The White Collar Crime And Economic Crimes - 2126 Words

In India, the Law Commission in its 29th Report pointed out more or less the same factors as responsible for the rise of economic crimes, particularly, the white collar crimes. It observed, â€Å"The advance of technological and scientific development is contributing to the emergence of mass society, with a large rank and file and small controlling elite, encouraging the growth of monopolies, the rise of managerial class and intricate institutional mechanisms. Strict adherence to a high standard of ethical behavior is necessary for the event and honest functioning of the new social, political and economic processes. The inability of all sections of society to appreciate in full this need results in the emergence of growth of white collar crime and economic crimes. Steps taken to deal with the problem of Corporate Crimes In various countries various steps have been taken of enacting suitable laws to deal with the problem of corporate crimes. 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Author Miller’s Death Of A Salesman A Family’s Misguided...

Death of a salesman is a two-act play set in the late 1940s. The death of a salesman is a tragic story of one family’s failed attempt to live the American dream. Majority of the action in the play takes place in the Loman’s home and yard. The Loman family consists of Wily, Linda and their two sons Biff and Happy. Overall I consider Death of A Salesman a fascinating Play. To begin with I found my self-having difficulty reading the play. I immediately began writing off the play as another story of a retired salesman that went crazy from old age. The first half of Act I was especially tough to get through, but as an avid reader I knew from experience most stories have a slow start so I continued but I found my self constantly confused by the characters and their relationships with each other. The Lomans came across as extremely dysfunctional family. As I continued to read my interest was peaked and I had to find out what caused this family to end up so broken. By the beginning of Act II I was hooked. I found my self becoming focused on Biff’s character and his relationship with his father. Towards the end of Act II I could not put the play down, everything began to make sense and I finally understood the reason behind the stressed relationships between the characters. After understanding each character and part of their history it was easy to see how certain relationships developed between characters, namely relationships between each member of the family and Willy. As I

Mkt Plan-Popcorn Store in Hk Free Essays

string(48) " will lead to an explosion of needs of popcorn\." 1. 0 Executive Summary We are preparing to open a popcorn specialty shop in Hong Kong, the Pop Popcorn Shop. Hong Kong is a famous international tourism city and it successfully received more than 42 million tourists in the past year. We will write a custom essay sample on Mkt Plan-Popcorn Store in Hk or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hong Kong has its unique culture and the Hong Kong film culture is one of the most remarkable one. Therefore, our Pop Popcorn Shop will closely integrated with the Hong Kong film culture, and create a well-known local brand image, which can attractive to local residents who like to eat popcorn or like to see movies, and the tourists who interest in the Hong Kong culture or movies. We can effectively compete with other popcorn store because we offer a high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price to consumers. More importantly, we provide customize service, which customers can make their own flavor popcorn and even the packages according to their preference. The particular customize service as well as the film culture brand image is our two brightest spots, which can make us distinguish with other competitors and become our distinct competencies. The marketing objective in the first year is to build up our brand awareness through our various marketing communication methods and we will continue to focus on increasing our brand equity in the next two years. The primary financial objectives are to achieve first-year sales revenue of HKD1,580,000 (USD 203,820) and reach profitability. The revenue will be expected to increase by 12% in the second year and 15% in the third year. 2. 0 Service Description Popcorn is a popular  snack food  at sporting events and in  cinemas, where it has been served since 1914. Hong Kong, a dynamic Asian metropolis that attracts numerous tourists and businessmen, global or Asian, every year, has been deeply influenced by the western movie culture and gradually developed it very own local movie culture, which is a robust branch of Hong Kong local culture, leading Hong Kong to be such a huge market for film industry. Benefiting from this significantly growing movie market and the saying that popcorn is always the best company in theaters, Hong Kong would be our ideal place that gives us incentive to locate our Pop Popcorn Shop in this prosperous city. Specifically, our popcorn shop will be opened at Langham Place, one of the most popular shopping mall located in the very heart of Hong Kong, which has a magical gravitation that attracts numerous local residents and tourists. Moreover, with its world-class equipment, fascinating settings, and consensus images of fashion, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the nearly the most popular movie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong. Thus, the needs from the people who are going to a movie in UA cinema would be so huge that can be a large target market, waiting our popcorn specialty store to satisfy. In addition, our specialty store, Pop Popcorn, not only aims to offer high-quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price to consumers, but also provides customized service that customers can make their own flavors popcorn and even design their own popcorn packages, as well as customize their distinctive popcorn tins. Moreover, nine regular flavors popcorn will be provided in Pop Popcorn — sugar, buttery, caramel, cheese, chocolate, barbecue, rainbow, spicy, and mustard — which is a wide range from classic flavor to popular special flavors. Additionally, two different packages, bags or tins, with five different sizes — small, medium, large, 1 gallon, or 2 gallon — would be offered to our customers to select. Essentially, the most distinctive feature of Pop Popcorn will be the combination of popcorn and Hong Kong local movie culture. In our shop, everything is about film. From the in-store decoration, display of popcorn, our staff costume, to the packing of our popcorn are all designed based on the characteristics of Hong Kong local movies. Above all, customers can also design the packing of their popcorn with one of their favorite movies, which can be a wonderful souvenir from themselves, as well as a distinctive gift for their friends. 3. 0 SWOT Analysis 3. 1 Strengths 1. Exclusive location — Langham Place is one of the most famous shopping mall located in the very heart of Hong Kong. It has attracted numerous local residents and tourists. Specifically, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the one of the most popular movie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong. 5 This exclusive location will provide an intense collection with our target customers. 2. Distinctive decorations and packaging design of our shop – In Pop Popcorn Shop, everything is relative to films. The film elements in our store will generate one the most significant points-of-difference compare to other popcorn stores. 3. Various tasty and even customized flavors of popcorn – Pop popcorn store will regularly provide nine flavors of popcorn to the customers. More important, we will be the first popcorn shop to provide customized flavors service. 3. 2 Weaknesses 1. Brand awareness — As a new popcorn shop, we would not have much brand awareness and brand equity at the very beginning. 2. Customer accession — Regarding to those customers who are going to a movie, our shop location will not be the most convenient place for them to buy popcorn compared to the snack store located inside the theater. It’s one of the disadvantages when we compete with the snack stores inside the theaters. 3. 3 Opportunities 1. Film culture is one of the most prominent characteristics of Hong Kong culture. There is a large amount of movie fans in Hong Kong. 2. Popcorn is known as the best partner for movies, the constantly flourishing of film industry in Hong Kong will lead to an explosion of needs of popcorn. You read "Mkt Plan-Popcorn Store in Hk" in category "Papers" 3. Hong Kong is an international prosperous city, many local residents has a relatively high disposable income. . The continue growth of tourists in Hong Kong, especially the tourists from Mainland China, as well as the their strong consumption power. 3. 4 Threats Competition is a dynamic process that our competitors would also switch their strategies that may lead to some turnover marketing circumstances. Based on the analysis of our target market, there may be three potential situations, which can be threats to our popcorn shop. 1. Other brand-famous popcorn stores may expand their locations. Since one of our essential strengths is our location in Langham Place, if other brand-famous popcorn shops also have inclination about expanding to the location near our shop, it would be a threat for us. 2. With the growing popularity of popcorn, the snack stores locate inside the theaters may provide more flavors popcorn to the customers. 3. There is other more tasty and healthier alternative snacks for customers when they have a movie. 4. 0 Target Markets Generally speaking, the people who like to eat popcorn will be our target customers. Specifically, based on geographic segmentation, local residents and tourists of Hong Kong would be our target market that deserve our fully concentration on developing our own customer bases, as well as establishing our very brand awareness. 4. 1 Local residents who like popcorn or movies 1. Typical users Geographically, those Hong Kong people who live in the urban area–New Territories and Kowloon–would be our major typical users. In 2011, around 45% of the Hong Kong population is living in New Territories and around 30% of them lives in Kowloon. Demographically, those local residents, female or male, who are about 15-44 years old with average monthly income more than HKD10,000 or monthly spending more than HKD200 on snack food can be identified as our typical users. Additionally, people who will go to theater for movies more than four times a month will be defined as our heavy users. 2. Size and growth of this target market In 2011, the population in HK was about 7,067,800, and the average population growth rate had increased by 0. 72% compare to 2005. In terms of population of our target market, the amount of population of 15-44 years old is around 3,135,300, which accounts for 44. 4% of the total population. 3 In the recent years, the film industry in Hong Kong is booming. Regarding to the film industry in Hong Kong, in 2010, the box office gross was HKD1,339 billion, and, in 2011, this number grew to HKD1. 379 billion. The total number of films that released in 2011 was 276, which included 56 Hong Kong local films and 220 foreign films. In addition, the number of attendance was 87,517 and the attendance rate was 75. % in 2011. Moreover, according to a survey co-conducted by the University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Picture Industry Association in 2008, 58. 3% of those people who went to a movie would buy various amount of popcorn as their â€Å"companies† for the next 120 minutes at the theater. 3. The real â€Å"buyer† in this target market The real â€Å"buyer† of our product is mainly the same as our typi cal users. However, the male customers may account for a larger amount of them. Because when a couple goes to see a movie, the male will usually be the one who pends his money on the popcorn and share it with the female, given in the Hong Kong culture. 4. Main characteristics of this target market Our typical customers’ main characteristics can be described on two fronts. First, these people are deeply influenced and attracted by the film culture in Hong Kong, which is one of the most fundamental branches of the Hong Kong local culture. Second, according to the data from Census and Statistics Department Hong Kong, among the people who is 18-44 years old, the average monthly income of them is HKD13,600. 5. Reasons why this target market is attractive Evidently, there are two main reasons why these typical users of us, who are the 15-to-44-year-old local residents with over-average incomes, will be substantially attractive to our popcorn specialty store. Firstly, these typical users have been living in Hong Kong for some years that they may be fundamentally influenced by Hong Kong local culture, especially by the film culture in Hong Kong. Loving movies can be a major incentive for them to be willing to spend money to have movie in theaters. And popcorn, as one of the most ideal companies in theaters, can be one the last things our target market want to miss. Secondly, these young residents have relatively open-minded customer awareness, easier to accept new brands that have distinctive brand images. Moreover, they are relatively high-income citizens living at a fashion lifestyle city and willing to spend more on snacks or recreations. 4. 2 Tourists 1. Typical users in this target market Geographically, tourists form Mainland China will be our target customers, especially who are from 4 main cities in China – Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Demographically, the tourists between 15-44 years old, male or female will be defined as our target customers. 2. Size and growth of this target market In 2011, Hong Kong received record-high visitors from around the world, which was totally 41,921,310, a remarkable increased by 16. 4% over 2010. Tourism generated value added of HKD 74. 6 billion in 2010 and the inbound tourism accounted for the largest share of the value added of tourism, which was HKD 59. 2 billion. Compared with 2005, this value added increased by an average annual rate of 12. 5%. Among various incomes generated from the inbound tourism, food and beverage services had HKD 6,300 millions value added in 2011. 2. The real â€Å"buyer† in this target market The real â€Å"buyers† are tourists, who may buy our popcorn as a souvenir or a gift for themselves, as well as for their friends. It indicates that the buyer may not be the actual user in this target market. However, we will put more attention to advertise our shop among the female tourists, since the female tourists are usually more interested in shopping and buying souvenirs. 3. Main characteristics of this target market Firstly, most of them are from Asia, especially from Mainland China. In 2011, Mainland China continued to be the largest visitor source market of Hong Kong, contributed 28. million arrivals, accounting for 67. 0% of total arrivals in Hong Kong. 7 Secondly, mid July to end August are always the most intense period for tourists to visit Hong Kong. Also, regarding to the life-cycle stage segment of overnight vacation visitors in Hong Kong, approximately 36% of the visitors are families with children, 20% of them are young single male or female, 12% of them are young couples, and 7% of them are young students. Moreover, these visitors, 15-44 years old, which will be our target customers, account for 75% of our total visitors of Hong Kong in 2011. 4. Reasons why this target market is attractive Firstly, the number of tourists is remarkably substantial and this number is increasing every year. The appreciation of most major currencies against Hong Kong dollar and the improving travel sentiment have fueled the impressive performance. 7 For the short-haul market, benefiting for the Individual Visit Scheme, which the Central Government has announced that residents from certain cities are allowed to visit Hong Kong as tourists in their personal capacity, tourism in Hong Kong is developing significantly every year. In 2011, the coverage of the Scheme has expanded to 49 cities in China since the first introduced on in 2003. 9 That means the tourists form Mainland China will continue to increase substantially. For the long-haul markets, arrivals recorded a 1. 7% increase. In particular, the United States remained the largest long-haul market with 1. 2 million arrivals in 2011, representing a 3. 5% increase. 7 Secondly, the tourists, especially those who are from Mainland China, have such a robust consumption capacity. From the source of Hong Kong Tourism Board, in 2011, the total tourism expenditure associated to inbound tourism is HKD 253. billion, which had a significant 20. 5%, increase by 2010. 8 Specifically, the average spending of the visitors from Mainland China was HKD 8,220 in 2011, which has a 10. 3% increase by 2010. 9 5. 0 Competitive Analysis 5. 1 Direct Competitor Our direct competitor will be the Garrett Popcorn Shop Hong Kong, which is a famous popcorn store overseas. Garrett is located at the International Financial Center Mall Hong Kong, where is in the central business district in Hong Kong. The IFC Mall has lots of luxury shops inside and it focus on targeting to the high-income customers. 1. The strengths and weaknesses of Garrett First, Garrett has a high reputation overseas due to its long history and consistent high quality of fresh popcorn. That is, the global brand famousness of Garrett Popcorn would be so pervasive that would attract large amount of foreign customers who is working currently at Hong Kong. Second, after concentrating on popcorn industry for more than 60 years, Garrett has already developed its very own secret recipes to mix into popcorn, like The Chicago Mix, Caramel Crisp, and CheeseCorn. These famous flavors popcorn are another stunning strength of Garrett. However, some weaknesses of Garrett Popcorn Hong Kong have been exposed to the public, which may turn to be our opportunities. According to the OpenRice, which is a popular users review and local cuisine recommendation website, based on 5 aspects include taste, environment, service, hygiene, and value for money, Garrett Hong Kong scores only 3. 8 of 5. 0 based on  the customers’ ratings. The negative reviews are mainly about the service and the value of money. Many customers complained about the unfriendly staff and the too expensive popcorn. 2. Our strategies to compete with Garrett Based on the analysis about Garrett Hong Kong’s strengths and weaknesses, our competing strategies can be elicited in three fronts. First is about different shop location setting that we would focus on popular shopping mall rather than luxury shopping center. Second is our popcorn price setting that would be average 20% lower than Garrett. Third is the customized services provided by us, which will customers to create their own flavor popcorn and packages. Moreover, we will pay more attention to select and train our staffs and thus provide very friendly service to customers. . 2 Indirect Competitors The indirect competitors of us will be the snack stores locate inside the theaters, which can also provide popcorn to our target customers. 1. The strengths and weaknesses of the snack store inside the theaters Firstly, it’s the most convenient location for the customers who are going to see a movie – most of these snack store are just steps away from the theater. Sec ondly, the popcorn price is relatively low compare to our store. However, their weaknesses are also obviously when compare to our popcorn specialty store. Almost all of these stores just provide the sugar flavor popcorn to the customers. The very limit flavor choice and relatively low quality of popcorn are their biggest disadvantages. Additionally, these stores are usually put little effort on marketing communication with customers. 2. Our strategies to complete with the snack stores inside the theaters Evidently, our strategies to compete with these indirect competitors can be, firstly, providing discounts or advocating promotions to the customers who have a movie ticket. For example, the customers can get 10% off in our store when they present us the movie ticket on the same day. Secondly, we will implement various campaigns that strongly advertise our fascinating tasty popcorn with multiple flavors and high quality, framing an image that our target customers can have a box of satisfying popcorn with a reasonable price. 5. 3 Potential competitors The potential competitors of our popcorn shop can be defined as those snack grocery stores that can offer alternatives snacks to popcorn. Although there are various kinds of snack food with even cheaper prices in those grocery tores, however, if a customer is looking something fresh or special rather than something bland when he/she is going to a movie, these grocery stores would soon to become the very last place to satisfy him/her. Thus, regarding to our target customers, we can pay efforts in marketing communication that utilizes mass medias to frame that fresh popcorn is the best choice for movies, espec ially the fresh popcorn with customized flavors we exclusively provided. 6. 0 Pricing Strategies 6. 1 Pricing Strategy 1. Pricing objective — The pricing objective of Pop Popcorn Specialty Store is product-quality leadership. Consistent with our store’ s marketing strategy and brand positions, the message that we seek to communicate is that we offer high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price. 2. Unit cost and margins — The total cost of our product will include fixed cost and variable cost. Since the various cost of raw materials are relatively low, while the cost of rent and salary is relatively high in Hong Kong. The cost of per popcorn will be lower when more popcorn has been made per day. Thus, in our price structure, the raw materials per unit cost is estimated approximately 15% of the total cost. . Competitors’ price structure comparison — Garrett Popcorn Hong Kong provides 5 flavors and 6 sizes of popcorn to the consumer. The price is quite different based on different flavors, the average price of the Garrett’s popcorn is — small HKD52, medium HKD76, large HKD96, jumbo HKD164, 1 gallon HKD334, and 2 gallon HKD639. On t he other hand, nearly all of the snack stores in theater in Hong Kong just provide the sugar flavor popcorn, and the price is around HKD15 for small, HKD25 for medium, and HKD30 for large size. 4. Pricing methods — Base on the company cost, competitors cost, and customer demand, we will use the perceived-value pricing method to select our product price. In addition, based on our product-quality pricing object, we will seek to create an image that emphasizes our high-quality product with value price brand to consumer. Due to our location rent and less brand awareness, our average price will be about 20% lower than Garrett popcorn price. While our average price will be 25% higher than snack stores in theater since our store is excel in making arious tasty flavors popcorn. 6. 2 Price Structure 1. Our price list 2. Special offers In order to encourage sales we will provide access for certain customers to special prices. Such as special customer price–customers can get 10% off in our store when they present us the movie ticket on the same day. Also, we will have a frequency reward program–membership cards which can collect points and use the points as cash to p urchase popcorn in our store. Meanwhile, we will provide coupon in the special festival to our customers. 7. 0 Channels of Distribution Initially, Pop Popcorn will use a direct-to-consumer distribution model – our own specialty store and website, to determine our channels of distribution. 7. 1 Specialty store in Langham Place Pop Popcorn Specialty Store will locate in the first floor at Langham Place. The reasons why we choose this location can be evidenced on two fronts. Firstly, Langham Place Mall, located in the very heart of Hong Kong, is a quintessential 15-storey fashionable landmark and one of the most popular shopping malls for both local residents and tourists. Secondly, the UA cinema at the 8th floor in Langham Place is the nearly the most popular movie theater that has not only the highest attendance rate but also the best box office in Hong Kong. Thus, being located first floor in Langham Place, we can have an exclusive advantage to build up an intense connection with a large amount of our target customers. Not only the people who are shopping in the Langham Place can easily purchase our popcorn, but also the people who will go to see movies. As we mention about, everything is about film in Pop Popcorn Shop. The decoration style in our shop will be full of the film elements. As well as our staffs’ uniform. Buoyed by researches, which suggest that as much as 70 percent to 80 percent of purchase decisions are made inside the retail store, firms are increasingly recognizing the importance of influencing consumers at the point of purchase. Regarding to our popcorn shop, especially because of our low brand awareness at the very beginning, not only the display of our popcorn is important, but also our salespeople is essential for leading customers’ purchase decisions. On the other hand, when the consumers know our brand and come to purchase popcorn, salespeople may also play an important role to provide a very best purchase experience to these customers. Thus, lots of attention will be paid to manage our sales force through the selection, recruitment, training, motivation, compensation and evaluation sections in order to provide our customers the very best salespeople, who are sophisticated in customer service and fascinated by Pop Popcorn’s brand culture. 7. 2 Pop Popcorn’s own website The very own attractive and interesting website of Pop Popcorn will provide a substantially rich source of our store and product information, including our featured popcorn, distinctive customized service about the flavor popcorn and packages, etc. Moreover, various of promotions, membership activities, and latest movies news, trials, especially those information about local Hong Kong movies can be found on Pop Popcorn’s website, in order to establish its very own brand awareness that combines fresh tasty popcorn with Hong Kong film culture. In addition, our user-friendly and security purchase system in the website provides a convenient way for consumers to purchase our popcorn no matter for themselves or for their friends as a gift. 8. 0 Marketing Communications Pop Popcorn’s marketing communication strategy will, initially, endeavor to establish our very own brand awareness among our target customers in order to develop our customer base. Essentially, the message that Pop Popcorn aims to communicate is that it offers high quality, various tasty flavors, as well as healthy popcorn with value price. In addition, there are various efficient approaches for us to convey this message to our target customers, which includes the own website of Pop Popcorn, online and offline advertising, sales promotions, interactive marketing and event and experience campaigns. 8. 1 Pop Popcorn Website The Pop Popcorn Web site focus on providing a rich source of product information with a fascinating website typography and design. Specifically, various information about our popcorn flavors, customized tin services, or promotions would be easily accessed to our customers in the website. In addition, the Pop Popcorn website will also provide a user-friendly purchase system for customers to order their popcorn online, so that they easily purchase our popular flavors popcorn or their customize flavor popcorn for themselves and their friends. 8. 2 Advertising 1. Online advertising Since one segmentation of our target customers is the local residents who likes to eat popcorn or likes to see movie, we will focus on put our online advertisement on the film websites, where the movie lovers usually browse and access to film information. Also, advertising Pop Popcorn in the local popular video websites, like Youtube and Tudou, which has huge traffics would be an extraordinary way to establish our brand awareness, creating customers’ craving for our popcorns. Meanwhile, in order to cover another group of our target customers–tourists, websites about travel guides, travellers’ reviews, and travelling recommendations about Hong Kong will also be our prior choices to place our online advertisements. We will seek to communicate that Pop Popcorn Specialty Store is one of the last things tourists want to miss when they travel in Hong Kong. 2. Offline advertising We will put our advertisement on the magazines that our target customers usually like to read, such as food magazines, film magazines, and travel magazines. Also, we will post outdoor advertising at the famous shopping places, where are popular to tourists and local residents — especially the shopping malls that have theater inside. 8. 3 Sales Promotions In order to stimulate our short-run sales at the very beginning and build our long-run brand equity, we will offer multiple sales promotions to consumers. We will focus on giving away our popcorn samples because this consumer franchise-building promotion can provide a chance for customers to try our tasty popcorn. Also, we will offer coupons to encourage purchase of larger-size units and attract switchers away from competitors’ brands. Moreover, a frequency rewards program will be provided to customers in order to show our appreciation to them and increase their brand loyalty. . 4 Social Media With the pervasive development of social medias, we will create our official account or page on the popular social networks, like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Pinterest, which will ultimately be a major platform for us to collect customer views and interact with customers, as well as a major platform for us to frequently update our news and upcoming promotions. 8. 5 Events and Experien ces Pop Popcorn will establish a membership organization and focus on creating our own events and experience to create consumer and media interest and involvement. For example, we will organize gratuitous film talks for our members to share their movie reviews, and other relative events. At the same time, we will try to sponsor and cooperate with local film production companies. The Hong Kong films are typically low-budget when compared with American films. 3 So it’s possible that we can sponsor some local films with low cost. Since film culture is one of the most prominent characteristics of Hong Kong culture, cohering Pop Popcorn with Hong Kong film industry will not only help us to develop a large customer base of movie fans and tourists, but also increase our brand equity. . 0 Budgets for 3 Years 9. 1 Revenue Forecast The revenue forecast in the first year will be HKD 1,580,000(USD 203,820) after the relatively large amount of expenditure on marketing communication. Being boosted by the online and offline advertisements, as well as our very own established brand awareness, the revenue forecast should be expectedly increasing by 12% i n the second year and increasing by 15% in the third year. 9. 2 Product Cost The variable costs include the popcorn kernel, flavoring and other relative supplies will account for 20% of the total sales revenue. The fixed costs include salary, rent and facilities. Specifically, the salary will be increased by 6% per year in order to maintain the staff’s’ satisfaction. The rent of our store will remain the same in three years according to the contract, and the facilities expense is a one-time expenditure, which refers to the costs on the popcorn machines and the store renovation cost. 9. 3. Marketing Communication Expense Related to the marketing programs described in the previous section, our marketing communication expense included six aspects. The cost of building our own website will be relatively large in the first year. The online advertising budget will increase by 10% per year while offline advertising budget will decrease by 10% per year. The mainly cost of sales promotions are for free popcorn samples and printed coupons, which will decrease by 5% per year. On the other hand, the social media communication budget will increase by 20% and the events budget will increase by 15% per year since we will dedicate to have a border and deeper relationship with our customers. 9. 4 Total Budget for 3 Years 10. Reference Citations How to cite Mkt Plan-Popcorn Store in Hk, Papers

Reconstruction Failure Essay Example For Students

Reconstruction Failure Essay The reconstruction of the south was the period during and after the Civil War where several different groups in the government tried to solve the economic, political, and social problems that arose as a result of the Civil War. It was a time of disorder and chaos. Southern whites rejected all forms of equality and blacks wanted nothing but full freedom and land of their own. This led to frequent and inevitable riots. Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877 and was one of the most controversial periods in the nations history. People still debate its successes and failures. Many people blames Reconstruction Failure Essay on black politics, calling it ;Negro government.; Even some newspapers that were in favor of Reconstruction blamed the black legislatures. Foner wrote, ;Ironically, even as racism waned as an explicit component of the Northern Democratic appeal, it gained a hold on respectable Republican opinion, as a convenient explanation for Reconstructions failure. Black politicians could have been the demise of Reconstruction. Another cause of Reconstruction could have been the Courts intervention. Foner stated, Previously, the Court had proved reluctant to intervene in Reconstruction controversies. The Compromise of 1877 between the Republicans and Democrats, occurring in January of that year, was the solution to the contested Presidential election of 1876 and furthermore brought an end to the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War. The banks could have also caused the failure of Reconstruction to speed up. The Freedmans Savings Bank went under with no money to pay its depositors. The bank held thousands of blacks (Freedman) money. In June 1874, with only $31,000 on hand to cover obligations to its 61,000 depositors, the Freedmans Savings Bank suspended operations. One of the main reasons for the failure of Reconstruction was the dropped prices of crops. Many farmers and sharecroppers could not live off what they earned. The depression caused the price of cotton to nearly drop by 50%. Many of the main crops such as: tobacco, rice, and sugar also declined. The depression disrupted commerce, bankrupted merchants, seriously undermined the economic situation or artisans, and all but eliminated prospects for social mobility among unskilled laborers of both races. Reconstruction failure reflects on the people of America. Presidential Reconstruction under Lincoln and Johnson demonstrates the difficulties inherent in reshaping the South after the Civil War. The lack of northern vision concerning the postwar South, disputes between Congress and the Presidency over lines of authority, and the unwillingness of southern whites to allow blacks any significant power in southern society were main reasons that Reconstruction failed. Even though Reconstruction failed, at least we tried but some people have to learn how to change. Reconstruction changed the way of life for blacks. Some changes were good and some changes made life difficult, but overall the blacks made it out of slavery safely. Reconstruction was the original beginning of the Civil Rights Act. The fact that African-Americans had made it so far gave them the strength to keep going and fight for what they believe in. .

Narrative Literature Reviews Versus Systematic Reviews Flashcard

Narrative Literature Reviews Versus Systematic Reviews

Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky

In â€Å"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky† by Stephen Crane, you see the changing of Scratchy Wilson. When he first comes into the story he is depicted as someone who is the village drunk, he is calm most of the time, but every once in a while he gets drunk, and goes looking for a fight, mainly with Jack Potter. At the end of the story he is then greeted by Jack and his new bride and seeing this Scratchy calls off his fights. This goes to show that fulfilling your own life can affect more people then you know, and you have to act accordingly. At the start Scratchy’s fights disrupt the town, and he has a regular bought with Jack. He sees this as alright, and does not seem to be effected by what he does. But at the end when he is trying to pick a fight, he learns that Jack just got married, and he then comes to the realization that he is now going to be ruining his life with her, and calls off their rivalry. As a married man Jack is no longer the town sheriff, he is now a husband, he was no less of a person before this, but it took the marriage to make Scratchy realize it. At the beginning of the story we also see that Jack also has a conflict. He thinks that by bringing his new bride home he is going to ruin his life in the town for a short while. He almost feels ashamed for not getting prior approval of the townsfolk before running off and marrying. But at the end it is actually his wife that gets him approval. By brining her along, Scratchy â€Å"approves† of him, and therefore does not carry out with his intention of a gun fight. So Jack’s fear of acceptance was unfounded at the beginning, but plays a role at the end.... Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky Free Essays on The Bride Come to Yellow Sky In â€Å"The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky† by Stephen Crane, you see the changing of Scratchy Wilson. When he first comes into the story he is depicted as someone who is the village drunk, he is calm most of the time, but every once in a while he gets drunk, and goes looking for a fight, mainly with Jack Potter. At the end of the story he is then greeted by Jack and his new bride and seeing this Scratchy calls off his fights. This goes to show that fulfilling your own life can affect more people then you know, and you have to act accordingly. At the start Scratchy’s fights disrupt the town, and he has a regular bought with Jack. He sees this as alright, and does not seem to be effected by what he does. But at the end when he is trying to pick a fight, he learns that Jack just got married, and he then comes to the realization that he is now going to be ruining his life with her, and calls off their rivalry. As a married man Jack is no longer the town sheriff, he is now a husband, he was no less of a person before this, but it took the marriage to make Scratchy realize it. At the beginning of the story we also see that Jack also has a conflict. He thinks that by bringing his new bride home he is going to ruin his life in the town for a short while. He almost feels ashamed for not getting prior approval of the townsfolk before running off and marrying. But at the end it is actually his wife that gets him approval. By brining her along, Scratchy â€Å"approves† of him, and therefore does not carry out with his intention of a gun fight. So Jack’s fear of acceptance was unfounded at the beginning, but plays a role at the end....

AI Week 14 YUM DB 153 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AI Week 14 YUM DB 153 - Essay Example The Yum CEO’s pay drops to 10 million, which is a 22% decrease. This indicates how the overall revenue may be a determinant when calculating the total pay of executives. CEO is directly liable when a company underperform. Considering the model used to calculate the pay of the CEO, it is evident that a CEO is motivated to perform once a pay cut is registered on the overall salary package. Each company formulates its payment model based on the stock performance however Giorgi and Chemi (2014)indicates the model being a myth as many companies shows that there is no correlation between the company stock performance to the payment packages. They attribute only 1% of highly paid CEO to be based on stock performances. In conclusion, the compensation policies vary depending on the firm’s priority. The article shows how stock performance determines the compensation package of a CEO. The model works to ensure the company’s top chief works towards ensuring the overall performance of the company is stable and overcome external factors. Chemi, E., Giorgi, A. (2014, July 22). The Pay- for- Performance Myth. Business week. Retrieved

The Development of the Scientific Management Theory Research Paper - 1

The Development of the Scientific Management Theory - Research Paper Example The researcher states that the most of individuals think that the basic motives of employers and employees are essentially opposed. In contrast, scientific management has for its core groundwork the strong belief that the genuine objects of the two are inseparable - that wealth for the employer cannot be sustained in the long run unless it is attended with the wealth for the employee and that it is doable to grant the employee what s/he most desires and the employer what s/he desires for his/her production. Thus, it is unquestionable that the influential and most contentious contribution to the development of management theory was the theory and practice of scientific management by Frederick Winslow Taylor, that was a main focus of the analysis and was presented in the essay. The principles of scientific management remain in vogue in large numbers of companies in the US. However, this is not similar to the scientific management pioneered by Frederick Taylor. Over the years, these man agement principles have been modified and the outdated components have been eliminated. This capacity to adjust has been helpful in the continued existence of the fundamental premises of scientific management, where remain numerous deliberations about its fundamental rules in contemporary management theory. This is due to the fact that these fundamental principles remain vital, present-day managers still applying them. Hence, the issues have numerous spectators. Scientific management survives and will stay alive for a hundred years or so.

U.S. Childhood Obesity and Climate Change Article

U.S. Childhood Obesity and Climate Change - Article Example It exemplifies with evidence specific environmental impacts on obesity. In responding to this environmental negativity, the article points out climate change preparedness and prevention efforts. These efforts are grouped into two broad categories, which include increased human-powered transportation and increasing physical activity. However, any climate change intervention adopted must be explored for its potential to decrease the probability of injury risk factors. However, as the article suggests, lack of climate change intervention in various locations leads to unintended effects that could otherwise have a positive health implication on childhood obesity (Sheffield & Galvez, 2009). The article uses the piecemeal approach in exemplifying the justification of certain climate change interventions. It bases its explanations from a theoretical literature. It is obvious that the reason of why most cities and state in the United States do not have climate change intervention is the fact that the cost of installation cannot be justified by its benefits (Boarnet & Takahashi, 2010). On the contrary, the article suggests that the decision of whether to justify the construction or installation of this intervention should depend on multidisciplinary assessment. According to this article, the uniqueness and disparities in health effect of each state or regions can be demonstrated by children’s development stage, size and/or long life expectancy. As a result, the appropriate application of climate change intervention leads to a healthier diet, increased physical activities and improved air quality. The article singles out climate change intervention as the major factors that address the rationale for the continued existence of childhood obesity in the United States. According to this article, lack of this facility put in place automatically result in paediatric morbidity. However, such arguments are somehow very vague and

Qualities of Successful Women

Qualities of Successful Women Introduction The contribution of women in the development of the countries has been significant the world over during the last hundred years. In India, women are playing a major part in the economic development during the last four decades. The Indian women have gradually entered in all the spheres and there is no sector where they are lagging behind. BFSI Banking, Financial Services and Insurance sector is no exception. BFSI embraces all type of Banking activities, Insurance, Stock Market, Mutual Funds and all kinds of Financial Institutions. An attempt is made in this paper to trace the role of women in Finance sector and their achievements in the last four decades. Objectives The primary objective of this paper is to study and consolidate the contributions of women in Financial sector and also attempt to correlate the qualities of women that have made them successful in their professional careers in Finance. The secondary objective is to detail some organizations which have realized this aspect and have given opportunities to women to advance in their careers in Finance. What is BFSI? BFSI includes Banking, Financial Services Insurance. The scope for BFSI in India is very promising as on date. According to a study, 51 percent of the Indian population do not possess bank accounts and lack access to financial facilities. There is a great potential for banks in the rural markets. Though the insurance sector achieved about 15 percent growth rate in the last year, Indias insurance accounts for just 0.6 percent of the GDP as against the world average of 2.14 percent. The main reasons for low penetration are low consumer awareness, untapped rural markets and constrained distribution channels. India ranks 136th on penetration levels and lags behind China (106), Brazil (85) and Japan (61). The U.S is ranked 9 in this regard. The scenario of insurance business in India is now changing and the insurance business is growing at an impressive rate. There are 21 Life Insurance and 19 General Insurance companies in both public and private sector put together. Microfinance institutions provide poor people with small amounts of credit at reasonable interest rates. The microfinance institutions can be financial cooperatives, rural banks and NGOs. Although credit is an important part of microfinance, it is just one of the diverse financial services that poor people need to improve their lives. Poor people also need saving services, basic insurance options and affordable remittance systems to best manage their assets and generate income. How can women contribute in Financial Sector? Women leaders in Finance have taken leadership to a new level. Not that men dont excel at being leaders. According to a survey by New Jersey based Caliper Corporation, a new paradigm is evolving and women are in the forefront of creating the same. Inclusive financial growth can be attained if the banks touch upon the bottom of the pyramid which consists of approximately 75 percent of the Indian population. We can say that India is divided into two parts one group of privileged class of people having access to the best of the financial facilities and another class of disadvantaged people unable to get the financial facilities. Women are becoming active and popular in all fields and the Indian Stock Market is no exception. The modern Indian women want to save money and are also prepared to take risks. Women at home i.e. the home makers follow the stock market with the help of internet and invest wisely. The home makers also look at the household products which are very useful and of good quality and invest in those companies. For example, when scotch brite was introduced in the market, they found out which company introduced the same and invested in that company. The product was a success and they gained from their investments. Only a very small fraction of the rural Indian population has access to the Microfinance services. Loans as little as Rs. 5000 can give poor people a chance to set up their own small business and create more jobs. A study reveals that 11 percent of the companies across sectors in India had women CEOs. 54 percent of these CEOs are from the financial services sector. Worldwide organizations encouraging women in BFSI. Women Advancing Microfinance International (WAMI) launched in 2003 is the only global network of and for the advancement of individual women in the microfinance industry. One of their core values is to advance and support womens leadership in the microfinance industry through education and training, by promoting leadership opportunities and by increasing visibility of womens participation and talent while maintaining their work life balance. In India also we have organizations to promote microfinance for women. The Indian School of Microfinance for Women headquartered in Ahmedabad was started in June 2003 to address the capacity building requirements in the microfinance sector. The School particularly focuses upon the lives of women who are the primary participants in microfinance interventions. The School does not look upon microfinance as a means of poverty alleviation but also as a means for womens leadership and the building of womens assets. Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF) is a non profit professional organization committed to empowering its members in the banking and finance industry to realize their full potential. The organization is headquartered in London and was founded in 1980 by five members viz Jane Bradford, Susan Law, Lorraine Paddison, Margery Povall and Anne Watts. The organization is run by a highly professional management team comprising of members who give their time on a voluntary basis. All members are encouraged to join the management team to develop their project management skills. Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank (MDMSB) is a unique cooperative bank run by and for women in Mhaswad, a village in Satara District of Maharashtra. This 10 year old bank has created 16720 women entrepreneurs in the region around Mhaswad. The bank enjoys an excellent repayment rate of 97.5 percent. Successful women in BFSI. One Organization in the BFSI sector in India that can boast of encouraging and able to get the services of women at all levels including the top management is undoubtedly is the ICICI group. K.V.Kamath is one of the lucky persons to be surrounded by women. He has been responsible for empowering many women in ICICI. Out of 11 top management executives reporting to the MD Chanda Kochhar, 3 are women. About 40 percent of the senior management is women and about 25 percent of the total staff is women. The current Managing Director of ICICI bank, Chanda Kochhar is known to be an assertive woman who has climbed the ladder in ICICI both the hard and smart way. She joined ICICI Bank in 1984 as a Management Trainee. She knew nothing about retail banking when she took over the retail operations in ICICI Bank in the year 1998 at the age of 36. She was ranked number 37 in the list of worlds most powerful businesswomen in the year 2006. Shikha Sharma, the current CEO of Axis Bank was the Managing Director of ICICI Prudential and played a major role in the growth of ICICI Prudential. She is an early achiever, fast learner and fiercely competitive. She was responsible for setting up the joint venture with U.K based Prudential and bringing ICICI Prudential in the Indian Insurance Map as the largest private sector insurance company in the country. The first woman to rise to a senior position at the bank was Lalita Gupte, who was hired in 1971 and retired as Joint Managing Director. She played a leading role in transforming ICICI in the 1990s, and then started the banks international business in 2001, servicing overseas Indians and expanding investments abroad. That business now accounts for 15% of ICICIs $56.3 billion in net assets. She joined Alstoms Board of Directors in 2010. She is also the non-executive chairman of ICICI Venture Funds Management Company. Madhabi Puri-Buch joined ICICI Bank Ltd in project finance department in 1989. She served as Senior General Manager of ICICI Bank since 2003. She serves as Head of Operations and Group Corporate Brand Officer of ICICI Bank Ltd. She is in charge of Retail Asset Operations and the Product and Technology Group in the Wholesale Banking Group of ICICI Bank. She has been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ICICI Securities since February 1, 2009. Kalpana Morparia now is the Head of India Operations of JP Morgan Chase Co. She joined the legal department of ICICI in 1975 and became a board member in 2001. She was appointed as Joint Managing Director of the bank in 2001. She played a key role in ICICI Groups capital raising exercise as well as the merger of ICICI with ICICI Bank in 2002. After 33 years of service with ICICI, she joined JP Morgan in 2008. Renuka Ramnath was the Head of one of Indias largest private equity fund ICICI Venture. She is often referred to as the mother of Indian private equity. She quit ICICI venture in 2009 to setup private funds with former executives of Indian PE industry. Ramnath has been the Managing Director CEO of ICICI Venture since 2001. During her career spanning over 20 years with the ICICI Group, Renuka has spearheaded various business initiatives. She began her career at the Merchant Banking division of ICICI and then headed the Corporate Finance and Equities businesses at ICICI Securities, an investment banking JV between ICICI and JP Morgan. Vishakha Mulye is currently the Managing Director CEO of ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited. Mulye was earlier the Executive Director of ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited and the Group Chief Financial Officer of ICICI Bank Limited. Mulye is a Chartered Accountant and joined the ICICI group in 1993. She has worked extensively in the areas of project finance, structured finance, treasury, corporate planning and strategy, investor relations and resolution of distressed assets. She played a key role in the merger of ICICI with ICICI Bank, which led to the creation of the second largest bank in India. Between 2001 and 2005, she set up ICICI Banks structured finance business. This pioneering effort led to the development of an active securitization market in India. During this period, she was also responsible for ICICI Banks client-related treasury and markets operations, capital markets business and relationships with domestic financial institutions and multilat eral institutions. Mulye received the award for Most Powerful Women in Indian Business   2007 from Business Today. The World Economic Forum also selected her as a Young Global Leader for the year 2007. Renu Challu is the current Managing Director, State Bank of Hyderabad. Meera Sanyal is the Country Head Royal Bank of Scotland. Manisha Girotra is Managing Director and Chairperson for Swiss bank UBS in India . Renu Sud Karnad is the Managing Director of HDFC Ltd. Naina Lal Kidwai is the Group MD and Country Head of HSBC in India. Ashu Suyash is the MD and Country Head India of Fidelity International. Tarjani Vakil, former Chairperson of the Exim Bank, is one of the distinguished Indian bankers. She is the first women to head any large bank in India. In 1997, she was recognized by KPMG Worldwide Business as one of the top 50 women to prove her valor in the business. Through the recent economic meltdown and global recession, Reserve Bank of India had two women Deputy Governors Usha Torat and Shyamala Gopinath. Qualities in women that enables them to be successful in BFSI sector: Retail banking is more of relationship marketing rather than transactional marketing. Women excel at relationships. The nurturing and adjusting attitude of women flows into the workplace as well. Women are more practical and moderate risk takers. Women are good listeners and good learners. Women are more resilient and good at learning from setbacks. Women display better empathy and are able to place themselves in the shoes of the customers. Caliper Corporation, the New Jersey based Management Consulting Firm have made the following observations based on their study. Women are more persuasive Women are quick to learn from adversity Women demonstrate an inclusive, team building leadership styles of problem solving and decision making. Women are more likely to ignore rules and take risks. Suggestions for further enhancing the contribution of women in BFSI. The concept of Home Offices should be encouraged so that women may  contribute while raising families simultaneously Flexi time options should be made available to women Affluent Urban women should set up NGOs, Travel to the rural parts and  create awareness about the scope and importance of BFSI sector. Extensive training should be given to the rural women to take up careers  in finance The financial services companies should target the rural households  through the womenfolk. All women Regional Rural Banks should be encouraged. Conclusion It is observed from the secondary research that more and more women are actively participating and contributing to the BFSI sector. Since women are more empathetic, they can better understand customers. Women are more balanced and would take calculated moderate risks. It is high time our leaders realize this and leverage this to the growth of our country. Indian Banks and Financial Institutions with better gender equality on board than their western counterparts, scraped through the economic slowdown unscathed. In the last three decades, the gender equilibrium has become fairly poised.

Environmental Regulations as Non-Tariff Barriers Essay -- WTO Trade NA

Environmental Regulations as Non-Tariff Barriers The current debate about the dispute resolution of environmental regulations as non-tariff barriers is one that is hotly contested in the WTO. Compared to the European Union and NAFTA, the WTO’s mission, goals, diverse membership, and rule structure make it decidedly difficult to create decision rules for these disputes. This paper suggests criteria for dispute resolution of cases within Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and between WTO members. There are several different types of disputes likely to come before the WTO; they include direct trade restrictions on specific goods, product standards, process standards, and the use of eco-labeling. The policy suggestions put forth in this paper are rooted in GATT Article XX as well as basic principles of sovereignty and economic incentives. Perhaps most importantly, the dispute resolution criteria must be accompanied by international cooperation that facilitates the transfer of environmentally friendly technology an d promotes sustainable development. I. Background: Trade and the Environment Under the direction of the World Trade Organization, the global economy is gradually breaking down its barriers to trade. Agreements on the elimination of quantitative trade restrictions, tariff rate reductions, and the removal of export subsidies are well underway. The stampede of global economic integration cannot be ignored, and its progress is at the heart of WTO negotiation rounds. At the same time, there is an increasing amount of attention drawn to the consequences of trade liberalization on the environment. Environmental advocates worry that the lure of wealthy international markets encourages behaviors d... ... of Rule Development.† American Journal of International Law. April 1997, Volume 91, Issue 2, pp. 231-268. Steinberg, Richard H., ed. The Greening of Trade Law: International Trade Organizations and Environmental Issues. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2002. Switzer, Jacqueline V. Environmental Politics: Domestic and Global Dimensions. Third ed. Pp. 219-241; 295-310. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001. Vogel, David. Trading Up: Consumer and Environmental Regulation in a Global Economy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1995. Vogel, David. International Trade and Environmental Regulation. In Vig, Norman J. and Kraft, Michael E. (eds) Environmental Policy. Fourth ed. Pp. 350-369. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2000. World Trade Organization Committee on Trade and the Environment. http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/envir_e.htm

Handout the American Civil War

Handout â€Å"A House Divided†: Towards the American Civil War, 1831-1861 Causes of the American Civil War 1. social-economic differences between North and South 2. regional conflict about over slavery in unorganized territories 3. break-up of national political party system; emergence of new party system based on region (i. e. North-South) (see also handout week 4) 4. ideological and cultural polarisation between North and South Constitution: three-fifth’s clause; fugitive slave clause; slave trade clause 820 Missouri Compromise: – Missouri admitted as slave state – Maine created as free state – Line of 1820 (36 . 30 ) 1828-1833 – South Carolina tariff nullification crisis 1831-1860 – antislavery activism (1831: William Lloyd Garrison –The Liberator) 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia 1845 annexation of Texas 1846-1848 Mexican War 1848U. S. victory over Mexico; territorial expansion (Californ ia, Utah and New Mexico territories) 1850 Compromise of 1850: California admitted as free state – â€Å"popular sovereignty† in New Mexico and Utah – slave trade prohibited in District of Columbia (Washington, DC) – Fugitive Slave Act 1852 Book publication Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act (â€Å"Bleeding Kansas†) 1854 splitting of Whig; foundation Republican Party (â€Å"Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men†) and American (â€Å"Know Nothing†) Party 1857 Dred Scott Decision of the U. S.Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Taney (pro-slavery) 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry (John Brown) 1860 Democratic Party splits into two (North vs. South) November 1860 – Lincoln (Republican Party) elected president December 1860 – South Carolina secedes from the union 1861- January: secession of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas – February: adoption Confederate Constitution and creation of Confederate States of America (South); pres.Jefferson Davis; capital: Montgomery, Alabama. – March: inauguration of Pres. Lincoln – 12 April: attack on (federal) Fort Sumter by door Confederate (Southern) troops; beginning of the Civil War 9 April 1865 – surrender by (Confederate) general Robert E. Lee (Appomattox) 14 April 1865 – assassination attempt on Pres. Lincoln; Lincoln dies on April 15. George Fitzhugh, Sociology for the South (1854) and Cannibals All! or, Slaves Without Masters (1856) John Calhoun, Disquisition on Government (1850)

Primark Essay Essays

Primark Essay Essays Primark Essay Essay Primark Essay Essay The fashion Industry Is criticized widely for not maintaining the ethical standards. From the use of animal fur, exploiting child labor, low wages. Promoting superficial image of women and racial discrimination, the fashion industry has caused its fair share of controversy and bad press. The complex thing about ethics is that it has different meaning for different individuals. Some might consider a particular issue extremely offensive and unethical while, for a deferent individual the same issue would not be unethical or offensive. It Is a decision of an Individual to consider and different people have different feeling about Issues. For some wearing cloths made through child labor would not be a big deal but for another individual this would be a wrong act. Therefore this remains a controversial subject of which very few things can be spoken about with certainty. In order to under it in a more proper way, the example of Primary is taken. The company is a well renowned brand and a hit in the United Kingdom ever since It was launched. Primary has been found Involved In the use of child labor. In the current paper, the company Primary Is also being compared tit one of its competitors; the TX Max in terms of ethical codes and conducts. The paper cares to investigate the causes related to the issue in the case and also the response which was obtained from the general public. Table of Contents 1 Introduction Ethics and profits do not always go hand in hand. That is not to suggest that all profit making organizations go against the ethical standards, but certainly there have been many cases where ethics and standards have been compromised to sustain or and that is the moment where the true colors and course of the business are reflected. The fashion industry is criticized widely for not maintaining the ethical standards. From the use of animal fur, exploiting child labor, low wages, promoting superficial image of women and racial discrimination, the fashion industry has caused its fair share of controversy and bad press. Being in the spot light of media with all the glamour and glitz has also kept the glare of the media focused on this particular industry which can cause due and undue scrutiny. In a research, Enemies and Rajah (2011) stated that ethics means values, norms and general habits. The rights and wrongs are Judged through ethics. The dos and dont of the society are defined with the standardization to some level of good and bad. 1. 1 Unethical practices in the Fashion Industry The complex thing about ethics is that it has different meaning for different individuals. Some might consider a particular issue extremely offensive and unethical while, for a different individual the same issue would not be unethical or offensive. Alton and Junkyard (2003) analyzed the fashion industry and the way consumers look towards it. The author stated like any business it is eventually the consumers who make the final decision as they have the option of purchase or rejection of the reduce depending on their own Judgments about companys ethics. It is a decision of an individual to consider and different people have different feeling about issues. For some wearing cloths made through child labor would not be a big deal but for another individual this would be a wrong act. At times there is no legality attached to it. The legal system does not charge an individual who buys from such a fashion outlet, but it would remain an individuals decision. Hence, this remains a controversial subject of which very few things can be spoken about with certainty. 2 The Causes 2. The Case (Primarys use of Child Labor) Usually big brand try different methods to keep operations clean. They try their utmost to stay away from unwanted controversy and protect the image that has been built by extensive use of monetary and non monetary resources. Daily Mail (2008) exposed the case of Primary. The brand had been a tremendous hit in Britain ever since its opening. It had attained a positive and high status among the fashionable people of the country. The brand was considered high on quality but low on mice which made shopping at Primary a literal bargain. However, the reporter exposed the season or the tool through which the brand was able to produce quality at a lower price. The operations or manufacturing which is offshore located in India was practicing extreme child labor. Young children were made to work hard and long through the heat. The age of children started from 11. Their Job was to sew tiny beads and sequins onto the designed t-shirts by candle Light. The Company was alerted by a BBC program Panorama that children were being used as labor. An 1 1 year old boy named Matches was being paid about app for a days long toil. The boy claimed that the payment is based on the number of finished cloths and during ajar orders; raps could be made in a day which amounts to app. When a major order comes about, the problem expands as the sewing beads are tiny in size and to finish the order they have to work all the night. Electricity conditions and supply both On the contrary, another big name in fashion industry is of T. K Max (also known as T. J Max) is a bit in its native country; which is the United States of America. Unlike Primary, the company is well renowned not only for the goods that it tends to produce but also for its No to the unethical conducts and child labor. Critics have en looking for the flaws in the company but surprisingly they had not found any (T. K. Max, 2014). 2. 2 Unsafe Environment and Bad Working Conditions for Illegal, Underpaid and Overworked Employees Dihedral (2009) indicates that the workers who are hired in the Primarys suppliers factory TNT Knitwear at Manchester are working illegally and in poor conditions. TNT Knitwear is one of the major clothing suppliers for the Primary. BBC UK sent an undercover reporter to the TNT knitwear factory where it was discovered that workers were hired without any proper information or paperwork. The workers were quite overworked with working 12 hours in a day for seven days a week. The minimum work wage for the workers back then was E. 73 per hour but the workers at the TNT Knitwear used to be paid almost half that amount. The working conditions for the employees were quite disappointing as well because there was no heating in the factory and the workers had to work with their coats on and in an uncomfortable state. With the toilets being under repair, the males and the females had to share a toilet which was quite unhygienic. The kitchen at the TNT Knitwear was noted to be quite dirty so the workers used to sit on the hipping boxes of Primary to have their lunch. It has been highlighted that certain manufacturers or employers do not provide a satisfactory working environment for their employees in terms of cleanliness, sanitary and health safety. Environment that does not comply with the standards, doubtlessly gives an unpleasant and unhealthy spot to work in. For instance, this can significantly affect the health of employees and increase or spread particular sickness or infection around or among the working group. As a result, it can lead to inability to work because of the infection or sickness. Not to forget it can result in the spreading of disease or germs if the disinfection or sterilization procedures for the products in the factory are not carried out properly. The workers at the TNT Knitwear were illegally living in the UK as most of them had their asylum application under process and few had their visas expired almost a decade ago. Moore (2013) further indicates that the factory of Primary in Bangladesh had crashed din to no obvious mason other than weak construction, killing and injuring some workers. There is a lock of health and safety rules at the Primary stories in Bangladesh as the fire escapes are blocked and there is no ventilation available. Primary needs to work hard on providing its workers with better working conditions and needs to keep a check to see if they are authorized to work in the I-J. Being operating in the same very industry, T. K Max has never used any unlawful and unethical means and modes to manufacture its outputs. Rather, the company has set standards for carrying out operations. The top level management ensures that these set principles must not only be implemented but ought to regularly practice as well. As per the companys profile, T. K Max takes it as an obligation to take care of all the aspects of manufacturing fashion outfits and accessories, rather it is also concerned about the means and modes which its suppliers tend to use (T. K Max, 2014). 2. 3 Why do incidents like Prim ark happen? Stated that consumers today hold power. They could dictate terms with regard to ethics if the organization is not a monopoly. The concept of corporate responsibility has been widely studied and enforced through legislation and regulation. Scrutiny from media is also another vital factor. All these factors can be subsided with the introduction of globalization and modern day awareness of consumers. However, the author stated a different perspective and claimed that certain modern day pressures on corporate in a way divert them towards unethical means. Investor capital has much more mobile, economic activates: has become speculation driven. And rapid changes to technology have brought about a certain short sightedness about businesses. The idea is to be able to sell more and more in a short span of time. Hilton, Choc and Chin (2004) explained that with globalization, businesses have changed their working methods. National boundaries and distances are no longer an issue as such. However, this creates a sort of a void and grey area. For example, Primary which was selling cloths in Britain was getting its supplies from India. The circumstances, situations, society, norms. Saws and regulations, and more importantly laws implementation processes (or in many cases lack of it) creates a huge problem. Child labor and bad working conditions would be considered extremely immoral and incorrect in the eyes of a British audience. Child labor issue to be an example: Especially the norms. Culture. And ideas of the society make child labor, a thing to cut if and those who use children are not viewed with favorable view. On the other ha nd, in India especially in the more under developed areas. Where education is on the lower side, population growth higher. ND economic condition are in dire condition, child labor almost becomes a necessity. One man father more than half a dozen children, with no state support it is almost impossible to run a family like this. Hence, children labor becomes sort of a necessity for that child and his or her siblings to survive. It is a catch 22 like situation where if consumers stop buying from Primary. Eventually that kid is going to suffer and will not be able to bring home the money the family needs so very much of. There is another side of this case which was looked upon by Fletcher (2008). This was the consumers point of view. The question is that whether all the consumers who buy from companies who use child labor dont just care? Are they immune to it or they consider it fine to have such a working system? The answer provided by Fletcher (2008) stated that with the credit crunch some consumers an in a way pushed into buying such brands. The cost of products has gone upwards and the power of buying has gone downwards. Therefore. Brands like Primary continue their sales despite much resentment and negative publicity. The author stated that it is estimated that around 158 million children across the globe aged 5 to 14 have to work in conditions which can he termed hazardous. However, despite much noise and uproar about it, things keep going on and brands are able to shake off scandals and move forward. The author interviewed two middle aged mothers about how they feel about using brands which are using children as labors. One woman was of the opinion that she had no qualms about such practices being wrong. Children labor and bad working conditions are wrong practice but was unable to identify which brands were using them or which ones are not. She claims that some expensive brands also do it. Therefore, she would rather buy from Primary understand. The economic side of things takes over from the ethical values. For a brand which is widely reported to have used unethical practices is being preferred over other brands as its costs are lower and other brands are put in the unethical bracket on basis of hearsay or perception. Another mother who worked as her doctor followed the same beliefs. She stated that she had discussed with her children, forever stated that it is not Just Primary but other brands which are involved too. She blames her children for such her unethical shopping as she claims that when kids nag for new and slick dresses, ethics and morale are easy to forget. Management at T. K. Max believes that keeping customers happy and satisfied is the core ingredient of success. Nowadays, the customers have become more literate than before plus the level of awareness in them has also increased noticeably. This means that the customers cannot be dodged now. Therefore, in order to avoid all the uncertainties and unpleasant circumstances, the company T. K Max has certain guidelines and principle which keep the companys operations morally, ethically and environmentally upright. As per the companys rules, its authorized vendors cannot use any unethical mean like taking advantage of labor from the ones who are underage. If T. J. Max fined any such practice, it will cease all its contracts, bonds and alliances with the vendors (T. K Max, 2014). 2. 4 Allegations made regarding child labor on Primary in 2009 While the management of Primary had cut off supplies from those three particular suppliers, it operations remained outsourced and in the sub- continent. As discussed earlier. He issue was in a way down played made to look like an error of Judgment and selection on part of the corporate and individual foul play by suppliers. Hickman (2009) reported that fresh allegations regarding child labor from its suppliers in Bangladesh. While, the shareholders were delighted by the news of high profits, reports emerged in mainstream media that the company was once again involved its child labor and sexual harassment with respect of its suppliers. The code of conduct was not being followed. The difference from the 14 report was that BBC had named the companies which resulted in ending of contract tit those companies. As discussed earlier that was not a suitable solution and it would only complex the situation even further for children. So, in the latest investigation which was conducted by War on Want, they declined to name the supplier as it only meant that their contracts would be torn apart and workers who already were under great deal of problem would face further issues. The Impact Impact of Responsible Management on Overcoming the Issue According to the scholars and researchers of University of Winchester (2014), a management is said to be responsible when it follows and fulfills all of its corporate social responsibilities with full zeal and zest. Researchers have termed this very CARS (corporate social responsibility) as a tool which management of the company tends to incorporate in its planning. There are several issues which companies come across every now and then. Some of them are critical whereas some are as normal as routine. The issue of child labor is the burning question of all times. From social, economical and legal point of view, the induction and utilization of children for taking work from them more than their capacity and not paying them back Justly is omitting to be extremely focused upon and should be eliminated from the society something really serious, rather they only tend to care about more and more production in the least possible cost. It has also been noticed and observed that organizations make under age children to work completely but does not pay them the set amount of daily wages. In order to exemplify the scenario, the case of Primary can be considered; which was however famous for its product offerings but on the other hand it was also famous for unethical practices; that is child labor (All and Khan, 2012). When the company gets surrounded by critics due to its engagement in unethical practices like child labor, then it becomes the core duty of a responsible management to bring the companys name out of dirt. This is important because if such condition prevails, then the company; Primary primarily can lose the worth of its name not only in any one specific country, but everywhere where it operates. Therefore for serving the purpose, the management ought to consider and dig deep into the CARS activities. As a response to the child labor practices, the perception of people regarding Primary has changed. They, however, made the potential customers o like and appreciate the quality which they produce, yet failed to bond the relationship between them. Its competitors; that are T. J. Max took the advantage of it by sticking more their codes of conduct (T. K Max, 2014). 4 The Response 4. 1 Reaction by the general public about child labor Hopkins (2008) highlighted that, after the news went public, them was an outrage. Hundreds of people protested at the Oxford street gore of Primary. This was a direct response to the reports about child labor coming from Southern India. The protest was organized by War on Want which focused on the treatment of ill children in the manufacturing process. The protestors did not blame Just the Indian suppliers but they focused on the brand which they claimed had put so much pressure on the suppliers to reduce prices. It was inevitable to go through child labor. The report further stated that these scandals keep coming up time and again. They urged the British government to bring in regulations and legislation attempting to eliminate such practice. In response to these Sues, Primary was forced in a way to sack three cloth suppliers from India as they were told that the program staff had substantial evidence of child workers. Response of the aroused issue was seen negative in the case of Primary. However in the case of T. J. Max, customers are found happy and satisfied by the practices and activities of the company. This has led this very fashion firm to the unmatchable heights of success (T. K Max, 2014). However Primary could also be better if it abandons its unacceptable practices in the poor and underdeveloped countries in particular, where it was reported that Primary incorporates a huge amount of child labor in the production of its fashion clothes and other related accessories. 5 Possible Solution that Human Light Organizations ND Consumers Should Push for The way forward taken at that time by Primary can be termed as knee Jolt reaction to what the crowds and the media called for. However, what would have happened to those children and illegal employees who were working with Primary? This is a question the protestors should be asking themselves. Fletcher (2008) presented the answer to this question to child labor issue as well. The closure of the factory doesnt mean that those children would have started going to school. The RPR or app they were getting has been slopped due to have been that the protestors demanded that those children were given education n expense of the brand. This would have been a much better solution as it would have allowed the children to lead a better life in the long run. Stopping child labor abruptly when media exposes such practices will never end or even reduce the problem. It would further complicate the issue and those out of Job children might become subject to abuse or get into criminal activities. Cutting one or for that matter throe supplier off would not prove anything substantial about the companys behavior. Hickman (2009) stated that Primary looked towards creating more mechanism to control child labor. They created a website by the name of Ethical Primary. This was some steps towards becoming or trying to appear as an ethically correct organization.

Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology

Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology Industry Profile Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology (ICT) firm. The firm particularly deals with programming tools, database products, and obscure software, and has been authorized to deal with corporate, government, as well as educational licensing programs (Government of Canada, 2013). Canada’s ICT industry mainly comprises of small companies, numbering about 33,300 in total.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A bigger percentage of this number, 86.9 percent (Government of Canada, 2013), deal in computer services and software. On the other hand, a paltry number of 6.2 percent is within the wholesaling industries (Government of Canada, 2013). Larger companies operating in the industry are comparatively few, with close to 75 companies only employing a workforce of over 500 emp loyees in 2011. In comparison, more than 28,300 companies employed not more than 10 employees, translating to 85 percent of all companies in the industry (Government of Canada, 2013). The ICT industry comprises of four main sub-sectors, including software and computer services, ICT wholesaling, ICT manufacturing, and communications services. Softchoice falls under software and computer services sub-sector, which is also the largest among the sub-sectors with an 86.8 percent volume cover of the entire industry. Industry structure and financial performance According to the â€Å"Branham top 250† (2012), the software and computer services sub-sector had combined revenue of over $ 4.997 billion in 2011. This was a marked improvement from the previous year’s revenue amount of $ 4.274 billion, representing a percentage growth rate of 16.92. The top performers in the industry, who also comprise of Softchoice’s biggest competitors, include BCE, Rogers Communications, TE LUS, CGI Group, and Open Text (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). In 2011, both CGE and Rogers Communications recorded modest gains in their business operations, where each of the companies increased their sales by approximately 2 percentage points (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). TELUS, on its part, registered approximately 9 percent growth in Internet and wireless sales, posting $7.98 billion.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These companies, also referred to as the big three, have tight business competition amongst them. This increases the possibility of other smaller companies in the sub-sector to consolidate together (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). During the same year of 2011, CGI Group worked towards building its new acquisition, Stanely, which was worth $923.15 million (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). The company closed the yea r with its total sales figure amounting to $4.32 billion, representing a percentage growth rate of 15.84 percent from the previous year (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). In a bid to enhance its performance even further, CGI Group has established new independent business units, focusing on health and government areas. The health business area generated about $350 million in global sales in 2011, which represent 8 percent of its entire sales revenue (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Open Text recorded a landmark performance in 2011 when the company’s annual sales exceeded the $1 billion sales mark in the company’s history. The company’s revenues grew by 13.30 percentage points from the previous year (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Open Text’s main strategy of business involved acquisition deals that were completed in 2011, which saw the company obtain Metastorm, StreamServe, and weComm. The graph below highlights the cumulative performance posted by Canada’s leading 250 ICT firms (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). Source: â€Å"Branham top 250† (2012)Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Softchoice Corporation is an information communication technology specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the graph above, it is observable that the ICT industry’s cumulative revenue performance has been increasing over the years. For instance, between 2003 and 2006, the annual revenue figures for each year exceeded the previous year’s sales results. The average growth indicates that the industry is set to continue with its annual growth in the future, where the companies are set to make additional sales. Although there are secluded years, specifically 2007 and 2009, where the total annual sales made were less than the previous year’s, these are isolated cases and are not expected to affect the growth pattern going forward. Co mpetitive Strategies within the Industry Buyer power The buyers have a modest bargaining power in the industry. The software and computer services sub-sector comprises of 86 percent of the total 33,000 companies in the ICT industry in Canada (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). This implies that the buyers have many choices from where they can seek to acquire their software products. It is evident that the firms compete with each other as they seek to win over the market because of relatively large number of companies in the sub-sector. This competition, in turn, provides the buyers with the necessary bargaining power advantage because the firms use such aspects as price to base their competition. However, the firms also enhance their business positions because firms such as Softchoice specialize in obscure software products. This lowers the buyers’ overall power to bargain, making it generally modest. Supplier power The suppliers’ bargaining power is equally modest in this industry. With the high number of industry players exceeding 33,000, it means this huge number of ICT firms is depending heavily on the suppliers to enable them achieve their business objectives (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). The suppliers deal with a large clientele base, thus making them to enjoy high frequency business. However, it is also important to note some of the players in the industry, such as BCE, TELUS, and Rogers Communication are well established and have the potential of integrating backwards (â€Å"Branham top 250†, 2012). With Softchoice’s specialization in obscure software, the company enjoys more bargaining power over suppliers. Only a few suppliers can serve the company’s needs fully, giving it the necessary bargaining power.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More New market entrants The industry has fewer barriers to entry. Although the five leading industry players have consolidated the market, many other smaller players still exist and do their business. There are numerous sub-areas within the software and computer services sector, where firms can specialize in and still establish themselves (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). Although the established firms in the industry benefit from the economies of scale advantage, they focus their attention on a larger area of the ICT industry. This, in turn, gives the smaller industry players room to penetrate into the industry as they only focus on smaller areas of the industry. The smaller industry players most likely provide high quality products and services, which attracts a significant portion of the market. Threat of substitution The threat of substitution is low. Although the wider ICT industry has many players concentrating on the same market, each of these companies has foc used on specialization in different areas. Thus, customers with particular ICT need may find it difficult to locate an alternative ICT firm that deals in the exact area. Although many software and computer services firms exist in the industry, Softchoice specifically deals in obscure software. The major companies in the industry may be dealing with a wide range of service and product areas, but they also specialize in specific business areas to improve the quality of their performance (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). Competitive rivalry Competitive rivalry is high in the industry. There are many companies in the industry that have a great potential and power to compete in the market. The large established companies have resorted to acquisitions to increase their competitive edge over other industry rivals (â€Å"Canada information technology†, 2012). With the industry trends indicating growing cumulative revenue each year, the players are working hard towa rds ensuring that they capture a significant portion of the total market revenue. Companies are also differentiating their services to limit competition by focusing on particular areas as a way of enhancing their quality performance. Industry Trends and Emerging Opportunities Increasing Expenditure on RD ICT industry players have been setting apart an increased volume of their revenue for funding research and development activities. In 2010, for instance, the ICT firms increased their RD expenditure to 15.44 percent compared to 14.78 percent in the previous year (Anderson, 2013). This trend highlights the fact that the industry players recognize the importance of investing in their core expertise, as well as the products and services that they deal with to increase their competitive edge within the global playing field (Anderson, 2013). With ICT relying heavily on research and development activities because of its continuous growth and advancement, there is a higher likelihood that the ICT industry players will continue experiencing a growing need to spend more revenues on the RD activities. Increased spending on research and development increases the opportunity of the ICT firm to grow even further. It increases the probability of enhancing quality and general performance, which will in turn attract more buyers. With an increase in the number of the buyers, the firms are likely to make more sales and improve their revenues. Increased RD activity is also likely to expand the Canadian ICT market to include the international buyers. Increasing Value of the Canadian Dollar over the US Dollar The Canadian dollar gained value over the US dollar towards the end of 2010 (Anderson, 2013). This was the second time that such a trend had been noticed over a period of 30 years. Over 40 percent of the Top 250 companies generated more than 50 percent of the total sales from the international market during the same year (Anderson, 2013). In particular, over 30 percent of the listed firms produced in excess of 50 percent of their total revenues within the US. This played a critical role in increasing the Canadian dollar’s value with respect to the US dollar (Anderson, 2013). A continuation of this trend will subject the Canadian ICT firms concentrating on the international market into increased competition. This is due to the high product cost influenced by the increasing value of the local currency over that of the US dollar (Anderson, 2013). In essence, the Canadian firms seeking to position themselves as efficient near-shore alternatives compared to the traditional outsourcing destinations must rely on other significant strengths. This may include looking more into innovation and leadership aspects, instead of concentrating on overall savings on labor cost (Anderson, 2013). In other words, the increase in value of the Canadian dollar over the US dollar is a threat to business for the ICT firms because it diminishes the overall profitability of the firms. Mergers and Acquisitions The ICT industry in Canada is experiencing an increase in mergers and acquisitions. Several of the established firms in the industry have acquired other companies, including both emerging startups and established firms to complement their existing technologies and entrance into new markets (Anderson, 2013). Foreign players have also acquired several other small and medium sized Canadian ICT firms to earn leverage into the market. In 2010, for instance, ICT players BreconRidge, Coretec, Protus, Brainhunter, as well as Fusepoint Managed Systems and Clarity System were all acquired by other firms (Anderson, 2013). This trend is likely to continue going forward as uncertainty in the industry pushes firms towards seeking to strengthen their presence in the market. This creates additional market opportunity for the established firms pursuing the acquisitions and mergers because it helps them to expand their potential market. It also increases their are as of specialization as the acquired firms could be specialists in different ICT areas. However, this trend is a threat to the smaller firms that seek to remain independent. It consolidates the market and gives the established firms more power to manipulate the industry to their advantage, leaving the smaller firms with little capability to challenge them. Importance of Information Technology to the Industry Technology is a critical aspect of the ICT industry. ICT as an industry will be non-existent without technology. Presently, the world is considered as a global village, where information flows very fast from one region or part to another. The entire globe is interconnected, where networks play a critical role in generating large amounts of data flow that accumulate on a daily basis (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). Technology has had its immense share in supporting and enabling this to be a reality. Improved computing devices with high performance power, including laptops, desktop com puters, and Smartphones all have the ability to browse the Internet at fast speeds and enhance the ICT interconnectivity (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). As advancements in technology continue to be witnessed, the ICT capacity is also growing. There is an emergence of a new technological trend, Internet of Things (IOT), which has made it virtually possible to connect anything via such methods as Machine-to-Machine communication (M2M) (Giusto et al., 2010). The new network is sustained by new technological developments where information sensors are embedded in home appliances, houses, machines, cars, as well as extended to such social infrastructures as transportation and energy systems. Technology is also enabling unprecedented progress where meaningful patterns are found from undertaking an analysis of the diverse and vast data flow from the Internet (Giusto et al., 2010). ICT has been settled upon as the appropriate means of enhancing back office productivity within public organization s. Many organizations are increasing their efficiency. Consequently, they are able to deal with real time information and details that they require for their operations. Technology is playing a critical role in exploiting new business areas, which have made ICT to be a virtual boundary-less area. ICT is expanding in both quality performance and reliability as more technological innovations come into play (van Weert Tatnall, 2005). By extension, the quality of life is also improving as individuals are able to learn fast, products can be produced more efficiently, firms can avert losses at the opportune time, and the health sector is capable of enhancing its performance. References Anderson, D. (2013). Canadas ICT industry: a work in progress. Retrieved from branhamgroup.com/research-reports-1/canadas-ict-industry-a-work-in-progress Branham top 250 Canadian ICT Companies 2012. (2012). Backbone Magazine. Retrieved from backbonemag.com/Magazine/2012-04/Top300-2012/canadian-ict-companie s.aspx Canada information technology report Q1 2012. (2012). Research and Markets. Retrieved from researchandmarkets.com/reports/2077623/canada_information_technology_report_q1_2012 Giusto, D., Iera, A., Morabito, G., Atzori, L. (2010). The Internet of things: 20th Tyrrhenian workshop on digital communications (1st ed.). New York, NY: Springer. Government of Canada. (2013). Information and communications technologies (ICT). Retrieved from ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/srch/nvgt.do?lang=engprtl=1sbPrtl=estblmntNo=123456129319profile=cmpltPrflprofileId=2059app=sold van Weert, T. J., Tatnall, A. (2005). Information and communication technologies and real-life learning: New education for the knowledge society. New York, NY: Springer.