Mathematics and Trial Rate

1)Using the forecast model for pasta shown in Exhibit 5, what is your forecast of the demand for pizza? In Annex I, we see that the forecasted demand for pizza is 1. 6MM, which is represented by the Trial Households. We calculated this by using the calculation in pasta that BASES used for pasta case. We found that the trial rate for â€Å"actual definitely would buy† for pizza will be 80% of the definitely would buy rate of the BASEL research. The actual probably would by is taken as 30% of the research’s probably would buy rate.After calculating the actual rates, we summed â€Å"definitely would buy† and â€Å"probably would buy† in order to calculate the trial rate, which is 27%. Before estimating the demand, we should calculate â€Å"marketing adjusted trial rate†. In order to calculate that rate, we took the average of the three different awareness ratios. Therefore, according to our analysis, the awareness ratio is 24%. The marketing adjusted t rial rate is 2. 7%. The demand for the pizza is the multiplication of marketing adjusted trial rate and the target households, which is 1. MM, in our analysis. 2)How do the pizza concept test results (Exhibits 7 and 8) compare with the findings for pasta (Exhibits 3 and 4)? In the table below shows that the pasta â€Å"definitely would buy† ratio and â€Å"probably would buy† ratio are greater than that of pizza case. The table below, which represents the research on likes and dislikes for the pasta and pizza products, shows that the like ratios for pasta are greater than that of pizza. Therefore, we can say that people looks more favorable to fresh pasta concept rather that fresh pizza concept.Moreover, the people also rated the pizza dislikes more that pasta case. For example, the people finds the price too expensive is 27% in total, whereas, that ratio for pasta is only 8%. Therefore, there are definite signs that show people do not like the fresh pizza case but the y like fresh pasta case. 3)How do you interpret the findings in Exhibit 9 and 10 to evaluate interest in pizza? 4)Would you launch the pizza? The pizza should be lunched because the overall demand and the expected revenue for the different cases are sustainable for the company.In Annex I, we see that the wholesale revenue is $17MM even if the pizza will be seen as mediocre product. Since the company expects $12MM at least, the revenues from pizza will make the company profitable. However, before launching the product, the company should make some changes as the people in the surveys show that the price is too expensive. Therefore, there is a high risk that the demand might not be satisfied for the product. After considering the shortages in the surveys and changing the prices and other key factors, the company should produce pizza to stay competitive in the market.

Different types of business information Essay

Verbal Communication Speaking verbal to someone is speaking out loud. This includes talking face to face, in a meeting or in an interview. The advantages of verbal communication are it is a fast way to reach information but this information can be easily forgotten. Another advantage is that speech is direct and straight to the point. Another advantage is that if you ask a question you get answer straight away no need to wait around. However they are some disadvantages if you are talking to someone it may not be legal to talk to about specific topics. Another disadvantage is they are no proof to say you have spoke to that person. Also if you are speaking to someone who does not speak English it is going to take time and money to get a translator. Also another disadvantage is not everyone is listening. Face to Face Speaking face to face is a good way to communicate because you are they talking to them and you can ask those questions and get a reply straight away, also if you didn’t understand something you could just ask them to repeat themselves. However they are some disadvantages, if the person you’re talking to speaks a different language, words can be misunderstood. Phone Call Making a phone call to someone has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of a phone call is you can tell someone information quick and easy and you would get an answer straight away. Another advantage is that you can get straight to the point and you can make a phone call anywhere. The disadvantages of making a phone call is your words could be misunderstood and your line could break up. Non-Verbal Communication Digital Email Email is very quick and a very easy way of getting in touch with other people. Once you send an email its sends instantly, so they will receive it a lot faster than if you would have sent it by a letter in the post. There are some disadvantages you need a secure internet link to send emails, also you have to type the correct email address in these complications mean many people prefer to make phone calls instead of emails. Non Digital Written Communication This is an old fashion way of communicating with other people, the advantages there is none we have faster and better technology to communicate. The disadvantages are is slow, the postal service takes up to 3 days just to deliver the letter that’s if it even gets to the address because nowadays post can get lost in the system.

The Angry Black Woman

I am deeply interested in why Black women are received and portrayed as both â€Å"angry† and â€Å"strong† Black Women. It may seem inexplicable that a respected black woman educator would stamp her foot, jab her finger in someone’s face and scream while trying to make a point on national television, thereby reconfirming the notation that black women are irrationally angry. When confronted about race and gender, as a black woman I stand in a crooked room. I have to figure out which way is up. Bombarded with warping images of humanity, I sometimes tilt and bend to fit the distortion.From the single mother who complains about child support to the first lady of the United States, it seems like Black women of all ages and classes have been accused of either being â€Å"angry† or too â€Å"strong† at some point in life. For centuries, the angry black female has been a pervasive stereotype in the United States. You may have heard the term â€Å"Angry Bl ack Woman Syndrome (ABSW)†. Angry Black Woman Syndrome is not only the dynamics between black woman and black men. It is definitively not an official clinical diagnosis or anything.The attitudes behavior of some black women, by some can best be described as a word that starts with â€Å"b† and rhymes with the word â€Å"itch†. Angry Black Woman is just as inescapable today as it was during the slave era. Melissa Harris-Perry, suggests that anger is still one of the most ubiquitous stereotypes faced by black women in modern society. In a recent Super Bowl commercial, Pepsi was criticized for perpetuating this negative perception by depicting a black woman kicking, shoving and punishing her husband for cheating on his diet.America’s first lady had to address the stereotype: In a recent television interview on CBS, Michelle Obama denied the â€Å"angry black woman† depiction of herself that emerged in some coverage following the release of The Obamaâ⠂¬â„¢s, a book by Jodi Kantor. Mrs. Obama defended herself by saying instead that she is â€Å"merely a ‘strong’ woman†. By calling herself â€Å"strong† is she somehow trying to overcompensate for feelings of shame? Although many may think that the Angry Black Woman is a white supremacist myth, they are wrong.In fact, it is a regularly revived and recreated perception in the Black community. The anger black women have is something that ignites strong feelings among black women. The idea of the angry woman is particularly recreated by African-American men who have an interest in displaying Black woman as emasculating or overbearing or angry as a means of basically controlling. Preconceived ideas of black women as dominant and assertive may hurt when it comes to romantic relationships.Yes, there are black women that need to seriously check themselves – particularly black women who think it is cute to be bitter, argumentative, man-hating, and generall y feels angry. She is that woman that frowns or rolls her eyes when smiled at, brands all men as being â€Å"dogs† or â€Å"no good† and she is that woman that thinks it is necessary to curse out another female if she bumps into her in the store even after she has received a sincere apology. It is unfortunate that black women have attitudes and behaviors like this.It is this type of female that sometimes gets acknowledged as the representative for all black women. At the end of the day, the vast majority of black females do not suffer from Angry Black Women Syndrome. If you ask for what you want need or what you want, you are just an angry Black woman. If you do not ask for what you need and try to do everything on your own, however, you could then be labeled as a â€Å"strong† Black woman – a term that may sound like a compliment, but in reality contributes to a derogatory ideal that holds Black women back from progression.When black women respond to rac ism they are responding with anger; the anger of exclusion, of unquestioned privilege of racial distortions, of silence ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, and of betrayal. Black women may have a well-stocked arsenal of anger potentially useful against those oppressions, personal and institutional, which brought that anger into being. Focused with precision it can become a powerful source of energy serving progress and change. —Audre Lorde, â€Å"The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism† (1981).The emotion which accompanies the first steps toward liberation is, for most women, anger. Through the exercise strength may be gained. As a black woman I envisioned a new America in the 1990’s, anger may have been a vital political tool. I was provided new perspectives, new understandings of oppressive conditions that had previously remained unquestioned. I was introduced to my anger through relationships, through individual and collective political con sciousness; because the angry black women had been theorized.Attention seemed to have been drawn to the anger of black women; it exposed knowledge that had been buried and speech that had been silenced. Anger was a link to previous suppressed histories, and a revolutionary coalition. I couldn't believe—still can't—how angry I can become, from deep down and way back, it sometimes feels like a five-thousand-years of buried anger. Every black woman in America lives her life somewhere along a wide curve of ancient and unexpressed angers, Audre Lorde observed. Only when women are able to feel anger, and then recognize, accept, and direct it towards the real enemy can an association occur.If black women can identify their sources of anger and analyze why they use it is a form of expression. Their anger may then be used as a paradigm for understanding the ways in which black women, at different historical moments, have responded to myriad forms of oppression. Even though, the re is this long-lasting and unfair stereotype it is typically seen as a negative one, standing for abrasive brash and even ill-tempered, it is also consistent with qualities that is often associated with leadership, such as being decisive, aggressive and resolute.In a recent study conducted by Robert Livingston and Ella Washington of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, it was found that black women leaders who displayed dominant behavior when interacting with subordinates got more favorable reviews than their white female or black male counterparts who behaved the same way. In fact black women were evaluated comparable to white male leaders who display similarly dominant assertive behavior. Black people are proud; African Americans feel a sense of kinship with other Blacks with whom they can take pride in the accomplishments.The other side of racial pride is the underlying feeling of shame. Because we feel pride, about accomplishments of Blacks not related , we can also feel ashamed for failure, transgressions and misbehaviors. The ‘strong’ Black woman’ is a negative image of Black women. Black women are super-strong, hyper-competent; we do not have that many individual needs, we really can take care of others, and we can handle business. Despite the â€Å"angry† figure that some may try to replace with a â€Å"strong† image, Black women are not superhuman. We are not universally strong; we do sometimes feel weak and need help.Whether being labeled angry or strong, the biggest danger as a Black woman is when I began to think the labels were accurate, and began calling myself a â€Å"strong† Black woman. My goal is to recognize that labels are false. They are not indicative to who I am. I may be angry but I am not inherently angry. I am angry about something. So my anger has a meaning. It is not a personality trait. I may be strong enough to make it through difficult circumstances, but that is n ot because I have an inherent inborn capacity for strength – it is because I have very few other options except to be strong or be destroyed.

International expantion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International expantion - Essay Example On the other hand, AIU should take into account national culture which affects all international and export marketing activity. Of concern to the manager are the influences of the religious, family, educational, and social systems of a society. Often these are manifested in the values, attitudes, and motivations of people and can affect business customs such as personal manners, colors, advertising, 'gift' giving and receiving, and pride and status. The UK is a country with old traditions which include both conscious and unconscious national values, ideas, attitudes and symbols that shape employees behavior. The UK consists of four main parts: Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The combination of language and religion creates a unique culture and traditions. At its deepest level, however, British culture comprises a set of basic assumptions that operate automatically to enable groups of people to solve the problems of daily life without thinking about them. The influence of Christianity and other religions in the UK had always extended for beyond the comparatively narrow of organized and private ownership. Religious organizations are actively involved in voluntary work and the provisions of social services. The UK is a leading industrial country which has a great influence on international economics and politics. The country has a service-based economy and a large private sector. In contrast to other European counties, the UK has not yet adopted the euro currency. "A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union for the time being" (The World Fact Book: the UK, 2006). The country has a population about 60,609,153 million who lives on 242,514 sq km. An average expectancy of life is 81 years for women and 76 years for men. GNI per capita is $33,630. GDP is $1.83 trillion. It is reported that GDP shows the lowest growth rates over the last 12 years. "GDP grew by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2006, with growth unchanged from the last quarter of 2005. The level of GDP is now 2.2 per cent higher than the first quarter of 2005" (GDP Growth. The UK, 2006). 17% of population lives below poverty line. Demographics will help to analyze market potential, its perspectives, and segment the UK market. Demographic segmentation is based measurable characteristics of the population such as income, age distribution, gender, education, and occupation. A number of global demographic trends-fewer married couples, smaller family size, changing roles of women, higher incomes and living standards, for example-have contributed to the emergence of global market segments. In the UK, 17.5 % of the population are children from 0-14, 66.8% people from 15-64 year old and 15.8% - 65+. The majority of the population are white people - 54.85 million; people of Asian origin is about 2.38 million. Population growth rate is about 0.28%. In agriculture works about 1.1%, in industry - 26% and in service market - 72.9% (The World Fact Book: the UK, 2006). Cultural Concerns Need to Be Considered Great Britain is a country of old traditions and strong family values. Cultural preferences are quite apparent in food preparation and consumption patterns and habits. Taking into account the nature of the product AIU is going to market, these cultural preferences will play a core role in strategic planning. A solid understanding of food-related cultural preferen

As She's Walking Away Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

As She's Walking Away - Essay Example The title of the song â€Å"As She’s Walking Away† reflects a song that is inspired by a woman who is walking away from a man in a particular setting that is yet to be determined, but will be determined by the song’s lyrics. From the title, one can gather that it was one of those circumstances where a man saw or was with an attractive woman and something happened that made her to walk away. In order to determine the meaning of the song, one needs to delve into the details of the song’s lyrics. The opening lyrics reveal that the man and woman in this song had never met before and that they were in a room where they could see each other face to face. However, the man seems not to have enough courage to walk over and talk to her. The man admits not to know her name and he blames it to his foolish pride. The meaning of the song is further revealed as one continues to listen to the song. Now that the man has not had guts to walk over and talk to this pretty wom an that he has admired, the woman is walking away as he claims to be falling in love with her. In the chorus of the song, the man admits to the fact that he has lost the battle of approaching this woman because his heart would not tell his mind to tell his mouth what to say to this woman. However, he encourages himself that he lives to fight another day. Subsequent lyrics provides a picture of where the setting is; it suggests it is a bar â€Å"†¦ask her to dance (Go on son).† The man recalls a wise man next to him saying to him about the woman who got away and how he missed his chance. The wise man then advises him not to let regret happen of the dream he has to chase. The further meaning of the song can be obtained as one continues listening to the song and internalizing the content of its lyrics. The song becomes more inspirational as it goes on; it acknowledges that one might fall down on his face but this should not dampen their spirits, but rather it should be the moment of rolling the dice and having some faith. In the second chorus, the song presents an impression that a man should not be falling in love while a woman is walking away because the heart would not tell the mind to tell the mouth what it should say. It calls against falling in love with a woman while she is walking away because a man might fall down on his face. It is for this reason that a man should roll the dice and have some faith about the circumstances. The song concludes by blending the first and the second choruses. It reiterates the need for a man not to fall in love as the woman walks away. It appreciates the fact that the heart would not tell a man’s mind to tell his mouth what it should. It inspires the man that while he may have lost this particular battle, he still lives to fight another day. For emphasis purposes, the song ends by saying that a man should not fall in love as the woman is walking away. The end gives the closing sentiments of the song by rei terating that regardless of the fact that she might walk away, a man should not fall in love because this may let regret take place and that a man might fall down on his face as a result. This song reflects on situations of human life where people get certain chances and fail to take advantage of them and in the process miss those very important opportunities. From the song it can be gathered that because of lack of courage on the part of the man, he was unable to walk over to the pretty woman and

Teacher Leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teacher Leaders - Essay Example of schooling, be it classroom activities, field trips, co-curricular activities, or provision of hygienic food, one important area that at times is easily looked upon and needs consideration is Homework. All other areas mentioned above are time limited and hence often are easy to deal within the constraint. However, homework is one such area for which teachers tend to have different perspectives. In fact, the same goes for the students and parents as well. Moreover, it also varies with the school level the students are belonging and therefore needs consideration accordingly. For the purpose of this paper, the school level chosen is middle level whose most common children group arrangement is from grade sixth to grade eighth. It is essential to see how this age group responds to homework. Having based on year-end surveys and classroom observation, creating a teacher-centered committee can help bring out those perspectives and align the two in order to identify areas of contradiction. Moreover, with their active involvement in suggesting remedies and attaining a mutual consensus over the best possible remedy, further implementation can take place. A simple approach towards developing up a teacher-centered committee will be to include a number of key figures that can directly affect the whole procedure of homework-policy making. The committee should have the subject teachers of each of these three grades as well as an educational psychologist as educator who can help teachers, understand how students of middle-level respond to homework and what type as well as what amount of homework should be given to them at what number of intervals. Prior to this for the head of the committee, it will be important to make up a plan for the formulation of the committee. However, even before that it will be imperative to analyze the survey results, received from the principal and derive conclusions and recommendations from the observation. This will not only help identify any

Computer Assisted Audit Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Computer Assisted Audit Techniques - Essay Example Auditing is the process by which something is examined with a view to form an opinion. This allows users of that opinion to gain assurance that the opinion, process or the information can be trusted. The purpose of assurance services is to increase the confidence and reduce the risk of the user of those services. The main purpose of auditing is to ensure that financial statements are free from material misstatement or error. An auditor carries out two types of assurance engagement with one being the reasonable assurance engagement and the other being the limited assurance engagement. When giving out a reasonable assurance engagement, the auditor gathers sufficient appropriate evidence to support his conclusion and to make a stronger conclusion. On the contrary, a limited assurance engagement gives out a negative assurance report and the evidence gathered in such assurance engagement is only related to the specific subject matter that is being audited rather than the entire financial statement. Such assurances help the users of the financial statements to decide upon their investment in any particular company or venture. The use of computers in business information systems has fundamental effects on the nature of business transacted, procedures followed, risks occurring and measures to reduce the impact of risks. Manual processing and computer based processing of transactions are well differentiated from each other and they have their own benefits.

Conception of the Citizen in Book Three of Politics Essay

Conception of the Citizen in Book Three of Politics - Essay Example His area of study remains mostly the Greek states but he also includes as a part of his study the states that were in contact with Greece at that point of time. Aristotle was a part of ancient Greece and many of his worldviews may appear to be outdated and outmoded to any contemporary observer. However, the value of his contributions lies in the fact that they enabled a discussion of the relative worth of different modes of government. This played a great role in shaping future conceptions of governments and the state. The role of the citizen within such structures is also something that Aristotle discussed at length in his book. The importance of such discussions in the contemporary world lies in the fact that they enable the modern political commentator to be aware of the origins of democracy, which is the most favored form of government in today’s world. A deep understanding of the origins of this form of government and the earliest objections to it and the earliest appreci ations of it is necessary for the smooth working of democracies in today’s world. Aristotle’s understanding of these political structures and his meticulous research into the roots of the problems that he discusses reveals an urge to understand the problems of the Greek states and press for a solution. This displays an objective and non-mercenary approach to the problem of politics, something which may again serve as a model for present-day commentators. The concept of the role of the citizen in a state is what is discussed at length in Book three of Aristotle’s work, Politics. This paper shall seek to analyze the concept as it is put forward by Aristotle. The analysis in this paper shall also seek to understand the reasons that Aristotle may have in conceptualizing the citizen in the way that he does. The class leanings and the misogyny in the conceptions of the citizen that Aristotle holds shall be made clear in this paper. An attempt shall be made to look at the conditions in ancient Greece that made it necessary and in a certain sense, inevitable for Aristotle to hold the views that he does in Book three of Politics. The arguments that shall be used in this paper shall employ modern theoretical frameworks such as feminism and Marxism as well, for the analysis of Aristotle. Aristotle’s conception of the citizen depends greatly upon the kind of state that a person lived in. in certain cases, he argues that the very question of a person’s citizenship had to be questioned for it to be determined eventually whether he or she was a citizen or not. He details the characteristic of a democracy, an oligarchy and a monarchy and the merits and demerits of each, according to the role that the citizen was expected to play in each of these forms of government. Who would be considered to be a citizen and who would not, would also depend heavily upon the character of the government, according to Aristotle. Aristotle thus, destabilized th e notion of geographical citizenship. According to this notion, a person would be considered to be a citizen of a particular place as long as that person would be present within the geographical boundaries of that state. By doing so, Aristotle makes the status of citizenship extremely contingent upon the needs of the state and also upon the responsibilities and duties of the citizen towards the state. In this

International Finance Assessment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

International Finance Assessment - Case Study Example When a firm operates only in the domestic market, both for procuring inputs as well as selling its output, it needs to deal only in the domestic currency. As companies try to increase their international presence, either by undertaking international trade or by establishing operations in foreign countries, they start dealing with people and firms in various nations. Since different countries have different domestic currencies, the question arises as to which currency the trade should be settled in. The settlement currency may either be the domestic currency of one of the parties to the trade, or may be an internationally accepted currency. In this case, Rolls-Royce has agreed on a dollar as the currency for settlement. The mechanism by which the exchange rate between these currencies i.e. the value of one currency in terms of another currency is determined, along with the level and the variability of the exchange rates, can have profound effect on the sales, cost and profits of a fir m. The change in the value of currencies takes place because of the change in the demand for holding that particular currency. The businesses may be affected in a number of ways because of the changing exchange rate. Some of them are as follows: Exchange rates may be of different types like fixed exchange rate, floating exchange rate and also exchange rates with limited flexibility. Different kinds of exchange rate systems have different methods of correcting the disequilibrium between international payments and receipts. This actually is one of the basic functions of these mechanisms. Fixed Exchange Rate System - As the name suggests, under a fixed or pegged exchange rate system the value of a currency in terms of another is fixed. These rates are determined by governments or the central banks of the respective countries. The fixed exchange rates result from countries pegging their currencies to either some common commodity or to some particular currency. There is generally some provision for correction of these fixed rates in case of a fundamental disequilibrium. The Gold Standard System and the Breton Woods System are some of the examples of Fixed Exchange Rate System. There are also particular variations of the fixed rate system like: Currency Board System - Under this system, a country fixes the rate of its domestic currency in terms of a foreign currency, and its exchange rate in terms of other currencies depends on the exchange rates between the other currencies and the currency to which the domestic currency is pegged. The biggest advantage of a currency board system is that it offers stable exchange rates, which act as an incentive for international trade and investment. The discipline enforced on the government and the financial system also helps in improving the macroeconomic fundamentals in the long run. Target Zone Arrangement - A target zone arrangement is system in which a group of countries sometimes get together, and agree to maintain the exchange rat

The Lewis And Clark Expedition Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Lewis And Clark Expedition - Term Paper Example The task for President Jefferson was now to get familiarized with the territory itself, especially the western front. To accomplish this task, President Jefferson chose his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis who was not only a reliable and intelligent man, but also possessed skills of a frontiersman. Meriwether Lewisin in turn selected one of his most reliable friends and an exceptional frontiersman and draftsman, William Clark, and made him the co-commanding captain of the expedition. The trust that Lewis had in Clark’s abilities was remarkable given the fact that Clark was not highly ranked by the government itself for such expeditions1. There were two reasons why President Jefferson wanted this expedition to take place. The first obvious reason was that he wanted to discover the actual territory itself so that the boundaries could be established. The second reason was that he wanted Lewis to discover the water link between the Missouri and Columbia rivers. This water netwo rk would link the Pacific Ocean with the Mississippi system of rivers which in turn would open new access routes for trade and commerce. EXPEDITION The expedition officially started from the summer of 1804 from Camp Wood in St. Louis. Until then, the members were developing the strategies for the expedition. That summertime and during the fall the group of voyagers propelled and dragged themselves towards the north and more precisely, to the northwest on the Missouri River. The post which they reached before the advent of winter was the Fort Mandan post, a trading post, where they set up their camps and waited till the winter had passed away. During this time they prepared for the journey ahead. When the winter had finally passed and as spring of 1805 was approaching, the journey began once again. They moved on further up towards the Missouri to Montana, to what is presently called Three-Forks. The path which they chose was the boundary of the western front along the Jefferson River . This helped to serve the purpose of discovering the new terrain. The new route brought the explorers to the threshold of Shoshone Indians who were very well acquainted with the terrain and specialized in crossing the mountains with their horses. The significant people whom they met were a French fur trader and his Shoshone Indian wife named Sacagawea which means ‘bird woman’. Both these people agreed to guide them through and Sacagawea was especially helpful in establishing contact with the Indians through acting as a translator. At first, the Indians were frightened to see the explorers, but because of Sacagawea, the connection was made rather easily and the Indians agreed to help them. The Indians provided them with supplies and other essential stuff. The other benefit of Sacagawea was that because she was a woman it signified the fact that the explorers were not there for war. Generally, women were not taken alongside in the situation of war. Thus, the presence of Sacagawea meant that the explorers did not mean war. With the help of the Indians, the explorers made their way up to the Bitterroot Mountains. Without the horses it would have been difficult to pass through the mountains. There, the difficulty they had to face was that they had to now travel downriver from the Bitterroot

Indigenous Studies The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada Essay - 1

Indigenous Studies The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada - Essay Example Modern democratic society aspires to render equitable justice at all times. However, this might not be possible all the time due to certain constraints which impinge on the delivery of just and equitable laws. The implementation of justice or equity can be haphazard, biased, prejudiced and discriminatory whenever democratic ideals are compromised. Democracy is supposed to be the rule by the majority but on the reverse side of this principle, the minority in a society can be subjected to various forms of injustice. The lack of justice can happen despite the best intentions because people can subvert the legal system to their own hidden agenda or interests. Injustice happens everywhere but it has become more widespread and rampant due to a dwindling of resources. When people compete for scarce natural resources and other necessities in life, it is inevitable conflicts will occur. When this happens, it is those in minority groups who will suffer because their democratic space and political rights are violated in favor of the greater majority. As they say, democracy is a form of oppression. It is the tyranny of the majority on the minority who are outvoted in any democratic electoral exercise and often marginalized. The United Nations has taken cognizance of the fact that certain groups are at risk for marginalization in society. These groups include people belonging to an ethnic minority, those in the female gender, the weak and the old, the very young, the uneducated, and other people who by their various or unique circumstance happen not to belong to the dominant majority group. In these instances, it is supposed to be the duty of the sate to afford them protection by the passage of appropriate laws and the full implementation of these laws for their benefit and survival. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been

Torture Definition Essay Example for Free

Torture Definition Essay According to David Luban, â€Å"Torture used to be incompatible with American values. Our Bill of Rights forbids cruel and unusual punishmentAmericans and our government have historically condemned states that (practice) torture; we have granted asylum or refuge to those who fear it† (Luban, 1425).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But after 9/11, the American public was divided over the issue of the torture of prisoners of war or civilians suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. The torture debate intensified with the emergence of media exposes regarding the inhumane treatment of prisoners in US military jails such as Guantanamo (2002) and Abu Ghraib (2004). Indeed, is torture justifiable if it was committed by the country that prides itself as the worlds bastion of democracy and human rights?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The 1984 United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT) provided the following definitions of torture: â€Å"Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession† (Garcia, 5); â€Å"Punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind† (Garcia, 5); â€Å"When such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions (Garcia, 5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture reinforces the notion that slaves should be subjugated completely (Luban, 1432). Hence, when a person is tortured, he or she is transformed into a slave – an isolated, overwhelmed, terrorized and humiliated individual, stripped of any semblance of dignity (Luban, 1432). It is from the dynamics of the master-slave relationship that David Luban (2005) based the five aims of torture: Victor’s Pleasure – In his article Liberalism, Torture and the Ticking Time Bomb (2005), Luban argued that â€Å"the predominant setting for torture has always been military victory† (Luban, 1432). Torture, therefore, is the torturer’s way of relieving military victory and establishing his superiority over the faction he defeated (Luban, 1432). Terror – Dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Augusto Pinochet and Saddam Hussein tortured their political prisoners to warn people that anyone who opposed them will share the same fate. Terror can easily subdue a population than the idea that dissidents will be dealt with humanely upon capture. Punishment – Until the last two centuries, criminal offences were punishable with torture (Luban, 1433). But as society became increasingly industrialized (and adopted liberal polities in the process), the concept of torture as a form of criminal punishment was discarded. The French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault explained that this was so because torture was â€Å"a ritual of royal dominance and royal revenge, acted out in public spectacle to shock and awe the multitude† (Luban, 1434). In a liberal democracy, where there is emphasis on popular sovereignty, it is the people who decide how criminals should be penalized. Hence, the concept of using torture to impress the majority became pointless. Extracting Confessions – Before the advent of liberalism, â€Å"legal rules required either multiple eyewitnesses or confessions for criminal convictions† (Luban, 1435). Torture was necessary to achieve these two (Luban, 1435). But in a liberal society, a guilty verdict can be derived from different kinds of evidence that are proven to be credible, instead of just relying on a confession. Hence, torture was no longer needed to secure a conviction. Intelligence Gathering – Luban defined this aim as â€Å"the only one rationale for torture that might conceivably be acceptable to a liberal† (Luban, 1436). However, this motive is dangerous as it rationalizes an act that is strictly prohibited in every global human rights agreement (Geneva Convention, UNCAT, Rome Statute, etc.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For Luban, the liberals banned torture because it is the microcosm of a tyranny (Luban, 1430). Torture is an integral component of all the evils of an absolutist rule – military conquest, regal punishment, dictatorial terror, forced confessions and the repression of dissident belief (Luban, 1438). Torture victims are â€Å"isolated and reduced instead of engaged and enlarged, terrified instead of active, humiliated instead of dignified,† in sharp contrast to the liberals’ idea of all human beings bearing an innate dignity regardless of race, creed or social status (Luban, 1433). Furthermore, torture is the starkest manifestation of a tyrannical leader – one who takes pleasure in degrading those who oppose his rule (Luban, 1433).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But what if torture was used to supposedly obtain information that will deter future terrorist attacks? Luban argued that this was the premise of the â€Å"liberal ideology of torture† (Luban, 1439). The â€Å"liberal ideology of torture† asserts that torture was necessary for â€Å"intelligence gathering to prevent a catastrophe† (Luban, 1439). Furthermore, torture should not be associated with state tyranny because it was motivated by self-defense and not by cruelty (Luban, 1439).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture became part of the â€Å"War on Terrorism† because the latter operated on the war model, which argued that fallen or captured combatants can be replaced by other combatants (May, 310). Hence, the fate that the captured terrorist will experience while in incarceration can serve as a warning to those who will take his place (May, 310). However, this conclusion is based on the premise that the captured terrorist has already been proven to be a real terrorist. What if the torture victim was not a terrorist, but someone who was just suspected to be a terrorist? Under the guises of â€Å"intelligence gathering† and â€Å"preventing terrorism,† the suspected terrorist’s rights to life, counsel and due process were violated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Torture defeats terrorism at the expense of civil liberties. To make matters worse, the Bush administration wants to make it appear that the United States is exempted from every international law governing human rights. William T. Cavanaugh (2005) elaborates: Many would appeal to what has been called American exceptionalism, the idea that the U.S. is different from other nations and may be held to a higher standard†¦What we need is a frank recognition that America is not different. Approval of torture at the highest levels of government puts the U.S. in the same category as Chile under Pinochet, France in Algeria, Myanmar, Israel, Saudi Arabia and dozens of other countries today. Amnestys annual reports make clear that disregard of human rights in the name of national security is common†¦ (Cavanaugh, n. pag.) Indeed, Luban was right when he wrote in Liberalism†¦, â€Å"The liberal ideology of torture, which assumes that torture can be neatly confined to exceptional ticking-bomb cases and surgically severed from cruelty and tyranny, represents a dangerous delusion† (Luban, 1461). References Allhoff, F. (2005). Philosophy 9/11: Thinking about the War on Terrorism. Illinois: Open Court. BNET. (2005, January 25). Taking Exception: When Torture Becomes Thinkable. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_2_122/ai_n9505722 Garcia, M.J. (2007). U.N. Convention against Torture (CAT): Overview and Application to Interrogation Techniques. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Human Rights Watch. (2005, January 7). Abu Ghraib, Darfur: Call for Prosecutions. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   January 25, 2008, from http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/01/07/global9968.htm Human Rights Watch. (2005, January 5). US: Mark Five Years of Guantanamo by Closing It. Retrieved January 25, 2008, from http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/01/05/usdom14974.htm Luban, D. (2005). Liberalism, Torture and the Ticking Time Bomb. Virginia Law Review, 19,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1425-1461. May, L. (2007). War Crimes and Just War. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.

How Coca Cola HBCs practices enable it to achieve strategic goals

How Coca Cola HBCs practices enable it to achieve strategic goals Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to assess how Coca Cola HBCs practices enable it to achieve their strategic goals. It is aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the organisation and information factors which affect the planning, management and delivery of its products. Coca Cola HBCs strategic supply chain management and operations approach is a success story enable them to achieve . The company has been able to identify the real problems in production and their causes, which has enabled it to correctly address them. Theyve also had targets for improvement and accomplishment, which has helped the throughout the way. Coca Cola HBC is a solid and very well managed company and its approach to establishing long-lasting relationships with customers, suppliers and retailers is a key aspect to success in todays challenging and aggressive business environment. Introduction Humble beginnings for Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. were marked by a single soft drink packed in small glass bottles at its modest headquarters in Greece in 1969 . This single product was a response to the simple business environment encountered by the company then. Operations were straightforward and supply replenishment to distribution centres were a simple job for the drivers who would only have to load the trucks, determine a route and drop off supplies. Throughout the years, with the impact of globalisation upon world consumption and production, the business environment was transformed and the company steadily grew and adapted to these changes. More products were developed, production increased and its operations became more competitive and complex. In 1981 a private holding company acquired majority interest in the firm. After this, the organisation expanded its business through acquisitions. Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company was formed in 2000 as a result of the merger of the Hellenic Bottling Company and London-based Coca-Cola Beverages. Today, the company is one of the largest bottlers and vendors of The Coca Cola Companys products in the world, and the largest one based in Europe. The company produces markets and sells to customers one of the most well-known brand in the world, Coca Cola. 1 Operations Management Practices Critically assess the extent to which CCHBCs operations management practices enable it to achieve strategic goals as set out in the Four As credo. Coca Cola HBC focuses on a Four As credo in order to sustain its constant and growing demands in its markets: Availability Affordability Acceptability Activation Their operations strategy cleverly brings their processes together to form a supply chain that extends beyond the physical walls of the organisation and reach further involving suppliers and customers. According to Krajeski et al (2010) a firm competes not only by offering new products, innovative marketing or expert finances, but also through its unique competencies in operations and solid management of core processes. The Sand Cone Model suggests that firms can develop four sustainable competitive advantages following a particular order of strategic priorities. The proposed order is quality, dependability, flexibility and cost. Excellent operations performance in quality gives the company the ability to deliver high quality products. Excellent operations performance dependability will give the company the ability to compete on fast and reliable deliveries (availability). Excellent operations management in flexibility gives the company the ability to deliver on a wider range of products and new products (activation). Excellent operations performance in cost gives the company the ability to deliver on low price (affordability). The model suggests that if this focus is followed, organisations are then able to build up their advantages concerning all the elements. Considering the Hayes Wheelwright four-stage model for manufacturing competitiveness, Coca Cola HBC can easily be described as externally supportive, or stage 4. Their operations are managed proactively to drive the business strategy of the entire organisation. Operations are world class and seen as the means to achieve customer satisfaction. The establishment of mutual beneficial relationships with suppliers enables them to deliver the best value in terms of quality, cost, service and innovation, helping to achieve the four As in their credo. These relationships involve regular collaboration over long-term direction of these partnerships and generally cover operational issues, but can also accommodate business issues such as joint investments and operations. Relationships are so tight that various international suppliers have established local production in different countries. y in order Product data and information sharing with trade partners is also a critical part of operations management practices. New product developments, promotions and other marketing initiatives, new advances in operational processes, supply availability, pricing strategies, costing, logistics plans should be undertaken in a sharing culture between all involved where there is a high level of honesty and trust. Nowadays bar codes are an essential technology for supply systems, independent of the product. The use of this technology enables the unique identification and tracking of all products through the supply network. Like many firms, Coca Cola HBCs operations strategies are only feasible with the use of bar codes, electronic data interchange (EDI) and point of sale (PoS) data sharing, which firmly link all activity in the supply system to real time customer demand. It is not understood whether the company uses it, but electronic data interchange (EDI) is also a vital technological component to enable links between firms in a mutual operational network. This technology is capable of extending the interconnection between retailer and supplier to an entire network. EDI is also used as a means to support electronic trading facilitating global sourcing and acting as a low cost communication option. The establishment of good relationships and partnering with customers, suppliers and other members of the supply chain enables CCHBC to save on costs whilst addressing and influencing consumer preferences at the point of sale. For this type of company, point of sale (PoS) data collection is vital, but it would be of little use if retained only by the organization. This data is essential for a flexible and responsive supply and demand can only be met using forward inventory builds and forecasting rather than operating in-line with real time demand patterns. This helps to support a continual and automatic replenishment system which is important to enable items to be restocked by a vendor or supplier to the exact rate of sale. Demand information can drive operational schedules and replenishment is direct from production output rather than stock holding. These tight relationships also help them to involve customers, retailers and suppliers in the processes of product development, modification and planning. This allows the rapid development of new products or innovative packaging to be tested in-store prior to product launches, for example. Their intelligent production and better and faster supply chain offers a high degree of response, speed and agility. Despite high initial costs and time to fully implement, many supplier manufacturers are increasing the use of this form of production organization as long term benefits are very valuable. All of these practices are important building blocks of Coca Cola HBCs operations strategy. These are the forces that help shape them into a customer-driven and customer-focused organisation. Their operations function provides the basis of competitive advantage and set standards for the entire industry. Todays marketplace is increasingly complex. The retail landscape is ever-changing, consumers are seeking greater variety and our customers are demanding higher service levels. In this vibrant and dynamic environment, we are constantly evaluating the way we do business as we strive to achieve profitable and sustainable growth. To ensure that the business results we deliver are sustainable over the longer-term, we implemented a new strategic initiative in 2006. Excellence Across the Board focuses on developing best-in-class commercial and distribution capabilities, as well as streamlining the management of financial resources. In particular, we are building powerful route-to-market systems and dynamic partnerships with customers to ensure that our execution in the marketplace is unparalleled. At the same time, we seek to optimise the use of our financial working capital and rethink internal processes and systems. In addition to the Excellence Across the Board strategic initiative we are looking to Expand into territories that prove to be a geographic fit and contribute to our long term growth prospects while we remain committed to Explore other adjacent business areas to leverage our infrastructure, strengthen customer relationships and explore new avenues for growth and value. We also manage our business following the six priorities: to increase our beverage categories in order to become a more diverse non-alcoholic beverage company to build brand equity in order to create value for customers to drive profitable package mix and exploit new channels in order to enhance margins to manage capital for growth and value to drive cost efficiency throughout our business to create superior sustainable returns Here are some examples that show how we fulfill these objectives. Customer collaboration Coca-Cola Hellenic aims to have an excellent co-operation with the 1.4 million shops, restaurants, supermarkets, discount chains and other businesses that sell the Companys beverages. In view of this, we enhance our route-to-market and commercial capabilities to ensure the availability of an ever-expanding range of products in the marketplace. Effective route-to-market systems Another key element in driving sustainable growth is the Companys route-to-market strategy for the fragmented trade channels. This strategy is focused on adopting the most effective means to ensure the full availability of our products in the marketplace and build lasting relationships with outlet owners. Excellence in marketplace execution Excellence in marketplace execution is supported by our continuous investments in building salesforce effectiveness. We invest in merchandising equipment to generate impulse sales and equip our sales people with mobile devices to enhance order taking, invoicing and asset tracking. The second key element of our business imperatives is to develop each of our markets by providing superior customer service and quality products. In Coca-Cola Hellenic we work hard to adapt our business to the changing needs of our customers. We initiate a number of customer-specific programmes. This aims to facilitate a cross-functional approach to planning for the purpose of better aligning our organization with the way our customers do business. The goal of this approach is to create value for our customers. Improved preparation of joint annual plans encompassing promotional planning and revenue growth initiatives, inventory management and customer-specific cooler placement strategies, are examples of what we believe will bring additional value to our customer relationships. In serving consumers our blueprint can be summarised in four words: availability, affordability, acceptability and activation. Availability We place our range of products within easy reach of consumers in the right package, in the right location, at the right time. We focus on developing strong relationships with our customers to ensure that the right products are in stock, highly visible and readily accessible wherever and whenever consumers may desire a non-alcoholic beverage. Affordability We offer a wide variety of desirable, premium quality products, in packages appropriate for the occasion, at the right price. In doing so, we aim to reach as many consumers as possible while taking into account the differing levels of purchasing power in the countries in which we operate. Acceptability We supply an extensive and growing range of products that meet the highest quality standards in each country, increasing their acceptability to consumers. We have a detailed understanding of consumer needs and access to the most effective communications channels. Combined with our experience in quality control, customer service and efficient distribution, we are able to reach out to customers and consumers in each of our markets and meet their demands. Activation We motivate consumers to choose our products by improving product availability and attractiveness at the point of purchase and by building brand strength in our local markets. We achieve this in close cooperation with our customers through: the placement of cold drink equipment, such as coolers and vending machines the provision of signage and other point-of-sale materials the implementation of local marketing and promotional initiatives 2 Capacity Management Approach How would you characterise CCHBCs approach to capacity management (including production, planning and control). What are the specific challenges of this approach? The success of an organisation is greatly determined by their ability to meet customer demand and to respond promptly and effectively to changes in this demand over time. Only an effective approach to capacity management will enable this to be achieved. According to Barnes (2008), the aim of capacity management is to match supply and demand. If capacity is insufficient the company risks having many dissatisfied customers and losing prospect sales as consumer demand cant be properly met. If capacity is excessive, costs will generally be higher than necessary as resources wont be fully utilised. Coca Cola HBCs approach to capacity management is certainly to try and match capacity to demand. This strategy relies heavily on being able to produce reliable future demand forecasts, which is notoriously proven to be a difficult task. Whilst this seems to be the most appropriate approach for this company, it still means the organisation is not able to meet sudden upturns in demand as capital investment decisions can typically involve a long lead time. Barnes (2008) points out that decisions involving adding capacity should be made within the necessary lead time as in some cases it can take years to devise the necessary structure and equipment. Coca Cola HBC consider that production planning based on long term forecasting is no longer necessary. Instead, they have opted to operate a continuous planning process. Krajeski et al (2010) agree, as they affirm that forecast accuracy declines as the forecast horizon lengths. However, Barnes (2008) disagrees asserting that forecasting future demand is important both in long term and short term scenarios. He defends that long term forecasts are needed when planning investment in new facilities and equipment and short term forecasts are important to manage effectively existing capacity. At Coca Cola HBC, a dedicated forecast manager is responsible for using historical sales information and consumer data to produce a weekly demand plan. Whilst this approach is based on the use of scientific methods and data mining tools, accuracy is still an issue. Unfortunately, independent of the number of forecasting methods used by an organisation, none of them are particularly accurate in predicting demand. Barnes (2008) affirms that nonetheless any forecast is almost certainly better than none as it forces managers to think about the future and consider how they can best respond to changes in demand. Assuming a quantitative method based on time series analysis is used, Coca Cola HBC are using the past to predict the future, which might not always be the case. A casual analysis should also be utilised in order to help them identify relationships between demand and relevant happenings, such as exceptional weather, advertising campaigns and major sports/music events. Although not clear in the case study, its very likely that they also use qualitative methods such as market surveys and scenario planning to assist them in forecasting demand. These methods are based on estimates and judgements made by either customers or managers but again cannot guarantee accurate forecasts. Their continuous planning process is also heavily dependent on achieving a consensus plan amongst all relevant senior managers. This approach can be considered valuable as it is designed to satisfy the targets and limits of all involved. However, it relies heavily on effective communication and outstanding teamwork of all members which is something far from easy to achieve. Unless relationships are very tight and teamwork is ____exceptional members could tend to focus more on their individual targets rather than the teams goal. Most challenges faced by the organisation as a result of their capacity management approach are eased by fostering good relations and partnering with customers, suppliers, retailers and other members of the supply chain. The organisation has a extended and complex supply network which makes it more difficult to manage. A firms capacity management approach should be constantly revised as capacity planning decisions have implications for all members and processes in the supply chain as well as various departments within the organisation. Therefore, the whole chain should be designed for effectiveness. Agile supply chains are more capable to meet unpredictable demand surges as they are action-oriented, competitive and driven to perform. 3 Supply Management Approach Assess CCHBCs approach to managing its suppliers. Coca Cola HBC has a truly global mindset with Coca Cola HBC has a global sourcing network with facilities in a number of countries. All activities (purchasing, etc ) are integrated and coordinated across the whole organisation and theyve worked on building fair and mutually beneficial relationships to deliver the best in terms of quality, cost, service and innovation. Relationships with suppliers They work extensively with their suppliers helping them to improve their processes, reduce costs and deliver innovation and efficiencies. Suppliers range from big international companies to smaller local companies. A number of international suppliers have established production in different countries allowing CCHBC to source from them. Relationships are managed both at country and Group level. Multi-functional teams ensure quality and efficiency. All suppliers of ingredients and primary packing materials must be approved. Suppliers must follow strict standards for business ethics, human rights, labour practices and environmental management. Independent auditing of suppliers for compliance with these principles is undertaken by independent third party firms every two years. 4 Management Information Systems How could an MIS help Coca Cola to monitor the achievement of its A for availability credo? Support your answer with specific examples that demonstrate the value of your chosen reports and information. It is widely known that good-decision making abilities and problem-solving skills enable organisations to reach its objectives and goals. Managing information systems (MIS) can help an organisation to achieve these goals by providing an insight into the day-to-day operations of the company so that they can control, organise and plan more effectively and efficiently. According to Stair et al (2008) a management information systems (MIS) is an integrated collection of people, procedures, databases, hardware and software aimed at providing managers with information to enable them to make better decisions to achieve organisation goals. Besides supporting internal operations, management information systems also enable collaboration between companies in the supply chain. Using high speed networks and data bases companies can easily share more reliable data to better manage the supply chain as a whole and their own individual operations. Hugos (2006) defends that the use of this technology is the key to a companys triumph. An effective management information system can benefit an organisation in many ways: Facilitates planning quality of planning is improved as the relevant information for decision making is available. Minimizes information overload it transforms a large amount of data into summarized form and avoid confusion that may arise when information is too detailed. Coordination facilitates the integration of activities and connect all decision centres in the organisation Aids control serves as a link between managerial planning and control. Improves ability of evaluating and optimising performance Decentralization allows monitoring of operations at low levels and frees up resources for departmental managers to devote time to strategic activities. The output of a management information system is information that sub serves managerial functions. A variety of reports in the form of charts, graphs, tables, summaries, etc, can be produced, all aimed at supporting management decisions. There are 5 main types of reports and Coca Cola CHB could utilise each one in a different context, but all with the same objective, which is to provide an insight to the companys regular operations. To guarantee availability of its products, Coca Cola HBC could use scheduled reports, produced periodically to monitor and control manufacturing output. The SCM manager could use a daily summary report to ensure he is meeting production targets. He could also guarantee that profitability targets are being achieved by using a weekly summary report to control labour costs. A key-indicator report is also a valuable managerial tool in order to understand the previous days activities. By analysing this report the production manager can take quick and corrective action in case any deviation is perceived, i.e. due to an unexpected stoppage in production or supply shortage. Demand reports can also be produced to fulfil requirements for specific information upon request. The SCM manager should use these to check on production status of particular products or measure performance of a certain production line. Coca Cola CHB could also use exception reports, which would be automatically produced when an unusual situation arises or when a problem requires management action. They could be generated when there is a production problem, for example. This would then enable the relevant manager to make a quickly, timely and informed decision. As the name suggests, drill-down reports provide very detailed data about a specific situation. This report could be used to analyse sales to determined countries, regions, cities or even unique retailers. All of these reports enable the relevant managers to make the best decisions and solve problems according fully supporting the organisations strategic planning and corporate policies. Production scheduling, inventory control, manufacturing resource planning and quality control are all activities that could potentially be optimised with the use of these various reports. In fact, Coca Cola CHB realises the importance of business reports and according to their 2009 Annual report, theyve been successfully rolling out SAP information systems which are expected to improve the efficiency of their entire business, by increasing the speed and accuracy of production, warehousing and sales functions, while increasing customer service levels. The company could also follow Coca Colas example in the United States and use a Group Decision Support System (GDSS). GroupSystem 5 helps Coca Cola save time and money by using a meeting facilitator and giving all participants an anonymous voice in decisions. This has eliminated the typical problem of a few people dominating decision-making meetings. The system displays only anonymous comments and outlines options. Interaction is allowed but kep to a minimum. The results: shorter meetings, less stressful conferences, a focus on shares values and concerns and increased efficacy. Competitive advantage can be achieved by the effective utilisation of the management information system and its reports as managers are supported whilst they work to achieve corporate goals. With an effective management information system in place, Coca Cola HBC can monitor the achievement of the Availability credo identify problem areas and opportunities for improvement. By aligning company goals with customers desires and needs, they can provide the right product, in the right location and at the right time. 5 Data Mining and Search Tools Analysis Coca Colas acceptability factor demands, among other things, effective customer service. Using specific examples, explain how data mining and related search tools can enable Coca Cola to analyse performance here. Many businesses and organisations collect data about their operations. They then examine this data for insights into their operations and into the transactions their business performs. This may be as simple as a periodic glance at a business report or may involve complex analysis using the latest software tools. Data mining is utilized because it can improve customer service, better target marketing campaigns, identify high-risk clients, and improve production processes. It is mainly used to help a company save money. Data mining can be successfully employed at the very beginning of a product lifecycle to lower costs during research and development. It can also be profitably employed to save money in manufacturing. Sensors can be installed to keep record of many variables particular to a process. The output from these sensors is then controlled by computer programs that can order slight adjustments to keep production within the proper bounds. Data mining also helps marketing professionals improve their understanding of customer behavior Good customer relationship management requires understanding of customers, their needs, their likes and dislikes. When data mining is correctly utilised within the organization the whole company will be able to benefit from an increased understanding of its customers and market, a better-focused marketing strategy and a more efficient use of resources. According to Berry Linoff (2004) data mining plays an important part both in advertising and direct marketing to identify the right audience, choose the best communication channels and pick the most appropriate messages. Coca Cola HBC can integrate their systems with retailers in order to analyse shopping baskets in supermarkets. Unexpected shopping patterns can easily be identified in this way. Another form of employing data mining is by using past behaviour to rank customers. Coca Cola HBC can use sales data to distinguish between profitable and unprofitable customers. They can also use this to predict which customers are likely to switch to an alternative brand in the future. Recently, Coca Cola started using a new vending machine, equipped with a flat screen, which displays the different products available. The machine offers a wide range of drinks, many that are not yet available in retail. The main objective of this new vending machine is to extract data regarding individuals consumption. With this data, Coca Cola is then able to recognise new consumption trends and subsequently identifies potential new blends and products to develop. Berry Linoff (2004) affirm that the promise of data mining is to return the focus of business to serving customers and to providing efficient business processes. This is very important in todays world, where weve learned that targeted marketing will lead to more satisfied and more profitable customers. Identify unexpected shopping patterns in supermarkets. Optimize website profitability by making appropriate offers to each visitor. Predict customer response rates in marketing campaigns. Defining new customer groups for marketing purposes. In short, Data Mining can be applied anywhere in your business or organization where you are interested in identifying and exploiting predictable outcomes. Using Web-based Tools for Service and Support The Web continues to put an indelible stamp on the way people live and work, impacting the way they communicate, do business, and conduct social interactions. It has empowered the population in countless ways, and continually layers on new mechanisms for connecting with anyone, anywhere. Its given voice to every kind of business and end user, as they take to social networks, blogs, wikis, videosharing, virtual reality worlds and tweets in growing numbers. This level of communication has dramatically changed the way business gets conducted, to the joy of many high-profile companies who have leveraged it to great fortune. But to the horror of some businesses, the voices directed at them are harshly revelatory: theyre bringing to light broken business practices, service faux pas, product malfunctions, and corporate malfeasance. Some of the loudest voices stem from service and support transactions, which, thanks to the Webs instant communication capabilities, can be broadcast loud and clear across a range of media. Epic stories of bad service bound around the Web in various incarnations, only replaced by the next fiasco. Businesses, particularly those who havent kept pace with newer marketing and customer response strategies, find they have less and less control over their own brands. Theres a real shift from CRM, which is very data-centric, to customer-managed relationships, says Michael Maoz, an analyst with Stamford, Ct.-based Gartner Inc. You can spend as many billions of dollars as you want, but with their Web at their disposal, your customers are going to determine your brand for you theyre going to make it or break it. Indeed, while more people are starting and concluding their support transactions in online channels, theyre shifting their search away from their providers own properties, says Tom Sweeny, an analyst at ServiceXRG. Instead, theyre increasingly going to third-party forums or relying on Google searches to get the support information they need. The upshot: The provider loses the benefit of interacting with their customer or learning from the issue. Weve taken for granted for so many years that support questions were an annoyance and came at a cost. But what happens when those interactions dry up and take place somewhere else? says Sweeny. Somebody else is creating and shaping the experience. They can shape the perception of your company, sometimes inaccurately, without you

Leukemia: Types and Treatment Options

Leukemia: Types and Treatment Options Background information: Leukemia is a disease that has been affecting society these days. About 119,280 new cases are being found out this year. Leukemia is a blood cancer having to do with leukocytes, or as better known white blood cells, that take over the bone marrow and spread throughout the blood stream in our body. White blood cells exist in our body to protect it against diseases and infections. There are five types of white blood cells that go through the blood to the site of infection. These cells are grouped into two groups: Granulocytes and Agranulocytes. Granulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterized by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. Neutrophils are granulocyte and are the most common White Blood Cell (WBC) in the body. Its the first one to show up to ingest bacteria, virus particles, fungi, and protozoa. Eosinophils have a bilobed nuclei and uniform-sized cytosplamic granule. They moderate allergic reactions and defend against parasitic worm infestations. Basophilis is also a Granulocyte and the smallest of the three. They discharge their granules containing histamine and heparin into damaged tissue spaces to promote inflammation and blood flow to damaged areas. Agranulocytes lacks granules in their cytoplasm. The two types of granulocytes are as follow: Monocytes which travel through the blood for a day before even existing. The migrating monocytes are big eaters and they develop into macrophages and phagocytose bacteria debris in the tissue. Lymphocytes are grouped into T cells and B cells. T cells may directly attack foreign and tumor cells. B cells produce antibodies attack foreign cells or proteins. These are the cells that are affected when a person is diagnosed with leukemia. According to healthcommunities.com Leukemia is classified by how quickly it progresses. Acute leukemia is fast-growing and can overrun the body within a few weeks or months. By contrast, chronic leukemia is slow-growing and progressively worsens over years. The blood-forming cells of acute leukemia remain in an immature state, so they reproduce and accumulate very rapidly. Therefore, acute leukemia needs to be treated immediately; otherwise the disease may be fatal within a few months. Fortunately, some subtypes of acute leukemia respond very well to available therapies and they are curable. Children often develop acute forms of leukemia, which are managed differently from leukemia in adults. Chronic Leukemia is distinguished by the excessive build up of relatively mature, but still abnormal, white blood cells. Usually it takes months or years to progress; the cells produce at a faster rate than normal cells, resulting in many abnormal white blood cells in the blood. Chronic leukemia mostly occurs in older people, but can also occur in any age group. There is Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia that often occurs to adult older than the age of 55. There is also Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia that occurs mainly in adults and a very few amount of children develop the disease. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in young children. This disease also affects adults, especially at age 65 and older. This type of Leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells, characterized by the overproduction and continuous multiplication of malignant and immature white blood in the bone marrow. It is a hematological malignancy. (Pakhare 2004) The Bone Marrow is a soft highly vascular modified connective tissue that occupies the cavities and cancellous part of most bones and occurs in two forms: a : a whitish or yellowish bone marrow consisting chiefly of fat cells and predominating in the cavities of the long bones-called also yellow marrow b : a reddish bone marrow containing little fat, being the chief seat of red blood cell and blood granulocyte formation, and occurring in the normal adult only in cancellous tissue especially in certain flat bones-called also red marrow (Merriam-Webster Dictionary.) When a Bone Marrow starts to produce abnormally white blood cells, it is called leukemia. When the white blood cells are being produced in a vast amount and at a fast rate, it starts to feast on the erythrocytes therefore leaving the body with out any blood. Blood is what keeps the human body alive. It carries the oxygen through our whole body. There three ways to treat leukemia and that is Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Bone Marrow Transplants. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer cells. These drugs can be given intravenously, orally, subcutaneously, intramuscularly (injected into muscle), or intrathecally. But the chemotherapy treatment varies since there are different types of leukemia and not only does it kill the cancer cells but it also kills other cells. Radiation therapy works by damaging the genetic material (DNA) within cells, which prevents the cells  from growing and reproducing.   Although the radiotherapy is directed at cancer cells, healthy cells near the cancer cells may also be damaged. However, a goal of radiotherapy is to protect the healthy cells as much as possible, so that the benefit (destroying the cancer cells) outweighs the risk  (harming healthy cells). (The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 2009) Bone Marrow transplant replaces the diseased bone marrow with a healthier one. Bone marrow transplantation is accomplished by the intravenous administration of bone marrow or stem cells capable of reproducing themselves and repopulating an empty or defective bone marrow. Often, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy are required prior to the administration of the stem cells in order to eradicate the remaining defective bone marrow. For patients with cancer, the chemotherapy and radiation therapy also are effective at treating the cancer. (Cutler 2005) But what are the positive and negative outcomes of these treatments? Although Chemotherapy does manage to kill most cancerous cell it also comes with some side-effects. For example nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, anemia, mouth sores, taste and smell changes, infection, diarrhea, menopause, and infertility. The side-effects of Radiation Therapy treatment are similar to the ones of Chemotherapy. A bone marrow may not be successful because of disease recurrence or regimen-related toxicity. Regimen-related toxicity refers to side effects that patients may experience during the course of transplantation. These side effects include graft-vs-host disease (GvHD), graft rejection, bacterial infections, fungal infections, viral infections, gastrointestinal and hepatic complications, neurologic complications, pulmonary complications, and late effects after stem cell transplant. Although these treatments can help people with leukemia it can also kill them. It might kill cancerous cells but it also kills other good cells.

Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics

A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them. Medical Ethics: Patient Wishes vs Doctor Actions :: Medical Ethics A conflict between a doctor who wants to treat his patient a certain way, and a patient who wants to be treated by the doctor the way she wants. The doctor feels the that certain treatment that the patient wants is dangerous and warns the patient that he will pronounce the patient mentally unstable. This is exactly what happened in the case of Mrs. Jackson and Dr. Lowell. The conflict in this entire article is if weather the doctor can, or can not, accuse his patient mental instability to go about the treatment as he sees fit. Is this an invasion of the patient’s wants and desire for a certain way of treatment? or does the doctor have moral rights to do anything and everything even though it is against the patient’s wishes. What justifies as moral and immoral procedure for a doctor to treat his patient. When faced with this hard dilemma, the article suggests that is use Rule Utilitarianism and Kantian Deontology, to help me solve the problem of weather this justifiable or morally incorrect. Rule Utilitarianism basically reads that â€Å"a person ought to act in accordance with the the rule that, if generally followed, would produce the greatest balance of good over evil.†(Mappes & Degrazia, 13) According to this, if anyone faces a moral dilemma, they should always try to sort of do a Cost/Benefits analysis on the outcomes of their actions versus the good that they would cause. So even today when I was debating if or not I should personally write my research essay, or, pay somebody else to write my essay for me, it took me all of 30 second to decides that even though I might not like what i would be doing for the next three to four hours, part of me know that the happiness i would get from it was unparalleled to anything. However, now, if you look at the Kantian Deon tology, you will find a lot of things that are different. What this theory of morality says is the outcomes are not at all important, but your duty hold precedence over anything. Similar to Rule Utilitarianism, this theory of morality says that any act, as long as it complies with a rule, is morally justified. When we think about this problem in a rule utilitarian way, we have to abide by the rules which clearly state that the patient has the final say in what treatment is going to be used on them.

Just Another Day at the Office :: English Literature Essays

Just Another Day at the Office Personal computer (pc) repair technicians and doctors have a lot in common. Patients arrive at the doctor’s door bearing all manner of complaints or problems. I am sure doctors have seen and heard about every type of ignorant stunt a person can think of or do. My name is Skeeter Jones, and I have been a pc repair technician for approximately fifteen years. Like a doctor, I thought I had seen and heard of every crazy stunt imaginable until I received a call from Headaches, Incorporated about a computer crash. When I arrived at the job site, Lola and Chase, the office and terminal managers, greeted me. â€Å"Boy! Are we ever glad to see you,† they both cried in unison, â€Å"We have completely screwed up the computer.† â€Å"Well, show me the computer that is down while you tell me what happened,† I replied. â€Å"Linda, Lola’s co-worker, told us upgrading our computer system from Windows 95 to 98 would be easy for us to do ourselves. All we had to do was purchase the Windows 98 upgrade compact disc (CD),† Chase said. â€Å"Except, we could not find the CD.† Lola chimed in, â€Å"We picked out this CD instead. The salesman at Office Depot said, ’It would work just as well to upgrade our system.’† I looked down at the box she was holding in her hands. The words â€Å"Windows 2000 Upgrade† stared back at me in big, white letters. I just stood there for a minute shaking my head, and I silently groaned to myself. â€Å"Oh God! How could anybody be that stupid,† I thought. With an audible sigh, I said aloud, â€Å"Let me run a few diagnostic tests. I will be able to tell you how much damage has occurred in a couple of minutes.† I started with the basic stuff like making sure the computer would boot up. Then, I progressed layer by layer to the heart of the system. The tests took me nearly three hours to complete. As I dug deeper and deeper into the computer, I was utterly amazed at how much damage they had wreaked in such a short amount of time and with only an upgrade software kit. â€Å"Well guys, it looks as if you have managed to confuse the hell out of this computer,† I told them, â€Å"You have two different types of file systems on it now.

Investment in Gold and its effect on the society Essay

Gold is the most popular form of investment of all the precious metals. Many investors in the contemporary society prefer to buy gold as protection against crisis that may emanate from changes in the political, economic, social or financial systems in the society. Political economy has great impact on the economic development of a country because of the interaction between the economy and the society . For instance, a crisis may be caused by political instability triggered by social unrest or war, decline in market investment, inflation, currency failure and burgeoning of a national debt. The popularity of gold in investment has resulted to the establishment of a gold standard. The term â€Å"gold standard† refers to a monetary system whereby the standard economic unit of an account is defined by a certain fixed weight of gold. Investment in gold can have negative and positive impact on the society. This paper will discuss the issue of investment in gold and how it affects the society. Issues that will be addressed include how and why gold serves as money in the monetary system. In addition, how tightly the gold is tied to the movement of money as well as the ancient history and legends on gold will be covered. Discussion Importance of gold in the World Monetary system The human lust for gold has been witnessed since the existence of ancient races and civilizations. Throughout history, gold has always been used as a relative standard for currency and a form of payment. Ancient civilizations used gold coins as money because of their high value and lack of paper money. However, even after the introduction of paper money, the significance of gold in the monetary system remained. In the late nineteenth century, gold standards were introduced in various European nations. However, the gold standards were affected by a financial crisis that was witnessed during the First World War. During the war, the US and Great Britain were some of the countries that suspended the strict Gold Standard but Great Britain returned to the gold bullion standard in 1925. The significance of gold in the monetary system increased after the World War II when gold was pegged to the US dollar by the Bretton Woods system. Back then, the US dollar value to the gold was pegged at the rate of $35 per troy ounce. The system was eliminated after 1971 when the US made unilateral suspension of direct convertibility of the US dollar to gold. Trading in gold has maintained its importance in replacing money. In the US, the important role of gold was evident in 1975 when trading in gold for delivery was done in New York Commodity Exchange and Chicago International Monetary Market in 1975 . In 1980, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sold about one third of its gold holdings and in 1986, the American Eagle Gold Bullion coin was introduced by the US Mint. Over the years, gold has maintained its high value and significance in the world monetary system in the contemporary society. Currently, gold continues to be traded across the globe on the basis of intra-day sport price which is derived from gold trading that occurs through the counter in gold-trading markets. The high demand and supply of gold drives the price of gold just like in other many investments. However, disposal and hoarding of gold affects its price in the market because there is more gold that exists to be supplied in the market for the right price. For centuries, gold has been the foundation of monetary systems hence as an investment is considered to be very critical in the global monetary system. This is because it does not generate income hence its intrinsic value is measured based on the Central Bank International Monetary Reserves. Many governments acknowledge the significance of gold in stabilizing the economy . For example, the end of British Gold standard in 1914 paved way for the World War I inflationary financing. The end of the monetary inflation in 1921 on the other hand resulted to stability in the United Kingdom and the United States. This stability resulted to positive effects on rising Bonds and Equity market prices and interest rates. Due to the need to maintain the role of gold in the economy, the Bretton Woods in 1944 ratified the US Gold Exchange Standard of 1935 . Central banks in various influence the gold price and countries can limit gold sales. For example, 1999, limitation of gold sales by the members of the Washington on Gold (WAG) who included Japan, Europe, US, Australia, the IMF and International Settlements was done. The countries limited gold sale to less than 400 tones per annum. Due to the high value of gold and its importance in the monetary system, ancient history and legends have confirmed how important gold has been for centuries. For example, ancient stories have pointed out that the Europeans believed that there was a place of immense wealth that was referred to as El Dorado due to the presence of gold in the place. As a result, many people made efforts to search for the place to get the gold. However, it has never been confirmed whether this place exists or not. In addition, during the Egyptian civilization period, the people used to bury great amounts of gold together with dead pharaohs in belief that they would use the gold in the afterlife. Just like the ancient civilizations, many countries are now interested in increasing their gold reserves as protection in case of a financial crisis. As a result, the countries make efforts to improve the returns of the official gold reserves. The modern world monetary system is founded on gold that has been held by the Central Banks and in the Treasury. Gold is considered to be equal to money due to its importance in the Gold Standard . The three gold standards that are used in the monetary system include the gold specific standard, the gold exchanged standard and the gold bullion standard . A Gold Standard ensures that the public can prevent governments from pursuing destabilizing monetary policies through escape Asset and Debt deflation or Fiscal profligacy. The holdings of gold at the market price by the World Central Bank constitute part of the World International Monetary Reserves(IMRs) upon which the World monetary system is based. Measurement of changes in IMR defines whether there is expansion or contraction of the World Central Bank Monetary Base. In 1944 at the time of the Bretton Woods agreement, gold accounted for about 90 per cent of the consolidated World Central Bank Monetary Reserve and because the United States owned about 90 per cent of the Central Bank gold, the dollar managed to become the International monetary system key currency. Gold has real money value because its value is not affected by changes in the economy or control by the government economic policies. Ancient civilizations recognized the importance of gold hence they had many prisoners of war work in gold mines in search for the gold. In 4000 BC, Eastern Europe began using gold to make fashion and decorative objects and by 1200 BC, Egyptians were beating gold to extend its use in the society. They even combined it with the other metals to create alloys and also use it for the lox-wax technique. In 550 Scathe Greeks mined gold in the Middle East and the Mediterranean and used it foe art and in the monetary system. In 344 BC, Alexander the Great is believed to have crossed the Hellespont carrying vast quantities of gold he had acquired from the Persian Empire. According to the Greek mythology, in 1550 BC, the King of Mycenae who led the Greek expedition to Troy had worn a gold funerary mask. The Romans also mined and used gold which they sometimes sought in the water streams . By 50 BC, the Romans were able to issue a gold coin known as Aureas. The value of gold in the society remained over the years and in 1299AD, Marco Polo wrote about gold that he had seen in his travels to the Far East. In 1903AD, the Gold Standard Act in the US was officially established and enabled the US to maintain a fixed exchange rate as compared to other nations. This ancient history of gold confirms how important gold has been to the society for many centuries as a monetary value and for other applications. Investment in gold Investment in gold is very vital in economic growth and stabilization of the economy . Research studies that have been carried out in the economic confirm that the economy and the wider society interact . Gold is considered to have great value as compared to other precious metals that are mined and used in the society. The significance of gold in relation to the world monetary system makes investment in gold an excellent long-term means of saving and protecting wealth from negative economic forces. Initially, gold coins were used as money when paper money had not been introduced in the economy. However, the introduction of paper money made the carrying of bank notes that were more divisible and lighter than the heavy gold coins more convenient. This case was witnessed in the US during the 1930s Great Depression when President Roosevelt advocated against the use of gold. Gold is also very important when there are negative or low real interest rates. This is because the demand for gold is increased when real estate equity and return on bonds are not adequate to compensate for risk and inflation. For instance, during the 1970s when economic changes resulted from stagflation that led to an economic bubble. In cases where national crisis is experienced as a result of looting, invasion, war or crisis, many investors are concerned about the seizing of the assets and the reduction in currency worth. In efforts to maintain the currency worth, the investors therefore consider gold to be a solid asset and a good form of investment. Investors have taken advantage of the relation between gold and money by investing in various ways. Many investors in gold as well as the economists agree that gold has become the world’s ultimate dollar hedge investment. Investors can invest in gold is various ways . For example, investment in gold can be done through direct ownership, Gold Exchange-Traded Funds(ETFs),gold mutual funds, junior gold stocks and gold options. In direct ownership form of investment, the gold bullion is very important hence the investors who choose to invest in gold through direct ownership enjoy permanent high value of gold. The Gold-Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) refer to the mutual fund that trade on stock like ordinary stock. In the United States, the two gold ETFs that trade hold onto the gold bullion. On the other hand, the gold mutual funds allow investors to invest where the funds hold portfolios of gold stocks of companies that mine gold while the junior gold stocks are preferred by the investors whose risk of tolerance is broader. The investors hence accept the possibility of gold-based losses. The gold options form of investment is used by the experienced and the sophisticated investors due to the element of speculation in gold prices. Investment in gold can also be done through the purchase of bullion gold bars. In many countries, the billion gold bars are usually sold over the counter in the countries’ major banks. In addition, the gold bullion dealers provide investors with an opportunity to purchase the bars which differ in sizes. As difficulties in storing, verifying and storing pure gold increase, investors now find it easy to invest in gold though a gold account. Because gold bars are easier to store, they are often sold as kilo bars. Investment in gold is also done by buying gold coins and this enables one to hold the monetary value through gold. Examples of banks that sell and buy gold counts over the counter include the Liechtenstein and Swiss banks. The American Eagle billion coin is the most popular gold coin that has been used for hundreds of years. These coins have a stated amount of pure gold made from the denominations that are provided by the treasury. The Gold exchanged traded funds are sold or bought as shares on the major stock exchanges in Sydney, New York and London. For those who investors in gold through the gold billion, a certificate of ownership is held. These certificates enable various investors to sell or buy security without the inconvenience that may be associated with actual physical gold transfer. Gold certificates were first issued to customers in England and Netherlands in the seventeen century in order to allow the investors/ customers to keep the gold bullion safe through the certificates.