Ways to Improve Public Transport in Malaysia free essay sample

Since it started operating in 1995, the KTM Komuter service has been horribly neglected. The fleet size has decreased by 50% while passenger demand has actually tripled. Poor planning and oversight has left KTMB unprepared for the expanded passenger demands. An open Parliamentary Committee would be able to review the plans of the operators and proposals and make the necessary investments to improve public transportation. 5) Only a few operators, please Competition is hurting public transportation in Malaysia. The only way that we can see real improvements is to reduce competition within the industry and focus on consolidation. The largest bus company, Konsortium Transnasional Berhad, is a good example of this consolidation. It offers express and intercity and urban bus services through its different branches and brands. Konsortium Bas Ekspres on the other hand, shows you what happens when there is consolidation without proper regulation. Konsortium Bas Ekspres has become notorious for bus crashes, underpaid and reckless drivers, and poor maintenance. We will write a custom essay sample on Ways to Improve Public Transport in Malaysia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The government should encourage existing operators to form properly regulated conglomerates like KTB. Under the proposed system of regulated competition, the Local Authority can even (with proper justification) invite foreign transport companies like First and Veolia and ComfortDelGro to compete for bus routes tendered in their areas. 6) Proper information Malaysians are, ironically, being restricted by companies that are supposed to provide them mobility. Bus operators and even government operators like RapidKL, KL Monorail, and KTMB are doing everything in their power to keep assengers using their services-even at the expense of passenger convenience. Bus operators only provide basic route information and only on the bus itself. RapidKL has discouraged the sale of integrated public transport maps like BastrenKL at LRT stations and bus hubs. In addition, for RapidKL to provide route information at a bus stop or give updates on the radio, they are forced to pay advertising rates. Wit h little or no comprehensive information available to public transport users, their ability to use the services and maximize their ringgit is severly limited. When the local Public Transport Authorities are created they should be expected to provide information through signs on bus stops, the internet, news-spots on broadcasting and narrowcasting, free paper guides, downloadable route maps, and sms services. This will help information reach the customers. 7) More buses and train carriages Most people would think that this should be further up in the list but I disagree. We cannot build public transportation without realistic demands and proper data. Without these vital pieces of information, our planning is reduced to If we build it, they will come. There are enough buses in the Klang Valley (shared among the major and minor bus operators) to meet all of the needs to the DBKL. These buses need to be better organized so they do not only focus on the profitable routes and do not spend most of their time waiting for passengers. Only a local public transport authority which owns the routes and controls the buses would be able to implement a successful system. If we rely on the operators themselves to organize and improve services, nothing will happen. 8) Build better public transport from the bottom up Bus lanes are not a popular solution among drivers. But we have to realize that bus lanes and bus rapid transit system are a solution that will work for the Klang Valley and throughout Malaysia. Rather than spending all our funds in the Klang Valley alone, we should be thinking about improving public transportation throughout the country. To give you an understanding of this, consider the 120km of rail lines proposed in the KLCity2020 Draft Plan. Most of these lines will cost RM200-300 million per km. It will cost a total of RM 40 billion to build all of these lines, but the capacity will be the same as the existing KL Monorail and Kelana Jaya LRT. However, if the 120km of lines were built as a mix of Bus Rapid Transit and Rapid Tram lines, they could be built for RM40-75 million per km or approximately 7-10 billion, which would spare another RM30 billion for the rest of the country! 9) A complete mass-transit network Mass-transit networks are vital for urban and suburban areas. Each economic region of Malaysia should have a complete public transport network and the backbone of this network comes from rail services. Instead of focusing on building more lines and more extensions the goal should be completing the network as quickly and effectively as possible. Once effective, rapid networks are in place, we can plan and upgrade capacity on the various lines. One day we will need more LRT and KTM Komuter in the Klang Valley, Rapid Trams in Georgetown, and Johor, and KTM Komuter Udara, Selatan and Timur, and high speed rail networks in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak. But until then, we have to focus on building realistic demand for public transportation services. 10) Affordable and reasonable fares I disagree with any proposal that says that bus fares and public transport fares must be subsidized. Most people would assume that the lower-income group comprise the majority of public transport users, and therefore subsidies would be necessary. However, this only perpetuates the image that public transport is for the lower-income group and the poor. The fact is that low fares have brought us into this situation of low-quality service. Effectively, we get what we pay for. So if we wish to see public transportation improve, we will have to invest more money into our services and that includes higher fares. At the same time, higher fares do not have to be a burden. Under the system of regulated competition, the local authority would be able to run the fare system and they would be the best choice to implement the subsidy for operators. The local authority can also provide support to the needy in the form of free bus passes or discounted bus passes. They can also encourage fare-saving promotions, fare discounts for using Touch N Go, and even income tax credits for those who purchase monthly and weekly passes.

How Does ACT Essay Length Affect Your Score

How Does ACT Essay Length Affect Your Score SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There's not a whole lot of information out there on how essay length affects ACT Writing scoring. Are longer essays better? But the essay scoring rubric doesn't say anything about essay length, so maybe it doesn't matter? Fear not - your questions will be answered in this article. feature image credit:48 What's That? How Long? Sit On, It., Lindt Big Egg Hunt Covent Garden 26-3-2013 by Martin Pettitt, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped and resized from original. Why Does Essay Length Matter? Short answer: essay length is highly correlated with essay score. The more you write, the better you’ll do on the essay. There's a fairly famous 2005 New York Times article by Michael Winerip about the then-director of MIT's undergraduate writing program, Les Perelman. When he compared the lengths and scores of the 54 sample essays the CollegeBoard had released, he found that he could predict essay score based on essay length 90% of the time. Short essays (around 100 words) received a 1 out of 6, while the longest essays (around 400 words) received a 6 out of 6. I searched online to see if anyone had done comparable research on the ACT essay, but did not turn up anything, so I did a quick analysis of the word counts for the sample ACT essays. All the essays were written in response to the same prompt, and all received the same score across the 4 ACT Writing scoring domains (for more on this, read my article on the ACT essay grading rubric). Bonus graph practice for ACT Reading. You're welcome! As you can see in the graph above, the more words you write in your essay, the better you'll do. In fact, essays with a score of 5 or 6 in all domains had nearly twice as many words (and so were twice as long) as the essay scoring a 2 in all domains. On the other hand, it’s important to note that writing a long essay does not automatically lead to a higher score. Looking at the graph above, it might be tempting to think "hey, I guess I can just fill up my paper with an essay about dinosaurs, and as long as I write at least 400 words I'm guaranteed a 4 or higher! Time to write my magnum opus about the new discovery that apatosaurs and brontosaurs are in fact different species." Brontosaurus by philosophygeek, used under CC BY-SA 2.0/Cropped from original. That's right. Brontosaurus is back, babies! Unfortunately for all of you dinosaur fans out there, it's not that simple. While there is a strong correlation between essay length and essay score, the correlation is most likely caused by a third factor: essay content. Longer essays tend to score higher because it indicates the student has done a deeper analysis of the topic and been more thoughtful.Essay graders aren't just going to look at your 4-page essay on comparative dinosaur anatomy and go "That sure looks like the length of a high-scoring essay. 6s all around!" The graph above shows this correlation while also highlighting another interesting trend: a 6-scoring essay can very well be shorter than a 5-scoring essay. The most likely reason for this? The 6-scoring essay on the ACT site uses more advanced vocabulary, which means the writer required fewer words to say the same amount of information. So How Long Should Your Essay Be? There are multiple factors that determine how long your essay ends up being, only some of which will lead to a higher score. Below, I've listed the four key factors that determine essay length. 1. Vocabulary. The more advanced vocabulary you use, the fewer words you'll need to get your point across, which might result in a shorter essay. This difference can be seen on the word count graph above: the 5-scoring essay is longer than the 6-scoring essay. 2. Handwriting size. Students with smaller handwriting may be able to get in more words per pages, which means that their essays end up being fewer pages. This doesn't necessarily mean students with larger handwriting have an advantage, however; in fact, students with larger handwriting tend to run into the issue of filling up all the available pages and failing saying everything they needed or wanted to say. 3. Your writing and thinking speed. If you take longer than 8-10 minutes to plan out your essay, you might end up writing a shorter essay, simply because you don't have as much time to write. That doesn't necessarily mean that you'll do worse on the essay - an organized essay with well-explained examples will score better than a disorganized one without any support - but it does mean that you might end up with less time to write out your ideas. 4. Writing vs. planning time. You'll need to figure out what proportion of planning to writing time works best for you through practice. Over the years, I've realized that I can write fairly quickly, which means that it's okay if I take a little more time to plan out my essay - I'll still be able to write everything I need to. On the other hand, if you find that you're a slow writer, you might not be able to write enough unless you get faster at planning your essay. Assuming you can hand-write about 150 words per page, you should aim for at least two pages to get an ACT writing score of 3 (or above) in the Ideas Analysis, Development Support, and Organization domains. To get a 5 or a 6, you’ll probably need to write at least three pages. What’s Next? How can you write so much in so short an amount of time? Follow along, step by step, as I write a top-scoring ACT essay. Curious as to what â€Å"domain† scores are and how you can score a 2 in one domain and still get a perfect 12 on your essay? Take a look at this article on the ACT essay scoring rubric for analysis and strategies. Took the old ACT and not sure if your essay preparations need to be revamped? Read up on the new enhanced ACT Writing Test! Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes your prep program to your strengths and weaknesses. We also have expert instructors who can grade every one of your practice ACT essays, giving feedback on how to improve your score. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Can The Genocide Be Explained Sociologically Criminology Essay

Can The Genocide Be Explained Sociologically Criminology Essay provide intellectually responsible explanations of these events, social scientists are therefore capable of producing explanations that can both interpret and create understanding. Their work allows further reflection on the problem of explanations in sociological work (Brown, 1963). This essay will focus on whether or not social scientists provide an explanation for genocide, in other words whether or not genocide can be explained sociologically. The beginning and emergence of genocide is unknown but it is assumed that the first genocide took place during the hunting and gathering period (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). After agriculture had been discovered there was a division within the world and it consisted of settlers and nomads. The settlers were good at gathering food and a conflict resulted between the two groups as the nomads would raid the settlers of their food, however they would not kill the settlers when doing so as they were still needed because the nomads planned to con tinue and raid the settlers in the coming years. The settlers could not defend themselves due to lack of resources (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). As time progressed the settler’s learnt how to improve their agriculture skills and their produce grew so well that they could support cities, rulers and armies. They became successful and wealthy and started to associate with trade and began to build empires and city states. As a result of this, conflict then grew over wealth, trade and trade routes. Wars were fought over this, and it was through these wars that people realised their victories were temporary. It became clear that the only way to have a guaranteed secure future was to eliminate those who were defeated completely. Thus the first reason for the first genocide appears to be elimination of any future threats (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). Genocide then grew and progressed from this. Genocide as defined by Lemkin (1944) who states that it is â€Å"the criminal intent to des troy or to cripple permanently a human group. The acts are directed against groups as such, and individuals are selected for distraction only because they belong to these groups† (Lemkin, 1944 p. 147). This is the definition that the UN (United Nations) Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide relied upon (Andreopoulos, 1994). Following this, social scientists have redefined the term genocide to suite their theoretical perspectives. The definition of the UN convention however, remains the most popular and widely used. This is due to it being a legally accepted and a workable definition. Under the definition of the UN Convention, Genocide remains an international crime whether committed in peace or war this shows that genocide is a uniform phenomenon (Andreopoulos, 1994). Variations within genocide do exist, through its context and processes, for example, the distinction between domestic genocide and genocide done in international war. With domestic genocide, people have differences and conflicts within their own societies based on religious views, ethnicity and their race, while, with international war genocide, mass killings are committed due to conflict between two separate states (Andreopoulos, 1994). Through the UN Genocide Convention, genocide was deemed the most horrendous crime of all time and individuals would then use it as the defence to any form of discrimination, oppression and injustice (Martin, 2006). This resulted in disadvantaged groups trying to get sympathy by dramatizing their situations. For example, due to one of the articles of the convention, which claimed genocide included an intention to prevent any birth, led to claims that abortion clinics were a form of genocide. In more general terms if an individual’s rights were violated, this would also be taken as genocide. The concept was clearly being abused, and the UN became more and more resistant to charges of genocide. This may have contributed to the need of re-definition of genocide. It is therefore important to reach a generic definition of genocide which should be consistent with the everyday use of the word so that when people see a mass murder the only word available to them to describe such an event should be genocide (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990).

Self-Managed Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Self-Managed Teams - Research Paper Example For example, in a company, there can be two or more functioning self-managed teams with each having a team leader (Cork 146). Members of the self-managed teams, like any other team should have characteristics that bring them together, these are such as; members should have a common goal, should have self esteem, and should also be open when it comes to communication. The members should also respect each other, be involved in conflict resolutions, and lastly, there should be a lot of tolerance and trust within the team (Belasen 149). 2. Types of self-Managed Teams There are two common types of self-managed teams. These are production or service teams and problem solving self- managed teams. Problem-solving self-managed teams. These are intended to identify problems and derive solutions that are initiated by employees and supported by management. These teams typically rely on mapping methods such as flow charts, to target processes for improvement (Belasen 150).They are able to achieve improvement using the following processes: a. Identifying the customers and their requirements. b. Defining the current process to meet the customer’s needs. c. ... 3. Characteristics of Self-Managed Teams A self-managed being one of the many types of teams, has some characteristics that it shares with other types, but there are those that are peculiar to it only. The following are the characteristics of a self-managed team: In self-managed teams, decision making and formal power are transferred to the team. This means that the team is designed in a way that leadership roles and responsibilities are shared (Belasen 150). There is no external supervision; that is, the objectives are adopted internally. In this case, work is designed to give the team ownership (Belasen 150). Being like any other type of team, there is a high level of interdependence. The members of a self-managed team must work together so achieve the common goal they have (Belasen 150). Norms and coercive control replace rules and formal bureaucratic control. Accountability in self-managed teams is collective. So, if one member fails, he or she fails the whole team (Belasen 150). Members of the self-managed team are multiskilled. This enables them to handle all requirements and cover for absent members, without interfering with the performance of the team (Belasen 150). 4. The Advantages (Pros) of Self-Managed Teams in Business Effective communication among the employees in the business. Self-managed teams usually foster communication, because the members of the team share common goals and objectives, and thus networking among the members is very easy, consequently boosting the performance of a business (Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor 297). High production in the business. This is because the members are multi-skilled, thus enabling them to handle all requirements and also cover an absent member. With this, the business is

A persuasive arguement Was Saddam Husseins execution an essential Research Paper

A persuasive arguement Was Saddam Husseins execution an essential point in establishing democracy in Iraq - Research Paper Example dictator was responsible for various war crimes, said to have been the reason behind many assassination of various political figures and other crimes. His campaign againt the Kurds in the north of Iraq and the use of chemical weapons against innocent people was something that would be unjustifiable at any stage or at any forum. Not only was his regime responsible for countless deaths and near genocides in the country of Iraq itself but it was also responsible for deaths and environmental disasters in Iran and Kuwait. Saddam Hussein was born in Iraq in a village to the north of Baghdad in 1937 and grew up in very humble surroundings. He led a life of poverty and even illiteracy from which he crawled out of by scratching his way and taking any opportunity that was given to him. At the age of ten he moved in with his uncle in Baghdad who was an army officer and from there he began to indulge in politics (Moore, n.d). Saddam’s political affiliation and his manner of engaging in political activities was not always a great way of doing things. He was only twenty one years old when he was involved in a failed assassination attempt at the then prime minister General Abdel-Karim Qassem and had to leave the country (N.A, Saddams Rise To Power, n.d). From the start the life that was led by this man was considered as that of a man on a criminal path. He was jailed for in 1963 after his party the Ba’ath lost power in the country and then in 1968 he once again led this party to power via a coup. Many hold that Saddam was a messiah for the nation and did many good things. He had nationalized the Iraqi oil industry that lead to wealth coming into the pockets of the Iraqi citizens and caused quite a bit of harm to the international companies that were making profits. He also made education compulsory in order to improve the literacy rate of the nation. This program was made mandatory and a punishment of three year jail time was to be enforced and during this time many

Miller associates Essay Example for Free

Miller associates Essay Miller uses language carefully throughout the play to create various atmospheres. In Proctors meeting with Abigail, emotions were running high, and there was a certain amount of fission and sexual chemistry between them. The atmosphere here was passionate, angry and lustful. This is a direct contrast to the start of act two, as Proctor talks with his wife, Elizabeth. The atmosphere is cold and formal. There is no chemistry between the two, and we begin to understand why Proctor was so tempted by Abigail. It is clear to see there is a spark between them, whereas his relationship with Elizabeth is sterile and dull. Miller associates Proctor with fire and burning he burned with lust for Abigail, and then with guilt. This imagery makes us think of danger, the devil and witchcraft. The connotations of fire, especially in a society such as Salem are of hell and burning in hell for eternity. This also links in with the title; Miller chose the title of The Crucible to demonstrate Proctors metaphorical journey. Proctor is like the metals that go in the crucible to be purged of all impurities. Proctor comes out at the end with no impurities. Proctor says, its winter in here yet Elizabeth. This quote suggests their relationship is still not mended, and shows us just how cold it really is, not only in their home, but their relationship. Winter is an effective metaphor because it demonstrates Elizabeths coldness towards Proctor. The Proctors are struggling to heal a rift in their marriage and this is portrayed by Elizabeths coldness, silence and Proctors fiery outbursts. Proctor also compares his house to a court; I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house. Proctor still hasnt regained Elizabeths trust and is frustrated by her scepticism. However, he is also angry with himself, as he knows that he has given her a good reason to act this way, and he cant expect her not to, as it was his wrong doing that is causing her to behave in this manner. Proctor feels that Elizabeth judges him, Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not. Elizabeth says it is Proctor that judges himself, The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. She understands how guilty he feels, but knows Proctor must atone before he can resolve his marriage and regain his self respect. He considers himself a fraud for betraying his own vision of decent conduct. Proctor is disappointed in himself for not being strong enough to resist temptation and for betraying his wife, and he regrets this deeply. The only way Proctor can make up for his sins is to atone, until then he is tortured by his actions. Elizabeth is the only one who understands his need for atonement. At first Proctor is reluctant to expose the truth about Abigail. This shows us he is afraid to hurt Abigail and possibly expose himself as a lecher, but he is also afraid of embarrassing his wife. It is only at the end of act two when Elizabeth is under threat that Proctor knows he must tell the truth. Proctor feels guilty when Elizabeth is accused because he knows it is Abigails way of getting back at them; getting back at John for leaving her, and getting back at Elizabeth for having what she wants, and for dismissing her from working in her home. Proctor must sacrifice his good name, which is one of his most prized possessions to save his wife. This shows us how much he truly loves Elizabeth, even though they have grown apart. They no longer have any chemistry between them, as John and Abigail do, but they have a strong bond, which is the basis of their relationship. Abigail desires vengeance against Elizabeth, because she sees Elizabeth as the only obstacle between her and Proctor. Elizabeths arrest is an opportunity for Proctor to atone his sins and wrong-doing, because he can come clean and confess his affair, and save Elizabeth, and rectify his marriage. In doing this, he also shows the court how sinful and bad Abigail really is. Until this point, all the people in the community, with the exception of the other young girls, has seen Abigail as a sweet, innocent girl, caught up in witchcraft. Proctors confession horrifies Abigail, as she realises that this could endanger her. Proctor is the only person who seems to see that the girls are making up these lies of witchcraft to save themselves from being whipped. Events have conspired against Proctor and the public crisis in Salem has become his own personal nightmare. His initial intention to save Elizabeth grows to a wider purpose, of saving his friends and exposing the corrupt authority and the girls lies and deceit. Parris tries to accuse Proctor of trying to overthrow the court, and this accusation only shows us that the court was purely biased and any defence was treated as an attack on the court. Proctor sacrifices his good name by admitting to the court his affair with Abigail, and at this point, we see that he has now become completely desperate, I beg you, sir, I beg you. He is so determined to save Elizabeth that he will beg the court and totally humiliate himself. This shows his sheer desperation and Proctor swallowing his pride for the sake of the community and the people he loves; this is his attempt to atone, and prove his love for Elizabeth. When asked if Proctor committed adultery Elizabeth ironically lies and says she has know knowledge of John being unfaithful. She lies to protect him and save his good name and reputation, even if it meant she as still accused. But, in doing this, she also protects Abigail, and her claims of witchcraft become more credible to the courts once again. This, gives us further sympathy for John, as he has thrown away his good name, and yet, it got him nowhere. Elizabeths denial, however, shows that despite Proctors affair, Proctor and Elizabeth are still deeply in love as they are both willing to sacrifice themselves for each other. This shows their relationship is strong but they just have problems communicating their feelings and the affair brought a barrier down between them. We also see here, where the obstacle between John and Abigail was Elizabeth, the obstacle between John and Elizabeth is Abigail, as it is because of her jealousy and accusations that Elizabeth is imprisoned. The consequences of Elizabeths only lie is that Proctor is accused of witchcraft and will hang unless he lies and confesses. The irony here is that if he tells the truth, the truth is seen as a lie, yet if he lies, the lie is seen as the truth. This seems to be the moral of the town throughout the play: Only those who lie survive. However, being a religious town, it is seen that liars will go to hell and be damned when they die. This is why the good, religious people of the community, such as Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, refuse to confess to witchcraft to save themselves. They refuse to sin for the sake of a lie. At the end of Act three, Proctor is accused of witchcraft, just as Miller, and many others, were accused of communism during the McCarthy witch hunts. The parallels between Proctor and Miller are the paranoia and mass hysteria that was surrounding them and the fear they felt. Neither Proctor nor Miller confessed, and neither would give names of their friends. Proctor is now is now in open conflict with the court. His friends rely on him and his life is in the balance. This scene has endeared us, the audience to him because we see his utter desperation and the way he will sacrifice himself for Elizabeth and the way he protects his friends. We sympathise with him because he has a tough decision to make, life or death, wrong or right. He is struggling with his morals too, as he cannot help his friends if he is dead, yet he doesnt have it in him to confess to a sin he hasnt committed.

The Impact of Globalization on Poverty Essay -- Outsourcing, Offshorin

Globalization has helped raise the standard of living for many people worldwide. It has also, however, driven many deeper into poverty. Small businesses and third world countries are not capable of updating their technology as often as their larger, wealthier counterparts. Unable to compete with multinational firms and wealthy nations, small businesses and third world countries and forced to do business locally, never growing and reaching their full potential. Technological advances are made daily throughout the world. However, it is expensive to rapidly make and transport these advances globally. This high production cost causes the consumer’s price to be unnecessarily high. Today, there are many countries in the world that cannot afford to pay such a high price for the latest technology, and by the time they can afford to pay, newer, more advanced technology exists. The democratization of technology benefits mainly the wealthier countries. Technological advances not only benefit wealthy countries, but also wealthier companies. Technological advancements allow countries and their companies worldwide publicity when they are successful. Because investors are able to easily invest on the Internet, on the telephone, and through facsimile machines, the profits of companies have increased greatly. Currency traders all over the world have also been able to update exchange rates and notify the public of the updates more rapidly. This has led to more desire to finalize deals because companies are able to be sure that they are receiving competitive exchange rates. Swissair, an airline based in Switzerland, even moved its entire accounting division from Switzerland to India simply because the accountants in India are among the best in the world. They were able to do this because all of the information from their new office halfway around the world was transmitted through the use of technologically advanced devices. Because labor is cheaper and the workers are more skilled in India, the company benefited in two ways. For the same reasons as in India, Thailand has moved from being primarily a rice-producing nation, to the world’s second largest producer of pickup trucks and fourth largest producer of motorcycles (Solbrig). As far back as the invention of the telephone, the countries with the best economies were the most technologically advanced. ... ...Claas van der Linde. Toward a New Conception of the Environment-Competitiveness Relationship. Journal of Economic Perspectives. (Fall 2009) pp. 97-118. Solbrig, O. T. et al. Globalization and Technology. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2014. Tietenberg, Thomas. Globalization Economics. Addison Wesley: New York, 2011. pp. 561. pp. 7-11. Internet Sources Consulted "Globalization." - National Geographic Education. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 14 May 2015. LONDON. "When Did Globalisation Start?" The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 May 2015. "Globalization." Defination & Example. Investing Answers, 2001-2014. Web. 15 May 2015. Olivero, Tina. "Globalization: Understanding the Impact of Globalization on Our World." Global Oil and Gas Industry News. 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 15 May 2015. Ager, Rob. "Collative Learning - Rob Ager." Collative Learning - Rob Ager. N.p., 2007. Web. 22 May 2015. Collins, Mike. "The Pros And Cons Of Globalization." Manufacturing . Net. Saving American Manufacturing, 28 June 2010. Web. 26 May 2015. Fitzpatrick, Liam. "The Best of Asia." Time. Time Inc., 27 Apr. 2007. Web. 26 May 2015.

Pak Elektronic Limited

Case Report Pak Electronic Limited: Converting Systems to ERP Executive Summary Pak Elektron Limited (PEL), a large manufacturer of consumer home appliances and power transformers, initiated an information system conversion to a Tier 1 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in 2007. After the Phase I of implementation by 2011, Pak Elektron was facing a liquidity crisis that hindered implementation of further modules. Legacy systems were still being widely used, and staff had grown uncomfortable and resistant to change.The contents of this case report include problem identification, decision criteria evaluation, alternative analysis, and recommendation. Those aforementioned sections will address Pak Elektron’s problems in their project management, their budget forecasting and planning, their financial support, and their human resources and information system implementation. Based on those problems and our analysis, four alternatives were identified, and the option of a Phase d Module ERP implementation was recommended.Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) had over a hundred different systems being used internally, mostly in-house developed stand-alone applications, with some multi-user applications interspersed. Independent operations and systems promoted the lack of integration and standardized reporting, as well as poor quality and timeliness of data. Beginning in 2007, PEL had started converting its information systems to Oracle’s EBS Tier 1 ERP system. Problem Identification Project Management: Since the resignation of Atif Ameen, PEL has lacked a project champion with extensive experience in IT operation and system implementation.In addition, the estimated implementation period had extended beyond the proposed 2 years, which has increased cost and economic uncertainty for the company. Budget Forecasting and Planning: PEL had poor budget forecasting and analysis, which resulted in insufficient short-term assets to support the purchasing of necessary equ ipment, training costs, and consultancy costs. Financial issues: PEL faced a short-term liquidity crisis, and did not have the financial means for full system implementation. To mitigate this, some bank loan repayments were restructured in 2010 to conserve cash flow in response to the liquidity crisisHuman Resources: Staff were resistant to a systems change. New skills were required, which meant that staff’s expertise with the legacy systems were inconsequential. Morale was low, which resulted in experienced staff leaving the company. Likewise, the IT department encountered a mismatch between current and needed skill set, resulting in new hires and increased project duration due to this transition. Salary discrepancies with old staff and new hires also resulted in high turnover within the IT department Information Systems Implementation: The implementation process was ineffective and inefficient.PEL needed to spend extra resources to run parallel implementation, as numerous s ystem functions were not supported. Evaluative/Decision Criteria: Cost: infrastructure, systems, implementation, maintenance: (40%) Cost is the most important decision criterion for PEL. Due to the numerous financial problems that the company has experienced, including a liquidity crisis, it is important that the proposed solution is cost-efficient with regards to infrastructure support, purchasing new systems, implementing systems, and supporting system maintenance.Integration among business silos and processes: (35%) PEL has 25 branches in Pakistan, therefore, communication between the branches and with the central database is necessary. The solution needs to support or improve the integration of as to allow PEL to shorten the time required to obtain useful information for timely decision-making. In addition, the solution needs to link up all the branches with the central database in a better network structure as to reduce the internal e-mail traffic. Quality and accuracy of data: (10%)The proposed solution needs to address PEL’s earlier problems of double-entry, frequent reconciliations, and other issues concerning the quality and accuracy of data. Ideally, the solution will either mitigate the systems that impede quality and accuracy, remove them, or improve them. Effective and timely implementation: (10%) Unexpected changes in business operations lead to disruptive structural changes during systems implementation. Such changes can add complexity and deferred the progress, which means longer the time of implementation and higher risk of failure.The proposed system will need to be effective and timely with regards to implementation to mitigate this risk. Real-time and useful financial reporting: (5%) This criteria addresses PEL’s need for the system to create a more real-time and useful financial reporting system that is standardized across the organization in order to fulfill reporting standards, and promote greater financial decision making. Alternatives: 1. Phased Module ERP implementation PEL is being stretched thin many areas due to external factors, and their broad-based systems implementation plan, which was demonstrated in Phase I.Within Phase I, they took a look at 18 different systems, and only managed the implementation of five. PEL needs an immediate action phase-it-in strategy as to focus all of its implementation into the financial reporting Oracle suite. The organization has 5 systems implemented; further implementation in this area will be more cost-effective and time-efficient. Furthermore, following this implementation, all legacy systems with regards to financial reporting will be removed, and the rest of the project will be re-assessed until implementation of other business suites is feasible. 2.Recall Oracle system, and take a look at other module and ERP options General ERPs, like Oracle’s EBS system, share a similar weakness; they are made for general organizations, and therefore may not acc ommodate a specialized fit. PEL has other options with regards to systems implementation and selection, such as developing custom ERP software based on the current legacy system that disrupts the business model as little as possible. PEL can also purchase and implement separate, more specialized suites such as Salesforce for CRM, a cloud based accounting system for financial reporting (Wave), amongst others.It terms of cost, this is an expensive option as customized ERP software is extremely expensive and requires development time. Purchasing individual modules for certain business functions will also be more expensive than a general system due to reduced bundle savings. A customized ERP system will help the silos reintegrate more efficiently due to more in-line processes supported within the system. Customizable modules would ideally improve efficiency of each individual silo. 3. Full rollout of ERP modules – Implementation of Phase II and III Budget is the biggest constrain t in this option.However, this will ensure full migration away from legacy systems, and will address the concern of generating standardized reports and ensuring data quality. Although data integration may be achieved, PEL should expect high resistance from staff. With full rollout, PEL has the options of: a. Hiring/developing in-house expertise to lead implementation of Phase II and III b. Re-hiring AFF Recommendation Systems conversion risks could have been mitigated had PEL properly planned the ERP migration. Project management was poor and did not assess the full needs and requirements of the company as a whole.Alternative 1, Phased Module ERP implementation, is the best option for PEL. Once the financial systems have been properly implemented (whether in-house or through consultants), PEL can then take a regroup strategy and reassess their situation. If the long-term implementation of the finance suite is successful, then they can move forward with reduced employee resistance. I f the changes in productivity are minor, PEL can choose to avoid implementing systems in other business functions, and avoid disruption the silos. The goals of integration and timeliness of data will be achieved.

Rick Solon, CEO of Orion Bus Company

Regarding your concern about whether historical bidding data can benefit future bids for our bus contract, this is to introduce and recommend a more effective bidding model which could help predict the winning bid and maximize financial returns of the company during bidding process. Firstly, how does the model work? Based on the analysis of the past industry bid data, I discover from the Regression Model (See Exhibit 1) that a strong correlation exists between the winning bid price and several objective factors including Orion cost per bus, the number of units to be purchased, and the bus model, 35’ or 40’, while it has little to do with the condition whether it is diesel-powered or high-floored. Although it’s still hard for us to determine whether to increase the volume of sales or to increase margin at the same volume and produce an absolute price to win the bid due to complex situations, the model does help us gain access to the winning bid price prediction and provide us with an optimal price by taking profit, expected value and winning probability into consideration. Specifically, the highest expected value is the best bidding choice to maximize financial returns. Secondly, how can we apply it in the bid for Louisville, KY bus supply contract? With the aid of the above model, a suggested range of winning bid price is generated which is between $248,001 and $278,189, implying the best choice lies within the interval. Further, Exhibit 2 shows an opposite direction between profit and winning probability, that is, the more profit, the less probability to win, and vice versa. As a result, the key point is how to achieve a best joint between them. Thanks to the model, we can easily arrive at the bid price $259,000 for the contract with the highest expected value $15,034, which is the optimal theoretical bid price with maximum returns in this case. In addition, other subjective factors such as estimates of competitors’ bids should also be considered before making the final decision. The above analysis reveals a significant impact that historical bidding data exerts on the success of our future bid. Accordingly, it’s strongly advisable to collect more information and build database so that more factors could be considered and analyzed for the future bidding. I’m always at your service if you’re interested in in-depth discussion.

Chemistry Lab Report- Exo and Endothermic Reactions Essays

Chemistry Lab Report- Exo and Endothermic Reactions Essays Chemistry Lab Report- Exo and Endothermic Reactions Paper Chemistry Lab Report- Exo and Endothermic Reactions Paper In endothermic reactions heat Vass absorbed. This avgas discerned by the temperature drop and the test tube became cool to touchy Reactions such as Potassium Chloride crystals [s] Water were. Some vigorous reactions {reactions that occurred at a fast pace} were Sodium Hydroxide [I] * Dilute hydrochloric acid [as], Sodium Carbonate [s] + Ethanol Acid [l] and Magnesium ribbon [s] Dilute Sulfuric Acid [I] (mostly reactions involving strong acids + throng bases}. There was no sound or light given off in any of the reactions. Safety: Safety was ensured. We used safety goggles and we didnt touch the chemicals with bare hands. Modifications: For measuring liquids/aqueous solutions a burette or a pipette could have been used for more accurate measurements (instead of using a measuring cylinder}. For non-vigorous reactions, we could have waited for ample time before measuring the temperature again-this would have ensured that both the substances reacted entirely. We could have also noted down the concentration of he solutions, just for reference. Conclusion: Hence I can conclude that there were some reactions that evolved heat and some that absorbed heat. The reactions that released heat are exothermic and the reactions that absorbed heat are endothermic. Out of these, the most vigorous reactions oeuvre acid-base reactions. There was no sound or light given off The most exothermic reaction was Magnesium ribbon [s] + Dilute Sulfuric Acid and the most endothermic reaction was Potassium Chloride crystals [s] + Water [II. All the reactions dealt with heat.

International business and multinational enterprise Essay

International business and multinational enterprise - Essay Example It would also show why the Russia has become an attractive destination for the foreign firms. Four case studies would also be evaluated and analyzed for their success or failure in the foreign soil. Globalization has been one of the most portent forces that have compelled the global community to cross border restrictions for the wider welfare of the people. Social scientists assert that globalization has broadly brought together goods, services, capital, technology and people across national borders to evolve new global market with common goals (Hill, 2009; Sirgy et al., 2004; Black, 2002). Indeed, the nations have increasingly become interdependent for their socio-economic development. The globalization has reduced the geographical boundaries and has brought regional and local interests on the world map (Croucher, 2004; Tiplady, 2003; Held et al., 1999). Thus, the role and responsibilities of states have become more pronounced vis-Ã  -vis creating a conducive environment for foreign investment. Globalization has also greatly opened new avenues of exploiting competencies and resources for businesses across nations. Through foreign direct investment or FDI, cross border mergers, partnership, export and import of goods and services, the process of international business are expedited. But the policies and legal paradigms of the government become key elements that inculcate trust amongst the foreign firms. Indeed, the political, legal, economic and technological environment created by government initiatives through policies and plans are important criteria for international businesses. Zonis (2000) asserts that the political risks generate an environment of uncertainty primarily through the exercise of power by the government and non government agencies. Thus, non democratic states or states that are transitional economies are prone to exhibit controls which

Announced Firm Negotiation Position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Announced Firm Negotiation Position - Essay Example Sometimes, including the product price or service fee in the company portfolio listing may not be advantageous at all. In this case, the company’s weak side may be exposed to the buyer and may give a certain impression that may actually affect the buyer’s interest to the deal. To avoid such, both the buyer and the seller should research well not only on the current market but the social factors which affect the negotiation process. For the seller, it is important to know the type of buyers to be able to adjust strategies during the negotiation process before announcing any negotiation position. More often than not, negotiation can actually be flexible for both parties. Metz reported that â€Å"the seller can bend to the time constraints and resource limitations of a particular buyer.† There are a handful of reasons a buyer would be highly interested to the offered deal. It can be his desire to the product’s innovative technology, or his interest in the company’s market position, or his confidence to the seller’s customer base. Negotiation can be absolutely strategic if there is a diversity of buyers that range from a number of large firms to a few small buyers. The seller’s problem lies in the situation where there is only one or no buyer. This case may be used by the buyer to his advantage if he is the only buyer in the negotiation. During the negotiation process, defining your official standpoint or stance is of prime importance important before finally entering the process itself. This negotiation position, regardless you are the seller or the buyer, should be strongly defended by the negotiator during the negotiation process. Practically, the main reason why many people can’t find a good agreement is that each has taken of his own announced position. Your negotiation position is determined by the interests in the