Outsourcing as a strategic tool Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Outsourcing as a strategic tool - Lab Report Example Past organizations still hire service providers to handle diverse business functions. But now many organizations prefer to outsource whole operations to another company or firm. These outsourcing companies are most commonly known as Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO)†. BPO includes outsourcinng of human resource, call center, finance and accounting and even processing activities. Payroll administration, recruitment, training and selection of employees etc are the major human resource jobs outsourced. The countries mostly involvd in outsourcing are the US, Europe and Japan while the countries that fulfill these outsourcing jobs are mainly developing countries like India and China. The jobs that any organization generally outsources are data entry jobs, technical support staff, customer service jobs, accounting or financial jobs and writing jobs which usually consist of proofreading and copywriting. To identify jobs or functions that are outsourced, three organizations in three different sectors are taken into consideration- Bank of America from the financial industry, Microsoft from the IT industry and Ford Motor from the automobile industry. Bank of America: The Bank of America, which is one of the largest banks in the country, is a public company in the financial sector. The Bank of America has adopted outsourcing as a method or tool to meet its strategic goals. This bank first outsourced its IT department and gave its network operation to EDS in India in order to reduce its cost of labour because â€Å"a recent study found employees in the U.S. and Europe cost $150,000 a year in salary, benefits and other costs such as real estate. The same jobs can be done in India or somewhere else for $50,000† (Smith 2007, para. 4). Later, the Bank of America outsourced its BPO services to Accenture. The BPO services outsourced by the Bank of America mainly include human resource jobs, which are mainly carried out in the states of Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Mumbai in India. â€Å"Bank of America signed a 10-year contract with Exult Inc. to manage much of the bank’s HR function† (Noe et al. 2007, p. 46). The Bank of America had open ed two outsourcing centres in India, the first being located at Hyderabad, was established in mid 2004. It has become a grand success for them than they opened the other one in Mumbai. The bank also deals with the method of offshore insourcing for which it had opened a center as a wholly owned subsidiary in another country. One such example is its subsidiary in Hyderabad, India which was set up in 1960 with a strategy of expanding its business. Due to the success of the Hyderabad branch, three more branches were opened in India. The bank of America also signed a collaborative outsourcing agreement with JLL and TCC with respect to providing real estate services to the bank which is an instance of domestic outsourcing. â€Å"The new contract with JLL and TCC consolidates Bank of America's real estate service providers from five to two† (Lyne 2001, para. 3). Microsoft: Microsoft, a public multinational corporation in America, is the most prominent business in the IT industry. Mi crosoft leads the industry by introducing new technologies and providing a wide range of services. Outsourcing is a major technique adopted by Microsoft in its development. Microsoft has adopted outsourcing techniques in various fields. An example of such an activity is the outsourcing

International Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business Management - Essay Example   The main reason for the choice of Samsung as a global business is that it offers a wide range of products fitting different budgets, sizes, and shapes for each consumer. These products range from Galaxy S5 to Samsung Galaxy K zoom that has an optical zooming lens, the only Smartphone in the market with the feature and other products for every consumer to choice from depending on their need and abilities. The firm aims at meeting all the needs of the consumers through a wide range of product offerings for the consumers.    The main limitation of the global strategy is that there is high standardization of products limiting the ability to meet the needs of people who have differing tastes and preferences as tastes, preferenc3es, economic status, and the social condition cannot be equal global.  The company chosen for the discussion on international strategy is Starbucks with the reason being the high growth rate it expanded to different areas to have operations in over 60 count ries, 170,000 stores and revenues were 13.29 billion, 1.38 billion in profits and employed 149,000 employees in 2012. This rate of expansion and success shows a successful company in the international market, giving the need for an understanding of the international strategy employed in the company.  The reason for the choice of Starbucks as an international business is that the company in its early stages had plans for cross border stage overcoming the fear of international business by use of cross border integration.

Cost of Goods Checkpoint Essay Example for Free

Cost of Goods Checkpoint Essay A multi-step income statement for a trading business highlights the fact that between 40% and 60% of revenue from sales is accounted for as the cost of goods sold. The cost of goods attributed to a company’s products is expensed as the company sells these goods. There are several ways to calculate COGS but one of the more basic ways is to start with the beginning inventory for the period and add the total amount of purchases made during the period then deducting the ending inventory. (According to Kimmel, Weygandt, and Kieso), cost of goods sold is found by taking the cost of goods available for sale (beginning merchandise inventory + net purchase), less the ending merchandise inventory (p. 244). In a wholesale or retail trading business, merchandise held for resale in the normal course of business is the largest asset owned by the organization. For this reason it is vital that accurate up-to-date records be maintained when goods are acquired and inventories taken. Finished goods and or merchandise makes up cost of goods sold. There are two classifications of inventory: merchandiser or manufacturer. In a merchandiser company inventory consists of many items all different. Whereas, a manufacturer, some inventory may not be ready (Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso, p. 282). Examples of items that make up cost of goods include; produce, clothing, electronics, items that can be resold from manufacture to a company to the customer. This means when the business acquires a finished product, the cost of the product goes into an inventory asset account. The customer will then purchase the product, finished good, the business transfers the cost of the product from the inventory asset account to the cost of goods sold expense account because the product is no longer in the business’s inventory (Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso, p. 282). References Kimmel, P. D. , Weygandt, J. J. , Kieso, D. E. (2011). Financial accounting: Tools for business decision making (6th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

The Subjection of Women and Slavery Essay -- Women’s Rights, Philosoph

In this first unit, one of the readings that really caught my attention was John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women. In his essay, Mill’s presents a very compelling argument that the subordination of one sex to another is wrong and that there should be instead, perfect equality amongst the sexes. Having previously studied about gender inequality issues from another class, I have a broad understanding of how and why gender inequality has been perpetuated through various historical, political, and social contexts. Incorporating this knowledge as well as information learned through the readings and lectures, I hope to share my thoughts on the subjection of women and its relationship to slavery in this personal response paper. As an advocate for women’s rights and suffrage, the Utilitarianism view of Mill had a profound influence in his writing and it is very much evident in this essay. Mill felt that the oppressions of people of any kind cannot possibly bring about the greatest benefit to society (which is the central point to the Utilitarianism theory). The subordination of the weaker sex to the stronger rests upon theory only. There is no evidence to support the idea that one sex is superior over another as Mill expresses in the quote below. The adoption of this system of inequality never was the result of deliberation, or forethought, or any social ideas, or any notion whatever of what conduced to the benefits of humanity or the good order of society (Mill, 1995, pg.11). This idea of gender superiority/inferiority is just a social construct of oppression. There are no significant differences between man and women (besides biologically) that signifies their superiority/inferiority other than what only society believes them ... ... issues of oppression in which classifications such as race, class, and gender are all interconnected. Because of historical discrimination, societies have operated in a way that favors certain individuals over another. In this case, it would be that of men over women because of their supposed superiority in physical strength (overlooking other attributes such as moral values and intelligence). This made me reflect on how the perspectives of sex and love have really changed over time as well as how influential both strength and power were in the shaping of the roles of men and women throughout history. Works Cited Mill, J. S. (1995). The subjection of women. In R. Stewart (Ed.), Philosophical Perspectives on Sex and Love (pp. 11-17). New York, New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. Soble, A. A history of the philosophy of sex and love. (p. 22).

An Analysis of ISIS and its Relation to Traditional Islam

In today's world it is easy to assume that ISIS and traditional Islam are the same thing. The news often reports phrases like â€Å"radical Islamist terrorists† and â€Å"radical Islam.† Has society made a correct assumption? Are all people who follow Islam potential terrorists? Does Islam seek to promote such terrorist behaviors? This paper seeks to address these questions and uncover the differences between the two, if any. Traditional Islam Traditional Islam began over 1,500 years ago and currently has around 1.6 billion followers. The word â€Å"Islam† actually means â€Å"submission to God.† Therefore, a Muslim is someone who strives to submit to God. Islam has spread completely around the world. You can find Muslims in North and South America, Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Their principal homelands lie in the area commonly referred to as the â€Å"10/40 Window† (between 10 degrees latitudinal north and 40 degrees latitudinal north ranging from the eastern side of North Africa to the western side of Asia). Majority of Muslims are Asian (60%) and the rest are Arab (22%) sub-Sahara African (12%) and Eastern European (5%) . Islam was founded in 610 A.D. by a man named Mohammed. During Mohammed's time, polytheism reigned, and people were worshipping many gods at the same time. Mohammed had a vision from a being he thought to be an angel who told him, â€Å"There is only one God, and His name is Allah. Worship Him.† Islam, at its core, is a religion based on faith, life, piety, freedom, religion, peace, and morality. Researcher Sohaib Sultan states: â€Å"Islam believes in a God of mercy, a scripture of mercy, and a Prophet who was sent as a mercy to all the world.† ISIS ISIS began in 2003 as a â€Å"blowback† of the U.S. invasion and dysfunction of Iraq. In the earliest stage there were several Sunni extremist groups who were fighting back with the U.S. in hopes to provoke a civil war. The group, at that time, was called al Qaeda which was in Iraq with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in command pledging allegiance to Osama bin Laden. Zarqawi was killed during a 2006 U.S. airstrike, but the group continued . ISIS is a post-al Qaeda terrorist group. With over 30,000 fighters, ISIS holds territorial lands in both Syria and Iraq. It maintains an extensive military operation, controls communications, controls infrastructure, and funds itself. It can be said that ISIS is a pseudo-state which is led by their military. The goal of ISIS is to control certain territories thereby creating a â€Å"pure† Sunni Islamist state that is governed by a strict interpretation of Sharia Law. It also seeks to remove the political borders that the Western governments created in the Middle Eastern regions. ISIS seeks to become the sole political, military, and religious authority over all the Muslims in the world. ISIS core message is more about power and revenge than anything else. Differences Between ISIS and Traditional Islam In the first section of this paper we saw that traditional Islam is a relatively peaceful religion that stresses mercy and peace. This is significantly in conflict with the agenda of ISIS. Where do these two paths cross? What is the relationship between terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Al Shabab in Somalia, the Taliban with traditional Islam? Many people believe that ISIS is a group that is based on the religious beliefs of Islam including following the examples of the Prophet Mohammed . This is where most of the confusion comes into play. ISIS uses Islam as a vehicle to carry out their political agenda by reinterpreting the fundamental meaning and purpose of Islam. In other words, they are twisting the Quran to say what they want it to by weaving lies in with the truth and preying on the ignorance of the people. The message of ISIS is vastly spread not only by social media, but through certain mosques as well. Researcher Ian Pelletier suggests the motivations of ISIS are:â€Å"Market and Reinforce: Emphasizes consistency of Islamic State's strategic objectives with mainstream Islamic Law.Obfuscation: Ignores/blurs contradictions between Islamic State's strategic objectives and mainstream Islamic Law.Leveraging: Connects areas in which Islamic State strategic objectives are consistent with mainstream Islamic Law to social movement catalysts in order to gain momentum.Reinterpretation: Justifies a radical reinterpretation of Islamic Law as essential to address past issues or current shortfalls within society and achieve the strategic objectives of the Islamic State. â€Å"ISIS interprets Islam from a very radical point of view that is rooted in the extremist fraction of Salafi/Wahhabi Islam within the Hanbali Sunni tradition . The strategic goals of ISIS are as follows:â€Å"Permanently break down political boundaries and cultivate conditions for government failure and regional sectarian civil war in Iraq and Syria.Establish the Islamic Caliphate by controlling terrain across Iraq and Syria, governing the population within, and defending against external threats.Bring like-minded people to fight alongside and settle within the Islamic Caliphate.  Expand the territory of the Caliphate to connect with the wider Muslim community. â€Å"Traditional Islamic Law (Sharia) is based on the Quran which follows the hadith or the teachings of Mohammad. It is traditionally viewed as a statement of relatively easy limits and not a source of rigid and inflexible rules to be imposed in any circumstance . It is supposed to be based on the premise of justice and equality for everyone . Historically it has been determined that Islamic Law had the most humane and liberal fundamental principles as it fostered peace with se lf and society. Groups such as ISIS use Islamic Law instead for harsh discipline and to control the people. Sharia, as it was originally intended, was used as a guideline for societal norms and values. It served as a model in which one could pattern their life after. Some of the many positive attributes of Sharia are: a belief in God, daily prayers, asking/receiving forgiveness, freedoms of choice, strong sense of community, love your neighbors, exercise self-control, do not abuse religion to exploit or abuse others, and must respect the rights of others. Conflicts Between ISIS and Mainstream Moderate Muslims There have been many practicing Muslims who do not agree with nor adhere to the beliefs of extremists' fringe groups such as ISIS. In an open letter from 120 Islamic scholars and clerics to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, they challenged ISIS's ways as being un-Islamic. They further claimed that ISIS routinely twists and perverts Islamic Law selfishly to achieve their own agenda. The letter went on to illustrate the contradictions between ISIS's theology and that of traditional Islamic Law. The scholars accused them of citing only portions of the Quran without taking the whole spirit of the Quran and Hadith into account. It was also noted that ISIS had a practice of killing innocent people and that jihad was only meant for defensive measures during a war. Offensive measures of Jihad, without proper cause, was equal to criminal conduct and was not acceptable in traditional Islam . The letter also went on to say that Islam forbids the mistreatment of Christians and no one can be forced to convert to Islam against their will. Author Wael Hallaq states that, â€Å"Sharia is not a rigid unchanging ‘Law of God' and when applied correctly, it is flexible. The way it is interpreted and implemented by ISIS makes it a little more than a list of fixed punishments, ritual requirements and oppressive rules that are enforced with coercion upon a marginalized group of people. In addition, it is increasingly clear that ISIS selectively interprets Sharia.† One may ask how ISIS is able to get away with using Islamic Law to achieve its objectives. They accomplish this by convincing people that their views are in fact inline with mainstream Islamic traditions. They have a knack for rationalizing any perceived contradictions that are found within their belief and the traditional teachings. Al-Baghdadi, while addressing his fighters said, â€Å"Beware, O lions, the state that they reach a Muslim woman or child or sheikh without you, for if this happens, then, by God, you have no excuse for yourselves before me. Look to yourselves and do not be a place of blame. Put their bodies before yours. Their blood before yours and their fortune before yours, and beware of being happy to live in a day when the honor of a Muslim woman is transgressed, or the blood of a child is spilled, or an elderly sheikh is insulted, for what deliciousness can there be in life if this is in it or even a part of it?† While his speech is complimentary with Islamic Law in principle, he is trying to energize his fighters to fight in a war that is not justified according to Islamic Law. He stresses that not only is the war just, but it is according to Islamic Law which it a bold lie. They may sincerely believe that their war is justified due to their extremist views, but according to traditional Islamic Law, they are not qualified to wage war with anyone unless it is a defensive measure. ISIS does not engage in defensive measures as a rule—they are very offensive in their tactics. Conclusion Extremists groups, such as ISIS, claim to be Islamic in their beliefs, but they do not adhere to the basic tenants of the faith. They twist and turn the Quran and Hadith to make it say whatever they need it to say that will further their agenda. ISIS is a violent terrorist group that has been attracting many young people. They seek out those who are vulnerable, who are seeking religious righteousness, adventure, power, and a sense of belonging. They are also known for producing sexual opportunities for the young men by keeping women as slaves. This is extremely contradictory to traditional teachings and philosophy of traditional Islam. It is certainly a disservice to the majority of Muslims to assume that all Muslims are somehow connected to terrorist activities. In America, ever since September 11th, 2001, there has been a remarkable increase of violence and hatred against Muslims from such assumptions. Extremists groups are not representative of what it means to be a Muslim in today's world. We need to see them for who they are and not for the vehicle they misuse which is Islam. Furthermore, it is very unhelpful when the media keeps reporting phrases like â€Å"radical Islam† and â€Å"Muslim extremists† as this further perpetuates the discrimination and hatred against innocent and peace-loving Muslims. There is no link between ISIS terrorism and traditional Islam. ISIS fundamentally changes the core beliefs of Islam and inserts their own interpretations to make it into something that is self-serving. Extremists can be found in most religions. The only way to combat this is to be very knowledgeable of your own religion and beliefs so that you will recognize a falsehood when you hear it. Sadly, many people simply believe what they are told and that is it. Such people can be easily caught up in extremist groups as they lack knowledge. The same can be said for Christianity. We are not exempt from those who have perverted God's Word to make it say something that it never was intended to say. This is how cults are formed, and again, is due to a lack of knowledge. The bible says that the people perish due to a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). ISIS operates via intimidation, fear, legalistic authority, assassinations, and bombings . This is nothing like what traditional Islam teaches. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is not fair to classify all Muslims by such rouge fringe groups. For two years I worked and lived in an Islamic country. I never met anyone who was associated with ISIS nor any other extremist group. I found the Muslims there to be very friendly, eager to help, and welcoming. That experience really helped me to see them for who they really are and without the media bias that was projected to me. Many Muslims do not even consider groups such as ISIS to be true Muslims. They look at them in disdain as the perverters of Islam. Usually these are the more educated people who know what Islam is supposed to be. Sadly, a lot of Muslims have a lower educational level which would be very conducive to being led astray. Many modern Muslims are Muslim in name only and not in practice which makes them an easy target for extremists.

Integumentary System Case Study

Suntans and Sunburns A Case Study in the Integumentary System By WH Cliff and AW Wright A Painful Winter Break On the first day after arriving in Australia for Christmas vacation, a University of Niagara student plays out in the sun for six hours. Later that night he notices that the skin on his trunk, legs and arms becomes red, swollen and extremely painful. By morning all of the afflicted areas have developed numerous blisters. These areas cover about 30% of the trunk (front and back) and 40% of the arms and legs. 1. What organ has been damaged?  ·The Integuemtary System (skin) has been damaged. 2. What general types of tissue have been afflicted?  ·Stratified squamous epithelium in the epidermis, areolar connective tissue, and some dense irregular connective tissue in the dermis have been afllicted 3. What type of burn has the student received? Explain.  ·He has received burns in the 2nd degree which are accompanied by blisters and pain. 4. What type of radiation has caused the burn?  ·Ultraviloet radition (UVA) specifically UBA and UBV. 5. List ALL the layers of the skin that have been damaged?  ·Epidermis: stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, and stratum basale.  ·Dermis (upper region): papillary layer . List ALL layers that have been killed?  ·None of the layers have been killed, just damaged in the second degree. 7. What tissue repair process causes the blistering?  ·Tissue regeneration which is the process in which liquid builds up between the epidermis and the dermis layer causing them to separate. 8. Why is this type of burn so painful?  ·Due to the damage of the epidermis many nerve endings in the dermis have been exposed which cause pain. A burn is considered critical and should receive prompt medical attention if: > 25% of the body is covered by 2nd degree burns or > 10% of the body is covered by 3rd degree burns 9. What percentage of the total body surface has been burned? Show your calculations!  ·(36% x 30%)= 11%  ·(36% x 40%)= 14%  ·(18% x 40%)= 7%  ·(11% + 14% + 7%)= 32%; #2% of the body’s surface has been burned. 10. Is the burn critical? Should the student seek medical attention?  ·Yes he should seek medical attention to avoid developing any infections in the lacerations, as well as to receive meds to assist with the pain. 11. List all of the body functions that may be disrupted by such a burn.  ·Integumentary  ·Nervous  ·Lymphatic  ·Muscular Recovery 12. After a few days the skin peels and the burned areas begin to heal. The student notices that the healing areas are more susceptible to injuries due to chafing or trauma. What has happened to the skin that would cause this increased susceptibility?  ·The barrier function has been altered so the skin is more susceptibile to trauma and damage. During the next week after the student returns to the States, his friend tells him that a sunburn prepares his skin for a deep tan. His friend encourages him to quickly begin tanning sessions at a local tanning salon before the effects of the burn wear off. 13. What would you advise him to do? Why? I would advise him not go and to avoid long periods of exposure to sun and other radiation devices. 14. Is a deep tan a sign of skin that is healthy or severely stressed? Explain your answer.  ·A deep tan is a sign of severely stressed skin. When skin is exposed to UV rays, cells called melaoncytes produce brown pigment melanin, which darkens skin the cells of the epidermis. The darkening of the skin cells is the skin natural defense mechanism against further damage for UV radiation. Unrepaired damage like so can lead to an increase risk of developing skin cancer and other skin problems like photoaging-wrinkles, sagging skin, and sun spots.

What to Do If You Know Someone Is Cheating in College

What to Do If You Know Someone Is Cheating in College Its inevitable that  no matter where you go to college there is undoubtedly someone cheating at your school. It could be a total shock when you find out or it could be absolutely no surprise at all. But what are your options and obligations if you learn that someone is cheating in college? Deciding what to do (or, as the case may be, what not to do) can take a lot of serious time and reflection or it might be a snap decision made easy by the situations circumstances. Either way, make sure youve considered the following when faced with a friend or fellow students cheating behavior. Your Obligations Under Your Schools Code of Conduct You might be a pretty conservative student who has never given your schools code of conduct or student handbook a second glance. At some institutions, however, you may be required to report when you know another student is cheating in college. If thats the case, then your decision to notify a professor, academic advisor or staff member (like the Dean of Students) about the cheating takes on a different tone. Are you willing to sacrifice your own success at your school because of someone elses poor choices? Or are you under no institutional obligation to let someone know about cheating you suspect or witnessed? Your Personal Feelings on the Subject Some students might be completely intolerant of others cheating; some might not care one way or the other. Regardless, theres really no right way to feel about cheating its just what feels right for you. Are you okay letting it slide? Or will it bother you on a personal level not to report it? Will it upset you more to report the cheating or not to report the cheating? How will it change your relationship with the person you suspect of cheating? Your Comfort Level With Reporting the Situation (or Not) Think, too, about how you would feel if you left the cheating and cheater alone. How does this compare with how you would feel if you  turned your friend or classmate in? Try to walk yourself through the rest of the semester. How would you feel if you never reported the cheating and watched this student sail through the rest of the term? How would you feel if you did report the cheating and then had to deal with being interviewed by staff or faculty? How would you feel if you confronted the cheater directly? Theres already some conflict between you and the cheater, even if its unspoken at this point. The question then becomes how you feel about addressing that conflict and with the consequences of doing so (or not!). The Impact of Reporting or Not Reporting If youre sharing a class with the suspected cheater and everyone is graded on a curve, your own academic performance and college success will be directly affected by this students dishonest actions. In other situations, however, you might not be affected at all. At some level, however, everyone will be affected, since a cheating student is gaining an unfair advantage over his or her fellow (and honest) students. How does the cheating have an impact on you on a personal, academic, and institutional level? Who You Can Talk to for More Advice or to File a Complaint If youre not sure what to do, you can always talk to someone anonymously or not reveal the name of your friend/classmate. You can find out what your options are for filing a complaint, what the process would be like, if your name would be given to the person who you suspect is cheating and any other consequences that might occur. This kind of information might actually encourage you to report cheating in college to a professor or administrator, so take advantage of the opportunity to have all your questions answered before making a decision one way or another. After all, if youre faced with the awkward situation of having someone you know engage in cheating behavior, you have the power to decide how best to resolve the situation in a way that makes you feel most comfortable.