Privacy on Social Networks

Network Sites (SNS) are websites that allow users to upload information to a public profile, create a list of online friends, and browse the profiles of other users of the SNS. The websites have membership rules and community standards. Users disclose identity-relevant information via their profile to others. This information is referential, directly referring to a person, or attributive, describing attributes to the data subject. Although most laws and regulations restrict the access to referential information, attributive information is not protected as such. However, the aggregation of large amounts of attributive information on SNS profiles poses new privacy risks, disclose identity-relevant information via their profile to others. Also, the privacy options in social networking sites do not work out in the way they are supposed to do. Keep your private life private! What does social network do? In real life, you have a circle of your friends. But what about their friends? And the friends of the friends of your friends? You can get to know people from literally any part of the world. That means you are sharing information with them. And that also means you are sharing a lot of information that you don't want to share! Information spreads faster through a Social Network Site than through a real? life network. Information might be disclosed to a group of people unexpectedly, because the digital information is easily copied, can be stored indefinitely and is searchable. It especially harms users when information travels through different social spheres, and ends up with people whom it was not intended for. People have been fired, missed out on job interviews and academic opportunities, and been suspended from school for instant messages, wall posts and other messages they mistakenly thought were like private real world conversations with friends. Do not post anything in social networks that you won't want to shout out in public. You can send private emails for that, but NEVER social networks. Social network is a place where you never know whom you are sharing private information with unless you yourself created the network! So be careful, stay safe! Applications and external links on social networking sites Have you ever used the ‘applications' of facebook, myspace or any other social networking sites? Did you read the policies of that site about those applications? In most cases, the games or applications owners have access to almost all of your information that you provided in your social networking account. Moreover, they may also use them for commercial purposes. Some of these applications may offer you to participate in a survey to earn ‘credits' or virtual ‘money'. You might, for example, earn some quick Farmville cash by answering a brief survey. Sounds a lot better than using your credit card, right? But you're probably safer breaking out your wallet. TechCruch cites one instance in which players could win currency if they filled out such a survey. At the end of the survey, they would be asked to provide their phone number so that they can receive a PIN via text to get the results. Once they've entered that PIN into the site, they're subscribed to a horoscope service for $9. 99 per month–something they won't know unless they diligently read all the fine print. Ouch. The victims could immediately try to cancel the subscription, of course, but they could still end up being charged. Unwanted charges aren't the only thing players are susceptible to: Social networking games make you a target for viruses and hackers as well. You will find a couple of threads in Zynga's community forums in which moderators warn users against accepting any gifts or invitations within a certain game on Facebook. (They didn't specify exactly what would happen if users accepted these buggy gifts or requests! ) Sometimes users also claim that a bug in the game wiped out all of their game progress. That can be pretty devastating for someone who has dedicated lots of time and money to it. Laws to minimize privacy threats Not all threats for privacy in Social Network Sites materialize and damage users in the same way. A risk analysis approach is needed to incorporate these insecurities into the analysis. The experts identified multiple threats for users of Social Network Sites. When these threats materialize, they become incidents that affect a certain amount of people. However, not all of these incidents damage users in the same way. The damage incurred depends on the type of threat and the perception of the user. Laws are directed at preventing the threats from materializing. More specifically, American tort laws create means for people to find compensations against the damages they incurred. Experts rate to what extent the tort laws address the threats for privacy and resulting damages they identified. The ratings of the various tort laws are depicted in illustration below. In 1986, Congress passed the Stored Communications Act as part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to address privacy issues attendant to the advent of the internet. Through the SCA, Congress intended to restrict disclosure of private communications by providers of electronic communications services. However, when Congress passed the SCA, the internet was in its infancy. The few networks available to consumers, such as Prodigy and America Online, were self-contained, and most people had never heard of the term e-mail, let alone utilized the limited form of electronic messaging that existed at the time. The World Wide Web did not yet exist, and it would be nearly a decade before the introduction of the web browser in the mid-1990s. Do you think the social networking sites abide by laws? Just because they are popular and big-game websites, doesn't mean their policies are always convenient for you. The Privacy Policies of popular social networking sites were found contradictory to the Canadian privacy law. In July 2009, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada issued a report on an in-depth investigation triggered by a complaint from the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. Third-party application developers Deactivation of accounts Personal information of non-users Accounts of deceased users Uses of user information Facebook did agree to change their privacy policies to avoid being banned or may be sued by Canadian government. But did that really make any difference? The Privacy Commissioner herself expressed dissatisfaction with the result. â€Å"While Facebook took some steps to resolve privacy concerns, the Commissioner remained dissatisfied by Facebook’s response at the end of the investigation. She was particularly concerned about the risks posed by the over-sharing of personal information with third-party developers of Facebook applications such as games and quizzes. † [Source: News release from Privacy Commission of Canada; Ottawa, August 27, 2009: ‘Facebook agrees to address Privacy Commissioner's concerns'] As having access to other people's private information is getting easier, laws can do a very little to protect us. We, ourselves have to be aware of where our information is going and who can have access to it.

Hungary’s Economic Crisis

Last year, â€Å"Promising economic indicators† is a headline in the front page of a Hungarian newspaper. The economists, government representatives and many politicians said that Hungary’s economy is growing. Growing half times as it should be. In reality and if economics can only speak, Hungary was in big trouble and in the verge of economic collapse last year. The economic crisis of Hungary led the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. Now, Hungary’s population is looking for the proper replacement for their Prime Minister. And they hope that whoever would be their Prime Minister will help them regain their economic stability. As economic crisis still exists in the country, many believed that the major factor that would determine the economic stability is its policies regarding their pensioners. Hungary’s total population of pensioners totaled for about 3 million which is about one-third of the whole population. Aside from supporting these pensioners, the government also pays for special benefits to accident victims, military and police veterans. The problem boils down to the public spending and finances. Pension is a heavy obligation that Hungary’s government is shouldering because of their policy regarding pensioners. Reforming the policy is not an option for the Socialist party of Gyurcsany because they protect the Socialist voting percentage which is mainly composed of retirees. Solutions should be done and we should try anything possible that will be in great help for the recovery of the nation. Possible solution is to cut the pension received by the retirees into much lesser amount. This would definitely be a great help in the recovery. One another option is to limit the pensions to those in proper age of retirees and not to those who were only taken their opportunity of having their pension because of undersized accidents. In the end, all should be working for the progress and recovery of this nation, not only the officials but also the people that are the ones greatly affected by the economic crisis. Any solutions can be beneficial and should be tried.

Truth is objective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Truth is objective - Essay Example Let us see what is the established meaning of "Truth" and "Objective" -the objective truth of these two terms, essentially soul mates. Britannica says about truth "In philosophy, the property of statements, thoughts, or propositions that are said, in ordinary discourse, to agree with the facts or to state what is the case. It is a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true. It is the body of true statements and propositions" Webster's dictionary defines the term objective like this: of, relating to, or being an object, phenomenon, or condition in the realm of sensible experience independent of individual thought and perceptible by all observers: having reality independent of the mind; expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations. The opposite of objective is subjective. Objective history does not change. It cannot change. Subjective history is unique to the individual and cannot always be correct. Truth and objectivity go together like a being and its shadow, it will be there when there is the light of enlightenment and it will disappear when there is darkness of ignorance. Truth and subjectivity together will destroy each other, they are intensely opposite to each other. . In the Allegory of the Ca

Evolution of Building Forms and Construction Essay

Evolution of Building Forms and Construction - Essay Example Thus, the evolution determines whether it is feasible to introduce the underlying element of building materials into the prevailing architectural appraisal. Professional engineers have an enormous role in the process of designing buildings, and this has led to a great revolution in the last 100 years or so. Development of technology and science has resulted in the rise in usage of more advanced materials, innovative processes and the technical designs that were unknown in the 1900. Due to the improved technology, specialization has taken place, and the engineers can take full advantage of it. The architects or the contractors nowadays find civil engineers present in any construction sites as opposed in the past where their functions would have been performed. Engineering for building has evolved to become a more complex, reliable and more specialized in the past three decades. Engineers still use the uttermost care in discharging their professionalism regardless of the improved machines and gadgets that have been availed to help them in saving time and the provision of more economical designs. Halls of residence in South Wales University are intentionally recognized as one of the best student’s residential buildings since it houses students from over 122 countries across the world. The building is beautiful and possesses famous facilities (Bisharat, 2004, pp. 156-189). The construction of the installation involved a lot of events. Large size tunnels were built for easy access to employees. Water supply lines were also connected with other sources that served the city of Wales. The project was estimated to have consumed a whole 2,308 of concrete foundation, 6000 barrels of cement was involved while the roof destroyed of about 2,000,000 shingles and three thousand window frames and doors were all used up. Wood was the principal construction material and was used in large quantities

AGM -an ineffective forum for shareholder democracy Essay

AGM -an ineffective forum for shareholder democracy - Essay Example Corporate governance - an awkward phrase with several definitions among which the simplest and effective is the one that describes corporate governance as a system by which companies are directed and controlled (Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance, 1992)1. Corporate Governance supports businesses that are well managed, well directed, and well controlled. Indeed one of the functions of good corporate governance is to help ensure that good management is in place. Nevertheless, some of the most conspicuous failures in recent years have stemmed from a failure of the control function or from poor direction.All systems of corporate governance have to be considered against the social, economic, legal, and political background of the country in which they developed. A study of the relevant laws governing corporations does not reveal enough in any country unless they are understood on the basis of attitudes and patterns of behaviour to make sense of them. Examples are t hat of the company laws of Japan and the UK that are not too dissimilar in structure, but the results are poles apart. When we examine remuneration we find a marked difference in approach between the USA and Germany, where exorbitant share schemes have in the one become common and barely exist in the other. According to Charkham & Simpson (1999) "The impact upon competitiveness appears irrelevant, however other differences tell us that banks play a much larger part in Germany and Japan, not because of any deliberate policy, but because their economies happened to develop in ways in which this occurred and by the same token the stock market has a bigger role in the UK and USA"2 (Charkham & Simpson, 1999, p. 28). Reforms on both sides show that no system is immune to pressure for change, be it domestic or international. One purpose of good corporate governance is to reduce this accident rate, because unnecessary collapse is so damaging to all concerned; and where it occurs in a major company may be catastrophic. Another purpose is to encourage management to seize opportunities, and we can only speculate on how many have not been taken in the UK over the years. Corporate governance as a subject therefore is as broad as life itself, because it touches upon fundamental elements in the economy and society at large. The Role of AGM The reason for considering AGM ineffective might be the choice of a year as the period between company meetings appear a reflection of the world of nature and the tyranny of the seasons, rather than any particular logic dictated by the needs of any organisation that is not subject to them. Shareholders recognised this in the political world by having elections at various intervals and, even the UK has itself varied and to this day does not have a uniform period between elections for all levels of government. This means AGM does not support shareholders in terms of democratic elections and as far as companies are concerned, there is no particular reason, especially in these days of overflowing information, why the annual AGM cycle should be a year long. Sometimes it might be a half-year, or a quarter, for that matter eighteen months or two years, there is no particular timings for conducting regular elections. On the other hand taxation has a bearing on the choice of period and most governments raise taxes on an annual cycle but even this is not necessarily immutable and the accounting period does not have to be twelve months either; indeed

The Vertical Boundaries of the Firm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Vertical Boundaries of the Firm - Essay Example â€Å"Total Quality Management is a wide management perspective that deals with processes and attitudes† (Delfmann & Thorsten, 2008). It emphasizes quality as a major objective in a manufacturing environment as opposed to traditional mode of maximizing production. It is worth noting that quality in production not only applies to manufacturing environment but also in knowledge service industries for instance universities. â€Å"Total quality management operates under the principles of continuous improvement of quality as opposed to maintenance of a static level† (Gattorna, 1998). It aims at approaching quality at an increasing scale. This is possible through training and motivation of employees so as to better quality. It is therefore paramount for the top management to state their commitment open to all employees. The advantage of the mode is that it has the ability to immediately detect and correct quality problems. It doesn’t rectify problems after occurrence. â€Å"Just in Time† is a philosophy in management that seeks to eliminate manufacturing wastes by producing right quantity at the right time and at the right place. Its main goal is to do away with non-value adding operations during production. Lean production or stockless production is a philosophy that aims at reducing inventory levels to an absolute minimum. Effectiveness of logistics performance index to transnational organisations in decision making. Relationship between logistics index and supply chain location selection.... It aims at approaching quality at an increasing scale. This is possible through training and motivation of employees so as to better quality. It is therefore paramount for the top management to state their commitment open to all employees. The advantage of the mode is that it has the ability to immediately detect and correct quality problems. It doesn’t rectify problems after occurrence. â€Å"Just in Time† is a philosophy in management that seeks to eliminate manufacturing wastes by producing right quantity at the right time and at the right place. Its main goal is to do away with non-value adding operations during production. Lean production or stockless production is a philosophy that aims at reducing inventory levels to an absolute minimum. Looking closely at the three aspects, Just in Time increases production, performance and quality in manufacturing industry. Lean, controls stock levels to avoid unnecessary production while Total Quality Management works towards good quality of products. The three aspects support each other in a manufacturing environment. â€Å"Toyota manufacturing industry adopted this principle which saw a reduction in manufacturing defects and parts storage problem† (ElMaraghy, 2012). Question 3 Rough plan Effectiveness of logistics performance index to transnational organisations in decision making Relationship between logistics index and supply chain location selection Management in transnational organisations is a challenging task especially in decisions making pertaining to supply chain. The use of logistics plays a crucial role in the success of supply chain. â€Å"Order execution is an imperative element

Marketing Communications Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Marketing Communications Plan - Research Paper Example The work at hand considers this point, and in the later sections, the discussion of the importance of complete and detailed communication plan is included. Furthermore, the smart marketing and marketing communication objective has also been discussed. Next to this, the latest developments in marketing communications planning are discussed. In addition, the effective methods of measuring and controlling progress against the marketing communication plan are included. Background on customer’s preference for small cars It is important to consider the essential factors that are driving customers to small cars. Two of the most important factors are gas prices increase and improved vehicle quality (Mintel, 2012). These are the two significant factors particularly in the US small car market because of their link to lifestyle component. As projected, the small car market in the US is expected to pick up 15% in 2014, and it is anticipated to grow 55.8% in unit sales between 2014 and 201 7 (Mintel, 2012). One of the most important ideas in these data or information is the thought that the entire world market for cars has strongly been influenced by the US market. US market has become the leading venue for the car industry in coming up with the latest innovation or models with particular impact on socio-economic and political factors. The rising price for car fuel is one important consideration of the choice for a new design of car with substantial benefits. Citroen C1 is a small car, ideal for city driving (Citroen). City driving may not require long distances for the car to travel, and so it is important to have at least a small one for driving that will not be able to consume more fuel for energy. Improved vehicle quality is another consideration of the consumers. Small cars like Citroen C1 have highly improved quality, making them prominent in the small car market. It is not just about their being ideal for city driving, but these cars are also made to stand out when it comes to their featured quality. Certainly, there are various reasons of the remarkable choices of the target customers for cars, but the bottom line of them all is the idea of acquiring the benefits that they guarantee or offer. Customers are therefore sophisticated when it comes to knowing what cars they need. They know what they want, and they have established needs that car manufacturers will have to address. Customers’ needs are essential consideration most importantly in marketing activities (Haig, 2011; Kotler et al., 1999; Boone & Kurtz, 2006). The bottom line of creating market strategies like product differentiation and innovation is to address the prevailing customers’ needs (Porter, 1998; Schnaars, 1998). However, unknowingly the emancipation of highly differentiated product offerings results to the creation of needs itself. The justification of this claim is quite evident in the cases of product offerings in the market today that are highly differe ntiated and created significant needs as shown in the level of demand that they have generated and so enjoyed for now. The car manufacturing industry is a special case under this issue because this industry tries to connect their decisions to some important concerns taking place in the market or external environment. For instance, the car industry in the UK began to produce hybrid cars in relation to the prevailing issue linked to the environment. In order to at least alleviate

Relationship between American Revolution and French Revolution Essay

Relationship between American Revolution and French Revolution - Essay Example No other revolution that occurred either in Europe or in Americas during that period could be compared to the French Revolution in terms of violence (Doyle 2002). The American Revolution that began in 1776 and pursued the same principles of the natural human rights the French Revolution later did was over in 1787 without leaving any disgraceful legacy of terror that might be used by the participants of the French Revolution as an example to follow. Perhaps the major reason for this was that the American Revolution took place in an absolutely new country without almost any history, while the French Revolution occurred in one of the eldest European states. Consequently, the participants of the American Revolution did not have to overthrow the established aristocratic society and absolute monarchy in order to proclaim either equality of people (because they were equal) or sovereignty of their new state (the British monarch was geographically too far from them). In other words, the birth of the new society in the United States occurred without major tension. The French Revolution began in an absolutely different situation. It was a daring attempt to establish the principle of equality in the traditionally aristocratic society and cultivate political freedom in the most powerful European monarch (Doyle 2002). Economic factors played equally important role in the onset of both revolutions. The American Revolution was largely caused by the economic pressure of Britain, which was economically dependent on the colonies, but often failed to adequately justify the increasingly burden heavy burden of taxes. This problem – often termed ‘taxation without representation’ – is reported to be one of the most essential factors that eventually led to the revolutionary situation (Wood 1998). A similar situation was observed in the pre-revolutionary France where the absolute monarch kept increasing the

Global security structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global security structure - Essay Example This even triggered the fuel crisis of ‘73–74 and raised a spectrum of collaborative actions as a means of boosting security through economic action. In such a manner, relatively low â€Å"power† countries that were rich in oil, had a means of control over the way in which the remainder of the world integrated with them, by utilizing oil as a weapon of economic power. Changes in the global structure first began to appear in the way in which President Jimmy Carter sought to engage stakeholders. Rather than trying to leverage absolute hard power in each and every available instance, Carter instead attempted to co-opt other nations and convince them of the benefits of engagement as compared to the benefits of non-engagement. This shift was idealistic but ultimately allowed for a renewed relationship with the United States that for many states within the system had fallen by the wayside, victim to an overemphasis on power politics. Similarly, George HW Bush implemente d a policy of increased engagement with what he saw as a multi-polar world. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, George HW Bush, determined that the best approach would be for the United States to strike a balance between being the uni-polar superpower and the multi-polar stakeholder and peace-broker throughout the world. Clinton continued this approach, furthering the role of the United Nations, NATO, WHO, WTO, and the World Bank as a means of developing a more multi-polar power base throughout the world. The policies of George W. Bush were quite different. Mostly because of the attacks of September 11th, George W. Bush sought out a strictly unilateral approach through which the United States would decide upon a course of action and dictate it to the remainder of states within the system. Not surprisingly, this was hated by a litany of states within the system and saw the United States lose a great deal of prestige due, in part, to the backlash of the Iraq War and other factors. President Obama has taken something of a middle path, utilizing elements of his three predecessors in formulating a strategy and international relations. Essay: Topics Not Covered in the Lectures but Included in the Course Readings for Chapter 9: Although an analysis of state actors, nongovernmental organizations, and international organizations was referenced within the lectures, a full and complete discussion of the interaction between each of these three was not affected. It is the understanding of this particular student that even though these three groups are related separately and can effectively be understood to operate somewhat independently of one another, the fact of the matter is that they are intimately tied together and ultimately behave in many situations as a singular entity, e.g., almost all of the international organizations that have been discussed, inclusive of the nongovernmental organizations that have been represented, or primarily Western European and/or Amer ican in origin. As such, the needs and wants of a specific geographic and ethnic minority of

Peace Essay Example for Free

Peace Essay Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violence, conflict behaviors and the freedom from fear of violence. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. Etymology [edit] From the Latin pax, meaning freedom from civil disorder, the English word came into use in various personal greetings from c. 300 as a translation of the Hebrew shalom. Such a translation is, however, imprecise, as shalom, which is also cognate with the Arabic salaam, has multiple other meanings in addition to peace, including justice, good health, safety, well-being, prosperity, equity, security, good fortune, and friendliness. [citation needed] At a personal level, peaceful behaviors are kind, considerate, respectful, just, and tolerant of others beliefs and behaviors — tending to manifest goodwill. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individuals introspective sense or concept of her/himself, as in being at peace in ones own mind, as found in European references from c. 1200. The early English term is also used in the sense of quiet, reflecting calm, serene, and meditative approaches to family or group relationships that avoid quarreling and seek tranquility — an absence of disturbance or agitation. In many languages the word for peace is also used a greeting or a farewell, for example the Hawaiian word Aloha, as well as the Arabic word salaam. In English the word peace is occasionally used as a farewell, especially for the dead, as in the phrase Rest In Peace. Buddhists believe that peace can be attained once all suffering ends. They regard all suffering as stemming from cravings (in the extreme, greed), aversions (fears), or delusions. To eliminate such suffering and achieve ersonal peace, followers in the path of the Buddha adhere to a set of teachings called the Four Noble Truths — a central tenet in Buddhist philosophy. Islam means submission. Muslim, etymologically directly related to salaam and the name Islam, means a person who submits to Allah in salaam. [citation needed] Submission to Allah is based on humility. An attitude of humility within ones own self cannot be accomplished without total rejection of violence, and a personal attitude and alignment toward pe ace.

Comparison Of Rdbms Oodbms And Ordbms Information Technology Essay

Comparison Of Rdbms Oodbms And Ordbms Information Technology Essay The presentation of the similarities and differences between relational modeling of data and the object oriented modeling of data is of great importance both for data base designers and for users. By being well acquainted with the relational model and by noting the similarities and differences between the two approaches to data modeling, designers will be able to turn into account and to make use of the already acquired experience as an important basis for understanding and learning the methodology of designing object oriented databases. At the time if designers know the similarities and differences between these two approaches they have the possibility to convert a relational model into an object oriented model and inversely Informatica Economica Journal. 01/01/2007; http://c.researchgate.net/images/symbols/icon_thumb_up_grey.png?e59f9 I like this! http://c.researchgate.net/images/symbols/icon_thumb_up.png?e59f9 You like this publication http://www.researchgate.net/publication/26589213_Comparison_of_RDBMS_OODBMS_and_ORDBMS /**************************** What is the difference between odbms rdbms and ordbms? In: Database Programming, JAVA Programming [Edit categories] Data Warehousing Software Industry leading data warehousing Gather maintain consistent data www.sas.com/uk Ads by Google http://en.site1.answers.com/templates/icons/rc_gray1.gif?v=68832http://en.site1.answers.com/templates/icons/rc_gray1b.gif?v=68832 [Improve] http://en.site1.answers.com/templates/icons/abar_a.gif?v=68832 Answer The differences between the three approaches Table 1: A Comparison of Database Management Systems Criteria RDBMS ODBMS ORDBMS Defining standard SQL2 ODMG-2.0 SQL3 (in process) Support for object-oriented features Does not support; It is difficult to map program object to the database Supports extensively Limited support; mostly to new data types Usage Easy to use OK for programmers; some SQL access for end users Easy to use except for some extensions Support for complex relationships Does not support abstract datatypes Supports a wide variety of datatypes and data with complex inter-relationships Supports Abstract datatypes and complex relationships Performance Very good performance Relatively less performance Expected to perform very well Product maturity Relatively old and so very mature This concept is few years old and so relatively mature Still in development stage so immature. The use of SQL Extensive supports SQL OQL is similar to SQL, but with additional features like Complex objects and object-oriented features. SQL3 is being developed with OO features incorporated in it Advantages Its dependence on SQL, relatively simple query optimization hence good performance It can handle all types of complex applications, reusability of code, less coding Ability to query complex applications and ability to handle large and complex applications Disadvantages Inability to handle complex applications Low performance due to complex query optimization, inability to support large-scale systems Low performance in web applications Support from vendors It is considered to be highly successful so the market size is very large but many vendors are moving towards ORDBMS Presently lacking vendor support due to vast size of RDBMS market All major RDBMS vendors are after this so has very good future http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_odbms_rdbms_and_ordbms /********************************** OODBMS (Object Oriented Database Management System) Basics http://a323.yahoofs.com/coreid/4ae33e2bid18zul6sp1/zfIn.0szaa93rhgGjKCz5w/103/tn32.jpg?ciAQ2PNBJuqYP1Eh user by Bridewin, on Sun Nov 1, 2009 7:22am PST 2 Comments Post a Comment Read More from This Author  » Report Abuse http://a323.yahoofs.com/phugc/CrYlacFZl0FQ/photos/3e34afb6e0dfef3b7ff88aa6f8a2a63f/ori_667cb5ad1ce04b.jpg?ug_____DU3GDkZ3x OODBMS System An object database (also object-oriented database) is a database model in which information is represented in the form of objects as used in object-oriented programming. Object databases are a niche field within the broader DBMS market dominated by relational database management systems (RDBMS). Object databases have been considered since the early 1980s and 1990s but they have made little impact on mainstream commercial data processing, though there is some usage in specialized areas. When database capabilities are combined with object-oriented (OO) programming language capabilities, the result is an object database management system (ODBMS). Todays trend in programming languages is to utilize objects, thereby making OODBMS ideal for OO programmers because they can develop the product, store them as objects, and can replicate or modify existing objects to make new objects within the OODBMS. Information today includes not only data but video, audio, graphs, and photos which are considered complex data types. Relational DBMS arent natively capable of supporting these complex data types. By being integrated with the programming language, the programmer can maintain consistency within one environment because both the OODBMS and the programming language will use the same model of representation. Relational DBMS projects using complex data types would have to be divided into two separate tasks: the database model and the application. As the usage of web-based technology increases with the implementation of Intranets and extranets, companies have a vested interest in OODBMS to display their complex data. Using a DBMS that has been specifically designed to store data as objects gives an advantage to those companies that are geared towards multimedia presentation or organizations that utilize computer-aided design (CAD). Some object-oriented databases are designed to work well with object-oriented programming languages such as Python, Perl, Java, C#, Visual Basic .NET, C++, Objective-C and Smalltalk; others have their own programming languages. ODBMSs use exactly the same model as object-oriented programming languages. Advantages: The main benefit of creating a database with objects as data is speed. OODBMS are faster than relational DBMS because data isnt stored in relational rows and columns but as objects. Objects have a many to many relationship and are accessed by the use of pointers. Pointers are linked to objects to establish relationships. Another benefit of OODBMS is that it can be programmed with small procedural differences without affecting the entire system. This is most helpful for those organizations that have data relationships that arent entirely clear or need to change these relations to satisfy the new business requirements. This ability to change relationships leads to another benefit which is that relational DBMS cant handle complex data models while OODBMS can. Disadvantages: Slower and more difficult to formulate than relational. Lack of interoperability with a great number of tools/features that are taken for granted in the SQL world, including but not limited to industry standard connectivity, reporting tools, OLAP tools, and backup and recovery standards. Lack a formal mathematical foundation, unlike the relational model, and this in turn leads to weaknesses in their query support. Applications: Object databases based on persistent programming acquired a niche in application areas such as engineering and spatial databases, telecommunications, and scientific areas such as high energy physics and molecular biology. They have made little impact on mainstream commercial data processing, though there is some usage in specialized areas of financial services.[6][7] It is also worth noting that object databases held the record for the Worlds largest database (being the first to hold over 1000 terabytes at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center)[8] and the highest ingest rate ever recorded for a commercial database at over one Terabyte per hour. Another group of object databases focuses on embedded use in devices, packaged software, and real-time systems. http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/none/oodbms-object-oriented-database-management-system-basics-533483/ /************************************** Observations from a Tech Architect: Enterprise Implementation Issues Solutions by Craig Borysowich  (Chief Technology Tactician) Enterprise Technology Architect Craig Borysowich shares the challenges and achievements of enterprise solution design and more Enterprise Technology Architect Craig Borysowich shares the challenges and achievements of enterprise solution design and implementation. ..less Blog Main  /   Archive  /   Invite Peers   RSSRSS for Posts  /   RSS for Comments Previous Entry / Next Entry Some Pros Cons of Relational Databases Craig Borysowich  (Chief Technology Tactician)  posted  5/1/2008 | Comments  (0) http://images.ittoolbox.com/vt/icons/thumbsup.pngLike (0) Please Sign In or Register to like this blog. Working Share Share The relational model for databases provides the basic DBMS characteristics. In addition, an RDBMS also conforms to Codds model. Relational Database Characteristics Dr. Codd established 12 rules to which a DBMS must conform to be considered relational. DBMSs vary in the way in which they comply with these rules, however, commercial relational databases generally conform to these rules. Strengths of RDBMS Flexible and well-established. Sound theoretical foundation and use over many years has resulted in stable, standardized products available. Standard data access language through SQL. Costs and risks associated with large development efforts and with large databases are well understood. The fundamental structure, i.e., a table, is easily understood and the design and normalization process is well defined. Weaknesses of RDBMS Performance problems associated with re-assembling simple data structures into their more complicated real-world representations. Lack of support for complex base types, e.g., drawings. SQL is limited when accessing complex data. Knowledge of the database structure is required to create ad hoc queries. Locking mechanisms defined by RDBMSs do not allow design transactions to be supported, e.g., the check in and check out type of feature that would allow an engineer to modify a drawing over the course of several working days. http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/enterprise-solutions/some-pros-cons-of-relational-databases-24144 /******************************* The Advantages of a Relational Database Management System ds_0ecbc811-e864-4fed-a7c6-5a46ff28cd3fContributor By Deborah Lee Soltesz, eHow Contributing Writer Article Rating: (0 Ratings)   Email   Facebook   Twitter   StumbleUpon Add to Favorites   Print   Share I want to do this! Whats This? RDBMSs provide user access control and data integrity features. data security image by dinostock from Fotolia.com   RDBMSs provide user access control and data integrity features. A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a software system that provides access to a relational database. The software system is a collection of software applications that can be used to create, maintain, manage and use the database. A relational database is a database structured on the relational model. Data are stored and presented in a tabular format, organized in rows and columns with one record per row. Data Structure The table format is simple and easy for database users to understand and use. RDBMSs provide data access using a natural structure and organization of the data. Database queries can search any column for matching entries. Multi-User Access RDBMSs allow multiple database users to access a database simultaneously. Built-in locking and transactions management functionality allow users to access data as it is being changed, prevents collisions between two users updating the data, and keeps users from accessing partially updated records. Privileges Authorization and privilege control features in an RDBMS allow the database administrator to restrict access to authorized users, and grant privileges to individual users based on the types of database tasks they need to perform. Authorization can be defined based on the remote client IP address in combination with user authorization, restricting access to specific external computer systems. Network Access RDBMSs provide access to the database through a server daemon, a specialized software program that listens for requests on a network, and allows database clients to connect to and use the database. Users do not need to be able to log in to the physical computer system to use the database, providing convenience for the users and a layer of security for the database. Network access allows developers to build desktop tools and Web applications to interact with databases. Speed The relational database model is not the fastest data structure. RDBMS advantages, such as simplicity, make the slower speed a fair trade-off. Optimizations built into an RDBMS, and the design of the databases, enhance performance, allowing RDBMSs to perform more than fast enough for most applications and data sets. Improvements in technology, increasing processor speeds and decreasing memory and storage costs allow systems administrators to build incredibly fast systems that can overcome any database performance shortcomings. Maintenance RDBMSs feature maintenance utilities that provide database administrators with tools to easily maintain, test, repair and back up the databases housed in the system. Many of the functions can be automated using built-in automation in the RDBMS, or automation tools available on the operating system. Language RDBMSs support a generic language called Structured Query Language (SQL). The SQL syntax is simple, and the language uses standard English language keywords and phrasing, making it fairly intuitive and easy to learn. Many RDBMSs add non-SQL, database-specific keywords, functions and features to the SQL language.

Essay --

This research project investigates whether ensemble statistics are also possible in the sound intensity domain. It has been established that people represent multiple objects as ensembles in many types of stimuli in visual domain. Also, some studies investigated this ability in auditory domain on frequency. The present study aims to show that people can also represent a set of varying decibels as an ensemble. This ability might be crucial given that in daily life people are exposed to multiple levels of sound intensities and extracting summary statistics can be beneficial to guide attention to more salient sounds, like rising sound which can indicate an approaching target, among many others. To investigate whether people represent different decibels as ensembles this study used dynamic exposure in temporal sequences and to get finer grained responses used a response method in which participants generated their own instead of choosing among alternatives. Since the relationship between decibel increase and perceived loudness increase is not linear but it follows Stevens’ power rule, it is expected that participants’ responses will provide a better fit with Stevens’ exponent for loudness in perceiving the average loudness of sounds. â€Æ' In daily life, along with individual stimuli, people encounter with crowds of stimuli and they are able to perform in the face of the abundance of stimuli. Given that sensory systems’ capacity is limited to a certain amount of information, (Alvarez & Cavanagh, 2004), instead of representing every single object individually, there may be another way for representing group of items (Ariely, 2001). Ensemble representations, which can be defined as representations that give the compressed summary statistics... ...rentiating softer sounds would not be likely, a type of dynamic display should be used. For this study, discrete presentation of individual sounds in following temporal sequences will be used. Also, as for the response selection, people will generate their own responses. This, as also suggested by Haberman and Whitney (2009), allows getting a finer grained response from the participants. Hence, this study proposes that as it is the case for many other properties of various stimuli types, humans should be able to extract summary statistics of a set of sound decibels, which is a fundamental property of our acoustic environment, but this averaging should follow Stevens power function on loudness. This research project first explores whether this is the case, whether people can find the average decibel of sounds that are presented dynamically in temporal sequences.

History of The American Civil War Essay -- American History Civil War

History of The American Civil War The Civil War was a brutal war between the North and South of America over the issue of slavery, which was spurred on by the secession of the southern states from the Union of a America. At the time slavery was one of the main issues in America that caused a disagreement between the north and south and these disagreements about humanity and slaves added to the tension that would finally lead to the out break of war. Slavery was almost totally abolished in the northern states after 1787 when the Constitution was drafted at the Philadelphia Convention and slavery was looked upon as the ‘peculiar institution’ of the southern states, by the north. The southern states looked upon slavery as a way of life and were in no way prepared to give up what they felt was there property and a very important part of their cotton and farming production. Another implication that caused great tension between the north and south over the issue of slavery was that even though their were anti-slavery supporters in the south; some of the abolitionists of the north would write notices and say that all southerners were evil and cruel slave owners, who would treat their slaves badly. This angered the southerners who felt that the northerners were just being hypocrites and didn’t know what they were talking about, which turned pro anti-slavery southerners into stronger supporters of the south. It was thought by some anti-slavery groups in America that slavery would die out because America had in 1808 stopped the participation in the international slave trade, which meant no supplies of new slaves would be coming in. But this theory proved wrong because slavery in the south began to expand due to the great demand of raw cotton from cotton mills of the Industrial revolution from overseas places like Britain. Also the cotton-based expansion of slavery came due to the invention of the cotton gin, by Eli Whitney in 1793, which cleaned the cotton plant and refined it on a mass scale. The south started more tension over slavery when they decided they had to expand their territory westwards and gain more states because other wise they would be out voted in congress and slavery would be abolished completely, also they needed new land to replace all the over used farming land in the other southern states. The Abolitionists were another factor tha... ...o the Republicans Lincoln was a moderator but to the southerners he was an evil figure that became a sign that the union was to become radicalized. Just after the election of Lincoln South Carolina, followed by six other Southern states, took steps to secede from the Union. Although secession was illegal the union had no power to oppose it and all alternative compromises failed and so in February 1861 a new southern government was inaugurated as the, †Confederate States of America.† This new government drafted its own constitution and elected its own president, General Jefferson Davis who was a Kentuckian like Lincoln. An as Lincoln so wisely said, â€Å"A house divided against itself cannot stand†, which meant America divided in two couldn’t carry on. So that April morning in 1861 when the confederate army opened free fire on Fort Sumter a fort being held by the union on southern soil, it would be the final act that all these causes and tensions that I’ve mentioned would finally have built up to. Which would have set off one of the most horrific wars of all time. And as most Americans describe it, â€Å"It was a war that defined America’s character.† Bibliography: Encarta 2001

Hundreds Years War Essay -- essays research papers fc

Hundred Years War The definition of the Golden Rule is that those with the gold make the rules. In other words, those with the gold have the power as well as those with the power have the gold. History books will discuss the general reasons for war such as freedom from adversity or freedom from religion. But the real issue for any war is the thirst for power and control; and the means to finance them are the economic issues. Nations will endure years of fighting for power and control. France and England fought each other for more than a hundred years to have control of the Channel trade routes. 1 This century of warring was known as The Hundred Years' War and is the longest war in record history. It began in 1337 when King Edward III invaded Normandy and ended in 1453 when France won the Battle of Bordeaux. However, it was not a hundred years of constant battle; there were periods of truces in between. 2 One cause for the Hundred Years' War was the claim to the French throne. The conflict began when t he direct line of succession died without a male heir and the nobles decided to pass the crown to a cousin, Philip of Valois. But this left two other male cousins equally deserving of the crown; Charles, King of Navarre and Edward III, King of England. 3 Edward III claimed that he himself was deserving of the throne because his mother was the sister of the late French king, while Philip VI was only a cousin. But according to French law, no women could inherit the throne, nor could the crown be inherited through a woman. 4 "Philip of Valois chances of becoming King of France had been remote and he had not been brought up as the future lieutenant of God on Earth. Philip VI spent much of his resources on entertainment and finery with gay abandon." 5 This caused conflict with the king's subjects. Since the king was considered to be sacred and inviolable, neither cousin would challenge Philip VI. However, they would exploit the situation and King Edward III lost no time and inv aded Normandy with an army of 10,000 men. 6 This leads to another cause for The Hundred Years' War. The land along the Channel and Atlantic coasts was England's first line of defense against an invasion. England held claim to this territory from the twelth century through the marriage of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. King Edward III was determined to gain control of the Fr... ...ot;Hundred Years' War." Compton's Online Encyclopedia. 1995. Hutchinson, Harold F. King Henry V. New York: John Day Company, 1967. Palmer, J.J.N. England, France and Christendom. London: University of North Carolina Press, 1972. Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford University Press, 1970. --- Notes 1. Palmer, J.J.N., England, France and Christendom. London: University of North Carolina Press, 23. 2. "Hundred Years' War." Compton's Online Encyclopedia. 1995. 3. Palmer, 47. 4. "Hundred Years' War" 5. Duby, Georges. France in the Middle Ages 987-1460. Paris: Blackwell, 1987, 274. 6. "Hundred Years' War" 7. Barnie, John. War in Medieval English Society. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1974, 181. 8. Palmer, 120. 9. "Hundred Years' War" 10. Barnie, 219. 11. Duby, 233. 12. "Hundred Years' War" 13. Palmer, 161. 14. "Hundred Years' War" 15. Barnie, 25. 16. Hutchinson, Harold F. King Henry V. New York: John Day Company, 1967, 214. 17. Hutchinson, 214. 18. Barnie, 245. 19. "Hundred Years' War" 20. Vale, M.G.A. English Gascony 1399-1453. London: Oxford University Press, 1970, 165. 21. Vale, 215.

Consumer Buying Behaviour Essay

1.1 Introduction What do we mean if we are talking about consumer buying behaviour? There are several decision processes and acts of people (consumers) buying  and using products for themselves or their household. These processes might be very interesting for companies and their marketing managers. But what are the reasons why marketers should know about consumer buying behaviour? -Well, there are several reasons: At first it is important to know about the reaction of the buyer to the firm ´s marketing strategy because this has a great influence on the firm ´s success. Another thing is that the firm can create an almost perfect marketing mix to satisfy the customer. The third reason is that it ´s much easier for the marketers, if they know about the buying behaviours, to predict the reaction of consumers on marketing strategies. On the following pages I want to give a short overview about â€Å"Consumer Buying Behaviour† and â€Å"Organisational Markets and Buying Behaviour†. 1.2 Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumers always want to create an assortment of products which satisfies their needs and wants in the present and also in the future. To realise this aim, the consumer has to make a lot of decisions. These purchasing decisions can be classified into three main categories of decisions: Routine Response Behaviour This behaviour happens when the consumer regularly buys cheap products that need very little search and also very little decision effort. In this case the consumer prefers a special brand but he also knows other brands of the same product class to have an alternative to buy if there is something wrong  with his favourite brand. Limited Decision Making This is the case if the consumer buys a product occasionally or if there is a new brand, he doesn ´t know about, in a familiar product category. For this type of decision-making, the consumer needs a moderate amount of time for gathering information and deliberation. Extensive Decision-Making This is the most complex decision-making behaviour. It happens when a purchase includes unfamiliar, expensive or infrequently bought products; for example cars, houses etc. The buyer uses a lot of time for evaluating alternative brands or choices and also for seeking information. A big contrast to the extensive decision-making processes that were mentioned earlier is the behaviour of the impulse buyers. These people do not plan conscious to buy, they have a persistant urge to buy something immediately if they like it. But often these people get in emotional conflicts, they often feel guilty because of their limited finances or something else. 1.3 The Consumer Buying Decision Process As I mentioned earlier, the decision process is a major part of buying behaviour. This decision process can be divided into five stages: Problem Recognition This occurs when the buyer notices that there is a difference between the desired state and the actual conditions. The consumer gets aware that he has to change something to get satisfied. For example, if somebody needs a car to get to work and one day the car stops working. In this situation the person recognises that there is a difference between the desired state (a working car) and the actual condition (a broken car). Information Search After recognising the problem, the buyer searches for information about a new product which can solve his problem and also is able to satisfy his need (this is only the case if the decision process continues). For example, the above-mentioned car owner, after recognising the need for a new car, he may search for information about different brands and types of cars. Here we distinguish two aspects to an information search: In the internal search, buyers check first if they have any information about the  needed product in their memory. If they cannot get enough information from their memory for a decision, they are looking for more information in an external search. In the external search the buyer may focus on communication with friends or relatives, to hear about their experiences with special brands. He also can obtain information from public sources like manufacturers, salespersons or product-test organisations. Evaluation of Alternatives To evaluate the products of which the buyer got information he is looking for criteria to compare the products. These criteria are for example characteristics or features that the buyer wants (or does not want). In the example of our car buyer these features could be if the car has an airbag, electrical window control or air-conditioning system. The buyer also thinks about how important each criterion is; because some features may carry more weight than others. This evaluation of the consumer can be influenced by the marketer by framing the alternatives – that means the manner how the marketer describes the product and its features. Purchase In this stage the consumer chooses the product or brand which he wants to buy. This selection is based on the result of the previous evaluation stage. There is also a set of criterions which must be taken into account: One of the most important criterions is the product availability which may influence which brand is purchased. If the favourite brand is not available at the moment the consumer may choose the brand that is ranked second. Other criterions that also could be important for the consumer are for example the price, delivery, guarantees, maintenance agreements, installation and credit arrangements. Post purchase evaluation After the purchase the buyer begins to check the product if the actual performance meets the expected level. In this stage many of the criteria used in the evaluating alternatives stage are used again. The result is either satisfaction or dissatisfaction. 1.4 Personal factors influencing the buying decision process The purchasing decision can be influenced by a lot of personal factors, which means factors that are unique to only one person. There are three categories of personal factors: Demographic factors Situational factors Level of involvement Demographic factors These factors are individual characteristics such as age, sex, race, ethnic origin, income, family life-cycle, and occupation. Demographic factors influence in which extent a person buys or uses products in a specific product category. For example consumers between 15 and 24 years often prefer to buy household basics because they have to establish their own household. Whereas people aged between 45 and 54 years often spend more money on luxury and leisure products; the reason for this is that these people have more money, because their children have left home. Situational factors Situational factors are the external conditions that exist when a consumer is making a purchase decision. Sometimes a consumer decides to buy something as a result of an unexpected situation. For example, a person may buy hurriedly buy a plane ticket to spend the last days with a dangerously ill relative. But it is also possible that a person terminates the buying decision process because of situational factors. For example, when the consumer decided to buy something and because of external circumstances he does not need it anymore. Level of involvement The level of involvement means the importance and intensity of interest in a product in a particular situation. The buyer ´s level of involvement determines if he or she is interested in seeking information about certain products or brands. Consumers seem to be more involved in the purchase of high-priced goods and of products that are visible to others, such as clothing, furniture, or cars. So the consumers are more interested to gain more information in this product categories. 1.5 Psychological factors influencing the buying decision process In addition to the personal factors there are also psychological factors that can influence the buying decisions. The five psychological influences on consumer behaviour are: Perception Perception is the process of selecting, organising and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning. These information inputs are received through sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch; that means with all of our five senses. Motives A motive is an internal feeling that forces a person to satisfy a need or to achieve a goal. If a person buys something this activity is affected by a set of motives; at this moment some of the motives in the set have priority, but the priority of the motives also can vary from one time to another. It is very important for the marketers to know about the motives of their customers; there is only the problem that most people do not know why they buy a particular product. The solution for this are special kinds of interviews in which the interviewer wants to gain, in an informal atmosphere, information about the consumer ´s motives. But this topic is very complicated, so I would not like to go into this more nearly Ability and knowledge Every person has got different abilities; one ability that is very important for marketers is the individual ´s capacity to learn. Because learning may change a person ´s buying behaviour by gaining new information and experience. For example; when a consumer buys a particular product and he likes it, he is more likely to buy the same product the next time. But if the consumer is not satisfied by the product he will switch to a different brand. Another aspect of an individual ´s ability is knowledge. Knowledge can be divided into two components: familiarity with the product and expertise; together this means the individual ´s ability to use the product. For example; if a consumer does not know about a special kind of product he will not buy it and if he knows about the product but does not know how to use it he also will not buy it. Attitude Attitude refers to knowledge and positive or negative feelings about an object or activity. These objects or acts may be touchable or untouchable, living or non-living. For example people have attitudes towards sex, religion, politics, and music (all untouchable); but also towards cars, football, or pizza. People learn these attitudes through experience and also through relations to other people. Likewise people have attitudes towards companies and their products, so the aim for the companies marketing-strategy should be to give the customer a good feeling about the company an her products. In other words, the company should try to influence the customer ´s attitude. Personality Every person is unique, because of internal traits and behaviours. Marketing managers suspect that there are communities between people ´s traits, and so they are searching for them to find relationships among these similar  characteristics and the buying behaviour. The aim is to find out which kind of consumer prefers which types of brands and products. With this knowledge marketers can try to aim advertising campaigns at general types of personalities. 1.6 Social factors influencing the buying decision process The last kind of factors that can influence the buying decision process are the social factors. The consumer can be influenced by a various number of social factors. The family plays a big role for buying decisions, because there are a lot of different interests. The male head of the household is likely involved in the purchase of products such as alcohol or tobacco. Although female roles have changed, also a lot of women are involved in taking buying decisions related to many household items. Another group that can influence the consumer are reference groups. A group becomes a reference group when a person identifies with it so much that he or she puts very great value on the opinions, habits, and behaviours of the group members. But this could be a very negative reference for an individual, because the values of the group do not have absolutely to be right. Another important factor is the social class in which the individual lives. In every society there are people who belong to higher or lower positions of respect. The different social classes are described as open, because it is possible for everyone can move into and out of them very easily. For grouping people into classes many factors need to be taken into account, such as occupation, education, income, wealth, race, ethnic group, and possessions. Though the number of factors chosen for the ranking can be very various; it depends on the person who is doing the ranking. Social class also determines to some extent the type, quality and quantity of products that a person buys or uses. For example people living in the upper-class prefer luxury automobiles such as BMW or Audi while people ranked in a lower class cannot afford such cars. The last one of the social factors that I want to mention is culture. Culture means everything in our surroundings that is made by human beings. It consists of tangible items, such as food, furniture, buildings, clothing etc, and intangible concepts, such as education, welfare, and laws. But culture also includes the values and different kinds of behaviours of a specific society. Culture influences buying behaviour because everything in our daily life is permeated by it. Culture determines our lifestyle, how we dress, what we eat, or where we travel. So it is another important factor for marketers to know. 1.7 Understanding consumer behaviour It is very important for marketers to understand consumer buying behaviour because that is the only possibility to offer greater satisfaction for the consumer. Although there remains a certain amount of consumer dissatisfaction. The reason for this is that some marketers still are not consumer oriented and do not regard customer satisfaction as a primary objective. Another problem is that the tools for analysing consumer behaviour are not very precise, so it is impossible for marketers to determine what is highly satisfying to buyers. Understanding consumer behaviour is a very important task for marketers. Even though the marketers were not able to gain al the knowledge they need, progress has been made during the last twenty years and is likely to continue in the next twenty. There will not only be refinements in research methods to gain more information, there will also be more pressure for the  companies because of an increasingly competitive business environment, and this will make such information essential for companies. 2 ORGANISATIONAL MARKETS AND BUYING BEHAVIOUR 2.1 Introduction In this chapter I would like to give a short overview about organisational markets and organisational buying decision processes. I want to explain the various kinds of organisational markets, the types of buyers that make up these markets, and much more. Look forward to a new, interesting topic. 2.2 Types of organisational markets The following section describes the four kinds of organisational markets, and the characteristics of the customers that make up these markets. Producer markets Persons and business organisations that buy products with the aim of making profit by using them to produce other products or by using them in their factories are classified as producer markets. These markets include buyers of raw-materials, as well as purchasers of semi-finished and finished items. Though the prerequisite for this is that the consumer uses these materials or items to create new products. A good example for this is a car manufacturer which buys steel and component parts to use directly in the production of cars. Reseller markets Reseller markets consist of intermediaries which means people that buy finished products to resell them with the aim of making profit; examples for  this are wholesalers and retailers. One thing that is important to know is that resellers do not change anything at the physical characteristics of the products they sell. There is only one exception, producers that sell their products directly to the consumer. This is the case when the company produces, for example, high-tech products, which need a lot of explanation and service for the customer. But in all other cases all the products sold to a consumer market are first sold to a reseller. In the normal case it is like this; the wholesaler who carries an immense number of products buys the products from the producer and sells them to the retailer. The retailer carries less products in stock than the wholesaler and sells these products to the final consumer. And the best thing is that every party makes profit (mostly). Government markets Government markets consist of national and local governments. Every year they spend a lot of money for many various products and services to support their internal operations and to provide the public with everything it needs, things like education, water, energy, infrastructure, national defence, etc. It is a little bit difficult for governments to spend the money in the right way because they are accountable for the public money they spend. This is also a problem for the companies which want to sell their products to the state because there is a relatively complex set of buying procedures which are linked with the accountability for the public money and it is understandable that most companies do not want to deal with so much red tape. However there are also marketers that have learned to deal with the complex buying procedures and do not find them to be a stumbling block. And they have good reasons for this because deals with governments can be very lucrative. Institutional markets Institutional markets do not seek to achieve business goals they try to achieve charitable, educational, community or other non-business goals.  Members of institutional markets can be organisations, such as churches, some hospitals, libraries, museums, universities, and charitable organisations. These institutions spend millions of dollars every year to provide goods, services, and ideas to their members. It is very difficult for marketers to sell their goods to the various kinds of institutions because of their different aims; so some marketers use special marketing activities to serve these markets. 2.3 Dimensions of organisational buying After we have looked at the different types of organisational markets I think we should also take a look on the dimensions of organisational buying. Characteristics of organisational transactions In comparison to consumer sales organisational transactions are different in several ways: Organisational buyers order much bigger quantities than individual consumers. That is one consequence linked to the behaviour of suppliers which prefer to sell their products in large quantities. This is the only way for them to make any profit. Another point is that organisational purchases are not negotiated as frequently as consumer sales. Some products that are purchased by organisations might be very expensive, such as machines, or office equipment, and they are used for a number of years. There are also products that are purchased frequently, such as raw materials, or component items, which are used continuously in production. But how I mentioned before the purchased quantities for these goods are much bigger. Also the purchase decisions are not as quick as they are for normal consumers. Because of the expensive products the purchasing decisions are often made by a committee which takes more time than only one individual  needs to take a decision. One thing that is unique to organisational sales is reciprocity. That is an arrangement between to organisations in which they agree to buy from each other. That seems to be very good for those both companies, but most reciprocal agreements threaten competition and that is why most of them are illegal. But nevertheless there are still some cases where such agreements take place. Attributes of organisational buyers If we think about organisational buyers we guess that their purchasing behaviour is different to the behaviour from consumer buyers because they are better informed about the products they want to purchase. However that is not quite right. Organisational buyers also have personal that can be influenced by some of the factors I mentioned earlier, such as psychological, or social factors. Employees are also only people. Primary concerns of organisational buyers Organisational customers are always concerned about buying the right stuff. So they take various factors into account before they make a purchasing decision: Most organisational customers want to offer to their target markets products of good quality. To achieve this aim companies often create a set of expressed characteristics, commonly called specifications. So the organisational buyer can determine if the quality of the different products corresponds to the necessary specifications. Another thing that is very important to organisational customers is service. The services that are provided by suppliers influence directly and indirectly the costs, sales, and profits of the organisational customer. If a marketer wants to have an advantage against his competitors which sell products that are similar to his products, he has to think about the perfect  mix of services that he can provide. I would just like to mention some services that may influence buying decisions: market information, inventory maintenance, on-time delivery, repair services, and credit. The most essential thing for the organisational customer is still the price. If the price is too high the operating costs will also be too high and at long last the product will be too expensive for the final consumer. But when purchasing for example a machine the buyer does not only look at the price, he compares the price with the profit he can gain with this machine, and also compares factors like product quality, and supplier services. Methods of organisational buying No organisational buyer will do his job in the same way like another but most of them use one or more of the following purchase methods: Description: Products are commonly standardised according to certain characteristics, such as shape, weight, size, and colour. With this standards an organisational buyer is able to purchase a product simply by describing quantity, shape etc. This purchase method is common for agricultural products. Inspection: This purchase method is common especially for large industrial equipment, used vehicles, and buildings. These goods have unique characteristics but may vary in their conditions. So the organisational buyer has to base his purchase decision on inspection. Sampling: In this case the buyer takes a sample of the desired product and starts out from the assumption that the sample is presentable for the parent population. Then he checks if the quality of the sample is acceptable. This method only makes sense if the tested product is homogeneous. Negotiation: The buyer describes exactly what kind of product he needs and asks sellers to submit their offer. The buyer may take the most attractive offers and negotiate with those suppliers to see from who he can get the  best conditions. These contracts only make sense for one-time projects. Types of organisational purchases The first type of organisational purchases is the new-task purchase, that means that an organisation makes a purchase of a product that is needed in a new job or to solve a new problem. So it is a product that never have been purchased before. A new-task purchase may require the creation of product specifications, vendor specifications etc. If a new-task purchase is changed the second or third time it is ordered, it turns into a modified re-buy purchase. That means the specifications of the new-task purchase have been changed, or have been modified. If a buyer purchases the same product regularly under approximately the same terms of sale we are talking about a straight re-buy purchase. Mostly this type is used with routine purchase decisions. Demand for industrial products The products sold to organisational customers are also called industrial products, and the demand for those products is called industrial demand. There are four different characteristics for industrial demand: Derived demand: Because organisational customers often buy products that are used directly or indirectly in production of goods that are sold to consumers to satisfy their needs, we can derive the demand for industrial products from the demand for consumer products. That is why it is called derived demand. For example the demand for computer CPUs derives from the consumer ´s demand for personal computers. Inelastic demand: In industry there are a lot of products for which the demand is inelastic. That means that a price increase or decrease will not alter the demand for this product. The reason for this is that a lot of products produced in industry contain a large number of components and so a  price increase or decrease of one of these products will not cause a serious higher or lower per-unit production cost. So the company is not forced to find an alternative product. But if there is a price increase for a component that represents a big part of the product ´s costs the demand may become more elastic because the price increase for the component will also cause an increasing price for the final consumer. Joint demand: Joint demand means when two ore more items are used in combination to produce a product. For example, a company that produces axes needs the same number of axe handles as it does axe blades; these two products are demanded jointly. Demand fluctuations: The demand for industrial products may fluctuate because it derives from consumer demand. A high consumer demand for a particular product may cause that producers buy large quantities of raw materials and components to ensure that they can produce the product for a longer time without any problems. They also may expand their production capacity which requires new machines, more workers, and also more raw materials and component parts. The opposite of this case is a decline in the demand for special consumer goods which causes a demand reduction for industrial products used to produce those goods. The consequence is that industrial customers buy less raw materials and components and stop buying new equipment and machines. There can be even a temporary standstill in the production for these goods. 2.4 Organisational buying decision The buying centre In industry few organisational purchasing decisions are made only by one person; in most cases they are made trough a buying centre. The buying centre consists of people within an organisation who are involved in making organisational purchasing decisions. The members of the buying centre are responsible for evaluating the product ´s performance, selecting suppliers,  negotiating the terms of purchase, and also for developing specifications. Stages of the organisational buying decision process Like consumers, organisations follow a buying decision process which you can see at the figure below. This process is almost similar to the decision process that was explained in sector 1.3 (The consumer buying decision process). Influences on organisational buying There are also some factors that may influence the decision process, they can be divided into four major categories: Environmental: These are factors like laws, regulations, economic conditions, competitive forces technological changes. Organisational: Objectives, purchasing policies, resources, buying centre structure Interpersonal: Cooperation, conflict, power relationships Individual: Age, education level, job status, personality, income 2.5 Concluding remark I hope you enjoyed my short overview about the topics â€Å"Consumer buying behaviour† and â€Å"Organisational markets and buying behaviour†; and I also hope that my explanations were understandable.

Environmental Scan Paper Essay

The business environment of an organization reveals much about its competitiveness and the possible influences on the success of its strategies. The focus of this paper will be an environmental scan of the internal and external environments of two real-world firms, their competitive advantages and company strategies for creating value and sustaining competitiveness, measurement guidelines for verifying strategic effectiveness and their evaluation. Internal and External Environments Environmental scanning of the internal organizational environment focuses on company culture, employee-employee, manager-employee, and manager-manager, manager-shareholder interactions, in addition to organizational structure, natural resources’ access and brand awareness, among others (Schneider, 1995, p.70). Environmental scanning of the external organizational environment focuses on the analysis of the industry/immediate environment, national, and macro-environments. Analysis of the industry environment appraises the competitive Environmental Scan Paper

Children’s Pastimes Today and Yesterday

This article will show the differences in Children’s Pastimes Today and Yesterday We will attempt to show you the difference in raising children today from yesterday. This article will show how children are watched over more now as opposed to days gone by due to pedophiles and other issues. Children are not as free now as they once were. Children’s Pastimes Today and Yesterday Children today play video games, watch television or, if older, listen to music. Parents are afraid to let children out of their view due to pedophiles being so prevalent in today’s society. Children of yesterday would play outside with their friends, ride bikes, play marbles, or just socialize with their friends. Parents weren’t as concerned with what the children were doing as they were not likely to be in any jeopardy. Parents thought when a child was 12-13 they could watch their siblings while today’s parents choose to hire a babysitter to watch over their children when out. Even when parents go away for a trip they manage to check on the children daily since most cannot cook or take care of themselves.. When I raised my children, my son was able to cook, sew, wash dishes, laundry, and maintain a house, as well as his personal chores. His sister could dust, dishes, cook, laundry,, and more whereas today’s children are not able to function as they parents do not place responsibility on them as was done in prior years. I can remember some of the stories my father used to tell†¦one being delivering newspapers for spending money or to take a date out, etc. Children of yesteryear had a respect for their elder something today’s children do not possess or show. Today’s children want Children’s Pastimes Today and Yesterday everything handed to them and not to work for it as children did in the past.. In fact, today’s children demand things and children of yesterday managed to think about it and usually made arrangements to pay their parents back if they did not have enough to cover the item in question. I am certain that more could be said but anyone that raised children in the past as opposed to now knows the rigors of the differences in raising children.

Psychology of Language Essay

To briefly introduce the topic, this reaction paper is reflective of David W. Caroll’s book, entitled: ‘Psychology of Language’, which was published in 2008 by Thomson and Wadsworth Publishing. The three selective chapters of the book, namely Chapters 4, 9 and 14 will be the main focus of discussion. As a synopsis of the book, Caroll’s (2008) purpose is to examine how and why human behavior expressively reacts on language, and what influences the language patterns the environment. In search of this critical thinking has explored the observations on the psychological effects of language to the well-being of people and his societal interaction. Chapter 4: Perception of language In ‘Chapter 4: Perception of Language’ examines the comprehension on language that is conveyed in oral and written forms. Caroll pointed out the â€Å"prosodic factors† as a result of physical tension from environmental distraction affects the human mind to understand the message and flow of information (Ferreira, 2003; in Caroll, 2008). It may be interpreted, the prosodic factors is even resulting tremendous difficulty to the â€Å"receiver of information† or listener, from which inability to comprehend and keep abreast to the â€Å"informant† or source of information bears psychological effect of anxiety. Caroll has implied the relevance of tones, use of semantics, time, place and circumstance in transmitting the information. In short, conveying the information can be more expressed according to the emphasized situation and level of expression of the â€Å"talker†. From this, the human behavior develops â€Å"signals† to emphasize the language. As cited, the reconfiguration of transmitting information has been applied in the â€Å"trace model† purposely to analyze the level of comprehension and the pattern of processing the information (McClelland & Elman, 1986; in Caroll, 2008). However, the study may be solely applied in the processing of restricted information that holds risk to national security, wherein US Naval Force adopts the â€Å"trace model†. Significant to human behavior response to information, written communication is described firstly as a â€Å"formal norm† to communicate, I would say, secondly at a long distance â€Å"inscription and transcription†. At this point and time of electronic-telecommunication, written information is relayed through mobile phone and Internet messaging system, in which electronic mail and short-messaging system (SMS) becomes the usual medium of communication, as well as the digital-video-electronic gadgets together with the television, print and broadcast media. The point of view of observing how the human behavior react to present day telecommunication system [not only in written but in digital-communication] could have been a peripheral concern of Caroll. Overall, I would say that both oral and written communication are of formal norms according to the topic, theme, mood, circumstance and notion or understanding the way the information is presented and acknowledged by the receiver. However, it is the â€Å"expression† or could be the body language and emphasis to communicate that can be critically considered by the exhibition of human behavior, applying both expression and feelings that interact between talker and listener, wherein reaction or response depicts the behavior. Chapter 9: Conversational interaction The discussions in ‘Chapter 9: Conversational Interaction’ refers to the exchange of ideas or dialogues between two persons, groups and an individual to a group. In this chapter, Caroll implied the common understanding that conversational interaction is a â€Å"joint action† where individuals converse in a coordinative yet unsystematic flow of ideas, information and topic. As cited, the structure of conversational interaction is the exchange of â€Å"language† in a face-to-face manner and deviate from topic-to-topic, ideas-to-ideas and expressions (Filmore, 1981; in Caroll, 2008). It may be deduced that conversation is important especially in the aspect of clinical psychology, especially considered as a therapy or therapeutic treatment. The inference of conversational interaction can be defined as a â€Å"simple non-drug-related treatment†. Thus, I agree to the explanation that good conversation opens the â€Å"minds and spirit†, and confer the long-kept inner agonies to a good conversationalist. Conversational interaction in the field of psychology can be exemplified by the patient-psychologist conversation on critical thoughts affecting the anxiety of a patient. However, I would like to expound my reaction to the previously discussed norm that conversation has â€Å"unsystematic flow of ideas† since conversation as a therapy for psycho-treatment is applied with the scientific and structured rules. As cited, conversational interaction is institutionally used with specialized therapeutic discourse of a psycho-therapist to a patient (Caroll, 2008). I would further react that the cognitive presentation of theories in Chapter 9 tends to convey a lot of information on conversational interaction but somehow deepen the â€Å"interpretative result† at an average understanding, and hardly express the â€Å"layman’s language† or common knowledge that conversational interaction can be simply described as a convenient manner of talking-listening-talking human behavior. In sum, what Caroll could have simply implied in Chapter 9 is the significance of conversation as an â€Å"easement of barrier†, accordingly in the aspect of â€Å"putting up† a dialogue through therapy in psycho-treatment. On the other hand, conversational interaction can be called as partly â€Å"a way of life† of people, interact each other to communicate, develop ideas and explore the relevance of â€Å"two-way information† on the basis of personal, private and publicly known topic. In addition, interest and willingness could be the expressive rule that creates the â€Å"instinctive† behavior to interact and converse. Chapter 14: Language, culture and cognition The relatedness of language, cultural traits and perceptiveness highlights the discussions in ‘Chapter 14: Language, culture and cognition’. Accordingly, language is primarily the end-result of communication barriers. Indeed it is, for the main reason that the whole wide world is separated by language and dialects, and even the semantics that describe a figure, name and place. It is also a common knowledge that variety of cultures, races and ethnicity has their own system of understanding aside from language in a country. Further, group of people in certain organizations or societies, gender, generation of young and adult and heterosexual groups adopts a â€Å"language† of their owned-meaning and interpretation, like the word â€Å"joint† which has variable meanings for a dope, club, getting-together, and so forth. Caroll (2008) explained that language creates the â€Å"hypothetical understanding† being interpreted by the commonality of meaning, in which individuals and groups in a community understand and accept the perception. In which case, culture and cognition is a belongingness in a given group and community of people. However, according to Carroll, â€Å"linguistic determinism† is different from language of individuals or its groups, as cited, linguistic determinism is the â€Å"learning of language† for certain reasoning or cognitive process (Bloom & Keil, 2001; in Caroll, 2008). Reflective of the above explanation, it may be well explained that what Caroll (2008) implied is the language or word-meaning of scientific and technical terms being used by people in a variety of profession, like the language referring to the use of terminologies in medical science, social sciences, engineering and related fields. However, it may be analyzed that the â€Å"cognitive value† of scientific and technical terms [becoming a language] attributed to the profession or processed knowledge discovers and rediscovers the effects to human behavior, and therefore provides the opportunity to reach out the processes of learning abilities and information sharing at a broadest recipients throughout the world. Again, receiving the information requires the use of language to process the communication, of which the cyclical process of knowledge correlates learning, interpretation, perception and acceptance. It may be therefore said that language is the bottomline to critically convey the culture and cognition, wherein influences interrelate in human behavior. In this regard, I resoundingly acknowledge the fact that language is the key linkage to assimilate cultural diversity, belongingness and displacement of communication barriers. Moreover, it may be further implied that understanding the reciprocity of inherent cultural values, traits and traditions is a critical thought founded on reverent co-existence. Conclusion Human behavior is a fascinating, deeply-intriguing and challenging subject of examination not only in the field of psychological science, but emanates the observation itself within a family and community. It can be said that human behavior is the bulwark of societal development and a never-ending influence to the destiny of an individual. The human behavior patterns the cycle of influence through perception-expression process. From this point of view, language is the most conveyed interaction of human behavior. The psychology of language is a meaningful and motivating exploration of cognitive thoughts adherent to guiding and developing a human behavior that signifies belongingness, progress and harmonizes cultural posterity in transnational boundaries, although in the strictest sense, psychology of language can be inversely applied in the reproach to vindicate human dogmas, greed and plunders of war. On this day and age of integrating information technology, psychology of language is perceived to revolutionize communication exchange effective on how human behavior explicitly react and act, interacting in the fast-changing environment. In conclusion, the study on psychology of language relating the human behavior addresses the critical characteristic and role of individuals in psychosocial landscape. References Carroll, D. W. (2008). ‘Psychology of Language’. 5th Edition, Thomson Wadsworth Publishing, ISBN-10: 0-495-58730-3, ISBN-13:978-0-495-58730-9. Retrieved 22 January 2009 from http://www. ichapters. com/market/eBookAccess. html.

How do employment relationships impact on the overall success of an Essay

How do employment relationships impact on the overall success of an organisation - Essay Example Although it might be argued that the employer is the source of all the funds which makes the firm operational, the firm is still, by and large, operated by the employee. The increase in international competition and the rapid technological advances are favoring organizations which are more efficient, innovative and productive. These external factors are forcing firms to alter their administrative and management structures. The intensified pressures have generated major challenges in managing employment relationship (Noer, 1993; Herriot, Manning and Kidd, 1997). The basic principle behind the concern for this field is the ‘friendlier’ and ‘more responsive’ the employee governance system is, the greater will be the probability of employees being actively engaged in their work. The idea stems from the notion that, as you build trust and friendship with and among the employees, the employee will reciprocate the effort thru his work. In this paper, we will be exploring whether there is truth in this claim. Employees joining an organization are usually characterized by enthusiasm, commitment and advocacy for their new employer partly because of the thought of receiving a salary and partly due to the pride of belonging to an organization and doing something productive. Suffice it to say, at the start of employment, they are highly engaged. When we say highly engaged, we mean that they are actively participating in the organization. 2. Not-engaged employees are those who have essentially become disinterested with their work. They spend time but not energy and passion into their work. They are not necessarily negative or positive about their company but they take a wait-and-see attitude toward their job, their employer, and their co-workers. The commitment is simply not there anymore. Many empirical studies have demonstrated a relationship between

CAUSES OF RACE RIOTS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CAUSES OF RACE RIOTS - Essay Example The outbreaks of civil unrest signified a progressive movement in which the subjects were empowered and ready to question the supremacy of any race. The outbreaks of civil unrest tore down the edifice of segregation and discrimination between the races2. The African American migration, which took place between 1910 and 1970, entails African Americans movement from the rural South to the industrial North and West3. The Black migration was critical as it led to demographic changes and transformed the face of race relations in the region as African Americans became integrated into the society. The migration was also significant as it led to integration and segregation whereby it perpetuated racial divide as discrimination became rife, besides orchestrating a demographic revolution. The migration also had significant economic outcomes among the African Americans. In conclusion, the events of the 20th century unsettled and provided the impetus in transforming the political, demographic, and cultural distinctiveness of the American society as a whole. The events radically altered most of the institutions (legal, political and social), which affected race