Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Generic vs. Name Brand
You Get What You Pay For When you shop for groceries where do you stand in choosing either a generic vs. brand name product? Do you reach for the brand name box of Kraft macaroni and cheese, or would you rather pick up a generic box of macaroni and cheese to save that extra 10 cents? Is your decision based off a difference in taste or is it simply a matter of paying for quality of the product? What does spending more money on a brand name food product have to say about who we are in our culture today?Today there is an idea that by buying a brand name product a person is buying something of more quality, which can strangely in turn determine our importance in society. My mother stood firm by the phrase ââ¬Å"you get what you pay forâ⬠. Meaning name brand foods taste better and are higher quality, and that the no name ââ¬Å"genericâ⬠brands are cheap and donââ¬â¢t taste as good. I even remember years ago on a routine trip to the grocery store, my mother asked me to get s paghetti sauce. When I returned my mother remarked, ââ¬Å"Lauren you got the wrong sauce.Please run and get me the good sauce, the name brand spaghetti sauce, not this cheap gross sauceâ⬠. Afterwards she was even given a taste test between the two sauces, and struggled to make a choice and give me the right answer to support her belief. Considering most generic brand foods and the name brand foods taste almost identical to one another, wouldnââ¬â¢t one think that the less expensive, no name brand would be the obvious one to buy? Yet society still is drawn to choose the name brand items.Shoppers are quite leery of some categories. Although theyââ¬â¢ll snap up store brand paper goods and plastics, consumers almost never buy store-brand wine, pet food, soda, or soup. That may be especially true when the category includes a name brand such as Coca-Cola or Campbellââ¬â¢s. Most grocery store shoppers know that buying generic store brand products instead of the brand name pr oducts can save a lot of money. In fact, by filling a shopping cart with generic brands could save an average of 30 percent on your purchase.If you spend $100 a week on groceries, those savings add up to more than $1,400 a year. Yet some shoppers are insistent to go for the name brands for the reason that they have a name to protect with their product. Meaning satisfaction of the product is guaranteed. However, if they taste the same why is there a price difference at all? Several reasons for the discounted price on the no name generic brands is that companies donââ¬â¢t spend a lot of time or money on product development or on advertising or promotion costs.You definitely pay a little bit more money for the label that is researched, designed and marketed to be more appealing to the targeted buyer. The generic brand companies keep cost low by taking the extra costs of research, marketing and graphic art frills away and presenting you with a less flashy, less quality version of pac kaging for a lower amount of money. People buy generic products to save money, however, it may also have an effect on the buyerââ¬â¢s own sense of self-worth. Buying generic products lower self-esteem. Indulging on top quality items makes us feel better about ourselves.For the most part, buying nice things makes us happy. Although, there are those who find joy in buying generic as well. Some may feel genuinely smart when using generics instead of brand names. This may be a result of the feeling that they received an equal product for less money. Yet that unconscious link between the products we buy and how they make us feel about ourselves suggest that if holding a box of generic corn flakes in the supermarket makes you feel like ââ¬Å"a loser,â⬠than you might want to put it down and reach for the Kelloggââ¬â¢s.To support that brand name foods are better itââ¬â¢s been argued that cost also has to do with the quality of products that are put into the item. You should compare the ingredients of the generic and the name brand before buying. Make sure that they have the same ingredients and that the generic does not have more unhealthy ingredients than the generic. Also, a brand name tends to have a little bit higher quality of products than the generic version. While the generic may list the exact same ingredients, it may not be as good of quality which ââ¬Å"couldâ⬠affect the taste.The individuals that usually buy brand name products have a tendency to believe they must buy them in order to get good quality. Meaning of course better quality is overall ââ¬Å"betterâ⬠in taste and health. Although, the qualities of ingredients between products are almost always identical to one another, making this argument nearly useless. The idea of better quality in name brand versus generic moves on still into a more psychological aspect rather than just economic.Society continues to buy into the belief that if it costs more it must be better. Why is that a fancy picture and a higher cost for a product give a person the impression that owning this item makes them feel better about themselves? Pride of ownership comes to play, and something about buying better quality makes a person feel better about a their own status in society. Perhaps a person may feel they work hard and deserve the best or that if they buy the name brand, they will experience better health, happiness, or appearance.This is supported with the fact that even though the spaghetti sauce taste test proved to my mother that there was little or no difference between sauces, she still buys and insists the name brand sauce is better. To this day you will rarely find a generic brand food box or label in my motherââ¬â¢s pantry. Do you really get what you pay for? Well, if you want to help pay the salaries of the advertising, development and research teams that go into the name brand products then you do! However, if you want to save money and still experience a q uality product with a comparable taste, generic no name brands would be the obvious answer.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Process Design and Management Essay
Increased co-production of goods and services (Process Design and Management) The Internet has opened new ways for the customer to interact directly with a firm. Simple direct entry and monitoring of orders is only the first step in the progression of value-added services made possible through information sharing. 1. 0 Introduction The topic of process design and management will generally goes on explaining the word ââ¬Ëdesignââ¬â¢, in its broadest sense, is right at the heart of operations management. The design is an activity that can be approached at different levels of detail. Design must reflect the needs of customers, and able applies to products, services and processes. It can be managed as an operations transformation process in its own right. Moreover, the design is starts with something very abstract which represents a concept and ends with something very specific, which means by the final design. Some defines that to ââ¬Ëdesignââ¬â¢ is to conceive the looks, arrangement, and workings of something before it is created. First, the position of the process according to its volume and variety characteristics must be defined. Eventually the details of the process must be analyzed to ensure that it fulfills its objectives effectively. Product/service design and process design are interrelated. Small changes in the design of products and services can have profound implications for the way the operation eventually has to produce them. Similarly, the design of a process can constrain the freedom of product and service designers to operate as they would wish. The relationship between designing products and services on one hand and designing the processes that make them is an important point to consider. It is possible to separate product design and process design in manufacturing sector, however it is impossible in practice to separate service design and process design. This is because many services (especially high visibility services) are the same thing. Even in manufacturing industries there has recently been considerable effort put into examining the overlap between product and process design. There is a growing recognition that the design of products has a major effect on the cost of making them. Many of the decisions were taken during the design of products (for example, choosing the material from which the roduct is going to be made, or the way in which the various components are fastened together) will all define much of the cost of making it. , Therefore, to evaluate the various choices which the designer faces in terms of their effect on manufacturing cost as well as on the functionality of the product itself. Also, the way in which product and process design overall has a significant effect on the time between starting the initial concept design for the product and eventually getting it to market. 2. 0Discussion 2. 1Internet Contributed in Online Purchase Process With the advancement of technology, many aspects of the face-to-face interpersonal dynamics in service encounters between sellers and customers have been replaced with technology-based Internet interfaces. Internet can be regarded as sets of connected firms. A retailer can use an Internet presence to reach consumers all around the world. The Internet makes the expanded range of products, services, and information accessible for consumers from geographically distant and/or emerging markets. In recent years, e-commerce has grown dramatically in terms of volume and variety of goods and services traded. This has created significant opportunities to serve customers through internet stores. It is important for internet stores to focus on achieving higher customer satisfaction to increase co-production of goods and services and to retain customers. According to Field and Smith, internet interaction between a retailer and a customer from the point the customer arrives at the retailerââ¬â¢s website to the point the retailer fulfills the customerââ¬â¢s order, has quickly emerged to become an important class of service operations (Field et al. , 2004; Smith et al. , 2007). Co-production of goods and services in internet is growing steadily. For example, in the third quarter of 2009, internet retailing sales in the U. S totaled approximately $34 billion, a 4. 5% increase from the previous quarter. The quality of the internet on the purchase process has been found to affect customersââ¬â¢ purchase decisions, satisfaction, and loyalty in online retailing (Zeithaml et al. , 2002; Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2009). Hence, to be competitive in the market place, internet is the paramount and as the new ways for the customer to interact directly with a firm. Besides that, the internet is responsive and convenient for customers in the online purchase process. Through internet, the firms being able respond to the unique needs and wants of individual customers by providing the ââ¬Å"right content in the right format to the right person at the right time. â⬠Retailers can facilitate a convenient and responsive online purchase process, serve their customers better, improve customer satisfaction and increase retention. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate result of meeting a consumerââ¬â¢s expectation from the performance of products. Most satisfied customers normally have the intention to re-purchase the products if product performance meets his or her expectation. Like traditional business, online businesses also need to satisfy their customers. Customer satisfaction is one of the central constructs in the study of consumer behavior both in traditional and online business environment (Alam et al. , 2008) found that website design is one of the unique features affecting online shopping environment (Shergill and Chen. , 2005) identified web site design characteristics as the dominant factor which influences consumer perceptions of online purchasing. It can be argued that online shoppers want to receive the right quality and right quantity of items that they have ordered within the stipulated time offer by the e-tailers. In addition, time and cost saving are the main advantages of online shopping. Time efficiency and store efficiency are reflected in time cost and price savings respectively (Devaraj et al. , 2002). These are the determinants of satisfaction. Delivery performance has significant influence on customer satisfaction (Lee and Joshi et al. , 2007; Ahn et al. , 2004; Ho et al. 2004); Grewal et al. , 2004 and Shih et al. , 2004). One of the examples of online firm that successfully increase their co-production of goods and services via internet is Amazon. In an annual study tracking customer satisfaction ratings with the top 10 online retailers, perhaps the biggest takeaway is that Amazon is the worldââ¬â¢s biggest e-retailer for a reason that it just plain makes customers happier than their competitors (show by Table 1 below). Amazon continues to set the standard for e-retailers. For instance, upon arrival at the Amazon. om website, a registered customer is greeted by the customerââ¬â¢s name. The customer is then provided with recommendations of products that the customer might be interested in, based on the product searched for or those previously bought by the customer. The website provides the option of receiving reminders of special events like birthdays of loved ones or information about the arrival of the latest books by their preferred author. When the customer is ready to make the purchase, the website retrieves the personal account information such as shipping and payment. In the early stages of Internet development, trust is a critical factor in stimulating purchases over the Internet. Trust is not only a short-term issue but the most significant long-term barrier for realizing the potential of Internet marketing to consumers. An experiential survey of U. S. -based online surfers, new to Internet based shopping, found the shoppers fascinated by international shopping opportunities on the Web, but they were skeptical about actual purchasing from overseas sites. Others report widespread distrust among consumers about Internet-based merchants. To improve customer loyalty, some websites offer discussion groups in their websites and promote common interest to pull targeted customers. When the website contains valuable information about the product then the customer would be motivated to visit the website again. Just like any other medium of business, internet business should also focus on making their customers feel ââ¬Ëspecialââ¬â¢. In any business, customer loyalty is a result of exceptional personal services and exceeding customer expectations. 2. 2Internet Strive to Born Global Firms More and more firmsââ¬â¢ even very small ones have operations that bridge national borders soon after their founding. Due to the Internet and related information technologies (IT) that enable many of them, this new breed of firms began emerging in the 1990s and is dubbed ââ¬Å"born-globalâ⬠because their operations often span the globe early in their existence. The definition of born global firm is ââ¬Å"a business organization that, from inception, seeks to derive significant competitive advantage from the use of resources and the sale of outputs in multiple countries. Born global firms begin with a borderless world view, and immediately develop strategies to expand themselves abroad. This is striking, given the great changes that have taken place in the marketing environment due to introduction of the Internet and other modern technologies that enable bypassing of conventional channels (Frazier et al. , 1999). It therefore seems justifiable to study the Internet-based channel strategies of born globals (Moen et al. , 2002). It is particularly interesting to examine the global expansion of the born globals and their use of the Internet as a sales channel (Servais, Madsen, & Rasmussen, 2007). A few studies have investigated the role of information and communications technologies in the international performance of born global firms. Loane (2006) examined the role of the internet in the internationalization of small entrepreneurial firms from various countries (Loane, 2006). Born globals use the internet for communication, for marketing communications, and to lesser degree for managing customer relationships as well as sales transactions and fulfillment activities. Most of the investigated firms also se the internet to support off-line sales, and about one-quarter used the internet to support distribution channels and intermediaries. A significant number of firms used the internet to support relations with partners, suppliers, clients, agents and distributors, R&D partners, and software coding developers, both nationally and internationally. The born globals also used the Internet as a tool for acquiring knowledge, such as market and competitive intelligence, which the n become part of the collective wisdom of the firm. The internet makes borders between countries less relevant and facilitates direct interaction between all types of business entities around the world. Born globals use the internet to convey their market presence abroad, support relationships with foreign partners, offer services related to their products, facilitate product development, and maintain relations with foreign customers (Servais, Madsen, and Rasmussen et al. , 2007). Logitech, the computer peripherals company, is perhaps one of the best early examples of a successful born-global firm. According to Benjamin M. Oviatt and Patricia Phillips McDougall, ââ¬Å"Global Start-Ups: Entrepreneurs on a Worldwide Stage. â⬠Focusing first on the PC mouse, the company was founded by two Italians and a Swiss. The companyââ¬â¢s operations and research and development were initially split between California and Switzerland, and then it expanded rapidly with production in Ireland and Taiwan. With its stylish and ergonomic products, Logitech captured 30 percent of the global computer mouse business by 1989, garnering the start-up a healthy $140 million in revenues. 2. 3 . Value and Productivity in the Internet Economy Nowadays, many business companies had started practiced in using internet to make interaction with consumer, business people, corporate, and trading partners. The product and service designs and the management play an important role in their profitability and their company sustainability. The company had created the website as haphazard compilations of company brochure ware or static personal web pages as well. These things had come out it with the images that users merely shared with friends and family. It has quickly evolved into a myriad of highly sophisticated online pplications and business processes. On the other hand, the forward thinking company had introduced to attain new heights in productivity and the forward thinking companies could created by leveraging the internet massive public technology infrastructure. To increase the co- production of goods and services, the innovation and awareness of using internet are important to create value through the technologies component. Other than that, the human capitals are also important in operation of the business and managing the design in the company. Therefore, the employers must to be selective in recruiting, and hiring people, whomever that he or she are able to give their efforts into the jobs or task. The value added service could be made by proposing the internet way user whereby the customer can interact directly to the company to improve and enhance their quality service and product through fulfil the customer needs and satisfaction. All of these elements are need depends on the capability of the human resource which in not only posses the technologies equipment. The company have to construct the internet economyââ¬â¢s structure by referred the economics performance in traditional, among other things, technology, the transportation infrastructure, availability of raw materials, and the quality of a skilled labor force. In contrast, the Internet economy comprises the four-layered model shown in Figure 1. The Internetââ¬â¢s infrastructure consists of two layers which are including the global high-speed IP-based networks and applications, and consulting, training, and integration services. Each Internet economy layer has a complementary relationship with every other layer. For example, with advances in layers 1 and 2, ? rms at layers 3 and 4 can provide media-rich content to consumers as well as offering new digital products and services Besides that, complementary relationship implies that the value of doing more of one factor increases by doing more of another. Internet applications and e-commerce are strong complementary relationship between the network infrastructures in the Internet economy. For example, as the Internet bandwidth increases dramatically with the spread of broadband technology, application vendors are rushing to develop powerful multimedia software that can take advantage of the increased bandwidth. These factors lead to increased economic activity on the Internet in the form of media-rich content. The Internet had open the nature stimulates innovation in the network and applications infrastructure, leading to the vastly accelerated development and deployment of new technologies in the Internet marketplace. Figure 2 shows an import/export view of the Internet and physical economies that groups businesses in ? ve categories: 1st : pure digital-products businesses that offer content, knowledge, or services directly over the Internet. 2nd Internet-based companies that deal with physical products, importing goods to be sold from the physical economy. 3rd Traditional businesses that sell some of their products or services directly over the Internet. 4th content developers, Internet service providers, Web and applications hosting services. 5th companies that do not sell directly over the Internet. Unlike the physical economy, which relies heavily on physical resources, the Internet economy thrives on information and knowledge to create value, productivity, and efficiency. Firms that rely on these intangible assets are more likely to succeed in this new world than those that continue to focus on physical processes. The Webââ¬â¢s information and knowledge intensity is a crucial factor in driving performance metrics like online revenue and gross margin, and every partner in a value Web must adopt the Internet in its daily operations to maximize the bene? s of electronic business. T here were few examples for these phenomena that might be able to be the related with it. One of the example is car assembly lines, which had ? rst appeared in the dictionary in 1930 (Hirschhorn, 1984: 9), were argued to be the keystone to prevailing 20th century concepts of human management (Emery, 1976). It is thus hardly surprising that industrial value production was conceptualized in terms of the value chain. The taxation system developed at that time re? cts this. In industrial value creation, customers were seen as destroying the value which producers had created for them. On the other hand, the accounting systems emerging at that time thus wrote down the value of what was acquired to zero over a shorter or longer depreciation period. The end user in this scheme equals the ? nal customer. For producers, industrial value was realized in the transaction, which joined and separated them from customers. Value here equalled the price which the customer paid: in competitive terms, value is the amount buyers are willing to pay for what a ? rm provides them (Porter, 1985: 38); or, value is what customers are willing to pay (Porter, 1985: 3). 2. 4 The Impact Of Design Management And Process Management On Quality: An Empirical Investigation. Design management and process management are two important elements of total quality management TQM implementation. They are drastically different in their targets of improvement, visibility, and techniques. In this paper will review the establishment of framework for identifying the synergistic linkages of design and process management to the operational quality outcomes during the manufacturing process internal quality and upon the field usage of the products external quality. Through a study of quality practices in manufacturing plants from multiple industries, the both design and process management efforts have an equal positive impact on internal quality outcomes such as scrap, rework, defects, performance, and external quality outcomes such as complaints, warranty, litigation, market share. A detailed contingency analysis shows that the proposed model of synergies between design and process management holds true for large and small firms, for firms with different levels of TQM experience, and in different industries with varying levels of competition, logistical complexity of production, or production process characteristics. Finally, the results also suggest that organizational learning enables mature TQM firms to implement both design and process efforts more rigorously and their synergy helps these firms to attain better quality outcomes. These findings indicate that, to attain superior quality outcomes, firms need to balance their design and process management efforts and persevere with long-term implementation of these efforts. The manufacturing strategy literature has viewed product quality as one of the major competitive priorities for attaining a sustainable competitive advantage Hill, 1994. Recently, the speed of new product introduction has also been added to this list of priorities Kim, 1996 . From a quality management perspective, the speed of new product design and development indicates the importance of designing quality into new products. Because design efforts often have a limiting impact on attainable product quality, several researchers have stressed the importance of designing quality into products Juran, 1981; Juran and Gryna, 1993; Hauser and Clausing, 1988; Dean and Susman, 1989; Taguchi and Clausing, 1990; Boothroyd et al. , 1994; Mizuno and Akao,1994 . External and internal quality outcomes the notion that overall market and business performance can be realized through long-term product quality improvement is a cornerstone of the contemporary quality revolution George and Weimerskirch, 1994; NIST, 1998. Customers form their impressions about a firms products based upon their current and past experience with these products Garvin,1987. A satisfactory field performance of the products is accompanied by lower customer dissatisfaction, greater customer loyalty, and improved market share Crosby, 1979; Buzzell and Gale, 1987; Hardie,1998 . We label this aspect of quality outcome as external quality because it is related to the customerââ¬â¢s perspective of the products upon field usage. It captures Juranââ¬â¢s fitness for use dimension of product quality Juran, 1981; Juran and Gryna, 1993 . Specifically, we focus our attention on four long-term indicators of external quality: warranty work, litigation claims, customer complaints, and market share. The quality of products passing internal tests of reliability should affect the experience of customers who use the products in two prominent ways. First, customers perceive product quality in terms of their net value defined as the ratio of performance to cost: Artzt, 1992. Thus, for products with the same performance levels, lower price will drive customer choice and satisfaction. Second, customers willing to spend a certain amount of money will choose the products that offer maximum performance for that money. 2. 5Internet as tool to enhance global strategy Itââ¬â¢s canââ¬â¢t be deny that the internet plays a major role in every aspect of our modern life. Moreover, Internet technologies play a major role in business. The internet has contributed to the success and growth of businesses. This journal article is emphasizing on Internet are used to enhance global strategy. Internet is a driver of globalization. Observing the more successful applications, commentators and researchers have suggested a number of industry characteristics which promote Internet use (Andal-Ancion et al. ,2003): digitizability of the end product (e. g. , most information-based products such as directories and encyclopedias), time sensitivity of the end product (e. g. , airline travel), high search costs (e. g. , books), potential for customization (e. g. , clothing retailers), insufficient matching of buyers and sellers (e. g. , business- to-business exchanges and consumer-to-consumer auction sites), and a tradeoff between richness and reach (e. . , retail brokerage, Evans and Wurster, 1999). First at all, the internet makes communication fast and cost efficient. Businesses use internet technologies such as Skype internet and video calls, email and video conferencing to make communication virtually instant. Next, the internet plays a big role in the growth of businesses. It gives businesses an opportunity to reach a wider global audience. Promoting through the internet is also a way to increase sales and reach the desired growth level. Business can also expand by having an online division. The effect of this decentralization of transactions and information transfer raises major questions about the role of bodies which would have traditionally had functions of control, such as governments and regulatory institutions. In terms of transferring, accessing information, companies are now much less dependent on local infrastructures. In the aspect of marketing, Internet was playing important role in advertising. Most businesses are taking advantage of the internet to market their products and services to a global audience. The most notable internet technologies here include search engines such as Google. Social networking websites play a role in business networking by connecting like-minded professionals. Through the internet, people have found business partners and great employees. Moreover, the internet has helped cut costs by outsourcing services to countries where it is cheaper to provide these services. Apart from that, outsourcing enables businesses to concentrate on their core services and become more efficient. One role of internet in business is the birth of ecommerce websites and online payment solutions that allow people to shop online from the comfort of their own homes. Furthermore, the internet has opened up new business opportunities and giving rise to a group of successful online business owners. This is a powerful role as anyone can now start an online business. Cost and speed advantages are also substantial. The Internet is a much less expensive way to send information, and this information can be received in real time anywhere in the world. For global businesses this has massive implications for the possible scale and scope of operations and redefines the traditional trade-off between richness and reach, allowing both to be achieved for relatively little cost. Internet also brings effects on global products and services. Global products and services are seldom totally standardized worldwide, but they are designed with global markets in mind, and they have as large a common core as possible. Some industries and categories, such as personal computers and air travel, allow the potential for a very large common core, while others, such as furniture and legal services, allow for less commonality. Deciding on the extent of global standardization poses a major dilemma for MNCs. Use of the Internet and websites eases this dilemma by making it easier to offer an array of global, regional, or local products, and local customization options for standard core products. While the same can be done through traditional media (brochures or sales calls), but the Web provides more options and the interactivity of the Internet provides for customization by the customer. This can seen from Dell Computerââ¬â¢s ordering system. As the lesson 4 in this article has mentioned the use of the Internet enables both globally standardized and locally customized products and services. Companies can now use the Internet to lessen the globalization tradeoffs they have had to make in regard to products and services. Now, let have a seen on co-production, which means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours. Where activities are co-produced in this way, both services and neighbourhoods become far more effective agents of change (David B & Michael H. ) the co-production has a significantly role in the process design and management. As the Internet has designed to interrelated the product and service jointly to the customer. For instance, Dell Computer has promoted Dell Online Self Dispatch to the customer as it is a comprehensive part dispatch program designed to support efficient hardware resolution. Dell also declared the Dell Online Self Dispatch (DOSD) as one global portal for efficient hardware resolution. The customers can access the Website through Internet to had the hardware support from Dell by self-service. 3. 0 Conclusion In summary, product/service design and process design are interrelated. Small changes in the design of products and services can be profound implications for the way the operation eventually has to produce them. The process design and management is right at the heart of operations management. The design is an activity of approaching at different levels of detail and it must be reflecting the needs of customers, and able applies to products, services and processes. The design is starts with something very abstract which represents a concept and ends with something very specific, which means by the final design. The company must follow the processes designs according to its volume and variety characteristics. Eventually the details of the process must be analyzed to ensure that it fulfills its objectives effectively. The proposed model of synergies between design and process management holds true for large and small firms, for firms with different levels of TQM experience, and in different industries with varying levels of competition, logistical complexity of production, or production process characteristics. Finally, the results also suggest that organizational learning enables mature TQM firms to implement both design and process efforts more rigorously and the synergies between design and process management help these firms to attain better quality outcomes. Q5. Raising senior management awareness of operations as a significant competitive weapon (Job Design and Performance Management). 1. 0 Introduction Many senior executives entered the organization through finance, trategy, or marketing and built their reputations on work in these areas, and as a result often take operations for granted. The executives have creatively used operations management for competitive advantage. Raising senior management awareness of operation as a significant competitive weapon refers to the job design of the senior management and the performance of the management. Theoretically, workersà areà motivatedà byà jobsà inà whichà theyà feelà theyà canà make aà differenceà in their perf ormance and the way theà tasksà give areà combinedà toà for completeà jobs. Clearà jobà descriptionsà will motivateà workforceà andà be successfulà in completionà ofà tasks. It also important to have both of the employer and employee needed to share understanding of the work to be done with it and comfort with working environment. The employee and employer also need to face the challenges associated with employing a large of people in a wide variety of people in a wide of capacities. Most of the employee is assigned to do a job because they are perceived to be able to fill its requirements. Manyà tasksà depending on ability time allotment and other constraints. The role of HR in the present scenario has undergone a sea change and its focus is on evolving such functional strategies which enable successful implementation of the major corporate strategies. In a way, HR and corporate strategies function in alignment. Today, HR works towards facilitating and improving the performance of the employees by building a conducive work environment and providing maximum opportunities to the employees for participating in organizational planning and decision making process. Today, all the major activities of HR are driven towards development of high performance leaders and fostering employee motivation. So, it can be interpreted that the role of HR has evolved from merely an appraiser to a facilitator and an enabler. Performance management is the current buzzword and is the need in the current times of cut throat competition and the organizational battle for leadership. Performance management is a much broader and a complicated function of HR, as it encompasses activities such as joint goal setting, continuous progress review and frequent communication, feedback and coaching for improved performance, implementation of employee development programmes nd rewarding achievements. The process of performance management starts with the joining of a new incumbent in a system and ends when an employee quits the organization. Performance management can be regarded as a systematic process by which the overall performance of an organization can be improved by improving the performance of individuals within a team framework. It is a means for promoting superior performance by communicating expec tations, defining roles within a required competence framework and establishing achievable benchmarks. Aà performance management processà sets the platform for rewarding excellence by aligning individual employee accomplishments with the organizationââ¬â¢s mission and objectives and making the employee and the organization understand the importance of a specific job in realizing outcomes. By establishing clear performance expectations which includes results, actions and behaviours, it helps the employees in understanding what exactly is expected out of their jobs and setting of standards help in eliminating those jobs which are of no use any longer. Through regular feedback and coaching, it provides an advantage of diagnosing the problems at an early stage and taking corrective actions. To conclude, performance management can be regarded as a proactive system of managing employee performance for driving the individuals and the organizations towards desired performance and results. Itââ¬â¢s about striking a harmonious alignment between individual and organizational objectives for accomplishment of excellence in performance. 2. 0 Discussion 2. 1 JOURNAL: THE EFFECT OF MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO SERVICE ON EMPLOYEE SERVICE BEHAVIORS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF JOB SATISFACTION Refer on the journal; the proposed model in the Thai hotel work setting indicates that management service initiatives, particularly training, rewards, and empowerment deliver a strong message to employees that the management is devoted to quality service, ultimately creating the positive affect (i. e. , employee satisfaction). Furthermore, the result showed that when employees are satisfied with their job, this positive feeling about their job motivates them to go the extra mile for customers and help co-workers and supervisors in need. Currently, not all hotel operators in Thailand favour the four management service initiatives because those options can be costly. However, it seems to be clear that management should consider allocating more resources to implement such initiatives. Among the four management service initiatives, rewards displayed the largest effect on Thai hotel workersââ¬â¢ job satisfaction, with the largest path coefficient. In general, two kinds of rewards are available: financial and nonfinancial rewards. Rewards also range from a simple thank-you note for an exceptional service to a large reward such as wage increase and promotion. Rewards given to employees, regardless of the type, must be meaningful to the employees and the organization. In other words, rewards should be based on employeesââ¬â¢ job performance and reflect the organizationââ¬â¢s goal and service standard. Most rewards in the Asian culture, including Thailand, are in monetary form. However, because of the growing influence of the Western style of management, rewards in the form of recognition, such as being selected as employees of the month (or the year) with a certificate, are getting popular in Thailand. This kind of recognition can increase employeesââ¬â¢ morale and make workers feel that they are appreciated and valued as a member of the organization, leading to job satisfaction and organizational loyalty. Panmunin (1993) reports that Thai hotel employees suffer from low self-esteem because the Thai caste system disparages servants as low caste individuals. The result of the present study seems to emphasize the importance of appropriate rewards for Thai frontline hotel workers, who may be often neglected and unappreciated in the caste system (high-power-distance culture), to improve their work morale. Next, this study demonstrates that training cannot be overlooked to satisfy hotel workers. Through training, Thai employees master the basic skills necessary to perform the daily duties of the position and develop job competence. In addition to the basic skills, more Thai hotels are offering training such as dealing with guestsââ¬â¢ complaints. It is a new type of training that originates from the Western hotel companies. Typically, when Thai employees encounter disgruntled or difficult guests, they have supervisors or mangers handle the situation. This new training program broadens frontline employeesââ¬â¢ responsibilities and teaches proper techniques to resolve conflicts and deal with problems immediately to build customer satisfaction. The result of this study seems to suggest that Thai hotel personnel are satisfied with this new, additional training. Third, this study implies that empowered Thai employees are satisfied and exert more positive service behaviours. This result contradicts the proposed hypothesis. Despite the vertical culture, more and more hotel organizations in Thailand are embracing the concept of empowerment by allowing frontline personnel to make more decisions to take care of in-house guests. Although empowerment is a relatively new concept for hotels in Thailand, the result indicates that line employees are quickly adopting such a work practice and are happy about it. In general, frontline employees are much younger than managers in Thai hotels. The young generation has been more exposed to the global influence of U. S. culture. Thus, young Thai hotel employees may regard a Western management practice such as empowerment highly. We also speculate that the positive empowerment outcome is attributed to the new additional training and the Western style of rewards. Research has shown that empowerment often involves training and rewards to be more effective. Another possible explanation regarding the positive effect of empowerment is the growing size of tourism. Thailand is one of the popular travel destinations in the world, and hotels are receiving large numbers of international customers. In Western countries, it is common to see frontline employees empowered to meet the guestsââ¬â¢ needs immediately. Travelers, particularly from the United States and Europe may be accustomed to such a level of customer focus and expect Thai hotels to offer a comparable level of service. The management in Thailand is becoming aware of the phenomenon and therefore expending more effort to make use of empowerment to please international hotel guests. Finally, there is no significant effect of organizational support on hotel employeesââ¬â¢ job satisfaction. In this study, organizational support focuses on help offered to frontline workers when necessary, appropriate job design, and support for frontline employeesââ¬â¢ goals and values. This insignificant result may be partly associated with the high power distance between supervisors and subordinates. In the Thai hotel organization, managers are more likely to be valued and respected than frontline personnel, and Thai managers with authoritative leaderships are least likely to place a high priority on the well-being of frontline employees and assisting in their job. Although the organizational culture is changing slowly, and large Thai hotel companies are adopting Western management styles, it takes a long time for employee perceptions to change. Thai frontline personnel are more likely to recognize strong organizational support (i. e. , they feel they receive enough help at work, their job is designed to be rewarding, and their goals and values are as important as managersââ¬â¢ goals and values) in the future. In the conclusion of organizational behaviour, service quality initiatives such as rewards, empowerment, training, and organizational support have been a revolving theme tied with employee satisfaction and performance. This study presents how these initiatives work in a culturally different setting such as Thailand. The results of this study indicate that the service quality initiatives, which mostly originate from the U. S. or Western (horizontal) culture, are worthy of trial in Asian hotels (with a vertical culture) because such initiatives may help improve frontline employeesââ¬â¢ morale and self-esteem and ultimately increase the overall effectiveness of the hotel operation. In summary, hoteliers should continue to increase decentralization of authority, develop attractive compensation, and improve frontline workersââ¬â¢ knowledge and skills through ongoing training. Then, all these efforts are likely to pay off by yielding happier, committed staff members who care about guests and other co-workers. 2. 2 ARTICLE JOURNAL: SHAKING UP INTELââ¬â¢S INSIDES Performance-based, standardized job descriptions provide employees with clear and attainable job duties and responsibilities as well as the resources needed to accomplish them (Mahdieh,2013). We work with employees to explain the tools and their importance to achievement of the organizationââ¬â¢s mission and goals a critical factor in retaining valuable staff and preventing costly burnout. Employees are an organizationââ¬â¢s most valuable resources. Companies spend considerable amounts of money and time developing and supporting their human resources. A critical component of this development and support is employee performance management. An employeeââ¬â¢s performance is a measure of the ways in which their work-related behavior contributes to achievement of the organizationââ¬â¢s business objectives. In this article, they have problem in new employee, employees are now ââ¬Å"on stageâ⬠when theyââ¬â¢re meeting with customers and ââ¬Å"off stageâ⬠when theyââ¬â¢re in a back office handling paperwork. And he implemented an exhaustive ââ¬Å"playbookâ⬠that has scripts for everything down to the language with which tellers are supposed to greet customers. Still, at one Boston branch McGee visited, Paul J. Hillson, a consumer marketing manager, concedes that he encountered initial resistance from some FleetBoston tellers: ââ¬Å"What you hear is, ââ¬ËBut I already know that customer. ââ¬Å"ââ¬Ë McGee agrees that changing employee behavior ââ¬Å"is still a work in progress. ââ¬Å". Managing this performance is the key to producing high achieving and reliable human resources. Performance management is a process by which managers and employees work together to plan, monitor and review an employeeââ¬â¢s work objectives and overall contribution to the organization(Memoona,2013). More than just an annual performance review, performance management is the continuous process of setting objectives, assessing progress and providing on-going coaching and feedback to ensure that employees are meeting their objectives and career goals. In this case we can see analysts said, has been the efforts of McGee and his team to overhaul Fleetââ¬â¢s branches, from products to training to culture. To lure new customers, BofA dangled free checking and free online bill-paying, a service for which many New England banks still charged. And while the old FleetBoston simply gave customers the 800 number for an outside mortgage lender, BofA has outfitted roughly two-thirds of Fleet branches with special software that approves or rejects a customerââ¬â¢s application for a mortgage or home-equity loans within 30 minutes. As a conclusion, this is in line with results in the emotions and justice literature that negative appraisals are influential drivers of employee behaviours and attitudes (Brown et al. ,2011). Performance appraisals are a basis component of human resource management, the outcomes of appraisals are used as the foundation of many human recourse decisions. While organizations devote considerable resources and time into performance appraisal this collected study has demonstrated that the quality of the employee performance appraisal experience are different. There are employees with low quality performance appraisal experiences while at the other end of the scale, there are some employees who state high quality experiences of the performance appraisal process. Moreover, this research demonstrates that organizations pay a price for letting low quality performance appraisal experiences, when employees have low quality performance appraisal experiences the organization will likely to bring a penalty in forms of lower job satisfaction and higher intentions to quit. 2. 3 ARTICLE: BOFAââ¬â¢S HAPPY SURPRISE In this world of competition as organizations effort to remain competitive and sustainable, human resources professionals and strategic planners should collaborate strongly in designing strategies which are more productive and useful (Dazel. 2103). Among these functions, one of the most critical ones that bring global success is performance appraisal . It is more considerable than other processes because its results show the success of the awareness of the other areas in the field of Human Resources and other personnel activities. In the other perspective, assumptions of corporate management show that performance appraisal makes people to be really engaged in the business of the organization. In this situation, the article shows heââ¬â¢s making it clear to employees that, under his leadership, Intel truly are entering a new era. Otellini, who officially takes the helm on May 18, will be the first chief executive without an engineering degree at a company where gear heads have reigned supreme. He believes that to keep Intel growing, every idea and technical solution should be focused on meeting customersââ¬â¢ needs from the outset. So rather than relying on its engineering prowess, Intelââ¬â¢s reorganization will bring together engineers, software writers, and marketers into five market-focused units: corporate computing, the digital home, mobile computing, health care, and channel products PCs for small manufacturers. The development of an organisational culture indicator followed a review of the organisational culture literature, in which particular attention was given to the instruments that have been most commonly used in its measurement (Michael, 2013). In this article, we can see that the new regime will cause a jolt to the culture. For decades, employees have been compensated for their own work. Now teams will be judged as a whole. Engineers, long the top dogs, may resist working with others. ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s like saying to a baseball player, ââ¬ËGee, weââ¬â¢re deciding to play pro football,â⬠ââ¬Ë says Edward E. Lawler, a professor at USCââ¬â¢s Marshall School of Business. ââ¬Å"All of a sudden, the rules of the game are very different. â⬠Otellini has begun to put the pieces in place. Now heââ¬â¢ll need the teamwork of his people to pull it off. As conclusion, this article established that there was no existing tool which adequately met our requirements for a comprehensive, up-to-date measure, easily completed by all levels of the workforce. Through the review process we were able to identify the cultural dimensions most frequently assessed in organisations and deemed important in this extensively researched field. A parallel search of literature on current manufacturing practice highlighted other areas less traditionally examined in culture research, but which we thought relevant in capturing critical aspects of organisational culture in the manufacturing sector. Performanceà managementà is a significant tool in businessà managementà today. Management activity of this type makes it easier to evaluate the productivity of individual employees as well as entire departments. As a result, the company will function more efficiently, may keep overhead low, and has a better chance of succeeding. There are many benefits ofà performance managementà that have a direct bearing on the day-to-day operation, which in turn makes the overall picture for the company much brighter. Inside the company of The New York Times, there have a lot of job design and performance management that occur and be built by the employer to their employees. Many advantages can we get by doing the implementation of job design and performance management. Through the implementation of performance management, the employer can get the result for what actually their employees doing in managing their work. The use of specific metrics in a performance management program allows employer to make decisions regarding performance breakdowns. Initially, it allows employer to pinpoint problems and take the proper corrective actions to immediately rectify them. For example, as our research in year 2003, according to the journal of The New York Times, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. , the current proprietor, faced what seemed to be a publisherââ¬â¢s ultimate test after a loosely supervised young reporter named Jayson Blair was found to have fabricated dozens of stories. The crisis was emerged between the employer and its employees after the employer getting know about their employeeââ¬â¢s attitude. The employer can strictly blot for whom employees that making a wrong attitude and breaking the rules of their job ethics. The effects of these crisis has causes the companyââ¬â¢s performance lagging. The companies had difficult moments eventual through allegations received due to errors employees. However, it can be improved by making implementation of performance management. Performance management allows employer to make decision and focus their feedback on issues or crisis directly related to the achievement of the individual employeeââ¬â¢s goals and objectives. Any other issues or crisis distracting the employee that donââ¬â¢t contribute to the unit or departmentââ¬â¢s performance can be quickly and effectively handled and eliminated. One of the examples of performance management that can be found in the journal of The New York Times is where Keller has made so many high-level personnel changes whereby two-thirds of all newsroom workers now report to a new boss. Other than that, Keller has also put into practice a string of reforms suggested by several internal committees formed in the wake of the Blair affair. Meaning to say, these include the appointment of a standards editor and a public editor, or ombudsman. After making this system, the company performances was increase and improved and at the same time the whole of operation managements can be run smoothly. According to journal, The Times posted its gains despite boosting the price of a subscription by more than 20% on average. As a conclusion, a good performance management system works towards the improvement of the overall organizational performance by managing the performance of teams and individuals. That is for ensuring the achievement of the overall organizational ambitions and goals. The Times can built more an effective performance management system that can play a very crucial role in managing the performance in an organization such as ensuring the employees understand the importance of their contribution to the organizational goals and objectives. Other than that, by ensuring each employee understands what is expected from them and equally as pertaining whether the employee possess the required skills and support for fulfilling such expectations. Ensuring proper aligning or linking of objectives and facilitating effective communication throughout the organization and facilitating a cordial and a harmonious relationship between an individual employee and also the line employer based on trust and empowerment. 2. 4 The Effects of Job Rotation Practices on Motivation: A Research on Managers in the Automotive Organizations This article is about the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) to calculate and analyze the level of technical, allocate and cost efficiencies of Australian hospital food service operations. As we know, every provision of food to the patients is the responsibility of each individual hospital. To prepare the food their must cooked and plated and serve it in hot condition, that can we call as a ââ¬Å"cook-serve systemâ⬠. Therefore this system required substantial labor input and always created tension arising because of the necessity of working tight schedules and need to achieve high quality standards. In 1970, the new system of foodservice was introduced which is the introduction of the hybrid and cook-chill system. These new system require large initial capital investment. There has been an essential expansion in the use of cook-chill systems throughout the different states because of the technology changes. However, the last health service report published that inefficiency is still a problem with most hospital foodservice operation because of the underutilization of production capacity. Actually, this is the on how performance management taking place to overcome this problem. There are a lot of the significant of making implementation of performance management. The primary reason to make sure performance management processes are functioning properly is to tighten the link between strategic organizational objectives and day-to-day actions. Effective goal setting (including timelines), combined with a method to track progress and identify obstacles, contributes to success and bottom line result. Frequently tracking progress against performance goals and objectives also provides the opportunity to recognize and reward employees for performance and exceptional effort, contributing to job satisfaction and productivity. Employees want to feel successful, to do well at their job and feel there are making a valuable contribution. In order to ensure this happens, employees need a clear understanding of individual goals and how they fit into the larger organization. New technology-based solutions offered can provide goal visibility across entire organizations, offer extensive reporting option and can reduce paperwork by as much as 90%. Clear visibility, regular individual analysis and company-wide employee appraisals help identify corporate competencies and skill gaps. With this valuable data, organizational can identify training and development plans. Performance management best practices result in a wide range of the advantages for employees, employer and whole organizational. In a nutshell, the performance management inside every organizational is one of the essential tool to gain a goal and objectives of organizations. Therefore, the organization like hospital can considered more about their performance management to overcome their problem. At the same times gain successful services to their patient. 2. ARTICLE JOURNAL: THE FUTURE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES ââ¬â BUSINESSWEEK Human Resource is the most important resource compared with other resources like machine, material, land, etc. In the organizational context, the effectiveness of human resource depends on designing the job according to human capability and characteristics. Job design is the most important function of Human Resource Management. It indicates that, designing of contents, metho ds, functions of a job. The performance of an employee is that, how well an employee performs his or her task duties and responsibilities. Employeesââ¬â¢ performance is also crucial. Because the achievement of goals and objectives of the organization is assessed by performance of its resources, employeesââ¬â¢ performance should be assessed and maintained periodically. At work, in a human-focussed approach, the human oriented process designs have shown its importance as much as the technical issues, from a productivity aspect. Several human-focussed applications such as increasing motivation at work, improving workersââ¬â¢ physical working conditions, obtaining job security, and increasing job satisfaction, increasing quality nd productivity, decreasing costs to become competitive are increasing itââ¬â¢s importance by the day. Within the natural development process of work, maybe human-centred problems exceed technical problems and even the cost of investment in personal has gone beyond the point of technical investment. Job analysis, training, performance measurement, re-organisation projects, re-engineering studies and especially applications related to job design which support this approach have an important place among human resources applications. Job design related applications began to take shape with a scientific management approach in the 1900s. Models related to job design able to be classified as job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment, job engineering, quality of work life, social information processing approach and job characteristics approach, have extremely important effects on increasing the productivity of human resources. It is predicted that job satisfaction and productivity will be highest when both job enlargement and job enrichment are jointly applied to redesigning work systems From a conceptual perspective, job design is defined as determining the specific job content, the methods used at work and the relationships between jobs to correspond the firmââ¬â¢s technological and organisational, and the employeesââ¬â¢ social and personal expectations. In accordance with this definition, it is stated that a well-designed and defined job increase employees job satisfaction, increases motivation, decreases workplace-related stress, encourage learning efforts and is therefore have a positive effect on employeesââ¬â¢ performance. There are many studies published in related literature investigating the relationship between job design and employeesââ¬â¢ motivation. The common points of these studies is that the application of job design has a positive effect on the specifics of job performance, like motivation, flexibility, job satisfaction, self-control, and skill development. The relevant studies are shown in Table below.
Cloud Computing Technology Essay
INTRODUCTION Cloud computing is Internet (ââ¬Å"cloudâ⬠) based on development and use of computer technology (ââ¬Å"computingâ⬠).It is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources are provided as a service over the internet.Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure ââ¬Å"in the cloudâ⬠that supports them. The concept incorporates infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS) as well as Web 2.0 and other recent (ca. 2007-2009) technology trends which have the common theme of reliance on the Internet for satisfying the computing needs of the users. Examples of SaaS vendors include Salesforce.com and Google Apps which provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers. A cloud is a pool of virtualized computer resources. A cloud can: 1.Host a variety of different workloads, including batch-style back-end jobs and interactive, user- facing applications. 2.Allow workloads to be deployed and scaled-out quickly through the rapid provisioning of virtual machines or physical machines. 3.Support redundant, self-recovering,highly scalable programming models that allow workloads to recover from many unavoidable hardware/software failures. 4.Monitor resource use in real time to enable rebalancing of allocations when needed. Fig 1.1: Overview of cloud computing HISTORY The underlying concept dates back to 1960 when John McCarthy opined that ââ¬Å"computation may someday be organized as a public utilityâ⬠; indeed it shares characteristics with service bureaus which date back to the 1960s.The term cloud had already come into commercial use in the early 1990s to refer to large ATM networks.By the turn of the 21st century,the term ââ¬Å"cloud computingâ⬠had started to appear, although most of the focus at this time was on Software as a service (SaaS). In 1999, Salesforce.com was established by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris,and his fellows.They applied many technologies of consumer web sites like Google and Yahoo! to business applications. IBM extended these concepts in 2001,as detailed in the Autonomic Computing Manifesto-which described advanced automation techniques such as self-monitoring, self-healing, self-configuring, and self-optimizing in the management of complex IT systems with heterogeneous storage, servers, applications, networks, security mechanisms, and other system elements that can be virtualized across an enterprise. Amazon.com played a key role in the development of cloud computing by modernizing their data centres after the dot-com bubble and, having found that the new cloud architecture resulted in significant internal efficiency improvements,providing access to their systems by way of Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis. 2007 saw increased activity,with Google,IBM and a number of universities embarking on a large scale cloud computing research project, around the time the term started gaining popularity in the mainstream press. WORKING OF CLOUD COMPUTING Fig 1.2: Working of cloud computing In cloud computing you only need to load one application.This application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service which hosts all the programs the user would need for his or her job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from e-mail to word processing to complex data analysis programs.Itââ¬â¢s called cloud computing, and it could change the entire computer industry. In a cloud computing system, thereââ¬â¢s a significant workload shift.Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications.The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the userââ¬â¢s side decrease.The only thing the userââ¬â¢s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing systemââ¬â¢s interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser, and the cloudââ¬â¢s network takes care of the rest. CLOUD ARCHITECTURE Cloud architecture,the systems architecture of the software systems involved in the delivery of cloud computing, comprises hardware and software designed by a cloud architect who typically works for a cloud integrator. It typically involves multiple cloud components communicating with each other over application programming interfaces, usually web services. Cloud architecture extends to the client, where web browsers and/or software applications access cloud applications. Cloud storage architecture is loosely coupled, where metadata operations are centralized enabling the data nodes to scale into the hundreds, each independently delivering data to applications or users. Fig 1.3: Cloud architecture COMPONENTS 1. APPLICATION A cloud application leverages the Cloud in software architecture,often eliminating the need to install and run the application on the customerââ¬â¢s own computer,thus alleviating the burden of software maintenance, ongoing operation, and support. 2. CLOUD CLIENTS A cloud client consists of computer hardware and/or computer software which relies on the cloud for application delivery, or which is specifically designed for delivery of cloud services and which, in either case, is essentially useless without it. For example:Mobile ,Thin client ,Thick client / Web browser . 3. CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE Cloud infrastructure,such as Infrastructure as a service,is the delivery of computer infrastructure, typically a platform virtualization environment,as a service.For example:grid computing ,Management , Compute ,Platform. 4. CLOUD PLATFORMS A cloud platform,such as Paas, the delivery of a computing platform,and/or solution saas,facilitates deployment of applications without the cost and complexity of buying and managing the underlying hardware and software layers. 5. CLOUD SERVICES A cloud service includes ââ¬Å"products, services and solutions that are delivered and consumed in real-time over the Internetâ⬠.For example Web Services (ââ¬Å"software system[s] designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a networkâ⬠) which may be accessed by other cloud computing components, software, e.g., Software plus services, or end users directly. 6. CLOUD STORAGE Cloud storage involves the delivery of data storage as a service, including database-like services, often billed on a utility computing basis, e.g., per gigabyte per month. For example Database ,Network attached storage ,Web service . TYPES OF CLOUDS 1. PUBLIC CLOUD Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional mainstream sense, whereby resources are dynamically provisioned on a fine-grained, self-service basis over the Internet, via web applications/web services, from an off-site third-party provider who shares resources and bills on a fine-grained utility computing basis. 2. HYBRID CLOUD A hybrid cloud environment consisting of multiple internal and/or external providers ââ¬Å"will be typical for most enterprisesâ⬠. 3. PRIVATE CLOUD Private cloud and internal cloud are neologisms that some vendors have recently used to describe offerings that emulate cloud computing on private networks.These (typically virtualisation automation) products claim to ââ¬Å"deliver some benefits of cloud computing without the pitfallsâ⬠, capitalising on data security, corporate governance, and reliability concerns. They have been criticised on the basis that users ââ¬Å"still have to buy, build, and manage themâ⬠and as such do not benefit from lower up-front capital costs and less hands-on management ,essentially ââ¬Å"[lacking] the economic model that makes cloud computing such an intriguing conceptâ⬠.While an analyst predicted in 2008 that private cloud networks would be the future of corporate IT, there is some contention as to whether they are a reality even within the same firm. ROLES PLAYED IN CLOUD COMPUTING 1. CLOUD COMPUTING PROVIDERS A cloud computing provider or cloud computing service provider owns and operates live cloud computing systems to deliver service to third parties.Usually this requires significant resources and expertise in building and managing next-generation data centers.Some organisations realise a subset of the benefits of cloud computing by becoming ââ¬Å"internalâ⬠cloud providers and servicing themselves, although they do not benefit from the same economies of scale and still have to engineer for peak loads. The barrier to entry is also significantly higher with capital expenditure required and billing and management creates some overhead.Nonetheless, significant operational efficiency and agility advantages can be realised, even by small organisations, and server consolidation and virtualization rollouts are already well underway.Amazon.com was the first such provider,modernising its data centers which,like most computer networks, were using as little as 10% of its capacity at any one time just to leave room for occasional spikes. This allowed small, fast-moving groups to add new features faster and easier, and they went on to open it up to outsiders as Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis. Players in the cloud computing service provision game include the likes of Amazon, Google, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Salesforce, SAP and Yahoo! 2. USER A user is a consumer of cloud computing.The privacy of users in cloud computing has become of increasing concern.The rights of users are also an issue, which is being addressed via a community effort to create a bill of rights. 3. VENDOR A vendor sells products and services that facilitate the delivery, adoption and use of cloud computing.For example:Computer hardware,Storage,infrastructure,Computer software,Operating systems ,Platform virtualization. APPLICATIONS OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1.EASY ACCESS TO DATA Clients would be able to access their applications and data from anywhere at any time.They could access the cloud computing system using any computer linked to the internet. 2. REDUCTION OF COSTS It could bring hardware costs down.Cloud computing systems would reduce the need for advanced hardware on the client side.You wouldnââ¬â¢t need to buy the fastest computer with the most memory, because the cloud system would take care of those needs for you. Instead, you could buy an inexpensive computer terminal, enough processing power to run the middleware necessary to connect to the cloud system. 3. CONVENIENCE Corporations that rely on computers have to make sure they have the right software in place to achieve goals. Cloud computing systems give these organizations company-wide access to computer applications.Instead, the company could pay a metered fee to a cloud computing company. 4. EASY STORAGE Servers and digital storage devices take up space. Some companies rent physical space to store servers and databases because they donââ¬â¢t have it available on site. Cloud computing gives these companies the option of storing data on someone elseââ¬â¢s hardware, removing the need for physical space on the front end. 5. NO TECHNICAL SUPPORT RECQUIRED Corporations might save money on IT support. Streamlined hardware would, in theory, have fewer problems than a network of heterogeneous machines and operating systems. 6. SOLUTION TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS If the cloud computing systemââ¬â¢s back end is a grid computing system, then the client could take advantage of the entire networkââ¬â¢s processing power. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES 1. AMAZON WEB SERVICES The Amazon development model involves building Zen virtual machine images that are run in the cloud by EC2. That means you build your own Linux/Unix or Windows operating system image and upload it to be run in EC2. AWS has many pre-configured images that you can start with and customize to your needs. There are web service APIs (via WSDL) for the additional support services like S3, SimpleDB, and SQS. Because you are building self-contained OS images, you are responsible for your own development and deployment tools. AWS is the most mature of the CC options. Applications that require the processing of huge amounts of data can make effective you of the AWS on-demand EC2 instances which are managed by Hadoop. 2. GOOGLE AppEngine GAE allows you to run Python/Django web applications in the cloud.Google provides a set of development tools for this purpose. i.e. You can develop your application within the GAE run-time environment on our local system and deploy it after itââ¬â¢s been debugged and working the way you want it. Google provides entity-based SQL-like (GQL) back-end data storage on their scalable infrastructure (BigTable) that will support very large data sets. Integration with Google Accounts allows for simplified user authentication. 3. MICROSOFT WINDOWS AZURE Azure is essentially a Windows OS running in the cloud.You are effectively uploading and running your ASP.NET (IIS7) or .NET (3.5) application. Microsoft provides tight integration of Azure development directly into Visual Studio 2008. For enterprise Microsoft developers the .NET Services and SQL Data Services (SDS) will make Azure a very attractive option. The Live Framework provides a resource model that includes access to the Microsoft Live Mesh services. CHARACTERSTICS 1.COST Pricing is based on usage-based options and minimal or no IT skills are required for implementation. 2.DEVICE AND LOCATION INDEPENDENCE It enable users to access systems using a web browser regardless of their location or what device they are using, e.g. PC, mobile 3.MULTI-TENANCY This enables sharing of resources and costs among a large pool of users. 4.RELIABILITY This is suitable for business continuity and disaster recovery. 5.SCALABILITY Dynamic (ââ¬Å"on-demandâ⬠) provisioning of resources without users having to engineer for peak loads 6.SECURITY It improves due to centralization of data,increased security-focused resources. 7.SUSTANIBILITY This comes through improved resource utilisation, more efficient systems. ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1. Ability to scale to meet changing user demands quickly 2. Pay by use. 3. Task oriented 4. Virtually no maintainence due to dynamic infrastructure software. 5. Application and operating system independent. 6. Easy to develop your own web-based applications that run in the cloud. 7. Location of infrastructure in areas with lower costs of real estate and electricity. 8. Sharing of peak-load capacity among a large pool of users ,improving overall utilization. 9. Separation of application code from physical resources. 10. Not having to purchase assets for one time or infrequent computing tasks. 11. Ability to use external assets to handle peak loads. DRAWBACKS OF CLOUD COMPUTING 1. Often limited or no technical support available. 2. Canned solutions such may not be full-featured or too task oriented. 3. When there are technical issues,you may lose access to your data or application. 4. No control. 5. You must have an internet connection. 6. If the company hosting the application goes out of business,you may lose access to your data or application permanently. REFERENCES 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing 2. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing1.htm 3. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing2.htm 4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing_user 5. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm 6. http://communication.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing.htm/printable 7. http://cloudcadet.com/what-is-cloud-computing/ 8. http://askville.amazon.com/advantages-disadvantages-Web-based-Cloud-Computing- Wave/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=16202235
Monday, July 29, 2019
Professional Writing Sample Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Professional Writing Sample - Assignment Example This inverted pyramid is the physical representation of an overstaffed company that is weighed down by redundant positions caused by over-staffing. By allowing myself to develop and use staffing solutions as they are applicable to the company I work for, I will be able to ensure that the company will not lose money paying for non-functional or overlapping positions because I will always have the right number of staff members for various work schedules in the company stemming from light, moderate, to heavy work loads. The staffing program of any company will be of the utmost importance in ensuring that the company is never caught under or over-staffed. More importantly, it is important to place the correct people, who have the correct educational background and relevant work experience in the proper positions of authority within the company. By properly staffing the various departments, the company will be able to recruit only the best individuals for the job and pay them their proper wages in order to keep them happy on the job. It is important to look not only into the number of staffers hired by the company during a given season, but also to look at the quality of the people being hired. By staffing the company in this method, in-house promotions can be guaranteed to the most qualified individuals who in turn can take advantage of the cross-training, development, and advanced studies that the company has to offer its ranking employees. In the end, proper staffing will make sure that the company will have a high retention rate and limit the need for constant newcomer training. I am looking forward to continuously building up my career success rate during my employment era. That means that I shall strive towards self fulfillment at all times so that when the time comes for me to retire, I will have left my unmistakable print and
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Health issues(snoking) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Health issues(snoking) - Essay Example They can make big changes in the body and can terribly affect the health of a person. Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 poisonous chemicals including nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, tar, ammonia, metals, and various radio active compounds. Smoking increases the heart rate of the smoker and can increase the blood pressure also (Gould 2000). Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide which will block the necessary oxygen to the body tissues. Tobacco companies add ammonia into cigarettes which makes the brain absorb nicotine more vigorously than how it normally absorbs. Additives in the cigarettes increase the ââ¬Ëfreeââ¬â¢ nicotine level of the cigarette which will enhance the addictive nature of the nicotine (Eysenck 1999). Smoking tobacco, whatever form it may appear (cigarettes, pipes or cigars), invites emphysema, lung cancers and similar respiratory sicknesses. The reason for almost 90 percent of lung cancer cases is nothing but smoking. Emphysema is a lung disease which is caused by chronic smoking. Stomach ulcers as well as acid reflux can also appear in smokers. Smoking will decay and stain teeth also. Tobacco also makes mouth and gum cancers. Smoking can be a reason for bad breath also. Smoking habit can make the charm of the face diminish and will invite wrinkles in the skin. Lips can turn black by chronic smoking habits. Chronic smoking habit also brings money and time loss. Smokers will have poor athletic ability compared to others. Smoking by pregnant women causes terrible consequences in newborn ladies (Oaks 2001). Babies born from smoking ladies will have various health problems including insufficient weight and asthma problems (Hoeger & Hoegerà 2005). Smoking also results in heart dise ases (Bennett 1993). One of the most common problems associated with smokers is respiratory problem. Passive smokers also experience similar health problems as smokers do. Kids who are exposed to smoking will have ear infections and are
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Application of PPP in the Short Run Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Application of PPP in the Short Run - Essay Example International trade has then been seen to lead to an equalization of purchasing power which economist describe as parity. However, this theory has been seen to have many shortcomings (Wallace, 2007: 34). For instances, the prices of different goods cannot be the same in all countries. This is because there are barriers to trade which lead to the prices increasing gradually as they pass from one country to the next. These include the tariffs, taxes and shipment costs. For instance, a car in America may cost only $5000 but when it is shipped a country such as South Africa, its final cost is $2000 higher than the price it is sold at in America. Other commodities of trade because of their nature cannot be imported to another country. These include services such giving haircuts or other products such as real estate. Moreover, a person in a rural village in Brazil may not have the luxury of choosing different goods or services on the international market and may just end up buying good on the prices offered in their country. Moreover, not all types of goods and services have demand in every country. For instance, America may not have a specific price for a rice harvester because it does not grow rice. The price of a rice harvester would thus only be determined by the countries which have a demand for it such as Vietnam. The cost of living in different countries is different and this definitely affects their purchasing power. For instance, the cost of living in China is way low compared to the cost of living in America (Ullrich, 2009: 78). China applies the strategy of reducing the cost of living in her country so that it can pay her workers lower wages reducing the production cost. This makes her exports cheaper compared to that of other players in the global market giving it a competitive edge. In some instances, PPP has been used to position the exchange rates of new countries or even predict expectations on future exchange rates. There are two versions of PPP that have been used by economist all over the globe. These are relative and absolute PPP. Absolute PPP is the equalization of goodââ¬â¢s prices in different countries. Relative PPP on the other hand asserts that the change of exchange rates over time between different countries is relative to the change in prices of standards goods in these countries (Obstfeld &Taylor, 2004: 318).PPP has been seen to prove to hold true in its assumptions in the long run. This is because as a result of removal of trade barriers and enhancement of free trade in the globe, the price of standard goods without the inclusion of costs such as shipment costs, tariffs and taxes is similar around the globe. It would take years for prices of products to be equalized in the globe. However, various economists have argued that PPP do not hold true in the short run. This is because the exchange rates are controlled by the news in the short run. News regarding change in the perceptions of the development of exchange rates in the future has an immediate effect on the current exchange rate. The rates are also influenced by other announcement such as interest rate changes. This paper studies PPP and exchange rates in EU and US to show how PPP cannot hold in the short-term. In the developing countries, PPP is measures using a comparison of the official
Friday, July 26, 2019
Describe an animal that people are working to protect. Explain why it Essay
Describe an animal that people are working to protect. Explain why it should be protected - Essay Example Currently, scientists are estimating that more than 2000 animals are at a risk of extinction with African elephants and rhinos being at the top of the list. Most recent findings have shown that about 20 percent of Africaââ¬â¢s elephants could be killed in the next one decade if proper and swift measures are not taken (Faure para3-8). The main cause of the dramatic reduction in the population of African elephants is illegal poaching and human encroachment to the animalsââ¬â¢ habitats. According to a report that was released by the Elephant Summit in Botswana as well as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, more than 22,000 elephants were illegally killed across Africa in 2012 alone, which was a reduction from the previous year where more than 25,000 elephants had been killed. Illegal poaching was found to be more acute in the Central and Eastern African regions where estimated poaching rate was reported to be twice the continental average. Poachers use crooked methods in killing this endangered species such as shooting the animals as well as poisoning them. For instance, in September 2013 cyanide was used to kill more than 300 elephants in Zimbabweââ¬â¢s Hwange National Park and led to what was termed as the ââ¬Å"worst single massacre in southern Africa for 25 years.â⬠This are worrying figures considering the fact the continent has about 500,000 elephants and they can easily be depleted in the next one decade if the current poaching rate is not curbed. The rate of poaching had initially dropped though the exercise has started to boom at an alarming rate. In the past century, African elephants were about to get depleted through illegal poaching whereby an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed yearly and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions. In Kenya for instance, the population plummeted by 85% between 1973
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Science and Church Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Science and Church - Essay Example He confronted authority and tradition by putting these theories before those of religion. Aristotlianism was the frame of the Christian Science and so rejecting Aristotle means rejecting Christianity. Because of this Rome rejected Galileo's theories and sentenced him to life imprisonment according to several reasons. About these several reasons like authorities, arguments from common sense, dubitability of telescope, the political consequences of this age and these reasons' unreality and illogicality will be argued in this essay. The end of the 16th and the 17th centuries were featured by the scientific revolution greatly brought about by Galileo Galilei. He supported Democritos's theories in opposition to those of Aristotle who had argued that everything that existed in nature has a purpose. Democrito maintained that the universe and its organisms are formed by atoms in a continuous and arbitrary movement. His philosophy was thus founded on observation and not on finalism as was that of Aristotle: on how, not on why. This was in direct collision with the church which ideally supported the Aristotle's philosophy. Galileo asserted that he had managed to show the theory of Coperni... He also had the insight of not only using the telescope to see the planets, but also to use lenses to examine the tinny things of this world, and told his students to do so. This in essence brought about political consequences where by the inquisition threatened him with torture, forced him to recant, and subjected him to life imprisonment in 1633. The charge was "suspicion of heresy" and was after the church had taken the position that if a Biblical interpretation was found to be in conflict with scientific fact, the Bible was to be interpreted metaphorically. Bible teachings caused the church to oppose Galileo's proof that the earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. Galileo argued that the sun was the centre of the universe which totally differed with common sense as well as the scripture. From common sense perspective, there are only three dimensions in space. All matter in the universe evolves in time, just as explained by Newton. Hence, we can say that the universe is mathematically flat which Galileo proved otherwise. Conclusion The disagreement has been presented tremendously in Galileo's favor. To this date, he is seen as the champion of enlightenment against the blind despotic power of the church. Galileo's "mistake," according to this fascinating study, was not one of science or mathematics, philosophy or religion, but one of diplomacy. Works cited Notes provided by the tutor, a paper by Peter E. Hudgson "Galileo the scientist"
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Unit 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Unit 5 - Assignment Example This finding is practically true as certain diverse populations show a high level of racial and color tolerance in their civic engagements (Michael). Putmanââ¬â¢s report states that diversity may make a group in a community uncomfortable. This discomfort produces deleterious effects such as heightening racial discrimination in the particular community. Beneficial effects include economical, political, and social competition that leads to economical growth. However, the negative effects of diversity are avoidable, especially by the reduction of cases of ethnic and racial intolerance. Social capital thus, leads to harmonious living in diverse communities as people get to appreciate their social ties and more objectively, their political engagements. In cases of social capital depression in a more diverse community, the impacts of ethnic diversity become worse and the population tends to ââ¬Å"hunker downâ⬠in the communal issues (Michael). This leads to effects such as greater income rates, higher crime rates and more mobility among the members of the population. These effects lead to both political and social instability in the diverse setting and interfere with the normal living of the residents. Scott Page, The University of Michigan Political Analyst, asserts that the contradicting positive and negative effects of diversity can be contained in a community up-to a definite limit. This is substantially applicable as, for instance, a decline in civil understanding would generate to a hostile community, in which the deleterious effects of diversity would be more prevalent. This therefore, heightens the need to formulate guidelines on controlling the effects of diversity and make it more valuable to the
Contemporary Video Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Contemporary Video Art - Essay Example Lynda Benglis is an eminent sculptor who produced many video presentations in the mid 1970s. Her main theme is female sexuality and identity. The interest and presence in her sculptural work using metaphorical, biomorphic shapes finds its way into her self-reflexive, investigative videos. The subject matter of 1970s feminist video was personal. ââ¬ËBenglisââ¬â¢s video work confronts issues raised by feminist theory, including the representation of women, the role of the spectator, and female sexuality. Benglis also engages the emergent practice of video in an incisive discourse on the production of the moving image.ââ¬â¢ The art of the process is thus captured within the work itself even as the question of self is investigated. ââ¬ËBenglis negotiates a personal space for herself, maintaining a deliberate distance from the medium. Using her own body and creating multiples of her images. She interrogates the relation of the self to the bodyââ¬âfocusing on the interface between our inner and outer realities. With Benglis standing in front of a photograph of herself, which is then affixed to a monitor bearing her image, the notion of ââ¬Å"originalâ⬠is complicated. Benglisââ¬â¢s work takes on another layer of meaning.ââ¬â¢ Her video, Document (1972), suggests the impotence of media to accurately copy her, her image and herself. ââ¬ËShe, as the object of our gaze, never allows a static full-face pose on the screen. Benglisââ¬â¢s use of the replicated image in photography and video, both in and on the TV, is a direct reveal.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Shanghais Education System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Shanghais Education System - Essay Example Generally, Shanghai students have the confidence and zeal to work hard in achieving full potential. In disputing what had been termed as rote-learning in Chinaââ¬â¢s education system, Shanghai students showed other skills that do not depend on cramming exams by demonstrating the application of knowledge learned in class in real life situation. A report showed that this was made possible given the fact that the teaching profession is highly valued in Shanghai. Teachers in Shanghai are well paid, offered opportunities to study abroad where they get the opportunity to learn from the best teachers and implement what they have learned in teaching back in schools in their country. It is, therefore, an indication that the Shanghai government values a teacher and is willing to invest in ensuring that students get the best teachers.Another factor that makes the Shanghaiââ¬â¢s education system competitive to offer quality learning than most countries are the procedures and conditions put in place before a teacher begins to practice their profession. In Shanghai, teachers upon graduation have to undergo a further one and a half-year standardized training course before they can step in class to teach. They are also required to complete a 240-hour training in the first five years after qualification while in the profession. Apart from that, the teachers are required to attend each other's classes as a culture that reinforces the dissemination and sharing of ideas which creates positive competition.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Weibo And Chinese Society Essay Example for Free
Weibo And Chinese Society Essay The new media, different from television, magazines, books or paper-based publications, is a new form of mass communication, which contains technologies that enable digital interactivity. For example, websites, video games, Internet all belong to the new media. Currently, the new media is becoming increasingly popular and sharply changing peopleââ¬â¢s life. The advent of Weibo in China is one of the most prominent examples, which is also the topic I am going to analyze in this passage. Chinese Weibo, similar to twitter used worldwide, is a micro blog, by which people can post words, pictures and videos on the Internet. The general public or the organization can create their own account easily and share things with their followers so they can communicate freely with each other. Some celebrities and government officials also own weibo accounts and in this way, weibo helps to create a two-way communication between famous people and Chinese Internet users. Research showed that people spend at least one hour per day checking Weibo messages on their cellphones or on their laptops, while spend only fifteen minutes on reading newspapers. It is very common in current Chinese society to see people using weibo every day to check the latest news, share daily life, or chat with friends, etc. 1 Nearly fifty percent of the Internet users in China have Weibo accounts and use it regularly. Among these people, most of them are from the younger generation who are more open-minded to the new technology. This paper consists of two parts. The first part aims to understand the effects weibo has made ten years from now on Chinese society. The second part talks about Chinese government policy and the progress China has made reflected by the proliferation of weibo. Speaking of the impact of this new media, weibo has impressively changed the traditional mass media. Prior to the turn of the century, only journalists with an official degree can be reporters and public news, which they thought were newsworthy. However, in nowadays, with the advent of weibo, the general public can be the first one to reveal something important happened around them by posting weibo using only forty Chinese characters. Sometimes these posts can be the sources of the news on next dayââ¬â¢s newspaper. For example, on March 2013 a man robbed a store and fell down on his way running. This accident was firstly recorded by a citizen who happened to pass by in that neighborhood. Then he quickly posted this on weibo and called the police. Immediately, this post was reposted thousand times and known to many people in this city. Later on, the newspaper bought the pictures taken by the weibo user and published as the next dayââ¬â¢s headline news. In this way, the general public is helping professional journalists find newsworthy things happened around them and change the traditional humdrum way of publishing. 2 In addition, the extensive use of weibo is acting like a supplement of paper- version reports. Every famous news agency has their own weibo accounts, whenever there was an influential news, there would be a short post to give people a brief introduction of what happened. Also, weibo can be a place where the journalists post updates in a continuous event. For example, when the missing airplane MH370 accident happened this year, every progress the rescue group had made was posted through weibo. While we were waiting anxiously for the latest newsââ¬âif there were survivors, how was their family numbers, where was the plane, what caused this crash, etc. several news agencies post the latest contents immediately when there were new discoveries. The general public simply need to refresh their weibo to look for the latest news, which makes it more convenient and quickly. The advent of weibo also has tremendous impact on the daily life of the general public. Firstly, weibo users can follow official accounts based on their interestsââ¬âwhat kind of news they care about most, which celebrities they esteem and want to know more about. For instance, a person likes sports might follow soccer players and other sports news related accounts. A person cares about health might become a fan of Chinese Healthy Diet on weibo. In this way, the weibo users can conveniently receive information specifically 3 what they want to know by using the Internet. Moreover, by reposting these weibos, weibo users can share the interested news with other followers and show the support for the original weibo user. Besides that, weibo users can also follow private accounts, which consist of oneââ¬â¢s family members, friends and co-workers. Even if people cannot meet each other every day, they can still keep in touch and let others know what happened in their life by posting weibo. In the current society, weibo is a good communication tool to help promote the interaction between people who are busy working or studying every day and cannot meet each other because they live far away. My own example can best illustrate this point. I study abroad, which means I can only meet my family members and friends once a year. But I regularly post on weibo about what I have learned, what I have done, how I feel, etc. My friends can like or comment on my posts so we would not feel so far from my life in a remote country. The use of the micro blog also provoked great repercussion on the whole society, especially on the political field. Since a two-way communication between government officials and the general public was built up based on the proliferation of weibo. Almost every civic servant in China has their weibo account and is required to post their weekly work publicly. If Internet users have problems with the policy or officialsââ¬â¢ behaviors, they can comment under the post or send a private letter 4 through weibo. It is the government officialsââ¬â¢ duty to reply in time to the citizens and explain every action they take until the askers receive a satisfied answer. Making sure that the general public has a clear understanding of what the government is doing is a task for government officials through their communication on weibo. It is also common for people to show their support to certain policy or government officials through the use of weibo. Due to the impressive influence it has on the whole society, once a post was sent by a civic servant or a department in the government, it would be repost at once by thousands of Internet users who advocate this proposal. Therefore, with the power of the weibo users, it is easy to distinguish if an action or policy by the government is welcomed to the public in society. On the other hand, weibo can dramatically help to supervise the political systemà and other charitable organizations. Before the proliferation of weibo, it is relatively hard for the public to directly oversee the behaviors of the authorities and social groups. This kind of supervision is mostly achieved by the specialized department set up to keep an on the behaviors of the government officials. However, nowadays, people can freely post anything they discovered in their daily life and keep an eye on the celebrities what they have posted through weibo. The weibo users also supervise the misbehaviors of government officials in political field and urged the related to investigate. 5 Two examples happened in 2011 and 2012 Chinese society can best help to explain this point. In 2011, a weibo user with the account number Meimei Guo posted several micro blogs about her Maserati and big houses. And her title was the manager of the Chinese Red Cross, which was revealed in her weibo profile. This made the weibo users pretty confused: where did all her money come from? How can she afford such luxury? With more and more people paying attention to this young girl with such unusual background, the Red Cross was forced to response to this issue. Although that this organization clarified it had no connection with Meimei Guo, the public do not think that is the real truth. Also, the Public Security Bureau began to investigate the relationship between Meimei Guo and the Red Cross. Specially, they suspect this so-called manager had improper relationship with the chairman of the board, so she could have access to the money people donated to the Red Cross and used it for big houses and Maserati. Later after the Meimei Guo affair, the Red Cross was mistrust by the public for a long time and was required by the relevant department to reveal its budget to the society and become completely transparent. Another case happened in 2012 was triggered by one picture taken by a weibo user in a car accident scene. The post on weibo showed that in this kind of 6 occasion, the government official was smiling instead of grieving for the hurt people, which made the general public angry. Afterwards, this official was severely criticized by the people on weibo. People even found out all his other pictures taken in different occasions to see if he was eligible to be a civic servant. Eventually, people found that in many pictures, he wore different costly watches, which were not accordance with his income earned from his job. With more and more people doubted the sources of the money, relevant department began to investigate in this case. They found out that a large amount of the money of his fortune was from corruption. This official used the convenience of his position to make money for a long time so he had money to afford expensive watches and big houses. As a result, this official was ââ¬Å"sent ââ¬Å"by the weibo users into prison. Of course, the spread of weibo is a two-edged sword,which means it can also exert negative effects on society. For instance, there is a group of people who open weibo accounts only to sell products, which makes the Internet environment full of commercials. It is difficult to regulate these commercials because it is hard to tell if the product is of good quality based on the limited information weibo posts can provide. Also, the freedom people possess when they use weibo makes the online environment increasingly complex. Diverse people holding totally different opinions can equally and freely express on weibo. On rare cases, immoral people purposely release fake news to the public in order to tarnish othersââ¬â¢ reputation or cause a society panic. The general public might get confused based on the complicated information they receive. 7 There was once a water company being framed by a piece of news in Beijing Daily. It reported that the water from Nongfu Company was not clean and could not achieve the water standard in China. Later on, this news was posted by several weibo users without testing its accuracy. Along with the spread of this breaking news all over the weibo environment, this company got stuck in trust crisis and had a significant decline in monthly sales. Thousands of Internet users showed their anger and disappointment to this water company and the news was reposted in a large scale. However, when Nongfu Company went to test its water in the Quality Supervision Bureau, the result showed Nongfu water was clean and had achieved the water standard. It turned out the news was distorted and afterwards misused by the weibo users. This example showed that it is equally easy for both the truth and fake news spread out through weibo and the latter would absolutely damage the social order to some degree. The spread of Weibo and its effects can be the introduction of the second part of this paper, which explains the Chinese society progress and the government policy. Because of the significant impact weibo exerts on Chinese society, the government has taken specific measures to regulate the weibo environment. Moreover, the policies, being increasingly flexible and allowing for more freedom, can reflect the Chinese progress in recent ten years. Fifty years ago, Chinese people were not used to freely speak in the public at all, nor were they allowed to criticize the government officials and the policy. In my 8 fatherââ¬â¢ generation, people who dared speak out the actual evaluation of one policy might even end up being caught into prison because they were considered too aggressive. Almost every thing they said or did was under the guidance of the government. People did not have a way to express their thoughts, not to mention giving advice to the government. Obedience blindly might be the best words to describe the people living in that period. However, in the new era, with more rights are given to the general public, people are changing their mind accordingly. They begin to say something in public instead of stubbornly listening to the authority. Weibo is an excellent tool to help achieve this transformation within this background. With the advent of weibo, people are having a channel to easily express themselves. They can set up an account and apply their personal design to the home page. They can post words and pictures. These weibo contents do not limit to their daily life about what they have done and how they feel which are mainly shared with their friends and family members. Weibo users can also use the micro blog to comment on recent events happened in China and in the international scale. For example, after the plane crash MH370, many weibo users criticized the inappropriate behaviors of the Malaysia government and airplanes. Another example would be the lawsuit in 2011. The driver, whose father is Gang Liââ¬âa government official, was interrogated in court because he triggered a car accident, which caused one people dead and one people severely injured. Hundreds of weibo users posted on Internet their complaints because they thought the court was treating this criminal inequity due to his special social 9 status. This case reflects a big progress which not only means the government is giving more freedom to people, but also means people are more willing to discuss the current affair and becoming the masters of their own country. Still, I cannot deny that there are restrictions on weibo use. Offensive words and pornographic contents are definitely not allowed to exit on Weibo. Besides, the regulation on political field is relatively strict compared to the policies used to regulate the Internet in other countries. However, even if there are certain amount of restrictions on the contents people can post, it is too a large degree progressive compared to before. The limitations are primarily in political area, especially when the reputation and safety of central government were threatened by aggressive speech on weibo. If happened, the relevant accounts might be suspended and the posts would be deleted as soon as being found. Moreover, this weibo user might even be arrested if the post had caused a severely negative effect within the whole society. This is a comparatively strict punishment compared to the policies made on pornographic or fake news. To the latter one, the account might still be used. Only the specific weibo contains pornographic or violence contents would be deleted by the administrator. The policies in sensitive period in China, (for example, when minorities groups were trying to split China) are harsh compared to that in normal times. The government is controlling weibo environment to stop the rumors, which aim to cause social panic. During that special period, Internet users even cannot post 10 weibos including sensitive words such as ââ¬Å"split of Chinaâ⬠â⬠The independence of Tibetâ⬠or the names of the sensitive characters in the political fight. All in all, Chinese society is making progress in the new millennium, not only in terms of economics, but also in political and cultural area. The policy and laws enacted by the government guarantee freedom and democracy to the public. Chinese peopleââ¬â¢s minds are opening to the world and becoming more autonomous accordingly. They use weibo to share their life, enjoy the rights they are accorded to help master the country. It is not possible for the social organization or government to block a piece of news they do not want the public to know any more. With the extensive use of weibo, all the information around them and directly affect them would spread quickly and has a significant effect within the whole society. People have already stepped into a new era with the extensive use of weibo and the old days will never come back.
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