drug in question. This is accomplished by the ease of searching online databases for facts and information as opposed to wading through hundreds of thousands of pages of paper documents. Answers to Discussion Questions 1. Compare and contrast viral marketing with affiliate marketing. In both viral and affiliate marketing of business, relying on a third party to assist in its marketing effort is necessary. With affiliate marketing, individuals or firms are paid based on the amount of additional business they can send to the selling firm. With viral marketing, individuals are encouraged to market the product to others without any financial gain. 2. Carefully examine the nontechnological limitations of EC. Which are company dependent and which are generic? All of the listed nontechnological limitations are generic concerns with EC with the exception of â€Å"Lack of trust in EC and in unknown sellers hinder buying. † This limitation may be overcome by well-known and established merchants who will bring with them some level of customer confidence. 3. Compare brick-and-mortar and click-and-mortar organizations. Brick-and-mortar organizations only maintain a presence off-line. Click-and-mortar organizations maintain a presence both online and off-line. 4. Why is it said the EC is a catalyst of fundamental changes in organizations? EC causes fundamental changes in organizations because it requires business models and processes to be redesigned and streamlined. This is required for firms to have successful EC. 5. Explain how EC facilitates supply chain management. EC facilitates supply chain management by exposing the inner workings of the supply chain and indicating which areas contribute the greatest value. These indications, coupled with a firm understanding of the chain’s workings, provide the necessary information for supply-chain optimization. 6. Which of the EC limitations do you think will be more easily overcome—the technological or the nontechnological limitations, and why? Student answers will vary. In most cases technical limitations are easier to overcome, with customer preferences taking more time to adapt. 7. Explain how EC can reduce cycle time, improve employees’ empowerment, and facilitate customer support. EC can reduce cycle time by eliminating steps in business processes. The steps may be redundant or can be replaced with more efficient technology solutions. The elimination of the steps speeds the overall process and reduces cycle time. EC can provide employee empowerment by providing employees with greater and easier access to information provided by the employer. EC facilitates customer support by providing a wide range of technological solutions and communication opportunities. Additionally, EC supports self-help customer service so consumers can answer their own questions. 8. How does EC facilitate customization of products and services? EC facilitates customization by allowing customers to see the full range of options available for a given product. Customers are then able to select the options that they desire and these options may be sent directly to the manufacturer or service provider. This provides a more direct link between the customer and the firm that will eventually fill their custom order. 9. Why is buying with a smart card from a vending machine considered EC? EC can be defined as the application of technology toward the automation of business transactions and workflow. Because a smart card uses technology to automate a process (creating greater efficiencies and ease-of-use) it can therefore be considered EC. 0. Why is distance learning considered EC? EC can be defined as the application of technology toward the automation of business transactions and workflow, as well as a gathering place for community members to learn, transact and collaborate. Distance learning fits both of these definitions because it provides the technology solution for workflows (education) while also creating a learning community. Internet Exe rcises (Note: URLs may change over time; please check the Internet Exercises on the Turban Web site for possible updates: www. prenhall. com/turban. ) 1. Enter bigboxx. com and identify the services the company provides to its customers. What type of EC is this? What business model(s) does Bigboxx use? This company provides a large supply of office products, as well as other products and services to customers in the Hong Kong market. This company focuses primarily on B2B sales. This company makes the majority of its revenue through the direct sale of items. 2. Enter Amazon. com’s site (amazon. com) and locate recent information in the following areas: Student information will vary based on when this question is completed. a. Find the five top-selling books on EC. b. Find a review of one of these books. c. Review the customer services you can get from Amazon and describe the benefits you receive from shopping there. Amazon. com provides several services for customers. These benefits include: †¢ free shipping on large orders †¢ the ability to track orders †¢ the ability to combine orders †¢ the ability to send orders as guests †¢ additional answers will vary d. Review the products directory. Amazon. com provides a wide variety of products including books, electronics, music, travel services and many others. . Enter priceline. com and identify the various business models it uses. Priceline. com uses the â€Å"name your own price† or reverse auction business model. This model allows consumers to place bids for different services with several third-party companies through priceline. com. If the amount paid by the customer meets the third-party company’s minimum sales pri ce, the customer purchases the product or service at that price. 4. Go to ups. com and find information about recent EC projects that are related to logistics and supply chain management. UPS provides a variety of EC business products and solutions. Many of the solutions allow companies to easily ship, track and receive packages through UPS. In many of these cases, UPS provides software and services that allows customers to link UPS information to their existing information or e-commerce systems. The systems then allow greater visibility of the supply chain creating easier understanding of problems and opportunities in logistics. 5. Go to mixonic. com and create a CD. Then go to nike. com and design your own shoes. Next visit iprint. com and create your own business card. Finally, enter jaguar. com and configure the car of your dreams. What are the advantages of each activity? The disadvantages? Each of these sites provides the ability of individual customization for various products. The major advantage of this system is the ability of the consumer to create and purchase a product that meets their individual specifications. The disadvantages of the systems are the limitations and possible customizations and the additional cost and fulfillment time associated with customized products. 6. Enter chemconnect. com. What kind of EC does this site represent? What benefits can it provide to buyers? To sellers? This company provides an Internet-based exchange for the buying and selling of chemicals and plastics. This site provides benefits to both buyers and sellers. Buyers are able to evaluate pricing, availability and other information from a variety of sellers. Sellers are able to present their products for sale to a wide variety of buyers. 7. It is time you try to sell or buy on an online auction. You can try eBay. com, auction. yahoo. com, or an auction site of your choice. You can participate in an auction of almost any country. Prepare a short report describing your experiences. Reports will vary based on the auction site used by the student. In many cases students will comment on the overall experience of listing and purchasing products. Points of reference would include the ease-of-use of the site, the ease in searching and gathering information, the ability to compare products and the ease in completing transactions. 8. Try to save on your next purchase by using group purchasing. Visit letsbuyit. com, shop2gether. com, and buyerzone. com. Which site do you prefer? Why? Opinions will vary based on student preferences. . Enter espn. com and identify all sources of revenue there. I was able to identify: Advertising (pop-up) Advertising (co-branding MSN) Advertising (banners) Advertising (internal, for ESPN) E-Commerce (sales) Team Assignments and Role Playing 1. Assign each team two failed or failing Internet companies (e. g. , musicmaker. com, comdex. com). Use startupfailures. com to identify companies th at are in distress. Fortune. com is a good source of details for particular business failures. Have each team prepare a report on why is the companies failed or are failing. Responses will vary based on the businesses chosen by students and the source of their information. 2. Each team will research two EC success stories. Members of the group should examine companies that operate solely online and some that extensively utilize a click-and-mortar strategy. Each team should identify the critical success factors for its companies and present a report to the other teams. Responses will vary based on the businesses chosen by students and the source of their information. Answers to End-of-Chapter Real-World Case Questions: E-Commerce Supports Field Employees at Maybelline Questions 1. IVR systems are still popular. What advantages do they have over a system in which the reps mail or fax reports? Information comes in faster, and in a machine understandable format. 2. Explain why the MSP application is an e-commerce application. Compare it to the definitions and classifications in the chapter. The MSP application is an e-commerce application because it uses IT to directly enable communications and sales of products. 3. The existing technology enables transmission of data any time an employee can access the Internet with a PC. Technically, the system can be enhanced so that the data can be sent wirelessly from any location as soon as they are entered. Would you recommend such a wireless system to Maybelline? Why or why not? Student answers will vary. Students will weigh the benefits of real-time information against the costs and access issues of a new system. 4. Summarize the advantages of the new MSP system over the IVR one. Some of the advantages include: †¢ Easier to use †¢ More accurate information †¢ More detailed information †¢ More timely information †¢ Two-way communication †¢ Fulfills more roles

People over 68 years of age should have their driver's licenses Essay

People over 68 years of age should have their driver's licenses cancelled - Essay Example With an increase in life expectancy and reduction in population growth, the number of old people in the U.S is expected to triple. In recent years there has been controversy concerning the maximum age beyond which a person should not drive. Ageing is a continuous and complex process and hence there is no any absolute definition of an old person. Lack of a precise definition for an old person must be the cause of controversy surrounding maximum driving age. The rising number of accidents caused by seniors indicates that old people are more likely to cause accidents. Driving is a process that requires speedy reactions and decision-making. This is because drivers are expected to drive their vehicles at a relatively high speed especially the highway drivers. Driving at a high speed requires a person to have quick response as well as fast and rational decision-making. Response and decision-making depends on a person’s rate of reaction. Hope (web) stated that old people have slow response. Slow reaction makes old people to have slow response in relation to the speed of the vehicle. Accident takes a fraction of a second to happen but have fatal consequences. This implies that a driver should have quick response to events and occurrences on the roads. This makes the old people to be more likely to cause accident than young people. Old age is a losing process as described by theories of aging. This implies at old age people lose most of their capabilities. Aging is also described as an accumulation process, at old age a person accumulates problems acquired during his lifetime. The sense of sight plays an important role in driving since through the eyesight drivers are able to determine their direction. Eyesight also enables drivers to determine and avoid obstacles that might be present on the way. Most importantly, drivers use their eyesight to determine distance and speed (Lindenburg 78). It is not clearly known how this

HRM and the Public Sector Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HRM and the Public Sector - Research Paper Example This paper now seeks to establish a general overview of human resources management, including its functions and its relation to public administration. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a general understanding of HRM functions, including their general applicability to corporations and to the public sector. The 20th century ushered in a period where researchers started to consider ways of establishing value through the efficient management of the workforce (Merkle, p. 3). This function started first as a transactional activity to manage payroll as well as to administer benefits. In the current globalized setting, however, where technological advancements, as well as company mergers, abound, HR is concerned with strategies on mergers, acquisitions, talent management, skill training, labor relations, industrial relations, diversity, as well as transition planning (Ulrich, p. 37). For new companies, the responsibilities of the HR are often carried out by trained professionals, and in some instances, even non-HR employees. For the larger companies, however, an entire unit or group of professionals is devoted to the management of human resources; these groups of professionals are involved in various HR duties, and they are engaged in strategic decision-making in the business (Ulrich, p. 23). In order to manage practitioners, academic institutions, professional associations, and corporations have established study programs in order to specifically meet the functions of corporations. Practitioners and academicians have also sought to engage deeper into the field of human resources based on various specific publications and research studies (Ulrich, p. 12). In businesses, the goals of human resources have been specifically described by Dave Ulrich as four-fold – first, to align HR and the organizational goals or to be a strategic partner; second, to re-engineer organizational processes or to be an administration expert.

New Mexico and the American West Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New Mexico and the American West - Assignment Example As such the major goal was supply water to the cities and the farms. Notably the Colorado River water was diverted to phoenix. The fourth stage involved the analysis of water issues concerning storage. This happened from 1998 to the present day. As such, conservation of water, removal of Glen canyon dam, climatic changes as well as finding a future water hole were brought in the limelight. Colorado River basin project offered a much more diversified approach in balancing the local and imported water resource developments with the increased demand for the side management required to satisfy the current water demand as well as the future demands Response to 2 According to phoenix metro Arizona has had 6.4 million people by 2012 while New Mexico had 2 million people. Conflicts over land in Arizona have been dominated by the Anglo, however, a huge conflicts exist over the US Mexican border. In New Mexico, conflicts with the over the border are not extensive. The population in Arizona was much lower than New Mexico during the Spanish colonization. Politically, Arizona is more conservative than New Mexico. Arizona immigration law passed in Arizona but, it failed in New Mexico. In Arizona, agriculture is on the declining rate while in New Mexico it is on the increasing rate. The Spanish presence in Arizona lower than that in New Mexico due to the fewer number of the natives, implying that only few souls could be converted, thus low amount of money The major difference between Arizona and New Mexico is that majority of the population in New Mexico are the natives while in Arizona has inhabitants from different regions. As such, Arizona has more stringent rules regarding immigration, as opposed to New Mexico Response to 3 The period I between1848-1865 is characterized by the onset of mining. As such, the Yuma and Wickenburg were gold mining towns. Period II between 1866-1878, this period is characterized by the Mormons and the wealth harvesting, Mormon farming towns inc luded, the small Colorado towns of St John’s, snowflake as well as, the Safford, mesa, Tempe and Thatcher. Additionally, crops were cultivated and later on sold to the miners for the Mormon mercantile functions. Notably, phoenix grew as a farming town. Period III between1879-1899 was characterized by transportation and copper, during this period the sante Fe, and the southern pacific railroads were built and linked in the national grid. Towns like Tombstone grew as a silver mining town, and Flagstaff grew as timber town. Period IV between1900-1939 was characterized by the five Cs, copper, cattle, cotton, and climate. Period V also known as the post 1940 was characterized by a shift in the economy where mining and agriculture declined while service and the manufacturing industry increased. Additionally, this was the period for the Urbana Arizona Whose population grew from 500, 000 to about 6.5 million in 2012. This period is also characterized by a massive demographic force wh ere it was viewed as a burial ground for the wealthy and a place for relaxation Response to 4 Essential elements of Navajo culture include, the for sacred mountains which are, the east sierra Blanca depicting faith and thinking, the south Mount Taylor depicts planning, the west Mt Humphrey depicts love and life. Additionally, the ceremonies performed include singing, the blessing away, as well, sand paintings or healing purposes. The Hozho, depicts a

Why is single sex gender school is better than co ed Research Paper

Why is single sex gender school is better than co ed - Research Paper Example Single-sex/gender education, pertains to the practice of educating individuals through separate platforms i.e. classes and schooling area, by way of gender separation of the student body. Conversely, mixed-sex education refers to the integrated system of imparting knowledge, where both genders are present in a given educational setting. Education is critical for the proper upbringing of a person, aimed at influencing mental capability towards providing positive social input. While both categories of education are essential in society, given prevailing contexts that necessitate one form or the other, I am of the view that single-sex gender schooling is better than co-education. This is going to be portrayed in the paper, which will focus on why single-sex/ gender schooling is the preferable choice of schooling, compared to co-education. It will further provide an assessment of the impacts of both forms of education, on American social relations especially on the aspect of optimal environments for study. This is in terms of impacts, influences and effects on school going children, to the older generation of college students. In summation, it will provide reasons as to why single-sex education is the preferred avenue of schooling, as opposed to co-education, within American social contexts. Co-education is more of a modern ideal, as is portrayed by various debates, for or against such education settings. However, this does not necessarily mean that single-sex education is not considered within present contexts. It is in fact upon this notion that various debates are currently underway. Pundits are of the view that it possesses many admirable attributes, which would affect positively, in the wholesome growth of an individual. In current contexts, very few exceptions have student populations under the single-sex gender education system, exceeding the 10% threshold (Pilson and Yvonne 77). However, resurgence is in the offing, as consideration of the

The Erechtheion on the Acropolys of Athens Essay

The Erechtheion on the Acropolys of Athens - Essay Example If we wish to understand ourselves, we must take care not to eliminate the ‘shell’ of our past, for it is the physical record of our aspirations and achievements† (Roth 3). This is a perfect analogy for the buildings we construct because the oldest segments of the nautilus shell are found within the depths of its interior just as the oldest concepts of architecture are still found within the depths of our architectural core theories. What Roth is suggesting is that architectural knowledge of any type must necessarily build upon the work completed in the past and this work remains forever embedded within the frameworks created in the present. As a result, there remains a great deal to be learned from some of the existing architectural works of the ancient past such as the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens. Attempting to trace the architectural theories of the ancients is not as easy as it might seem as there were a number of architects working at the same time, not all of whom worked from the same foundational theories which had yet to be codified. An example of this is best illustrated by more modern examples. Even though we have access to numerous books and articles about Greek art and architecture today, there are still a great number of theories in existence as to what exactly comprises architecture. These theories continue to change with time, material, usage of the structure and so forth. This makes architectural theory even today difficult to standardize. â€Å"The majority of programs that purport to be theories of architecture seek to combine aesthetic, social and practical considerations in an integrated whole; the emphasis being either theoretical or practical, according to whether the author is an architect himself, and on whom he is writing for† (Kruft 14). In other words, there seems to be as many theories of architecture today as there are architects and it seems reasonable to assume that this same condition existed in the past as it does now. If there were fewer theories in antiquity, this would be more the result of a fewer number of working architects rather than a limited number of ideas to float around. Extending back even to the ancient Romans, though, architects began to record their theories for the benefit of future generations to build and expand upon. Thus, they are able to continue to contribute to developing thought many years after their physical deaths. These published discussions are invaluable because they reveal the influences of the ancients and reveal some of the common shared theories that may have been employed by the ancient Greeks. An important figure in the recording of these ideas was the Roman Vitruvius. Vitruvius was originally an artillery engineer who worked during the period of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, but he made his name a part of history through his work as an architect and an author. â€Å"His ten books on architecture, De Architectura (trans. 1914) , are the oldest surviving work on the subject. They consist of dissertations on a wide variety of subjects relating to architecture, engineering, sanitation, practical hydraulics, acoustic vases, and the like. Much of the material appears to have been taken from earlier extinct treatises by Greek architects† (Calter). Within his texts, Vitruvius outlines three basic elements of design he and presumably the

Outline and explore the importance of a consumer-centric approach in Essay - 1

Outline and explore the importance of a consumer-centric approach in marketing - Essay Example As the number of customers increase, organization has a chance to increase their profits. Secondly, customer-value models play an important role in understanding the consumer behaviour which helps in design desirable products. Besides, customer based models seek to detect changes in customer behaviour patterns and hence helps the organization to adjust its business strategy. On this ground, customer-centric marketing approaches are crucial if organization have to remain profitable with the contemporary business environment. Marketing strategies within an organization has generated a lot of attention within the modern business environment. Marketing seeks to create product awareness within target markets as one way to ensure that customer understand products and are attracted to the organization distribution channels (Cheng & Dogan, 2008). Therefore, marketing ensures that companies push their products towards the customers, as one way of increasing sales within the market. Today, many organizations have appreciated that a customer-centric model is one of the best marketing strategies. A customer-centric marketing model puts customers at the heart of the business and all strategies are directed towards winning the customer (Niininen, Buhalis & March, 2007). The role of a customer within the modern market has increasing generated attention. With increase is competition within the modern markets, customers are becoming important factors while designing marketing strategies. As competition increases, the p rofits decrease and the consumer bargaining power increases in the market. Resultantly, organizations are competing for available customers to ensure that they survive the harsh market times when customers have many options to choose from. Generally, organizations that higher customer share within the market will survive while those that lose customers will eventually collapse. As such, customer based models of

Public Management and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Management and Leadership - Assignment Example The differences between genuine leadership and positional leadership and the impact of these forms of leadership on social health administration and management. Modern research works suggest that positional leadership and genuine leadership are the two most dominant forms of leadership in the labor front presently (Creswell, 2009). This topic would, therefore, compare the two forms in a typical social health industry and see how each of them complement the other. Employee involvement impacts in hiring and promotion process of public agencies. Employee involvement as a leadership philosophy shall be critically analyzed and related to how it could help to impact hiring and promotion in a positive manner in a typical public agency (Randy, 2009). â€Å"The role of employee engagement in attaining achieved productivity targets of a public sector agency.† This topic shall basically highlight the strengths and advantages of employee engagement and spell out ways in which managers can benefit from employee engagement (Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). Based on the research questions set, the most preferred qualitative approach that will be selected for the research is the case study research approach. Generally, a case study would narrow a research topic to a well-defined setting and critically analyze the issues involved in the topic in relation to the selected setting (Miller and Brewer, 2003). Looking through the research questions that were set, it will be realized that most of the research questions are highly practical and experimental in nature.

The structure of the legal profession in the United Kingdom Essay

The structure of the legal profession in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The essential difference between the two was that a barrister could represent a client in court, whereas a plain solicitor could not (Farley, 2001). A brief explanation of the reasons given for the division between the two types of lawyers will explain both the advantages and disadvantages of the fused system that has now been proposed and appears to be inevitable in the near future. The barrister was traditionally trained at one of the Inns of Court, and undertook both formal legal training and practical experience under the pupilage of a senior barrister. This system was meant to ensure that there was a relatively small but highly experienced group of trial advocates who would give the highest quality of representation to clients whose cases actually got to court, and who would also maintain a smoothly running court because they were specialists in that procedure (Hailsham, 1983). There were also other reasons given for having a separation between barristers and solicitors. These include the fact that having an independent barrister reviewing a cause for action enables the client to receive a fresh and independent opinions. The barrister system also enables smaller firms of solicitors to compete with larger firms as they all have access to the same independent barristers (who are legally barred from forming partnerships). A barrister can also act as a kind of check and balance on a solicitor during the trial, and if incompetence is seen may advise the client on a possible cause for action against the solicitor. The disadvantages of the barrister system are supposedly many, and these are starting to outweigh the perceived advantages throughout the British legal system. These include the fact that having more than one legal adviser leads to higher costs. It is also argued that as barristers depend upon solicitors for their work referrals, they are unlikely to criticize them. Thus the "checks and balances" idea is somewhat offset by the fact that a barrister is unlikely to bite the hand that feeds him/her. The over-specialization of barristers means that they may not have sufficient legal exposure outside of their fields and thus may not in fact give the best representation in cases that overlap several areas of the law (Clementi, 2004). As the government has suggested the legal system in Britain is widely regarded as "outdated, inflexible, over-complex and insufficiently accountable or transparent" (Clementi, 2004). The idea that the two major sections of the legal service system:- solicitor and barrister - should be fused together, is currently gaining steam within the United Kingdom. The main thrust for future developments is to be found within the very title of the government's latest policy issuance on the subject: The Future of Legal Services: Putting Consumers First (Crown, 2005). The government is careful not to suggest that those solicitors and barristers that currently work separately are in general offering bad services to their clients, stating that "the professional competence of lawyers is not in doubt . . . the caliber of many of our legal professionals is among the best in the world" (Crown, 2005). But the report goes on to say that "many consumers are finding that they are not receiving a good or fair deal." In response to this the government seeks to produce a legal system that is "efficient, effective and economic" and which will be a "transparent and accountable industry" (Crown,

Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study - Research Paper Example Much of the revenues are derived from advertising thus AdSense and AdWords are clearly designed to display advertisements which are relevant to the content included in each web page. Google has utilized an innovative advertising strategy by placing advertisements on the websites which contain the related advertisements. Current strategy of the Google Corporation Introduction The company registered $ 10.6 billion in revenues in the financial year ending 2011 which was a 24 percent increase from the previous year. AdSense sales rose by 20 percent while the number of pay per clicks increased by 39 percent. Google + product registered 130 million users while the earnings before taxes were $ 3. 4 billion. The earnings per share also increased by $ 1.71 to $ 8.75 which was 24 percent growth while the taxation costs reduced by mere 6 percent. The company has high growth potential but needs to diversify revenue streams like the pending acquisition of Motorola at $ 12.5 billion (Hill & Jones, 2012). Current Google business strategy Google success can also be attributed to its superior search technology and e-mail service which contains massive storage space that has attracted many customers from Yahoo and Hotmail. The company which started as just a smart algorithm has developed an unique business model with winning applications such as Google video, Google maps, Gmail, and Google Earth which have challenged previous market leaders such as Yahoo, Excite, and Microsoft. At inception, the mission of Google was to organize the world’s information and make it universally acceptable and useful. The company is no doubt one of the fastest growing technology companies in the world. The company has gained success by providing relevant search results and also related advertisements on each webpage (Hill & Jones, 2012). Google IS supports the business strategic activities through innovations and allowing the customers to download and edit their software. Google has differen tiated its search engine by utilizing a patented PageRank system. The company consistently restructures its PageRank algorithm in order to meet the changing customer needs. Google AdWords product is specialized for the advertisers who want to reach out to a certain market segment in an efficient manner. The advertisers have the opportunity of managing volumes of online advertising accounts which an upfront payment. Google emphasizes on creativity of employees whereby employees devote a certain percentage of their time in new and innovative projects. The company has partnered with Open Handset Alliance in the development of Android mobile software which many mobile device firms use to create applications. Google Chrome OS is also another open source software and Web browser which runs in several platforms like Windows, Linux and Mac (Hill & Jones, 2012). Google has also pursued a market niche targeting strategy. The company has segmented its market in to either middle sized businesse s and large corporations. The company has diversified in to the mobile device industry by establishing alliances and partnerships with other companies to develop mobile device applications that increase customer traffic to its web pages (Hill & Jones, 2012). Another current generic strategy which Google is currently utilizing is

CRIME THREAT SYNOPSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

CRIME THREAT SYNOPSIS - Essay Example Online dating sites, for example, post personal information about individuals that may be used to garner a love interest. Households pay their credit card bills and manage their funds and finances online. School-aged children, once able to play with their friends only by advance arrangement and/or face-to-face contact now enjoy forms of communication such as online gaming, texting, and chatting in a virtual reality, to say nothing of social media websites such as Facebook or MySpace. However, the fact that the internet is a nameless, faceless cache of information with no feelings on the issue of privacy or confidentiality may well be the undoing of society as a whole. In the 1995 movie The Net, the leading character, a computer programmer, worked from home, mainly online, and had few friends outside of her home. Upon leaving for her first vacation in six years, she found herself entangled in a scheme that saw her entire life and even her very identity erased. She quickly found that s he had been replaced by a stranger that was living her life, with her name. In one scene, a man even sits in a car with a portable computer and uploads false information into her police record to keep her on the run and trusting no one. Though in 1995 this movie was nothing more than a wonderful work of fiction that garnered praise from moviegoers and critics, in 2011, the reality of such things occurring is all too familiar. With more and more information being transferred from paper copies to digital media, almost anything is possible; whether information is true or not is another story altogether. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), 336,355 complaints were received in the year 2009, up 22.3% from 2008 (Limbach). The main complaint was online fraud, with persons or even entire families being scammed out of thousands of dollars. For example, one wom an in California paid a company who represented themselves as a mortgage company called â€Å"Loan Modifications of America† a total of $3995 to modify the mortgage loan on her home (Limbach). The company turned out not to exist at all, and there is no one to go to that will give her money back, at least not as soon as it is needed. Now she is out almost four thousand dollars, due to someone else that desired to have money without doing an honest eight hours of work for it. Another wonderful yet disturbing facet of the internet and cyber-worlds is that it has brought the country closer together in terms of merchandise. Sites such as EBay offer online auctions across the country and even internationally for merchandise to be bought and sold to the highest bidder. In 2010, the IC3 reported that out of the top ten internet crimes, non-delivery of payment or merchandise ranked number one among them, with 14.4% of the complaints (Internet Crime Complaint Center 9-15). Though milli ons of users write online about positive experiences with EBay, and to be sure EBay is not the only site that lists products for sale, this is of little help or comfort to those that have been scammed and cheated out of their hard-earned money. It does not help, also, that auction fraud, as it is known, has been the leading complaint in cyber crimes, with 71.2% of all referrals being auction fraud since 2004 (Internet Crime C