Mma And Regina Settled On The Couch - 1490 Words

mma and Regina settled on the couch. Regina casually leaned sideways against the back, facing Emma, with her legs tucked underneath herself, while Emma sat rigidly, fiddling with her hands. â€Å"Why don’t you start by telling me what you have?† Regina asked. Emma took a deep breath, â€Å"Okay. Well, I have Ehlers-Danlos, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS for short, and Chronic Lyme Disease.† â€Å"I’ve heard of Lyme disease, but I didn’t know it could be chronic? And what are the other two?† â€Å"Ehlers-Danlos is a genetic condition where basically my body sucks at making collagen. The collagen my body produces is faulty. It’s um†¦it’s kinda like if you replaced a bottle of glue with honey, it will be sticky, but it won’t hold well, so†¦show more content†¦It doesn’t make what you’re going through any less significant. And what you’re going through doesn’t make you any less of a person.† â€Å"So†¦you still-you still want to, like, hang out with me and stuff? Even though I sleep a lot and sound like an idiot when I talk and can’t walk long distances and-† Regina chuckled and placed a kiss on the blonde’s lips. â€Å"Yes, I still want to ‘hang out with you and stuff.’ So what if we can’t run marathons together or go hiking through the mountains. I’m happy spending time with you no matter what we do.† â€Å"Really?† Emma said, shocked. â€Å"Yes, really.† â€Å"You’re awesome. You know that?† Regina laughed at what seemed to be the blonde’s favorite description of her. â€Å"I do believe you said that once before.† At that moment, Emma let out a huge yawn. â€Å"You’re exhausted aren’t you? I can tell you’re not feeling well either.† â€Å"I’m fine.† Regina raised an eyebrow in response. â€Å"Okay, okay! I feel like crap. I usually take a nap and have a day in bed after skating.† â€Å"You can take a nap here. I don’t mind.† â€Å"I’ll be-† â€Å"Fine?† Regina finished for her. She could tell Emma constantly pushed herself too much and was determined to get her to take a nap. â€Å"At least lie down. We can keep talking, just lie down, please?† Emma conceded and let her head be guided into Regina’s lap. Gentle fingers stroked Emma’s hair, and

Zara Case Study Answers - 2011 Words

Explain the data collected by Zara to predict the trend. What makes the middle aged mother to buy cloths in Zara while the daughter aged in mid 20s buys Zara clothing? Because it is fashion able and up to trend. By collecting data and focusing on shorter response times, the company ensures that its stores are able to carry clothes that the consumers want at that time. Zara can move from identifying a trend to having clothes in its stores within 30 days. That means Zara can quickly and catch a winning fashion trend, while its competitors are struggling to catch up. Catching fashion while its hot is a clear recipe for better margins with more sales happening at full prices and fewer discounts. In comparison, most retailers of comparable size†¦show more content†¦For that reason, most of all the products Zara offers globally are relatively standardized fashionable products. In terms of marketing costs, Zara relies more on having prime retail locations than on advertising for attracting customers into its stores. It spends a meager 0. 3 per cent of sales on advertising compared to an average of 3.5 of competitors according to the company, choosing highly visible locations for its stores renders advertising unnecessary. Zara provides following options to its targeted market:- Fashionable, affordable clothes Zara’s strategy is to offer cutting edge fashion at affordable prices by following fashion and identifying which styles are â€Å"hot†, and quickly getting the latest styles into stores. They can move from identifying a trend to having clothes ready for sale within 30 days (whereas most retailers take 4-12 months). This is made possible by controlling almost the whole garment supply chain from design to retail. Large choice of styles Zara produces around 1000 new styles every month, which means that fresh fashion trends reach the stores quickly. A typical Zara’s customer visits the store 17 times a year compared to the average of 3 times per year. This high number of styles also means that the commercial teams have more chances to find a winning style. Scarcity by reducing the manufactured quantity of each style, Zara creates artificial scarcity and lowers the risk of having stock it cannot sell. Scarcity in fashion increasesShow MoreRelatedCase Study - Zara International694 Words   |  3 PagesJay Case Study: Zara International Fashion at the Speed of Light Question 1: In what ways are elements of the classical and behavioral management approaches evident in how things are done at Zara International? How can systems concepts and contingency thinking explain the success of some of Zara’s distinctive practices? Answer 1: Elements of the classical management approach are very evident at Zara International. The classical management approach contains three branches, which are scientificRead MoreUnderstanding the Supply Demand Model913 Words   |  4 PagesOne of the situations that will change the result of the curve on the graph is when the Zara shoes price decreases (which is considered expensive among other shops like HM) and this will lead to the curve shifting to the right. Using the demand curve, it will show the quantity of Zara shoes the consumer could purchase when its price begins to fall; hence this results intomore consumersable to afford buying Zara shoes because the price has fallen than its expensive original price. With the shiftingRead MoreInformation Systems and Operations Management1750 Words   |  7 PagesPlease read the article: Zara: Fast fashion from savvy systems available for free at http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/pub/gallaugher/41128#pdf-7 This article makes up Chapter 1 of the free, open access book titled, Information Systems: A Managers Guide to Harnessing Technology, by John Gallaugher. Please ensure that you read the entire Chapter 1 of the book consisting of 3 parts (Part 1 Introduction; Part 2 Don’t Guess, Gather Data; and Part 3 Moving Forward). Now answer the questions below: Read MoreMarketing and Customer Orientation1614 Words   |  7 PagesDiscuss what is meant by the term â€Å"customer orientation† for an organisation in the context of the marketing mix. Please discuss two elements of the marketing mix and illustrate your answer with examples of products or brands of your choice. This essay is for discussing customer orientation and analysis how customer orientation works. During this essay, I will show you what is customer orientation and compare it with other different orientations. In addition,Read MoreZara case study Essay2280 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿Coursework Header Sheet 209896-18 Course OPER1027: Operations Mngt: Proc/Value Ch Course School/Level BU/UG Coursework Case Study 1 Assessment Weight 25.00% Tutor J Whiteley Submission Deadline 25/11/2013 Coursework is receipted on the understanding that it is the students own work and that it has not, in whole or part, been presented elsewhere for assessment. Where material has been used from other sources it has been properly acknowledged in accordance with the UniversitysRead MoreZara Success2041 Words   |  9 PagesArab Open University Faculty of Business Studies Business Functions in Context I B203A -- Second Semester 2015-2016 Tutor Marked Assessment Managing Marketing Channels: Zara | One global retailer is expanding at a dizzying pace. Its on track for what appears to be world domination of its industry. Having built its own state-of-the art distribution network, the company is leaving the competition in the dust in terms of sales and profits, not to mention speed of inventory management andRead MoreAnalyzing Zara, S Supply Chain Essay3398 Words   |  14 PagesQUESTION 1 As completely as possible, sketch the supply chain for Zara from raw materials to consumer purchase. ANSWER ZARA’S SUPPLY CHAIN Description Zara makes about 40% of their raw material (fabric). The remaining 60% is outsourced from within Spain, mostly from the La Curuna. Designing of clothes at Zara is done by creative teams of over 300 professionals at the headquarters in La Curuna, Spain. They act on the information fed to them from the stores managers. The first stage inRead MoreInformation Technology2051 Words   |  9 Pagesrelate to the way Zara runs its business. What types of systems are the most essential for this company in its current environment? In this new era of globalization, the using of technology has been very common and can be conclude as part of human’s life. In order to survive in today’s challenging business world, every organization has to be confronted with highly competitive pressure to bring out more effectiveness and efficiency when running a business. This case study is about Zara, large internationalRead MoreZara Five Forces Analysis5583 Words   |  23 PagesThe role of market orientation on company performance through the development of sustainable competitive advantage: the Inditex-Zara case Andres Mazaira  University of Vigo, Oureuse, Spain E. Gonzalez  University of Vigo, Oureuse, Spain Ruth Avendano Ä University of Vigo, Oureuse, Spain Keywords Market orientation, Competitive advantage, Clothing industry, Organizational culture Abstract This paper has been developed as a part of research seeking to verify the effects of organisationalRead MoreZara Mis2318 Words   |  10 Pagescreating ZARA in 1975 in la Coruà ±a, Spain Zara came under the holding company Inditex in the year 1985 and is today the biggest fashion brand of the group. Zara believes that the prime factors for running a successful business are quick response to customers, use of computers, and disintegrated decision-making (McAfee, Dessain, amp; Sjoman, 2007) Inditex has a total of 1,558 stores operating in 45 countries out of which 550 stores are of Zara. Inditex’s major sales contribution is Zara accounting

Bloodlines Chapter Nine Free Essays

CONSIDERING I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED to visit Clarence’s twice a week for feedings, I was kind of amazed that I seemed to be here practically every day. Not only that, this was my first time visiting the estate alone. Before, I’d been with Keith or Jill and had a very well-defined goal. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloodlines Chapter Nine or any similar topic only for you Order Now Now, I was on my own. I hadn’t realized how much that would freak me out until I was approaching the house, which became even more looming and dark than usual. There’s nothing to be afraid of, I told myself. You’ve been with a vampire and dhampir all week. You should be used to it. Besides, really, the scariest thing about this place was the old house itself. Clarence and Lee weren’t all that intimidating, and Adrian†¦ well, Adrian was pretty much the least scary vampire I’d ever met. He was too bratty for me to feel any real fear, and actually†¦ as much as I hated to admit it, I kind of looked forward to seeing him. It made no sense, but something about his infuriating nature made me forget about my other worries. Weirdly, I felt like I could relax around him. Dorothy escorted me in, and I expected to be taken to the sitting room again. Instead, the housekeeper led me through a few twists and turns of the dark halls, finally landing in a billiards room that looked like it could have been straight out of Clue. More dark wood lined the room, and stained glass windows let in filtered sunlight. Most of the room’s illumination came from a hanging light centered over a rich green pool table. Adrian was lining up a shot as I shut the door behind me. â€Å"Oh,† he said, knocking a red ball into a hole. â€Å"It’s you.† â€Å"You were expecting someone else?† I asked. â€Å"Am I interrupting your social calendar?† I made a big show of glancing around the empty room. â€Å"I don’t want to keep you from the mob of fans beating down your door.† â€Å"Hey, a guy can hope. I mean, it’s not impossible that a car full of scantily clad sorority girls might break down outside and need my help.† â€Å"That’s true,† I said. â€Å"Maybe I can put a sign out front that says, ‘ATTENTION ALL GIRLS: FREE HELP HERE.'† â€Å"‘ATTENTION ALL HOT GIRLS,'† he corrected, straightening up. â€Å"Right,† I said, trying not to roll my eyes. â€Å"That’s an important distinction.† He pointed at me with the pool stick. â€Å"Speaking of hot, I like that uniform.† This time, I did roll my eyes. After Adrian had teased me last time about my uniform looking like my normal clothes, I’d made sure to change out of it before coming today. Now I wore dark jeans and a black-and-white printed blouse with a ruffled collar. I should have known the outfit change wouldn’t save me from his snark. â€Å"Are you the only one here?† I asked, noting his solo game. â€Å"Nah. Clarence is around doing†¦ I don’t know. Old man stuff. And I think Lee’s fixing that lock before he heads to LA. It’s kind of funny. He seems upset that he needs to use tools. He keeps thinking the strength of his own hands should be more than enough.† I couldn’t help a smile. â€Å"I don’t suppose you offered to help?† â€Å"Sage,† Adrian declared. â€Å"These hands don’t do manual labor.† He knocked another ball into a hole. â€Å"You want to play?† â€Å"What? With you?† â€Å"No, with Clarence.† He sighed at my dumbfounded look. â€Å"Yes, of course with me.† â€Å"No. I need to talk to you about Jill.† He was silent for a few moments and then returned to the game as though nothing had happened. â€Å"She wasn’t sick today.† He said that with certainty, though there was a funny, bitter tone to his words. â€Å"No. Well, not in the same way. She got sick out in the sun during PE. I’m going to see Keith after this to see if we can get a medical excuse.† I’d actually tried calling him earlier, with no luck. â€Å"But that’s not why I’m here. There’s a guy who likes Jill – a human guy.† â€Å"Have Castile rough him up.† I leaned back against the wall and sighed. â€Å"That’s the thing. I asked him to. Well, not rough him up, exactly. It’s Eddie’s roommate. I asked Eddie to tell him to back off and make up some reason for staying away from Jill – like that she’s too young.† Fearing Adrian would be as lax as Eddie in this, I asked, â€Å"You understand why it’s important, right? No Moroi and human dating?† He was watching the table, not me. â€Å"Yup, I’m with you there, Sage. But I still don’t see the problem.† â€Å"Eddie won’t do it. He says he doesn’t think Jill should be denied the chance to date and go to dances. That it’s okay if she and Micah hang out, so long as it doesn’t get serious.† Adrian was good at hiding his feelings, but this looked like it’d caught him by surprise. He straightened up and spun the base of the pool stick on the floor as he thought. â€Å"That is weird. I mean, I get the logic, and there’s something to it. She shouldn’t be forced into isolation while she’s here. I’m just surprised Castile came up with it.† â€Å"Yeah, but that’s a hard concept to live by. Where do you draw the ‘casual’ line? Honestly, I get this feeling Eddie just didn’t want to confront Micah – the roommate. Which is crazy, because Eddie doesn’t seem like the type to be afraid of anything. What is there about Micah that would make Eddie so uneasy?† â€Å"Is Micah some big, hulking guy?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"He’s built, I guess. Good at sports. Really friendly and easygoing – not the type you’d have to be afraid would turn on you if you warned him away from your sister.† â€Å"Then you can talk to him. Or just talk to Jailbait and explain things to her.† Adrian seemed satisfied he’d solved the matter and knocked in the last ball. â€Å"That was my plan. I just wanted to make sure you’d back me. Jill listens to you, and I thought it’d be easier if she knew you agreed with me. Not that I even know how she feels. For all I know, this is all overkill.† â€Å"Can’t hurt to be too careful with her,† said Adrian. He stared off, lost in his own thoughts. â€Å"And I’ll let her know how I feel about it.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, kind of surprised at how easy this had been. His green eyes danced mischievously. â€Å"Now will you play a round with me?† â€Å"I don’t really – â€Å" The door opened, and Lee walked in, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. He was carrying a screwdriver. â€Å"Hey, Sydney. I thought I saw your car out there.† He glanced around. â€Å"Is, uh, Jill with you?† â€Å"Not today,† I said. New insight struck me as I recalled that Lee attended school in Los Angeles. â€Å"Lee, have you ever dated a human girl at your school?† Adrian arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Are you asking him out, Sage?† I scowled. â€Å"No!† Lee turned thoughtful. â€Å"No, not really. I have some human friends, and we go out as a group and hang out†¦ but I’ve never done more than that. LA’s a big place, though. There are Moroi girls around, if you know where to look.† Adrian perked up. â€Å"Oh?† My hope that Lee might tell Jill he too had to avoid dating faded. â€Å"Well, that would make your dating situation much easier than Jill’s.† â€Å"What do you mean?† asked Lee. I recapped everything to him about Micah and Eddie. Lee nodded along thoughtfully. â€Å"That is hard,† he admitted. â€Å"Can we go back to the part about Moroi girls hanging out in LA?† asked Adrian hopefully. â€Å"Can you direct me to some of the†¦ oh, let’s say, more open-minded ones?† Lee’s attention was on me, however. His easy smile grew uncertain, and he glanced at his feet. â€Å"This might seem kind of weird†¦ but I mean, I wouldn’t mind asking Jill out.† Adrian was on that before I could even think of a response. â€Å"What, do you mean like on a date? You son of a bitch! She’s only fifteen.† You never would’ve guessed he’d been talking about easy Moroi girls only moments before. â€Å"Adrian,† I said. â€Å"I’m guessing Lee’s definition of a date is a little different than yours.† â€Å"Sorry, Sage. You’ve got to trust me when it comes to dating definitions. Last I checked, you aren’t an expert in social matters. I mean, when was the last time you were even on a date?† It was just another of the witty barbs he tossed around so easily, but it stung a little. Was my lack of social experience that obvious? â€Å"But,† I added, ignoring Adrian’s question, â€Å"there is an age difference.† I honestly had no idea how old Lee was. His being in college gave me some clue, but Clarence seemed awfully old. Having a child late in life wasn’t that weird, though, for humans or Moroi. â€Å"There is,† said Lee. â€Å"I’m nineteen. Not a huge gap – but big enough. I shouldn’t have said anything.† He looked embarrassed, and I felt both sorry for him and confused for myself. Matchmaking wasn’t in the Alchemist handbook. â€Å"Why would you want to ask her out?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, she’s great. But are you just doing this to distract her from Micah and give her a safe dating alternative? Or do you, um, like her?† â€Å"Of course he likes her,† said Adrian, quick to defend Jill’s honor. I had a feeling that there was really no good way for Lee to answer at this point. If he expressed interest in her, Adrian’s bizarre chivalric instincts were going to kick in. If Lee wasn’t interested, Adrian would no doubt demand to know why Lee didn’t want to marry her then and there. It was one of those fascinating – but weird – quirks of Adrian’s personality. â€Å"I like her,† said Lee bluntly. â€Å"I’ve only talked to her a couple of times, but†¦ well, I’d really like to get to know her better.† Adrian scoffed, and I shot him a glare. â€Å"Once again,† I said. â€Å"I think you guys have different definitions for the same words.† â€Å"Not true,† said Adrian. â€Å"All guys mean the same thing when they want to ‘get to know a girl better.’ You’re a well-bred young lady, so I understand why you’d be too innocent to understand. Good thing you’ve got me here to interpret.† I turned back to Lee, not even bothering to respond to Adrian. â€Å"I think it’s fine if you go out with her.† â€Å"Assuming she’d even be interested,† said Lee, looking uncertain. I remembered her smile when he’d stopped to talk to her yesterday. That had seemed pretty promising. But then, so had her enthusiasm over Micah. â€Å"I bet she would.† â€Å"So you’re just going to let her go off alone?† asked Adrian, giving me a look that told me not to question him. This time, his concern was legitimate. I shared it. Jill was in Palm Springs to be safe. She was enrolled at Amberwood because it was also safe. Suddenly going out with a guy we hardly knew would not meet either Alchemist or guardian protocols for safety. â€Å"Well, she can’t even leave campus,† I said, thinking aloud. â€Å"Not without me.† â€Å"Whoa,† said Adrian, â€Å"if you get to come along as a chaperone, so do I.† â€Å"If we both do, then Eddie will want to as well,† I pointed out. â€Å"Doesn’t sound like much of a date.† â€Å"So?† Adrian’s brief moment of seriousness and concern had vanished in the face of what he saw as social fun. How could anyone’s mood flip so quickly? â€Å"Think of it as less of a date than a faux-family outing. One that will entertain me while protecting her virtue.† I put my hands on my hips and turned toward him. This seemed to amuse him more. â€Å"Adrian, we’re focusing on Jill here. This isn’t about your personal entertainment.† â€Å"Not true,† he said, green eyes sparkling. â€Å"Everything’s about my personal entertainment. The world is my stage. Keep it up – you’re becoming a star performer in the show.† Lee glanced between us with a comically helpless look. â€Å"Do you guys want to be alone?† I flushed. â€Å"Sorry.† Adrian made no apologies, of course. â€Å"Look,† said Lee, who kind of seemed like he was beginning to regret bringing this up at all. â€Å"I like her. If it means bringing your whole group so I can be with her, then that’s fine.† â€Å"Maybe it’s better this way,† I mused. â€Å"Maybe if we do more things as a group – aside from her feedings – she won’t be in danger of wanting to go out with a human guy.† Who we didn’t even know for sure that she was interested in. We didn’t even know if she was interested in Lee either. We were being awfully heavy-handed with her love life, I realized. â€Å"This is kind of what I wanted before,† Adrian said to me. â€Å"Just more of a social life.† I thought back to yesterday’s conversation, in which he’d demanded I find him lodging. â€Å"That’s not quite what you asked for.† â€Å"If you want to get out more,† said Lee, â€Å"you should come back to LA with me tonight. I’ll be back here after class tomorrow anyway, so it’d just be a quick trip.† Adrian brightened so much that I wondered if Lee had suggested it to try to smooth over any tension remaining about his interest in Jill. â€Å"Will you introduce me to those girls?† asked Adrian. â€Å"Unbelievable,† I said. Adrian’s double standard was ridiculous. I didn’t notice the door opening until Keith was completely in the room. I was never exactly happy to see him, but it was good luck that he was suddenly here, right when I needed to talk to him about Jill and her problems with PE. My best plan had been to show up at his apartment and hope to catch him there. He’d saved me the trouble. Keith looked at all three of us – but he didn’t share our smiles. No winks or pretty boy charm from him today. â€Å"I saw your car out there, Sydney,† he said sternly, turning to me. â€Å"What are you doing here?† â€Å"I had to talk to Adrian,† I said. â€Å"Did you get my message? I tried calling earlier.† â€Å"I’ve been busy,† he said crisply. His expression was hard, his tone chilling the room. Adrian and Lee had lost their smiles, and both now looked confused as they tried to figure out why Keith was so annoyed. I shared their curiosity. â€Å"Let’s talk. In private.† I suddenly felt like a naughty child without knowing why. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"I†¦ I was just leaving anyway.† I moved to join Keith at the door. â€Å"Wait,† said Lee. â€Å"What about – † Adrian nudged him and shook his head, murmuring something I couldn’t hear. Lee stayed quiet. â€Å"See you around,† said Adrian cheerfully. â€Å"Don’t worry – I’ll remember what we talked about.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"See you guys later.† Keith left without a word, and I followed him out of the house and into the late-afternoon heat. The temperature had gone down since the ill-fated PE class but not by much. Keith trudged through the gravel driveway, coming to a halt beside Latte. His car was parked nearby. â€Å"That was rude,† I told him. â€Å"You didn’t even say goodbye to them.† â€Å"Sorry if I don’t bring out my best manners for vampires,† snapped Keith. â€Å"I’m not as close to them as you are.† â€Å"What’s that supposed to mean?† I demanded, crossing my arms. Staring him down, I felt all my old animosity bubble up. It was hard to believe that I’d been laughing just a minute ago. Keith sneered. â€Å"Just that you seemed awfully cozy with them in there – hanging out, having a good time. I didn’t know this was where you spent your free time after school.† â€Å"How dare you! I came here on business,† I growled. â€Å"Yeah, I could tell.† â€Å"I did. I had to talk to Adrian about Jill.† â€Å"I don’t recall him being her guardian.† â€Å"He cares about her,† I argued. â€Å"Just like any of us would for a friend.† â€Å"Friend? They’re not like us at all,† said Keith. â€Å"They’re godless and unnatural, and you have no business being friends with any of them.† I wanted to shout back that from what I’d observed, Lee was a hundred times more decent of a person than Keith would ever be. Even Adrian was. It was only at the last second that my training kicked in. Don’t raise a fuss. Don’t contradict your superiors. No matter how much I hated it, Keith was in charge here. I took a deep breath. â€Å"It was hardly fraternizing. I simply came by to talk to Adrian, and Lee happened to be here. It wasn’t like we’d all been planning some big party.† Best not to mention the group date plan. â€Å"Why didn’t you just call Adrian if you had a question? You called me.† Because being face-to-face with him is less sickening than being around you. â€Å"It was important. And when I couldn’t get ahold of you, I figured I’d have to drive over to your place anyway.† Hoping to shift away from my â€Å"bad behavior,† I jumped in and recapped everything that had happened today, including Jill’s sun exposure and Micah’s attentions. â€Å"Of course she can’t date him,† he exclaimed, after I’d explained about Micah. â€Å"You have to put a stop to that.† â€Å"I’m trying. And Adrian and Lee said they’d help.† â€Å"Oh, well, I feel a lot better now.† Keith shook his head. â€Å"Don’t be naive, Sydney. I told you. They don’t care about this stuff as much as we do.† â€Å"I think they do,† I argued. â€Å"Adrian seemed to get it, and he has a lot of influence over Jill.† â€Å"Well, he’s not the one the Alchemists are going to come after and send off to re-education for playing around with vampires when she should be disciplining them.† I could only stare. I wasn’t sure which part of what he’d just said was more offensive: the well-worn insinuation that I was a â€Å"vamp lover† or that I was capable of â€Å"disciplining† any of them. I should’ve known his false friendliness wouldn’t last. â€Å"I’m doing my job here,† I said, still keeping my voice level. â€Å"And from what I can see, I’m doing more work than you, since I’m the one who’s been putting out fires all week.† I knew it was an illusion, seeing as the glass eye couldn’t really stare, but I felt like he was glaring at me with both eyes. â€Å"I’m doing plenty. Don’t even think to criticize me.† â€Å"What were you doing here?† I asked, suddenly realizing how weird that was. He’d accused me of â€Å"socializing† but had never explained his motives. â€Å"I had to see Clarence, not that it’s any of your business.† I wanted more details but refused to let on how curious I was. He’d been here yesterday too, according to Lee. â€Å"Will you call the school tomorrow and get Jill excused from PE?† Keith gave me a long and heavy look. â€Å"No.† â€Å"What? Why not?† â€Å"Because being out in the sun won’t kill her.† Again, I bit down on my anger and tried for the diplomacy I’d been schooled in. â€Å"Keith, you didn’t see her. Maybe it won’t kill her, but it was miserable for her. She was in agony.† â€Å"I don’t really care if they’re miserable or not,† Keith said. â€Å"And neither should you. Our job is to keep her alive. There was no mention of making sure she’s happy and comfortable.† â€Å"I wouldn’t think anyone would have to tell us,† I said, aghast. Why was he so upset? â€Å"I’d think being sensitive human beings, we could just do it.† â€Å"Well, now you can. You can either get someone above us to issue a note to the school or you can give her ice baths after gym class. I really don’t care what you do, but maybe it’ll keep you busy enough that you’ll stop coming over here unannounced and throwing yourself at creatures of darkness. Don’t let me hear about this happening again.† â€Å"You are unbelievable,† I said. I was too upset and at a loss for words to manage anything more eloquent. â€Å"I’m looking out for your soul,† he said loftily. â€Å"It’s the least I can do for your dad. Too bad you aren’t more like your sisters.† Keith turned his back on me and unlocked the car door without another word. He got in and drove off, leaving me staring. Tears threatened my eyes, and I swallowed them back. I felt like an idiot – but not because of his accusations. I didn’t believe for an instant that I’d done anything wrong by coming over here. No, I was mad – mad at myself – because I’d let him walk away with the last word and because I hadn’t had the nerve to say anything back. I’d stayed silent, just like everyone always told me to. I kicked the gravel in my anger, sending a spray of it into the air. A few small rocks hit my car, and I winced. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Would he accuse you of being evil for talking to an inanimate object?† I spun around, heart racing. Adrian was leaning against the house, smoking. â€Å"Where did you come from?† I demanded. Even though I knew everything there was to know about vampires, it was hard to shake superstitious fears of them appearing out of thin air. â€Å"Other door,† he explained. â€Å"I went out to smoke and overheard the commotion.† â€Å"It’s rude to eavesdrop,† I said, knowing I sounded unbearably prim but unable to stop myself. â€Å"It’s rude to be an asshole like that.† Adrian nodded toward where Keith had driven away. â€Å"Are you going to be able to get Jill out of class?† I sighed, suddenly feeling tired. â€Å"Yeah, I should be able to. It’ll just take a little longer while I get some other Alchemist to be our fake parents. Would’ve been a lot faster if Keith had done it.† â€Å"Thanks for looking out for her, Sage. You’re okay. For a human.† I almost laughed. â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"You can say it too, you know.† I walked over to Latte and paused. â€Å"Say what?† â€Å"That I’m okay†¦ for a vampire,† he explained. I shook my head, still smiling. â€Å"You’ll have a hard time getting any Alchemist to admit that. But I can say you’re okay for an irreverent party boy with occasional moments of brilliance.† â€Å"Brilliant? You think I’m brilliant?† He threw his hands skyward. â€Å"You hear that, world? Sage says I’m brilliant.† â€Å"That’s not what I said!† He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, giving me a devil-may-care grin. â€Å"Thanks for the ego boost. I’m going to go tell Clarence and Lee all about your high opinion.† â€Å"Hey, I didn’t – â€Å" But he was already gone. As I drove away, I decided the Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to handling Adrian Ivashkov. When I got back to my dorm room, I found Jill sitting surrounded in textbooks and papers, undoubtedly trying to catch up from yesterday. â€Å"Wow,† I said, thinking of the homework that waited for me too. â€Å"You’ve got a whole command center set up.† Rather than smile at my joke, Jill looked up with an icy gaze. â€Å"Do you think,† she said, â€Å"that maybe next time you want to mess with my dating life, you could talk to me first?† I was speechless. Adrian had said he’d talk to Jill. I just hadn’t realized it’d be so quickly. â€Å"You don’t have to go behind my back to keep me away from Micah,† she added. â€Å"I’m not stupid. I know I can’t date a human.† So Adrian had apparently told her that much. â€Å"And,† Jill continued, still in that cold tone, â€Å"you don’t have to set me up with the only eligible Moroi within a hundred miles in order to keep me out of trouble.† Okay†¦ Adrian had apparently told her everything. I would’ve expected more discretion from him, especially with the Lee part. â€Å"We†¦ we weren’t setting you up,† I said lamely. â€Å"Lee wanted to ask you out anyway.† â€Å"But rather than talk to me, he asked permission from you guys! You don’t control my life.† â€Å"I know that,† I said. â€Å"We weren’t trying to!† How had this just blown up right in front of me? â€Å"Lee acted on his own.† â€Å"Just like you did when you went to talk to Adrian behind my back.† Her eyes glittered with angry tears, daring me to deny it. I couldn’t and only now realized the wrongness of what I’d done. Ever since she found out she was royal, Jill had watched other people dictate her life for her. Maybe my intentions to get Adrian to talk to her about Micah were good, but I’d addressed them in the wrong way. â€Å"You’re right,† I said. â€Å"I’m sorry that I – â€Å" â€Å"Forget it,† she said, slipping a pair of headphones on. â€Å"I don’t want to hear any more. You made me look stupid in front of both Adrian and Lee. Not that they’ll even think twice about me in Los Angeles tonight.† She waved a hand at me and looked down at the book in front of her. â€Å"I’m done with you.† Whether she couldn’t hear me because of the music or simply because she’d now chosen to ignore me, I couldn’t say. All I knew was that I once again found myself comparing her to Zoe. Just like with Zoe, I’d tried to do something good for Jill, and it had backfired. Just like with Zoe, I’d ended up hurting and humiliating the one I’d tried to protect. Sorry, Sage. Last I checked, you aren’t an expert in social matters. That, I thought bitterly, was the saddest part of all – that Adrian Ivashkov was right. How to cite Bloodlines Chapter Nine, Essay examples

Dixon Case free essay sample

In order to calculate WACC, we need to first start with the beta of equity. We are given the beta of equity of 1.06 of Dixon as a firm in Exhibit 7. However, the beta given is not an appropriate measure of the systematic risk of the Collinsville Plant, because Dixon produces many other chemical products other than Sodium Chlorate. Therefore, in order to accurately capture the systematic risk of the plant which only produces Sodium Chlorate, we decided to calculate the beta of equity with comparable firms’ beta. Selection of Comparable Firms: We use â€Å"Brunswick Chemical† and â€Å"Southern Chemicals† as the comps to calculate the ÃŽ ²E ,because they are firms that only produce Sodium Chlorate that have similar capital structure as Dixon and are located in the Southeastern region. Static or Dynamic Debt: We determine that Dixon has dynamic debt to keep a relative constant D/E ratio from the data available in the financial statements of Dixon Corporation (Exhibit 7); therefore, the â€Å"tax term† is removed from our calculation of WACC. 3 million in 1980 and rise steadily to a stabilized level of near $12 million by 1984. A 15% power reduction will lead to savings of $1. 16 million in 1981 and annual savings of $1. 77 million from 1984 – 1989. A 20% power reduction will lead to savings of $1. 55 million in 1981 and annual savings of $2. 36 million from 1984 – 1989. In the calculation of incremental cash flow from these improvements, we also must factor in the initial outlay of $2. 25 million and the effects of depreciation. Since the improvement is depreciated over ten years, we have an annual increase to cash flow of $225,000, which is the annual depreciation expense. We have started effects on cash flow besides initial outlay in 1981 due to the installation taking place at the very end of 1980. No effects from the improvements will be realized in 1980. Overall, the installation of this laminate is a great project. Power savings will lead to an IRR of 16. 37% for the 15% power reduction case and 18. 14% for the 20% power reduction case. The NPV of the project became positive $ 97,000 for the 15% power reduction case and $ 1. 23 million for the 20% power reduction case when discounting at the WACC (Exhibit III). Attractiveness of Collinsville Proposal on economic grounds From an economic standpoint, the Collinsville proposal is not attractive due to a negative NPV. This acquisition will devalue of the firm by $ 1. 8 million and will provide a 12. 86% IRR which is below WACC for Collinsville plant. Namely, expected return of the project will not satisfy estimated risk. Thus, Dixon should not invent in the plant and is recommended to research other alternative projects if possible. In more competitive market, easier entrants can push any economic revenue down to â€Å"zero. † The sole reason why the firm decides to enter the competitive market is to take alive economic revenue. For this Collinsville plant, there is no economic driver for Dixon to enter the market with the acquisition. Attractiveness of Collinsville Proposal on Strategic grounds From a strategic standpoint, Collinsville appears to be a good investment for Dixon even though there is no beneficial motivation on economic ground. From the fact that Dixon Corporation had produced a number of chemicals for sales primarily to the paper and pulp industry, it can be said that it is a value-added business with the experience rather than venturous business. As such, the acquisition of the Collinsville plant would fit well with Dixon’s strategy, incorporating a new product in its business, thereby giving it a more comprehensive range of products and a new source of revenue. In addition, since Dixon and Collinsville share a number of major customers, economies of scale can be applied, allowing the corporation to save on selling costs by marketing sodium chlorate through Dixon’s existing sales group. Besides the potential synergies obtained from acquiring Collinsville, Dixon should consider the opportunity costs incurred if they do not purchase the plant. For one, if Dixon does not acquire the plant it is a reasonable assumption that one of their competitors will. Another consideration is the market share Dixon may gain from expanding its product line. Decision and Recommendations We believe that Dixon should not approve the acquisition of the Collinsville plant. This acquisition has a negative NPV and will devalue $1. 8 million of value to the firm. Even though there is benefit on strategic grounds, it is still hard to say firmly â€Å"But it. † We made some requirement to approve the acquisition. Only condition is that Dixon guarantees benefits on both strategic and economic grounds. We analyzed that there is strategic benefit to acquire the plant. In other hands, we were unable to find economic driver for Dixon. As we projected â€Å"Incremental Cash Flows Associated with Acquisition with Laminate Technology Investment†, we know a way that can overturn a negative NPV to a positive NPV. That is Ramp;D. Investment in new technology would be only way for Dixon to survive this competitive market and be leading company. There should be cash outflow for Ramp;D expenditure, but it would bring competitive advantage of cost-saving which results in considerable increasing of IRR and NPV. From the fact that Ramp;D is the most important factor on this project decision, we recommend the Dixon to invest/ acquire plant that is long-lived. And with less attractive appreciation schedule with longer term, purchase price would be amicably negotiable. We would recommend that Dixon would choose to invest in another project even it had never experienced. It should also satisfy benefits on both strategic and economic ground. Within the scope, if Dixon finds an alternative project meeting both benefits and has favorable funding required, it will be more valuable project than Collinsville plant. The dilemma for Dixon to make a decision on any potential project is the degree of importance on strategic and economic grounds. We understand that both are critical criteria for project judgment. But we insisted that importance on strategic ground is superior to that on economic ground. Simply, economic ground depends on whether NPV is greater than zero or not. It is like â€Å"True/False† question. Once, Dixon sees there is economic benefit, the strategic driver dominates. This strategic approach is long-term driven business implementation.

Fire and Community Evacuation in Apex, NC

The case study investigates an inferno at a perilous waste facility situated at Apex, North Carolina. The inferno started on the eve of October 6th, 2006, at the EQ hazardous waste facility on Investment Boulevard in Apex; a neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina. In response to the disaster, city authorities planned an evacuation exercise for tens of thousands of city dwellers for two days as the inferno kept raging.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Fire and Community Evacuation in Apex, NC specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Around 30 residents sought medical treatment. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) demanded a new national fire code for hazardous waste installations and for enhancing the disaster response mechanisms to community emergency planners with regard to the chemicals stored, and handled by these facilities. This can improve safety of sites. What exactly caused the horrific fire? According to the in vestigations done by CSB, an inferno started in the building that stored oxygen cylinders. The bays that stored wastes were brought for storage in preparation for transportation to final treatment sites and disposal facilities. It is believed that the oxygen chemicals were activated. The bay contained several chemical oxygen generators, which were brought from Mobile, Alabama. These are wastes generated from airplane. Conversely, the oxygen generators had not been securely activated. Chemicals that contained chlorine in its solid state were heaped above the box that contained active oxygen generators. This is what was theorized to have started the fire at the facility. All these events may have triggered the fire in the storage bay. The violation of the code on fire The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) promulgates information on fire protection standards for different industrial installations. For example, NFPA 820 is the â€Å"Standard for Fire Protection in Wastewater Treatment and Collection Facilities†). Rob Hall, P. E. , a CSB lead Investigator who led the investigation discovered that there was only one fire control equipment at the site with portable and manually operated fire extinguishers. Buildings are supposed to have automatic fire extinguishers. The enquiry into the fire accident found out that RCRA rules formulated by EPA call for facilities to install â€Å"fire control equipment† although do not spell out what equipment and systems should be in installed. Furthermore, it noted that a national fire code for proper fire protection measures for hazardous waste facilities was non-existent.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The EQNC hazardous waste edifice was not well equipped with fire or smoke sensing devices, automatic fire containment equipment, or fire barriers, despite the fact that the building served as a stor age facility for drums of flammables and explosive materials. In summary we can say that NFPA 820 is the code that was violated. The impact of the fire (damages, loss, and consequences) The fire incident caused air pollution, damages to nearby buildings. More residents were displaced. When the fire occurred, around 30 people (together with 13 first responders) went to seek medical treatment at neighboring hospitals for respiratory complications and nausea. As a result of this fire incident, CSB issued a safety advisory to ensure that chemical oxygen generators are securely activated and discharged prior to transportation and disposal. The final verdict of CSB to EPA and Environmental Technology Council was to find proper ways of dealing with disaster planning, fire protection and managing hazardous waste facilities. It is the responsibility of each and every stakeholder to put measures in place to avert any future fire outbreaks. This essay on Fire and Community Evacuation in Apex, NC was written and submitted by user Kali Kirk to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Future of Your Job Search Findings of Career Jam 2016

The Future of Your Job Search Findings of Career Jam 2016 Each year, I look forward to reading the results of the Career Thought Leaders Consortium’s Career Jam, a day-long meeting on a range of topics  addressing job search trends. This week, the Findings of 2016 Career Jam: Where Experts Forecast the New the Next, has been released by the Career Thought Leaders Consortium! This report summarizes the findings of a host of brainstorming sessions held on December 9, 2016 in the United States, Canada, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Career Jam participants discussed topics with significant ramifications for job seekers: â€Å"best practices, innovations, trends, new programs, new processes, and other observations that are currently impacting, and are projected to impact, global employment, job search, and career management.† The sections that most interest me in the report are â€Å"Career Marketing Communications† and â€Å"Social Media Profiles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which include resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles, as well as other career marketing communications. I also wanted to highlight a couple of items for job search strategy. Here are some of the findings and advice to keep in mind as you conduct your job search now or in the future: Resumes, Cover Letters, and Other Career Marketing Communications: Current Trends Resumes are not dead! Most hiring managers still require a resume at some point in the hiring process, and your resume WILL make an impression. Resumes fulfill 3 important roles: Demonstrating a clear value proposition, introducing stories to spark interview questions, and a foundation for salary negotiations. The resume writing process is at least as valuable as the resume. Working on a resume or other career document forces you as a candidate to assess your specific value and accomplishments. This process builds confidence and leads to better interview performance. Attention spans are shrinking. So keep your resume short, focused and streamlined! Resume writers, whether professional or candidates themselves, must keep both ATS and humans in mind. Writing a resume has become a complex (but not impossible!) task as writers must satisfy both machines and humans with proper format and keywords. Use Microsoft Word for your resume. It’s hands-down the overall preferred format. Powerful, consistent branding and value propositions are essential. Use the top third of your resume to sell yourself and pique reader curiosity. Candidate brochures, creative formats, and marketing kits are replacing traditional resumes in some markets. This is especially true in technical and engineering fields, as well as creative fields. Skills-based resumes, or functional resumes, continue to be frowned upon. Don’t use them. Hard-copy resumes and cover letters  can get the attention of hiring managers. You will stand out if you use snail mail as part of your job search strategy! Testimonials are becoming more common on resumes. Use authentic quotes from reputable references to make yourself stand out! Be careful with your address information. It’s okay to leave street address information off any resumes posted publicly. But if you’re sending a resume directly to a recruiter or hiring manager, it’s best to include full address details. Follow up after your interview! Write an email and snail mail thank you letter. â€Å"Stay top of mind without being aggressive or annoying.† Resumes, Cover Letters, and Other Career Marketing Communications: What to Expect â€Å"Expandable resumes† – These resumes will consist of a main document that provides basic information and links that expand to view additional information. They will be easy to read on a screen, archivable, searchable, and print-friendly. â€Å"Splash pages† – Honestly I’m not sure why these are being referred to as â€Å"splash pages,† which I understand to be web-based marketing tools. But the consensus that in lieu of business cards, job seekers will create 1-page marketing sheets, which I call â€Å"one sheets,† similar to those used by speakers and authors. While employment application standards are aligning more across countries, applicants still need to be aware of geography-specific requirements. See 7 Essential Elements to Consider When Writing an International Executive Resume. Social Media Profiles, Video Bios, Web Portfolios and Other Multimedia Tools: Current Trends Many of these recommendations can be found in my book, How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile. It’s good to see people are listening and also confirming what works! LinkedIn profiles should almost always be written in the first person. Tell your story personally to engage your reader, and use headings and/or highlights for an easy read. LinkedIn headlines must reflect your brand through titles and keywords that speak your potential employers’ language. The strongest LinkedIn profiles relay specific examples that connect your work experience to your overall brand. Go beyond what’s in your resume in sharing stories and examples. List a current position on LinkedIn to rank higher in search results. Include keywords not just in your LinkedIn headline but also in your job titles to appear higher in search results. Adding connections and expanding your network will improve your ranking on LinkedIn as well. Include a call to action in your LinkedIn summary. You do not have to reveal your employment status in the call to action unless you want to do so. Fill in all sections of your LinkedIn profile. This will not only increase your visibility on LinkedIn, but when you apply to jobs that pull in information from your LinkedIn profile, you will be sure to have a complete application with robust information. There are still a few professions where LinkedIn is not highly valued. These include medicine, education, and the arts. LinkedIn InMail is unlikely to get you in front of hiring managers and recruiters. Many of the people you’re trying to reach block their InMail or do not respond to unsolicited messages. Instead, use your networks to get connected with recruiters. Or use LinkedIn to get your intended recipient’s email address and write to them outside of LinkedIn. There is a direct correlation between activity and LinkedIn and a shortened job search! E-portfolios and a personal website are a great way to provide information the way you want it. These venues are particularly useful in design fields and for candidates with unconventional career paths. LinkedIn is very helpful for networking and research. Look at profiles of other people with positions like yours, and follow the activity of companies where you might like to work, as well as similar companies in your industry. Social Media Profiles, Video Bios, Web Portfolios and Other Multimedia Tools: What’s Next It’s increasingly important to position yourself as a thought leader in your field. Post your original content on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, your personal blog, and (not mentioned in the Career Jam report) beBee! Don’t go crazy creating a video resume. Video resumes are not predicted to catch on. But you will gain a competitive advantage by including video on your social media profiles, demonstrating your expertise and creativity. LinkedIn might fade in importance, making personal websites and other social media and recruitment sites more popular. These alternative venues would be more flexible than LinkedIn and allow candidates to highlight their expertise more completely. LinkedIn groups have an uncertain future, while beBee is on the rise. I just joined beBee and will discover more about its effectiveness in the coming months. Job Search Strategy Networking and referrals are still king for getting into a company. Employers prefer to hire internal candidates or external candidates with an internal referral. Candidates who access the â€Å"hidden job market† are the most effective in their searches. Want assistance on how to do that? Check out the Job Search Success System. While all that advice might be overwhelming, you can break it down into bite-sized pieces and create a very effective job search. The Executive Expert and The Essay Expert are here if you want individualized assistance in creating the best possible career documents for your success! Read more about the New and the Next in How Employees are Screened, Interviews and Hired; Personal Branding and Online Identity Management; Strategies for Workplace Success and Advancement; and other important career topics at Findings of 2016 Career Jam: Where Experts Forecast the New the Next.

California Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

California Culture - Essay Example Surrounding of Frances (Gidget) and Mary Ann varies and it has impacted their psychology, behavioral patterns and life priorities. Gidget is a pretty sixteen-years-old girl, who has never faces serious difficulties and is absolutely inexperienced in love. Gidget is distinguished among her female friends and helpmates, who are keen on male hunting. This imaginary heroine embodied a real life prototype – Kohner’s daughter Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman. The writer described and analyzed his daughter’s summer, spent on the beach of Malibu. The Lawrences can be regarded as an example of usual middle-class American family of 1950th; they are united, happy and self-sufficient. Mary Ann is older than Francie and seems to be more experienced in life. She decided to live her native Cleveland and find a permanent job in San Francisco. On her arrival she rented an apartment at 28 Barbara Lane and suddenly came across socio-cultural diversity and dynamic urban life. Thus, two worlds of Francie and Mary Ann create a sharp contrast between Californian cultural layers. The author placed Frances in sea and sand romance and separated her from temptations and noise of Los Angeles. Major part of the plot developed on the beach in hot Californian summer. To spend summer, vacations or at least weekend in Malibu became popular and fashionable. â€Å"The story, set on the beaches of Malibu, told of the adventures of a young American girl and a group of surfers. The surf-star myth was under way, and, while late-1960s students were up in arms, a whole generation of surfing enthusiasts was crazy to brave the waves.† (Augustin 1998) Thus, story about Gidget and her adventures laid foundation of a new surfing trend in Californian sub-culture. Film with the same name with Sandra Dee made surfing and summer holidays in Malibu or any other beaches of California especially popular.

NARRATIVE PLOT OF JONAH THIS IS A (RESPONSE PAPER) ALSO SUMMARIES OF Article

NARRATIVE PLOT OF JONAH THIS IS A (RESPONSE PAPER) ALSO SUMMARIES OF CHAPTER 5, 13, AND 8 OF CRACKING OLD TESTAMENT CODES. ONE PAGE PER CHAPTER - Article Example The storm was so strong that it was threatening to destroy the ship. The other mariners on the ship were afraid with each one praying and calling out to their gods to save them. In desperation they through much of the cargo onto the sea hoping to lighten the ship, but nothing worked. The captain found Jonah asleep and woke him up asking him to join in the prayers in hopes that one of the cries or prayers would save everyone. The captain yelled at him, â€Å"Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.† (Jon. 1:6 ESV). Everyone was panicked wondering what they could do to settle the sea. Rather than settle, it only become more violent. Finally, Jonah decided this was a result of God’s anger and knew he was putting the lives of all these other men in danger. So he told the men, â€Å"Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.† (Jon. 1:12 ESV). Initially, the men ignored this request, perhaps thinking it was made out of fear, and they desperately tried rowing and rowing back to dry land. But, it seemed the harder that they rowed, the rougher the sea became. They continued to cry out and pray begging that they not suffer for whatever wrongs Jonah had done. Finally, they felt they had no other option and lifted Jonah up in the air and hurled him into the angry water. Immediately the violence sea ceased and the men began making sacrifices and vows to the Lord in thanks for saving them . At this point, Jonah was sure he was destined to die. He could not imagine surviving the raging waters. However, instead of drowning he was swallowed by a great fish. As Jonah sat in the belly of this great fish, he considered his situation and began praying to God. He acknowledged that god spared his life on the boat and now understood that he was wrong to ignore the will of the Lord and to try to run

Research Experiment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Experiment - Assignment Example This theory also suggests that job attitudes are linked to job outcomes. Consequently, organizational attitudes are linked to organizational outcomes (Greenberg, 2013). Background Organizational behavior is a key determinant of how an organization should be managed and led, with the aim of increasing organizational effectiveness. As such, Organizational Behavior Units provide insight and knowledge that advances the understanding of how to manage and lead an organization, with the aim of increasing personal or organizational effectiveness (Ali et al., 2009). Encompassing aspects of sociology, psychology, communication and management, the course has its roots in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Locke, 1976). This is because organizational behavior determines the effectiveness, hence success of the organization. The factors that affect the general conduct or behavior of an organization should, therefore, be brought in to perspective and manipulated to targets the achievement of ideal results. Indeed, a lot of research has been conducted to try to establish the factors that affect the work outcome in an organization. In particular, the attitude of employees has been deemed an essential variable in these studies. In assessing this variable, many researches have primarily focused on job satisfaction as the key measure of employee attitude (Ali et al., 2009). However, recent researches have delved in to the role of organizational commitment in determining employee attitude and intensions (Greenberg, 2013). The purpose of this study was to establish the factors that drive job satisfaction and organizational commitment at Subway Restaurants. As such, it assessed two variables: job performance and turnover intensions. Job performance has often been related to Job satisfaction more than organizational commitment, with studies establishing mixed results. While some studies have shown a strong correlation between the two, others argue that this correlation is negli gible (Ali et al., 2009). However, almost all of the studies conducted establish a negligible correlation between organizational commitment and job performance. On the other hand, turnover intensions are primarily a factor of organizational commitment. Indeed, studies have shown significant association between the two. However, these studies also show a considerable amount of correlation between turnover intension and Job satisfaction. In fact, studies of facet satisfaction have established significant association between turnover intensions and satisfaction with the job itself, and pay and promotions (Greenberg, 2013). However, combined comparisons of job satisfaction and organizational commitment with turnover intensions have established a greater correlation between turnover intensions and organizational commitment than with job satisfaction (Greenberg, 2013). These findings form the basis for my hypotheses in this research study. Research Questions The participants in this study were primarily the restaurant’s staff in the U.S. and included 2 Restaurant Managers, 3 part time Hospitality Employees, 2 full time Chefs, 2 part-time Administrative Assistant, and a full time Retail Clerk. They were required to answer ten research questions based on their level of agreement with the suggestions as follows: Strongly Agree (5) Agree (4) Most likely/Not sure (3) Probably not (2) Disagree (1)

E-commerce in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

E-commerce in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Analysis of innovation of e-commerce in small and medium-sized enterprises In the last decade large organisations have realised the increasing impact of new and cutting edge technology. Clark (1989) emphasized on the importance of technology to gain competitive advantage but at the same time he warned that building and maintaining such advantage will always be a challenge. Information technology in the form of internet has allowed organisations and their management to benefit from better quality information and better decision making. White (1997) adds that the internet is extremely effective in attracting computer literate people. Especially Internet has made a prolific influence on the business world. The internet has become an area where consumers are able to find what they need (Amor, 2002). This is clearly evident by the growth of internet in the last few years as shown in figure 1. Being involved with the new technologies brought many opportunities and easiness to reach products to consumers anywhere, anytime in the world (McKenna,2002). The new technological innovations have allowed organisations to conduct business in a completely new way by using online electronic transaction mechanisms and the concept of E-Commerce evolved(Gunasegaram Love, 1999; Westland and Clark, 1999). Today in most of the business and commerce sector IT has taken the form of E-Commerce. Figure 1 Growth of internet E-commerce is a major innovation, which has benefited industries across the globe even the Small and Medium Industries. The SME’s in Itself amount to a large part of the economy, at the moment there are12000 SME’s using EDI, electronic data interchange to further their businesses. Although the SME’s are contributors to the national economy of any country, the whole framework used to build them lacks transparency. There are problems around the financial resources available to keep them going; there is not enough legislative and administrative support from the government. On the business front these enterprises lack the right kind of management vigour, style, knowledge, and experience in handling more developed innovative technologies, which are inundating the markets. This is something they need to be aware of in order to survive the competitive environment. The SME’sdon’t have a single development system, which can safeguard theirinterests. They need an integrated approach, which encompasses threelevels, strategic, institutional, and enterprise. The government andthe public/private sector need to offer support for the fulfilment ofthis long-term strategy, which will make SME’s into profit centres’-commerce brings in a host of advantages as well as disadvantages tome’s and this project is an attempt to learn more and develop deeper understanding into the effect of technical innovations in e-commerce on Small and medium sized enterprises [Kyiv, 1997]. This study attempts to add to the existing literature by looking at hawse’s are approaching to incorporate e-commerce into their business strategy or how they are trying to improve their existing approach. This study will also evaluate consumer experiences of online shopping and how e-commerce has impacted on their expectations and goes on to suggest how online stores may need to improve if they are to meet these new expectations. 2. Aims and Objectives Aims The main aim of this project is to explore how the SME’s are important to the national economies and how the use of e-commerce help them gain a better position in terms of growth and profitability. There search context is based on SME’s in England to get an even background to this research question. As one knows technology and innovation always have repercussions, this project would also explore how theses ME’s deal with the disadvantages and convert them into viable benefits. This project will also find out to what extent do small firms use-commerce in their business processes and what are the barriers to the adoption of e-commerce? Customers as well as organization’s perspective towards e-commerce will be found out. Alongside the study will also try to find out how much electronic transaction have influenced the small-scale industry? Additionally this dissertation will also provide with accurate, up-to-date, research-based information about possible future trends in e-commerce. And lastly, this research will provide some suggestions and recommendations to be considered for the improvement of-commerce for small firms to develop ideas for further research in this context. This study on SME’s under different situations and circumstances would help present an overall portrayal and even help understand the issues under a magnifying glass when faced in certain sectors like manufacturing. To summarize some of the questions that will be addressed through this research are as follows: †¢ What is the status of SME’s in today’s global business environment? †¢ What is the contribution of the SME’s in the national and global economies? †¢ How will innovations like the Internet in e-commerce help the businesses in SME’s grow and become more profitable ventures? †¢ What are the problems/mistakes in the E-business strategy adopted in general by small firms in U.K? †¢ What are the problems faced by customers and organisations while dealing on internet? †¢ What are the factors that influence the development of e-commerce? †¢ Does e-commerce open up new markets for small scale industries in the United Kingdom? Objectives 1. Critically evaluate the relevant literature on small firms and the importance/usage of the internet. 2. Understand small firms’ problems and barriers to the use of e-commerce through articles, newspapers, interviews and surveys. 3. Gain specific knowledge of internet usage for small firms in business through interviews, publications and company information. 4. Provide recommendations to improve the usage of internet as a competitive tool. 5. The advent of the e-commerce, its advantages and disadvantages. 3. Literature Review E-Commerce E-commerce may be defined as â€Å"The sharing of business information, maintaining business relationships, and conducting business transactions by means of Internet-based technology† (Riggins Rhee, 1998, p. 90). Alternately it may also be defined as â€Å"Anything that enhances your relationships with an existing customer and increases the revenue you get from the customer.† (Sullivan, 1998, p.24). The Internet and Electronic Commerce have made the world market smaller place to trade in. The Internet has opened up many possibilities of organising and running an online business. It has created a universal platform for buying and selling of goods which has resulted in faster transaction times and reduced transaction costs. Colin Turner (2000), in his book on the information of e-economy, talks about the e-commerce business accomplishment and strategies. E-commerce has its benefits and shortcomings, along with this belief; the companies are also battling with the pressures of information technology revolution coming to an end. â€Å"Despite all the hype surrounding electronic commerce, and the recent failure of many of that com companies, it does present real opportunities to small entrepreneurs in many countries.† (Fatal and Janet, 2004) Classification of E-commerce According to the applications or the nature of transaction of E-commerce, it can be categorized as follows: Turban et al (2000) divided E-commerce into three categories in terms of its applications: a) Electronic markets: It refers to buying and selling goods and services at an electronic marketplace, where the business centre is not a physical building but rather a network-based location. The market handles all the necessary transaction, including response to information request, purchase acknowledgement, shipping notice, purchase/service delivery, payment acknowledgement, and the transfer of money between banks and so on. In electronic market, the principal participants transaction handlers, buyers, brokers, and sellers, are not only at different locations but seldom even know one another. The means of interconnection varies among parties and can change from event to event, even between the same parties. b) Inter-organisational systems: They are facilitating inter and intra-organization flow of information, communication and collaboration. An IOS (inter-organisational information systems) involves information flow among two or more organisations. Its major objective is efficient information and transaction processing. All relationships are predetermined and there is no negotiation, just execution. A typical IOS includes a company and its suppliers and/or customers. Through it, buyers and sellers arrange routine business transactions and information is exchanged over communications networks using prearranged formats. Its main types aired (Electronic data interchange), extranets, electronic funds transfer, electronic forms, integrated messaging, shared databases and supply chain management. c) Customer service: It is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction, helping customers to resolve problems they encountered in any phase of the purchasing process. E-commerce plays a dual role in customer service. First, it provides customer service to a process that is done completely offline. Second, it provides help to online transactions. Types of customer service include answering customer inquiries, providing search and comparison capabilities, providing technical information to customers, allowing customers to track order status, and allowing customers to place an online order and so on. Kalakos Whinstone (1997) contended that there are three distinct general classes of electronic commerce applications: a) Inter-organizational Electronic Commerce: Like Turban et al above, Kalakos Whinstone consider that-commerce can be applied in following inter-organizational business: Supplier management: Electronic applications help companies reduce the number of suppliers and facilitate business partnerships by reducing purchase order (PO) processing costs and cycle times, and by increasing the number of Pops processed with fewer people. Inventory management: It shortens the order-ship-bill cycle and time of transmitting information. Businesses can also track their documents to ensure that they were received, thereby improving auditing capabilities. This also helps reduce inventory levels, improve inventory turns and eliminate out-of-stock occurrences. Distribution management: Electronic application facilitate the transmission of shipping documents such as bills of lading, pur chase orders, advanced ship notices, and manifest claims, and enable better resource management by ensuring that the documents themselves contain more accurate data. Channel management: Electronic application quickly disseminates information about changing operational conditions to trading partners. By electronically linking production-related information with international distributor and reseller networks, companies can eliminate thousands of labour hours and ensure accurate information sharing. Payment management: Linking companies with suppliers and distributors enables payment to be sent and received electronically. Electronic payment reduces clerical error, increases the speed at which companies compute invoices, and lowers transaction fees and costs. b) Intra-organizational commerce The purpose of intra-organizational applications is to help a company maintain the relationships that are critical to delivering superior customer value. Its applications are as follows: Workgroup communications: It enables managers to communicate with employees using electronic mail, videoconferencing, and bulletin board, hence increase the dissemination of information, resulting in better-informed employees. Electronic publishing: It enables companies to organize, publish and disseminate human resources manuals, product specifications and meeting minutes using tools such as the World Wide Web. Meanwhile, it reduces costs for printing and distributing documentation, faster delivery of information and reduction of outdate information. Sales force productivity: These applications improve the flow of information between the production and sales forces, and between the firms and customers. The goal is to allow firms to collect market intelligence quickly and to analyse if more thoroughly. c) Consumer-to-Business Electronic Commerce Social interaction: Consumers can communicate with each other through e-mail, videoconferencing, and news group etc. Personal finance management: El ectronic applications enable consumers to manage investments and personal finances using online banking tools. Purchasing products and information: Consumers can find online information about existing and new products/services. Turban et al (2000) further goes on to describe E-Commerce based on the types of transactions and are more popularly known as: B2B (Business-to-Business): Most of E-commerce today is of this type. It includes the IOS transactions and electronic market transactions between organisations. B2C (Business-to-Consumer): These are retailing transactions with individual shoppers. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): In this category, consumers sell directly to consumers. C2B (Consumer-to-Business): In this category, consumers sell directly to organisations. Challenges to E-Commerce Although the Internet offers great deals of advantages to electronic commerce and businesses, it also provides a number of challenges. Some of these challenges as mentioned by Turban et al (2000) are discussed below: 1. Unsuccessful Business Models Not all companies that implement electronic commerce make benefits. Technologies changes so rapidly that keeping pace with change ultimately becomes too expensive or results in a failure. 2. Channel Conflicts Sometimes a company uses more than one distribution channel (Online as well as traditional channels) to sell its products and services. This can cause conflict between the dealers as it becomes important in such case to maintain a balance between the different channels. For e.g.it might be possible that a particular company tries to sell its product online at a lesser cost with some discount and maintains the original cost while selling it offline. This disparity can cause its dealers to create a problem. 3. Legal Issues Internet Law s are confusing and mostly non-existent. Also the Internet’s global and is used by individuals from different countries and thus it becomes difficult to decide which law to apply if a conflict arises. 4. Security Privacy This is the most important issue concerned with online transactions and businesses. Important information and valuable data like credit/debit card details, personal information, business plans and other company data can be easily leaked and tracked by hackers. Security risk in electronic payments has been one of the major reasons in making online businesses not to grow rapidly over the Internet. Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Different countries define small medium enterprises in different ways. Teethe and Burn (2001) define small medium enterprises (SME) as â€Å"firms with less than 500 employees. This is further broken down into micro companies, those with less than 5 employees; small companies, those with 5 to 20 employees and medium companies, those with between20 and 500 employees. On the other hand, the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI, 1999) define SME’s as firms with 250 employees or fewer. The European Commission (2003) defines SME’s as follows: microenterprises are enterprises with a maximum number of 10 employees, maximum turnover of 2 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of total of 2 million euros. While small enterprises are enterprises with maximum number of 50 employees, a maximum turnover of 10 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of a total of 10 million euros. Finally medium enterprises are enterprises with a maximum number of 250employees, a maximum turnover of 50 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of a total of 43 million euros. Figure 2 SME Thresholds (European Commission, 2003) Buncombe (1999) points out that a number of studies have attempted to collect information on the make-up of Botswanas SME sector, by gaining access to official statistics and by conducting field surveys in connection with various research projects. According to the report, he defines enterprises according to the number of employees, annual turnover, and level of formality. There is no real universally standard definition for Small firms. In a study carried by the ILO, more than 50definitions were identified in 75 different countries, with considerable ambiguity in the terminology used. For the purpose of this study the author will go with the definition of Small firms which defines Small firms as firms with 49 or fewer employees. From the foregoing definition of small medium enterprises (SME’s) by different researchers, it can be seen that the number of employees and turnover are the determinant factors in the definition of SME, but, the criteria is different from country to country. SME’s and E-Commerce Internet became a main way for effective marketing in business. It is one of the most effective media all over the world and this makes it compulsory channel to use for market entries. Specifically, small firms have major problems with strong companies and existing small firms about market entries in the market. They have to prove their identity in the market as an enterprise despite all these rivalry and difficulties such as web design, domain name, site security responsibilities to customers, etc. They have to let customers know that they are in the market and internet is an efficient way to do so. Furthermore, cost advantages which come with e-commerce are reasonable for market entry. Small firms have a lot of to do as they are new tithe market or they need to grow in the market. They try to cut costs and increase investments in their business. Internet provides great opportunity to small firms for their activities in the market. Even as they serve a local or regional market rather than a national or an international market, it might be difficult to enter market or to reach customers. E-commerce appears as the most efficient way to gain successor small firms in existing fierce rivalry. The small firms generally provide the majority of the jobs and are significant contributor towards the national economy (Baldwin, 2001).Small and medium scale enterprises are considered to be the core out’s economy. According to Smith et al (2000) 99% of UK business firms can be categorized as small businesses and they employ up to 58% out’s total workforce. Hence small firms are extremely important in UK’s economy and the government expends considerable resources to support this sector. The UK government admits that small firms are neglected and left behind while the larger companies getting advantage over small businesses in the e-commerce world (Simpson; Docherty, 2004) Thus it’s very important to study the problems and barriers encountered in adopting a new economy cycle by the sector which represents the majority of the countries businesses. Sadowski et al (2002) notes that even after the widespread use of internet technologies in the corporate world, the amount of Internet use varies to a great extent in the small-scale sector. The adoption of any new technology in this sector is influenced by the several variables as stated by Martens et al (2001). These factors may include the characteristic of the firm, its competitiveness, the influence it has on third parties in the decision process, the management strategy and the characteristic of the new technology itself. All these factors lead company to strategic advantage if they used as they should be. It is important that the company sustains strategic advantage from e-commerce. Competitive business environment makes this matter more important (Hiding, 1999).As long as the company provides well designed web-site that suits with business and its requirements, then strategic advantage can be sustained. Thomas H. Davenport (1993), in his book, ‘Process Innovation –Reengineering work through information technology talks about, how revolutionary approach to information technology and its integration in our business processes can change the scenario. This can dramatically change the way business is conducted in small and medium enterprises also improve the performance keeping in view the competitive environment. New technologies and process innovation brings a new commitment and strategic evolution to these enterprises. Resources like information technology and e-commerce are largely untapped by the SME’s but once that scenario changes, there will be a lot of improvisations and growth avenues. Mandel (2001) says that every technological innovation and discovery finally has it downturn. When these new opportunities like e-commerce come into play, all businesses want ashore of this market. In their rush to get more profits, the investments are so heavy and lacking direction that invariably it leads to a loss since the economy infrastructure cannot support it. This has been proven with the dotcom burst and doom. According to some authors, these SME’s can actually use the innovation of e-commerce to march forward and become integral contributors to the economies. Due to their sizes they lack the initiative and financial power to go all out and compete in different markets, e-commerce could be the solution to some of the marketing gaps, which hold them back from becoming more successful. Importance of SME’s to countries’ economies Baraka (2001) reports that growing evidence indicates that Small Medium Enterprises play an important role in promoting the national economic development of any country. They create a lot of new jobs and produce much of the creativity and innovation that fuels economic progress. Ninety present of the total number of companies in most countries is comprised of small medium enterprises, which provide on average 70% of job opportunities (OECD, 1997). 26% of OECD exports and35% of Asias export are directly produced by small medium firms as suggested by Tendon (2002). The existing literature from research in different studies points out that Small medium enterprises (SME) world-wide have found that Internet use has become a critically important aspect of their business. Porter(2001) supports this view and suggests that companies of all sizes should have a strategy of reacting to competitors and increased adoption of the Internet technology, which will lead to increase in competition within markets. He further points out that e-commerce reduces the difference among competitors offerings and frequently migrate competition to price rather than products features or brand perceptions. He also suggests that smaller businesses could improve their business competitiveness with either other small businesses or larger companies by adopting e-commerce. Porter (2001) is backed up by an earlier study (Jacobs and Rowland 2000). They suggest that smaller businesses have, in particular, been encouraged to adopt e-commerce as a means of improving their competitiveness, either with other small medium enterprises or with larger companies, where they have been promised that e-commerce can level the playing. According to Daniel and Wilson (2002), small and medium-sized enterprises are now increasingly making use of e-commerce. Daniel further suggests that â€Å"responding to competitive pressure was the main reason leading to companies to adopt e-commerce. Information sharing and communication between employees within the firm were found to bethe e-commerce activities where firms are realizing the greatest benefits. Hence, though the future of e-commerce is still unpredictable, it is important that developing countries, their governments and businesses should prepare for these new developments. Benefits of e-commerce to SME’s A growing number of organisations have implemented e-commerce in the hope of improving decision making, lowering costs and improving customer satisfaction levels. A major benefit of e-commerce is cost reduction as Tagliavini et al (2001) pointed out a correct adoption of-commerce could lead to a reduction of transaction costs and coordination costs. Also, Davies and Garcia (1999) argue that benefits for SME’s are faster communication, effective dissemination and collection of information and closer relationships throughout the supply chain. Meanwhile, Liu and Arnett (2000) suggested theatre-commerce can help business organisations cut costs, interact directly with customers, run more smoothly and in a timelier manner, and even better, it can help an organization outperform its competition. Further driving factors of e-commerce for SME’s are also identified by Auger and Gallagher (1997) as follows: access to an Affluent Customer Base, lower Information Dissemination Costs, lower Transaction Costs, broader Market Reach, increased Service, additional Channels for Customer Feedback and Consumer and Market Research. Reducing costs, better communication with customers, access to larger customer base, and extended market are the major benefits of using-commerce agreed by a number of authors. At the same time, the more detailed benefits of e-commerce to SME’s are summarized as follows: †¢ Innovative products, better services and exploring new market opportunities; †¢ Shift in value added and content components of what is made and sold; †¢ Changes to economies of scale and the traditional barriers and advantages of large enterprises; †¢ Untying work functions from specific locations and time constraints; †¢ Flattening and disaggregating of organisational structures; †¢ Scope for customization at low cost; and †¢ Commercialization of in-house content and know-how. However, a study conducted by Poon (1999) found that the benefits of Internet commerce could be classified into long-term and short-term benefits, direct and indirect benefits. He suggested that the short-term benefits should be achieved within a few months, while the long-term benefits may take longer and unable to be predicted. The use of e-commerce can benefit SME’s in terms of reducing costs and access to larger customer base in the short term, and business transformation in the future. The use of e-commerce will also have a great deal of effect on the SME’s business activities as Tagliavini et al. (2001)indicated that E-Commerce has an important influence on SME’s; range of activity, providing increased competition on a global scale and allowing them to access wider markets. From the above literature it could be rightly said that E-Commerce adoption is an essential business strategy for SME’s to obtain competitive advantage. Opportunities and Threats faced by SME’s There are major opportunities for new entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized businesses to flourish in the maturing of e-commerce(Drew, 2003). The use of e-commerce has provided a variety of benefits for SME’s as well as a number of potential opportunities. â€Å"The Internet’s usually presented as an opportunity for smaller firms because it helps reduce transaction costs and level the playing field (Evans and Wurster, 1997). The opportunities for SME’s include expanding scope of marketing, wider and richer communication, reaching new market and reducing cost of operations and partnering with suppliers (Drew, 2003). According to a report conducted by Prevost (1998), there are variety of opportunities added to SME’s, including efficiency and productivity for business process, the development of new market opportunity (B2C andB2B) as well as access to global market. Also, the e-commerce give SME’s opportunity to exploit competitive and know how benefits as suggested by Tagliavini et al. (2001). Nevertheless, how to use e-commerce as an opportunity to SME’s will depend on the industry and firm factor implied by Drew (2003). These influenced factors include: The smaller firm’s technical and Internet knowledge; The rate at which the market is growing; The pace of innovation and change in the industry; The technical and Internet strengths of the larger competitors; The sources of competitive advantage for the smaller business; The strategic intent of the larger competitors; and The structure of the industry in which the firm competes. Generally, the market, industry structure, and macro-environment will be the major influenced factors that decide e-commerce as an opportunity or threat for SME’s. Therefore, although it is not doubt that e-commerce has provided a huge opportunity for SME’s in the range of business activities, the external and internal factors must be considered strategically while adopting e-commerce. However, Tagliaviniet al (2001) argued, the real opportunity of E-Commerce adoption force’s is still unclear(p.211). Global Trading The significant opportunity for SME’s is to extend existing market to international market addressed by a number of authors (OECD, 1998;Webb and Sawyer, 1998; Walczuch et al., 2000 and Giessen et al., 2001).Giessen (2001) remarks â€Å"the twin phenomena of globalization and-commerce pose new challenges and provide competitive opportunities for large and small firms alike†. It is an imperative opportunity force’s to access the global market, as the one of the important feature of e-commerce is global reach as stated by Loudon (2001). Therefore, ME’s are expecting the opportunity to extend existing market into globalization by using e-commerce. Undoubtedly, Internet has provided chance for SME’s to diminish the entry barrier and costs into global trading market as electronic commerce offers companies the possibility to sell internationally, effectively removing constraints of time and location and substantially enhancing their competitiveness, and it is the most imperative opportunity for SME’s to increase productivity andthe capability to entry markets and discover business partners globally(OECD, 1998). Indeed, the reach of global market is an exciting opportunity for SME’s to grow in terms of the size of company and competitive advantage. However, Jutland et al. (2002) proclaims that â€Å"globalization pressures arising from e-commerce operations often mean that SME’s have to acquire international trade knowledge. Publishing company’s website in the Internet is simple but trading in the global market is not so simple task for any of the SME’s. As Teethe and Burn (2001) points out that the challenge for SME’s are complicated byte general lack of clearly defined frameworks for analysis of the entire processes of strategy building, implementation and management with aspect to the emergent global information economy. However-commerce truly provides the great opportunity for SME’s to increase competence with lager firms in variety of business opportunities as well as an opportunity to extend trading geography. The various opportunities offered by e-commerce are the significant riving factors that encourage a firm to adopt e-commerce as its business operation. Threats Although the use of e-commerce has provided a huge opportunity force’s in range of business activities, e-commerce might become a threat for SME’s while trying to explore a variety of opportunity by using-commerce. As Drew (2003) indicates there are a number of threats of-commerce for SME’s. These threats include increasing competition from larger firms as the new medium allows larger firms to mimic the traditional strengths of SME’s in serving niche markets, developing customer intimacy E-commerce in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) E-commerce in Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Analysis of innovation of e-commerce in small and medium-sized enterprises In the last decade large organisations have realised the increasing impact of new and cutting edge technology. Clark (1989) emphasized on the importance of technology to gain competitive advantage but at the same time he warned that building and maintaining such advantage will always be a challenge. Information technology in the form of internet has allowed organisations and their management to benefit from better quality information and better decision making. White (1997) adds that the internet is extremely effective in attracting computer literate people. Especially Internet has made a prolific influence on the business world. The internet has become an area where consumers are able to find what they need (Amor, 2002). This is clearly evident by the growth of internet in the last few years as shown in figure 1. Being involved with the new technologies brought many opportunities and easiness to reach products to consumers anywhere, anytime in the world (McKenna,2002). The new technological innovations have allowed organisations to conduct business in a completely new way by using online electronic transaction mechanisms and the concept of E-Commerce evolved(Gunasegaram Love, 1999; Westland and Clark, 1999). Today in most of the business and commerce sector IT has taken the form of E-Commerce. Figure 1 Growth of internet E-commerce is a major innovation, which has benefited industries across the globe even the Small and Medium Industries. The SME’s in Itself amount to a large part of the economy, at the moment there are12000 SME’s using EDI, electronic data interchange to further their businesses. Although the SME’s are contributors to the national economy of any country, the whole framework used to build them lacks transparency. There are problems around the financial resources available to keep them going; there is not enough legislative and administrative support from the government. On the business front these enterprises lack the right kind of management vigour, style, knowledge, and experience in handling more developed innovative technologies, which are inundating the markets. This is something they need to be aware of in order to survive the competitive environment. The SME’sdon’t have a single development system, which can safeguard theirinterests. They need an integrated approach, which encompasses threelevels, strategic, institutional, and enterprise. The government andthe public/private sector need to offer support for the fulfilment ofthis long-term strategy, which will make SME’s into profit centres’-commerce brings in a host of advantages as well as disadvantages tome’s and this project is an attempt to learn more and develop deeper understanding into the effect of technical innovations in e-commerce on Small and medium sized enterprises [Kyiv, 1997]. This study attempts to add to the existing literature by looking at hawse’s are approaching to incorporate e-commerce into their business strategy or how they are trying to improve their existing approach. This study will also evaluate consumer experiences of online shopping and how e-commerce has impacted on their expectations and goes on to suggest how online stores may need to improve if they are to meet these new expectations. 2. Aims and Objectives Aims The main aim of this project is to explore how the SME’s are important to the national economies and how the use of e-commerce help them gain a better position in terms of growth and profitability. There search context is based on SME’s in England to get an even background to this research question. As one knows technology and innovation always have repercussions, this project would also explore how theses ME’s deal with the disadvantages and convert them into viable benefits. This project will also find out to what extent do small firms use-commerce in their business processes and what are the barriers to the adoption of e-commerce? Customers as well as organization’s perspective towards e-commerce will be found out. Alongside the study will also try to find out how much electronic transaction have influenced the small-scale industry? Additionally this dissertation will also provide with accurate, up-to-date, research-based information about possible future trends in e-commerce. And lastly, this research will provide some suggestions and recommendations to be considered for the improvement of-commerce for small firms to develop ideas for further research in this context. This study on SME’s under different situations and circumstances would help present an overall portrayal and even help understand the issues under a magnifying glass when faced in certain sectors like manufacturing. To summarize some of the questions that will be addressed through this research are as follows: †¢ What is the status of SME’s in today’s global business environment? †¢ What is the contribution of the SME’s in the national and global economies? †¢ How will innovations like the Internet in e-commerce help the businesses in SME’s grow and become more profitable ventures? †¢ What are the problems/mistakes in the E-business strategy adopted in general by small firms in U.K? †¢ What are the problems faced by customers and organisations while dealing on internet? †¢ What are the factors that influence the development of e-commerce? †¢ Does e-commerce open up new markets for small scale industries in the United Kingdom? Objectives 1. Critically evaluate the relevant literature on small firms and the importance/usage of the internet. 2. Understand small firms’ problems and barriers to the use of e-commerce through articles, newspapers, interviews and surveys. 3. Gain specific knowledge of internet usage for small firms in business through interviews, publications and company information. 4. Provide recommendations to improve the usage of internet as a competitive tool. 5. The advent of the e-commerce, its advantages and disadvantages. 3. Literature Review E-Commerce E-commerce may be defined as â€Å"The sharing of business information, maintaining business relationships, and conducting business transactions by means of Internet-based technology† (Riggins Rhee, 1998, p. 90). Alternately it may also be defined as â€Å"Anything that enhances your relationships with an existing customer and increases the revenue you get from the customer.† (Sullivan, 1998, p.24). The Internet and Electronic Commerce have made the world market smaller place to trade in. The Internet has opened up many possibilities of organising and running an online business. It has created a universal platform for buying and selling of goods which has resulted in faster transaction times and reduced transaction costs. Colin Turner (2000), in his book on the information of e-economy, talks about the e-commerce business accomplishment and strategies. E-commerce has its benefits and shortcomings, along with this belief; the companies are also battling with the pressures of information technology revolution coming to an end. â€Å"Despite all the hype surrounding electronic commerce, and the recent failure of many of that com companies, it does present real opportunities to small entrepreneurs in many countries.† (Fatal and Janet, 2004) Classification of E-commerce According to the applications or the nature of transaction of E-commerce, it can be categorized as follows: Turban et al (2000) divided E-commerce into three categories in terms of its applications: a) Electronic markets: It refers to buying and selling goods and services at an electronic marketplace, where the business centre is not a physical building but rather a network-based location. The market handles all the necessary transaction, including response to information request, purchase acknowledgement, shipping notice, purchase/service delivery, payment acknowledgement, and the transfer of money between banks and so on. In electronic market, the principal participants transaction handlers, buyers, brokers, and sellers, are not only at different locations but seldom even know one another. The means of interconnection varies among parties and can change from event to event, even between the same parties. b) Inter-organisational systems: They are facilitating inter and intra-organization flow of information, communication and collaboration. An IOS (inter-organisational information systems) involves information flow among two or more organisations. Its major objective is efficient information and transaction processing. All relationships are predetermined and there is no negotiation, just execution. A typical IOS includes a company and its suppliers and/or customers. Through it, buyers and sellers arrange routine business transactions and information is exchanged over communications networks using prearranged formats. Its main types aired (Electronic data interchange), extranets, electronic funds transfer, electronic forms, integrated messaging, shared databases and supply chain management. c) Customer service: It is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction, helping customers to resolve problems they encountered in any phase of the purchasing process. E-commerce plays a dual role in customer service. First, it provides customer service to a process that is done completely offline. Second, it provides help to online transactions. Types of customer service include answering customer inquiries, providing search and comparison capabilities, providing technical information to customers, allowing customers to track order status, and allowing customers to place an online order and so on. Kalakos Whinstone (1997) contended that there are three distinct general classes of electronic commerce applications: a) Inter-organizational Electronic Commerce: Like Turban et al above, Kalakos Whinstone consider that-commerce can be applied in following inter-organizational business: Supplier management: Electronic applications help companies reduce the number of suppliers and facilitate business partnerships by reducing purchase order (PO) processing costs and cycle times, and by increasing the number of Pops processed with fewer people. Inventory management: It shortens the order-ship-bill cycle and time of transmitting information. Businesses can also track their documents to ensure that they were received, thereby improving auditing capabilities. This also helps reduce inventory levels, improve inventory turns and eliminate out-of-stock occurrences. Distribution management: Electronic application facilitate the transmission of shipping documents such as bills of lading, pur chase orders, advanced ship notices, and manifest claims, and enable better resource management by ensuring that the documents themselves contain more accurate data. Channel management: Electronic application quickly disseminates information about changing operational conditions to trading partners. By electronically linking production-related information with international distributor and reseller networks, companies can eliminate thousands of labour hours and ensure accurate information sharing. Payment management: Linking companies with suppliers and distributors enables payment to be sent and received electronically. Electronic payment reduces clerical error, increases the speed at which companies compute invoices, and lowers transaction fees and costs. b) Intra-organizational commerce The purpose of intra-organizational applications is to help a company maintain the relationships that are critical to delivering superior customer value. Its applications are as follows: Workgroup communications: It enables managers to communicate with employees using electronic mail, videoconferencing, and bulletin board, hence increase the dissemination of information, resulting in better-informed employees. Electronic publishing: It enables companies to organize, publish and disseminate human resources manuals, product specifications and meeting minutes using tools such as the World Wide Web. Meanwhile, it reduces costs for printing and distributing documentation, faster delivery of information and reduction of outdate information. Sales force productivity: These applications improve the flow of information between the production and sales forces, and between the firms and customers. The goal is to allow firms to collect market intelligence quickly and to analyse if more thoroughly. c) Consumer-to-Business Electronic Commerce Social interaction: Consumers can communicate with each other through e-mail, videoconferencing, and news group etc. Personal finance management: El ectronic applications enable consumers to manage investments and personal finances using online banking tools. Purchasing products and information: Consumers can find online information about existing and new products/services. Turban et al (2000) further goes on to describe E-Commerce based on the types of transactions and are more popularly known as: B2B (Business-to-Business): Most of E-commerce today is of this type. It includes the IOS transactions and electronic market transactions between organisations. B2C (Business-to-Consumer): These are retailing transactions with individual shoppers. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): In this category, consumers sell directly to consumers. C2B (Consumer-to-Business): In this category, consumers sell directly to organisations. Challenges to E-Commerce Although the Internet offers great deals of advantages to electronic commerce and businesses, it also provides a number of challenges. Some of these challenges as mentioned by Turban et al (2000) are discussed below: 1. Unsuccessful Business Models Not all companies that implement electronic commerce make benefits. Technologies changes so rapidly that keeping pace with change ultimately becomes too expensive or results in a failure. 2. Channel Conflicts Sometimes a company uses more than one distribution channel (Online as well as traditional channels) to sell its products and services. This can cause conflict between the dealers as it becomes important in such case to maintain a balance between the different channels. For e.g.it might be possible that a particular company tries to sell its product online at a lesser cost with some discount and maintains the original cost while selling it offline. This disparity can cause its dealers to create a problem. 3. Legal Issues Internet Law s are confusing and mostly non-existent. Also the Internet’s global and is used by individuals from different countries and thus it becomes difficult to decide which law to apply if a conflict arises. 4. Security Privacy This is the most important issue concerned with online transactions and businesses. Important information and valuable data like credit/debit card details, personal information, business plans and other company data can be easily leaked and tracked by hackers. Security risk in electronic payments has been one of the major reasons in making online businesses not to grow rapidly over the Internet. Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Different countries define small medium enterprises in different ways. Teethe and Burn (2001) define small medium enterprises (SME) as â€Å"firms with less than 500 employees. This is further broken down into micro companies, those with less than 5 employees; small companies, those with 5 to 20 employees and medium companies, those with between20 and 500 employees. On the other hand, the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI, 1999) define SME’s as firms with 250 employees or fewer. The European Commission (2003) defines SME’s as follows: microenterprises are enterprises with a maximum number of 10 employees, maximum turnover of 2 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of total of 2 million euros. While small enterprises are enterprises with maximum number of 50 employees, a maximum turnover of 10 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of a total of 10 million euros. Finally medium enterprises are enterprises with a maximum number of 250employees, a maximum turnover of 50 million euros and a maximum balance sheet of a total of 43 million euros. Figure 2 SME Thresholds (European Commission, 2003) Buncombe (1999) points out that a number of studies have attempted to collect information on the make-up of Botswanas SME sector, by gaining access to official statistics and by conducting field surveys in connection with various research projects. According to the report, he defines enterprises according to the number of employees, annual turnover, and level of formality. There is no real universally standard definition for Small firms. In a study carried by the ILO, more than 50definitions were identified in 75 different countries, with considerable ambiguity in the terminology used. For the purpose of this study the author will go with the definition of Small firms which defines Small firms as firms with 49 or fewer employees. From the foregoing definition of small medium enterprises (SME’s) by different researchers, it can be seen that the number of employees and turnover are the determinant factors in the definition of SME, but, the criteria is different from country to country. SME’s and E-Commerce Internet became a main way for effective marketing in business. It is one of the most effective media all over the world and this makes it compulsory channel to use for market entries. Specifically, small firms have major problems with strong companies and existing small firms about market entries in the market. They have to prove their identity in the market as an enterprise despite all these rivalry and difficulties such as web design, domain name, site security responsibilities to customers, etc. They have to let customers know that they are in the market and internet is an efficient way to do so. Furthermore, cost advantages which come with e-commerce are reasonable for market entry. Small firms have a lot of to do as they are new tithe market or they need to grow in the market. They try to cut costs and increase investments in their business. Internet provides great opportunity to small firms for their activities in the market. Even as they serve a local or regional market rather than a national or an international market, it might be difficult to enter market or to reach customers. E-commerce appears as the most efficient way to gain successor small firms in existing fierce rivalry. The small firms generally provide the majority of the jobs and are significant contributor towards the national economy (Baldwin, 2001).Small and medium scale enterprises are considered to be the core out’s economy. According to Smith et al (2000) 99% of UK business firms can be categorized as small businesses and they employ up to 58% out’s total workforce. Hence small firms are extremely important in UK’s economy and the government expends considerable resources to support this sector. The UK government admits that small firms are neglected and left behind while the larger companies getting advantage over small businesses in the e-commerce world (Simpson; Docherty, 2004) Thus it’s very important to study the problems and barriers encountered in adopting a new economy cycle by the sector which represents the majority of the countries businesses. Sadowski et al (2002) notes that even after the widespread use of internet technologies in the corporate world, the amount of Internet use varies to a great extent in the small-scale sector. The adoption of any new technology in this sector is influenced by the several variables as stated by Martens et al (2001). These factors may include the characteristic of the firm, its competitiveness, the influence it has on third parties in the decision process, the management strategy and the characteristic of the new technology itself. All these factors lead company to strategic advantage if they used as they should be. It is important that the company sustains strategic advantage from e-commerce. Competitive business environment makes this matter more important (Hiding, 1999).As long as the company provides well designed web-site that suits with business and its requirements, then strategic advantage can be sustained. Thomas H. Davenport (1993), in his book, ‘Process Innovation –Reengineering work through information technology talks about, how revolutionary approach to information technology and its integration in our business processes can change the scenario. This can dramatically change the way business is conducted in small and medium enterprises also improve the performance keeping in view the competitive environment. New technologies and process innovation brings a new commitment and strategic evolution to these enterprises. Resources like information technology and e-commerce are largely untapped by the SME’s but once that scenario changes, there will be a lot of improvisations and growth avenues. Mandel (2001) says that every technological innovation and discovery finally has it downturn. When these new opportunities like e-commerce come into play, all businesses want ashore of this market. In their rush to get more profits, the investments are so heavy and lacking direction that invariably it leads to a loss since the economy infrastructure cannot support it. This has been proven with the dotcom burst and doom. According to some authors, these SME’s can actually use the innovation of e-commerce to march forward and become integral contributors to the economies. Due to their sizes they lack the initiative and financial power to go all out and compete in different markets, e-commerce could be the solution to some of the marketing gaps, which hold them back from becoming more successful. Importance of SME’s to countries’ economies Baraka (2001) reports that growing evidence indicates that Small Medium Enterprises play an important role in promoting the national economic development of any country. They create a lot of new jobs and produce much of the creativity and innovation that fuels economic progress. Ninety present of the total number of companies in most countries is comprised of small medium enterprises, which provide on average 70% of job opportunities (OECD, 1997). 26% of OECD exports and35% of Asias export are directly produced by small medium firms as suggested by Tendon (2002). The existing literature from research in different studies points out that Small medium enterprises (SME) world-wide have found that Internet use has become a critically important aspect of their business. Porter(2001) supports this view and suggests that companies of all sizes should have a strategy of reacting to competitors and increased adoption of the Internet technology, which will lead to increase in competition within markets. He further points out that e-commerce reduces the difference among competitors offerings and frequently migrate competition to price rather than products features or brand perceptions. He also suggests that smaller businesses could improve their business competitiveness with either other small businesses or larger companies by adopting e-commerce. Porter (2001) is backed up by an earlier study (Jacobs and Rowland 2000). They suggest that smaller businesses have, in particular, been encouraged to adopt e-commerce as a means of improving their competitiveness, either with other small medium enterprises or with larger companies, where they have been promised that e-commerce can level the playing. According to Daniel and Wilson (2002), small and medium-sized enterprises are now increasingly making use of e-commerce. Daniel further suggests that â€Å"responding to competitive pressure was the main reason leading to companies to adopt e-commerce. Information sharing and communication between employees within the firm were found to bethe e-commerce activities where firms are realizing the greatest benefits. Hence, though the future of e-commerce is still unpredictable, it is important that developing countries, their governments and businesses should prepare for these new developments. Benefits of e-commerce to SME’s A growing number of organisations have implemented e-commerce in the hope of improving decision making, lowering costs and improving customer satisfaction levels. A major benefit of e-commerce is cost reduction as Tagliavini et al (2001) pointed out a correct adoption of-commerce could lead to a reduction of transaction costs and coordination costs. Also, Davies and Garcia (1999) argue that benefits for SME’s are faster communication, effective dissemination and collection of information and closer relationships throughout the supply chain. Meanwhile, Liu and Arnett (2000) suggested theatre-commerce can help business organisations cut costs, interact directly with customers, run more smoothly and in a timelier manner, and even better, it can help an organization outperform its competition. Further driving factors of e-commerce for SME’s are also identified by Auger and Gallagher (1997) as follows: access to an Affluent Customer Base, lower Information Dissemination Costs, lower Transaction Costs, broader Market Reach, increased Service, additional Channels for Customer Feedback and Consumer and Market Research. Reducing costs, better communication with customers, access to larger customer base, and extended market are the major benefits of using-commerce agreed by a number of authors. At the same time, the more detailed benefits of e-commerce to SME’s are summarized as follows: †¢ Innovative products, better services and exploring new market opportunities; †¢ Shift in value added and content components of what is made and sold; †¢ Changes to economies of scale and the traditional barriers and advantages of large enterprises; †¢ Untying work functions from specific locations and time constraints; †¢ Flattening and disaggregating of organisational structures; †¢ Scope for customization at low cost; and †¢ Commercialization of in-house content and know-how. However, a study conducted by Poon (1999) found that the benefits of Internet commerce could be classified into long-term and short-term benefits, direct and indirect benefits. He suggested that the short-term benefits should be achieved within a few months, while the long-term benefits may take longer and unable to be predicted. The use of e-commerce can benefit SME’s in terms of reducing costs and access to larger customer base in the short term, and business transformation in the future. The use of e-commerce will also have a great deal of effect on the SME’s business activities as Tagliavini et al. (2001)indicated that E-Commerce has an important influence on SME’s; range of activity, providing increased competition on a global scale and allowing them to access wider markets. From the above literature it could be rightly said that E-Commerce adoption is an essential business strategy for SME’s to obtain competitive advantage. Opportunities and Threats faced by SME’s There are major opportunities for new entrepreneurs and small- to medium-sized businesses to flourish in the maturing of e-commerce(Drew, 2003). The use of e-commerce has provided a variety of benefits for SME’s as well as a number of potential opportunities. â€Å"The Internet’s usually presented as an opportunity for smaller firms because it helps reduce transaction costs and level the playing field (Evans and Wurster, 1997). The opportunities for SME’s include expanding scope of marketing, wider and richer communication, reaching new market and reducing cost of operations and partnering with suppliers (Drew, 2003). According to a report conducted by Prevost (1998), there are variety of opportunities added to SME’s, including efficiency and productivity for business process, the development of new market opportunity (B2C andB2B) as well as access to global market. Also, the e-commerce give SME’s opportunity to exploit competitive and know how benefits as suggested by Tagliavini et al. (2001). Nevertheless, how to use e-commerce as an opportunity to SME’s will depend on the industry and firm factor implied by Drew (2003). These influenced factors include: The smaller firm’s technical and Internet knowledge; The rate at which the market is growing; The pace of innovation and change in the industry; The technical and Internet strengths of the larger competitors; The sources of competitive advantage for the smaller business; The strategic intent of the larger competitors; and The structure of the industry in which the firm competes. Generally, the market, industry structure, and macro-environment will be the major influenced factors that decide e-commerce as an opportunity or threat for SME’s. Therefore, although it is not doubt that e-commerce has provided a huge opportunity for SME’s in the range of business activities, the external and internal factors must be considered strategically while adopting e-commerce. However, Tagliaviniet al (2001) argued, the real opportunity of E-Commerce adoption force’s is still unclear(p.211). Global Trading The significant opportunity for SME’s is to extend existing market to international market addressed by a number of authors (OECD, 1998;Webb and Sawyer, 1998; Walczuch et al., 2000 and Giessen et al., 2001).Giessen (2001) remarks â€Å"the twin phenomena of globalization and-commerce pose new challenges and provide competitive opportunities for large and small firms alike†. It is an imperative opportunity force’s to access the global market, as the one of the important feature of e-commerce is global reach as stated by Loudon (2001). Therefore, ME’s are expecting the opportunity to extend existing market into globalization by using e-commerce. Undoubtedly, Internet has provided chance for SME’s to diminish the entry barrier and costs into global trading market as electronic commerce offers companies the possibility to sell internationally, effectively removing constraints of time and location and substantially enhancing their competitiveness, and it is the most imperative opportunity for SME’s to increase productivity andthe capability to entry markets and discover business partners globally(OECD, 1998). Indeed, the reach of global market is an exciting opportunity for SME’s to grow in terms of the size of company and competitive advantage. However, Jutland et al. (2002) proclaims that â€Å"globalization pressures arising from e-commerce operations often mean that SME’s have to acquire international trade knowledge. Publishing company’s website in the Internet is simple but trading in the global market is not so simple task for any of the SME’s. As Teethe and Burn (2001) points out that the challenge for SME’s are complicated byte general lack of clearly defined frameworks for analysis of the entire processes of strategy building, implementation and management with aspect to the emergent global information economy. However-commerce truly provides the great opportunity for SME’s to increase competence with lager firms in variety of business opportunities as well as an opportunity to extend trading geography. The various opportunities offered by e-commerce are the significant riving factors that encourage a firm to adopt e-commerce as its business operation. Threats Although the use of e-commerce has provided a huge opportunity force’s in range of business activities, e-commerce might become a threat for SME’s while trying to explore a variety of opportunity by using-commerce. As Drew (2003) indicates there are a number of threats of-commerce for SME’s. These threats include increasing competition from larger firms as the new medium allows larger firms to mimic the traditional strengths of SME’s in serving niche markets, developing customer intimacy