Author: admin

Class 643 Week 6

Class 643 Week 6

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Class 643 Week 6

The differences between the 2015 cyber-attack on the Ukrainian electricity grid and the 2003 attack on the United States national electricity grid were so substantial because of the source or cause of the attack and the length of days the attack took. While the U.S. attack came from an unprecedented software failure or a software-based blackout bug within General Electric’s system (Poulsen, 2004; Wald, 2013), the Ukrainian attack emanated from perfectly synchronized, highly coordinated, and brilliantly executed multisite and multistage cyber-attack (Liang et al., 2016; Sullivan & Kamensky, 2017). Also, while the Ukrainian attack lasted only for about 6 hours, the American attack lasted for two weeks (14 days), making the impacts more profound than in Ukraine. While insider data security threats could have an equal impact as outsider data security threats, I think that we do perceive external attacks differently than a lack of proper internal controls. Most people feel that external attackers who can access data via keyloggers (as in the case of Ukraine) pose a greater threat than internal players who can directly access and compromise data for personal gains.

From a critical stance, I think that the vector of attack or the threat is of particular consequence. This is because the vector of attack relates to the variants of malware used to steal authorized users’ credentials that are then used to exploit vulnerabilities aimed at gaining access to systems and executing the cyber-attack. Similar tactics, techniques, procedures, and methodologies can be deployed to launch massive attacks of unprecedented ramifications, a fact that Sullivan and Kamensky (2017) confirm.

As we move into the future, hackers and cyber attackers will leverage new technologies to develop new and possibly more resilient versions of malware. What this means is that they will find new methods of executing future attacks that have higher rates of destructiveness compared to the methods used in the Ukrainian cyber-attack. The vulnerabilities in the Ukrainian system are still a concern because these new methods will allow attackers to exploit the vulnerabilities faster than defenders can provide remedies for them. So, my recommendation as regards preventing a repeat of such attacks anywhere in the world is an emphasis on international collaboration in rigorous and proactive updating and enforcement of critical infrastructure protection standards facilitated by vigorous independent auditing.

References

Liang, G., Weller, S. R., Zhao, J., Luo, F., & Dong, Z. Y. (2016). The 2015 Ukraine blackout: Implications for false data injection attacks. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 32(4), 3317-3318.

Poulsen, K. (2004). Software bug contributed to blackout. Security Focus. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.securityfocus.com/news/8016.

Sullivan, J. E., & Kamensky, D. (2017). How cyber-attacks in Ukraine show the vulnerability of the US power grid. The Electricity Journal, 30(3), 30-35.

Wald, M. L. (2013). The blackout that exposed the flaws in the grid. The New York. The New York Time Company. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/booming/the-blackout-that-exposed-the-flaws-in-the-grid.html.

Class 643 Week 7

Class 643 Week 7

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Class 643 Week 7

Petya and NotPetya have several differences the first of which is the XOR key used. The latter uses 0x07 as a key while the former uses 0x37 (Alvarez, 2017). Another difference is that Petya is a standard piece of ransomware that quickly targeted a few cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) victims while NotPetya is malware with many tools that enable it to spread in and infect computers (Fruhlinger, 2017). Thirdly, the two differ in their reboot style where Petya initiates the reboot process using NtRaiseHardError API while NotPetya utilizes the “shutdown.exe/r/f” command to schedule a reboot (Alvarez, 2017). These and other differences are significant to the growing cybersecurity field as it relates to infrastructure because they reflect the magnitude of damage and vulnerabilities that can arise from critical infrastructure interdependency in the event of ransomware or malware attacks (Macaulay, 2019).

In general, NotPetya differs from ransomware in that this malware is not an attempt to achieve financial gain via cyber ransom but rather infect computers and deny users the opportunity to decrypt and restore their systems. So, the likely motivation in this difference was data destruction where NotPetya encrypts users’ data and damages it beyond repair (Fruhlinger, 2017). The implications of the NotPetya attack for global transportation systems are that it caused major transportation disruptions at port facilities globally and borked the global transport and logistics supply chains (Macaulay, 2019; Saul, 2017). Had Maersk not acted promptly to recover so quickly from this attack by reinstalling and replacing its IT systems in 10 days, the implications would have been total catastrophic transportation disruptions worldwide. Some factors that could have made the NotPetya attack worse are unpatched computer systems and massive infrastructure interdependence. What could have been done to help prevent this attack is infrastructure separation so that an attack on one infrastructure sector does not affect all sectors.

References

Alvarez, R. (July 09, 2017). Key differences between Petya and NotPetya. Fortinet, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from https://www.fortinet.com/blog/threat-research/key-differences-between-petya-and-notpetya.html.

Fruhlinger, J. (October 17, 2017). Petya ransomware and NotPetya malware: What you need to know now. CSO & IDG Communications, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from https://www.csoonline.com/article/3233210/petya-ransomware-and-notpetya-malware-what-you-need-to-know-now.html.

Macaulay, T. (2019). The danger of critical infrastructure interdependency. Governing Cyberspace during a Crisis in Trust, 69-73.

Saul, J. (2017). Global shipping feels fallout from Maersk cyber attack. Thompson Reuters.

Class B Graham’s MOMs

Class B: Graham’s MOMs

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

Class B: Graham’s MOMs

Graham (2015) explains that Maximum of Maximums (MOMs) are catastrophic natural and manmade events of large-scale destruction that cause unprecedented damage that goes beyond historical models, despite a nation’s excellence in preparing for such events. The author adds that even with premium preparedness, these events, also termed the mothers of all disasters end up killing thousands, disrupting economic activities for extended periods, and rendering large populations homeless without fundamental necessities. Graham gives several examples of such events, namely, huge hurricanes, earthquakes, nuclear terrorist attacks, and deadly epidemics.

Looking at the time relevance and locations of these examples, they do strike me as fundamentally different from Hurricane Katrina and the September 11 attacks. Both the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina exhibited some of the unique characteristics of Maximum of Maximums. Particularly, the two events were naturally catastrophic and resulted in extraordinary destruction and damage to life, property loss, and devastation of critical infrastructure. The aftermath of the two events was growing death tolls.

However, the nation seemed to ignore intelligence and misjudged the warning signs behind the growing threat of the terrorist attack, which means that it failed to prepare adequately for this event. Also, the forecasts issued by the National Hurricane Center after correctly predicted the strengthening of Hurricane Katrina were also ignored to some extent. What these mean is that in these two events nation was not adequately prepared to face respond to them. In that case, what differentiates Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorist attack from Graham’s MOMs is a lack of the element of preparation as MOMs cause massive damage even with sufficient national preparedness. Graham’s posit regarding people’s inadequacies in preparing for disasters is correct as a lack of preparation permeates government institutions that should be in the vanguard of driving such preparedness, hence becoming a true paradox for disaster planners. What should be done is it to model, initiate, and reinforce nationwide predictive educational programs to augment the public’s ability to predict disasters while enhancing their readiness and resilience.

References

Graham, D. A. (2015). The Mothers of All Disasters. The Atlantic. Retrieved December 02, 2019, from https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/09/the-disaster-next-time/403063/.

Classification

Classification/Division Featured Professional Essay

Title: Farming Women… In Their Own Words.

Source: Farmers Weekly. 11/9/2012, Vol. 158 Issue 19, p68-68. 1/2p.

Document Type: Interview

FARMING WOMEN… In Their Own Words

MAXINE ROBERTSON

About 23 years ago I met my husband — who farms about 250ha of arable land in Norfolk with his brother – on a blind date. They grow sugar beet and barley and also do contracting for local farmers. And 18 years ago, following the birth of our daughter, I gave up a lucrative career as a lawyer to become a stay-at-home mum. As our daughter grew up, I obtained a degree in education and took up various part-time posts in the education sector. Currently, I work part-time for a charity and also approve foster carers for Norfolk County Council. I love animals, gardening and books.

Describe a typical day

Every day is so very different. However, each one starts at about 6am when I take our dogs out and feed our cats, ducks and hens. A typical day ends at 10pm when I put them all to bed.

What has been your biggest achievement?

Remaining married to the same man for 22 years. Seriously, my biggest achievement was gaining my degree while trying to juggle motherhood, working and running a home.

If you had one piece of advice for a rural woman, what would it be?

Try to develop interests outside the home, as rural life can be isolating. Seek out like-minded people and spend lots of time with them.

If you could change one thing to make life better for rural families, what would it be?

Bring more leisure and educational opportunities to rural areas.

What personality traits/skills do women in the countryside most need?

Definitely a sense of humour, but apart from that, flexibility and versatility.

How do you think the life of a young woman on a farm has changed compared with 50 years ago?

Years ago women were probably less likely to take on work away from the farm. However, I’m not sure there is a stereotypical farmer’s wife these days.

Is the countryside a sexist place?

When it suits the men. They complain that you live in jeans and never wear a skirt, yet they are happy enough for you to put on your overalls and help with heavy lifting.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I hope my husband continues to enjoy farming and that we will all enjoy good health. My own ambitions are to own either a donkey, an alpaca or a Herdwick sheep and also, perhaps, to pursue a master’s degree.

If you hadn’t chosen the course in life you have, what would you have done?

When I married my husband, a male friend told me he couldn’t see me as a farmer’s wife, presumably because I had no experience of farming, worked in an office and was a “girly girl”. I wonder what he would say now if he could see me shovelling muck out of the duck house! I don’t regret a thing, even though farmers can be demanding and the farming way of life can be unpredictable. I love our life and consider myself very lucky to live in the countryside.

“How I Use My Time” Essay

Due:

Directions: On _______________________________, we read “Farming Women In Their Own Words.” This article features the triumphs and challenges of Maxine Robertson, a lawyer-turned-female farmer. Robertson concludes that a farmer must possess superior skills in time management.

Each day, we, like Robertson, must determine how to use our time. In an essay of five paragraphs, double spaced, computerized, using 12-point font, identify and discuss three of the activities which take up most of your time.GuidelinesThe website “Charts from the American Time Use Survey,” published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and accessed September 11, 2015, identifies the following uses of time on an average work day for employed persons ages 25 to 54 with children:

Activity Hours

Workingand work-related activities 8.7

Sleeping 7.7

Leisure and sports 2.5

Other 1.7

Caring for others 1.3

Eating and drinking 1.0

Household activities 1.1

Total 24.0

Feel free to choose from these categories or to create your own.Paragraph #1.

A minimum of two sentences are required.

If I can join the two sentences into one, then you have only written one sentence, not two.

The last sentence of the first paragraph must include a thesis sentence containing three keywords, written with parallel sentence structure.

Paragraph #2.

Answer the question “What is the first way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “

The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences. Paragraph #3.

Answer the question “What is the second way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “

The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences.

Paragraph #4.

Answer the question “What is the third way in which I use my time? What is the nature of this activity? In other words, explain or describe what the activity entails. If, for instance, you choose sleeping, help the reader understand what the word “sleeping” means. What are two reasons that you spend time on this activity? “

The paragraph must contain a minimum of 8 sentences.

Paragraph #5.

A minimum of two sentences are required.

The first sentence must repeat the thesis statement.

The thesis statement must contain three keywords.

Reminders

Remember not to use the words “get” and “you” anywhere in your essay. The first use of the word “get” is free. Each additional use costs 2 points per use. Each use of the word “you” or the implied “you” costs 3 points per use. Hopefully, this reminder will prevent you from losing points needlessly.

Essays which are single spaced will not be read. Remember to skip every other line as instructed.

Observe proper formatting of heading and page numbers.

NameDr. S. E. PhillipsEnglish 1301.471September __, 2015

Last Name 2 Last Name 3 Last Name 4

Don’t forget to number each sentence of your essay using continuous numbering.

Rewrite PolicyEssays submitted by the due date are eligible for rewrite. Essays submitted after the due date are not eligible for rewrite. For rewrite eligibility, the essay must score below “78%.” The highest possible score for a rewritten essay is a “90%,” not a full “100%.”

Late Policy

Essays submitted after 1:00 pm _____________________________________are late.

There is no penalty for submitting an essay late as long as you meet the rewrite/late submission deadline discussed below, but a late essay is not eligible for rewrite.

Rewrite/Late Submission Deadline

The deadline for rewrites and late submissions is ____________________________________.

Essay #4

I am scheduled to give the directions for Essay #4, the documentation essay, on _____________.

Due to the nature of Essay #4, you will receive a five-point deduction on Essay #4 if Essay #1 is not submitted by the Rewrite/Late Submission deadline of _______________________________________________________________.

Peer Review Essay #1 will be distributed for peer review. I will explain the peer review process on ____________________________________________________________________.Since the essay will be peer reviewed, you receive 25 points for meeting the essay deadline. You receive 25 points for no other reason than completing the essay on time.

Classwork No 1 Diet

Classwork No 1

Name

Affiliation

Diet

Diet is the aggregate of nutrition devoured by an individual or other organic entity. Dietary propensities are the periodic decision an individual or society makes when picking what nutrition to eat. The word eat less carbohydrates frequently infers the utilization of particular admission of food for health or weight-administration reasons (with the two regularly being connected). Despite the fact that people are omnivores, every society and every individual holds some food inclination or some nutrition taboos (Kim, H & Kim, 2005). This may be because of individual tastes or moral reasons. Singular dietary decisions may be pretty much sound. A less than stellar eating routine may have a damaging effect on health, creating insufficiency ailments, for example, scurvy and kwashiorkor; health debilitating conditions like stoutness and metabolic disorder; and such regular endless systemic illnesses as cardiovascular sickness, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Nutrition

Nutrition is the science that translates the communication of supplements and different substances in food (e.g. phytonutrients, anthocyanins, tannins, and so forth.) in connection to upkeep, development, multiplication, health and malady of an organic entity. It incorporates food admission, assimilation, osmosis, biosynthesis, catabolism and discharge.

Nutrient

Nutrients are the nutritional components in foods that a living being uses to survive and develop. Macronutrients give the mass vitality to an organic entity’s metabolic framework to capacity, while micronutrients give the essential cofactors to digestion system to be done. Both sorts of supplements can be procured from the environment (Hercberg, Chat-Yung & Chauliac, 2008). They are utilized to assemble and repair tissues, manage body forms, and are changed over to and utilized for vitality. Systems for supplement admission are distinctive for plants and creatures. Plants take in supplements specifically from the dirt through their roots and from the environment through their clears out

Essential nutrient

An essential nutrient is a nutrient needed for typical human body work that either can’t be incorporated by the body by any means, or can’t be combined in sums satisfactory for good health (e.g. niacin, choline), and consequently must be gotten from a dietary source.

Eating habit

The term eating habits (or food habits) alludes to why and how individuals eat, which nutrition s they eat, and with whom they eat, and also the ways individuals acquire, store, utilize, and toss nutrition . Singular, social, social, religious, financial, ecological, and political elements all impact individuals’ dietary patterns.

The Influence of Media on our Food Decision

In today’s current society, “it is practically difficult to maintain a strategic distance from media impact on the lives of individuals, as it has its boundless impacts going from how individuals ought to look to what individuals ought to drive, and individuals today have ended up addicts to this media driven world. “There is more number of individuals who are supportive of the above expressed articulation. Confirmations demonstrate that the youngsters who are overweight are more inclined to end up overweight grown-ups in future and they will confront health issues because of it. These days, shrewd promoters have made it troublesome for the viewers to comprehend what is great or terrible for them. Youngsters are the person who are for the most part affected by the media. Media impact in today’s cutting edge society assumes a critical part in bolstering your brain. The primary motivation behind media today is to persuade something to a gigantic measure of individuals it might be identified with nutrition. Whether individuals let it out or not, it affects our regular decision making choices.

References

Hercberg, S., Chat-Yung, S., & Chauliac, M. (2008). The French national nutrition and health program: 2001–2006–2010. International Journal of Public Health, 53(2), 68-77.

Kim, H. K., & Kim, J. H. (2005). Food habits and nutrition knowledge of college students residing in the dormitory in Ulsan area. Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition, 34(9), 1388-1397.

Clausen (1968) defines socialization as the “means by which social and cultural continuity are attained” (p. 5).

Socialization

Clausen (1968) defines socialization as the “means by which social and cultural continuity are attained” (p. 5). This implies that socialization is in fact a lifelong process through which humans inherit and circulate personal and cultural traits including norms, ideologies, and customs. It is the process through which human interaction and education take place. Infants acquire the required knowledge and skills to function as members of a society through socialization (Billingham, 2007, p. 336). It is an integral learning process that occurs through human interaction. Sociologists normally analyze socialization from five major perspectives namely functional, symbolic interaction, conflict, rational choice, post modernist perspectives.

Functionalism, also called functionalist perspective, views all aspect of a human society, including socialization as being interdependent with each other. It is this interdependence that enables a society to function as a whole (Gerber & Macionis, 2010, p. 14). Famous social theorists associated with functionalism include Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer and Auguste Comte. A common example provided by functionalist’s is the role the government plays in provision of education to its citizen’s children while parents pay taxes to enable the government or state continue providing such core services. In a functional perspective, socialization occurs when all parts of the society work perfectly to produce order and productivity.

Symbolic interaction perspective is largely attributed to the works of George H. Mead, an American philosopher, though the whole concept can be traced to Max Weber’s claim that humans behave according to their peculiar interpretation of the world. The perspective asserts that people first attach meanings to symbols then interact with others according to their interpretation of the symbols. For example socialization occurs through verbal conversations which employ words as symbols.

The conflict perspective originated from Karl Marx’s writings that addressed class struggles in the society. Unlike other sociological perspectives such as functionalist and symbolic interaction that focus on societal attributes that positively contribute towards its stability, this perspective views the negative aspects of human socialization (Gerber & Macionis, 2010, p. 15). Conflict perspective encourages change in the society by all means including social revolution in a bid to eliminate the status quo in an ever changing world. Socialization is dictated by a social order imposed on poor and weak people by rich and powerful individuals. Attributes such as democracy, humanitarian efforts, and civil rights are considered as capitalistic efforts aimed at controlling the masses rather than preservation of social order.

Rational choice theory is a theoretical paradigm commonly used in social and economic studies. Friedman (1953) gives a concise definition of rational choice as the natural impulse for individuals to balance costs against benefits for every action they perform in order to arrive at a choice that provides the greatest advantage (p. 15). Rational choice perspective views socialization as an economic interaction in which individuals seek to maximize benefits at the lowest costs possible. Common patterns of behavior emerge in the society as a result of this kind of cost versus benefit interaction.

The post modern theoretical perspective is opposed to modern ways of socialization such as formal knowledge, sciences, realism, materialism, and dogmatism among others. Post modern theorists believe that what many perceive as realities of life are actually social constructs which are subject to change as the society evolves. The perspective is also opposed to binary classifications in the society such as male and female, black and white races, and straight versus gay relations among others. Social realities which govern human socialization, according to post modernism, are never static but subject to change since there is no absolute truth (Krug & Krug, 1993). Post modern ideas have largely influenced many aspects of human interaction such as in business and marketing, law, and religion since the beginning of the 21st century.

Through these perspectives, sociologists are able to come up with explanations on specific aspects of human social interactions. The perspectives seek to explain behavior patterns and beliefs in the society through theoretical frameworks that address concepts such as the functional relationships between different aspects of the society, the role of symbols in human interaction and learning processes, control of the weak by the elite, and post modern liberal ideas.

References

Billingham, M. (2007). Sociological perspectives. In Stretch, B. & Whitehouse, M. (Eds.),Helath and Social Care Book 1 (pp. 336). Oxford: Heinemann.

Clausen, J. A. (Ed.). (1968). Socialization and society. Boston: Little Brown and Company.

Friedman, M. (1953). Essays in positive economics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Gerber, J. & Macionis, L. M. (2010). Sociology (7th ed.). Toronto: Pearson Canada.

Krug, L. D. & Krug, E. L. (1993). The new debate: Post modern analysis of the debate activity.Retrieved from http://www2.edutech.nodak.edu/ndsta/krug.htm

Climate change can also be referred to as global warming

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Climate change can also be referred to as global warming is the significant alteration in the average weather pattern of a region or the earth as a whole. Climate change is a major challenge that is currently facing the human race. The following is a list of important things to know about climate change; temperature rise, change in wildlife population and their habitats, rising sea levels, man-made climate changes, extreme weather events, increased carbon emissions in the atmosphere and solutions to climate change.

Rising temperatures causes some of the most severe climate change impacts such as intense heat waves and droughts as have been experienced in different parts of the world. It also leads to the melting of the polar glaciers, expanding the oceans and raising the sea levels. The increase in carbon emission in the atmosphere is linked to temperature increase. Most of this adverse climatic changes are as a result of human activities such as deforestation and uncontrolled industrialization.

Vested interests are personal reasons that make an individual want to engage in an activity. Measures like the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would negatively affect many large and successful corporations. The global economy is also dependent on exploitation of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil. Such corporations campaign on misinformation of the public on the impacts of climate change. These corporations and their lobbying groups are responsible for delay of policies and legislations and also shape those are passed.

Environmental inequality is the exposure of the minority and disadvantaged to environmental hazards. For instance, in the United States , African Americans, native American and Latinos have for long have been exposed to hazardous living conditions and activities. For example working in farms that use corrosive pesticides and also in coal mines.

CMC Case Question 4

CMC Case Question 4

Author’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

CMC Case Question 4

The case provided by Kerzner (2013) evinces that Concrete Masonry Corporation (CMC) based its cost estimates on the top-down costing framework. The top-down cost estimation approach entails measuring a project’s costs by estimating the inputs that go into each part of the job from information or project pricing knowledge from previous similar projects. Expert judgment and experiences of individuals involved in cost estimations can also form the basis for top-down cost estimates. At CMC, the estimator would feed the cubic feet and span of the prestressed concrete needed into the computer that generated the cost predictions (Kerzner, 2013). This provided an effective approach to cost estimations as the influence of production and sales personnel would not be introduced in the estimator. As Exhibit II shows, the information used for top-down cost estimation at CMC came from labor history, expert judgment, material cost projections, experience, and annual planning. I think that CMC developed project budgets for each of its projects based on the same model.

References

Kerzner, H. R. PhD. (2013). Case: Concrete Masonry Corporation (CMC). In Meredith, J. R., & Mantel Jr, S. J. (2011). Project Management: A Managerial Approach: A Managerial Approach. John Wiley & Sons.

Coding of the Interview and Theme Analysis

Coding of the Interview and Theme Analysis

Name

Professor

Institution

Course

Date

Coding of the Interview and Theme Analysis

List of codes developed for the interview transcript

0-irelevany

1 –less important

2- important

3- Relatively important

4-important

5-highly important

Work process

The research was mainly on analyzing the competitiveness of the firm and the general strategies that the firm uses to increase it sales volume and the guiding principles in the company quest for Creating and maintaining customer relationships. The research question was also geared at determining the correlation between successful relationships and revenue at Hewlett Packard Company.”

Along this line the researchers considered the factors that are most important to the company in its quest and awarded them the highest value in weight. For example, Creswell, (2002), states that those factors and statement that were more important to the company in achieving its objectives were awarded either 3 or five depending on the scales. In a scale of 1 to 5, the researcher awarded 5 to the most important factor such as customer focus and 1 to irrelevant factors that may not contribute to the success of the company (Babakus, & Boiler, 1992). For those scales between 3 and zero, the researcher awarded code 3 to very important factors and 0, 2 to not so important, and 1 to less important factors. However, for those factors which the respondent is not so sure about or just neutral or does not know, the researcher indicated that the respondent should check neutral coded 0 due to lack of weight or value to the research process.

Small-Scale Qualitative Research Project—the Perugini Interview

Interview for Michael Perugini- Director of Sales, Hewlett Packard Company, Incorporated

Interviewer: What are the principles of the HP Corporation on the issue of appropriate business ethics, especially in sales?

Perugini: HP takes the issue of ethics very seriously. We have been sure to put measures in place to enforce that, and it begins with the quarterly certification process all employees must complete. As you know, we mandate that every employee must certify, on a quarterly basis, that they have not operated in an unethical way. We also have leadership training sessions and must also certify that we are not aware of you guys doing anything you are not supposed to.

0230505In a scale of 1 to 3 what is the principle of HP Corporation on the issue of appropriate business ethics, especially in sales?

1-not serious

2 serious

3 very serious

In a scale of 1 to 3 what is the principle of HP Corporation on the issue of appropriate business ethics, especially in sales?

1-not serious

2 serious

3 very serious

Interviewer: How has the company’s management structured the principles to cater for its customers’ specific needs?

Perugini: Well, we always put our customers first, at least we are supposed to. I believe that if you do the right thing by your customer, you will have a customer for life.

19050207645Consider the following points and chose appropriately, what are the main things that the company has done to ensure that its principles on ethics are used to met the need of its customers?

1. Capital planning and execution

2. Operational excellence

3. Customer focus

4. Superior customer relations strategy

Consider the following points and chose appropriately, what are the main things that the company has done to ensure that its principles on ethics are used to met the need of its customers?

1. Capital planning and execution

2. Operational excellence

3. Customer focus

4. Superior customer relations strategy

Interviewer: How long have you been involved with the sales department within the company?

Perugini: I have been at HP for 3 years now. Wow, time flies. I also spent close to 20 years in the industry with some of HP’s largest competitors

-12382540640How long have you been involved with the sales department within the company?

Long time (more than three years): 3

Short time (between two and three years): 2

New (less than one year): 1

How long have you been involved with the sales department within the company?

Long time (more than three years): 3

Short time (between two and three years): 2

New (less than one year): 1

.

Interviewer: How does a good customer relationship affect general revenue to the company?

19050321945How does a good customer relationship affect general revenue to the company?

1: It highly affects the general revenue of the company as we invest a lot on customers

2. Does not affect, the company does not make provision for customer entertainment

0. I don’t know/ Neutral

How does a good customer relationship affect general revenue to the company?

1: It highly affects the general revenue of the company as we invest a lot on customers

2. Does not affect, the company does not make provision for customer entertainment

0. I don’t know/ Neutral

Perugini: I think this is the single largest piece of the puzzle. In our world, if you

do not have the relationships, you will never have the sale. At the end of our quarters, we can never afford not to have the sale. That’s why I was so lenient on expenses around client entertainment. Take them out to dinner, shows, and drinks, whatever. Get to know these guys and spend time with them. That is the only way to get things done in our world. Make the sale. Whatever it takes.

Interviewer: What does it mean to the company’s performance when the customers are satisfied with its products and services and hence consume them abundantly and more frequently?

1428752540What does it mean to the company’s performance when the customers are satisfied with its products and services and hence consume them abundantly and more frequently?

5. More profits

4: Increased sales volume

3. Increased repeat purchases

2. Reduced

1. Stability

What does it mean to the company’s performance when the customers are satisfied with its products and services and hence consume them abundantly and more frequently?

5. More profits

4: Increased sales volume

3. Increased repeat purchases

2. Reduced

1. Stability

Perugini: Well, we will obviously see an increase in software use, which should, in theory, drive additional revenue for us. A happy customer is a customer that keeps buying our software. At the end of the day, that why we are all here, right? To sell software and make a lot of money.

Interviewer: How well is the company prepared for the challenges posed by its major competitors who may also apply the same remedies to entice customers so that they remain relevant in the software industry?

-3810060960How well is the company prepared for the challenges posed by its major competitors who may also apply the same remedies to entice customers so that they remain relevant in the software industry?

3. Very prepared to go to any length to please their customers

2. Still preparing to meet the challenges that would be posed by competitors

1. Not prepared

How well is the company prepared for the challenges posed by its major competitors who may also apply the same remedies to entice customers so that they remain relevant in the software industry?

3. Very prepared to go to any length to please their customers

2. Still preparing to meet the challenges that would be posed by competitors

1. Not prepared

Perugini: I always thought of our industry as a boxing match. Are you old enough to remember Muhammad Ali? The “Thriller in Manila?” That is our industry. You battle. Sometime you get hit with a few hard shots that stagger you, sometimes you are the one making the shots. You go back and forth until there is a winner. Hopefully it is you. You have a hundred vendors calling on a single company CIO. This guy gets hundreds of calls every week to go to dinners, lunches, and baseball games with people he could care less about. Why should he go with you? I mean, you are not that good looking. No offense. A good guy, but no model. You have to show him you add value. Working for HP is a huge advantage. Everyone knows us, and it is easier to get the appointment, but then it is up to you.

Interviewer: Where do you see the HP Company in the next five years in terms of their competitiveness and maintenance of business ethics?

-4762560960Where do you see the HP Company in the next five years in terms of their competitiveness and maintenance of business ethics?

5. Very stable and developing

4 very stable but not developing

3. Not stable but developing

2. Not stable and not developing

1. has been making loses and is likely to close shop

Where do you see the HP Company in the next five years in terms of their competitiveness and maintenance of business ethics?

5. Very stable and developing

4 very stable but not developing

3. Not stable but developing

2. Not stable and not developing

1. has been making loses and is likely to close shop

Perugini: We are a big company, and the fact is we will not be going anywhere anytime soon. I think we did around $126 billion last year. We have the revenue to sustain us through any market fluctuations. We have industry leading products, and strong innovation. Did you see the new HP computer we just unveiled? All touch screen. It is amazing. Innovations like that is what will allow us to remain the market leader for years to come.

Interviewer: Thanks Mike, it looks like our 20 minutes are up. Thanks again for your time, I really appreciate it.

Perugini: Anytime. Hope you get an “A.”

References

Black N, Brazier J, Fitzpatrick R, Reeves B. (1998).Customer relations questionnaires. In: corporate Research Methods—a guide to best practice. London: BMJ Books,

Creswell, J. W. (2002), “Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods Approaches” 2nd Ed. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Babakus, E. & Boiler. G. (1992) “An empirical assessment of the SERVQUAL scale” Journal of Business Research, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 253-68.