MCDonalds Essay

Strategy and Repositioning the Brand McDonald’s in India Sameer, Sharanbir Kaur Abstract- Despite global slowdown, Indian economy is resurgent and offers fresh opportunities as well as challenges to global players. McDonald‘s still treats the Indian market as one of their young markets although what they have achieved in 15 years here, it would usually take them 25 to 30 years in another market. McDonald‘s philosophy of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value (QSC&V) is the guiding force behind its stellar service to the customers. However there is still a huge potential in the Indian food market that remains untapped in terms of family restaurants, quick service restaurants and breakfast eateries. Coming in the wake of these, their rebranding effort requires much more than a mere change of the logo or signage. There is a need to critically evaluate the right marketing mix. The article is focused upon assessing the marketing efforts in India in terms of positioning of McDonald‘s. Index Terms- Rebranding, Repositioning, Demography, Marketing Mix I. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN INDIA T he Indian fast food industry has evolved over time and always has been in line with the needs of people of all ages and segments. There are enterprises which scale from one room outlet to a chain having hundreds of outlets like McDonalds in India. As per new research report ? Indian Fast Food Market Analysis? , India is blessed with one of the fastest growing fast food markets in the world. The Indian fast food market is growing at an annual growth rate of 30-35%. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them posting an appreciable growth. Although the market has witnessed robust growth in the past couple of years, it remains largely under penetrated and concentrated in the metropolitan cities. However, there is large room for growth in tier-II cities, tier-III cities which are mostly untapped. Therefore, the future of Indian fast food industry lies in masses that live in tier-II and tier-III cities. In 2013, the global fast food market is forecasted to have a value of $200 billion, an increase of 29. 3% and a volume of 94. 7 billion transactions, an increase of 10. 4% since 2008. The consumer spending on processed food has increased at an average rate of 7. 6 per cent annually from 2008 to 2010 and this is expected to rise at an average of around 8. 6 per cent until 2012, according to a report by Assocham. Almost all big fast food brands of the world have succeeded in making their presence felt in the country and most of them are posting appreciable growth. It is estimated through the Euromonitor International and Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Survey, that the average Indian spends just $ 11 as compared to his Chinese counterpart who would ideally spend $ 20 on fast food. Yet , if we see the Indian spending on food in totality , they spend 23 % of their earnings on the same while the Chinese spending is 20 %. So, the inference that can be drawn is that owing to the eating pattern of Indians they prefer to eat at home and would spend on cooking ingredients over fast food. However, this does not spell good news for the industry. It is set to witness the entry of new fast food players that plan to hit the Indian market with a vengeance with international giants like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks being amongst them. II. THE COMPETITION People prefer fast food because it’s cheap, easy to prepare, and heavily promoted. India is a developing country with 2 percent of organized and 98 percent of unorganized sector. So most of the fast foods that came into Indian market as India has a high growth in every sector. Major players in fast food in India are: McDonald’s KFC Pizza Hut Dominos Cafe Coffee Day Barista More than 75% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent locals. McDonald‘s product line in India is almost similar to other burger chains with a dominant Indian flavour. Perhaps, it would be correct to say that their only similarity with their foreign outlets is that they have French Fries and still use buns. Examining the immense Indianzation they have attempted in their menu here it wouldn‘t be surprising to see Indian Chapatis in place of buns. Their current offerings reflect the same. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 2 Table I : Present Menu for McDonald’s India Menu Ranges Burgers and other Bites Spicy Delights McSpicyPaneer ExtraValue Meals Chicken McNuggets Meal McAloo Tikki Happy Price Menu Breakfast Menu Favourites Sausage McMuffin with egg French Fries McAloo Tikki Happy Meal Meals Source: McDonaldsIndia. com Desserts Big Spicy Paneer Wrap Filet O Fish Meal Maharaja Mac Meal McVeggie /McChicken Meal Chicken McGrill Beverages McSwirl Iced tea/ Cold Coffee Minute Maid Pulpy Orange/ Cappucino/ Tea Soft Serve (Strawberry /Chocolate) Veg Supreme Veg Pizza McPuff Veg McMuffin Sausage McMuffin Pancakes Filet O Fish Chicken Maharaja Mac Chicken McGrill Meal McChicken/ McVeggie McVeggie Meal McFlurry McChicken meal III. BUSINESS MODEL The Business Model of McDonald‘s is a franchise-based model coupled with strong corporate branding. The focus is on the branding of McDonald‘s as a globally accepted service provider with strong customer perception about: www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 3 Happy Employees means Happy Customers – McDonald’s Efforts of repositioning its Brand-Recently, McDonald’s management has decided to change itsstrategies. They now want to provide not only a place to sit and eat but also an experience that can be enjoyed by their customers. Figure 1: The Service Marketing Triangle Zeithaml and Bitner (1996 ) McDonald‘s realized very early in their business that in order to achieve happiness amongst customers;the possible route is through happy, motivated and committed employees. In accordance with this they played on the customer first strategy. Even in India, their efforts clearly indicated that they were keen to understand the Indian consumer. Hence they adapted themselves to tickle the taste buds of their Indian customers to become a brand that enjoys a very high brandrecall. Therefore they focused on internal as well as external marketing. The level of importance has changed to be in the following order (the most important people arenow at the top). Corporate Branding – The marketers are shifting the branding efforts from their product brands to a more holistic corporate branding . The reason for the shift can be traced to the belief that, it is the corporate image that carries a great impact on the buyers who are more aware and more exposed to media coverage on various issues be it environmental responsibility, being corporate social responsibility or be it responsibility towards health of future generation. McDonald‘s describe a corporate branding framework that is based on three elements: Figure 2: McDonald’s Service Pyramid Figure 3: Corporate Branding Source: Hatch and Schultz (2003)), â€Å"Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding†, European Journal of Marketing, The recent McDonald‘s rebranding strategy is a part of this thought and vision. McDonald‘s road to success has not always been rosy. They have been at the receiving end of the media‘s onslaught. There was a huge uproar in US after media exposure against McDonald‘s unhealthy menu that was affecting the nation and leading it to a generation suffering from obesity and heart diseases among many more ailments. There were employment issues internally which showed that they did not treat their workers well. Hence they assessed their strategies again and came up with new objectives that strengthened their previous aims and gave a new direction to them as well. www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 4 McDonald’s Marketing Efforts Over the Years – Proactive Rebranding – A Proactive strategy includes a new line of business or market that does not conform to the existing brand identity. When McDonald‘s once referred to itself as Mickey D‘s to target kids in a commercial, it had just coined a new way of catering to an audience separate from its traditional family audience. Objectives of McDonald’s Repositioning StrategyMcDonald’s, the promise of American fast food anywhere in the world, has had to rethink and reposition its brand offerings in different countries. While some basic elements like Ronald were left in place the menu underwent an overhaul. For example, in India, the menu has no beef dishes since it is not considered religiously correct to eat cow‘s meat: there is the very popular McAlooTikki, a potato-based patty in burger buns; the Big Mac is replaced by the Maharaja Mac, the Big Mac in chicken; there is also the paneer (cottage cheese) McVeggie burger. The Italian McDonald’s has a special coffee spot. To celebrate its 20th anniversary in China, McDonald’s rebranded under the â€Å"Make Room for Happiness† campaign. They had all you want coffee refills; Wi-Fi and a more modern restaurant design were unveiled. This was done exclusively for China, where McDonald’s positioned itself as a place to relax away from the high demands of the average Chinese‘s life. Its â€Å"I’m Lovin’ It† slogan made way for â€Å"Make Room for Happiness,† and McDonald’s became the place where the stressed young Chinese can spend quality time rejuvenating after working for long hours. The result was an 18% increase in sales, and an increasing legion of fans that is fueling McDonald’s’ growth in China. McDonald’s Changing Markets Changing Strategies Decades after its launch, the Big Mac is changing colours, literally. The world’s largest fast-food chain is letting go of its familiar red-and-yellow colours for more muted tones as it goes for its biggest and costliest revamp in the country, in line with its global strategy of attracting more adults. For the next generation of consumers McDonald‘s plans to cultivate a very different image from its existing one. After revamping 280 stores in various markets last year, McDonald’s is now opting for the Tampa model and will spread that design to upwards of 800 locations this year — roughly triple what it did last year. The company is donning a new look when India is on its way of becoming a global hotspot for food retailers, with chains like Starbucks, Burger King planning to enter the country. Some McRemodel highlights include : †¢Redoing roofs – The bright red roofs that have topped McDonald’s for several decades are getting the heave, replaced with flatter, more conventional roofs. †¢Muting paint – The neon yellows and reds common to the interiors and exteriors are becoming history, replaced with much more subtle oranges, reds, yellows and even greens. †¢Updating chairs – Those industrial steel chairs are giving way to wooden chairs, colorful stools and, in some cases, vinylcovered chairs that resemble leather. Some stores will have larger lounge chairs similar to the kind you might expect to find in a coffee shop. †¢Doubling drive-through – To ease lines inside and outside stores, many locations are adding second drive-through windows to speed up service. †¢Splashing colour – McDonald’s hasn’t junked it’s familiar red and yellow colors altogether, but it is making them far less obvious. Instead of filling the restaurants with them, it’s splashing bright yellow and red here and there for effect. †¢Dividing dining areas – The sea of tables and chairs is history in the remodelled stores. The new dining rooms are divided into separate eating zones for larger groups, eat-and-run customers and folks who want to stay and lounge. †¢Adding flat-screens TVs – Large, flat-screen TVs — some playing contemporary music — are showing up in many locations, though fewer than half of the remodelled stores will display them. The new design makes the customer feel more comfortable and at leisure to enjoy their surroundings. This offers to McDonald‘s two key opportunities- firstly, to shift to another www. ijsrp. org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 ISSN 2250-3153 customer base with high spending power and then to broaden their menu with offerings at a higher price point. Risks Involved – When a global organization like McDonalds is going in for rebranding, a lot of financing is involved and the global impact is huge. Though the step taken by the managers of McDonalds is well calculated but speculations are on till the time it doesn‘t fair well in the market and most importantly to the customers. This kind of rebranding in the Indian Food Industry can help change the image of McDonald‘s completely like in the case of Pizza Hut, which has become a part of fine dining segment, which it was not earlier. The Indian consumer is considered to be loyal but still the risks involved are high. 1. A trade-off between what is expected from a company and what a company has to gain from the consumers One can see that one facet raises the scale while the other weighs it down making it a tough task. In order to sustain the balance, it requires big investments which will surely add to the costs incurred in the rebranding. If the rebranding falls flat, it will result in a major profit decline. 2. Store positioning McDonald‘s needs to have the most current information to determine if present outlets are cannibalizing each other‘s business. To achieve this McDonald‘s team willneed comprehensive, demographic data of India along with both theirs and competitors‘ outlets. IV. CONCLUSION The task is mammoth as McDonald‘s tries to keep up in the race for a piece of the great Indian pie . As per Forbes , McDonald‘s India operations contribute 30 % to their sales which is a considerable share. It might become imperative to create a Point of Difference to fight it out in the Indian market as all fast food brands have modelled themselves on local flavours now , the latest being KFC with its ? Streetwise‘ menu. While McDonald‘s does have the edge with its excellent supply chain and distribution network the customer ultimately does become the king with low brand loyalty in this category being the generalisation . The rebranding effort on their part seeks to bring 5 in a new flavour to their brand offering but what remains to be seen is whether they are still able to strike a chord with the customer. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the people who assisted us in this endeavour of ours. First and foremost , we would like to thank Mr. Praveen Gupta, HOD , Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management for his valuable time and support. Also, a special mention to the staff of McDonald‘s Jor Bagh, Delhi who was very patient and helpful during our visits to the outlet for the study. REFERENCES [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Lovelock,Wirtz and Chatterjee ,? Services Marketing ? , in Plastics ,Sixth Edition ,India , Pearson , 2010 , pp. 66-98 , pp. 340-372 Aaker, D. A. (2004b), ? Leveraging the Corporate Brand? , California Management Review, 46 (3), pp. 6-18 Bijoor, H. , ? A Time to Rebuild? , Business India, February 20,2011 pp. 48. Hatch, M. J. and Schultz, ? Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding ? , European Journal of Marketing, 2003, 37 (7/8), pp. 1041-1064. Jacquelline, B. and Kline,S ,? From McLibel to McLettuce: Childhood, Spin and Re-branding? ,2007 , Society and Business Review, 2(1)

Domain Names as Internet Properties Essay

What are your long term plans for your domain name? Do you expect to convey the name and the goodwill associated with it to an interested buyer or bequeath it your heirs? Perhaps you intend to use the domain name to secure a loan for a business expansion or for your child’s college tuition. You may be in for a surprise. The intellectual property community asserts that domain names, as source indicators, are akin to trademarks. However, trademark law cannot be effectively grafted on to domain names because of the discrepancies over geographical boundaries and context-sensitive use. In order for a trademark registration to issue, the mark must be used in interstate commerce to identify the source of a class of goods or services. Identical trademarks can co-exist so long as they are associated with non-competing types of goods or services or are used in different geographic areas. Domain names are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. The first individual or company to complete the registration template for an available name gets the sole right to be associated with it. For a reasonable fee, currently hovering at $10 a year, the registrant can brand and propagate the name in a worldwide marketplace. The registrant receives the exclusive right to use that name for a website presence, global e-mail, and network file transfers. But every domain name must be unique, and it is this technical requirement that makes domain names potentially valuable resources which are substantively different from trademarks. Compaq Computer Corp paid $3. 35 million in July 1998 for rights to ALTAVISTA. COM, purchased from a California start-up called Alta Vista Technology. The transaction included existing traffic of a half million visitors a day who were already expecting to find the Alta Vista search engine at that domain name. As the price bar for domain names rises, NSI’s customers may resist being subject to the vagaries of the registrar’s feudal regime. Simple and unencumbered ownership endows the registrant with a type of predictable, if limited, sovereignty. Through legislation and judicial acknowledgment, registrants who meet certain individual responsibilities should be allowed a perpetually renewable and assignable right to enjoy this new source of wealth. Many domain names have become the cornerstone of multimillion-dollar business plans. In the fall of 1999, VirtualVineyard of Palo Alto, California, acquired Wine. Com of Napa, primarily for its domain name. While the $3. 3M-plus acquisition included an operating business, the CEO of Wine. Com estimated that about 70 percent of his company’s value was its name. The current controversies over domain names highlight the interplay of technology, law, economics and politics. Court opinions trail society’s changes and conundrums resulting from technology of recent vintage. Yet, nearly everyone agrees on one point: domain names are caught in a legal thicket. If domain names are property, then existing contracts such as NSI’s harsh Service Agreement must be rewritten. Although the implications of the Umbro decision are yet to be fully assessed, and NSI’s appeal remains to be heard, the magistrate recognized that each knotty domain name dispute before the court may be breaking new legal ground. References Unknown (1999). ‘Mortgages’ for domain names. BBC Sci/Tech News. Retrieved November 26, 2006 from http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/science/nature/533455. stm Oppedahl, C. (1997). Remedies in Domain Name Lawsuits: How is a domain name like a cow? Patents. com. Retrieved November 26, 2006 from http://www. patents. com/pubs/jmls. htm

Cloud Computing Technology Essay

INTRODUCTION Cloud computing is Internet (â€Å"cloud†) based on development and use of computer technology (â€Å"computing†).It is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources are provided as a service over the internet.Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure â€Å"in the cloud† that supports them. The concept incorporates infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS) as well as Web 2.0 and other recent (ca. 2007-2009) technology trends which have the common theme of reliance on the Internet for satisfying the computing needs of the users. Examples of SaaS vendors include Salesforce.com and Google Apps which provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers. A cloud is a pool of virtualized computer resources. A cloud can: 1.Host a variety of different workloads, including batch-style back-end jobs and interactive, user- facing applications. 2.Allow workloads to be deployed and scaled-out quickly through the rapid provisioning of virtual machines or physical machines. 3.Support redundant, self-recovering,highly scalable programming models that allow workloads to recover from many unavoidable hardware/software failures. 4.Monitor resource use in real time to enable rebalancing of allocations when needed. Fig 1.1: Overview of cloud computing HISTORY The underlying concept dates back to 1960 when John McCarthy opined that â€Å"computation may someday be organized as a public utility†; indeed it shares characteristics with service bureaus which date back to the 1960s.The term cloud had already come into commercial use in the early 1990s to refer to large ATM networks.By the turn of the 21st century,the term â€Å"cloud computing† had started to appear, although most of the focus at this time was on Software as a service (SaaS). In 1999, Salesforce.com was established by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris,and his fellows.They applied many technologies of consumer web sites like Google and Yahoo! to business applications. IBM extended these concepts in 2001,as detailed in the Autonomic Computing Manifesto-which described advanced automation techniques such as self-monitoring, self-healing, self-configuring, and self-optimizing in the management of complex IT systems with heterogeneous storage, servers, applications, networks, security mechanisms, and other system elements that can be virtualized across an enterprise. Amazon.com played a key role in the development of cloud computing by modernizing their data centres after the dot-com bubble and, having found that the new cloud architecture resulted in significant internal efficiency improvements,providing access to their systems by way of Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis. 2007 saw increased activity,with Google,IBM and a number of universities embarking on a large scale cloud computing research project, around the time the term started gaining popularity in the mainstream press. WORKING OF CLOUD COMPUTING Fig 1.2: Working of cloud computing In cloud computing you only need to load one application.This application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs.It’s called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry. In a cloud computing system, there’s a significant workload shift.Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications.The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease.The only thing the user’s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system’s interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloud’s network takes care of the rest. CLOUD ARCHITECTURE Cloud architecture,the systems architecture of the software systems involved in the delivery of cloud computing, comprises hardware and software designed by a cloud architect who typically works for a cloud integrator. It typically involves multiple cloud components communicating with each other over application programming interfaces, usually web services. Cloud architecture extends to the client, where web browsers and/or software applications access cloud applications. Cloud storage architecture is loosely coupled, where metadata operations are centralized enabling the data nodes to scale into the hundreds, each independently delivering data to applications or users. Fig 1.3: Cloud architecture COMPONENTS 1. APPLICATION A cloud application leverages the Cloud in software architecture,often eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customer’s own computer,thus alleviating the burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support. 2. CLOUD CLIENTS A cloud client consists of computer hardware and/or computer software which relies on the cloud for application delivery, or which is specifically designed for delivery of cloud services and which, in either case, is essentially useless without it. For example:Mobile ,Thin client ,Thick client / Web browser . 3. CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE Cloud infrastructure,such as Infrastructure as a service,is the delivery of computer infrastructure, typically a platform virtualization environment,as a service.For example:grid computing ,Management , Compute ,Platform. 4. CLOUD PLATFORMS A cloud platform,such as Paas, the delivery of a computing platform,and/or solution saas,facilitates deployment of applications without the cost and complexity of buying and managing the underlying hardware and software layers. 5. CLOUD SERVICES A cloud service includes â€Å"products, services and solutions that are delivered and consumed in real-time over the Internet†.For example Web Services (â€Å"software system[s] designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network†) which may be accessed by other cloud computing components, software, e.g., Software plus services, or end users directly. 6. CLOUD STORAGE Cloud storage involves the delivery of data storage as a service, including database-like services, often billed on a utility computing basis, e.g., per gigabyte per month. For example Database ,Network attached storage ,Web service . TYPES OF CLOUDS 1. PUBLIC CLOUD Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream sense, whereby resources are dynamically provisioned on a fine-grained, self-service basis over the Internet, via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider who shares resources and bills on a fine-grained utility computing basis. 2. HYBRID CLOUD A hybrid cloud environment consisting of multiple internal and/or external providers â€Å"will be typical for most enterprises†. 3. PRIVATE CLOUD Private cloud and internal cloud are neologisms that some vendors have recently used to describe offerings that emulate cloud computing on private networks.These (typically virtualisation automation) products claim to â€Å"deliver some benefits of cloud computing without the pitfalls†, capitalising on data security, corporate governance, and reliability concerns. They have been criticised on the basis that users â€Å"still have to buy, build, and manage them† and as such do not benefit from lower up-front capital costs and less hands-on management ,essentially â€Å"[lacking] the economic model that makes cloud computing such an intriguing concept†.While an analyst predicted in 2008 that private cloud networks would be the future of corporate IT, there is some contention as to whether they are a reality even within the same firm. ROLES PLAYED IN CLOUD COMPUTING 1. CLOUD COMPUTING PROVIDERS A cloud computing provider or cloud computing service provider owns and operates live cloud computing systems to deliver service to third parties.Usually this requires significant resources and expertise in building and managing next-generation data centers.Some organisations realise a subset of the benefits of cloud computing by becoming â€Å"internal† cloud providers and servicing themselves, although they do not benefit from the same economies of scale and still have to engineer for peak loads. The barrier to entry is also significantly higher with capital expenditure required and billing and management creates some overhead.Nonetheless, significant operational efficiency and agility advantages can be realised, even by small organisations, and server consolidation and virtualization rollouts are already well underway.Amazon.com was the first such provider,modernising its data centers which,like most computer networks, were using as little as 10% of its capacity at any one time just to leave room for occasional spikes. This allowed small, fast-moving groups to add new features faster and easier, and they went on to open it up to outsiders as Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis. Players in the cloud computing service provision game include the likes of Amazon, Google, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP and Yahoo! 2. USER A user is a consumer of cloud computing.The privacy of users in cloud computing has become of increasing concern.The rights of users are also an issue, which is being addressed via a community effort to create a bill of rights. 3. VENDOR A vendor sells products and services that facilitate the delivery, adoption and use of cloud computing.For example:Computer hardware,Storage,infrastructure,Computer software,Operating systems ,Platform virtualization. APPLICATIONS OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1.EASY ACCESS TO DATA Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time.They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the internet. 2. REDUCTION OF COSTS It could bring hardware costs down.Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side.You wouldn’t need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal, enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. 3. CONVENIENCE Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to computer applications.Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing company. 4. EASY STORAGE Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they don’t have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone else’s hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end. 5. NO TECHNICAL SUPPORT RECQUIRED Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and operating systems. 6. SOLUTION TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS If the cloud computing system’s back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take advantage of the entire network’s processing power. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES 1. AMAZON WEB SERVICES The Amazon development model involves building Zen virtual machine images that are run in the cloud by EC2. That means you build your own Linux/Unix or Windows operating system image and upload it to be run in EC2. AWS has many pre-configured images that you can start with and customize to your needs. There are web service APIs (via WSDL) for the additional support services like S3, SimpleDB, and SQS. Because you are building self-contained OS images, you are responsible for your own development and deployment tools. AWS is the most mature of the CC options. Applications that require the processing of huge amounts of data can make effective you of the AWS on-demand EC2 instances which are managed by Hadoop. 2. GOOGLE AppEngine GAE allows you to run Python/Django web applications in the cloud.Google provides a set of development tools for this purpose. i.e. You can develop your application within the GAE run-time environment on our local system and deploy it after it’s been debugged and working the way you want it. Google provides entity-based SQL-like (GQL) back-end data storage on their scalable infrastructure (BigTable) that will support very large data sets. Integration with Google Accounts allows for simplified user authentication. 3. MICROSOFT WINDOWS AZURE Azure is essentially a Windows OS running in the cloud.You are effectively uploading and running your ASP.NET (IIS7) or .NET (3.5) application. Microsoft provides tight integration of Azure development directly into Visual Studio 2008. For enterprise Microsoft developers the .NET Services and SQL Data Services (SDS) will make Azure a very attractive option. The Live Framework provides a resource model that includes access to the Microsoft Live Mesh services. CHARACTERSTICS 1.COST Pricing is based on usage-based options and minimal or no IT skills are required for implementation. 2.DEVICE AND LOCATION INDEPENDENCE It enable users to access systems using a web browser regardless of their location or what device they are using, e.g. PC, mobile 3.MULTI-TENANCY This enables sharing of resources and costs among a large pool of users. 4.RELIABILITY This is suitable for business continuity and disaster recovery. 5.SCALABILITY Dynamic (â€Å"on-demand†) provisioning of resources without users having to engineer for peak loads 6.SECURITY It improves due to centralization of data,increased security-focused resources. 7.SUSTANIBILITY This comes through improved resource utilisation, more efficient systems. ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1. Ability to scale to meet changing user demands quickly 2. Pay by use. 3. Task oriented 4. Virtually no maintainence due to dynamic infrastructure software. 5. Application and operating system independent. 6. Easy to develop your own web-based applications that run in the cloud. 7. Location of infrastructure in areas with lower costs of real estate and electricity. 8. Sharing of peak-load capacity among a large pool of users ,improving overall utilization. 9. Separation of application code from physical resources. 10. Not having to purchase assets for one time or infrequent computing tasks. 11. Ability to use external assets to handle peak loads. DRAWBACKS OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1. Often limited or no technical support available. 2. Canned solutions such may not be full-featured or too task oriented. 3. When there are technical issues,you may lose access to your data or application. 4. No control. 5. You must have an internet connection. 6. If the company hosting the application goes out of business,you may lose access to your data or application permanently. REFERENCES 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing 2. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing1.htm 3. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing2.htm 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing_user 5. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm 6. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm/printable 7. http://cloudcadet.com/what-is-cloud-computing/ 8. http://askville.amazon.com/advantages-disadvantages-Web-based-Cloud-Computing- Wave/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=16202235

The role of Production department in the organization Essay

The role of Production department in the organization - Essay Example The intention of this study is a Joint venture as an effort to form an entity, jointly together by any two entities, to undertake any economic activity for lawful purposes. Forming joint ventures is therefore one of the most prominent methods of entering into new markets as it provides an opportunity to tap into the local knowledge as well as skills to make a successful entry. Legally, a joint venture is a partnership which takes place for the short period of time by more than one party for any mutually beneficial purposes. As a general rule, each party to the joint venture contribute its assets towards the formation of the joint venture and also at the same time share the risks involved in forming such partnership. One of the benefits of forming a joint venture therefore is to gain access to the new markets as two entities; one foreign and one domestic and as such foreign entity often bring in new technologies which can benefit the domestic entities due to technology transfer. In US , Joint ventures are mostly regulated by Partnership laws, Contract Act as well as commercial transaction laws. In an increasingly complex business environment, the overall role of the organization and its top management is one of the most critical jobs that have to be performed. It is argued that the role of leadership is always to provide the vision for the future therefore the overall purpose and direction of strategic management is relatively different from that of the lower level of management.

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 94

Journal - Essay Example Through the help of Anna, an assistant, we found her a dress during that time. Now she was back and saying that she needed a pantsuit for work as per her supervisors instructions. Since our agency did not allow for exchanges or refunds, I was not sure how to help her since she was a part of the red care program. She spoke to my ResCare supervisor in hopes of solving her problem. I believe they eventually came to a resolution because I was asked to assist her, but I could not find a dress in her size. I felt bad because I could not help her better. She left without clothes but a promise from my supervisor that she will order her size and call her when something arrives. We track all big size orders so that is something we could do to help her. I really felt bad at not having helped her but then decided to try and forget about it so that i could concentrate on my chores for the day. I had my first young client today and it was difficult to find clothes for her. She was an African- American who wore small sizes that I knew we did not carry. All I could come up with for her was a suit. For some reason, she refused to have me assist her no matter how I tried to help her. She took the suit without considering my opinion or allowing me to see her fitting. I was frustrated because she did not work with me to find the right outfit for her. However, she ended up getting what she wanted and was on her way. Maybe it was because I felt slighted by the way she treated me, so I had some sort of prejudice as I recalled working with her. I found myself wondering if we did not get along because of racial considerations and biases. After some pondering, I came to the conclusion that I was being discriminatory and I needed to just get over the experience. Having worked at the agency for 3 months already, Ihave realized that I need to learn how to understand and get along with th e various clients that

A Comparison Of Clinique Marketing Strategy Case Study

A Comparison Of Clinique Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example These three items were said to be the only products necessary for healthy skin. The parent company, Este Lauder, had already established itself as an icon in beauty and fragrance (Xenias), and over the years Clinique developed a positive brand image as well. In addition to the simplicity of their image, the company's Web site was equally simple-illustrations of products with very little or no text. But with businesses expansion taking place in order to reach global markets, the simplicity of Clinique's marketing strategy might not have the same effect in countries other than UK and USA. Purpose of Study China is the market of the future, and successful companies expanding their bases throughout the world see China as a necessary market. What are the differences in the way Clinique reaches domestic customers and customers in other cultures Will the 1-2-3 plan work in China What barriers must be faced Two recent articles included Clinique in a list of cosmetic companies accused of using harmful chemicals in their products in China (China Monitoring 2006; Overseas Companies 2006). At present the international Clinique Web site doesn't seem to offer a simple doorway into other countries, at least for researchers. Clinique does, as a way to reach Chinese customers, discuss a product called Clinique Derma White which focuses on Asian markets. Derma White is an update on Clinique's Active White line, developed by Korean dermatologists to address pigmentation in the skin. Derma White uses blackout yeast to break up pigment into smaller fragments and exfoliants help remove them from the skin (Clinique 2006). The Asian culture considers white skin to be beautiful, while Western countries and cultures seem to prefer tanning products. The emphasis on darker skin... The importance is in drawing customers to a specific site. With Clinique, marketing strengths include introducing new, innovative products directed at specific customers and the use of language in the product names which immediately describe their attributes, i.e. Superdefense Triple Action Moisturiser and Lifting Face Serum as well as Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion, a standard of the company since its inception. A weakness, however, could be the company's apparent belief in a customer knowing who they are, what they do and how they do it. They are taking for granted that their products will sell themselves. Clinique has not even begun to tap the opportunities to sell their products through the Internet. Much of the research information on skin care is filtered through the Està ©e Lauder advertising and press releases. It is also important for them to be aware of negative commentary online which might affect their market share if they don't meet the challenge of offsetti ng negativity. At present one of the major efforts by Clinique is to increase the male customer base, and much of their advertising focus on that market. In the meantime, the female market might be discouraged when trying to get information on the products they want, especially in China, where women are not considered worth cultivating but are beginning to see themselves in a more attractive light. Another important market for Clinique is the aging population looking for anti-ageing products such as "Stop Signs" said to "make time stand still".

Municipal Budgtes Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Municipal Budgtes - Speech or Presentation Example Main types are line – item and program budgets (NACSLB 37). Thus, neither budgeting method is perfect as each serves a different purpose: such as performance maximization or objective – activity alignment. A perfect budget should satisfy twelve principles. As indicated in the definition of the budget process, these principles are creation of goals based on stakeholder analysis, their implementation, including efficiency analysis and adjustments (NACSLB, 1999, p.5). The first type is line – item budget. This approach arose at the beginning of the 20th century (Tyer & Willand). It lists categories of expenses, such as â€Å"personnel, operating and capital expenses† (Tyer & Willand). Incremental approach belongs to this type as well. In this approach, previous year’s budget is adjusted for legislative changes, price, wage inflation and any other change that might take place in the new fiscal year (Northern Ireland Assembly 5). Since changes take place on a marginal basis in comparison to the last year’s levels, the base, this method is called incremental budgeting (Northern Ireland Assembly 5). This method saves time and resources. ... Incremental budgeting method is based on negotiations and compromise (Northern Ireland Assembly 5). Wages and allocations of resources are negotiated, and oftentimes based on political decisions. As a result, this type of budgeting is efficient only if the political system is stable and transparent (Northern Ireland Assembly 5). Otherwise, the budget will favor few at the expense of the majority. Moreover, this method has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage is the fact that this method is backward looking since it is based on a previous year’s budget. As a result, it does not make adjustments for unexpected changes. Moreover, performance is hard to evaluate in this method, as it is based on compromise rather than standards such as cost minimization. Thus, data tend to be outdated, inconsistent with new priorities and say nothing about efficiency (O’Connor 2). Though still used even in some fire departments, such as the Muscatine Fire Department, efficiency mea surement capabilities of other methods make it an unattractive option (O’Connor 2). In response to line – item budget disadvantages, performance budgets were established in the 1950’s (Tyer & Willand). Such budgets emphasize activities, rather than items paid, and focus on connecting performance with allocation of resources (Tyer & Willand). As a result, each such budget must contain information on inputs, output, productivity or efficiency, and level of objective implementation, e.g. number of miles to be swept during the fiscal year (Morgan 6). Before budget design, objectives and measurement tools must be set up to evaluate each proposed activity. After

Strategies for preparing a health care organization for change Essay

Strategies for preparing a health care organization for change - Essay Example The plan should indicate the goals and objectives of the change being instituted, roles of top management, and the period estimated for the entire process. The expected returns of the electronic recordings compared to manual recording should also be addressed According to Bridges and Bridges (2009), successful changes occur only in organizations, which demonstrate effective change from the top management. Top managers should exhibit positive attitude and reactions for the new electronic system. Even more, the managers should be conversant with the technicalities and technology of the electronic recording. In addition, management should focus on implementing the change by offering incentives and rewards to employees who emerge excellent in operating the new system. There should be concentrated effort to inform the staff of the expected change in the institution. In order to gain the support of the employees, it is vital for the management of the organization to inform them about the efficiency of the automated system and the advantages they are likely to enjoy by shifting to electronic medical records. The management should further train the staff members on how to use the electronic recording system. It is unlikely that the organization will flawlessly implement the electronic recording without challenges. This is because the employees will be adamant to maintain their status quo and they may oppose the trainings on how to use the new electronic medical recording system. Such challenges will be addressed by setting up of counseling center to inform and encourage the employees about the proposed

The feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to Research Paper

The feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions of the world - Research Paper Example To make matters worse, the little water received in these areas is usually not safe for domestic, agriculture and commercial use and there an urgent need to provide fresh water. To do so, policy makers explore various fresh water provision techniques as discussed in subsequent sections of this report. 2.0 Fresh water provision techniques In endeavors to provide fresh water to the arid regions of the world, different techniques are employed that include ground water drilling, desalinization and piping techniques. These techniques often vary from those employed in areas where precipitation is high. Therefore, climatic conditions in arid regions dictate to a large extent what technique(s) is most appropriate. Key issues in water provision and water resource management which dictate appropriate techniques will include availability of adequate supply, conservation measures, cost effectiveness, pricing and sustainability. 2.1 Ground Water Drilling Technique Ground water is normally obtaine d from aquifers through drilling and piping the water to the surface for various uses. This technique involves identification of areas in arid regions that have sufficient and quality underground water for agriculture, domestic and commercial use. The technique is more preferred to its low cost of establishment compared to other techniques like desalination. To ensure sustainable use of underground water, policy makers and regulatory authorities establishes water databases through registration of wells and their yields, documenting water composition, control of drilling in all phases and regular monitoring of water table and changes in salinity. However, the challenge with this technique is that over time demand for fresh water has increased both socially and economically requiring more wells to be dug. For example, over the last 3 decades, demand for water within the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states which are often classified as arid regions, was estimated to increase fro m 4,250Mm3/ year in 1980 to 35,395Mm3/ year by 2010 (Alsharhan et al 2001, 277). Therefore, this means that governments in arid regions have to drill more wells or explore alternative fresh water supply techniques. This water supply technique faces various challenges relating to quality and sustainability. One, underground water may contain dissolved solid substances whose value is above the established norm. Establishing these levels require sophisticated technology which is costly and often not at the disposal of most governments in arid regions. Where levels are higher than the benchmark standard, such wells have to be closed or alternative technologies to reduce the hazardous effects of these particles employed (California Environmental Protection Agency 1995, 5). For example, high fluoride levels are common in arid regions where fluoride levels have to be reduced to the World Health Organization (WHO) to reduce effects of tooth decay and bone weakening. In addition, underground water

Corporate Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Corporate Culture - Essay Example If I were the leader of Zappos, I would cultivate a more participative culture that would incorporate all the stakeholders including the customers in the decision making process of the organization. This will result into stimulation of ideas which will enable all the stakeholders to always respond to shared problems with innovative suggestive and unusual efforts. This will also improve the level of morale and a sense of satisfaction amongst the employees. A strong culture that is widely recognized constitutes one factors which contribute greatly to the success of any company. The managerial approach of most organizations tend to be characterized as being highly structured with set vision, mission and various strategies which guide its operations (Weiss, 2011). What determines the attainment of all this, depends on the organizations culture. If the employees share similar goals and objectives of the organization, the organization will tend to realize its vision and mission while there is always successful implementation of their strategies while the contrary is true. All this depend on the ability of the management to make the employees have a good assessment of and embracing the organizations

Legal Ethics Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Legal Ethics Healthcare Essay The legal concept of vicarious liability and the Doctrine of Respondeat Superior occurs when the employee commits a tort or civil wrong within the scope of employment and the employer is held liable although the master may have done nothing wrong( Regan 2002). Physicians and other healthcare providers need to be aware of this doctrine in the supervision of their staff and their day-to-day medical practice. The legal relationship between an employer and an employee is called agency. The employer is called the principal when engaging someone to act for him. The person who does the work for the employer is called the agent. The theory behind respondeat superior is that the principal controls the agents behavior and must then assume some responsibility for the agents actions (Phelps Lehman 2005). Most medical malpractice suits are filed as result of negligence (ie, a type of tort or civil wrong) Negligence is defined by what a reasonably prudent person would or would not do in the same or similar circumstance. Negligence can result from the individual medical provider or from some type of agency relationship that exists between two or more health care providers. In general, when we discuss the relationship between agency and malpractice, we refer to the concept of vicarious liability and the Doctrine of Respondeat Superior ( Columbia 2000). In the context of medical malpractice a negligence action is often precipitated by a bad outcome. Numerous cases have involved the concept of vicarious liability and the Doctrine of Respondeat Superior as a successful cause of a medically negligent action. Recent changes in the health care system may contribute to additional causes of action being recognized. As managed care has moved to the forefront of health care, many medical providers have left independent practice and become employees of large health care organizations (HMOs) or hospitals. Some medical providers have formed their own business with health care extenders who perform many of the services previously provided by the medical provider. As a result, HMOs and hospitals have become employers of medical providers, and medical providers have become employers of their health care extenders (Regan 2002). In the past, the relationship with the patient and extensive documentation in the medical record were the most important elements in preventing malpractice litigation. These efforts, while important, may have less of an effect in the evolving health care climate. With these changes, principles of agency and vicarious liability may become increasingly important in evaluating malpractice liability. Both the negligence of a health care employee employed by an individual medical provider and the negligence of an individual medical provider employed by a health care company have given rise to successful malpractice suits. The Doctrine of Respondeat Superior is one to weigh carefully by both plaintiffs and defendants in their current practice of law and medicine. References: Malpractice. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2000. http://kids.infoplease.lycos.com/ipd/A0401963.html Raines v Mercer, 55 5W2d 263, 264 (Tenn 1932) Regan, J. , Regan, W. (2002, May). Medical malpractice and respondeat superior. (Review Articles). Southern Medical Journal, 95(5), 545-549. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from Nursing and Allied Health Collection via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.davenport.edu/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRC Respondeat Superior. (2005). In S. Phelps J. Lehman (Eds.), Wests Encyclopedia of American Law (2nd ed., Vol. 8, pp. 334-336). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.davenport.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3437703788v=2.1u=lom_davenportcit=rp=GVRLsw=w

Consumer Purchase Decision Essay Example for Free

Consumer Purchase Decision Essay There are many reasons that a consumer chooses a certain product. It may be that it is environmentally friendly, a great design or it might be as simple as the price of the product. As a business organization we must be able to conduct our research and decipher what is most important to our target market. The consumer buying decision process is a systematic way of looking at how a consumer makes the decision to purchase a product (any product) in a product category. In our restaurant we will determine what products they want and develop a successful strategy on how to market our products and services. As a customer in our restaurant we will have many choices available to them at a low cost. There are five steps in the consumer purchase decision that I’ll explain. Step one is need recognition which simply means that we identify what the potential customers need in our market. What kind of foods do they like and what kind of experience do they want when they go to a restaurant? Step two is searching for the product that the customer wants. We will have many avenues, such as print ads and our website, in which to market our product and inform the public of our food and services. The third step is product evaluation where the consumer gathers information on our products and services. We will have the best menu and service in our market to gain a larger market share in our area. The fourth step is product choice and purchase so it is vital that we successfully advertise and market our restaurant. We will have the best menu, greatest service and the most updated restaurant within a hundred mile radius. The fifth step is the post purchase and evaluation step where the consumer will decide whether our food and  service is worth a return visit. We will make a great impression on our customers through our delicious menu and excellent dining experience. A consumer’s buyer behaviour is influenced by four major factors: 1) Cultural, 2) Social, 3) Personal and 4) Psychological. Cultural factors include a consumer’s culture, subculture and social class. These factors are often  inherent in our values and decision processes. Our target customers are mostly young families and lower to upper middle class. Social factors include groups (reference groups and member groups), family, roles and status. This explains the outside influences of others on our purchase decisions either directly or indirectly. Personal factors include such variables as age and lifecycle stage, occupation, economic circumstances, lifestyle (activities, interests, opinions and demographics), personality and self concept. These may explain why our preferences often change as our `situation changes. Psychological factors affecting our purchase decision include motivation (Maslows hierarchy of needs), perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes. Other peop le often influence a consumer’s purchase decision. Word of mouth can be one of our biggest allies or our greatest threat in the marketing of our restaurant. We will make sure that every customer will enjoy their experience from the moment that they walk through our doors. They will be greeted when they enter and when they exit and our servers will be courteous and knowledgeable. We need to know which people are involved in the buying decision and what role each person plays, so that marketing strategies can also be aimed at these people. Understanding these behaviours as they pertain to our restaurant will help us gain a competitive advantage against all competitors in our area. Market segment is defined as the process of defining and subdividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. Its objective is to design a marketing mix that precisely matches the expectations of customers in the targeted segment. We have effectively indentified our market segment as having fewer than ten thousand potential customers in our area with an additional five thousand from outside our area such as truck drivers and customers passing through. Our town has consistently been moving to a younger crowd (Generation X) so our fresh new look and our website should appeal to this younger generation. This market also values environmentally friendly products so we will utilize environmentally safe products in our restaurant. The majority of our market are family oriented so our family style menu and restaurant will be very appealing to our customers. We understand that the  customer has a process that they u se to determine where they want to dine. With our excellent customer service, great new menu and low prices we will gain their loyalty and get them back through our doors. Our customers are always number one and our customer service will be second to none. There are many options to dine in our area but we will set ourselves apart from the competition.

Financial Accounting Theories: Questions and Answers

Financial Accounting Theories: Questions and Answers In the nature of theory, a positive theory of accounting or Positive Accounting Theory is a descriptive theory, which describes particular aspects of financial accounting practice. It seeks to predict, observe, and explain which accounting methods accountants will or will not use in particular circumstances and why managers and/or accountants elect to adopt particular accounting methods in preference to others. While a normative theory of accounting is a prescriptive theory, which prescribes how accounting should be undertaken. It generates guidance about what accountants should do. It seeks to tell accountants which accounting method in practice is the most efficient or equitable process and hence, which accounting method accountants should use. In the concept of theory, a positive theory of accounting is developed through inductive reasoning that is, through observations. The theory developed is based on observing what accountants do. While a normative theory of accounting is developed through deductive reasoning that is, logical reasoning. The theory developed is based more on the use of logic that is, what accountants should do rather than observation. If a normative theory of financial accounting has been developed to prescribe how we should do financial accounting, is it possible that we can decide to reject the theory because we do not with agree with a central assumption of the theory (such as an assumption about the objective of financial reporting), but at the same time decide that the theory is nevertheless logical? Explain your answer. Yes, we can reject a theory even that the theory is logical. For instance, the capital markets that we use as an assumption are efficient. Besides that, individuals are motivated by self-interest bind together with the wealth maximization. It might lead us to make particular prescriptions about what information organizations should produce. Self-interest means a core belief about what motivates individual action. However, we might consider that the prescriptions provided by the theory are unsound and potentially even negative impact to particular groups within society if we reject these assumptions. In short, we might even to believe that the theory is logically developed. Is the study of financial accounting theory a waste of time for accounting students? Explain your answer. In my opinion, the study of financial accounting theory is not a waste of time for accounting students. In fact, it is important for accounting students to study and understand financial accounting theories. This is because; accounting theories aim to provide a coherent and systematic framework for investigating, understanding and/or developing various accounting practices. The evaluation of individual accounting practices is likely to be much more effective if the person evaluating these practices has a thorough grasp of accounting theory. Without a thorough theoretically informed understanding of accounting, it is difficult to evaluate the suitability of current accounting practices, to develop improved accounting practices where current practices are unsuitable for rapidly changing business situations, and to defend the reputation of accounting where accounting practices are wrongly blamed for causing companies to fail. Hence, the insights from a varied range of accounting theorie s are essential to the process of continual improvement in financial accounting practices. In addition, students of financial accounting will also be required to learn how to construct and read financial statements prepared in conformity with various accounting standards and other professional and statutory requirements. In their working life, whether or not they choose to specialize in accounting, they could be involved in such activities as analyzing financial statements for the purpose of making particular decisions, compiling financial statements for others to read, or generating accounting guidance or rules for others to follow. As such, the better they understand the accounting practices underlying these various activities, the more effective they are likely to be in performing these activities and therefore, the better equipped they are likely to be to succeed in their chosen career. Explain the meaning of the following paragraph and evaluate the logic of the perspective described: In generating theories of accounting that are based upon what accountants actually do, it is assumed (often implicitly) that what is done by the majority of accountants is the most appropriate practice. In adopting such a perspective there is, in a sense, a perspective of accounting Darwinism a view that accounting practice has evolved, and the fittest, or perhaps best, practices have survived. Prescriptions or advice are provided to others on the basis of what most accountants do, the logic being that the majority of accountants must be doing the most appropriate thing. From approximately the 1920s to the 1960s, theories of accounting were normally developed on the basis of observation of what accountants actually did in practice. They were developed by the process referred to as sense. This can be contrasted with a process wherein theories are developed by deductive reasoning which is based more upon the use of logic rather than observation. Besides, returning to the use of observation to develop generalisable theories is based on the common practices which were codified in the form of conventions of accounting after observing what accountants did in practice. These approaches of the theories were adopted by Notable theories, which careful observation of accounting practice revealed patterns of consistent behaviour. For example, it could be observed that accountants tended to be very prudent in measuring both revenues and expenses. Where judgement was necessary it was observed that accountants usually underestimated revenues and overstated expenses. The result was a conservative measure of profit. Similarly, it could be observed that accountants behaved as if the value of money, which was the unit of account, remained constant. These observations of accounting practice led to the formulation of a number of hypotheses such as that where judgement is needed, a conservative procedure is adopted and that it is assumed that the value of money remains constant. These hypotheses were confirmed by many observations of the behaviour of accountants. While there was a general shift towards prescriptive research in the 1960s, some research of an inductive nature still occurs. Research based on the inductive approach has been subject to many criticisms. For example, Gray, Owen and Maunders (1987, p. 66) state that studying extant practice is a study of what is and, by definition does not study what is not or what should be. It therefore concentrates on the status quo, is reactionary in attitude, and cannot provide a basis upon which current practice may be evaluated or from which future improvements may be deduced. What role do values judgments have in determining what particular accounting theory a researcher might elect to adopt to explain or predict particular accounting phenomena? Value judgements have a major power to make with what theory a researcher might elect to use to explain or predict particular phenomena. These indicate that, we must consider the particular accounting theory researchers might use to explain the companies elect to produce information about their social and environmental performance. In case, I believed that company managers are motivated by self-interest. At that time, I would embrace a Positive Accounting Theory. A Positive Accounting Theory has self-interest as one of the fundamental assumptions about what drives human behaviour. These people would have a trend towards believing that all human activity. The activities include the disclosure of social and environmental information. This means that, it is undertaken to the limits that the activity can be related back to positively impacting the managers wealth. Besides, it typically requires people of current generations to offer current consumption to extent it is in the interests of future generations if I was a researcher who holds a vision of sustainable development. In this way, I would reject Positive Accounting Theory as self-interest and sustainable development are to mutually exclusive. For example, researcher would embrace another theoretical perspective such as legitimacy theory. However, there are no researchers in the area of social and environmental accounting enfolds Positive Accounting Theory although it is interesting to note that. Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management Marks and Spencer: Human Resource Management Company Profile MS made a humble beginning as a single market stall; and have grown to become one of the UKs leading retailers of clothing, food, home products and financial services. MS employs 68,000 employees over 30 countries, has more than 500 stores and cater tens of millions of customers each and every week. MS is committed to provide superior quality products and that too at attractive prices. MSs turnover is  £8 billion. Values Success story of MS has been built on a number of core company values that have remained almost unchanged. These values are: Quality   Delivering excellent standards consistently. Value   Delivering exceptional value to customers. Innovation   Need to continue to be at the forefront of innovation in both general merchandising and food. Trust   The most trusted retailer. MS have a proud heritage of staff welfare, customer care and involvement in the community. Service   They are committed to deliver the best services to customers. Valued   Employees contribution to the business is rewarded. Fairly treated   Employees are respected and valued, whoever they are. Proud   Employees take pride in everything they do. Committed   To delivering great customer service. Involved   Employees are informed of new developments and kept up-to-date with the progress of the company. Challenged   Employees challenge each other constructively every day and work at full potential. From the above mentioned points it is clear that quality of Human Capital at MS forms the basis of their values. Its all about creating a working environment that encourages people to add to their skills, and where theyre provided with everything they need to achieve their potential. (Belinda, HR Head, MS) HR Policies and Rules: Service Rules: Promotion Policy Rules: Any opportunities for promotion are open to all and depend on ability, skills and experience. Wage Structure: Each job is positioned within a reward level according to level of responsibility and market value. This enables MS to: Provide competitive salaries for each job taking into account market rates. Reward everyone according to their contribution. Payment is by BACS (Bankers Automated Clearing System) so it goes straight into employees account. How pay is calculated If a person is on an hourly rate of pay, monthly pay is calculated as follows: Store administered employees (Hourly rate x minimum agreed weekly committed hours x 52.25)/12 Head Office administered employees (Hourly rate x minimum agreed weekly committed hours x 52)/12 For those on an annual salary, the calculation is: Annual salary/12 * The Company reserves the right to suspend pay where an employee fails to notify about absence from work. Employee motivation welfare schemes: Reward Policies Marks Spencer believes in sharing its progress and profitability and reward accordingly. They offer a range of benefits which are service-related, so they build up as service of an employee increases. Each element of the benefits package is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains competitive and maintains Marks Spencer as a leading employer. Some of them are: Employee Discount Car Allowance Healthcare Offers MS offers following healthcare options to all monthly paid employees and their partners: Private health insurance Dental plan insurance Hospital Saving Association (HSA). Travel Expenses Travel is an integral part of work for many people. Marks Spencer offers travel options and expenses so employees can travel in a secure and comfortable manner. Social Activities The Company provides a grant each year for sports and social activities which are organised at business unit/store level. Freeshares Sharesave Schemes Sharesave allows to save tax-free for three to five years and at the end of that period employee can buy Marks Spencer shares at a specially discounted price. Season Ticket Loans Catering They provide a subsidised catering service for all employees. Lifestyle Options MS provides following options and benefits: Flexible working Including a range of options: part-time working, job sharing, term-time working Unpaid special leave up to nine months. If an employee have two years continuous service and the timing fits with the operation of the business , he can take up to nine months unpaid leave. Paid special leave In case of serious personal difficulties, e.g. where a child is hospitalized. Unpaid leave up to 48 hours. Political appointments If an employee has a minimum of five years service, a break of five years is available for all who are wishing to become candidates for any UK or European parliament or assembly. Public duties/involvement in local community In case of any other public duties to attend, an employee can speak to his line manager for adjustments. Justice of the Peace or school governor If an employee intends to become, a Justice of the Peace or school governor, adjustments are made in the working hours. Armed Forces Volunteer Services Offer a period of paid leave to volunteers and ex-service men and women who are required to go on annual training exercises. Confidential helpline A 24-hour confidential support service which help employees to manage stress, personal, traumatic or financial issues which are affecting their attendance or performance at work. Maternity, Adoption, Paternity and Parental Leave entitlements. IVF Provide support if an employee or his/her partner is having IVF treatment. Fostering Support is provided if an employee is considering to become a foster parent. Health safety rules: MS is committed to ensure the health, safety and well being of all its employees, customers and others who visit or work in their premises. MS Policy on Health and Safety includes: The Health Safety Committee It advises on health safety policy, monitors its effectiveness and reviews key performance measures on a quarterly basis. The information is provided by the Fire, Health Safety Officer Network Groups which also meet quarterly. Information from each location is exchanged with Fire, Health Safety Officers at Business Involvement Group Meetings (BIG). The Store/Site Manager The Store/Site Manager is responsible for ensuring with Fire, Health Safety Officer that Company Health Safety Policy is implemented. This includes: Suitable Induction and Legislative Update training for Fire, Health Safety. The prevention, investigation and the reporting of accidents. The completion of ongoing Risk Assessments and maintenance of known hazard information. The Fire, Health Safety Officer (FHSO) He assists the Managers and works closely with the Central Retail Operational Support Fire, Health Safety team. Business Involvement Groups (BIGs) It represents all employees in a two way communication. They discuss health safety policy, performance and implementation as an agenda item at each meeting and update the business through the FHSO Networks. Retail Operational Support Group This group is responsible for determining and monitoring the Fire, Health Safety Risk Assessments, work practices and enforcement measures. Property, Development and Facilities Management They are responsible for the provision of working areas, equipment and materials that are safe and dont pose any risk to health. Occupational Health Services Under this, they provide advice and support to line managers on managing the impact of work on health, and health on work. It creates to safe, secure and pleasant working environment for employees. Training and development:  Personal Development Learning career development MS is committed to develop its employees into skilled, customer-focused, enthusiastic and motivated employees. They do this through training, developing the necessary skills and knowledge to perform effectively and fulfill potential. An employee is equally responsible for learning and development. One should actively identify training and development needs by recognising strengths and weaknesses. Proper formal training consisting of coaching and practical on-the-job experience, supported by a wide range of learning resources is provided. Training is given as and when required e.g. the implementation of new systems. Employees with disabilities MS help disabled employees to realise their full potential and provide them with the same career prospects and promotional opportunities that are available to all employees. In addition, they are provided with the retraining, rehabilitation and reasonable adjustments for those who become disabled during the course of working life. Review of performance Line managers review performance continually in order to assess how a particular employee is doing. It helps employee in assessing themselves and look for further development. Managing Diversity: Marks Spencer have a diverse range of employees and are committed to an active Equal Opportunities Policy. This doesnt just cover recruitment and selection procedures, but runs right through training and development, appraisal, promotion opportunities and eventually to retirement. MS is highly dedicated and committed to promote an environment free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation and work hard to ensure everyone is offered equality of opportunity to achieve their full potential. All the decisions are objective, free from bias and based solely upon work criteria and individual merit.   Highlights of Equal Opportunities Policy are: Promote a working environment free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation on the basis of: gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, hours of work religious or political beliefs disability age Adequate concern is shown towards individuals personal circumstances and the needs of the business in order to find solutions to such issues. Reasonable adjustments are made to ensure that disabled workers or applicants are not placed at a substantial disadvantage by a practice or policy that exists at MS. Proper help is provided to people with disability or who have learning difficulty to complete the application process online and also in telephone assessment.

BOOP :: essays research papers

Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia: BOOP   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The characteristic of organizing pneumonia is the appearance of granulized tissue in the distal bronchioles. BOOP can be classified by 1) its cause 2) the cause is undetermined 3) its cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (idiopathic type). About one-half of all cases of BOOP are idiopathic. BOOP on x-ray can also be confused with chronic eosiniphillic pneumonia (CEP). The difference between the two is that BOOP has consolidation in the lower lobes of the lung and CEP consolidation is found in the upper lobes. The definitive diagnosis of BOOP comes down to tissue biopsy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conditions that cause BOOP are radiation therapy, infections, drugs/toxins, connective tissue disease, immuno-supressed states, and miscellaneous conditions. The radiation therapy causes BOOP when there is a cancer in the bronchi or breast cancer and the ipsilateral lung develops BOOP. The only common type of infection that causes BOOP is pseudomonas aeruginosa. The other types are coxiella burnetili, mycoplasma, pneumocystis carinii, influenza A, measles, HIV, Chlamydia, plasmodium and parvovirus B19. When BOOP occurs in conjunction with drugs/toxins the common drug causes are minocin, cephalasporins, acebutolol, sulfasalazine, macrodantin, cordarone, tegretol, Dilantin, and betapace. The toxins include L-tryptophan ingestion, sauropus androgynous vegetable poisoning, gold, paint aerosols, nylon flock worker’s and silo filler’s disease, free-base cocaine, and smoke inhalation. Connective tissue diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spond ylitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, systemic lupus, biliary cirrhosis and thyroiditis. The immuno suppressed causes are commonly due to organ transplantation, cancer, ARDS and AIDS. One of the miscellaneous causes of BOOP is menstrual and pregnancy related. Clinically, BOOP affects ages 40-70 but has been reported in children. The course commonly follows a flu-like symptoms, illness lasting 1-4months with persistent non productive cough, dyspnea on exertion, low grade pyrexia, malaise and weight loss. BOOP can be assumed over pneumonia when there is no response to antibiotics, there are lung crepitations, and PFT will show a restrictive pattern with decreased DLCO and exercise related hypoxemia. Chest x-ray is a good indicator but CT scan is more concise. The only treatment for BOOP are steroids and all other therapies are supportive (i.e. Oxygen, ventilator).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bronchoscopy is a common procedure when BOOP is suspected. When a biopsy is taken there is usually an increase in the normal amount of lymphs 20-40%, eosinophils 5%, neutrophils 10% and macrophages present.

Key Cryptography Basics :: Encryption Internet Essays

Key Cryptography Basics Problems with internet transactions As discussed in class there are several problems with internet communication. The major three are: Eavesdropping is the risk of having private information viewed as it travels from sender to recipient by a third party. The most popular fear is having your credit card number and information stolen while purchasing something online, but this would apply to any private information delivered over the internet. Tampering is the risk of a third party intercepting a private transaction of information and changing it. An example of this would be altering the recipient fields on a purchase order. Impersonation is the risk of someone impersonating a trusted recipient in order to receive private information. This Encryption Cryptograms in the newspaper are probably one of the most basic forms of encryption. A simple system of swapping letters for other letters is used to disguise the message making it indistinguishable to anyone who does not know the rules of the system. Even though the cryptogram system is so simplistic it is actually considered sporting to crack, the basic logic of encoding is the same for more sophisticated methods. Key Based Encryption (symmetric encryption) In this example of Key based encryption we first create a number conversion table so that we can apply mathematical rules to our message after converting it. Number Conversion Table: a b C d e f g h i j k l m 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 n o P q r s T u v w x y z Space 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 0 Then we decide upon a key. In order to decipher this code the recipient will also be required to posses this key. It will become obvious by the end of our example that the shorter the key the easier the code will be to crack. Key: Encrypted We then take the message and the key convert them using the conversion table and add them together. Then in order to reassign them to a letter value we take the mod base 27 in order to restrict the letter assignment to numbers within the 0 to 27 table. Message: on the internet nobody knows you are a dog

The Labor Unions Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Labor Unions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unions have become commonplace in the labor arena. They provide employees with a valuable tool that allows them to stand together against their employer to make sure that their rights are upheld in the workplace. This paper will focus on labor unions with regards to how they work in two very different companies, Ford Motor Company and United Airlines. Also, a brief history will be outlined as well as legislation regarding unions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many unions are at battle with their respected employers. Some of these fights are better known than other fights. United Airlines is trying to renegotiate contracts to save their company money. This has been a long battle for United, that some may see as having begun with the events of September 11, 2001. In truth, the International Association of Machinists, the union that represents a majority of United employees and United have been locked in a heated battle for some time now, even before the events of that September.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By contrast, Ford Motor Company has had very little trouble recently with the union that represents the majority of their employees. The UAW has not gone on strike at Ford since 1976. The last time that Ford-UAW relationship even made the news was in 1999, when the UAW was negotiating their new contract. Comparatively speaking, the two companies could not be further apart when it comes to working with their respective unions. History Although some people trace the beginning of labor unions in the United States to the very beginning, when guilds men got off the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock, the beginning of the modern labor movement began in 1886. That is the year when Samuel Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor. The statement of the founders of the AFL reads in part: The various trades have been affected by the introduction of machinery, the subdivision of labor, the use of women's and children's labor and the lack of an apprentice system-so that the skilled trades were rapidly sinking to the level of pauper labor. To protect the skilled labor of America from being reduced to beggary and to sustain the standard of American workmanship and skill, the trades unions of America have been established. (AFL-CIO, 2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first major union strike in this country was the P... ...8/2004 at http://money.cnn.com/2002/11/18/news/companies/ual/ Commission for Labor Cooperation (2002) â€Å" United States Labor Law.† Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at http://www.naalc.org/english/publications/labormain.htm Encyclopedia Britannica, Online Edition (2002) â€Å"Labor History: United States.† viewed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  online at http://www.britannica.com International Assocaition of Machinists (2002) â€Å"Union Member ights and Officer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Responsibilities Under the LMRDA.† Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.goiam.org/memberadvantages.asp?c=884 U.S. Department of Labor (2002) â€Å"The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Act.† Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.doleta.gov/programs/factsht/warn.htm U.S. Department of Labor: Occupational Health and Safety Administration (2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"OSHA’s Mission.† Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.osha.gov/oshinfo/mission.html. United Autoworkers of America (2002) Viewed online on 11/18/2004 at   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.UAW.org

The Treatment of Somali Refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia: an Assessment

Introduction1.1 BackgroundAfter the end of the Cold War, the international community had to build an entirely new agenda for human rights, democracy and development in the world’s most troubled regions (Forsythe, 2006: 210-215; Normand & Zaidi, 2008: 316-323). In Africa, conflicts in the Congo, Rwanda and Somalia left the region tormented by an ongoing refugee crisis. The lack of stable political institutions and representative democracy in these countries necessitated the revision of international legal standards, in order to cope with the refugee crisis and to provide security and shelter. With over 3 million recognized refugees at present, Africa is considered by the UNHCR the biggest challenge, absorbing the largest proportion of the budget and humanitarian programmes (Zolberg et. al, 1989). This paper will focus on the treatment of Somali refugees in two of the neighbouring countries – Kenya and Ethiopia, which reportedly host the largest proportion of the refugees at present (UNHCR, 2011a;b;c). The reason why Somali refugees were chosen as the subject of this paper is because this is one of the longest ongoing political and humanitarian crises, and its implications upon regional politics and the local populations are perpetual. It also demonstrates the discrepancies in international law in dealing with displacement and human right violations of the Somali refugees. The paper will assess the treatment of refugees in these two countries. Based on this assessment, the author will make recommendations for the improvement of the treatment of the refugees.1.2 Res earch questionThe purpose of this essay is to explore the treatment of Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia. Their treatment will be looked at through the prism of basic human rights conventions and will ideally seek to provide a broader understanding on the status of the refugees in a global era. It will highlight the main challenges, which refugees from Somalia face on the territories of Kenya and Ethiopia and will explain how these challenges are posed by inconsistencies in international law. In order to do this, the author will first critically approach the definition of the term â€Å"refugee†. Next, the author will attempt to trace whether basic provisions stipulated by the 1951 Convention on the Status of the Refugees have been met by the authorities in Ethiopia and Kenya. Before this, a brief historical overview of the main events leading to the refugee crisis will be provided. The Somali refugee crisis – the prelude In Somalia, the transition to political independence has been scarred by factionalism and division. In the early 1990s, the clan based opposition groups ousted the military government, which led to the outbreak of decade long civil war, throughout which various factions were competing for power (Waldron & Hasci, 1994). In 2004, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was formed. Its opposing faction was the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which soon lost power to the TFG in the south. Subsequently, the TFG split into radical groups, Al-Shabaab being one of them. Since then, the Al-Shabaab has been fighting the TFG over political and economic supremacy (UNHCR, 2011c). The civil war resulted in the displacement of millions of Somali people, turning them into the third largest refugee group in the world, after the Iraq and Afghanistan refugees (UNHCR, 2011c). Apart from Western countries such as UK and Italy, Somali refugees travel to neighbouring countries, mostly Ethiopia and Kenya. As of July 2011, on the territory of Ethiopia there were 160,000 Somali refugees, residing in six large camps in the eastern and south-eastern part of the country. In 2011 the number of new arrivals increased dramatically with up to 23,000 people arriving per month. In Kenya, currently there are around 280,000 Somali refugees, and as of July 2011, their number has dramatically increased because of the draught in East Africa (UNHCR, 2011b). 3. Problems of definition The purposes if this essay would not be fulfilled, if the author does not provide a definition of the term â€Å"refugee†. According to Article 1 (2) of the 1951 UNHCR Convention on the Status of the Refugees, the term â€Å"refugee† shall apply to any person who: â€Å"[†¦]owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country [†¦]† (UNHCR, 1951). The same definition can be found in the OAU 1969 Convention on the Refugees in Africa (Article 1). The main criticism, which this definition obviously provokes, is the lack of prescriptions for the state of origin, and the obligations of the host countries. The definition exhausts the basic connotation of a refugee, which has not changed much to this day, but does not define the responsibilities and actions, which the host authorities are obliged to take under international law. The definition explains the confines of the country of persecution, but not the terms of protection of refugees in foreign territories. This is not a technical flaw of the definition, as embedded in the convention, but a general weakness of international law, when it comes to the treatment of refugees in host countries (Marfleet, 2006; 9-20; Gibney, 2005:6-13). This raises several issues related to legitimacy, and they are not, as proposed by Zolberg et.al (1989) related to the debate who is a refugee under international law. These controversies are related to the lack of legally binding prescriptions for the host countries, sheltering refugees. Despite the fact that there has been ongoing development of the understanding of the term persecution since 1951, it remains unclear how persecution of refugees can be prevented in the host territories. Therefore, it is important to trace the implications of this inconsistency in terms of policy and treatment of the Somali refuges in Ethiopia and Kenya and identify problems, which might arise from the lack of a clear definition of persecution and the responsibilities of the host countries. The following sections will demonstrate the practical implications of this gap in international law in relation to the treatment of Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia. 4. Treatment of Somali refugees in Kenya According to the UNHCR, more than 600, 000 Somali refugees are now residing in neighbouring countries (2011). At present, Kenya is the country, where largest proportions of the Somali refugees are seeking shelter. Currently, it is hosting around 280 000 refugees, residing in three large camps, located in the North Eastern Daabab camps (UNHCR, 2011b). Although it is clear that Kenya has been unable to cope with the intense wave of Somali immigrants without the assistance of the international community, in 2010, Amnesty International has reported grieve violations of rights of the refuges on behalf of the Kenyan authorities (Amnesty International Report AFR 32/015, 2010). The report says that thousands of refugees were forcibly returned to Somalia, and asylum was not provided to the individuals which claimed for it. The report also reveals the implications of the fact that a large proportion of the refugees were not screened because of the closure of the immigration centre at the Kenya-Somali border. It was closed because Kenyan authorities were concerned that ongoing violence in Somalia and persistent acts of terrorism could spread on their own territory (Amnesty International Report AFR 32/015, 2010). The other conclusions of Amnesty International are related to police harassment in the camps, and violation of the principle of no n-refoulement (Amnesty International Report AFR 32/015, 2010). The principle of non-refoulement, which is embedded in the UNHCR Convention for the Refugees prohibits â€Å"the expulsion, extradition, deportation, return or otherwise removal of any person in any manner whatsoever to a country or territory where he or she would face a real risk of persecution or serious harm† (UNHCR Convention on the Status of the Refugees, 1951). The report reveals that when the Kenyan authorities closed the border, around 4000 Somalis were trapped alongside and 360 were refouled. In 2009, 93 Somali asylum seekers were forcibly refouled back to Somalia. It is now clear that by choosing to close its border, Kenya has violated the principle of non-refoulement of the UN and the 1967 Protocol, as well as its own 2006 Refugee Act. Further implications of the closure of the transit border centre is that the newly arrived refugees are no longer screened for health purposes, and some of them have suffered exhaustion and malnutrition on their way to the camps (which are located about 80 km from the border). Another type of violations is related to the security and well being of the refugees, often threatened by the Kenyan security forces. As of December 2010, issues related to limited access to water, shelter, sanitation and other essential services due to overcrowding have been reported. In addition, the refugees are not allowed outside the camps unless in exceptional circumstances such as relocation to third countries (Amnesty International, 2010). Other violations include sexual harassment, forced marriages in the camps, as well as the involuntary recruitment of refugees for military service. Based on this report, it is not difficult to determine that Kenyan authorities have allowed the unlawful treatment of Somali refugees by local militias, and have committed violations related to their treatment on the territory of the host country. In sum, a closer look at the treatment of the Somali refugees in Kenya reveals that there have been violations of key provisions, related to the status of the refugees. From a legal perspective, this is due to the fact that there are no legally binding provisions, which define the responsibilities of the host countries, or penalties in case of violations. By no legally binding it is meant that the existing rules and regulations remain prescriptive of how the hosting countries need to treat refugees, seeking shelter on their territory. As stated earlier before, there is not a clear definition of persecution and the counter-measures, which it entails, therefore the actions of the Kenyan authorities remain unaddressed under international law. As the next section will reveal, the situation in Ethiopia is quite similar. 5. Treatment of Somali refugees in Ethiopia As mentioned earlier in the essay, Ethiopia is the country, where the second highest proportion of Somali refugees resides. An estimate of 280, 000 refugees have fled to Ethiopia since the beginning of the conflict in Somalia more than two decades ago. They have been accommodated in eight camps along the Ethio-Somali border (UNHCR, 2011). Similarly to the case in Kenya, the refugees are denied access to education and work opportunities, as well as free movement and access to healthcare. According to Markos (2011), the main reasons for the unlawful treatment of the Somali refugees in Ethiopia generate from the gap between national legislation and international legal standards, related to the status of the refugees. Despite the fact that Ethiopia has ratified key international refugee instruments such as the 1951 Convention, the 1967 Protocol and the 1969 OAU Convention, the treatment of the Somali refugees on the territory of the country is a signifier that constraints to the implemen tation of their provision on national level are ostensible. Understandably, the Ethiopian authorities are trying to protect their scarce national resources and infrastructure, which explains why their tolerance to the refugee influx is not high (Waldron & Hasci, 1994). From the perspective of the international community however, this does not ameliorate the fact that many Somalis face grieve human rights violations in the camps on the territory of Ethiopia. Some of the key provisions of the 1951 Convention have been violated such as the right of freedom, the right to choose their place of residence, the right to move freely within the country, as well as the access to elementary and religious education. In sum, although the situation with the treatment of the refugees in Ethiopia is not so grieve as the one in Kenya, Somali refugees in Ethiopia still face deprivations and human right violations. This is due to the scarce resources in the country, as well as the gaps in national legislation, which do not allow the direct implementation of key provisions of international law, related to the status of the refugees. Based on the above observations on the treatment of the refugees in these two countries, a brief set of recommendations will be provided in the following section. 6. Recommendations This section will provide a brief set of recommendations for policy reform and action for the improvement of the treatment of Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia. The recommendations have been divided in four groups – general recommendations, recommendations for Kenya, recommendations for Ethiopia, and recommendations for the international community.6.1 General recommendationsThe previous sections have shown that without clear definition on persecution and the responsibilities of the host countries, it would be impossible to provide shield of refugees and displaced people under international law. Therefore, a revision of the legal provisions related with the refugees is necessary. In the near future however, a revision of existing refugee legislation might be a cumbersome and formidable process, because it would involve redrafting existing legislation, its ratification and its incorporation into host countries’ judiciary system. In addition, it is not clear how this would help overcome other challenges, related to refugee protection, such as the ones mentioned by Landgren (1998) – agents of persecution; the notion of political offence in extradition treaties; the criminalization of illegal departure; and the precipitation of repatriation. Despite the fact that the principle of non-refoulment remains one of the strongest refugee rights, and despite the presence of â€Å"minimum rights clauses† for the treatment of refugees in the 1951 Convention, their enforcement in countries, where poverty and political instability are persistent, remains a challenge. As a result, existing legislation needs to be revised in order to meet the new security threats, raised by globalization and the incapacity of many states to protect their own civilian populations. At present, the definition of the term refugee is problematic because it does not provide a clear direction of what responsibilities the host countries need to have. Therefore a revision of the definition, as well as existing legislation is necessary. As a result, the responsibilities of the host countries-signatories to the refugee instruments should be legally binding.6.2 Recommendations for KenyaThe most important recommendation for the Kenyan authority is to open the border control camp which would facilitate the registration of the refugees, and the access of the newly arrived to healthcare, food and clean water. At present Kenyan authorities are concerned that if the border is open, this might provide access to Kenya of the militant members of Al-Shabaab, which is a major security threat for the civilian population (Daily Mail, 2011). However, a stronger border control and the allocation of additional police and military units, which would perform thorough checks on those wishing to cross the border, is a possible solution. The most important recommendation for the Kenyan government in order to improve the situation with the refugees is to ensure that the security forces do not violate the principle of non-refoulement. This can take place if more international observers are allowed in the camps and on the Somali-Kenyan border.6.3 Recommendations for EthiopiaIn Ethiopia, the revision of national legislation is crucial for the implementation of the international provisions, related with the rights of the refugees. In a country with feeble political and judiciary institutions, the process will be cumbersome, but legal revision is necessary in order to provide refugees and asylum-seekers protection.6.4 Recommendations for the international communityAs far as the actions of the international organisations, regional organisations and the donor countries are concerned, they need to be related with raising awareness of the situation, and stronger measures related to monitoring and accountability of the actions of the security forces on the territory of both countries. This means that institutions such as the UNHCR, and regional organisations such as OAU and ACHPR (African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights) need to play a more proactive role in liaising with local governments and observing the situation in countries like Kenya and Ethiopia. This can be implemented using two channels – a liaison with government agencies, and regular reports, provided by non-governmental organizations on the situation within the camps. It is important that efforts for the protection of the refugees are made on all four of the above levels. Only the vertical harmonization of actions between national authorities and the international community, wrapped in an appropriate legal framework, can eventually lead to the creation of a safer environment for the Somali refugees, and the determination of their international status in the global era. Conclusion This paper has shown that despite the efforts of the international community, there are problems, related with the treatment of Somali refugees in Kenya and Ethiopia. The lack of commitment of the host countries, and the lack of coordination between national governments and international organisations have perpetuated the crisis. In order to fulfil its commitments for democratization and political stability on the African continent, the international community needs to revise key legal provisions relating to the status of the refugees, and to ensure that there are no constraints for their implementation on national level. In addition, the international status of the refugees needs to be determined, in order to give them legitimacy and protection in a global world. Bibliography Amnesty International (2010) â€Å"From life without peace to peace without life. The treatment of Somali Refugees and Asylum-seekers in Kenya†, 8 December, Index: AFR 32/015/2010, Available at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR32/015/2010/en/1eb8bd34-2a5c-4aa4-8814-83e0e8df8ebf/afr320152010en.pdf Retrieved: 12.02.2012 Daily Mail (2011) â€Å"Somalian militants vow revenge suicide attacks after Kenyan army crosses border following kidnappings†, updated 17 October, 2011 Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050240/Somalian-militant-group-Al-Shabab-threatens-Kenya-suicide-attacks.html Retrieved: 15.04.2012 Forsythe, D. (2006) Human Rights in International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Gibney, M.J. (2005) The Ethics and Politics of Asylum. Liberal Democracy and the Response to Refugees, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press OAU (1969) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, Available at: http://www.africa-union.org/Official_documents/Treaties_%20Conventions_%20Protocols/Refugee_Convention.pdf Retrieved 12.02.2012 Marfleet, P. (2006) Refugees in a Global Era, Basingstoke: Macmillian Markos, K. (2011) The Treatment of Somali Refugees in Ethiopia under Ethiopian and International Law, International Journal of Refugee Law, Vol 9, Issue 3, p. 365-391. Landgren, K. (1998) â€Å"The Future of Refugee Protection: Four Challenges† Journal of Refugee Studies, Vol. 11, Issue 4, Pp. 416-432 Normand, R. & Zaidi, S. (2008) Human Rights at the UN: The Political History of Universal Justice, Indiana University Press UNHCR (1951) Convention Relating to the Status of the Refugees, Resolution 2198, Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html Retrieved 12.02.2012 UNHCR (1967) Protocol Relating to the Status of the Refugees, Resolution 2198, Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html Retrieved 12.02.2012 UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency (2011a) â€Å"Ethiopia. 2012 UNHCR country operations profile – Ethiopia†, Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e483986 Retrieved 12.02.2012 UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency (2011b) â€Å"Kenya. 2012 UNHCR country operations profile – Kenya† Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e483a16&submit=GO Retrieved 12.02.2012 UNHCR, UN Refugee Agency (2011c) â€Å"Somalia. 2012 UNHCR country operations profile – Somalia† Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/cgibin/texis/vtx/page?page=49e483ad6&submit=GO Retrieved 12.02.2012 UNHCR (2011d) â€Å"The International Protection of Refugees: Interpreting Article 1 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees†, Available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/3b20a3914.pdf Retrieved 12.02.2012 Waldron, S., Hasci, N. (1994)â€Å"Somali refugees in the Horn of Africa: state of the art literature review†, Report No.3, Refugee Studies Programme, Queen Elisabeth House, Oxford: Oxford University Press, Zolberg, A., Zuhrke, A. & Aguayo, S. (1989) Escape from Violence. Conflict and Refugee Crisis in the Developing World. Oxford: Oxford University Press