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Nuclear Power Plants

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Nuclear Power Plants

The term a nuclear plant in the simplest and most basic sense refers to the a thermal power station which has a centrally placed nuclear reactor for the purpose of generating heat, electricity and energy by extension. The initial and original plan of the plants was to generate energy since using fuel to do the same grew expensive relative to the nuclear plants. Over the years however, nations with the plants have diversified their use of the nuclear plants to skew them to nuclear weapons. It is needless to stress and mention the dangers that nuclear weapon pose to the human race. This essay will thus discuss in details and principles, the advantages and disadvantages relative to banning of all nuclear plants worldwide.

To begin with, there is a school of thought which stipulates that nuclear plants ought not to be banned because of the outright benefits that it presents to the world. Firstly, is the aspect of security and safety of a nuclear plant? If under any circumstances or issue, there is a mechanical fault of whichever sought and the effects and the dangers that such an eventuality would pose are dire. It would take approximately forty thousand for the world to fully recover from the effects of the nuclear materials proliferating the environment (Chiras, 9). This is to say that it would take four time human life or the world to overcome the negative effects. This logic stems from the fact that nuclear energy has so far radiated the earth, killed more people than any other lethal substance on earth. Thus, there is benefit of keeping the nuclear power plants with full knowledge of the extremities that may accrue under such an eventuality.

A practical case and instance is under during the World War when the full effects of nuclear energy or weapon was directed towards Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Up until this present day and age, subsequent generations are still reeling from the negative effects that were posed by the bombing of the places. Thus, it is counter-productive to leave such huge amount of power and authority under influence of human beings because when things go wrong such as during times of war, there would be o guarantee that a nation would not use them.

Similarly, there is no guarantee that the plants would be safe under the control and management of human beings. An error, technical mistake, natural disaster or any unforeseen and unexpected human calamity may be devastating. It is imperative and important to and record that if there is any accident either a natural disaster such as an earthquake and then the plants explode, the effects would be counted in terms of number of human lives lost. Thus, the prospects of cheaper energy is in no way worth risking the lives of human beings, which would be affected by radiation. On the contrary it would be better if the states and nations invested in alternative safer modes and means of power plants and energy sources.

Subsequently, there are prospects and chances that human error may occur because of the technical and mechanical aspects that are involved. Naturally, there ought to be proper means and ways of correcting a human error in any circumstance without involving loss of life or loss of any sort within the global and human spectrum. This logic does not however hold as far as nuclear plants, reactors and energy is concerned (Rosenthal, 6). Whenever there is a mishap of whichever sort, the costs and causalities of the breakdown (of the nuclear plant), would be measured by environmental and human life loss. A case in point is the Fukushima incident which is still fresh in the memories of the world. Thus, nuclear plants ought to be banned because all the benefits that it may offer and present to the world do not in any way compare to the effects it would have on humanity.

On the contrary, there is a school for thought and proponents who support nuclear plants because of the seemingly number of benefits that it presents to the globe and world at large. This is because the reactors give and offer cheap and reliable, green and environmentally friendly source of energy (Wood, 17). In retrospect, it seems as if one would ask the rhetorical question on what is the rationale of banning such an incentive when the benefits are outright. This is to compare with the expensive and pollutant energy in the name of fossils which pollute the environment. The underlying aspect and principle is that nuclear plants and energy by extension does not pollute the environment in any case.

Subsequently, the fossil oils are getting depleted or are running out thus, the world would stand disadvantaged because of the continued use of fossil fuels. Thus it is not logical or rationale to ban the only alternative that is safer and cheaper because of the perceived dangers. Comparatively, more lives have been lost in fossil fuel plants since time immemorial relative to power plants. Thus if safety measures are taken, there would be no need to worry in this respect and aspect.

Works Cited

Chiras, Daniel D. Environmental Science. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2013. Print.

Rosenthal, Elvis. Advances in Nuclear Power. New Delhi: World Technologies, 2011. Internet resource.

Wood, J. Nuclear Power. London: Institution of Engineering and Technology, 2007. Internet resource

Internship Reflection

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Internship Reflection

The WHAT?

It is another week of my internship program, and the whole experience has been helping me grow as a professional. So far, I have been working on various projects. Within this period, I began coming up with a poster for a project. The project that I conducted was based on Reproductive Justice. As an individual, I believe that humans have a right to decide whether or not to have children. It is also my belief that children should be raised in sustainable communities. The whole idea of creating the poster for this project was to create awareness on reproductive justice. Many people are denied the chance to make decisions concerning their bodies in terms of reproduction. They need to be aware of the fact that they have a choice. To complete the poster, I was required to send people surveys to gather relevant information concerning reproductive justice. The whole process proved challenging since some of the participants in my survey were not able to create time to look at it. As a result, it made it difficult to get data results. Since the people who received the surveys did not look at it, I was delayed in assembling the information required for the first draft of my poster. On the positive note, the people taking part in the survey were willing to still look at it.

The So What?

The internship program has enabled me to grow as a professional in various ways. Through this week’s activities, I have been able to learn the value of pre-planning for actions to avoid failure to meet targets. I have also learned how to interact with people to carry out surveys. For the first draft of the poster for my project, I was not able to gather results on time because people were not able to look at the survey. It might have been the case because most people have busy schedules.

Meanwhile, I have been working on trying to reach each person who was taking part in the survey. The aim was to try to see if they could submit the survey before Wednesday of this coming week. By doing so, I would get a chance to work on the data to be used for my second draft of the poster for the project. If I were to carry out another survey, I would consider doing surveys through interviews. It could be done virtually, and it would give me a chance to gather data immediately without having to follow up on people to complete the survey. It would also enable me to collect more information in a short period.

The NOW WHAT?

Taking part in the project during my internship allowed me to gain individual skills that enable me to handle certain situations. I was able to create a poster based on reproductive justice to create awareness. Despite the various challenges, such as collecting data for my survey, I was able to finish up my drafts for the poster. With the data provided for my poster, I will pick a time and date to conduct my panel. The panel will assist me in finishing the poster, and this will allow me to come up with a conclusion and results for my panel project. This particular experience has allowed me to identify my strengths and weaknesses during the project. It has enabled me to gain insight into the extent to which a poster can prove beneficial in creating awareness. I believe that many people should be aware of the fact that they have a right to reproductive justice. With the posters ready, they can be distributed and posted in different places so that people can see them.

Management Information System MIS 201

Management Information System MIS 201

Semester 1 (2017-2018)

Assignment Details

Prepare an in-depth analysis of four case studies during the semester. Here are some guidelines:

This is an individual assessment

This assignment will worth 25 mark (Case Study Questions 15 Marks/ Presentation 10 Marks)

Answer all the questions listed below for each case.

The ‘answers’ to the questions are best formulated by reviewing the case and the reading materials up and including the current week in the course.

The questions are worded to help you apply the readings to the case, so don’t limit yourself to the case’s terminology and perspective. The best analysis will abstract the case content by applying the reading materials to draw broader lessons about the material

As for the Presentation you should summarize your analysis of All cases studies in a set of PowerPoint slides

Due Dates: End of 14th Week

Case Study 1: Apple Merging Technology, Business, and Entertainment

Why are data, information, business intelligence, and knowledge important to Apple? Give an example of each type in relation to the iPad. (1 Mark)

Explain how Apple achieved business success through the use of information, information technology, and people. (1 Mark)

Evaluate how Apple can gain business intelligence through the implementation of a customer relationship management system. (1 Mark)

Case Study 2: Vail Ski Resorts Goes High-Tech for High Touch

List and describe the types of systems described in this case study. (1 Mark)

How do these systems improve the operation of the business? (1 Mark)

How do these systems support decision-making? Identify 3 different decisions that can be supported by these systems. (1 Mark)

Case Study 3 : Walmart

How IT and IS may be used to help the company operate and achieve its objectives. (1 Mark)

Discuss the challenges faced by the CIO – which are the most important and why? (1 Mark)

What role does information technology play in the business? How is it helping Walmart refine its business strategies? (1 Mark)

Summarize the main purposes of information systems in organizations (1 Mark)

Case Study 4: Zappos

Define SCM and how it can benefit Zappos. (1 Mark)

Explain CRM and why Zappos would benefit from the implementation of a CRM system. (1 Mark)

Demonstrate why Zappos would need to implement SCM, CRM, and ERP for a connected corporation. (1 Mark)

Analyze the merger between Zappos and Amazon and assess potential issues for Zappos customers. (1 Mark)

Propose a plan for how Zappos can use Amazon’s supply chain to increase sales and customer satisfaction. (1 Mark)

Case Study 1: Apple Merging Technology, Business, and Entertainment

This might sound hard to believe, but a bit more than a decade ago, Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. Apple Computer Inc., now back from near oblivion, is blazing a trail through the digital world with innovation and creativity that has been missing from the company for the past 20 years. The unique feature of Apple’s competitive advantages is that they come from customers and users, not Apple employees. That’s right; the company welcomes products created by consumers to sell to consumers, a trend new to business.

Capitalizing on the iPod

With millions of iPods in the hands of consumers, many people are finding ways to capitalize on the product. John Lin created a prototype of a remote control for the iPod and took his prototype to Macworld, where he found success. A few months later, Lin’s company had Apple’s blessing and a commitment for shelf space in its retail stores. “This is how Apple supports the iPod economy,” Lin said. In the iPod-dominated market, hundreds of companies have been inspired to develop more than 500 accessories—everything from rechargers for the car to $1,500 Fendi bags. Eric Tong, vice president at Belkin, a cable and peripheral manufacturer, believes that 75 percent of all iPod owners purchase at least one accessory—selling over 30 million accessories to date. With most of the products priced between $10 and $200, that puts the iPod economy well over $300 million and perhaps as high as $6 billion. Popular iPod accessories include:

■ Altec Lansing Technologies—iPod speakers and recharger dock ($150).

■ Belkin—TuneCast mobile FM transmitter ($40).

■ Etymotic Research—high-end earphones ($150).

■ Griffin Technology—iTrip FM transmitter ($35).

■ Kate Spade—Geneva faux-croc mini iPod holder ($55).

■ Apple—socks set in six colors: green, purple, blue, orange, pink, and gray ($29).

■ Apple—digital camera connector ($29).

Capitalizing on the iPhone

Looking at someone using an iPhone is an interesting experience because there is a good chance they are not making a phone call. They could be doing a number of things from playing a game to trading stocks, watching a TV show, or even conducting business with a mobile version of salesforce.com ’s customer-management software. In a brilliant strategic move, Apple let outsiders offer software for the iPhone and in less than six months, more than 10,000 applications had been created. In fact, more than 15,000 applications are available at its app store section of iTunes, and they have been downloaded a total of 500 million times. Now, many of the iPhone apps are available for the iPad. The iPhone and iPad app store market is getting so huge relative to other smartphone markets that some developers argue there is little point adapting applications for Google’s Android or any other iPhone competitor. According to Jeff Holden, CEO of Pelago Inc., when he created his social networking company he fully intended to follow the conventional wisdom for how to build a sizable, fast-growing software company: Get your programs on as many platforms and devices as possible. But when he crunched the numbers he came to an interesting business conclusion: The 13 million iPhone owners had already downloaded more applications than the 1.1 billion other cell phone owners! To entrepreneurs, developing a program for the iPhone automatically provides a significantly larger market—almost 94 times larger than its competitors. “Why would I ever build for anything but the iPhone?” Holden asked

Capitalizing on the iPad

Apple’s latest release, the iPad, is a lightweight, portable, tablet computer, similar to the iPhone, that allows customers to download applications, check email, and play music all at the touch of a button. Both the iPhone and the iPad can multitask, allowing customers to read a web page while downloading email in the background over wireless networks. The arrival of the iPad brought a simultaneous expansion of the network of accessories. Because the iPad was designed with an exposed screen and without a camera, separate keyboard, memory card slots, or expansion ports, one might say it was specifically built for accessories. Many owners will modify it in some way, whether for mere decoration or hard-core protection. A few of the new accessories include:

■ iPad Clear Armor screen protector—$35.

■ iPad Antique book case cover—$40.

■ iPad wireless keyboard—$99.

■ iPad overcoat sleeve—$35.

■ iPad Joule luxury stand—$130.

Apple has consistently outperformed its key rivals through the development of its MP3 player, the iPod, and continues to make its products smaller and less expensive, while providing complementary features such as games and applications. For the iPhone, Apple developed a unique application called Siri, a voice-activation system that is capable of recognizing voice commands. Siri can perform all kinds of functions from dialing a contact and creating an email to location services such as “Find my Phone,” ensuring lost phones are found quickly.

Apple’s latest offering is a new service called the iCloud. The iCloud has the ability to collect all

of the content, including videos, photos, songs, books, etc., from customer devices such as iPods,

iPads, and iPhones in one secure location in “the cloud.” Apple customers no longer have to worry about backing up their applications or data because everything is automatically uploaded and stored in the iCloud when using an Apple device. In a fast-paced, technology-driven sector, with competitors quickly following suit, Apple is constantly pressured to develop new products and product extensions. Luckily Apple stays ahead of the pack by focusing on the following key competitive advantages:

■ Customer focus: Apple is driven by customer satisfaction and ensures customers are deeply

involved in product development and application development.

■ Resources and capabilities: Apple continues to invest heavily in research and development to take advantage of new technologies, improved facilities, and cloud infrastructures.

■ Strategic vision: Apple has a clear alignment of its vision, mission, and business leadership and goals.

■ Branding: Apple is the leader in brand loyalty as it has achieved cult status with its authentic

product image.

■ Quality focus: Apple has an outstanding commitment to quality.24

Case Study 2: Vail Ski Resorts Goes High-Tech for High Touch

Vail Ski Resort is the largest single mountain ski resort in the United States, with 5,289 acres of the most diverse and expansive skiing in the world. To its world-class skiing, Vail is also trying to offer world-class customer care—fine dining; spas and ski valets ready to haul, stow, and retrieve your equipment; heated boots; and hand-warming packets. Vail’s season pass is a top value industry-wide; its free PEAKS Rewards membership program further inculcates customer loyalty. Members can the most economical lift tickets online, link the PEAKS card to a credit card, and accumulate points that can be redeemed free lift tickets, ski school lessons, and various discounts.

In 2012, Vail Ski Resort installed the fastest, highest capacity gondola in the United States. Seating ten people per cabin, and with an uphill speed of 1200 feet per minute, the state-of-the-art gondola carries 3600 skiers per hour while decreasing ride time from 9 to 7.5 minutes. Heated seats and Wi-Fi access make it one of the world’s most customer-friendly ski lifts as well.

Long lift lines have always created a big headache for skiers. In the past, the only way to gauge the flow of the crowd was to ask lift operators or check on bulletin boards at the bottom of the lifts. Now Vail skiers are able to obtain accurate up-to-the minute lift line information by using social networking, streaming alerts, and the resort’s own Witter account. Slope congestion can be alleviated by offering special pins or prizes to coax guests to move to a different slope. Guests can be directed to on-mountain dining locations at lunch time.

Vail now uses radio frequency identification (RFID) lift tickets and ski passes. Part of the EpicMix social media program, the tickets and passes are scanned at the base of each lift so that skiers and snowboarders can track how many lifts they ride and the vertical feet ascended each day. The scanned data are automatically transferred to an EpicMix application which can be accessed from either a smartphone or a computer. The basic program is free and confers various pins and virtual awards based on user statistics. For example, you earn the “Connoisseur” pin after 75 lifts and the “Over the Moon” pin when you surpass 350,000 vertical feet skied. After you create your EpicMix account, you can view and share stats by linking to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The EpicMix Racing program provides additional fun. At one of six race courses, you can compete against friends and family, all skiers, and even 2010 Olympic women’s downhill gold medalist Lindsey Vonn. At the beginning of each season, the four-time overall World Cup champion establishes a course time for race courses at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar. Race pros then ski the courses to establish their “seconds behind Lindsey.” ‘lb factor in changing course conditions, every day one of the race pros skis each course and uses his or her “seconds behin Lindsey” to determine a course time for Vonn on that particular day. When you ski a course, your actual time is automatically recorded and then adjusted for gender, age, and discipline. Snowboarders, telemark skiers, and adaptive skiers with disabilities and special needs can also participate. Scores are computed based on each skier’s “seconds behind Lindsey,” and gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded to the top three daily. Race results and leaderboards are accessed on EpicMix.com or the EpicM mobile app, available for Apple and Android smartphones. Your dashboard tallies your Lindsey

Vonn Race Series points, EpicMix Racing medals, total number of resort check-ins, total days on a mountain, vertical feet, pins earned, and number of EpicMix photos taken.

The six race course mountains are staffed by 140 professional photographers. Photos are automatically identified and uploaded by scanning the intelligent chip embedded in the skier’s lift ticket. Photos can be captioned and shared free on Facebook and Twitter, or you can purchase prints at a number of locations, including, of course, the Children’s Ski Schools. You can also purchase a $30.00 season package for unlimited downloads of all images taken at all locations and print them out later. All of these amenities turn a ski vacation into an “experience” that can be shared with family and friends, increasing emotional attachment and promoting customer retention.

Still, to ensure that it is fully leveraging the wealth of customer data it collects, Vail Ski Resorts’ parent company Vail Resorts implemented SAS Customer Intelligence software. Customer data were previously collected and stored in a number of unrelated systems. Now, the data are compiled in a single database that includes all customer points of contact, allowing a complete picture of customer habits and preferences to emerge. Rather than one or two versions of a marketing campaign, Vail Resorts now runs 30 to 50, targeted to specific groups. In the future, the company expects to expand to hundreds or even thousands of personalized, individual communications.

SAS predictive analytics will help Vail Resorts to identify guest motivations and anticipate customer desires, while customer segmentation models identify profitable segments to which they might be steered. Vail Resorts plans to further personalize its engagement with its guests and enrich their mountain experiences before they have even begun.

Case Study 3 : Walmart

With the advent of science and technology, technological innovations have become a pre-requisite to achieve operational and strategic excellence. Organizations by using state-of-the-art systems, are striving for their best to achieve sustainable and long-term competitive advantage. It has become sine qua non to use modern tools for the effective achievement of goals and objectives. Its importance can also be observed from the increased spending on Research & Development in order to pace up with the todays dynamic business environment.

Wal-Mart, founded by Sam Walton in 1962, is the world’s largest retailer that employs about 2.1 million associates worldwide, in more than 8,400 stores, including 8, discount stores, 3,100 combination discount and grocery stores. Wal-Mart is serving its customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,613 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. Wal-Mart has ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2010 Most Admired Companies survey with fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion. Sam Walton’s belief was to build an empire by providing value to its customers and empowering employees, also known as associates. The way the Wal-Mart operates is so fascinating and impressive that Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric once said: “Many of our management teams spent time there observing the speed, the bias for action, the utter customer fixation that drives Wal-Mart.”

The use of high-tech Information technology has always been an essential ingredient for Wal-Mart’s growth. Since its inception, it has used the IT systems well enough for the Inventory, administrative, customers and suppliers management.

Wal-Mart’s investment in technology started with the computerized accounting systems and since then the continuous adoption of latest technologies has made Wal-Mart a market leader in the whole retail industry.

Wal-Mart developed a well-equipped computerized Point of Sale (POS) system capable of identifying each unit sold, creation of accurate sales receipt and storing all the information item-by-item for sales analysis and inventory reordering purposes. It helped company to avoid overstocking of merchandize through effective information usage and also assisted them in investing in only those merchandize that were profitable. It has also helped them figure out best selling products and prospective products that customers want. Analysts say that it is Wal-Mart’s Point of Sale system that has helped them achieve the world’s largest market share and revenues in retail industry.

Wal-Mart, in 2004, was the first in retail industry to adopt electronic radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for inventory distribution management. RFID technology, which is still being used, helps them keep track of inventory movement across its supply chain. Wal-Mart was trailing K-Mart in 1980’s but with the adoption of latest technologies, it has now become the trend setter in retail industry all over the world.

Wal-Mart is currently working on a project to make best out of wireless technology. In near future, they have plans to develop a remote system that would allow customers to just walk into their store and use their own devices (Phones or PDA’s) to get whatever they want. i.e. they might go online to their website, while at the store, and find things for themselves or just compare the products’ prices etc.

Customer service, best shopping environment and experience, one-stop shopping, best value products, customer convenience of online shopping, good customer relations are the blessings that Wal-Mart provides using cutting-edge technology. Latest wireless system at their stores, online web-retailing, vast width and hierarchy of product items, and stores at multiple remote sites are the benefits customers of Wal-Mart cherish.

Wal-Mart is considered to be a trend setter in retail industry and it’s all due to its inclination towards achieving impossible through modern technology. For example, Wal-Mart once tried to develop three experimental stores in McKinney, Aurora and Las Vegas that were equipped with latest technologies or concepts like wind turbines, photovoltaic solar panels, bio-fuel-capable boilers and water-cooled refrigerators. Irrespective of the criticism it had on environmental issues, Wal-Mart’s initiative was considered to be a positive step towards change and innovation and it provided them with an opportunity to become the biggest seller of organic milk and the biggest buyer of organic cotton in the world, as well as reducing packaging and energy costs. It has been quoted in 2006’s annual report of Wal-Mart that in order to compete against upscale and appealing store, such as ‘Target’, they have launched a new Supercenter concept in Plano, Texas. The new store had wood floors, wider aisles, a sushi bar, a coffee shop with free Wi-Fi Internet access, and more expensive beers, wines and other electronics goods.

By using advance forecasting techniques and integrating different technologies, Wal-Mart is planning to deploy simulation software that would help them simulate business events that are yet to happen.

Wal-Mart has got a strategic plan of introducing a concept of self-service. Self-service technology, aimed at eliminating paper and paper forms, will be provided to their associates, prospective associates, customers and members. It was said by Kevin Turner, CEO of Wal-Mart’s subsidiary corporation, in his interview with ‘CIO’ personnel that “having an associate portal and devices on our sales floors will let customers and members get product information, and let us do computer-assisted selling”.

For evaluating new technologies, they are always plugged into research and development labs of their key suppliers like Cisco, IBM, NCR, AT&T or HP in order to get current with latest technologies and drive the future for themselves.

Wal-Mart has been outstanding in its investments in Information technology from all prospects. IT systems at Wal-Mart allow them to reduce transactional as well as operational costs at their distribution centers and it has also helped them to support Wal-Mart’s long-term strategy of owning the distribution centers and maintaining long-term relationships with their suppliers. Also, improvement in productivity due to IT systems is dramatic at Wal-Mart. It has helped them offer products at such a nominal cost that a small town merchant is unable to provide and this is remarkable achievement of Wal-Mart. It has become a sustainable competitive advantage for them over their competitors and a reason of their growth and profitability. We are aware of a fact that every benefit is accompanied with some problem but Wal-Mart has successfully defied its weaknesses and have used its strength well to take advantage from the prospective opportunities and avoiding possible threats.

Case Study 4: Zappos

Tony Hsieh’s first entrepreneurial effort began at the age of 12 when he started his own custom button business. Realizing the importance of advertising, Hsieh began marketing his business to other kids through directories, and soon his profits soared to a few hundred dollars a month. Throughout his adolescence, Hsieh started several businesses, and by the time he was in college he was making money selling pizzas out of his Harvard dorm room. Another entrepreneurial student, Alfred Lin,bought pizzas from Hsieh and resold them by the slice, making a nice profit. Hsieh and Lin quickly became friends. After Harvard, Hsieh founded Link Exchange in 1996, a company that helped small businesses exchange banner ads. A mere two years later, Hsieh sold Link Exchange to Microsoft for $265 million. Using the profits from the sale, Hsieh and Lin formed a venture capital company that invested in start-up businesses. One investment that caught their attention was Zappos, an online retailer of shoes. Both entrepreneurs viewed the $40 billion shoe market as an opportunity they could not miss, and in 2000 Hsieh took over as Zappos’ CEO with Lin as his chief financial officer.

Today, Zappos is leading its market and offering an enormous selection of more than 90,000 styles of handbags, clothing, and accessories for more than 500 brands. One reason for Zappos’ incredible success was Hsieh’s decision to use the advertising and marketing budget for customer service, a tactic that would not have worked before the Internet. Zappos’ passionate customer service strategy encourages customers to order as many sizes and styles of products as they want, ships them for free, and offers free return shipping. Zappos encourages customer communication, and its call center receives more than 5,000 calls a day with the longest call to date lasting more than four hours. Zappos’ extensive inventory is stored in a warehouse in Kentucky right next to a UPS shipping center. Only available stock is listed on the website, and orders as late as 11 p.m. are still guaranteed next-day delivery. To facilitate supplier and partner relationships, Zappos built an extranet that provides its vendors with all kinds of product information, such as items sold, times sold, price, customer, and so on. Armed with these kinds of details, suppliers can quickly change manufacturing schedules to meet demand.

Zappos CultureAlong with valuing its partners and suppliers, Zappos also places a great deal of value on its employee relationships. Zappos employees have fun, and walking through the offices you will see all kinds of things not normally seen in business environments—bottle-cap pyramids, cotton-candy machines, and bouncing balls. Building loyal employee relationships is a critical success factor at Zappos, and to facilitate this relationship the corporate headquarters are located in the same building as the call center (where most employees work) in Las Vegas. All employees receive 100 percent company-paid health insurance along with a daily free lunch.Of course, the Zappos culture does not work for everyone, and the company pays to find the right employees through “The Offer,” which extends to new employees the option of quitting and receiving payment for time worked plus an additional $1,000 bonus. Why the $1,000 bonus for quitting? Zappos management believes that is a small price to pay to find those employees who do not have the sense of commitment Zappos requires. Less than 10 percent of new hires take The Offer.Zappos’ unique culture stresses the following:1. Delivering WOW through service2. Embracing and driving change3. Creating fun and a little weirdness4. Being adventurous, creative, and open-minded5. Pursuing growth and learning6. Building open and honest relationships with communication7. Building a positive team and family spirit8. Doing more with less9. Being passionate and determined10. Being humbleZappos’ Sale to AmazonAmazon.com purchased Zappos for $880 million. Zappos employees shared $40 million in cash and stock, and the Zappos management team remained in place. Having access to Amazon’s world-class warehouses and supply chain is sure to catapult Zappos’ revenues, though many wonder whether the Zappos culture will remain. It’ll be interesting to watch!19

Logical Fallacies and How to avoid them in Business Communications

Logical Fallacies and How to avoid them in Business Communications

[Name of Author]

[Institutional Affiliation]

Logical Fallacies and How to avoid them in Business Communications

The field of business communications is commonly characterized by negotiations, arguments, bargains, and communiqués that determine the successes and failures of business organizations. While many corporate institutions may handle their communications casually, Guffey and Loewy (2010) opine that the possibility of committing fallacies in such communiqués may cost a business its reputation. It is for this reason that many organizations learn to identify and avoid logical fallacies.

Logical fallacies are substantial flaws in logic and reasoning that lead to unsound conclusions in relation to rationality. Considerably prevalent, ‘Ad hominem’ is a fallacy that defines biases and prejudiced judgment in relation to opponents’ character or personality (Grcic, 2006). Because this hampers business, it is important that those involved should focus on important subjects rather than opponents’ personality. Another common fallacy is ‘Post hoc ergo propter hoc’ which directly implies “after this, therefore because of this” (Grcic, 2006). An analogical situation that may indicate this is when an employee goes to a party with a boss and is promoted the next day. To avoid this fallacy, one should not believe that all occurrences are outcomes of preceding events. They may end up becoming overly casual with bosses. Perhaps the most common fallacy is ‘Faulty generalization’ which involves making rush decisions and drawing quick conclusions based on incomplete evidence or faulty parallelism. Again this can be avoided by keen analysis of situations and concepts (Van, 2011).

‘False analogy’ and ‘either / or’ also occur as major fallacies in business communications. In the former, the sharing of a characteristic between two or more elements may make one assume that the elements share all characteristics (Grcic, 2006). An example would be an assumption that professors are lazy because you know one who is lazy. In ‘either / or,’ one presents an argument whereby their suggestion is preferred or the only other alternative is unacceptable. The ‘Straw man fallacy’ also occurs when an individual simplifies points presented by their opponents and proceeds based on their simplifications (Van, 2011). Markedly, all the fallacies can be avoided by critical thinking, logical analysis, fair judgment, and proper scrutiny of principles applied in making various conclusions.

References

Grcic, J. (2006). Logic & life: An introduction to applied logic and critical thinking. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2010). Business Communication: Process and Product. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.

Van, V. J. E. (2011). Informal logical Fallacies: A brief Guide. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Learning to Lead Management Interview Worksheet

Learning to Lead Management Interview Worksheet

Complete the following table with the interviewee’s contact information:

Information Details

Interviewee’s Name Brenda Johns

Position Title Assistant Manager

Company Name Lindsay Corporation

Company Address Phone Email brendajohns@lindsay.org

Interview Questions

Include the following questions in your interview.

Question Answer

How do you set performance objectives? By setting realistic goals that are specific and achievable by the staff members.

How do you plan your work activities? I plan my work activities by doing a prior writing in my diary of the tasks that I am supposed to accomplish. Then I prioritize the tasks from the most important.

How do you arrange tasks, people, and other resources to accomplish the work? I assign work to employees depending on their knowledge and skills on the assigned work. I also make sure that my employees are comfortable with the duties assigned. If an employee is not comfortable I assign them other duties.

How would you describe your style of leadership? Liberal. I am always willing to respect and accept opinions that are different from my own.

How do you measure performance goals are being achieved? I set deadlines which help me to monitor and measure work done within a specific timeline. I create worksheets and mark already accomplished goals.

Develop 5 to 10 of your own additional questions. They should relate to how your interviewee plans, organizes, leads, and measures results in their respective department or organization.

Question Answer

How do you handle an employee who is not coopertative? I am a liberal leader who believes in communication. I will talk with the employee and get to know their issue but keep in mind to observe company rules. If we don’t get to the root of the problem I send them to an upper management.

What are your strengths as a leader? Commitment. I am very passionate about what I do so I give it my all.

How do you handle multiple projects due at the same time? I allocate each project a specific time to be accomplished. I work with deadlines.

What is the most important quality of a leader? Assertiveness. Every leader needs to make firm decisions and abide by them so that employees take you seriously.

How do you handle failure as a leader? Failure is part and parcel of life. We are prone to fail at some point. I recognize the fact that I am human so I accept where I have gone wrong and I do my best to learn from the experience and not repeat the same mistake.

Introduction (10)

Latinos and the Criminal Justice Systems

Student’s name

Institutional affiliations

Introduction

People identifying as Latino and Hispanic refer to individuals comprising of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rico, Spanish, or Central and Southern origin irrespective of their race. Latinos comprise the second-largest minority group in the United States. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, there have been reduced confidence levels in the justice systems. This comes at a time when Latino people are interacting more with the police, prison, and court system. In previous decades, Latinos have become more exposed to criminal justice systems because their population has been continuously rising. The share of Latino inmates in local, state, and federal jails and prisons grew significantly to 20% in 2008 compared to 16% in 2000 (Clair, & Winter, 2016). Worth noting, racism will continue to manifest in the criminal justice system for as long as it exists. The first step in improving Latinos’ experience with the criminal system is to eliminate racial discrimination. Racial discrimination has a way of fuelling overt bias that is evident in the attitude assumptions, language, strategies, conduct, and policies of criminal agencies. The purpose of this essay is to provide an account of how the criminal justice system applies values and beliefs to the Latino population found across the United States. Additionally, the text focuses on the effects of these beliefs on the delivery of services and the continuum of social problems.

Negative Perception and Discrimination by Federal, Local and State Police Departments

There is significant data regarding the experiences of people of color at the hand of the justice system, but there is little documentation regarding the experiences of Latino people with law enforcement. The structure of perceptions and interactions of Latinos with the enforcement of the law helps us understand the police practices and justice laws. People have a bias against Latino people in the United States. People only view them had poor, lazy, uneducated, which clouds the judgment of the administration officers such as the police. Additionally, most people associate Latinos with illegal migration; they are not accepted as citizens despite been born and bred in the U.S. Latino people feel that they are physical appearance puts them at the disadvantage of being stopped by police officers (Hurwitz, Peffley, & Mondak, 2015). This is because the police are constantly profiling them because of the bias they hold against their ethnicity. Moreover, police make little or no effort to communicate with people of Latino origin, particularly if the police officers are not familiar with the Spanish language. Another factor is that when Latinos call for the police in their homes, they show up very late or even end up not showing up at all. In essence, police departments in general, hold prejudice against Latinos. They discriminate against them simply because of their Latino roots.

Discrimination from Fellow Latino Officers, Immigration & Customs Issues

Worth noting, there are reports to indicate that compared to other ethnic groups, Latino people are poorly treated compared to other ethnic groups such as Black and Asian individuals. Many Latinos admit to having a negative experience at the hands of police officers. If not, most of them say that they have family and friends that have experienced discrimination at the hands of the police. It is rather unfortunate that police officers of Latino descent are likely to mistreat their fellow Latinos compared to other police officers. This is because they enjoy looking down on people from their own race that are not educated and lack the necessary papers that can accord them employment and a chance at a better life. What is more daunting is that Latino police officers deliberately avoid using Spanish while speaking to Latinos, although they can hear and speak it well. In essence, Latino police officers make life difficult for their people by refraining from participating in any action that can help their cause. Although they are fully aware that a language barrier exists between them and the police, they refuse to help them at all. Furthermore, Latino people also have a negative perspective on immigration procedures and the entire justice system. They do not trust them with their welfare because they know the systems were not designed to favor them since there is a prejudice. If Latino police improved the way they treat their fellow Latinos, things would improve. By treating them with necessary fairness, professionalism, and respect, the Latino people will change their perspective about the police, and the general justice system would improve.

Impact of Belief on Service Delivery and Continuum of problems

The impact of negative perceptions about Latinos goes beyond the socio-economic consequences. Racial discrimination accords Latinos poor treatment by the police and justice systems. Negative stereotypes limit their access to services, including education, health, and employment. This limits the economic productivity of Latinos because they cannot contribute positively to the country’s gross domestic product. This disproportionately affects the Latino community because they remain poor. This is the reason why Latinos are mostly clustered in blue-collar jobs. Amongst all racial groups, Latinos have a 20% gap in employment between men and women. The Latino found in the U.S. have the lowest educationally attainment at both university education and secondary school diploma (Messing, Becerra, Ward-Lasher, & Androff, 2015). They tend to be more concentrated in clue collar jobs and are more likely to work in maintenance and construction domains, such as construction laborers and agricultural workers. Their women counterparts predominantly work in service sectors such as cleaning, maids, and food preparation. This situation only seems to exacerbate inequalities and poverty for the Latina population. The fact that Latino Americans come from diverse backgrounds, including Asian, African, and European, further makes it hard for them to have their woe identity. These differences in race and nation of origin have been seen to shape and complicate the experiences of Latinos in the United States. It exposes them to domestic and intimate partner violence owing to the dynamics involved in such a relationship. In such a scenario, one party holds power over the other person, whether financial, physical, or judicial where they threaten to have them deported. There are systemic socio, political, and economic factors that affect the lives of the Latino population.

Conclusion

Latino people comprising the largest minority group in the U. S have many origins; some are Asians, others are Black, Spanish, and Mexican, among others. For a long time, Latino have been subject to negative stereotypes. People see them as lazy and poor people who are uneducated. Others see them as illegal immigrants. These negative perceptions have played a role in the way the criminal systems treat Latinos. Latinos are mostly discriminated against by their fellow Latino police. The police refrain from using Spanish to communicate. This is because they like looking down on people that are less educated than themselves. Racial discrimination has a way of fuelling overt bias that is evident in the attitude assumptions, language, strategies, conduct, and policies of criminal agencies. Further, they take a long time to respond to calls by Latino people in their homes. Most Latinos have reported not to trust the immigration and customs practices because they discriminate against them. These negative stereotypes have affected service delivery among Latinos. It excluded them from education and health. This limits their economic productivity, further exposing them to poverty, domestic violence, and other inequalities.

References

Clair, M., & Winter, A. S. (2016). How judges think about racial disparities: Situational decision‐making in the criminal justice system. Criminology, 54(2), 332-359.

Hurwitz, J., Peffley, M., & Mondak, J. (2015). Linked fate and outgroup perceptions: Blacks, Latinos, and the U.S. criminal justice system. Political Research Quarterly, 68(3), 505-520.

Messing, J. T., Becerra, D., Ward-Lasher, A., & Androff, D. K. (2015). Latinas’ perceptions of law enforcement: Fear of deportation, crime reporting, and trust in the system. Affilia, 30(3), 328-340.

Lamont and Marks

Lamont and Marks

Name:

Affiliation:

Course:

Instructor’s name:

Date:

Lamont and Marks

What is the purpose of the study?

The survey aimed to report how college students, their families, and friends engage in Physical Activity.

How did the researchers collect and validate their data?

The researchers concentrated on studying the exercise behaviors of students, their families, and their peers. Those who engaged in the process were given guidelines prior to administering the study. Volunteers were asked to provide the study with an account of time and place when and where most of the vast majority of the individuals (friends and family) were present. The research question remained the same during the 11 years that information was gathered. The researchers assessed the behavior trends within the sample study. To validate their data, they used the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Saint Mary’s College reports to come up with their conclusion.

What were their research findings (results of the study)?

The report suggests that more than half of American adults do not actively engage in physical activity. Further, 25% of the adult population does not engage in any form of physical activity. Between 1996 and 2006, leisure-time physical inactivity prevalence dropped from 29.9% to 23.9%. In the final decade, both the general public and Saint Mary’s subjects tend to be relatively less physically inactive, at the same time, less likely to exercise below the minimum recommendable levels for improving health. Over time, the statistics show individuals engaging in limited physical activity.

What were the demographics of the participants of their study?

The participants were 3885 adult subjects.

What other studies did the researchers cite in their paper?

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Saint Mary’s, and the US Department of Health and Human Services reports.

What are some of the flaws/limitations of their study?

Lack of a wide range of reports to compare their findings

Lack of moderate-intensity exercise

Unpredictable number of physical activities every week

Lack of physical activity that met the report recommendation of the Surgeon’s General.

No leisure-time physical activity

Do you think this study was objective or subjective? Why or why not?

The study is objective than objective. Because it concentrates on achieving a specific purpose, it draws a conclusion based on its analysis and other people’s study.

What would you have done differently in this study, and why?

I would have come up with a moderate exercise that meets all the required standards to achieve the desirable reports

Internal Stakeholders

Internal Stakeholders

Name

Institution

Internal Stakeholders

An organization is formed by its members, who are in pursuit of different goals. These goals are aligned to attain their mutual objectives, which form the purpose for the existence of the entity. Internal stakeholders are, therefore, those parties that exist within an organization. They are those members of the entity who control and perform the activities of the organization. They include employees, managers, proprietors, investors and other internal professional members, like internal auditors and internal legal advisors. Knightsbridge Wealth Management firm has the responsibility to manage the interests of its internal stakeholders to ensure they positively influence the business.

Employees are members of an entity who are assigned roles and perform duties related to the activities of the organization. The reason they join an organization is to earn a salary and to advance in their careers. Knightsbridge employees are essential because they perform their assigned duties and responsibilities. Without them, the operations of the firm are stalled. They are therefore entitled to fair remuneration and good working environment.

On the other hand, managers are those members responsible for planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the operations of the entity. These functions are delegated to them by the proprietors of the company. Proprietors are owners of an entity. They provide capital that is used to start the business. Its proprietors control the direction of Knightsbridge firm. The direction of Knightsbridge proprietors and managers is essential to maintaining order and accountability of the goings-on of the firm. An entity, therefore, requires an efficient and effective management team that can maximize profit for the company.

Some individuals or organizations make investments in companies and expect a return. Their role in Knightsbridge is essential since they provide financial aid to the company through investment or help the firm to expand to other states and continents by making capital expenditure using the money invested. Another group of essential internal stakeholders are professionals hired by the entity. For example, internal auditors and in-house legal advisors provide solutions to technical issues that cannot be solved by other employees.

All these groups of stakeholders are pertinent to the existence of Knightsbridge firm. Effective stakeholder management is done to influence the business positively. It is essential, therefore, to align their interests and the entity’s interests to ensure maximum return for the entity and achievement of the goals of independent stakeholders.

Urbanization is the process

Effects of Urbanization

Student’s name

Institutional affiliation

Urbanization is the process through which large groups of people become permanently concentrated in small areas which translate into cities. Urbanization played a critical role in improving the working, middle and elite classes of people in American society during the nineteenth century. Urbanization occurred owing to many reasons. The emergence of new technologies led to increased industrialization which led to increased demand for workers. With powerful machinery and electricity came the need for workers to live close to factories as they had to work 12-hour shifts since factories now run all day, (7) seven days a week. While the work was dangerous, it offered lower wages in industrial labor. The explosion of urban population growth brought employment opportunities that attracted people to city life. Eventually, cities adopted a unique character based on the industry that spurred its growth for instance, in New York, it was garments, Pittsburg steel, and Chicago meatpacking. Regardless of its benefits, urbanization also caused universal problems relating to communication, transportation and housing, and living conditions. The issues were deeply rooted in class inequalities, disrupted by corrupt politics, and shaped by ethnic strife, racial divisions, and religious differences.

Social classes in American society changed in the use and scope after urbanization occurred. Problems such as crime, pollution, disease, and congestion became prevalent and the norm for city dwellers and living conditions were atrocious. Houses were crowded and cramped with poor ventilation and substandard sanitization and plumbing. Diseases such as cholera and typhoid were rampant leading to loss of life warranting the introduction of sewage systems for effective waste management. Civic organizations and churches gave relief to help address the problems that working-class city dwellers were encountering. With time, the organizations also began giving community services to the urban poor. Additionally, secular spheres began showing support by giving additional relief. They developed settlement houses in urban cities to help the working class and mainly women find aid. The movements offered services including evening classes, child daycare, gym facilities, libraries, and free healthcare. Notably, the movement spread to other cities where they gave relief not only to working-class women but also helped them secure employment opportunities. This helped empower and bridge the gap between the poor, working, and elite classes by bridging the poverty gap.

venturing abroad

Effect of Possible security threats for businesses venturing in the Middle East and Africa

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Institution:

Course:

Instructor:

Date:

Effect of Possible security threats for businesses venturing in the Middle East and Africa

Globalization and technological advancement for example internet use have enabled many companies to expand their businesses oversees in a bid to diversify their market. The role of globalization in expansion of businesses overseas is improving access to human resource, funding and raw materials as well as prompt innovation, overall company growth and, profitability (Financial Regulatory Forum, 2011). Venturing oversees has become an indispensable plan in most company’s long-term and short term objectives. However, the projects are costly due to establishment of amenities abroad, recruiting more workforces, traveling of employees, specialized transportation networks as well as installation of information and communication technology systems. Moreover, it is a worthy investment as it enhances faster growth, access to cheaper materials, better quality and work efficiency, new market breakthrough and diversification (Riley, 2010).

The American corporate sector is filled with free spirited adventurous entrepreneurs. Based on a 2009 research on 250 senior executives, thirty eight percent of the participants ascertained that they attain 50% of company revenue from overseas operations (Growing your business internationally, 2011). There are many reasons why companies, both big and small want to expand internationally. Some of these include, market diversification that boosts general growth and increase revenue. However, venturing oversees must be a properly planned operation. The financial aspect of the operation should be critically analyzed. It is advised that the setting for a business oversees be done at a time when the company has sufficient money to fund the move. Market research is inevitable in implementation of such projects.

There are three key phases of a project to expand overseas namely planning, choosing locations and actual business operation. During layout of a plan to venture abroad, a company must consider basic elements like the nature of corporate environment of the targeted area. This can be done through market research. It is important that before venturing, a company is conversant with the regulatory and legal laws of a land Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (2010). Assessment of the political and social climate, tax and migration laws, regulations, innovation and incentives, legal system, resource availability, infrastructure and workforce is critical. A strategic plan is one that identifies the ideal target region as a secure one Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (2010). Security is paramount because it will determine the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations. Operations will run smoothly where the environment is peaceful.

Security has become a prime aspect especially for businesses looking to expand their businesses into Africa and the Middle East. The peace of a business environment is greatly attributed to the political stability of a region. Civil unrest is common in the Saharan Syria, Yemen, Lebanon nations (Emerson, 1995). Political instability presents uncertainties over the continuation of government policies critical to the existence and profitability of a business in a country (Luo, 1999)

In 2011, Noble Energy Company interested in discovering gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, disclosed that the unrests are a threat to the company’s earnings. There is always a possibility that civil unrest might erupt to wars and anti-west régimes, potential security risk in such countries includes evacuation of personnel, property theft, business interruption, and regulation of entry and exit of personnel and supplies to the country, reduced market demand, changing fiscal regimes, volatility in product prices and supply and difficulty acquiring capital (Financial Regulatory Forum, 2011). There is also the risk of deprivation of contract rights like those under United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Financial Regulatory Forum, 2011)

Another potential security threat is terrorism (Duignan, et. al, 1981). For years now, Islamic fundamentalism is a religious war essentially in the Middle East but has today spread to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan and Nigeria, as well as into the U.S., Europe and large parts of the former Soviet Union (Emerson, 1995). Religious movements such as CARI are formed to prove that Islam is the true religion even by means of force (Emerson, 1995). Radical Islamic fundamentalism is also a political movement to perpetuate political shrewdness. Islamic fundamentalism demands re-creation of the Muslim Empire ‘Khalifa’. In addition, they support absolute rejection of Western systems and values such. In fact, Islamic fundamentalists have always believed in a western conspiracy to overpower them through capitalism, Marxism and democracy (Emerson, 1995). These movements want to make shaari’ah laws compulsory. Stunt action is taken against individuals or companies considered foreign or ignore the movement. For example, Hamas leaders, Jew haters and spearheads to the creation of a Muslim only state, beheads, strangles, pour acid, burn, cut off limbs and gouging out of eyes of victims (Emerson, 1995). Radical fundamentalists are also perpetuated through social deprivation and economic deterioration. What better way to manipulate the economy and spread warnings to non followers than to attack foreign businesses. Fact is, in areas like the Middle East, security of a company and its workforce especially if non Muslim and foreign poses a high potential security threat.

Africa is not left out in the menace either due to the existence of a non black population especially of Arabs (Emerson, 1995). Sudan is known to side with the Middle East by providing training ground and planning bays for Islamic fundamentalist movement. Algeria is also in collaboration with the Middle East western rebel groups. These religious wrangles have curbed peace in these regions posing as a threat to countries planning to venture there (Duignan, et. al, 1981).

Foreign regulations and standards call for restructuring of the production process, inputs and packaging and transportation incurring additional costs. A potential security threat not only affects a company’s workforce but also the ease and efficiency to import goods into the target nation. Some civic and opposition regimes are politicized granting them the ability to manipulate the economic sector. Manipulation is done through raising import taxes or controlling what enters and leaves the region (Luo, 1999). Shipping is affected in areas where the waters are invaded by pirates or rebel groups. Barriers to product importation will reduce the ability of a company to supply sufficient products to the target nation lowering sales and consequently oversee revenue. High import taxes will increase the expenses of operation lowering the gross profit margins. Product theft is also likely during shipping.

Business continuity is the foundation of the overall growth of a company. The possibility of terrorist attacks and wars in Africa and Middle East interrupts normal business operations. These interruptions and inconveniences lower staff productivity by disrupting work flow and affect daily business operations. Time management will be affected and deadlines will not be reached on time. This can result in failure of a company to achieve its goals in the stipulated time. When the risk of insecurity cripples the operations of a business completely, overseas branches may be forced to close down for good or until peace and security is restored. These measures are however, a greater loss to companies considering the funds used in investment.

As a director of security in a firm, it is one’s duty to protect the organization’s workforce and the company itself. Venturing a business in areas with religious rebel movements, terrorism and civil wars will endanger the staff in various ways. Foremost, the employees may be at risk of attack to and fro working areas especially by rebel movement members. The productivity of the workforce will also reduce due to fear of the unknown. During planning, one should insist on a location that is peaceful and free from wars where the human resource of a company may fall victim. Security in the workplace can be enhanced by the installation of Alarm and alarm Monitoring systems, security guards and patrol services (Financial Regulatory Forum, 2011). Perpetuators may target public forums calling for the need to ensure special event security. As much as diversity in recruitment and selection process is advised, pre-employment screening is vital in eliminating employees whose motive are fraudulent, information theft or selling company secrets to potential threat groups.

Special security should be awarded to the easy targeted company executives. Generally, Crisis Management and Response as well as security assessment services like risk assessments and evaluation, general security surveys and compliance audits are inevitable considerations during planning to expand a business in insecure regions (Financial Regulatory Forum, 2011). Security allowance is also required in such areas increasing the expense of operation. Fear among employees may make some turn to drugs for relieve which in turn increase workplace violence. In a bid to know the stand of a company, the group may hack into the information and internet demanding for the upgrade of network and computer systems. Due to many security measures required when investing in the Middle East and Africa, the investment funds are bound to increase tremendously. As much as it is a good business opportunity, expansion into these two regions bears a very high security risk. This security risk increases uncertainties in the growth of a business in the target nation posing an even greater overall risk.

In conclusion, the greatest security threats for companies planning to expand their operations to Africa and the Middle East is possibility of religious and civil wars as well as terrorism. These threats can be enhanced or may result to economic deprivation. The risk of venturing in war zone areas places the company and its workforce at stake. Transportation of goods into their destination faces potential product theft and high import taxes. Business operations are susceptible to interruptions that hinder business continuity and further expansion. It is therefore necessary for companies venturing in insecure regions to decide whether taking the security risk is worth it or not.

Reference

Duignan, P., Gann, L. H. & Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. (1981). The Middle East and North Africa: The Challenge to Western Security. Stanford: Hoover Press.

Financial Regulatory Forum. (2011). Protests in Middle East, North Africa spur look at corporate risk disclosures globally -Westlaw Business. Retrieved on January 11, 2012 from http://blogs.reuters.com/financial-regulatory-forum/2011/02/18/middle-east-protests-spur-new-look-at-corporate-risk-disclosures-globally-westlaw-business-disclosures-risky-business/.

Foreign expansion growing your business internationally. (2011). Retrieved January 11, 2012 from http://www.deloitte.com/assets/DcomIreland/Local%20Assets/Documents/Tax/IE_Tax_Foreign_expansion_0311_web.pdf.

Luo, Y. (1999). Entry and Cooperative Strategies in International Business Expansion. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (2010). 20 issues for businesses expanding internationally. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from, http://www.slideshare.net/CharteredAccountants/thoughtleadershippaper-businessesexpandinginternationally.

Riley, J. (2010). Q&A – Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of international expansion options. Retrieved January 11, 2013, from http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/qa-evaluate-the-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-international-expansion-options.