Cost Leadership Strategy For Tune Hotels Tourism Essay

Cost Leadership Strategy For Tune Hotels Tourism Essay As a business improvement administrator of Tune inn, I have been mentioned to propose and legitimize the usage of a general cost initiative methodology for Tune hotels.com. this proposition is comprises of setting up a vital help vision for Tune hotels.com by accepting scarcely any angles as a thought into account, for example, the objective market portion, administration idea, working technique and furthermore the administration conveyance framework too. Other than that, I have been approached to recognize what are the administration measurements in setting the benchmark for administration qualifiers, administration victors and administration failures also. Lodging diagram Air Asia is an ease transporter (LCC) aircraft, with the picture of making flying achievable for everyone, where it is notable for the biggest low passage and no nonsense carrier, and Tune inn is one of another glowing idea developed by the air Asias Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and furthermore the originator of Air Asia also, Datuk Tony Fernandes. Tune lodgings have open its first straightforward inn branch in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman,Kuala Lumpur on ninth april 2007. Tune Hotel is as of now working in spots, for example, Malaysia, Downtown Penang, Kota Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, KLIA LCCT Airport, Johor, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Indonesia and United Kingdom and London also. Question 1 Target advertise fragment As with regards to a business, target showcase fragment is a fundamental component which is should have been thought of and it is significant in encouraging and coordinating the business way in the market. Target showcase portion, which is focusing on the crowd, is critical to support the endurance of a business or industry too. Tune lodging which has been arranged under the administration business and it tends to be considered as the market chief in the no nonsense spending inn in Malaysia and South East Asia. Tune inn has actualized an inventive and creative idea to be utilized in Malaysia, and they contrast from their rivals since no any inn or organization has cases to be in a similar market section. Tune lodging has utilized the geographic division measurements to impact the market opportunity, for example, tune inn at Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, which is known as the spending inn which has the comparable idea of nitty gritty Air Asia Airlines,tune inn likewise adjust a similar idea where it is additionally the principal no nonsense inn in Asia too. Tune lodging Kuala Lumpur are deliberately situated at the focal of Kuala Lumpur in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, whereby it is near significant shopping, food and refreshment outlets and diversion regions. Additionally, the area is likewise helpful and offices, for example, LRT and transported also. (Anonmous, n.d) Swot investigation of tune lodging Quality Tune inn has an incredible quality whereby they have a prize framework to those clients who have done a development booking administration through web with them. By presenting this framework, tune inn will have the option to pull in more clients and keep up those reliable clients in future too. Other than that, Tune lodging have an extraordinary focal area with offices, for example, LRT and transports and it is close by shopping regions, amusement regions, and food and drink regions too. This draws in and empowers those clients, particularly outsiders to pick Tune inn also. In addition, Tune lodging are appealing with their evaluating systems also, in circumstance where a large portion of the Air Asia clients are those tune inns steadfast clients. Shortcoming Tune inn has a predetermined number of clients in the area who are aware of the Tune lodging. This could be one of the shortcomings looked by Tune inn. Tune inn ought to have the option to take a shot at their promoting technique and accentuation more on their administration gave. Opportunity So as to pick up the serious market and be the primary market pioneer in administration industry, Tune inn can have the option to draw in more clients by improving their promoting methodology viably to pick up the clients fulfillment and their help also in future. Danger Tune inn gets a high rivalry in the administration business since it has been novel in the business. High Competition among contenders is one the greatest danger to tune inn to continue in the market later on. Redistributing is likewise one of the danger to Tune Hotel since different Hotels do give offices which tune Hotel doesnt give, for example different lodgings have premise necessities of client, for example, the evaporator, drinking water and some more, in the interim Tune inn doesn't give this. Administration idea Source: http://www.xm-msia.com/xm/tunehotels/facilities.asp Tune lodging is novel in offering their support, contrasted with their rivals, and they work a constrained assistance idea, where they just offer single and twofold space for its clients. They have 5 star beds gave in every room highlight great spring bedding beds with essential needs, for example, pads, pillowcase and bed sheets. Every one of the room comprises of connected private restrooms along with warmed force showers with the insignificant room rates. Tune inn are have a focal and helpful and key area which is close by to shopping regions, ATM administrations to withdrawal purposes, food and refreshment, for example, kopitiam outlets and diversion also. In addition, Tune lodging has 24-hour security offices too whereby it is secure and safe to be in the environmental factors of the inn. Working system Tune inn utilizes the re-appropriating as their working procedure to spare the activity cost and to improve and show signs of improvement yield and effectiveness of the lodging. For example, Tune Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the support, Kopitiam, 7 eleven which is accessible for 24 hours, cash changer booth, cheap food outlets, for example, Subway, and CIMB ATM and authority the change are positively part of re-appropriating. By actualizing this working procedure viably, Tune Hotel have the option to spare a tremendous measure of their expense and this in the end helped Tune Hotel to enhance better creation and profitability adequately and proficiently of their inn. ( Batcha, 2007). Administration conveyance framework Source: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4089502/Tune-Hotel The administration conveyance framework in Tune Hotel is overpowering, and center and valuable administrations gave are distinguished through the blossom of administration model. The administration are isolated into 2 principle areas, where the data, request taking, charging and installment are sorted under the encouraging administrations, in the mean time discussion, housekeeping, cordiality and special case are ordered under the subsequent segment named as improving administrations. TUNE HOTELS STAKEHOLDERS Source: http://www.xm-msia.com/xm/tunehotels/about_us_3.asp Tune lodgings sdn.bhd is 40% claimed by Datuk Tony Fernandes, 30% by Dato Kamarudin Meranun, 25% by Dennis Melka and the rest 5% by Tune Strategic Investments Limited. Tune Ventures Sdn Bhd claims 72.19% stake in order inns, trailed by Dato Kalimullah Hassan which now the administrator of ECM road which is one of the recorded Malaysian speculation bank possesses 12.03% stake in order lodgings, Lim Kian Onn the director of ECM road, additionally claims a similar rate as Dato Kalimullah Hassan 12.03%, and in conclusion followed by tune inns representative holding sdn bhd where the organization is formely possessed by the key workers of tune inn claims 3.75% stake in order inns also. Question 2 Administration qualifiers Tune inn is grouped to be the administration qualifier since it is offering a decent support which meets the prerequisites of a purchaser. For example, tune inn has a spotless domain around, whereby they give housekeeping administrations to ensure the purchasers has a sense of security and clean with the general condition. Also, Tune inn are worried about the wellbeing too, where they have the 24 hour security framework applied, whereby they utilizes electronic key card to access into rooms, CCTV cameras administrations, nonstop on the job gathering staff and no entrance to the principle anteroom without a keycard spend midnight.(anonymous, 2007) In addition, tune inn likewise has presented tune lodging protection just in Malaysia, and said to be internationally soon. Those protection are not just liable for the lost of movement records, yet additionally has take the obligations of being careful of visitors individual mishap, clinical costs and furthermore postponed check in as well.(anonymous, n.d). Administration victors Administration victors are those serious measurements used to settle on the last decision among contenders, for example is the cost. The valuing system of Tune inn is from the scope of RM 9.90. Tune lodgings cost will be distinctive during top seasons, advancement seasons and furthermore an alternate value extend for the development booking also. Administration failure At the point when tune lodging neglects to convey the requirements and needs of the client, they may qualifies for be the administration washout. Administration washout happens when there is an inability to meet the desires for what client really needs. Tune lodging ought to have the option to execute new advertising system as Tune Hotel is having a high rivalry among its rivals which is a danger to them. Question 3 Doormen conventional procedures Source: http://www.quickmba.com/technique/generic.shtml Tune lodging has embrace the cost authority system by and large. This cost administration system fundamentally accentuation on the minimal effort maker in the business. Setting value low in some cases may impact the perspective of a client, where low cost may give a negative impression of the quality and the brand picture of the organization itself. For example, there are relatively few out there know about Tune inn and its administrations, since it is new in the market. This is mostly in light of the fact that the methodology used to portrayal about Tune inn is done insufficiently. Tune inn should think of a successful procedure to uncover their image name by having commercial about its administration and offices gave to draw in the Air Asias clients, yet in addition to

Concept cartoons Essay Example

Idea kid's shows Essay Example Idea kid's shows Essay Idea kid's shows Essay The kids take it in goes to hold the light and be the earth. During this movement they kept on talking about among themselves, they visited about what time they were speaking to, morning, dinnertime and night (informative supplement 3). They at that point turned the globe around and claimed to live in various pieces of the world, concluding who was conscious and who was sleeping, I was still at the showcase listening just in the event that further clarification or mediation was required. Investigating further utilizing the portable the youngsters had the option to think about the separation between the earth, sun and moon. Conversation with them prompted scientific conditions to turn out to be the way we could show these utilizing youngsters in the play area region. The kids took from the presentation the articles that spoke to Earth, Sun and Moon and went onto the play area, further addressing was utilized around there to perceive the development of the Earth, Sun and Moon just as the relative separations. The youngsters had the option to change over the estimations into meters and kilometers so as to show this in the play area. The vast majority of the kids didn't understand the immense separation between the Sun and Earth. Grown-ups had the option to examine methods of testing. A case of taking a gander at planes in the sky, the size they look when they are flying contrasted with when they are on the ground. Again the youngsters attempted to speak to this on the play area, this was troublesome yet the kids had the option at that point to make the association with respect to estimate and separation. This specific gathering of youngsters are fundamentally from the capable capacity gathering, the lower capacity likewise saw what was occurring yet had no contribution during the conversation. Utilizing the Concept kid's shows I focused on the lower capacity gathering to perceive what their insight into how daily is perceived during the following meeting. Idea Cartoon 14.1 24 Hours page 173 Appendix 2 Help was given with perusing, the kids circumnavigated the fitting answer effectively The Earth turns once at regular intervals which at that point drove into a scrutinizing meeting to affirm this was not a guess. A So would you be able to give me any thoughts regarding how we know this? C Is that why when we wake up it is light and when we go to be it is dim reason weve turned round and now its daytime it must be sleep time in Australia and different nations at the opposite side of the world C Yeh and 24 hours implies 1 day A Excellent, that is correct, Lets proceed to view the PC and check whether we can discover anything to enable us to perceive what occurs in 24 hours to earth We were then ready to get to the NASA site www.nasaforkids.comâ where we could investigate the development of earth. The youngsters could likewise investigate how a year is shaped through this and different destinations, through conversing with them while on the PC, they demonstrated that they had no clue about this. With assistance the kids utilized a portion of the data they accumulated off the PC and data from grown-ups to compose a short passage to put on the showcase for the remainder of the class (addendum 4) The gathering had the option to print off some tests to see, which were than utilized on the presentation. Following this action utilizing the possibility of idea kid's shows a scope of games were made utilizing thoughts discovered during late readings It is through the resulting conversation and contention that learning happens and psychological changes will be made. Primary Science Review 72 (page 6) March/April 2002 Bob Kibble These cards were placed into the ICT suite, the youngsters were then urged to play the game two by two, at that point look on the web to see who or in the event that they were right. The youngsters were then urged to compose a short passage on the PC to put close by the cards to clarify which were right. A lot of conversation was held in the ICT suite now, despite the fact that the more capable gathering went on to taking a gander at the situation of the remainder of the nearby planetary group and seasons, the lower capacity bunch proceeded with their examination concerning day and night, the year and shadows. By method of appraisal the kids were consistently tested to clarify their answers put onto the showcase. A Can you reveal to me which circle speaks to the earth? C The pea A How did you know that?â C Well the volley ball must be the sun since its the greatest, and I figure the dab must be the bean cause its not as little as earth. A Yes, youre very right, well done A sundial brought into school demonstrated an effective device to use to help with the idea of time passing and the production of shadows. The kids had the option to utilize this over the time of seven days to record data and show it as a diagram. Taking everything into account the presentation was an incredible achievement, both at the beginning of the unit and ceaselessly all through, the instructor had the option to utilize it all through exercises and the youngsters approached it continually. Albeit all the presentations in the class are altogether arranged and utilized as a perspective and for showing childrens work plainly because of the information I was attempting to pick up from it that we utilized it much more. The class educator was satisfied with the out come, especially by the lower capacity bunch as they took part in a great deal of the activitys despite the fact that they were extremely uncertain about the ideas been tested. The thought that show inside the study hall can bolster youthful childrens learning is the viewpoint that is least perceived. Incitement and inspiration are beginning stages for learning, yet show can offer help once youngsters have set out upon their work. requires however and thought about how great presentation adds to successful adapting instead of essentially making the room look nice. Reading for intelligent instructing in the elementary school (p 201) This statement was of most significance to the venture given and would seem, by all accounts, to be a genuine articulation. Despite the fact that this unit just starts to take a gander at the close planetary system, a great arrangement of youngsters needed to investigate further, which they were urged to do. The scope of inquiries was expansive and the appropriate responses were some of the time hard to grasp for the kids without the utilization of agent hardware. A decent subject information was of up most significance to have the option to respond to the childrens questions properly, the need to investigate altogether the subjects educated is a need which can be troublesome, however edifying simultaneously!

Taking Care of Yourself

Taking Care of Yourself Step 1: Eat Properly I was having a chat with my friend Matt O. 15 when we both agreed on a few aspects of taking care of yourself we wish we had learned two years ago. MIT has its times of incredible stress and its during those times that these tips are most crucial. Taking care of yourself is incredibly difficult in the face of a three midterm week but these simple steps will make the experience that much more bearable. Step 1: Eat Properly How not to do it. (A dinner from last summer) This is probably the one I struggled with the most. When youre in classes all day and doing psets all night it becomes much too easy to skip meals and rely on fast food. When youre not in a dining hall dorm breakfast becomes a luxury and 1.5-2 meal days become the norm. While the stereotype of the ramen eating college student are only slightly true, microwave meals became a staple and as a consequence the energy I had on a daily basis was limited. I always woke up groggy and felt nauseous on particularly stressful weeks. If I can summarize this section in one sentence it would be the following. Eat three meals a day, minimize salt filled crap food, and diversify your food groups, and for when this fails take your vitamins. Step 2: Take Vitamins Regularly Chances are you wont be following Step 1 as well as your mother would like and for those of us who have an indifference for all things green, there are Vitamins. While Step 1 has definitely made the largest difference in terms of my day to day happiness its not always feasible in the hustle and bustle of college life and as it turns out you get quite a bit out of eating vitamins. What started out as trying a friends gummy vitamins ended up drastically changing my day to day life. A vitamin a day equated to sleeping easier, less groggy mornings and more more energy in the day. So pick up a supply of vitamins from Shaws and make it a daily habit! Step 3: Stay Hydrated This follows the same vein as Step 1, its much too easy to go through the day without enough water. About two semesters ago I found that I was plagued with nightly headaches that was solved by simply carrying a water bottle around and filling a water dispenser in my mini fridge. Step 4: Sleep Ive never really understood why but at MIT theres a sense of honor that accompanies sleepless nights. People will have competitions over whose week is worst. An example Thursday night Student A: Oh man, I have 3 psets and a paper due Friday and I havent even started! Student B: Wow, that stinks. I only have 2 psets and a project, but I also have 2 midterms tomorrow. Winner: Student B Prize: Another all-nighter. whoopee And everyone gets swept up in the competition. But I cant tell you enough how much better everything is with a good nights sleep. With that said though this step isnt for everyone. I actually know quite a few people who function best with minimal sleep but sadly Im not one of those people. What I found works best for me is to do work as early as possible to minimize the late nights and take naps in between classes. The story always go Social Life Sleep Good Grades, pick 2, but what they dont tell you is that a lack of sleep adversely affects your grades AND social life. Having tried all 3C2 combinations, the common denominator for happiness was sleep. It took me two years to realize but following these four steps made life at MIT so much better. And for a lot of you these steps will look painfully obvious but as someone who had never dealt with living alone in stressful situations it took a while to understand how my body functioned. Hopefully you all can learn from my mistakes.

Beyond Massa Sugar Management in the British Caribbean by...

In the book Beyond Massa: Sugar Management in the British Caribbean, 1770-1834, by John F. Campbell, it’s main focus encompasses and revolves around issues surrounding slavery practices by using Golden Grove estate in Jamaica as a primary source during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The author highlighted the slavery period of the sugar monoculture era, followed by the development of amelioration policies, to the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, and finally the failed industry in 1834. The book uses archival data which logically analyses, revises and modifies the historical ideologies, thus manifesting revisionist philosophies about sugar estates in the Caribbean region. It really sets the reader to have different insights†¦show more content†¦On the other hand enslaved people also played their part exhibiting deviation from the patriarchal norm. Women like Mrs Wyllie who brought Golden Groove before court, Nanny another enslaved African who conducted resistance networks and was an obeah priestess and female leader of these resisting oppressions, had two villages named after her and a bountiful of others hoisting active revolts and sexual liaisons. These movements demonstrated a â€Å"power-female head† (Campbell 103) along with â€Å"diffused† (Campbell 93) command structure and distinctly reveals the major differences in the female paradigm compared to that of the England and West Africa system. In the meantime, specifically around the period of 1798, the Amelioration Policy emerged which was then replaced by the Slave Trade Act in 1807 up until its â€Å"signaled death† (Campbell 127) and official dismantling in 1834. Admittedly this measure is a revisionist point since little reference to analyse this aspect of plantation society is made in many avaliable notes and texts thus making a rich source endorsed by facts for ‘new’ information. Instead of the general idea that slavery was one hundred percent brutality and dehumanization, many aspects are brought forward, for example the maintaining and prolonging of enslaved health and life in the early 18th century via plantation doctors, clothes, food, miscellaneous items and incentives.Show MoreRelatedSugar Cultivation During The Nineteenth Century Essay1569 Words   |  7 Pages In the British Caribbean during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, sugar cultivation came into existence as the Europeans slowly moved away from the production of tobacco. This was done for two main reasons; the first being, the Europeans saw how lucrative the production of the sugarcane crop can be for them and secondly, it would have significantly reduced the cost of sweeteners for both men and women of British descent. Honey, being the only substitution for sugar at the time, was consideredRead MoreBook Report-Caribbean Civilization (Beyond Massa ) 20142503 Words   |  11 PagesAleema Chinchamee Aakeil Murray FOUN1101: Caribbean Civilization 14 November 2014 Beyond Massa: Sugar Management in the British Caribbean, 1770-1834. Dr. John Campbell is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies; St. Augustine campus. He specializes on Caribbean civilization and culture. In this book, â€Å"Beyond Massa: Sugar Management in the British Caribbean, 1770-1834†, he aims to describe the complexity of the relationship between the enslaved and their masters, as well as providing a revisionist

Implementation Of Geothermal Energy As An Alternative Energy

Title : Implementation Of Geothermal Energy As An Alternative Energy AHMAD HAFIZUDDIN BIN ISMAIL (EC15132) FIRDAUS BIN MAT SHUKRI (EC15133) MUHAMMAD SUHAIMI BIN MOKHTAH (EC) AMAR FAISSAL BIN KAMARUDDIN (EC15134) Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PAHANG (UMP), 26600 PEKAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA Abstract This report presents an alternative energy is any energy source that from fossil fuel. We need to turn to alternative energy in general. Firstly, we were in danger of ruining the planet’s climate through fossil fuel emissions. Furthermore, we cannot keep using fossil fuels forever that will run out someday [1]. In addition, the problem of the current energy that we can focus was energy security and independence viewpoint because our nation has increased its dependence on foreign oil supplies instead of decreasing it especially from nations under the rule of a dictator or unstable countries where human rights violations are common [2]. 1.0 Introduction Nowadays, many power stations across the world burn fossil fuels to generate energy. When fossil fuels are burned to generate energy, they lead to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and Sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere which contributes to global warming. However, stocks of fossil fuels are limited and alternatives need to be found. 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It was noted that several design variables of GHPs, including equipment profile building load (such a size, configurations and type of components), thermodynamic properties (inlet temperature, temperature of evaporator, mass flow rate and etc.) are optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA), response surface method (RSM), Taguchi method and so on optimizer implemented in different

Another Day, Another Nickel Free Essays

Angie Navarro Castillo Composition I Karla Whitehurst Another Day, Another Nickel As I’m driving on Interstate 30 going to work at the restaurant Country Fare, I stare at the beautiful mixture of colors displayed in the sky. Pink, orange, yellow and blue mixed all together in a breathtaking sunset in Arkansas. I get off exit 44. We will write a custom essay sample on Another Day, Another Nickel or any similar topic only for you Order Now The time is getting closer and I pull over on the parking lot and I see the big sign that says TA. The time has arrived and now I have to work. It may not be the most exciting place for me to be, but if I want to be able to pay my bills, this is where I need to be. I go through the glass door and I say hi to the guys working at Subway right in front of the entrance, then I turn right and walk by the buffet and my shift 4pm to midnight is officially started. Soon after I clock in I must count my drawer, which today is full of different coins, therefore it takes me a while to count it this time. As I am finally ready I start helping customers and taking orders. The place wasn’t quite busy when I first got there, but half an hour later the restaurant is packed. There are lots of truck drivers starving and anxious to eat and leave. There are no TVs or anything to entertain them, which makes them bored. The dining room is plain and white with few decorations of Saint Patrick’s Day hanging around. All the tables and chairs in the bar are full with customers. I try to help everyone as fast and efficient as possible, the cook in the line is working hard as well. He is yelling the waitresses’ names with every meal when it’s ready to deliver. Tonight there are only two waitresses on the floor; we are both walking back and forth trying to get this dinner rush over with. There are 2 cooks for the buffet and a dish washer guy was not scheduled, consequently the manager is helping with the dishes so we don’t run out of dishes and glasses. I am getting behind, many tables remain dirty and more customers walk in as soon as some walk out. The atmosphere that once was the background music is now filled with conversations; it’s just blah, blah, and blah. Its only 8 o’clock, and I need to catch my breath for a second, I drink some Pepsi cola. While delivering the steak dinner and pasta to table 12, I just get very hungry. By this time I wish I could take a break, but since there are only 2 of us, I can’t, even though I snack on some crackers while cashing out some customers. I run out of one dollar bills, so I ask the manager on duty to get me the cash. When he comes to the dining room, he realizes how busy we are and finally he helps me bussing some tables. Once I got some help the dining room looks better and less busy. I feel better because I don’t have to run back and forth as much. When it gets as slow as this, it’s time for me to do my side work. I have to sweep, mop, and do fill-ups. Ketchup bottles are almost all empty. I have to fill them up and do so with the sweeteners and jellies. Barbara, the graveyard waitress, has arrived, which means it’s time for me to leave. All I have left to do is bring a bucket with ice and fill up the soda machine. I am now ready to count my register and leave. After the shift is over, the restaurant looks calmer and roach free. The only relief that makes my day is to look at my pocket in my apron and see it full of dollars, reward of my hard work. Therefore I say: Another Day, Another Nickel. How to cite Another Day, Another Nickel, Papers

Study And Control Measures Of ... free essay sample

Over the last few years, a special need for tall buildings has been established. Particular emphasis has been given to reducing the time period for the completion of these projects. Hence special structural formworks have been introduced to reduce time as well as labour cost of this industry.Structural Formworks used in the Construction Industry has tremendous advantages in terms of speed of completion of the project. However, since these Auto Climbing Systems is also used at tremendous heights these factors could lead to major hazards. These are mainly used in the building of core concrete walls which works as the backbone of the entire structure of the building.Some of these hazards include personnel working on the platform has a danger of falling from a height, injury from material falling from height to the person working below the platforms. High priority is required to safety aspects during the Jumping/Lifting of the platform. We will write a custom essay sample on Study And Control Measures Of or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When ythe platformis elevated from a lower level to a higher level new risks and hazards are introduced. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze various risks and hazards involved in the use of such structural formworks in the construction industry and provide proper and appropriate means of control measures.INTRODUCTIONThe height of a building has always contributed to the constructions status.While India may be far behind when it comes to elevated constructions, in comparision with many other cities in the world, the country is making a slow but steady ascent with a number of towering structures that are being built and planned for several cities. Tall structures help accommodate more people in the limited resources of land. With the growing number of immigrant population in the city,if horizontal construction continues, the city will in no time run out of options for further development. Tall buildings use lesser ground area and so more land is available for better infrastructure development such as parking,gardens and other important facilities, A flat on a higher floor offers residents a significant reduction in the level of smog and noise. It also provides more light, better ventilation and greater relief from the heat. In short, better quality of life.While overall Floor Space Index (FSI) remains low in the country, especially in big cities, it is also difficult to btain large-sized plot wiyhin cities for construction of high rise buildings.Rules for high rise buildings are stringent. Builders must follow norms for setbacks, elevators, in house fire safety equipment, service ducts, electricity supply, exit routes, a published fire safety plan and more. One of the key factors that decides wheather compliance is required is the height of the building itself; the height decides wheather a building is a high-rise or not. The two most questioned aspects of high rise buildings are structural stability and security. In order to make the high-rise building withstand natural calamities, the design has to incorporate mechanisms to resist wind force of a very high intensity; the second important issue is safety in case of fire. For this High rise buildings are designed with free spaces for rescue and fire resistant materials.The Auto Climbing System though a very promising and beneficial addition to the construction industry of high rise building however like two sides of a coin it has both positive and negative aspects. The Automatic Climbing System (ACS) is a hydraulical ly operated self- climbing formwork system used for construction of tall concrete structures such as building core walls and bridge pylons. Tall concrete structures have historically been formed with crane lifted formwork often referred to as jump forms. This procedure requires extensive crane time and is too slow, unsafe and unproductive for tall structures where the concrete walls are typically on the critical path. Even though Auto or Self climbing system is a huge boost in reducing the time required for project completion, we cannot neglect the safety loopholes in these systems.

Communication Law Worksheet Essays

Communication Law Worksheet Essays Communication Law Worksheet Essay Communication Law Worksheet Essay 1. Communication Law is primarily about the First Amendment. What different types of speech can you identify that may have different protection under the first amendment? Under the First Amendment many types of speech receive the most stringent levels of protection while others receive little to no protection at all. Political or religious speech are two of the biggest and most important areas of speech that receive the most protection and seem to be at the core of the First Amendment rights. These two types of speech receive a great deal of scrutiny, however that scrutiny is usually never upheld. Other areas of speech involving obscenities receive no protection under the First Amendment. Commercial speech is an area of speech that in recent years is starting to gain a great deal of protection under the First Amendment. It has been determined that restrictions on commercial speech be subject to intermediate scrutiny. As a result of commercial speech many food and drug regulations have been invalidated. Commercial speech has recently gone from absolutely no protection under the First Amendment to qualified protection. Commercial speech was limited to promotion of commercial activities. Under the commercial speech doctrine speech does not lose its constitutional protection simply because it appears in a commercial context. Placing want ads in a newspaper is an area of commercial speech that is now protected under this doctrine, however those areas of commercial speech that promote illegal things like employment discrimination is indeed illegal and not protected under the First Amendment. 2. Name and discuss three of the first amendment theories found in the text. Freedom of expression started back in 1791 when the First Amendment was ratified in regards to freedom of the presses. Since the freedom of expression has changed dramatically with new media outlets like television, radio, and the Internet. Freedom of expression was and is used today as having no prior censorship. It also protects people from punishment after publication. Freedom of expression is quite different today, and today there can be nine different definitions of freedom of expression and are usually based on Supreme Court justices. Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 â€Å"forbade false, scandalous, and malicious publications against the U. S. government, congress, and the President† (Pembert Calvert, 2011, p. 48). The law was used to punish those who sought to cause problems and urged resistance to the government. There were 15 prosecutions under this law, many of which belonged to leading papers in the nation at that time. This law was overturned in 1801 and President Jefferson pardoned all those convicted under this law. Today people are allowed to criticize the government and publicly hold views that do not go along with the government or the current administration with little to no prosecution. Taxation of the presses is another area und the First Amendment that has come under scrutiny. Taxing of newspapers and other press outlets was deemed unconstitutional. Government could not tax some members of certain branches over others, and taxing against the content of a publication was also found to be unconstitutional. It is unconstitutional also to â€Å"rule that selective taxation of the press through the narrow targeting of individual members offends the First Amendment and that a differential taxation of First Amendment speakers is constitutionally suspect when it threatens to suppress the expression of particular ideas or viewpoints† (Pembert Calvert, 2011, p. 65). 3. What does prior restraint mean? Why is it important? Prior restraint is an official restriction of speech prior to publication. â€Å"Prior restraint refers to an unconstitutional attempt to prevent publication or broadcast of any statement, which is restraint on free speech and free press prohibited by the First Amendment† (USlegal. com, 2010). Areas that are covered under prior restraint are allowed to be published include libel, slander, obvious miss-truths, anti-government feelings and attitudes, racial and religious areas, and most any material where public security or public safety is not compromised. Public estraint also prohibits felons from profiting off of their crimes. It is used to describe the printing and profiting of illegal crimes. Prior restraint has gone through many revisions since its original inception. Prior restraint is important because it violates First Amendment rights. Free speech and free press should have priority but under prior restraint they do not. â€Å"Blackstone’s theory on this subjec t held that liberty of the press depended on having no prior restraints on publications and not in freedom from punishment when criminal matter is published† (USlegal. om, 2010). References Pember, D. R. , Clavert, C. (2011). Mass media law (17th ed. ). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. First Amendment Religion and Expression Freedom of Expression-Speech and Press . (1996). Retrieved August 16, 2010, from Network Abuse Clearinghouse: abuse. net/commercial. html Prior restraint law legal definition. (2010). Retrieved August 16, 2010, from US legal: http://definitions. uslegal. com/p/prior-restraint/

The Difference Between a Weak and Strong Verb

The Difference Between a Weak and Strong Verb The distinction between a weak verb and a strong verb is based on how the past tense of the verb is formed. Weak verbs (more commonly called regular verbs) form the past tense by adding -ed, -d, or -t to the base form- or present tense- of the verb, such as call, called and walk, walked. Strong verbs (usually called irregular verbs) form the past tense or the past participle (or both) in various ways but most often by changing the vowel of the present tense form, such as to give, gave and stick, stuck. Strong vs. Weak In Garners Modern American Usage, author Bryan Garner explains the difference between a week and strong verbs: Irregular verbs are sometimes called strong verbs because they seem to form the past tense from their own resources, without calling a The term strong has been inherited from Old English grammar, and many of todays irregular forms are descendants of common Old English verbs. Although fewer than 200 modern English verbs are strong, these irregulars- most of which are just one syllable in length- are among the most common in the language. Examples of Weak Verbs With week verbs, the stem vowel does not change in the past or past participle tense. Take the word walk, for example. The past and past participle of this verb would be walked because the stem vowel does not change. Another example would be work, where the verb becomes worked in the past and past participle. Other examples of the week, or regular, verbs would be as follows, where the verb is listed on the left with the past/past participle on the right: Add addedBeg beggedCall calledDamage damagedEarn earnedMark markedTaste tastedYell yelled The past tense or past participle of these verbs looks roughly the same as the present tense because, as noted, the stem vowel does not change. Strong Verbs Examples By contrast, strong verbs generally do have a change in the stem vowel in the past or past participle. For example, the past tense and past participle of bringing is brought. At other times, the stem vowel in a strong verb might change in the past tense but not in the past participle, such as arise, which becomes arose in the past tense but arisen in the past participle (as in he has arisen.) Other examples of strong verbs would be: Blow blew (past tense), blown (past participle)Break broke (past tense), broken (past participle)Do did (past tense), done (past participle)Feed fed (past tense and past particle)Lie (down) lay (past tense), lain (past participle)Speak spoke (past tense), spoken (past participle) As you can see, there is no hard-and-fast rule for determining if a verb is a week or strong. Since there are fewer than 200 strong verbs in English, the best method is to memorize their use in the past and past participle.

Leadership (Time management) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership (Time management) - Term Paper Example Honesty and integrity are the two pillars with which I bind the work of the people in my concern. Weakness However as a business leader I also possess certain weaknesses which in turn hamper the business productivity. Firstly on account of being very fast with my tasks I generally tend to commit certain mistakes which tarnish the quality of the work performed. Secondly in aspiring to work for and by the team I sometimes become much flexible which in turn reflects weakness in my administration qualities. Thirdly I sometimes tend to reflect over confidence which in turn also makes me run into mistakes. Comparison of Leadership Style with that of Team Members In this section my leadership style will be compared to the professional style of two team members based on the following approaches. Leadership Style 1 As a business leader I render priority to the parameters of business ethics and morality. However the team member in group 1 generally tends to accomplish the work in a faster mann er taking the help of unethical policies. In that these members tend to copy designs from the internet without tending to innovate such to accomplish their tasks. Thus in comparison the team members tend to drift from my leadership acumen of being truthful and sincere in servicing the stakeholders. Leadership Style2 In the second case Group 2 member generally figures me as a business leader who tends to accomplish business tasks through being quite strict in his delegation and monitoring of responsibilities. I generally feel that being tough would help to accomplish the business tasks in an effective and faster manner. However the Group 2 member feels that had I reflected the quality of empathy it would have further them in enhancing on the qualities of being more loyal and productive in their tasks towards the concern. Modes in Becoming an Effective Leader based on the Comparison The above analysis reflects that the Group 1 member needs to be preached and effectively trained to act in a sincere and truthful pattern while tending to accomplish the business tasks. However the analysis also reflected that the business leader apart from prioritizing on the tenets of ethics and morality also needs to be faster in his actions in delivering quality products. The team member in Group 2 reflects that in regards to acting as a business leader one needs to understand and appreciate the problems of the people and thereby to collaborate effectively to achieve business productivity. Leaders like me who desire to pursue the goals through being tough disturb the employer-employee relationships and thereby hinder the parameter of employee loyalty. Thus the act of being faster coupled with morality and sincerity and thereby empathizing with the employees would certainly help in building an effective leader. Pitfalls in the Leadership Team due to Differences The differences of opinion with the team member in Group 1 and Group 2 would lead to causing potential disruption in the workplace through the argument in business leadership parameters. In regards to Group 1 member the increased stress rendered to the factors of ethics and mo

Business Requirements Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Requirements - Research Paper Example In addition, the report will offer an insight on the importance of Joint Application Development (JAD) and the significance attributed to the information package diagrams. The foremost function of requirement gathering in the development process involves the determination of the nature of requirements that are fit for the system development in terms of action, measurement, definition, testability and needs relative to the required design. In addition, this stage of gathering is critical in identifying the errors and correcting them before codes are given for the functions. This helps in reducing over 50% defects in the whole system (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The building of the a data warehouse and operational databases share commonalities in terms of technological support in terms of use of function based keys and views. Both are founded on a data model. However, differences between the two exist. The foremost being on the functional perspective whereby the operational database development transaction, offers solutions to the operational requirements, while in the case of warehouse database, the ad hoc questions are operational for management functions. The other difference involves the diverse functional requirements for the two types. In the case of operational database, the primary focus is on data security and coherence, while in the case of warehouse database the focus is on the economic analysis, which gives predictable indexes. In addition, the design of the two databases is different. Whereas the design of the operational databases are structured to fit online processing of the transactions, that of warehouse database is struct ured to fit and enhance data analysis (Tremblay & Cheston, 2001). The operational design helps in efficient large scale storage of transactional data storage. An example of this type of information includes current information that needs updates. It is imperative to note that,

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay In this chapter we will cover the research questions concerning the impact of CRM implementation on company performance. In the first section, we will explain the concept of research design and the different research designs types. In the second section, we will define the research design that we will use in our thesis. First, we will define the problem and explain the objectives of our studies. Second we will define the research method that we are using. Third, we will explain the different concept of scaling. Fourth, the will explain the design of the questionnaire and the sampling process. Section 1: The concept of research design In this section we will explain the different concept and methodologies of the research design in order to use the correct research design type in our thesis. 1. Research design The research design is defined as a framework with specific procedures for collecting and analyzing the necessary data from different sources, allowing the identification of the research problem (Emory and Cooper, 1991). The successful research design should cover the following tasks: it should define the research problem, select the required information when it is needed, specify the measurement and scaling procedures, make a pre-test questionnaire, define the sampling process and the sample size, select the correct plan for data analysis and tabulation, define the time and financial constraints and follow up on the completed research study ( Brierty and Al,1998). The Nature of the study defines which research method should be adopted. It exist three different types of research, the exploratory, the descriptive or the causal. 1.2 The exploratory Research type The objective of exploratory research is to help the researcher to understand the problem situation. The results of using this type of research are guidelines for a better comprehension of the problem and encouragement of the personal explanation and creativity of the researcher (Sudman and Blair, 1997). Usually the exploratory research is used for the following reasons: developing hypotheses, in case we dont know much information about the research issue, to isolate the variables and relationships for advanced examination, for positioning studies, familiarization with customers, to establish precedence for auxiliary research, getting new ideas, to describe process, to defines a problem more specifically and developing an approach to the problem. The exploratory research is necessary when the information is loosely defined that leads to unstructured working format. This type of research allows high flexibility in the research, since it allows changes in the procedures and protocols (Tull and Hawkins,1993). In addition the exploratory research can be divided into four categories: expert surveys, secondary data analysis, pilot studies. First, the expert surveys are conducted by consulting persons that have experience in a specific field, which help the researcher to collect technical data about the studied subject. Second, secondary data analysis is based on another research area which is economical and ready to use. Secondary data help the researcher to identify and define the research problem, to develop clear research design approach for the problem, to allow analyzing the primary data more astutely and to answers some research questions (Malhotra, 1996). Third, pilot studies are small scale exploratory researches that are used to understand the research problem setting (Zikmund, 2000). In general the exploratory research use the focus group , which is an interview conducted with a small group of respondent in a free-flowing manner. Focus groups have many advantages, since it is much quicker to collect information compared to interviewing individuals, the level of excitement increase when the topic stimulates the respondents, the discussion is usually recorded and the researcher can refer to it later, the moderator controls the discussion and he doesnt allow respondents to deviate the topic, respondents feel more comfortable in group discussions and they will express their personal ideas more freely which produce a wide range of information and ideas. In other hand, focus groups have some disadvantages, since they are difficult to moderate and sometimes they are misjudged , results can be misused and can be considered not to be representative of the whole population (Malhotra,1996). 1.3 The descriptive research type The descriptive research is used to describe a phenomena and it studies the relationship between variables (Churchill, 1998). The descriptive research should be the most accurate as possible allowing the understanding of the research problem. The results of successful descriptive studies can answer any question with high precision. The descriptive research is used for the following reasons: for define the perceptions of problem characteristics, to explain the decision making process and its impacts, to get specific predictions, to explain the characteristics of groups such as customers and organizations, and to determine the differences in needs among subgroups. The descriptive research is characterized by the formulations of explicit hypotheses, which leads to a research design more structured and contains several statistical methodologies. In addition, the descriptive research can be applied using four different methods: panels, secondary data, observational data and surveys. First, the panels are group of people that answers to a number of telephone interviews or mail or personal interviews for a period of time. The observation includes recording the behavior of the respondents in a methodical way to obtain the needed information about a proposed problem. Second, the surveys include interviews with a number of people by using a questionnaire about the studied subject (Tull and Hawkins,1993). 1.3 The causal research type The causal research type is to recognize the cause and effect relationship between the variables in the problem model. In general, the descriptive and the exploratory research lead the way for cause and effect relationship studies. The descriptive research allows examining the associations between variables, and the causal research explain the relation between those variables, for example a change in one variable affects the other variables. The causal research can be used in the following cases: to define which variables are the cause, the independent variables, and which variables is the effect, the dependent variables, of a phenomenon, and to explain the nature of relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. The causal research has a structured design and should be carefully planned. The design explain how several independent variables are manipulated to see its effect on the dependent variables in a well-defined environment (Malhotra, 1996). The causal research has some disadvantages, since it is expensive, difficult to administer, doesnt reflect the real population opinions (Walker et al., 1999). 2. Selecting the research approach In general, the nature of research and the researcher personal discretion defines which research design should be adopted in the study (Zikmund, 2000). The previous researches can direct the researcher to the right direction for choosing the correct research design. In general, it is always recommended to start the research design using the exploratory research if the research problem is of an ambiguous nature. Researchers use the descriptive research when they are aware of the research problem but they need more understanding of the different aspects of the problem. In case of the research problem is clearly defined, the researchers use the causal research method. The exploratory research allows forming hypothesis and the causal or descriptive research are used to statistically test the hypothesis. In order to choose the correspondent research approach it is very important to compare every approach characteristics, and to choose the research method based on logical examination of the research problem aspects. The purpose of our study is to determine the impacts of changes resulting from the implementation of the CRM solution on the Lebanese firms performance. In addition, we will use the exploratory research to formulate the hypothesis and the causal research since we will evaluate the effects of the CRM on the firm. In order to achieve the required results of the study, the researcher should define the stages of activity which must be worked through to achieve a reliable study (Johnson, 1994). Those steps are : establish the purpose of the study, identify the specific objectives of the study, define the research method, develop the research instrument and access, collect the required data, ordering the data, analyzing the data, writing results and conclusion. The measurement procedure is defined by assigning numbers to the different aspects of objects based on certain pre-defined rules, to produce accurate data (Malhotra, 1996). In our thesis, we use statistical numbers to analyze and communicate the responses of the employees and the customers. In addition, scaling allows the generation of a continuum upon which measured objects are located (Malhotra, 1996). Section 2: The research design In this section we will define the research design that we will adopt in our thesis. We will explain all the aspects of the adopted research design. 3. Problem definition: The research problem is divided into different interconnected steps allowing the researcher to deeply study the proposed subject and it defines the direction of the study. The challenge that researchers face in the research problem definition is that the defined should not be defined too broadly or too narrowly. The caution should be exercised when defining the problem to avoid defining a symptom instead of the real problem (Cravens, 2000). The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of changes brought by the implementation of CRM on the firm performance in the Lebanese market. Firms are implementing CRM to increase their competitive advantages. This implementation has several impacts on firm performance, such as financially (Profits and ROI), customer loyalty and employees productivity. From here we will study the impact of CRM implementation on firm performance. 4. The objectives. In order to achieve the required results from the study, researchers need to have clear understanding of the research purpose (Sigmund, 2000). The main objective of our research is to evaluate the impact of CRM implementation on the firm. The success of CRM process starts with the implementation phase, by including the entire firm departments in the implementation and by focusing on the processes re-engineering. The research objectives are defined as following: the importance of change management plan before implementing a CRM system, the importance of people in the CRM, the importance of customer satisfaction, the ROI of the CRM implementation and the productivity of the employees. The managers having experience with the implementation of CRM provides the research with the necessary background information and the employees working the CRM (customer service) solution provide us with the necessary operation information. 5. The Problem definition After the implementation of CRM in the firm, the managers in the Lebanese organizations cannot evaluate the impact of the CRM Solution on their organization performance. The evaluation of the CRM starts from the implementation phase before going to the after implementation phase. The managers cannot define clear criteria for controlling the results of CRM on the firm. Furthermore, the reason is that the impacts of CRM cannot be viewed directly and it requires a long period to see tangible results. In order to clearly define the problem researchers need to view the problem from different aspects. The first issue that we need to evaluate after the implementation of CRM is the success of the implementation. This can be evaluated by studying the change management strategy adopted. Based on our literature review, most of the projects failures are due to the absence of clear change management strategy. The second to evaluate is how the CRM affected the firm performance; this can be evaluated by studying the customer retention and satisfaction in addition to the employee productivity. In order to define all the dimensions of the problem, a questionnaire should be prepared. In the questionnaire we will include all the objectives of our study. First we will focus how to manage an information technology driven change in the firm from the change management perspective (change management strategy, planning and budget). Second, we will study the impact of CRM on people in the organization (Training, evaluating their productivity and rewarding) and resistance problem. Third, the questionnaire will include the importance of customers background and satisfaction in CRM implementation (Customers trends, and customers feedback). At the end, we will the study the Return on investment of CRM. Our research will evaluate different change aspects resulting from the implementation of CRM in the Lebanese firms. 6. Research methods In this section will explain the research method that we will adopt in our thesis. We will define the work field and the different aspects of the research methods. 6.1 Surveys The research method is the base of the research project, since it defines the methods to collect the necessary information for the project. The research method defines and justifies the methods to collect the required data, and to develop a questionnaire allowing us to obtain the required information. It also specifies the sampling of the respondents. The first step in the research method is to select the respondent for the survey, to allow the collection of the primary data. In our thesis the population is employees from Lebanese firms, and the respondents are managers and employees from three Lebanese organizations that have implemented CRM. The surveys have many benefits for the researchers, since it is low-cost and efficient to get the required information about the population. The surveys are simple to administer, it allows the researcher to have control on the sample, and the use of fixed responses decrease the variability in the results (Birks, 2003). It exist several forms of surveys such as emails and personal interviews (Zikmund, 2001). In our survey, we will use two methods, the email form and the personal interviews method. The personal interview is personalized and it allows direct interaction with the respondent, but it is time consuming for the researcher. Personal interviews assure high response rates, and better observation of the respondent behavior. The personal interview is based on the direct communication with respondent and the researcher asks the questions face to face. Personal interviews have many advantages for the researcher; he can change or adapt the questions depending on the interviewee reaction. In addition, personal interviews increase the response rates and increase the number of the participants in the surveys. The disadvantage of personal interviews is that respondents sometimes find difficult to answer face to face personal questions. In other hand, the online survey provides the researcher with instant feedback and it is inexpensive to distribute especially for large samples. However the main disadvantage of online surveys is the inaccurate data in the answers of the survey. Thus, online surveys depend on people to be honest especially about their personal information such as age, gender and location. The inaccurate data may affect the results of the study. 6.2 Survey research errors: The error is necessarily a part of any survey, and it exist different type of errors. The first error is associated with the respondents that answer the survey. This type of error occurs when the sample is drawn from larger population and there are chances that the sample differs from the total population (random sampling error). Furthermore, the way the sample is designed and selected can influence how much the sample shows the real characteristics of the population. The random variation from the real characteristics of the population should also be taken in consideration in the sampling process. In our thesis, the random sampling error is reduced since the target population is specifically selected. We will select number of firms that have implemented CRM, which operates in the Lebanese market. In addition, the sample should be representative of the Lebanese market. The second type of error is the systematic error that occurs from some mistakes in implementing the research. The systematic errors are non-sampling errors which are divided into two categories: the administrative error and the respondent error. First, the administrative error is caused by confusion or by neglecting some aspects of the survey or improper administration of the survey. The administrative errors are divided into four types: the data processing error, the interviewer error and cheating, and the sample selection error. In order to reduce this type of errors we will double check the data processing. Second, the respondent error depends on the respondents answers; if the answers are not accurate the results of the surveys will not be significant. The non-respondent error occurs when a number of respondents of the sample fail to answer the survey questions. Third, the response bias occurs when the respondent like to take a pre-defined direction for the answers and this doesnt represent the correct opinion of the interviewee. The respondent may give answers that differ from the way he really thinks. In order, to avoid the response bias we will use clear and well defined questions to minimize the ability of the respondent to direct the survey in a pre-defined way. 7. The concept of scaling A scale is considered a series of arranged items and every item is placed according to its quantification. The scale is divided into four types ordinal, nominal, ratio and interval. The ordinal scale type is ranking the data according to have more or less characteristic. The ranking have logical order. Furthermore, this type of scale allows the measurement the degrees of difference but not the specific amount of difference. The nominal scale, provide the respondent with series of possibilities in the objective of categorizing events or attributes. The nominal scale does not express any relationship between the variables. Furthermore, the only statistical operation that can be done by using the nominal type is the frequency run. It is important to include all the possible answers in the nominal scale, and it is important to provide the respondent with the choice to choose other. The ratio scale demonstrates growth relationships between items and time periods. It allows comparing items in the same graph, starting at different levels. In other hand, the interval scale is an advanced notion of ranking items, since the distance between adjacent points are equal. In order to determine if a scale is interval or not it is important to underlie intent regarding the equal intervals. For example, dates can be measured on interval scale because differences are measured in years and no ratio can be given to a ratio of times (Collins, 2003). In our thesis, we will use three interval scales, the nominal, ordinal and interval scales to explain and compare the different aspects of CRM impact on the firm. First, we will use the nominal scale to collect data concerning the demographic data concerning the respondents and the Lebanese firms. Second, we will use the ordinal scale to allow respondents (employees and managers) to rank the answers. This allows us to know which answer is the most important for the respondents. Third, we will use interval scale to identify the importance of the answers by using the Likert scale. In natural science, the validity and reliability of the research is essential to assure the integrity of the research and assure the achievement of the desired objectives. The reliability is concerned with consistency. The consistency has three aspects, the first aspect is when reproducing the study again, the same results are found. This is defined as stability over time. The second aspect is equivalence; this means that the study can be done elsewhere, for example in a different country. The third aspect is internal consistency which means that the results of one section is confirmed by the others sections (Bryman, 2001). Validity is concerned with accuracy and which method provides the most accurate answers which is the integrity of conclusions (Gorman and Clayton, 1997). The internal validity is when we assure that any causal relationships found are related to the variables and the external validity is that the result can be applied outside of the current research context. Furthermore, the face validity and criterion validity are necessary elements to assure the reliability, which means that the information fit the expected pattern, and assure the accuracy of findings by using a different method. In addition, to enhance the reliability and the validity each item in the survey is clear and easily understood, each item should be analyzed in the intended way, and the relation between the items and the objective of the study is clear (Suskie ,1996). In order to assure high reliability and validity of the collected data we address the questionnaire to managers and employees that are directly related to the CRM, in Lebanese firms. 8. Designing the questionnaire Designing a questionnaire is based on setting specific questions allowing the researcher to get the required information. The well designed questionnaire minimizes the response error and pushes the respondents to complete the questionnaire (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The benefits of the questionnaire is to ensure comparability of the data , increase the speed and accuracy , and facilitate the data processing (Kotler, 2000). It is necessary to choose the right type of questions and the optimized ordering. In order to collect data related to our pervious hypothesis we prepared two questionnaires. The first questionnaire is addressed to the employees and managers in the Lebanese firms that are directly related to the implementation of CRM. The second questionnaire is addressed to customers that are buying from these firms. The questionnaires will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will collect information about the background of the respondent and the profile of the company. In the second part, we will collect information about each of the research objectives. The questionnaire starts by asking general simple questions such as the respondent opinion about CRM and the firm. This will increase the will of the respondent to proceed with the questionnaire. In addition, we will ask the sensitive questions at the end of the questionnaire such as costs and ROI of the CRM project. The questions will be asked with third-person approach and we will use structured and unstructured questions. In addition, we will include open ended questions and structured questions. The structured questions provide the respondent with several alternatives for answering the question. In addition, structured questions take the form of dichotomous, multiple choice and scale. The open ended questions allow the respondent to provide personalized answers. For the firm employees and managers the questionnaire will include the demographic information about the respondent, attitude about the CRM system (Five point Likert scale), dealing with the implementation of CRM system, CRM implementation information and working with CRM system. For the customers, the questionnaire will also include the demographic information, attitude toward firms that have implemented CRM, general feeling about the relations with the firms that have implemented CRM, the will customers to pay more to gain more services, likelihood to keep dealing with the same firm, and wanting to have stronger relationship with the firm. After developing the questionnaires we will run pretests, to identify the problems in questionnaires directions and design. Furthermore, pretests are run with a small group of respondents. We will provide small sample of people (ten persons) with the questionnaires to evaluate the questionnaires direction and quality. The sample will include three middle line managers and three employees and four customers. After answering to the surveys questions we asked the respondent about their opinion and about the problems they found in the surveys. This helped us to improve some aspects in the surveys and adding some new questions. 9. Sampling Sampling process has to answer some basic questions: how should we select the sample? Second, which process should be used? What is the size of the sample? How can we adjust the non-response errors? In general, the more diversified sample assures an accurate research. The random sampling error varies depending on the sample sizes (Hawkins et al., 2000); with the increase of the sample size the results reliability decreases. In order to determine the sample size several factors should be taken into consideration such as the resource constraints, the variance of the population, the previous studies, and the confidence interval (Hawkins and Tull, 1993). The first step in the sample selection process is defining the target population; the collection of objects that the researcher considers having the necessary information is considered as the target population. The target population should be chose based on the sampling units, the time and the elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The elements of our research are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have adopted CRM .The extent of the survey is Lebanon, and the period is between December 2012 and January 2013. 9.1 The sampling technique In order to create the sample, we used the sampling without replacement technique. Adopting this sampling technique means that when an element is selected, it is removed from the sampling frame and it cannot be selected again. Furthermore, we adopted the non-probability technique in order to define the correspondent sample for our study. The non- probability depends on the personal opinion of the researcher and doesnt rely on chance to choose the sample elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). In addition, the convenience sampling technique is also adopted; the convenience sample is used to select a sample of correspondent elements that helps to achieve the objectives of the study. In general, the interviewer selects the convenient units (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The convenience sampling is the least expensive in comparison to other sampling techniques, it is the least time consuming and all the sampling units are cooperative and accessible. In other hand, the convenience samples may not represent any definable population. 9.2 The sample selection The sampling design includes several criteria to select the correct sample, such as size and kind of sample. In our thesis, the firms studied are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM which are considered the population. The respondents are the employees and managers that work with CRM. In addition, the customers sample is selected from the CRM database in the same firms. In our research, we chose three (3) Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM from different industries, and we selected three (3) managers from each company, and five (5) employees from each firm. In addition, we selected ten (10) customers that deal with these firms. Population Employees and customers of Lebanese Firms that have implemented CRM Sample Three (3) Lebanese Firms employees and customers Managers Nine (9) Employees Fifteen (15) employees Customers Thirty (30) customers Table 2: The population and the sample of the study 10. The Data collection The data collection for our thesis started in December 2012 till January 2013. We distributed the questionnaire by two ways, by email and personally. The respondent of the questionnaire were in general cooperative and most of them completed all the questions of the survey. The selection of three Lebanese firms in different industries allowed us to have a variety in the respondents perceptions.

Food Politics

The ways in which the food system is failing us are numerous. It is failing some in quantity, while failing others in quality. The only members of the food system that are not being exploited are the corporate food producers, and that is because they are the exploiters in this equation. Just like the schoolyard that we are all familiar with, there are two groups on the food system playground; the bullied and the bullies. In comparison to the schoolyard example, the bullies are in the minority, consisting here of transnational corporations and other large organizations with one goal in mind: profit maximization.In the majority are the bullied, consisting of not only the lowly consumers such as you and I, but also small farms and even government organizations. While the present food system has many flaws that have led to this toxic playground relationship, there are solutions. We hope to clearly demonstrate where the food system is today, how this present food system is failing us, con nections to the Antony and Samuelson text, and lastly solutions. The term â€Å"food politics† refers to the political aspects of production, control, regulation, inspection, and distribution of food.Since biblical times, the government has played a dominant role in the production and control of food. The book of Genesis states: â€Å"the Egyptian pharaoh took 20 percent of all food production from his farmers as tax† (47:24). This demonstrates the regulatory role that the government has had in food production since the beginning of civilization. The key parties in food politics are consumers, farmers, food safety and quality regulators, retailers and the state. Today, customers demand affordable food, thus placing increased pressure on producers to mediate expenditures.There is enough food to feed the world, and there has been for many decades. In 2007, the Food and Agriculture Organization calculated that there is enough food to feed the world 1. 5x over (Holt-Gimene z and Patel 2009). While there is adequate food to end world hunger, the problem continues due to greed and unequal power distribution. International policies by the World Health Organization (WHO) have attempted to put an end to world hunger, but because the outcomes of these policies do not benefit the bottom lines of he state and of corporations, they are not supported (Paarlberg 2011). In our own backyard, the Canadian government has removed restrictions surrounding property ownership regulations, thus facilitating the redistribution of Canadian farmland. As far back as 1969, there were recommendations from the federal government to reduce the number of Canadian farmers by 50 to 65 percent, encouraging the movement toward a factory-farming model (Paarlberg, 2011). Factory farming is a model recognized for its increased efficiency and output in farming. This is when the quality of food diminishes.Low quality food is something every consumer encounters on a daily basis, however th e ability to make decisions surrounding food quality choices is greatly dependent on economic standing. Despite the want to purchase high quality food, this may not be financially feasible. Food imported and exported to Canada is inspected and regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which is â€Å"internationally recognized for its standards and principles† (CFIA). There are two major issues facing the CFIA. Firstly, their standards and principals are comparable to those of the United States, the most obese nation on earth and not a worthy role model.Secondly, as of August 2011, meat inspection methods have moved to a two-tier system due to budget cuts. The CFIA cannot afford to regulate meat nationwide and as such have relegated provincial sales and slaughter to that specific level of government and with it the ability to enforce consistent countrywide standards. With common origins in the capitalist system the agro-food sector is arguably one of the most globalize d in the various spheres of economic activity. Corporations have already been identified as one of the largest players in the food system, with the majority of these businesses being Agri-Transnational Corporations (TNCs).This is following two decades of economic liberalization, allowing Agri-TNCs to develop enormously in size, power and influence. Bayer, Monsanto and DuPont are a few of the better-known agri-transnational corporations, the key players in this globalization and domination game (ETC Group 2008). In total, there are six large agro chemical manufacturers that â€Å"control nearly 75% of the global pesticide market, [and] are also seed industry giants. † thus creating an oligopoly (ETC Group 2008). A small collection of large companies produces the majority of goods, giving consumers the ability to choose the best of the worst.This allows the corporations belonging to the oligopoly to collaborate on price, both at a consumer and employee level, protecting their p rofit margins by continually oppressing the consumers and workers into either accepting the offered price, or receiving nothing. Farmers are often bound by lengthy contracts to buy farm inputs from, and sell a specified crop, to the same corporation. This translates into farmers being held at ransom at every step of production. They are exceedingly dependent on a â€Å"corporate package† while denying communities control over their own food and future.The package consists of high-cost inputs including synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and unsustainable genetically modified seeds that do not germinate as easily, ensuring the continuous cycle of dependency. The push towards industrial, high-input agriculture is driving farmers into debt. They must take out loans in order to afford modified seeds, and more effective fertilizers and pesticides. The vast majority of food related TNCs share the same quality of holding global investments in the food industry and controlling much of how food is grown, processed, distributed and purchased.The aforementioned oligopoly creates a relationship of dependence. Both the consumers and employees are dependent on these TNCs on a daily basis. Because TNCs dominate the industry in these countries, and government regulation is lacking, the reserve army of labour is highly exploitable. If these workers are fired from the TNCs, there are few other employers with which to seek work. From a consumer perspective, most all of the products available in retail outlets are produced by these TNCs, with little choice of products from other companies. This market domination combined with the ollaboration between TNCs for price setting in a given market creates the perfect storm for these parties to be marginalized. As illustrated in Figure 1, ten companies own the majority of food products that we consume, but due to the fact that they have many subsidiaries – each with different branding- consumers have a false sense of choice. Industrial food and farming practices not only deny local communities and indigenous people control over their own water, forests, minerals, biodiversity, and land, but also devalues their local wisdom and knowledge of farming practices.This industrialization clearly abuses both the area around local citizens as well as the citizens themselves. While these parties, the majority of the population, are disadvantaged as our food system industrializes, corporations and governments benefit by way of increased profits and domination. Implications of this change are at the expense of depriving peasants and small food producers around the world of their basic human rights while limiting their existing livelihood, culture, health, and self-determination. A growing trend in recent years has been agro fuel production.We are seeing a partnership of multinationals such as BP global for the conversion of land to cash crop rather than subsistence production. Revisited again under the cont ract-growing model, Monsanto has created a situation in which farmers cannot produce food for sustenance, but rather they must employ monocropping. This increases dependency on purchased inputs and on foreign markets that communities have no say in, and therefore threatening local subsistence and food security. â€Å"Agro fuels, also referred to as biofuels, are fuels derived from food crops such as corn, soya, canola, sugar cane, and oil. (Martini and Shiva 2008). Massive deforestation in Brazil due to monocropping for agro fuels has caused the displacement of indigenous peoples and devastating effects on the climate. â€Å"The FAO argues [that] agro fuels account for 10% of food price rise, while the IMF and IFPRI claim 30%, and the World Bank estimated a contribution of between 65% and 75%. † (Chakraborrty and Phillips 2008). This information is essential when evaluating the impact that agro fuels have in Brazil and in many other countries and communities.In Ending Hunger in Our Lifetime, food security is defined as â€Å"access by all people at all times to enough food for an active healthy life† (Runge, Senauer, Pardey, and Rosegrant 2003:15). The World Health Organization (WHO) expands on this concept and presents the three pillars of food security: (1) Availability – having a consistent supply and sufficient quantity of food, (2) Accessibility – having the resources to ensure a nutritious diet, and (3) Food Use – appropriate use centered around having rudimentary knowledge of nutrition (Schanbacher 2010:12).When discussing food politics, a central issue is the imminent threat to food security. Food insecurity is encouraged by many potential risk factors including, but not limited to, globalization, population growth, trade policies, food aid, a loss of agricultural productivity, and the genetic modification of food. Thomas Malthus, an 18th century economist and author of â€Å"On the Principle of Population† wr ote that â€Å"food is necessary to the existence of man [and] that the passion between the sexes is necessary and will [never cease]. † (Malthus 1798).He then suggested that while population will continue to grow in a geometrical ratio (1,2,4,8, etc†¦), that land subsistence only grows in an arithmetic sequence (1,3,5,7, etc†¦) and is therefore unable to support the population, thus posing a threat to food security. The powerful forces within the food system oppose this Malthusian theory with the argument that the rate of population growth is slowing, which overall is true, but population growth continues to soar in the poorest countries; the countries where food insecurity is the biggest concern.Figure 2: Population Growth 1990-2100 PopulationIncrease (%) 1990202521001990-2100 Developing Countries4. 087. 0710. 20150 Developed Countries1. 211. 401. 5024 World5. 308. 4711. 70121 Source: United Nations 1993. Doha, Qatar. It aimed to promote trade liberalization as a means of rendering developing countries less vulnerable to food insecurity. The reduction of international trade protections and tariffs after the 1994 Uruguay Round led to the rapid transfer of products throughout the world, but not at an equal rate or proportion.When speaking on these imbalances, the Doha Declaration stated: We agree that special and differential treatment for developing countries shall be an integral part of all elements of the negotiations and shall be embodied in the schedules of concessions and commitments and as appropriate in the rules and disciplines to be negotiated, so as to be operationally effective and to enable developing countries to effectively take account of their development needs, including food security and rural development (WTO 2001).These imbalances were prevalent after the 2008 economic crisis as more developed, and thus powerful, countries were able to protect themselves from loss of profit through restrictive trade policies. By limiting i mports, which tend to come from developing nations, developed countries were able to mitigate damages. Take for example the differing trends in Asia and Africa present in Figure 3; In Asia, rates of undernourishment were stable post 2008, while they rose significantly in Africa (FAO 2011).As defined by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), food aid is â€Å" a response to address the dietary and nutritional needs of [vulnerable] populations, [to help] and enhance [their] livelihoods and become self-reliant, all essential for sustainable development. † (CIDA n. d. ). It is important to establish that food aid is not the answer to food security and that there are many biases that exist within its system. Amongst others, food aid has been criticized for being donor directed, promoting domestic interests, being driven by exporters, and that development is not the primary goal.This criticism has led some to refer to food aid as â€Å"food dumping† as the ine xpensive food being offered to poorer nations at highly subsidized prices undercuts the local farmers who cannot compete with these prices. They are then driven out of their jobs, which further slants the market in favour of large producers such as those from the US and Europe (Runge, Senauer, Pardey and Rosegrant 2003:125). The USA currently provides approximately 60% of all international food aid and its primary recipients are Peru, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Jordan, Egypt and the Philippines.Given their massive â€Å"donations†, many American agricultural lobby groups hoped food aid would lure recipients into dependence, and that when taken away, the beneficiaries would be forced to become paying customers. In an attempt to avoid entering into the coercive relationship that is food aid, some countries have found alternative strategies to deal with food shortages. One method is an alteration of diet from eating fewer meals each day to consuming less desirable â€Å" famine foods† and selling non-essential assets in order to purchase food (Paarlberg 2010:72).In Food Aid: A cause, or symptom, of development failure, or an instrument for success? Srinivasan asserts that food aid â€Å"blunts incentives for domestic food production and hence increases the probability of long-term dependency on donors; or that by alleviating food shortages, it enables the regime in power to postpone, if not abandon, politically costly economic reforms. † (1993). In line with this assertion comes the proposition to replace traditional food aid with a one-time distribution of farming equipment, livestock, and money in a bid to return people to their previously productive lifestyles.One of the ways in which donors hold power over recipient countries is through Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs), promoted by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). SAPs are imposed under the guise of assisting countries in bringing their â€Å"nationa l macroeconomic conditions to a place where [they] can benefit from regional and international trade agreements. † (Schanbacher 2010:14). A SAP will require countries to limit their social safety nets and to enter basic necessities such as food, water and land into the private sector.These prescriptions require countries to reduce social safety nets and introduce survival necessities like food, water and land to the commodity market in order to receive the loans they need (Samuelson and Antony 2012:246). These specifications have led to increasing food insecurity, a lack of social protections (namely health care and education) and a widening of class inequality. One manifestation of a lack of food security in a given society may take the form of riots.Food riots are caused by a jump in food prices, which results from crop failure, ineffective storage methods and hoarding (Lang and Heasman 2004:12). In a desperate attempt to obtain nutrients, the public may become desperate and frustrated enough to attack shops, farms and government buildings. In a recent Globe and Mail article entitled Food riots: What creates the anger? Evan Fraser, co-author of the book Empires of Food: Feast, Famine and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations wrote that â€Å"it's the sense of injustice rather than price volatility that ultimately causes the rioting†.In 2011, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, the world’s largest exporter of wheat, ordered over 800,000 tonnes of the grain and stockpiled it in an attempt to avoid civil unrest. His plan failed and infuriated citizens took to the streets in protest (Globe and Mail 2011). If food prices continue to rise at their current rate, we can only assume that the frequency and intensity of foot riots will increase. With profit being the primary goal of most involved in the agricultural system, monocropping has been employed by many of the world’s food producers.As defined by Schanbacher in The Politics of Food (2010: 56), monocropping refers to the practice of growing the same crop year after year without rotation to other crops. This method is economically rewarding for farms as it produces higher yields, allows them to invest in crop-specific equipment and because many governments provide subsidies to farms which utilize this method. By continuously growing a single crop, (namely soybeans, wheat and corn), the land becomes depleted of its nutrients and therefore highly dependent on fertilizers and incapable of supporting vegetative life.Those employing this method often choose to abandon the land after leeching it of its nutrients, as it is less expensive than working to maintain it. Furthermore, just as mortality rates in the Native American population soared after being exposed, by European settlers, to infectious diseases to which they were not immune, monocropping exposes crops to the same situation as they lose their genetic diversity. Take for example the Irish Potato Famine of 1845, whi ch occurred after potatoes were introduced in response to the suffering economy and extremely low wages of the working class.Though originally intended to serve as a supplement, potatoes swiftly became a staple of the Irish diet and when a bacteria travelled to the UK in 1845, the entire crop was wiped out. Over the next three years, one in eight Irish died of starvation, but unfortunately, many of us seem not to have learnt our lesson (Nestle 2007:247). In fact, the US government currently offers substantial subsidies to those farming the primary monocropping products: corn, soybeans and wheat. When discussing public wellbeing in the United States of America, one often references the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).The FDA’s mandate is to promote safety through ensuring that: conventional foods, dietary supplements, and drugs are safe and accurately labeled, and to ensure that drugs have benefits confirmed in clinical trials (Nestle 2007:227). Despite being an American in stitution, the FDA has many international interests and is considered the de facto standard around the world. In 2009, President Barack Obama called the FDA’s failure to inspect more than 95% of food processing plants â€Å"a hazard to public health† (Paarlberg 2010:158).Many members of the general public have called for additional funding to support more complete inspection coverage, which would alleviate the significant pressure that is currently being placed on small and organic farms that cannot compete with their large competitors with ties to the FDA. The Food and Drug Administration is also responsible for researching and publishing information about the safety of different foods. Of particular concern are the potential risks associated with the consumption of Genetically Modified foods.Despite claims that there are no studies showing links between GM foods and health risks, in 1998 the FDA was forced to publicize more than 44,000 internal documents noting links with allergies, toxins, new diseases, anti-biotic resistant diseases, nutritional problems and cancer causing agents (Paarlberg 2010:168). In 1961 the World Health Organization instated the Codex Alimentarius Commission whose purpose was to create international food safety standards, but to this day there are still many dangerous chemicals in use (Lang, Heasman 2004:48).Though guidelines exist to limit the use of chemicals in genetically modified foods, little is done about those used in animal feed and other by-products that are eventually consumed by humans. Due to bioaccumulation, the â€Å"progressive increase in the amount of a substance in an organism or part of an organism which occurs because the rate of intake exceeds the organism’s ability to remove the substance from the body. † the effect of these toxins only increases as the products arrive at the top of the food chain: humans (U. S. Geological Survey: 2007).These pesticides provide a pathway for Persiste nt Organic Pollutants, which we store in our body fat and which have a destructive impact on humans, wildlife, land and water (Lang and Heasman 2004: 225). In fact, POP’s have been linked to everything from cancer to reproductive and birth defects to neurological diseases. Though food producers are expected to follow CDCA (Centre for Disease Control Agency) guidelines, this only protects consumers if they ingest a single portion of an individual item (Lang and Heasman 2004: 226,227).Foods with the highest levels of POP’s include: butter, melons, cucumbers, peanuts, popcorn, spinach and squash (Lang and Heasman 2004:227). This poses a major problem as even if foods are individually within the CDCA guidelines, collectively they pose major risks. With the recent trend towards â€Å"Green Politics†, the amount of pesticides used has decreased and due to biased education the general public has assumed this to mean that our food is safer. Unfortunately, the toxicity o f pesticides used has increased approximately 10-100x since 1975 thus putting consumers at great risk (Lang and Heasman 2004:227).One cannot discuss Genetically Modified foods without referring to the Monsanto Corporation. In 2001, Monsanto was listed as #3 in the world when it came to agrochemical sales and many have labeled it â€Å"the worlds most unethical company† (Nestle 2007:101). They are a world leader in the production of genetically modified foods and they created the highly poisonous herbicide Roundup which is incredibly damaging to both ecology and humans. Unfortunately, Monsanto, and many other companies like them, have taken advantage of their positions of power to bias the public in favour of their products.In a 1999-2000 American Dietetic Association nutrition fact sheet sponsored by Monsanto, they said, â€Å"The U. S. government has a well co-ordinated system to ensure that new agricultural biotechnology products are safe for the environment and to animal and human health† (Nestle 2007:113). Given that the ADA represents the interests of 70,000 nutritionists many see their â€Å"fact sheets† to be trustworthy, but we need to be more wary as many ADA certified nutritionists are in fact employed by companies like the Monsanto Corporation (Nestle 2007:113).In Das Kapital, Karl Marx presents the idea of commodity fetishism; that in a capitalist society, money and commodities are fetishes that inhibit our ability to see the reality of a given situation because we view them as relationships between goods as opposed to a relationship between people. In the case of food security, commodity fetishism prevents people from acknowledging that someone was exploited to produce a given product and that our choices as consumers support this unfair treatment (Thomson 2010:164-166).This purposeful distancing of the owners from their means of production allows them, and as a result, the average consumer, to disengage from the food system. Raj Patel, the author of Stuffed and Starved connects this to one of the three pillars of food security- food accessibility- and says that â€Å"the fantasy of those not willing to pay has removed the need for compassion from food economics, as if to say that it is someone’s choice to go hungry as opposed to their inability to afford or meet the high asking price. . This enables society to believe that â€Å"our choices at the checkout don’t take away the choices of those who grow our food (2008). In Power and Resistance, Sandy Miller discusses the idea of food as inspiration and imperative for social change. She outlines ways in which the food system is failing and some potential solutions. Amongst them, Miller focuses on modification of land use practices, ownership of food infrastructure, accessibility to land, food distribution policy, and alternative food movements.The road is long, and not well travelled, but there is hope for a revolution within our global foo d system and it rests on civil society becoming more educated and thus, engaged. We have to ask questions: Where does our food come from? What is actually in it? What constitutes a healthy diet? We have to change the way people think about food- they have to be the change. Without people standing up, asking questions, and actually practicing what they preach, nothing will change. Though land is widely considered to be a renewable resource, we must examine the veracity of this claim.Land has the capacity to renew itself, but as more infrastructure is built, less cropland is available and as a result that which remains is often exposed to overuse and abuse; as was previously explained in the instance of monocropping. Furthermore, due to this leeching of nutrients from the soil, erosion rates have accelerated to the point where land reformation cannot occur and genetically modified seeds and fertilizers (such as Monsanto’s RoundUp) are being used more prevalently.When crops are grown on land that has been leeched of its nutrients, the produce yielded from there will too be nutrient-weak; one example being genetically modified rice. This rice has vitamin A added to it, however to meet your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, one would need to consume fifty bowls of (Norton 2012). Miller presents the idea of land reserves as an important route in the labyrinth of solutions. A land reserve is a â€Å"zone in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use, [where] farming is encouraged and non-agricultural uses are controlled† (ALC 2012).Miller references one very successful case study; British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The ALR covers almost 5 million hectares of private and public land that may be farmed, forested or vacant and any person or people intending on using this land must plan in accordance with the ALR mandate of preserving agricultural land (Samuelson and Antony 2012:257). Because the primary goal of food pr oducers is profit, they are not concerned with proper land maintenance and, as a result, the nutritional value of their goods.When discussing land, it is essential to consider its accessibility and distribution, as this is a major indicator of who maintains ownership of the food infrastructure. In a 2011 paper released by the United Nations, titled Corruption in the Land Sector, the Food and Agriculture Organizations reported that: Effective and enforceable land governance provides a necessary framework for development and an important defense against many forms of corruption. It supports food security and ensures sustainable livelihoods that are essential for people and countries that rely on land as one of their main economic, social and cultural assets.For example, empirical findings from more than 63 countries show that where corruption in land is less prevalent, it correlates to better development indicators, higher levels of foreign direct investment and increased crop yields. (FAO 2011) A national example of this â€Å"[in]effective and [un]enforceable land governance† can be seen in Ontario where the local food infrastructure has been systematically dismantled by the government as they offer payouts to farmers willing to forgo planting fruit trees in favour of more economically viable options such as real estate investments (FAO 2011).When interviewed, farmers and stakeholders proposed solutions that would â€Å"reframe the food chain from farming to processing to storage, distribution and marketing. † (Samuelson and Antony 2012:258-259). To reach the goal of more equitable distribution of, and access to land, many food movements rely on social justice and well-distributed power. These movements recognize that our current food system is in need of an egalitarian perspective on food infrastructure. Agroecology may be one of the most influential food movements thus far.This movement promotes the potential to create a new way of living in wh ich the presence of humans will not destroy our planet. Samuelson and Antony describe agro ecology as â€Å"a way of thinking in tune with an agricultural ecosystem that tests and solves problems where they arise, in the context of local pests and beneficials, climatic benefits and challenges, and the realities of locally financed and managed farming. †. Among other techniques, agroecology also involves the use of century old farming methods such as crop rotation.Crop rotation involves planting in a multi-year cycle so as to avoid depletion of nutrients, and susceptibility to pests (2012:260). La Via Campesina, a peasant organization, is dedicated to promoting food sovereignty through the use of natural resources and support of domestic markets. Canada’s National Farmer’s Union constitutes one group which makes up the 150 million members from 69 different countries. La Via Campesina’s mandate is to grant membership solely to peasants (representatives of l arge corporations are not welcome) and to ensure that power remains within the hands of the majority (Samuelson and Antony 2012:259).Another alternative to supporting these large corporations, The Farm-to-Community Movement, is presented in Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health: â€Å"this category aims to connect farmers to local communities through farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (customers pay farmers in advance for seasonal produce), and programs that link farmers to schools, restaurants, and other institutions. † (Nestle 2007:x). Community gardens are another popular strategy that can help provide safe and nutritious food while simultaneously supporting local infrastructure.A community garden is a local plot of land worked on by a group of people who share the work, as well as the crops. In this process food is not fetishized as a commodity, instead creating an alternative to capitalism as well as providing the bene fit of healthy, local, and organic food. Acadia University features a community garden, allowing for students and community members to have the opportunity to grow their own crops. In addition to splitting the yield amongst its members, the garden supplies food to the Wheelock dining hall, along with Wolfville’s local food bank.Many have created community gardens in what space they have in their own backyards and most of these gardens function as charities. This allows people living in poverty the opportunity to eat local and organic food they may otherwise be unable to afford thus bolstering all three pillars of food security: accessibility, availability and food use. The presence of community gardens is one aspect of food relocalization; a movement which focuses on eating, growing and distributing locally as a means of lowering carbon emissions (due to shorter travel time) and of stimulating the local economy.Relocalization focuses on advocating changes in scale, ownership, and relationships from one end of the supply chain to the other. This practice is employed by communities around the world who harvest enough food to sustain themselves, but do not produce for profit. This process is concerned with feeding all members of the given community, and is considered an effective means of eradicating poverty. In 2007, chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver founded the Pass It On food movement, which encourages healthy eating, habits through a method of education, which promotes exponential growth in its followers.His inspiration came from the British Ministry of Food’s attempt to manage food shortages by educating the public about proper nutrition during World War II (Oliver 2009:8). With this in mind, he formed his own radical movement in an effort to raise awareness and incite action to help solve the food crisis. In 2010, the largest killers in America were diet-related diseases (TEDTalks 2010). This is the fuel behind the movement’s transfer to the United States, more specifically, Huntington Beach, Virginia – the fattest town in America (Oliver 2009).He was met with widespread criticism and a general lack of acceptance due to his harsh critique of the American school system. Oliver suggests a weekly session, 30-60 minutes, to educate children on nutrition and healthy meal options (TEDTalks 2010). This solution would be both easy to implement and inexpensive, meaning the government would not have to cut any presently funded programs in order to reallocate finances. Oliver also suggests introducing food ambassadors into local supermarkets.These ambassadors would be tasked with showing consumers what to buy, how to read labels, and how to cook quick and healthy meals (TEDTalks 2010). The costs of such an initiative would be borne by either the corporations who own products sold in the supermarket or the supermarket itself. Oliver believes that â€Å"big corporations need to put food education on the top of their p riority list, and at the heart of their businesses† because a large part of change lies in their hands (TEDTalks 2010). They have a corporate responsibility to provide a new, fresh standard of food, and we, as consumers must hold them accountable.While it may feel like there is no way to avoid being failed by the food system, there is a solution to the problem that you can implement on your own, without the need to influence others. There are many publications released each year, discussing what constitutes healthy eating, but there is one that supersedes the other in terms of influencing the eating choices of the average Canadian citizen; Canada’s Food Guide. Canada’s Food Guide was overhauled in 2007, and renamed Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (Health Canada 2011).While the majority of the Canadian population, including schools and other public institutions, use this guide when planning meals they have little to no understanding as to how this guid e was developed. The Food Expert Advisory Committee conducted the redesign of the guide in 2007, with members appointed by Health Canada (Health Canada 2011). One would assume that the members of this committee would be physicians and nutritionists that had a keen interest in the betterment of our heath; that they would be using their knowledge for good.A closer examination of the members of this committee uncovers the contrary; that many of the members have a strong conflict of interests. Paul Paquin held the position of chair at the time of the 2007 Food Guide revisions, while simultaneously acting as vice-president of the International Dairy Federation (Health Canada 2012). Paquin is not alone in holding a conflicting position while on the Food Expert Advisory Committee. Also advocating for the dairy industry is committee member Dr.Mansel Griffiths, who is concurrently on the Expert Scientific Advisory Committee for Dairy Farmers of Canada (Health Canada 2012). With our Food Guid e in the hands of such individuals, is it any wonder that dairy has it’s own distinct category in our Food Guide? Separate from the interests of these members of the committee, there is also the issue of meat in Canada’s food guide. In 2011, Harvard University released a study on the effects of red meat, disclosing that consumption leads to an increase of death due to cancer and heart disease, as well to an overall risk of death (Harvard School of Public Health 2012).The study detailed that one daily serving of unprocessed meat increased the overall risk of mortality by 13%, while the same serving of processed meat increased the risk by 20% (Harvard School of Public Health 2012). This then begs the question of why it is so ingrained in the minds of civil society that we â€Å"need† animal protein to survive? Despite these findings being published by a well-respected institution, Canada’s Food Guide continues to recommend two daily servings of meat for adu lt females and three for adult males (Health Canada 2007).They also suggest eating two servings of fish a week, and choosing lower sodium luncheon (processed) meat products (Health Canada 2007). Providing that an individual does eat two servings of fish a week that leaves 12-19 servings available for the consumption of red meat. Canada’s Food Guide fails to reflect these well-researched findings because they are not in the best interest of the one-percent. Cattle farming, both for dairy and beef are lucrative industries in Canada, and they share close ties with the ruling class.The government is invested in protecting the presently established capitalist environment, that of bottom lines and the best interests of the minority- capitalist corporations- and in doing so is harming the majority- it’s citizens. As has been shown in this report, food security is part and parcel of a larger cycle of social problems. In Power and Resistance, Antony and Samuelson present some o f the issues which are both affected by and effect the matter of food security: persistent poverty in Canada, Indian residential schools, and the global economic crisis.Though not comparable to many developing countries around the world, it is essential to note that food insecurity does exist in developed countries such as Canada. In the 2007-2008 census it was reported that 7. 2% of Canadians were living in households that were food insecure (Health Canada). A primary contributing factor to the inability of Canadians to access food is its high cost. In 2012, Dieticians of Canada released the report The Cost of Eating in BC 2011 which drew attention to the fact that many British Columbians don’t have the resources to afford nutritious food.This is due, in large part, to the significant rise in food and shelter costs and the unchanged welfare rates (Dietitians Canada). In essence, people are not earning any more but their costs are rising meaning they cannot afford what Food S ecure Canada calls â€Å"safe food†: nourishing foods being readily at hand and the restriction of unhealthy products. One of the most impoverished groups in Canada is our Aboriginal community and as was presented, much of the school-age population was forced into residential schools up until 1998 when the last band school was dismantled.In these residential schools, food accessibility was of major concern as poor nutrition and the withholding of food were used as a means of control and suppression. Even after the closure of these institutions, the aboriginal community is continuing to feel the effects of its government’s exploitation. A 2010 study from the University of Western Ontario found that parental residential school attendance had a positive correlation with experiencing food insecurity, and that food insecurity was negatively correlated with doing well in school. In Health Canada’s 2007-2008 report on Household Food Insecurity, 20. % of Aboriginals wer e found to be living in food insecure households- this is 3 times higher than the non-Aboriginal households. â€Å"The global financial and economic crisis has pushed an additional 100 million people into hunger in 2009, bringing the overall number of undernourished people in the world to over one billion. † (FAO). The current crisis shadowed the climbing price of food and significantly limited food accessibility worldwide. In 2009, domestic staple foods in developing countries cost approximately 20% more than they did in 2007 (FAO).In order to deal with food insecurity, which directly threatens development, many households have been forced to implement negative coping strategies such as: selling of assets, becoming trapped in debt, withdrawing children from school, illegal activities, and forced migration. Furthermore, with the simultaneous decline in income and rise in food costs, individuals often reduce spending on â€Å"safe food†- primarily meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables. What is clear from these examples is that there is a pervasive interconnectedness and that in order to make progress, multi-faceted and situation-appropriate approaches must be developed.To conclude, while it is easy to fall into the â€Å"traps† that result in the exploitative relationship between multinational producers and consumers, there are other options. The current food system is laden with large organizations that take advantage of limited consumer knowledge combined with government partnerships. This pairing allows for consumer knowledge to stay at a level where they can be easily exploited, demonstrating that the government is a key player in the continued failure of the food system in the eyes of their own citizens. All is not lost, as there are ways that individual consumers can mitigate the ffects that this failure has on them. The solution is for consumers and other members of the bullied group to look out for their own interests. Having the maximum control and knowledge about what is going in your body is paramount. Eating locally allows for the greatest possible understanding of the narrative of a given good before it reaches your plate. Be an informed citizen: do research on the issues that affect your wellbeing, do not let power equal credibility, trust no one and question everything. 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