The Bad Effects of the Internet Development Essay Example for Free

The Bad Effects of the Internet Development Essay An American writer, Rick Warren said, â€Å"I just think the Internet has made us ruder.† What do you think of his words? Modern society is the information-oriented society. Everything changes quickly with numerous information, and people do their ordinary things such as doing homework, chatting with friends, making documents in the workplace, or even making food deliveries with their computers. All these things could be possible because of the advent of the internet. Then, when did the internet start to be used in South Korea? In 1982, the internet was introduced first when System Development Network (SDN) between Seoul National University and the laboratory of electronic communication was connected. After that, the e-mail service which was connected to the United States and Europe was provided, and in 1990 the time of the internet had begun (Ahn and Kim 91). Since then, the internet has developed dramatically. According to Korea Internet and Security Agency, the number of people over three-year-old using the internet has increased about 30 million people from 1999 to 2011 (KISA ISIS). Nowadays, whoever, wherever people are, and whichever the equipment one person has such as personal computers, laptop computers, tablet pc or smartphones, the internet is accessible and available to everybody. The internet made people utilizing hundreds of information freely, enable to interact worldwide, and made people’s lives more convenient. However, there are several negative effects caused by the development of the internet as much as the positive effects. There are three bad effects as a result of the development of the internet in South Korea: the internet addiction, people’s moral paralysis and communication breakdown. First of all, as a result of the development of the Internet, there are problems of internet addiction. Internet addiction is defined as the state of being unable to live daily life because of people’s excessive internet use or being unable to control themselves from using the internet. People are addicted to the internet game, chatting, searching the information, or pornography, so they cannot live ordinary lives as students, sons or daughters, and as workers. According to the research of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the rate of internet addiction has increased continuously, and 52% of 1,035,000 internet addicts are children and teenagers. The rate of addiction is 14.3% and the number of their rates are two times more than adults. In addition, the socially vulnerable class such as children of one-parent families and children who are handicapped are even worse, higher as five to eight percent than those who are in ordinary families (Wu). It is one of the biggest effects the internet has caused because it is not just only an individual problem but also it causes the social costs. In 2010, the total social costs was estimated about 2.2 trillion won maximum including the costs of facilities providing pc service, the costs of cure and counseling for addicts and indirect costs which was caused by losing the opportunities of learning (Wu). The internet addiction is a serious problem because it affects teenagers much more. They are not adults yet and very easy to be influenced by provocative things. So, the internet which is full of exciting and sensational things could lead people to be addicted and made teenagers grow as adults not properly. Second, as a result of the development of the Internet, there has been people’s moral paralysis. Under the concept of the anonymity, people gradually do immoral behaviors such as writing aggressive, malicious and hateful comments to other people’s posts, sharing things or data illegally that has the right of ownership and distributing other people’s false information. There were many celebrities of South Korea who committed suicide because of the bad comments for about last few years. In this year, Korean singer, Son Ho Young who was used to be a member of the most famous group, â€Å"GOD,† attempted suicide in May (Jo). It was because he was blamed of his previous girlfriend’s suicide. Until he attempted it, so many people on the internet made him a shameless person and wrote comments aggressively on the articles about him. Also, a new word, â€Å"Il Be,† which is actually the abbreviated form of the community site emerged as a way of expres sing specific people who made malicious and dreadful comments to particular people such as some women and those who are from Jeolla Province. They are even called, â€Å"Il Be roundworm,† because of their shocking behaviors. Until recently, they are making noises on the society of South Korea. Besides, we can see many cases that data and information with property rights are illegally shared and distributed to a lot of people. There are hundreds of P2P sites providing free files of music, movies, publication with the rights of ownership. It could not be solved only by cracking down. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, even they imposed fine those P2P sites, but it was temporary and returned to former state (Jung). It is because people regard illegal if we steal some goods for sale in a real-world, but in the virtual reality they do not regard downloading and uploading data with property rights as illegal. The development of the internet has caused the invasion of privacy as well by distributing personal information and false data. We can search huge amounts of information via the internet, and even we can easily find what we wrote on the internet few years ago just by typing ID in the search engine. However, using these advantages of the internet, there are problems of personal information leakage. Many people are having trouble in leaking their private information that lots of spam mails and text messages are sent to them with the illegally opened information such as individuals’ e-mail addresses and phone numbers. A lot of celebrities in Korea are suffered by the false information. These are because people’s morality was paralyzed as a result of rapid development of the internet. They are being confused, getting numb of great deal of information and takes for granted that blaming others on the internet and getting information for free without hesitation. Lastly, as a result of the development of the Internet, there has been the breakdown of communication. As the internet has developed rapidly in Korea, a generational gap was made between older people and young people. While the young are getting used to using the internet easily, older people are not. The internet made generational difference and be unable to talk each other. So the communication between older people and young people has decreased. Also, in the family, or even among friends there is not enough communication. Sons and daughters are not trying to talk with their parents and other family members when they are at home, chatting with friends with their computers or smartphones. Many people use Social Network Service (SNS) such as Facebook or Twitter and have a short talk and comments at open posts but do not have earnest conversations among friends and families. Even they are with friends beside, they chat with their smartphones using the mobile internet service, KakaoTal k. It would the biggest negative effect that the internet has made because even though the internet made the society not only more efficient and convenient but hard-hearted and less conversation. In conclusion, as the internet has developed so much in Korea, many people are addicted to the internet, people’s morality is getting cracked, and lots of people are having broken down on real-world communication. The addiction problem affected individuals and the Korea’s society both. Numerous people on the internet are paralyzed of their morality making bad comments, sharing other people’s information illegally and distributing others’ private or wrong information. Also, there is breakdown of communication in generational and real world. Although we are living conveniently in a well-developed society with hundreds of information and having benefits thanks to the internet, there are always two sides to the coin. There are also some negative effects because of the development of the internet. Therefore, we should make the best use of the positive sides of the Internet and try to solve and reduce the negative effects of the Internet.

Catcher In The Rye :: essays research papers

The Catcher in the Rye can be strongly considered as one of the greatest novels of all time and Holden Caufield distinguishes himself as one of the greatest and most diverse characters. His moral system and his sense of justice force him to detect horrifying flaws in the society in which he lives. However, this is not his principle difficulty. His principle difficulty is not that he is a rebel, or a coward, nor that he hates society, it is that he has had many experiences and he remembers everything. Salinger indicates this through Holden's confusion of time throughout the novel. Experiences at Whooten, Pency, and Elkton Hills combine and no levels of time separate them. This causes Holden to end the novel missing everyone and every experience. He remembers all the good and bad, until distinctions between the two disappear. Holden believes throughout the novel that certain things should stay the same. Holden becomes a character portrayed by Salinger that disagrees with things changi ng. He wants to retain everything, in short he wants everything to always remain the same, and when changes occur; Holden reacts. However the most important aspect of Holden Caufield's character can be attributed to his judgment of people. Holden Caufield, a character who always jumps to conclusions about people and their phoniness, can be labeled as a hypocrite because he exemplifies a phony himself. Holden Caufield the 16 year old protagonist and main character of The Catcher in the Rye narrates the story and explains all the events throughout three influential days of his life. A prep school student who has just been kicked out of his second school, Holden struggles to find the right path into adulthood. He does not know what road to follow and he uses others as the scapegoat for his puzzlement in life. Harold Bloom explains, His central dilemma is that he wants to retain a child's innocence., but because of biology he must move either into adulthood or madness. As a sort of compromise Holden imagines himself as "the catcher in the rye," a protector of childhood innocence exempt from movement into adulthood, which is neither possible nor sane." (Bloom's Notes 22) Even Gerald Rosen states that, "It is important to note here that Holden's rejection of an adult role is not a case of sour grapes. He believes he will succeed and it is the successful life he fears"(101).

Developmental Psychology and Young Children

Tawny Lace Please answer all the questions below using your preferred method from voice recording, written assignments or via oral questions with Kerry Banitas. Please reflect on own experience to support your knowledge. . For your information – all guidance notes are at the end of the questions. 1. 1. Explain the pattern of development in the first three years of life and the skills typically acquired at each stage.. | 1. 2. Explain: ? how development and learning are interconnected, ? how and why variations occur in rate and sequence of development and learning ; ? hat learning may take place in different ways; ? the importance of play. | 1. 3. Explain the potential effects on development, of preconceptual, pre-birth and birth experiences. | 1. 4. Explain the impact of current research into the development and learning of babies and young children.. | 3. 1. Explain the benefits of the key worker/person system in early years settings. | 3. 2. Explain how babies and young chil dren learn and develop best from a basis of loving, secure relationships with carers and with key persons in work settings. | 3. 3.Analyse the possible effects of poor quality attachments on the development of babies and children. | 4. 3. Explain how babies express their emotions, preferences and needs and demonstrate responsive care in own practice. | 4. 4. Explain why it is important to manage transitions for babies and young children. | 4. 5. Explain when and why babies and young children require periods of quiet to rest and sleep. | 5. 1. Explain the primary importance of carers in the lives of babies and young children. | 5. 3. Evaluate ways of working in partnership with carers. Guidance notes – Pre-conceptual, pre-birth and birth experiences ondevelopment e. g. 😕 smoking ? alcohol ? maternal ill health ? poor maternal diet ? substance abuse? assisted birth ? birth trauma. Environment e. g. : ? well equipped, clean and safe with age appropriate equipment and mat erials ? provides appropriate challenge ? offer appropriate levels of sensory stimulation? provide quiet calming spaces for babies and young children ? planned and organised around individual needs of babies and young children.Possible effects of poor quality attachments: ? effects on social and emotional development and emotional security ? effects on ability to settle, take risks and makethe most of learning opportunities ? possible effects on short and long term mentalhealth ? effects on relationships with parents and professional carers. Responsive care: ? where carer responding sensitively, consistently and promptly? responses sensitive to individual needs and preferences ? consistency of response? responding promptly| Similar article: How Different Types of Transitions Can Affect Children

Promote Professional Development Essay

The importance of continually providing knowledge and practice is to keep up with the constant changes that are happening all the time. Globalisation and technology have made changes in health and social care at a rapid rate. There has been a significant change in the way that care is being experienced and there are higher expectations in the quality of care. A more personal approach is required and accessibility to training resources ensures that we can all be the best in our job roles and in line with legal requirements. There are opportunities available now, thanks to technology advancements, to share responsibilities across the board, we have better access to other partnerships, training programs and can store more data than ever before and there are still developments every day. The importance of learning these developments is that we can change with the times and gain the new skills to improve the outcome for service users. The barriers to professional development require you t o look in more depth at yourself. Everybody has a different way of learning, someone may learn a lot quicker than someone else, so it’s important to try to see what ways you retain information best. Some people may learn from reading something over and over until it either makes sense or sticks with them. Some people may write down what they want to learn because it ingrains in there memory and some people may just listen to something and retain the information. It’s important to remember that what someone else might learn from a sentence may be more educational to them than if someone else was to read that very same sentence. Motivation can be another barrier; external factors can drive motivation and change behaviour like incentives to learn but internal barriers such as self-esteem, drive and desire can have an effect on professional development. An individual’s personal values, beliefs, attitudes and life priorities can impact significantly on the way people develop. Not having enough time to develop your skills or financial problems can be a big barrier to development. To get through these barriers, Support from peers, advice and mentoring may be required to h elp with individual developments. There are many different sources and systems to support professional development. At my organisation we have internal support which involves monthly supervisions with an advocate. We go through training  requirements, any training refreshment that need to be done; we go over policies and procedures and discuss our progress for professional development. We have training courses that cover every area of the care we provide and e-learning that all employees complete every 6 months, they are designed to refresh our training and inform us of new policies and procedures. You can also learn by working with more experienced colleagues and you can self-teach by reading text books and articles. You can develop your knowledge by using facilities such as libraries and learning resource centres and there is also formal support, colleague and university courses, internet courses, apprenticeships and government incentives. You can also use the policies and procedures put in place by your company to learn what is required and how to do things appropriately. There are so many factors to consider when selecting opportunities and activities for keeping knowledge and practice up to date. There would be no point in starting a course in child care if your real desire was to become a hypnotherapist. Financial issues could be problem, your organisation may cover learning costs or you may need to look into whether you are entitled to government help or whether you will be self-funding. Time requirements could be a problem and your level of commitment; maybe you are a single mother, who cannot get child care to attend night school. Another factor could be, does the opportunity or activity fit with your learning style?, You may learn better from practical activities or learn better from reading and writing, finding the right form of professional development is key to being successful. Be able to prioritise goals and targets for your own professional development In order to prioritise goals and targets for my own professional development, I look at the influences that have helped me to develop my performance so far and look at what my training has taught me and how it’s reflected in my work. I examine my strengths and weaknesses honestly and try to think about the way I practice in a constructive way. I have to evaluate myself by asking; How did I approach my work? Was my approach positive? How did the way I work affect the people I support? Did I work to the best of my ability? Which was the best aspect of my work? Which was the worst aspect of my work? Is there area’s that I can improve? What are they and how will I tackle them? In health and social care there are benchmarks and standards that I can use to measure my own ability against, like the ‘care quality commission standards’ and ‘codes of practice’. By comparing my work against these standards I can improve on the areas that I am failing in, by setting goals of what I need to learn and targets to complete it by. To prioritise my own development goals and targets, I have to think realistically about what is necessary for my job role at that moment, for example; if you are developing your communication skills and working towards building relationships and trust, you cannot plan a set strategy to produce trust and this can take time. But if you were developing your skills for independent living, encouraging accessing the community and shopping, this is something that is currently in my job role and could be a skill I can develop straight away. Making a plan to monitor each stage of developing skills will help me to see at what point something has not worked, for example; I am to Supporting Bobby with his shopping, but due to his mental health problems, he doesn’t feel comfortable being in a busy supermarket around lots of people. Putting a plan together with goals and targets will help to monitor Bobby’s progress; I could put a target in place to build Bobby’s confidence up enough so he can be in a supermarket. By recording this process and evaluating each step that it took to get him there, I improve my own skills and gain knowledge for any similar situations that may arise in the future. Be able to prepare a professional development plan To plan my own professional development with sources of support available to me, I will first have to arrange a meeting with my trainer and supervisor to identify the learning outcomes and objectives that I wish to achieve. We can then put a strategy together to meet these objectives and a time frame in which to complete them by and with their help and resources. When documenting evidence I will specify the duty, a goal, tools needed for reaching my goal and a completion date. I will then undertake the necessary educational activities, training and shadowing and collect more evidence for  my portfolio. I will review my progress at regular intervals with my trainer and supervisor to discuss any updates and get feedback on my development. My portfolio will contain evidence of records of attendance and the support that was given, highlighted areas of what I would have done differently, highlighted areas of successful care and certificates of achievements. I can also show in my portfolio, evidence of what has benefited my colleagues, i.e. protocols or guidelines that have been introduced because of things that I have learnt and feedback from colleagues on a job well done. I will show evidence of evaluating work that wasn’t done to the best of my ability and show evidence of what I have learnt to correct my work. I will put in my development portfolio evidence of any positive feedback, descriptions of new care plans made because of my positive changes, cards, letters or individual comments and positive audit results. This is an example of a plan that I would use for my own professional development. A service user I attend with learning difficulties needs a new wheelchair; the carers are finding it increasingly hard to push the service user around in the wheelchair for social visits. A healthy diet plan was encouraged but is not working as the service user lives independently, a wheelchair with a motor is needed to help the carers avoid any further injury and carry on supporting the service user to access the community. I have been allocated the responsibility to assist the service user pick a new wheelchair with a motor, I can use this opportunity to develop new skills and document and evaluate my progress. There are a few barriers to overcome so monitoring the effectiveness of my support will help to evaluate my performance and relay any significant information to fellow colleagues and others crucial support in their care, ultimately helping the service user in the future. The main barrier is the lady doesn’t like change; it worries her and makes her very anxious, when she is anxious she gets the medical condition hives. Her confidence will need to be built up over time. The goal is to help the lady pick a new motorised wheelchair for accessing the community only, she can continue with the wheelchair she is familiar with, and likes at home, but the goal is to find one that the service user is 100% happy and secure in, to prevent any further injures to carers and to keep the lady involved in her daily routines. The tools needed for succeeding with this duty is to have the families support, a risk assessment, a shop with accessibility and  understanding with this sensitive issue and support from my managers and any other active partners that support with the service users care needs. For evidence I would put in my portfolio the emails from the partnerships, my advocate and myself that detail, the support that is needed, with the evidence that I have been allocated to support with this. The email will also show my reply, for the request of informing all other carers to reassure her when necessary for when she gets anxious and upset. I would put in place a communication diary especially to deal with this task, firstly to monitor any upset behaviour and how my colleagues and I resolved it and secondly I could use it as evidence. I would keep a written account of how many trips to the shops and what her behaviour was like on each visit, I would record what helped keep her calm and feeling secure and record anything that failed and how we made it better. I would keep a medical record of any outbreaks of hives and how it was treated. I would have regular meetings with my advocate to get feedback, discuss updates, ask for any advice or help that I need and review the completion date. I would discuss attending training courses that could help me with addressing this situation to the best of my ability, like manual handling, first aid, communication skills and keep evidence of my achievements. I would finally add to my portfolio evidence of the service user (in line with confidentiality requirements) accomplishing this task, I would get evidence of how long it took to achieve and what the final outcome was. Be able to improve performance through reflective practice Models of reflection encourage a structured process to guide the act of reflection, there is no right model of reflection, but it is important to choose the one that you feel comfortable using and best assists you to learn from your experience. Sometimes it is appropriate to use one model of refection as a basis, but use prompt questions from other models if they suit your particular situation. I found Bortons Model of reflection easy to remember; therefor making it is easy to apply to an experience as it happens. What, So What, Now What, the simplicity of the model helps evaluate quickly and simply an experience but does not allow for specific details as opposed to Gibbs Model. Johns Model of reflection is based more on self-awareness and self-improvement. It allows you to analyse influencing  factors on your thoughts and behaviour, what triggers the behaviour and you can delve far more intimately into your feelings, opinions and judgements and intern how this affected who you are working with. This level of learning allows you to evaluate very deeply on all levels, morals, background, knowledge, self-awareness, past experiences and future practice, making this model of reflection by far more personal and a more appropriate model for self-improvement and self-development. The Kolb model is made up of 4 steps and learning can start at any of the steps at any time, there is no process. When a person carries out an action they can both, observe and reflect upon its underlying process and possible consequences. The action becomes open for analysis, concepts can be tested at further through new experiences in order to both validate and develop them further. Gibbs Model of reflection is a more descriptive model of Kolb’s and it also has a process in which to follow allowing for deeper analysis. Gibbs model gives you more a detailed structure in which to evaluate your experience, which is why I found it to be more widely used in the healthcare industry. The theory follows 6 steps of the model, and each step informs the next. I found that using Gibbs model and examining an experience in greater detail was very beneficial but found the Evaluation, Analysis and conclusion asked very similar questions which seemed to be a little repetitive. But Gibbs model challenged my assumptions more and allowed me to explore more ideas to promote self-improvement more than the other models. Of all the models of refection I have researched I found these 4 more beneficial to my learning and self-improvement and they even challenged what I thought I already knew. By using Gibbs Cycle as a basis and applying the descriptive evaluations of all the other models to the specific levels, I can examine myself in far more depth and improve my quality of work consistently. Reflective practice is thinking or reflecting on what you do, it is learning from an experience and teaching you evaluation skills to examine your actions and reactions. Thinking about what h as happened is part of being human but reflective practice differentiates between casual thinking and reflective practice, it requires a conscious effort to think about events and develop insights into them. Once you get into the habit of using reflective practice, it becomes a skill and you can develop it every day, in every type of situation. Feedback from others is a very important part of reflective  practice, as you cannot always see what your own faults may be or you may not want to hear what faults you have. Considering feedback as another opportunity to learn will develop your self-awareness and can start a process of change that will benefit anyone that you work with. For example, very early on in my healthcare career, I supported an elderly lady with learning disabilities, since her husband past away; she would get very lonely and ask to move a lot. Her social worker and advocate had taken her to see a few warden controlled apartments in a more communal building, but the lady did not like them and it gave her a bad experience of what she thought was available to her. I work in a few homes for elderly service users with learning disabilities and I invited my service user round for tea, so she could see a different kind of living situation, a house share that could be available. Whilst the trip was successful in the way that the lady now knew of a different living arrangement, at a meeting shortly after, that involved other healthcare providers for the service user, I acquired feedback from the ladies advocate that showed my own faults and issues that wasn’t within my capability to see. My intention had been misunderstood and Unknown to me the service user had wanted and was adamant, that a housemate was to move into her own home as she had a spare room; this was not a suitable situation for another vulnerable adult to move into because of the service user’s regular change of behaviour, and the house shares have a carer on duty at all times. If I had informed and attained advice on this situation it could have been dealt with in a different way. My lack of knowledge and understanding of how my actions could been seen as something different for a service user made me evaluate at what level I went wrong and how to rectify this problem so it is not an issue in the future. The advocate commended me on my thoughtfulness but advised certain aspects need to be considered when working with this particular service user. Trial and Error is always going to be a big part of my learning development, working with others there is always going to be the potential for harm, both physically and emotionally. It is imperative that practice changes as a result of these mistakes.

Implementing Information Technology Driven Solutions for Supply Chain

Implementing Information Technology Driven Solutions for Supply Chain Introduction The market is increasingly becoming competitive as the world gets globalized. Business units are forced to come up with measures that can ensure that all their departments are running within expectations. Technology has redefined various fields of business operations. The logistics department is one of those that have been heavily influenced by the emerging technologies in the contemporary world.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Implementing Information Technology Driven Solutions for Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Bidgoli (56), the emerging technologies have redefined supply chain with the emergent of various technological inventions. This scholar says that use of technology driven applications have become very common in the modern society. With the world reduced into a global village with this same technology, it is prudent that logistics managers apply technology in their n ormal operations in order to meet the expectations of the market. Bidgoli (78) says that some firms have suffered serious loses due to wrong application of technology in supply chain management. This scholar says that the emerging technologies are very important in the logistics operations. However, it is a challenge to understand the most appropriate technologies to use. Some of the technologies are not appropriate because they are disruptive in nature. They have the tendency of disrupting the normal operations of a firm. This means that a firm must be able to identify the appropriate technologies and come up with measures that would help in its normal operations. It is through this that a firm can manage its logistics in a manner that would yield the desired results. Implementing these technologies does not only need an understanding of the technologies themselves, but also the long run impact they may have on the firm. This research focuses on the most appropriate methods of impl ementing information technology driven solutions for supply chain management with focus on the case study on Rolls-Royce plc. Business Analysis and Justification of Electronic Business Operations Electronic business operation has increasingly become important in the current world. Many business units have come to appreciate the importance of managing their businesses electronically. As was stated above, the world has been reduced into a global village due to technological developments in the field of information technology and transport. Firms are currently striving to have global operations as a way of increasing their market share. However, this may not be achieved if the management ignores the importance of some of the technological developments. According to the case study given about Rolls-Royce plc, it is apparent that the management of this firm has come to appreciate the importance of using information technology in managing its logistics.Advertising Looking for repo rt on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This business case clearly demonstrates that the market has become increasingly competitive, and firms are forced to ensure that all their operations leading to delivering products to customers are done efficiently and in time. This has seen a lot of pressure put on the logistics in order to ensure that products reach customers in time, and in good condition. This is what the management of Rolls-Royce has been very keen on. Electronic business operations cannot be avoided in supply chain management. As shown in the case study, when a firm releases its products from the manufacturing plant to the market, there is always a need to track the products in real time. There is need to ensure that the products movement are known by the logistics manager in order to help other departments such as the marketing unit in planning for the delivery of the product to the customers. Tracking of the products electronically while on transit not only helps in enhancing their security, but also in assuring the management that the products will reach the destination market in time. Through this, the management will also be kept abreast with any occurrences that may cause delay in the delivery of the products. This way, the management will be able to come up with measures that would help arrest a possible crisis that may arise when the products delivery is delayed. One of the most important tasks in supply chain management is the management of the inventory while in the warehouse at the production plant, while on transit and in the market before it is delivered to the relevant authorities. According to Yahaya, Gunasekaran and Abthorpe (25), the market has become very competitive, and firms are keen on delivering value to their customers in order to maintain them. Value chain management has therefore, become an important strategy for many business units. Supply chain management plays an important role in value chain management. This is because it ensures that the inventories are managed properly and that when a product finally reaches the market, it is in good shape. This is what the management of Rolls-Royce has been keen on as demonstrated in the case study. This process can be made easier and more efficient if the concerned authorities can incorporate information technology in it. Installing various electronic gadgets can help in detecting the condition of the product, especially when the product is perishable. Most of the transport vessels have electronic gadgets installed in them to help in automatic regulation of temperature within the transport vessel. In case there is a cause of alarm, the gadget would communicate with the officers manning the facility for an action to be taken. This has created a scenario where products reach the market in better condition than when the manual methods were used. This not only increases the profitabilit y of the firm, but also helps in developing strong trust with the customers. This is because of the reliable communication and delivery of products in good quality to the customers.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Implementing Information Technology Driven Solutions for Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Identifying Proper Market Segments and Marketplaces Market segmentation refers to the process of selecting and then classifying the markets based on demographical factors, especially the social class, gender and age. Market segmentation has become important in the current world, especially with the increasing differentiation in the market. As firms struggle to capture more markets globally, they are faced with differences in tastes and preferences among different classes of people. According to Gunasekaran and Abthorpe (258), the current consumers always demand for products that are specific to their nee ds. Firms are therefore, forced to find a way of meeting the needs of different categories of consumers in the market. Market segmentation is an important step in achieving this satisfaction. When the market is segmented, a firm will know how to deliver products to specific market segments. In the given case study, Rolls-Royce has been keen on identifying different market segments and delivering quality to these segments. In supply chain management, segmentation helps the logistics management in identifying products that might need to be delivered to the market within the shortest period. Each market segment will therefore, be treated uniquely based on their characteristics. Potential Legal, Ethical, and Tax Issues In logistics, it is always important to maintain ethics and all the legal issues that entail business operations of that firm. According to Gunasekaran and Abthorpe (261), there are legal issues that a firm is expected to follow based on the country in which, it operates. This is especially so when the firm has a global market coverage. As seen in the case study of Rolls-Royce, it is important to maintain ethics in order to help a firm build a good reputation. One of the ethical issues is on tax remittance at the custom duty warehouses. Many firms have learnt the art of evading taxation when moving its products from one border to another. Not only is this practice unethical, but also illegal and can lead to a law suit if the relevant authorities were to realize. In logistics, it is important to understand all the legal terms and conditions as stated by the relevant authorities. Once these laws become clear, it is then important to maintain ethics by following these laws closely to ensure that the relationship between the firm and these authorities is cordial. This will help in building a strong reputation for the firm. Whenever there are tax issues that a firm should address while goods are on transit, it is ethical to address the issues as expected to ensure that the firm do not find itself in a legal tussle with any authority.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is important to ensure that all the logistics officers responsible for the physical transportation of the products do not engage in such unethical practices as bribery because when the authorities realize this, the image of the firm can be tainted, besides the possible litigation that may follow. As Bidgoli (98) notes, building a good reputation may take years. In order to bring a firm to the level where its brand is strong in the market, it may take a long time and at great expenses. However, a small unethical behavior of the individuals trusted with running the firm can destroy the firm within a very short time. As Bidgoli (114) says, it is important that all the logistics officers carry out their tasks knowing that the future of the firm rests in their successful delivery of the duties assigned to them. Conclusion The case study given about Rolls-Royce demonstrates that firms in the current world must develop competitive strategies that can enable them manage the market compet ition. Rolls-Royce has come to appreciate the fact that success and failure can always befall a firm, depending on the approach that a firm takes in managing its logistics. Logistics is a very important aspect of a business unit through which a firm can realize success in the market if well managed. In logistics management, it is important to employ information technology as a way of improving efficiency. Technology has become a very important aspect of business units that it cannot be brushed aside by firms. An attempt to ignore these technologies may render a firm obsolete in the market. It is also important for these firms to segment the market in order to deliver maximum satisfaction to customers. Above all, a firm should ensure that it maintains ethics and maintains legal practices in its operations. Bidgoli, Hossein. The Handbook of Technology Management. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, 2010. Print. Yahaya, Yusuf, Gunasekaran Ahmed and Abthorpe, Mark. ‘Enterprise information systems project implementation: A case study of ERP in Rolls-Royce.’ International Journal of Production Economics 87 (2004): 251–266. Print.

Hospitality Industry in Australia Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group

Hospitality Industry in Australia Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group Introduction In Australia, the hospitality industry is one of the most developed industries which is characterised by the significant economic progress and revenues and by the close connection with the international market, depending on its trends. Travel, tourism, and hospitality industries are associated, and there are a lot of factors which affect the companies’ development within this economic and market sector1.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Hospitality Industry in Australia: Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The most influential companies which operate within the industry in Australia are Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) which are also competitors at the international arena. To analyse the particular features of the companies’ strategic development and compare and contrast their strong and weak qualities, it is necessary to pay attenti on to the major factors which affect the companies’ strategic direction and their openness to innovations in order to predict the companies’ possible successes in the future. The Particular Features of Accor’s Strategic Direction Accor is one of the most largest and developed hotel groups in Australia. The hotel group includes more than 150 hotels of different brands which levels respond to the needs of all the demographic categories. The most popular hotel brands belonging to Accor are Sofitel, MGallery, and All Seasons2. To preserve the leader positions within the market, Accor should operate the effective strategy3. It is possible to focus on the role of workforce for the company’s development. Managers of Accor state that to compete within the industry, it is important to provide the high-quality services based on the top-class employees. From this point, one of the main strengths of the company is the highly-skilled workforce (Appendix 2). However, to achieve the greater results in this field, it is important to improve the workforce planning in order to provide the necessary services. The next point is the value-creating asset management to improve the company’s performance within the market. Today, the company intends to expand its impact, and it develops strategies to operate within the larger market segment. Thus, according to PESTELDI Analysis, the accents are made on such macro-environment factors as economy, social and cultural aspects, and technology. The presence within the market is strengthened with references to adapting to the industry policies and responding to the unemployment rates with creating new workplaces, building new hotels (Appendix 1). Accor has also implemented the effective strategy to attract more franchisees and investors basing on modernisation of brands4.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Le arn More Factors Driving and Limiting Innovation in Relation Accor Much attention is paid to modernising the companies’ brands meeting the globalisation trends and improving the technologies available for customers. Moreover, the driving forces of Accor are the focus on innovation in technologies with references to using modern web-based central booking system, providing the high-level connectivity. The developed hotel network is important to control the whole system and guarantee the connection between the sectors (Appendix 3). IHG Strategic Development Hotel industry is the globalised industry that is why the most successful companies-representatives of the sector in Australia are those ones which operate successfully within the global or international market, and IHG is one of such companies5. The company focuses on the economic and social challenges providing the workplaces for Aboriginal people in Australia and participating in the programs to reduce the levels o f unemployment. To provide the high-quality services, the company emphasises the creation of necessary conditions for employees who receive needed training and additional education6. The focus on environmental issues and the question of sustainability are the strong features of the company operating globally and following the global tendencies to meet the environment’s needs (Appendix 1)7. In spite of the focus on the multi-brand system and strategy, the concentration on the luxury hotels is one of the company’s weaknesses, and it prevents it from attracting more customers from different social categories8. The company is successful in focusing on the sustainability and responding to the social and economic needs while concentrating on the issue of responsibility. IHG and Innovation within the Market The factors which drive innovation and improvement of the company are accents on low cost of operations provided and on the effective employee management. Moreover, the co mpany uses the modernised and extensive database basing on the quality IT management to respond to the global trends9. Nevertheless, there are factors which can be discussed as limiting the implementation of the innovation technologies by the company. The problem is in the fact the company uses rather general business and strategic models which can be not effective for implementing in all the IHC hotels over the world10.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Hospitality Industry in Australia: Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Australian hospitality industry develops intensively, and it is highly competitive that is why it is necessary to pay more attention to the usage of the innovative technological devices to meet the customers’ needs (Appendix 2, 3). From this point, the strategy followed by Accor is more effective. Recommendations The success of the strategy used by Accor should be based not only responding to the global tendencies and customers’ expectations but also on the greater flexibility in relation to financial questions and investement; The Intercontinental Hotels Group should concentrate more on the implementing on the innovation technologies to attract more customers and satisfy their needs; It is important to develop the Intercontinental Hotels Group and improve the strategy, paying more attention to brands for all the social categories without focusing on luxury hotels11. Conclusion Paying attention to the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the strategic management and focus on innovation in relation to the Australian most successful companies Accor and the Intercontinental Hotels Group which operate in the hospitality industry, it is possible to state that Accor will develop more effectively within the market because of the successfully set priorities. Thus, the company focuses on the brand performance using the results of the technological development and contributes to the progress of the most attractive brands. Furthermore, the company regularly generates high revenues with references to the investors’ loyalty. The company focuses on the effective organisation and high-quality services. However, these points are also typical for the Intercontinental Hotels Group, and the leader position of Accor in the future should be based on emphasising the role of the market scale and profitable growth within the industry. Thus, Accor is more adaptive to operate in the modern environment and succeed in relation to the future changes of the market. Appendices Appendix 1 PESTELDI Analysis Factors Accor Intercontinental Hotels Group Political Focus on following the industry policies carefully The dependence on the industry regulations Economic the creation of more workplaces, responding to the unemployment rates Focus on tax rates to develop the strategy to work with investors Social/Cultural the multi-brand system provides services for all the social categories luxury focus, the lack of the brand’s development for all the social categories; the concentration of the Aboriginal issues. Technology focus on innovation focus on tradition combined with using technologies Environment sustainable usage of energy resources focus on sustainability and environmental protection Legal professional liability and focus on the principles of the corporate ethics Demographic workforce (men and women, age 21-38) International there is the threat of emerging markets and competitors’ progress at the global arena Appendix 2 SWOT Analysis Accor Intercontinental Hotels Group Strengths the highly-skilled workforce; the improved workforce planning; the value-creating asset management. Weaknesses lack of flexibility Strengths management focuses on developing the most strategic and successful hotels; employee performance. Weakness es lack of innovation; luxury focus. Opportunities modernisation of the multi-brand company Threats the decrease in the company’s popularity among customers Opportunities the intensive product and service growth Threats ineffective competition within the market Appendix 3 Porter’s Five Forces Accor Intercontinental Hotels Group Bargaining Power of Customers Strong. There are a lot of alternatives within the market Bargaining Power of Suppliers Rather low. The dependence is observed in relation to property owners Low. There is weak dependence on suppliers Threat of New Entrants Low. There are high fixed costs Threat of Substitute Products Rather high. The threat is different in relation to the services and products provided because of the multi-service character of the companies Competitive Rivalry within the Industry High. The market is mature High. The necessity to find the balance between price and quality Bibliography Accor Brands, 201 3, retrieved accor.com/en/brands.html. Challenges in hospitality industry, 2010, retrieved goldcoastbusinessnews.com.au/article2212/CHALLENGES%20AHEAD%20. Cole, G, Strategic management, Cengage Learning EMEA, Australia, 2003.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hubbard, G Beamish, P, Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis and Action, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 2010. IHC: Corporate Responsibility Report, 2013, retrieved ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=762. Intercontinental Hotels Group, 2011, retrieved ihgplc.com/files/pdf/ihg_australian_reconciliation_action_plan.pdf. Intercontinental Hotels Group: Case Study, 2010, retrieved marketingweek.co.uk/case-study-intercontinental-hotels-group-ihg/3020949.article. Sadler, P, Strategic management, Kogan Page Publishers, UK, 2003. Trott, P, Innovation Management and New Product Development, Prentice Hall, England, 2008. Thompson, G, Strategic management, Cengage Learning EMEA, Australia, 2010. Footnotes 1 G Hubbard P Beamish, Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis and Action, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 2010. 2 Accor Brands, 2013, retrieved accor.com/en/brands.html. 3 Challenges in hospitality industry, 2010, retrieved goldcoastbusinessnews.com.au/article2212/CHALLENGES%20 AHEAD%20. 4 Accor Brands, 2013. 5 IHC: Corporate Responsibility Report, 2013, retrieved ihgplc.com/index.asp?pageid=762. 6 G Cole, Strategic management, Cengage Learning EMEA, Australia, 2003. 7 P Sadler, Strategic management, Kogan Page Publishers, UK, 2003. 8 Intercontinental Hotels Group, 2011, retrieved ihgplc.com/files/pdf/ihg_australian_reconciliation_action_plan.pdf. 9 G Thompson, Strategic management, Cengage Learning EMEA, Australia, 2010. 10 Intercontinental Hotels Group: Case Study, 2010, retrieved marketingweek.co.uk/case-study-intercontinental-hotels-group-ihg/3020949.article. 11 P Trott, Innovation Management and New Product Development, Prentice Hall, England, 2008.

Battle of Arsuf in the Crusades

Battle of Arsuf in the Crusades The Battle of Arsuf was fought September 7, 1191, during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Armies Commanders Crusaders King Richard I the Lionheart of Englandapprox. 20,000 men Ayyubids Saladinapprox. 20,000 men Battle of Arsuf Background Having successfully completed the siege of Acre in July 1191, Crusader forces began moving south. Led by King Richard I the Lionheart of England, they sought to capture the port of Jaffa before turning inland to reclaim Jerusalem. With the Crusader defeat at Hattin in mind, Richard took great care in planning the march to ensure that adequate supplies and water would be available to his men. To this end, the army kept to the coast where the Crusader fleet could support its operations. In addition, the army only marched in the morning to avoid the midday heat and campsites were selected based on the availability of water. Departing Acre, Richard kept his forces in a tight formation with the infantry on the landward side protecting his heavy cavalry and baggage train to seaward. Responding to the Crusaders movements, Saladin began shadowing Richards forces. As Crusader armies had proven notorious undisciplined in the past, he began a series of harassing raids on Richards flanks with the goal of breaking up their formation. This done, his cavalry could sweep in for the kill. The March Continues Advancing in their defensive formation, Richards army successfully deflected these Ayyubid attacks as they slowly moved south. On August 30, near Caesarea, his rearguard became heavily engaged and required assistance before escaping the situation. Assessing Richards route, Saladin elected to make a stand near the town of Arsuf, just north of Jaffa. Arraying his men facing west, he anchored his right on the Forest of Arsuf and his left on a series of hills to the south. To his front was a narrow two-mile wide plain extending to the coast. Saladins Plan From this position, Saladin intended to launch a series of harassing attacks followed by feigned retreats with the goal of compelling the Crusaders to break formation. Once this was done, the bulk of Ayyubid forces would attack and drive Richards men into the sea. Rising on September 7, the Crusaders needed to cover a little over 6 miles to reach Arsuf. Aware of Saladins presence, Richard ordered his men to prepare for battle and resume their defensive marching formation. Moving out, the Knights Templar were in the van, with additional knights in the center, and the Knights Hospitaller bringing up the rear. The Battle of Arsuf Moving onto the plain north of Arsuf, the Crusaders were subjected to hit-and-run attacks beginning around 9:00 AM. These largely consisted of horse archers dashing forward, firing, and immediately retreating. Under strict orders to hold formation, despite taking losses, the Crusaders pressed on. Seeing that these initial efforts were not having the desired effect, Saladin began focusing his efforts on the Crusader left (rear). Around 11:00 AM, Ayyubid forces began increasing the pressure on the Hospitallers led by Fra Garnier de Nablus. The fighting saw mounted Ayyubid troops dash forward and attack with javelins and arrows. Protected by spearmen, the Crusader crossbowmen returned fire and began exacting a steady toll on the enemy. This pattern held as the day progressed and Richard resisted requests from his commanders to allow the knights to counterattack preferring to husband his strength for the right moment while allowing Saladins men to tire. These requests continued, particularly from the Hospitallers who were becoming concerned about the number of horses they were losing. By mid-afternoon, the lead elements of Richards army were entering Arsuf. At the rear of the column, the Hospitaller crossbow and spearmen were fighting as they marched backwards. This led to the formation weakening allowing the Ayyubids to attack in earnest. Again requesting permission to lead his knights out, Nablus was again denied by Richard. Assessing the situation, Nablus ignored Richards command and charged forward with the Hospitaller knights as well as additional mounted units. This movement coincided with a fateful decision made by the Ayyubid horse archers. Not believing that the Crusaders would break formation, they had stopped and dismounted in order to better aim their arrows. As they did so, Nablus men burst from the Crusader lines, overran their position, and began driving back the Ayyubid right. Though angered by this move, Richard was compelled to support it or risk losing the Hospitallers. With his infantry entering Arsuf and establishing a defensive position for the army, he ordered the Templars, supported by Breton and Angevin knights, to attack the Ayyubid left. This succeeded in pushing back enemys left and these forces were able to defeat a counterattack by Saladins personal guard. With both Ayyubid flanks reeling, Richard personally led forward his remaining Norman and English knights against Saladins center. This charge shattered the Ayyubid line and caused Saladins army to flee the field. Pushing forward, the Crusaders captured and looted the Ayyubid camp. With darkness approaching, Richard called off any pursuit of the defeated enemy. Aftermath of Arsuf Exact casualties for the Battle of Arsuf are not known, but is estimated that Crusader forces lost around 700 to 1,000 men while Saladins army may have suffered as many as 7,000. An important victory for the Crusaders, Arsuf boosted their morale and removed Saladins air of invincibility. Though defeated, Saladin quickly recovered and, after concluding that he could not penetrate the Crusaders defensive formation, resumed his harassing tactics. Pressing on, Richard captured Jaffa, but the continued existence of Saladins army prevented an immediate march on Jerusalem. Campaigning and negotiations between Richard and Saladin continued over the next year until the two men concluded a treaty in September 1192 which allowed Jerusalem to remain in Ayyubid hands but permitted Christian pilgrims to visit the city. Resources and Further Reading Military History Online: Battle of ArsufHistory of War: Battle of Arsuf