Friday, November 29, 2019

Nestle vs Dutchlady free essay sample

Nestle already exist in Malaysia market, now we would like to make an analysis about the Nestle product in Taman Koperasi Cuepacs ,Kajang Selangor, whether customer are satisfaction with Nestle product or customer prefer with other brand like Dutch Lady. From that, Nestle can make some improvement for their product line to expand their business strategy and fulfill the customer’s satisfaction. 1. OBJECTIVE: 1. To know how well known of Nestle product in Kajang Selangor. 2. To know why people choose Nestle product to compare it with Dutch lady Product 3. Chefs were asked to discuss their requirements. The results showed that consumers were saying fresh is best. However, the chefs view was slightly different in terms of: My customers would like everything to be made from scratch (i. e. made from basic raw ingredients), but I dont have the time and money to do this. The research revealed that the market was divided into a number of segments. We will write a custom essay sample on Nestle vs Dutchlady or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A segment is a part of an overall market made up of customers with similar characteristics. Chefs fitted into four main segments: The research showed a sizeable demand for Segment 3 a target for Maggie A Natural Choice products. Brand proposition the research defined a proposition for developing the new brand. This new proposition was to create a product with more natural qualities for chefs who aim to please who want their cooking to be as fresh tasting as possible. Natural qualities would be defined in terms of taste, smell, look and texture. Target market Maggie A Natural Choice target was to be chefs who aim to please. Their prime aim is to provide delicious, wholesome foods that customers enjoy. These chefs enjoy their work and have a pride in the satisfaction they give customers. They are not in business just to make money. Brand ambition Maggi A Natural Choice combines the goodness and taste of real ingredients with time and cost saving. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/nestle/nutrition-health-wellness-new-product-development-at-nestle/market-research. html#ixzz1rRQlFtbi From the literature review above, previous research about the satisfaction about nestle’ brand which is Maggie. From this research, Maggie is a famous food for a long time ago, but now, people in UK said, the product had come to be seen as uninteresting and old fashioned due to its dehydrated format and flavor. From that, we can know, is that, customer are satisfied with the Nestle’ brand or not, if customer are no satisfied with the Nestle’ brand, Nestle need to make some improvement to their product in term of flavor or packaging. In this research, the researcher shows that, there have 4 segments, which is, a target for Maggie, Brand proposition, Target market and, Brand ambition. Questionnaire is a document that is used to guide what questions are to be asked respondents and in what order, sometimes lists the alternative responses that are acceptable. In addition , list of a research or survey questions asked to respondents, and designed to extract specific information. It serves four basic purposes to collect the appropriate data, make data comparable and amenable to analysis, minimize bias in formulating and asking question, and to make questions engaging and varied. This is the right way to ask people outside to answer the questionnaire to be given to the respondents. The advantages of questionnaire * Cost effective Questionnaires are cost effective compared the research methods using interviews or data mining. The questionnaire could be distributed to a larger population over a shorter period of time. This is especially true for sample populations that cover a large geographic area. The questionnaires can be mailed or delivered electronically. Personal interviews take time and mistakes can be made during the analysis of the data due to individual interpretation. Questionnaires can be sent back anonymously and this will allow more respondents to reply.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Limiting Reactant Definition in Chemistry

Limiting Reactant Definition in Chemistry The limiting reactant or limiting reagent is a reactant in a chemical reaction that determines the amount of product that is formed. Identification of the limiting reactant makes it possible to calculate the theoretical yield of a reaction. The reason there is a limiting reactant is that elements and compounds react according to the mole ratio between them in a balanced chemical equation. So, for example, if the mole ratio in the balanced equation states it takes 1 mole of each reactant to produce a product (1:1 ratio) and one of the reactants is present in a higher amount than the other, the reactant present in the lower amount would be limiting reactant. All of it would be used up before the other reactant ran out. Limiting Reactant Example Given 1 mol of hydrogen and 1 mol of oxygen in the reaction:2 H2 O2 → 2 H2OThe limiting reactant would be hydrogen because the reaction uses up hydrogen twice as fast as oxygen. How to Find the Limiting Reactant There are two methods used to find the limiting reactant. The first is to compare the actual mole ratio of the reactants to the mole ratio of the balanced chemical equation. The other method is to calculate the gram masses of the product resulting from each reactant. The reactant that yields the smallest mass of product is the limiting reactant. Using the Mole Ratio: Balance the equation for the chemical reaction.Convert the masses of reactants to moles, if needed. If the quantities of reactants are given in moles, skip this step.Calculate the mole ratio between reactants using the actual numbers. Compare this ratio to the mole ratio between reactants in the balanced equation.Once you identify which reactant is the limiting reactant, calculate how much product it can make. You can check that you selected the correct reagent as the limiting reactant by calculating how much product the full amount of the other reactant would yield (which should be a larger number).You can use the difference between the moles of non-limiting reactant that are consumed and the starting number of moles to find the amount of excess reactant. If necessary, convert the moles back to grams. Using the Product Approach: Balance the chemical reaction.Convert the given quantities of reactants to moles.Use the mole ratio from the balanced equation to find the number of moles of product that would be formed by each reactant if the full amount was used. In other words, perform two calculations to find the moles of product.The reactant that yielded the smaller amount of product is the limiting reactant. The reactant that yielded the larger amount of produce is the excess reactant.The amount of excess reactant may be calculated by subtracting the moles of excess reactant from the number of moles used (or by subtracting the mass of excess reactant from the total mass used). Mole to gram unit conversions may be necessary to provide answers for homework problems.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Theories of International Financial Managemen Assignment

Theories of International Financial Managemen - Assignment Example With intent to increase cross-border trade for international expansion, nations have liberalized their cross-border trade regulations. Hence the world is said to have facilitated with effective circulation of ideas, languages and cultural ideologies. Countries opened their doors to each other and thereby entrepreneurs looked for opportunities even outside their home lands. This liberalization process was further intensified by the rapid advancement in telecommunication and transportation technologies which offered increased flexibility to day to day business operations. Apart from this, as described in the article International Financial Management (August 29, 2010), a series of financial innovations such as cross border stock listings, international mutual funds, currency derivatives, and multi currency bonds have also contributed to the development of international financial management. The practices and scope for domestic financial management and international financial management are entirely different. Although, the meaning and objective of financial management will not change in an international setting, its dimensions and ranges vary dramatically. This report will critically evaluate theories of international financial management and the extent to which each stands up in the real world. Major elements of financial management The management of business finance is a complex process as it plays a crucial role in each and every area of a business. For the successful operation of financial management process, three key elements have been included. They are financial planning, financial control, and financial decision making. 1. Financial planning As in the case of every management process, planning is an inevitable factor in the organizational financial management. It is necessary to ensure that sufficient fund is available at the right time in order to meet the business needs (The 100 times). An organization generally plans short term and long term financial programs. Short term funds are required to pay salaries to employees and to invest in stocks and other securities. On the other hand, medium and long term funds increase the productive capacity of the business for making business acquisitions. 2. Financial control Financial department is highly vulnerable to fraud. Hence every financial manager would implement ranges of internal check systems in order to check falsification of accounts and thereby fraudulent transactions of money. In short, the financial control element ensures the safety of business assets so as to comply with business rules and thereby act in accordance with the best interest of the shareholders. Financial decision making The important financial management decisions relate to investment, business financing, and distribution of dividends. It is the duty of the financial management to discover the most appropriate resource of money in times of contingencies. A most major financial management decision is whether the business profits must be retained as reserves or distributed to shareholders as dividend. This element is the focal point of the financial management process as this tool determines the degree of efficacy of business financing process. Domestic and international financial management These two concepts aim at the same goal but function differently to achieve them. To

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Cis week 5 classwork class discussions Assignment

Cis week 5 classwork class discussions - Assignment Example The company should also educate their employees on the risks involved if they give their passwords to strangers or any other person. Data is most vulnerable at the points where the computers of the company are connected to the outside world like the internet. It is important that the IT managers to implement necessary defenses at these points (Murphy & Zwieback D, 2011). Qualitative risk analysis is risk-level, easy and quick to execute, does not require any special tool or software and it is subjective in evaluating the probability and the impact of the risk. On the other hand quantitative risk analysis is project-level, consumes time, specialized tool may be required and it gives probabilistic estimates of time and cost. Business impact analysis being the determination of the impact an incidence can have, all the parties involved will be affected by one way or the other. People have to be compensated to their normal life they had from the incidence, and proper systems have to be in place to oversee that the incidence is totally mitigated. Data should be kept proper as this will amount on the total costs incurred in the analysis and properties should be rebuild again and the owners given their

Monday, November 18, 2019

Wal-Mart Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wal-Mart - Essay Example However, this paper will try to evaluate the success of Wal-Mart which is indeed the market leader in the retail industry, and it will prove the supremacy of the organization with personal experiences and supportive facts. Personal viewpoints and some observations about Wal-Mart: The base of this argument can be put as the undisputed crowd pulling ability and growing footfalls in Wal-Mart. There are many other retails stores are there and they also pull the crowd very efficiently but do they pull crowd like Wal-Mart? Well, from many personal experiences it can be stated that the world number one retailer indeed pull the crowd efficiently than any other stores. If a person goes to any Wal-Mart store in USA in any time, he or she will see a gathering of huge crowd looking to buy something or the other. The cash counters are always busy with long queues and happy customers are always coming out with their purchases. However, the question is how they are so successful and how they overco me the tough competition in the market. From the personal experiences and viewpoints it can stated that Wal-Mart follow the strict rule of POCKETS (price, operations, culture, key item promotion, expenses, talent and services). They follow unique penetration pricing policy, they never tend to compete, break through operations management can handle the customers and the employees wisely within the store, great culture, they promote the key products very tactically and the inner talent of the management is distributed properly within the lower level of the organizations. There are some points are also there to support the positive aspects of the Wal-Mart and they are mentioned bellow. Remarkable business strategy of the Wal-Mart to support the argument: Wal-Mart has changed the seller’s market to the buyer’s market with their great business strategy. In the United States the main strategy of the Wal-Mart is to open stores in every five kilometers. And the main concept is selling practically everything under one roof with large discounts. The main strategy is to compel the people to buy more and more. Evolution of the supply chain management system: Supply chain is a very important factor for a g lobal giant like Wal-Mart. And in this case they are very strict to choose their thousand of suppliers globally. Mattel, the toy maker is one of the biggest suppliers of toys to Wal-Mart and they admit that it is a great business channel but a tough client as they want great quality parameters. Wal-Mart looks for close and strong relation with their suppliers. Wal-Mart is always hungry for customer satisfaction and that is the reason they also look for great suppliers who can provide good quality products in proper time with competitive pricing. Evaluation of the brand image: Wal-Mart has always been in the way to strengthen its existence. Around 2000 they opened the walmart.com which is the online portal for online shopping. And they have all the facilities like on-time delivery, great products and easy to use. In 2008 they have changes their total brand image, from the Wal-Mart store; Inc they changed their brand name to Walmart. Criticism about Wal-Mart: It is a true fact that gr eat brands have great criticisms. The Wal-Mart has been criticized in many ways many times but somehow I had overcome the criticism and embarked towards the success. In many times it has been criticized as the slaughter of the small grocery businesses. There are many times when small grocery stores owners have opposed the erection of the Wal-Mart store in their vicinity. But, the success relies on the verdicts of the customers. Mr. Sam Walton understood the importance of the demanded products to be sold in a low price in a price sensitive market. The Wal-Mart is

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Industrial Analysis For The Candy Store Marketing Essay

Industrial Analysis For The Candy Store Marketing Essay Our business plan is to design an on campus candy store which provides a wide range of candies to students and the staff at a cheaper rate. We hope to provide a new sweet experience to our customers to sweeten their most memorable days with our candies. To the students who like sweets our store will be a paradise of candies. And we will ensure the 100% customer satisfaction. Our mission statement. Our mission is to introduce a new era in the sweet industry by innovating new products, to give a totally different experience to our customers who step on to our store and to inject freshness in the sweet industry such as candies with different flavours, wide range of party packages, seasonal offers and many more. Market forecast Sales value of sweets were slightly in pace between 2005 and 2006 but sales has being increased because of gum and jellies. Sources suggests that the sugar confectionery market will increase by 9% at current prices over the 2007-12 period, rising to an estimated  £1.3 billion by 2012. C:UsersSubnet1Desktopid=273283name=figure6-1-1185370514.jpgmaxWidth=851maxHeight=450.jpg Sales of sugar confectionery in the UK have followed a modest upward trend over the review period. Some industry commentators estimate even flatter trends and a minor growth of 3-3.5% between 2005-2007. Health concerns as well affected for the sales growth because more concern about balance diets. The sugar confectionery market will increase by 9% at current prices over the 2007-12 periods, rising to an estimated  £1.3 billion by 2012. However, removing the effects of inflation reveals a much more growth equating to just 1% in real-terms. The market increasing at a similar rate to that seen over the 2002-07 period, growing 6% over the next five years. With volume growth behind value in current terms, this is indicative of a rise in spend per unit on sugar confectionery over the forecast period. SWOT analysis Following are the strengths and opportunities of our business which we possess to bring a better range of candies to satisfy the customers we will minimize our weaknesses and threats while finding solutions to overcome them. Strengths are, The logo which speaks to the customer and attract them. Especially youngsters will be keener on the logo. Main concern will be on more natural colours and flavours will help to attract more customers. Since consumers are focus on health, gum and jellies have taken more priority as they made up of natural fruit juices. Novelty products such as party bags, seasonal products and surprise gifts help to drag more customers as well customized range of party packages. Attractive price range so that everyone willing to buy. Strong management team to organize plans for future and for past. As well developing good skills, sales strategies to attract more customers and also to maintain good faith with the retailers. Weaknesses are, Higher innovation cost has to occur to invent new candies to attract the customers. Efficiency is less as incapable of paying higher salary to staff. Less exposure to the wider market to attract more customers. Opportunities can be, Young generation looking for more diverse product range. On campus is a good location as there are no specific candy shops which provide variety of candies. Event coverage with discounted packages. Even in higher economic crisiss people will are willing to buy candies. Threats can be, Competition with other supermarkets which are based on campus. Economic slowdown. Price wars. Trend for discounts. Higher labour cost. PEST control analysis Political: The government would have to collect taxes from the shop therefore the candy store would have to pay the normal tax rates. The business doesnt need to be privatised because the property that they are going to use is in Brunel University. They have to follow the health and safety regulation due to being in the packed food industry. The business would not have control on the spending of the public funds however since they would pay tax they would want to know where the government is using the tax that they pay. Economical: The store will be less likely to be affected with the interest and inflation rate because the products are not very expensive therefore there would be minimal effect on the sales of the shop. If the store keeps the service friendly, helpful and has policies to deal with situations like sales return these factors would help create consumer confidence. The rate of unemployment would affect the business due to the reason that the people would be less likely to spend their disposable income on things like candy therefore they should develop a strategy that would help them keep going at the time of recession. The labour cost would be how much money they would spend on recruitment and the recruitment process. Socio- culture: the trend, consumers taste and preferences, change in lifestyle would affect the store the occupation wouldnt matter because all age groups would have it. Mainly it is targeted to the students and staff of the university. Also including things like organic candy that would also be ethnic and healthy to would attract many consumers. Technological: there would be a balanced effect of this factor on the business. They need software that would help them to innovate thing for the business so that they can maintain their consumers however they may also use it to increase the number of consumers for the business. The business can discover something new or improve the way they serve the consumers. If they have any way of doing the accounts and also to keep track on the financial side of the business. Legal: the business would need to follow all the employment laws and company laws. The business would need to find out what are the regulations of the business their type they may do this by going to the food department of the location where they are going to start and find out what sort of licence is needed to start up the store the business would also need to get employees identification number, resale permit and a food handler permit. Environmental: the store will not be affected a lot with the climatic changes because you can have candy anytime. The business may make more profits around Halloween and Christmas however it may remain popular throughout the season. Water resources wouldnt affect the business because the business wouldnt need water to serve the consumers however they would need it to remain hygienic however they may also use anti-bacterial gels. Energy supply would affect the business because they would not be able to use the computers, they may use the fridge that keeps the stock of the candy at a certain temperature if the electricity is not there that might differ the taste of the candy. Porters five forces The threats of new entrants Usually there will be more threats to a candy store as it can be initiate with lesser amount capital, can start up as a home industry, no investors needed etc. But since our candy store located on campus there will be less threats of new entrants so the competition will be low. The buyer power The consumers will compare the prices of other candy stores with us, and choose which one they can get more benefit and which one is cheaper, which one is delicious, in this case, we maybe reduce the price then get less profit or enhance the quality of candy then more and more consumers like our candy. So it can be stated that buyer power is high since the students and willing to buy a candy as a snack after a lecture. The supplier power In production of candies the primary raw materials we need are the coco beans, milk, sugar etc. When finding manufacturers, there are many but it is more important to find one which has quality products at a reasonable price. Sometimes the manufacturers may use financial techniques such as hedging in order to reduce the price impact of price rises on their own margins. However since the fine grade of coco production shows small part of world supply, the bargaining power of suppliers will increase. Overall it can say that suppliers power is high as we are buying raw materials from suppliers and preparing our sweets. The threat of substitution Some substitutes for a candy shop could be traditional chocolates, snacks and other confectionary products which customers used to satisfy their sweet tooth. So its clear that the candy industry should face numerous types of other substitutes such as peanut butter, yoghurts, ice creams, cookies etc. Therefore there is a good variety of substitutes available for the consumers which make the threat of substitution high. The competitive rivalry The intensity among rivalry among competitors in a business can lead to price wars, advertising battles, new product lines and high quality customer service. On campus our main rivalry party will be the supermarkets and shops which sell candies but as we selling variety of candies such as jaw breakers. Gummies, candy cane etc the competition will be less. So as we based on campus the competitors threat will be less to our candy store. SWOT analysis for our competitors Strengths Firms brand name and resources. Experience of being in the industry for longer time. Highly skilled labour. Weaknesses Low product awareness. Lack of variety of candies. Poor facility location. Lack of innovations. Opportunities Easy access to market. Even in inflationary situations people will tend to buy the candies. Special seasoning offers. Threats Since it is easy to start up more competitors will be there. As customers are more health conscious it will affect the sales volume. Imposing new regulations by government towards the sweet industry. Market segmentation Geography Segmentation strategy will allow the company to determine whether the segment is large enough to sustain the product or if there is no viable market for the product. If the company decides that the strategy is a viable one, than the company can implement and design a marketing mix strategy to implement for each of their individual segments. The candy shop we are going to open will be on campus in which our target customers will be mainly the students and the staff. The first task important to our candy shop is to understand the relationship between consumers and products in order to understand the environment and those involved in the consumer process. Once we evaluates the environment then must investigate the segmentation bases. Our segment will be students and the staff to whom we will be bound to serve according to their preferences like what candies they like most, what flavours they need etc. Determining the segmentation of the marketing process identifies useful categories in specific segments in which to target. Soft confectionery: the sweet of choice NPD and advertising support have helped drive sales of soft confectionery, which exceeded  £700 million in 2011. This segment represents just under half of the total market, with steady growth expected to continue in the coming years. Consumer tastes appear to be shifting from traditional hard to soft confectionery as static sales of hard sweets have seen the segment lose market share despite a recent rise in NPD. Gum represents just under 20% of the total market, and although the segment posted growth in 2011, its share fell slightly due to the growth rate falling behind that of the overall market. Figure 30: UK retail value sales of sugar confectionery and gum, by type, 2009-11 2009 % 2010 % 2011 (est) % % change 2010-11 % change 2009-11  £m  £m  £m Soft confectionery 681 44 690 44 704 45 +2.0 +3.4 Mint confectionery 215 14 219 14 220 14 +0.5 +2.3 Hard confectionery 181 12 182 12 183 11 +0.5 +1.1 Functional confectionery* 130 8 128 8 129 8 +0.8 -0.8 Other confectionery 40 2 42 3 42 3 +0.0 +5.0 pricing strategy for the candy store: Our business would be using a combination of pricing strategy. We believe that Psychological pricing would help the consumers set a boundary and realise that the one pence makes a difference in the way they think about the price. for example when the price is  £10 pounds the consumer may not buy it but if it is written as  £9.99 then they may be attracted to it. We would also concentrate on the consumer based pricing because this may boost the sales of our shop and if the consumers find that we have a reasonable prices for our product of better promotional strategy. We think that the more offers we keep on the candies the more consumers we will get. This sort of pricing strategy can also sometimes keep us in line with our consumer because we will always know what sort of pricing most attracts them and do they think that our price for the candy is reasonable. We will also be using popular pricing: is when the shop would know how much are the consumers willing to pay for the product and then we will put an offer for example two bags of candy normally would cost  £10 but we would sell two bags less than  £9.50. Organisational structure: Organizational structure refers to the way that an organization arranges people and jobs so that its work can be performed and its goals can be met. When a work group is very small and face-to-face communication is frequent, formal structure may be unnecessary, but in a larger organization decisions have to be made about the delegation of various tasks. Thus, procedures are established that assign responsibilities for various functions. It is these decisions that determine the organizational structure. Candy store organisational structure: Director of marketing in candy store A marketing director is a person responsible for the overall marketing operations of an organization or business. The job requires not only having skill in the creative aspect of advertising, but also having the budgetary knowledge needed to plan appropriately. Thus, the marketing director must be an effective manager in terms of both budget, and the creative process. Time at the job will often be split between these two primary functions. In our candy store, there are two people manage advertising and budget. Our advertising should always be aesthetically pleasing so student will think happy thoughts when they think of candy. And use the Internet and traditional advertising to market your candy store, including writing your own press releases to disseminate to your local newspapers. Another idea is to visit local condominiums and leave samples and literature in the clubhouse, or take samples along with business cards to office buildings and give them to receptionists to hand out And budget our money so we have the resources to do what we want , for example: more advertising to attract student; more kinds of candy; more activity. Director of sales in candy store An individual employed by a business to manage the activities of subordinate salespeople, and to develop and implement an effective selling strategy for the business in general. The sales director typically has full control over the sales function and staff within the budget allocated by a business and is often part of its higher management. The director of our candy shop should presents a summary of his visits to the director of sales and marketing on a weekly basis prior and after the week is completed and conduct monthly competitor market survey on their new candy, promotion and pricing tactics and to report to director of sales for proactive strategic planning. Director of operations in candy store The manager of our candy store, who is responsible for the overall day-to-day operations. We divide our candy store to two parts, one of them is shop A, including zone A-D, and another one is shop B, including zone E-G, in this case, the student in campus can buy candy easily. Opportunities and treats There are many opportunities for new businesses to enter the sweet confectionary market. It is predicted that the sale figures of this market has increased by 9.6 percent in the UK. This is the only business that is not threatened by the inflation, because consumers still buy confectionary sweet even when they are on a tight budget. The graph below supports the statement. sugar sales 2006 to 2016.JPG Marketing strategy The market strategy for the company is to sell products that are organic, with no artificial flavours and colours. The business will also have an ethical approach towards their consumers and employees. The market offers the business to be potentially successful due to the consistent increase in the sales on sugar confectionary. It has grown so much that all of the supermarket must have an aisle where they dont sell sweets. As long as we keep our prices reasonable consumers are likely to be loyal and they would defiantly repurchase again and again. Figure 13:  Consumer Confidence Index,  monthly, January 2007-October 2011 C:UsersThe HarsMusicid=599844seq=11maxWidth=851maxHeight=450.jpeg

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

In 1957 the Common Essay -- Economics

In 1957 the Common In 1957 the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was outlined by the then six member states. The main reason for the Common Agricultural policy was to make Agriculture a self sufficient entity in The European Union. The six member states of the European Union proposed to do this by creating a stable market for agricultural produce and at the same time keeping prices at an affordable level for consumers. The heads of the European Union (E.U) believed that Agriculture was one of the most significant industries within the E.U; .and as a result agreed that special attention needed to be focused on this area of European policy. â€Å"When the nations of Europe got together in the late 1950’s, agriculture was important to their economies and even more important to their culture and societies† (Wyn, G. 1997 pg6) The common Agricultural policy which was finally agreed upon in 1962 and fully implemented in 1967 is to date the most fully integrated area in European policy. â€Å"Agricultural policy is the E.U’s most elaborate policy area and has always been the focus of interest† (Molle, Willem. T. M. 2001 pg 222) In summary the Common Agricultural policy had five main aims these were to * Increase Agricultural productivity * Ensure a fair standard of living for Farmers. * Stabilise agricultural markets. * Guarantee regular supplies of food. * Ensure reasonable prices for consumers. (Dinan, Desmond 1994 pg 326) The Common Agricultural policy replaced the systems in each of the nation states and the â€Å"guiding principals were (and are) * A single market-agricultural produce should be able to move freely throughout the community. * Community preference- priority should be given t... ...must be to further modernise the Common Agricultural Policy and avoid using dated solutions to fix modern agricultural problems. Bibliography Dinan, D. (1999) Ever closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration (2nd edition) Houndmills: Macmillan Press Ltd. El-Agraa, Ali M, (2001) The European Union Economics and Policies, (6th edition) Harlow: Pearson. George, S & Bache, I (2001) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nugent, N. (2003) The Government and Politics of the European Union (5th edition) Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, Robert, (2001) The politics and Economics of the European union (2nd edition) Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Wallace, H & Wallace W. (eds) (2000)Policy making in the European Oxford: Oxford University Press Wyn, G. (1997) The Common Agricultural Policy Houndmills: Macmillan. In 1957 the Common Essay -- Economics In 1957 the Common In 1957 the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was outlined by the then six member states. The main reason for the Common Agricultural policy was to make Agriculture a self sufficient entity in The European Union. The six member states of the European Union proposed to do this by creating a stable market for agricultural produce and at the same time keeping prices at an affordable level for consumers. The heads of the European Union (E.U) believed that Agriculture was one of the most significant industries within the E.U; .and as a result agreed that special attention needed to be focused on this area of European policy. â€Å"When the nations of Europe got together in the late 1950’s, agriculture was important to their economies and even more important to their culture and societies† (Wyn, G. 1997 pg6) The common Agricultural policy which was finally agreed upon in 1962 and fully implemented in 1967 is to date the most fully integrated area in European policy. â€Å"Agricultural policy is the E.U’s most elaborate policy area and has always been the focus of interest† (Molle, Willem. T. M. 2001 pg 222) In summary the Common Agricultural policy had five main aims these were to * Increase Agricultural productivity * Ensure a fair standard of living for Farmers. * Stabilise agricultural markets. * Guarantee regular supplies of food. * Ensure reasonable prices for consumers. (Dinan, Desmond 1994 pg 326) The Common Agricultural policy replaced the systems in each of the nation states and the â€Å"guiding principals were (and are) * A single market-agricultural produce should be able to move freely throughout the community. * Community preference- priority should be given t... ...must be to further modernise the Common Agricultural Policy and avoid using dated solutions to fix modern agricultural problems. Bibliography Dinan, D. (1999) Ever closer Union: An Introduction to European Integration (2nd edition) Houndmills: Macmillan Press Ltd. El-Agraa, Ali M, (2001) The European Union Economics and Policies, (6th edition) Harlow: Pearson. George, S & Bache, I (2001) Politics in the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nugent, N. (2003) The Government and Politics of the European Union (5th edition) Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, Robert, (2001) The politics and Economics of the European union (2nd edition) Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Wallace, H & Wallace W. (eds) (2000)Policy making in the European Oxford: Oxford University Press Wyn, G. (1997) The Common Agricultural Policy Houndmills: Macmillan.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Wesfarmers : Financial Analysis

Wesfarmers : Financial Analysis Wesfarmers main focus is very simple but an effective objective of providing a satisfactory return to its shareholders. The beauty of this objective is that it is measurable, and they seek to achieve a return on equity, which ranks Wesfarmers in the top 20 percent of Australia’s listed companies and able to manage the portfolio of businesses which make up the group with strong financial focus (Australian Securities Exchange,2008). The ongoing success of Wesfarmers is based on shareholder focus, financial disciplines and goodwill and hence it has achieved significant financial growth in the preceding 6 years. It is a â€Å" diversified Australian group, provides home improvement products, building supplies, coal mining, gas, industrial and safety products, food, groceries, apparel, office products and insurance (Business Review, 2008). Wesfarmers key strategy is to grow through acquisitions. In line with the strategy, Wesfarmers made several acquisitions over the years which enhanced their financial position and stability. Over the years the group acquired Linde Gas, which is a major provider of gas to the Australian Industrial market. In 2003 Wesfarmers finalized the acquisition of Lumley Australian and New Zealand insurance business which helped diversify Wesfarmers business operations and finally in 2007, Wesfarmers acquired the Coles group (Greenhalgh, 2008). Table 1: Major Acquisitions BusinessPriceEBIT ($m)EV/EBIT multiple OAMPS7255812. 5 Linde Gas5007313. 5 Coles Group19,3001,15016. 8 Source: www. wesfarmers. com. au The most common form of financial analysis is undertaken using ratios, using the data from financial statements and other related sources. By analyzing and calculating the figures obtained from the Wesfarmers financial statements of the preceding 5-6 years we can develop an insight to the success and growth of the company (accounting text book). Over the years Wesfarmers has grown significantly both physically and financially. In 2003 the group achieved a result with net profits reaching $538 million, with an after tax net profit of 16 percent. Earnings per share before goodwill amortization were up by nine percent and shareholders received an increase in dividends by up to 14 percent. The total operating revenue increased five percent a revenue of 7. 8 billion when compared to the previous year, and a 20 percent increase in net operating cash flow due to a strong focus on working capital and preceding years higher profit (Wesfarmers 2003). Over the last 4 years Wesfarmers net revenues kept rising dramatically from 7. 54 billion in 2005 to approximately 8. 71 billion in 2007. With the acquisition of Coles retail assets in 2007, the scale of Wesfarmers retail operations increased extensively with operations from over 3,200 stores throughout Australia and total sales of $39. billion in the year 2007. This substantially demonstrates the significant buying power with suppliers manufactures and obtains benefits associated with dedicated networks and shareholder goodwill (Wesfarmers, 2007). There was a significant rise in net profit margin 7. 65% in 2004 to 9. 85 % in 2006. However 2008 being a difficult year due to the global financial crisis there has been a drop in ne t profit margin. There has always been a constant increase in the Return on asset from 8. 60% in 2004 to 12. 2 % in 2006 and also large increase on the return on equity a tremendous increase to 26. 15% in 2006. This demonstrates the overall growth and performance over the years (FinAnalysis,2009). As organizations grow and expand successfully they are also faced with a lot of challenges. Given the recent acquisition of Coles, Wesfarmers financial policies and liquidity position has changed significantly. Until 2008 Wesfarmers has a strong control over their assets, and the ability of the company to meet short term obligations were high. However off late their liquidity position is considered to be weak, considering the significant level of short term debt they have acquired, although a portion of it was paid off by the end of 2008, there is still a segment of it which is yet to be completely cleared off. However given the global financial and economic crisis, Financial experts have predicted that Wesfarmers debt levels are going to rise in the short to medium term of 2009 (Greenhalgh, 2008). This shows the ability of Wesfarmers to purchase assets using borrowed funds and thus lever up their total assets. The short to medium term debt will have to be refinanced in the coming months to assist it reducing any further risks. Wesfarmers services a diverse customer base reflecting the broad range of industries in which the company operates, given this diverse operations of groups they have a large number of competitors including MITRE 10, BHP, RIO and Orica, Caltex etc ( FinAnalysis, 2009). However the major one of them all being Woolworths. Woolworths has established a clear lead in sales growth in recent years, and is estimated to hold approximately 27% of the market with Coles falling down to 23%. Woolworths has clearly demonstrated a lead in terms of supermarket margins and supply chain automation resulting in heavy price discounting, and they have reported a solid growth in margins from 4. 7% in 2005 to 6. 2% in 2007(Woolworths, 2008). As Wesfarmers operate in various other industries and segments they have demonstrated a strong position in the market. General merchandising and apparel store Target has performed strongly compared to peers, reporting margins growing from 2. 1% in 2002 to 8. 8% in 2007. However both Coles and Woolworths operate in a duopolistic market for large scale retailers, with other competitors finding it difficult to compete with these two massive players. Stakeholder analysis: â€Å"The Board of Wesfarmers Limited is a strong advocate of good corporate governance and is committed to providing a satisfactory return to its shareholders and fulfilling its corporate governance obligations and responsibilities in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders complying with the ASX corporate Governance Council’s Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations† (Wesfarmers, 2008). The stakeholders include employees, customers, suppliers and other contractors, government agencies, local communities, and also shareholders in the parent company. The company strives to expand and improve its sustainability efforts into the future by enhancing the physical environment in which they operate, provide a safe working environment for employees, customers and other stakeholders, treating all stakeholders with respect, investing in the communities for development and better standards of living and most of all, behaving in a legal and ethical manner (Hill et,al. 007, p. 34 & Wesfarmers, 2008). However there were a few discrepancies and criticism in the early 1990’s, regarding environment and longstanding pollutions issue from sites used for fertilizer production by Wesfarmers. The government and the public were concerned about leaching of heavy metals into the water table. Criticism also leveled at the company over its adequate stakeholder involvement in the issue ( Sustainable Asset Management, 2003). It was also known that a large number of stakeholder of the parent company were now pleased and supportive of the acquisition of Coles group. However eventually it was understood that shareholders supported the proposal and realized it was an opportunity for future growth, increased market share, and higher share prices and returns (Bolt, 2007). Over the years Wesfarmers made strong efforts and changes to advocate the best practice in Corporate Governance by fulfilling its obligations and responsibilities. The board approved new terms of reference for the audit and compliance committee. The committee also has the responsibility to assess the effectiveness of the group’s compliance reporting programe to cover areas such as crisis management, legal liability, risk review, insurance, financial issues, environmental health and safely management (Wesfarmers, 2007). Wesfarmers also revised their disclosure process and policy and improved timely disclosure of relevant information to the market, this includes the conduct of investor and analyst briefing and communication with the media. Stakeholders are involved in reviews and stakeholders surveys to tackle key areas such as supply chain, OH&S, resource consumption, product stewardship, feedbacks and complaints etc to comment on the company’s performance. The Australian Standards Technical Committee, Australian Water and other authorities have concluded that Wesfarmers has involved in ensuring environmental responsibility and safety (Wesfarmers, 2007). Succession planning is another issue which is constantly under review within the group. Together with the mergers and acquisitions taken place over the years, Wesfarmers board ensured that these transitions were a smooth one, keeping abreast with the history and culture of the company. This evolution had diversified and strengthened the company together with the experience and knowledge and skill of highly committed directors (Wesfarmers, 2007). References Wesfarmers, 2008, ‘Corporate Governance’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Bolt, C, 2007, ‘Wesfarmers makes improved offer for coles, The West Australian, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Wesfarmers, 2008, ‘Submission on the federal government’s Green paper for a proposed carbon pollution reduction scheme’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Sustainable Asset Management, 2003, ‘Sustainability Leaders Australia Fund’, retrieved on 27 December 2008, . Wesfarmers, 2007, ‘Annual General Meeting – Chairman’s Address’, retrieved 29 December 2008, .

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher in World War II

Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher in World War II Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher was an American naval officer who played a key role in the early battles of World War II in the Pacific. An Iowa native, he received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the occupation of Veracruz. Though he had little experience with carriers, Fletcher directed Allied forces at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942 and at the Battle of Midway a month later. That August, he oversaw the invasion of Guadalcanal and was criticized for withdrawing his ships leaving the Marines ashore unprotected and under-supplied. Fletcher later commanded Allied forces in the northern Pacific in the final years of the conflict. Early Life and Career A native of Marshalltown, IA, Frank Jack Fletcher was born April 29, 1885. The nephew of a naval officer, Fletcher elected to pursue a similar career. Appointed to the US Naval Academy in 1902, his classmates included Raymond Spruance, John McCain, Sr., and Henry Kent Hewitt. Completing his class work on February 12, 1906, he proved an above average student and ranked 26th in a class of 116. Departing Annapolis, Fletcher began serving the two years at sea that were then required prior to commissioning. Initially reporting to USS Rhode Island (BB-17), he later served aboard USS Ohio (BB-12). In September 1907, Fletcher moved to the armed yacht USS Eagle. While on board, he received his commission as a ensign in February 1908. Later assigned to USS Franklin, the receiving ship at Norfolk, Fletcher oversaw drafting men for service with the Pacific Fleet. Traveling with this contingent aboard USS Tennessee (ACR-10), he arrived in at Cavite, Philippines during the fall of 1909. That November, Fletcher was assigned to the destroyer USS Chauncey. Veracruz Serving with the Asiatic Torpedo Flotilla, Fletcher received his first command in April 1910 when ordered to the destroyer USS Dale. As the ships commander, he led to a top ranking among the US Navys destroyers at that springs battle practice as well as claimed the gunnery trophy. Remaining in the Far East, he later captained Chauncey in 1912. That December, Fletcher returned to the United States and reported aboard the new battleship USS Florida (BB-30). While with the ship, he took part in the Occupation of Veracruz which began in April 1914. Part of the naval forces led by his uncle, Rear Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher, he was placed in command of the chartered mail steamer Esperanza and successfully rescued 350 refugees while under fire. Later in the campaign, Fletcher brought a number of foreign nationals out of the interior by train after a complex series of negotiations with the local Mexican authorities. Earning a formal commendation for his efforts, this was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1915. Leaving Florida that July, Fletcher reported for duty as Aide and Flag Lieutenant for his uncle who was assuming command of the Atlantic Fleet. Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher Rank: AdmiralService: United States NavyNickname(s): Black JackBorn: April 29, 1885 in Marshalltown, IADied: April 25, 1973 in Bethesda, MDParents: Thomas J. and Alice FletcherSpouse: Martha RichardsConflicts: World War I, World War IIKnown For: Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Invasion of Guadalcanal, Battle of the Eastern Solomons World War I Remaining with his uncle until September 1915, Fletcher then departed to take an assignment at Annapolis. With the American entry into World War I in April 1917, he became the gunnery officer aboard USS Kearsarge (BB-5) Transferred that September, Fletcher, now a lieutenant commander, briefly commanded USS Margaret before sailing for Europe. Arriving in February 1918, he took command of the destroyer USS Allen before moving to USS Benham that May. Commanding Benham for most of the year, Fletcher received the Navy Cross for his actions during convoy duty in the North Atlantic. Departing that fall, he traveled to San Francisco where he oversaw the construction of vessels for the US Navy at Union Iron Works. Interwar Years Following a staff posting in Washington, Fletcher returned to sea in 1922 with a series of assignments on the Asiatic Station. These included command of the destroyer USS Whipple followed by the gunboat USS Sacramento and submarine tender USS Rainbow. In this final vessel, Fletcher also oversaw the submarine base at Cavite, Philippines. Ordered home in 1925, he saw duty at the Washington Naval Yard before joining USS Colorado (BB-45) as executive officer in 1927. After two years of duty aboard the battleship, Fletcher was selected to attend the US Naval War College at Newport, RI. Graduating, he sought additional education at the US Army War College before accepting an appointment as Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, US Asiatic Fleet in August 1931. Serving as chief of staff to Admiral Montgomery M. Taylor for two years with the rank of captain, Fletcher gained early insight into Japanese naval operations following their invasion of Manchuria. Ordered back to Washington after two years, he next held a post in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. This was followed by duty as Aide to Secretary of the Navy Claude A. Swanson. In June 1936, Fletcher assumed command of the battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40). Sailing as flagship of Battleship Division Three, he furthered the vessels reputation as an elite warship. He was aided in this by the future father of the nuclear navy, Lieutenant Hyman G. Rickover, who was New Mexicos assistant engineering officer. Fletcher remained with the vessel until December 1937 when he departed for duty in the Navy Department. Made Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation in June 1938, Fletcher was promoted to rear admiral the following year. Ordered to the US Pacific Fleet in late 1939, he first commanded Cruiser Division Three and later Cruiser Division Six. While Fletcher was in the latter post, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. World War II With the US entry into World War II, Fletcher received orders to take Task Force 11, centered on the carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) to relieve Wake Island which was under attack from the Japanese. Moving towards the island, Fletcher was recalled on December 22 when leaders received reports of two Japanese carriers operating in the area. Though a surface commander, Fletcher took command of Task Force 17 on January 1, 1942. Commanding from the carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) he learned air operations at sea while cooperating with Vice Admiral William Bull Halseys Task Force 8 in mounting raids against the Marshall and Gilbert Islands that February. A month later, Fletcher served as second in command to Vice Admiral Wilson Brown during operations against Salamaua and Lae on New Guinea. Battle of the Coral Sea With Japanese forces threatening Port Moresby, New Guinea in early May, Fletcher received orders from the Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Chester Nimitz, to intercept the enemy. Joined by aviation expert Rear Admiral Aubrey Fitch and USS Lexington (CV-2) he moved his forces into the Coral Sea. After mounting air strikes against Japanese forces on Tulagi on May 4, Fletcher received word that the Japanese invasion fleet was approaching. Though air searches failed to find the enemy the next day, efforts on May 7 proved more successful. Opening the Battle of the Coral Sea, Fletcher, with Fitchs assistance, mounted strikes which succeeded in sinking the carrier Shoho. The next day, American aircraft badly damaged the carrier Shokaku, but Japanese forces succeeded in sinking Lexington and damaging Yorktown. Battered, the Japanese elected to withdraw after the battle giving the Allies a key strategic victory. Battle of Midway Forced to return to Pearl Harbor to make repairs on Yorktown, Fletcher was in port only briefly before being dispatched by Nimitz to oversee the defense of Midway. Sailing, he joined with Spruances Task Force 16 which possessed the carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Hornet (CV-8). Serving as the senior commander at the Battle of Midway, Fletcher mounted strikes against the Japanese fleet on June 4. Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher, September 1942. US Naval History and Heritage Command The initial attacks sunk the carriers Akagi, Soryu, and Kaga. Responding, the Japanese carrier Hiryu launched two raids against Yorktown that afternoon before being sunk by American aircraft. The Japanese attacks succeeded in crippling the carrier and forced Fletcher to shift his flag to the heavy cruiser USS Astoria. Though Yorktown was later lost to a submarine attack, the battle proved a key victory for the Allies and was the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Fighting in the Solomons On July 15, Fletcher received a promotion to vice admiral. Nimitz had tried to obtain this promotion in May and June but had been blocked by Washington as some perceived Fletchers actions at the Coral Sea and Midway as being overly-cautious. Fletchers rebuttal to these claims was that he was attempting to preserve the US Navys scarce resources in the Pacific in the wake of Pearl Harbor. Given command of Task Force 61, Nimitz directed Fletcher to oversee the invasion of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Landing the 1st Marine Division on August 7, his carrier aircraft provided cover from Japanese land-based fighters and bombers. Concerned about fuel and aircraft losses, Fletcher elected to withdraw his carriers from the area on August 8. This move proved controversial it compelled the amphibious forces transports to withdraw before landing much of the 1st Marine Divisions supplies and artillery. Fletcher justified his decision based on the need to protect the carriers for use against their Japanese counterparts. Left exposed, the Marines ashore were subjected to nightly shelling from Japanese naval forces and were short on supplies. While the Marines consolidated their position, the Japanese began planning a counter-offensive to reclaim the island. Overseen by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Imperial Japanese Navy commenced Operation Ka in late August. This called for Japanese three carriers, led by Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, to eliminate Fletchers ships which would permit surface forces to clear the area around Guadalcanal. This done, a large troop convoy would proceed to the island. Clashing at the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on August 24-25, Fletcher succeeded in sinking the light carrier Ryujo but had Enterprise badly damaged. Though largely inconclusive, the battle forced the Japanese convoy to turn around and compelled them to deliver supplies to Guadalcanal by destroyer or submarine. Later War Following Eastern Solomons, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King, severely criticized Fletcher for not pursuing Japanese forces after the battle. A week after the engagement, Fletchers flagship, Saratoga, was torpedoed by I-26. The damage sustained forced the carrier to return to Pearl Harbor. Arriving, an exhausted Fletcher was given leave. On November 18, he assumed command of the 13th Naval District and Northwestern Sea Frontier with his headquarters at Seattle. In this post for the remainder of the war, Fletcher also became commander of the Alaskan Sea Frontier in April 1944. Pushing ships across the North Pacific, he mounted attacks on the Kurile Islands. With the end of the war in September 1945, Fletchers forces occupied northern Japan. Returning to the United States later that year, Fletcher joined the General Board of the Navy Department on December 17. Later chairing the board, he retired from active duty on May 1, 1947. Elevated to the rank of admiral upon leaving the service, Fletcher retired to Maryland. He later died on April 25, 1973, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole

The secret diary of Adrian mole aged 13 and  ¾ Content: 1. General information 2. my first impression 3. The story 4. reading experience 1. General information Just some facts about the book that may matter and could be interesting: Author Sue Townsend Title The secret diary of Adrian mole aged 13 3/4 Publisher Methuen-Mandarin Place of publication London Printing 5th Year of copyright 1982 Number of pages 187 2. My first impression I found the book in the local library, I decided to read it because my mother told me it was good, and the reviews describe it as hilarious and as a very funny not-to-be-missed book. I had high expectations of it because everyone I told about it said it was seriously worth reading it. After reading it, I did feel satisfied with my choice but though I liked the book, I don’t think it is hilarious nor screamingly funny. It was funny but I didn’t have to wipe my eyes so that I could go on reading. What I find very interesting about this novel is the perspective an almost 14 year old boy, who claims to be an intellectual and thinks he knows all about the world. When his mother falls in love with his neighbour, he writes every happening down very innocently but he does not draw the logical conclusion that his mother is cheating on his dad. He really often describes features of a situation but he doesn’t draw the mature conclusion which the reader does get. And when he finds out later what is really going on he also doesn’t feel stupid. He thinks he’s the big boy but the reader knows he isn’t. 3. The story The book is the diary of Adrian Mole, which he starts at 1 January. He makes some resolutions for the New Year. He’s mad at his mum because she doesn’t give him healthy food. In January his parents get ill and Adrian feels sorry for himself because he has to take care of his parents. The neighbou... Free Essays on The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Free Essays on The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole The secret diary of Adrian mole aged 13 and  ¾ Content: 1. General information 2. my first impression 3. The story 4. reading experience 1. General information Just some facts about the book that may matter and could be interesting: Author Sue Townsend Title The secret diary of Adrian mole aged 13 3/4 Publisher Methuen-Mandarin Place of publication London Printing 5th Year of copyright 1982 Number of pages 187 2. My first impression I found the book in the local library, I decided to read it because my mother told me it was good, and the reviews describe it as hilarious and as a very funny not-to-be-missed book. I had high expectations of it because everyone I told about it said it was seriously worth reading it. After reading it, I did feel satisfied with my choice but though I liked the book, I don’t think it is hilarious nor screamingly funny. It was funny but I didn’t have to wipe my eyes so that I could go on reading. What I find very interesting about this novel is the perspective an almost 14 year old boy, who claims to be an intellectual and thinks he knows all about the world. When his mother falls in love with his neighbour, he writes every happening down very innocently but he does not draw the logical conclusion that his mother is cheating on his dad. He really often describes features of a situation but he doesn’t draw the mature conclusion which the reader does get. And when he finds out later what is really going on he also doesn’t feel stupid. He thinks he’s the big boy but the reader knows he isn’t. 3. The story The book is the diary of Adrian Mole, which he starts at 1 January. He makes some resolutions for the New Year. He’s mad at his mum because she doesn’t give him healthy food. In January his parents get ill and Adrian feels sorry for himself because he has to take care of his parents. The neighbou...

Monday, November 4, 2019

IPad's Security Breach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

IPad's Security Breach - Assignment Example We immediately took the sites offline to assess how this had happened and what had been accessed, then took further measures to increase the security of these and all of our websites, before allowing the sites to go live again" News | SQUARE ENIX MEMBERS (n.d.) However, servers that were preserving archives correlated to e-commerce transactions and credit cards were not interconnected to the website. Moreover, candidates have uploaded their resumes to ‘Square Enix’ for job considerations were also pilfered. Hackers can now trade and sell information present in the resumes, as educational background, home address and contact numbers, interest, hobbies, references etc. are exposed. Conversely, organization denied the fact that only one email address was leaked during the hack. Moreover, organization also stated that the website was equipped with latest and most updated web security architecture. An employee from an organization justified this fact as â€Å"We take the sec urity of our websites extremely seriously and employ strict measures, which we test regularly, to guard against this sort of incident† Square Enix admits to Deus Ex website hacks. (n.d.). The statement given by the concerned personnel of an organization was not credible as the security breach clearly demonstrated loopholes in their security architecture. One more incident related to website hacking took place in which some particular areas of the website were breached. The name of the website was daily Telegraph. It was hacked by Romanian hackers. Moreover, the areas that were hacked includes pages named as ‘Short Breaks’ and ‘Wine and Dine’ respectively. There are still no answers for the hacking incident that was conducted by these hackers. The methodology and technology that was used to attack the site was not found. A researcher named as Chris Boyd illustrated description of the pages that were hacked. The contents of the page were â€Å"sick of seeing garbage like this †¦ calling us Romanians gypsies† (Daily telegraph website hacked by aggrieved Romanians, n.d.). The survey concluded and justified the real world factors related to website hacking, as it has its own place in the field of hacking. In order to protect websites from vulnerabilities and threats, security measures are required. Moreover, websites providing e-commerce services are even more vulnerable and require most updated security controls in place. 1 Ethics Statement Hacking is a process that is implemented to explore a security imperfection that has not been reported earlier. Mostly, information security specialists take hacking as a concept of stealing and destroying data or any incident related to criminal activities. However, hacking exemplifies skills of an individual to exhibit his knowledge on the network domain, as well as on the application domain. Research and development in terms of information security is evaluated due to hacking and s ecurity loop holes (Introduction to computer ethics n.d.). One view of hacking is to be acquiescent, as a good cause is to strengthen the security architecture. However, the second view of hacking has the capacity to facilitate individuals to steal highly confidential information from servers located in organization as well as stealing funds by credit cards and bank account, therefore, giving a major business loss to an organization. Hacking ethics are important

Saturday, November 2, 2019

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War Essay - 1

To what extend can it be said that the 'West' won the Cold War - Essay Example Did the West Really Win the Cold War? It has to be explained first what was involved in the end of the Cold War, by determining the major components in the strategy of Gorbachev after 1985 and the unforeseen results of the course of internal and external reform. The policy reforms of Gorbachev occurred in four major domains; in each instance the policy acquired impetus and became more revolutionary commencing around 1987 (Geoffrey 2008). Primarily, the Soviet administration commenced after 1985 to reform features of its military strategy viewed as particularly hostile by the West, and at the same time to alter its method of arms control (Suri 2002). Gorbachev embarked on reassessing military principle, pioneering the notion of ‘reasonable sufficiency at the nuclear level’ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 139) which indicates that ‘lower nuclear weapons levels would be required’ (ibid, 139) and advancing toward ‘defensive defence at the conventional levelâ€℠¢ (Juviler & Kimura 2009, 140), in an effort to suppress the apprehensions of the West about surprise assault. Subsequently, Gorbachev indicated a reform in the ideological scope and proclaimed objectives of Soviet foreign policy, distancing from an idea of global class conflict toward a more broad-minded idea of peace and alliance. Propaganda about peace had contributed in Soviet policy beforehand, but Gorbachev placed a new emphasis on the essence of the United Nations and on ‘human values’ (Keohane, Nye, & Hoffman 1997). The Soviet Union escorted a new ideological approach with actual hints of a real policy reform, for instance, fulfilling its financial obligations to UN peacekeeping activities and collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (Keohane et al. 1997). The last and most remarkable decision by Gorbachev was to modify Soviet policy toward the nations of East Europe (Phillips 2001). In his address in the UN in 1988 he declared that the Brezhnev Doctrine, stating the privilege of the Soviet Union to occupy Eastern Europe within the flag of socialist internationalism, had been discarded (Suri 2002). At some point in 1989 Solidarity made a compromise with the Polish United Workers’ party and adhered to the regime in August; a new multiparty elections and constitution in Hungary were declared in September (Suri 2002). In these two instances the deviation from the rule of the Communist Party was the outcome of an extended course of internal tension and the rise of strong party leaders, but reform was apparently permitted by the Soviet Union (Leffler & Westad 2010). Gorbachev tried to affect the more unruly administration of the German Democratic Republic (Geoffrey 2008). The Brezhnev Doctrine was officially abandoned by the Warsaw Pact when in the 1989 convention foreign ministers highlighted the right of each nation to be independent (Juviler & Kimura 2009). In spite of the recommendation of Gorbachev of large-scale re form in Eastern Europe, it is questionable if he expected, or aimed for, the disintegration of the coalition which took place after the revolutions in 1989 (Juviler & Kimura 2009). The concluding phase in the ending of the Cold War, the steady collapse of the USSR itself and the abandonment of the rule