Friday, September 6, 2019

A Critique of Frye’s, Jordan’s, and Miller’s Feminist Theories Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Frye’s, Jordan’s, and Miller’s Feminist Theories Essay Marilyn Frye’s feminist theory is based on a mix of art and philosophy as well as a presentation of her own ideas in the context of the world. Frye’s theory stresses among other things, the fact that the power of feminism is embedded in the capability of making women’s lives and their experiences understood by a vast majority of the people (Frye, 1983). On the other hand, Jordan’s feminist theory lays emphasis on the woman’s self with reference to her relational well-being (Jordan, 1991). Closely related to this, Miller’s theory is based on the view that there is need to address women’s experiences and make the world understand them better. Thus, Miller suggests that in order to understand women, there is need to understand their lives and values (Miller, 1987; Davis, 1999). This paper will examine and appraise the aforementioned theories and draw a conclusion based on the flaws or incongruence depicted by the theories, and will thus suggest whether the theories can be used together or as separate entities. Frye’s Feminist Theory Frye affirms that in order to understand women fully, that is in terms of their feelings, motivations, ambitions and how they are likely to react to different situations, there is need to understand their driving forces, which are the determining factors in various responses (Frye, 1983). Frye’s feminist theory thus presents an attempt to explain the forces and how they apply to different women. While it may be true that there are deciding forces behind every woman’s response to different situations, it is also evident that the forces cannot be studied conclusively. This viewpoint is instigated by the fact that women live in different conditions, and these conditions are likely to affect how they react to different circumstances. Thus, a generalization cannot be used to describe women’s attitudes. In view of sex and sexuality, Frye notes that sex roles have inhibited men and women from being in charge of their choices since the activities involved in sex are already predetermined (Hoagland Frye 2000). However, this supposition fails to address the sex drives involved among same-sex partners. Thus, even though Frye notes that women are sexually oppressed, it is difficult to concur with the argument since sexual freedom has increased tremendously in the world over the past few years. Frye’s likening of women to a birdcage in which if one observes one wire of the cage, she or he is likely not to see the other wires present in the cage (Davis, 1999) presents an interesting point of discussion. This is true given that in there are instances when women are ignored, for example in restaurants when waiters expect men in company of women to pay the bills. This implies that much attention is paid to men, who are perceived to be a superior sex. Jordan’s Feminist Theory This theory emphasizes the connections among different aspects of women’s lives, which are developed through relationships. It dwells on factors such as sexism and heterosexism, which separate women and alienate them from the rest of the society, thus subjecting them to a lot of suffering (Jordan, 1991). In view of this, while it is true that women are more affected by issues that concern sex it is also imperative to note that such issues are not just limited to women. Concisely, men also suffer from issues related to sex. Jordan’s theory also dwells on the self-condition of women in relation to their relational wellbeing. Jordan emphasizes that most Western psychological theories tend to point too much on the woman’s self rather than her relations with others (Jordan, 1997). Along this line, Jordan asserts that men have subordinated women and view them as their subjects, thereby undermining women’s relation capacity. This presumption has some substance with reference to how women were treated in the past. However, it may loose significance in the contemporary world where women have taken more leadership positions and have better control of their undertakings. Jordan addresses desire by relating it to adolescent sexuality, noting that it arises from people’s integration with others and creation of relationships (Jordan, 1997). This is true in the context of what people commonly refer to as â€Å"real love† that develops between men and women through their continued association. On the other hand, since relationships commonly break, there is an indication of a flaw in Jordan’s theory. Nevertheless, Jordan’s point of challenging the tendency by men to be dominant over women (Jordan, 1991) stresses the need for equality between men and women. Miller’s Feminist Theory Miller focuses on the concern of men’s domination over women and their tendency to subordinate them (Miller, 1987). She asserts that the propensity by men to be dominant over women causes conflict between the two sexes because men fail to understand women. Miller also notes that in dealing with conflict, women, who are usually the subordinates revert to overt conflict, a phenomenon that is prevalent in the present day (Miller, 1987). Miller therefore questions why men should be dominant over women yet women have equal capabilities do what men can do. Miller’s feminist theory is important in addressing gender disparity in the world. It also supports women in having voices to do what pleases them irrespective of what men think about them. However, its flaw lies in the fact that it fails to address why men have higher propensity to be dominant over women and why women usually revert to overt conflict when dealing with men. Conclusion The feminist theories by Frye, Jordan and Miller all address issues that though not congruent are closely related. Frye’s theory is centered on understanding women; Jordan’s theory recognizes the woman’s self worth and the importance of women’s participation in relations; whereas Miller’s theory in centered on understanding women and why men should not treat them as subordinates. All these issues are closely related since they address the status of women and their role in the society, which is paramount in eliminating injustices against them. Hence the theories should treated together to achieve the objective. References Davis, F. (1999). Moving the mountain: The women’s movement in America since 1960: Chicago: University of Illinois Press Frye, M. (1983). Politics of reality: Essays on feminist theory. New York: Ten Speed Press Frye, M. (1992). Willful Virgin: Essays in Feminism, 1976-1992. New York: The Crossing Press, Inc. Hoagland, S. L. Frye M. (2000). Feminist interpretations of Mary Daly. Pennsylvania: Penn State Press Jordan, J. (1991). Women’s growth in connection: New York: Guilford Publications, Inc Jordan, J. (1997). Women’s growth in diversity. New York: Guilford Press Miller, J. (1987). Toward a new psychology of women. Boston, MA: Beacon.

Thursday, September 5, 2019

Heineken Marketing and Business Analysis

Heineken Marketing and Business Analysis Jump to: SWOT Analysis of Heineken | Porters 5 Analysis of Heineken | Heinekens Main Competitors Heading the Heineken Group, Heineken Holding N.V. is no ordinary holding company. Since its formation in 1952, the objective of Heineken Holding N.V., pursuant to its Articles of Association has been to manage and/ or supervise the Heineken Group and to provide services to the Heineken Group. The role Heineken Holding N.V. has performed for the Heineken Group since 1952 has been to safeguard its continuity, independence and stability and create conditions for controlled, steady growth of the activities of the Heineken Group. This stability has enabled the Heineken Group to rise to its present position as the brewer with the widest international presence and one of the worlds largest brewing groups. Every Heineken N.V. share held by Heineken Holding N.V. is matched by one share issued by Heineken Holding N.V. The net asset value of one Heineken Holding N.V. share is therefore identical to the net asset value of one Heineken N.V. share. The dividend payable on the two shares is also id entical. Historically, however, Heineken Holding N.V. shares have traded at a lower price due to technical factors that are market-specifi c. Heineken Holding N.V. holds 50.005 per cent of the Heineken N.V. issued shares. LArche Green N.V. holds 58.78 per cent of the Heineken Holding N.V. shares. The Heineken family holds 88.42 per cent of LArche Green N.V. The remaining 11.58 per cent of LArche Green N.V. is held by the Hoyer family. Mrs. De Carvalho-Heineken also owns a direct 0.03 per cent stake in Heineken Holding N.V. Bondholder information On 4 November 2003, Heineken N.V. issued two bonds for a total of EUR 1.1 billion. In addition, on 26 February 2009 Heineken placed six year Notes of GBP400 million (EUR 450 million) with a coupon of 7.25 per cent, on 25 March 2009 fi ve year Notes of EUR 1 billion with a coupon of 7.125 percent and on 1 October 2009 seven year Notes of EUR 400 million with a coupon of 4.625 per cent. These Notes were issued under the European Medium Term Note Programme established in 2008 and updated in September 2009. The European Medium Term Note programme allows Heineken N.V. from time to time to issue Notes for a total amount of up to EUR 3 billion. As currently approximately EUR 1.9 billion is outstanding, Heineken still has capacity of EUR 1.1 million under the programme. The programme can be used for issuing up to one year after its establishment. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange has approved the programme. Risk Management and Control Process Main risks Under the explicit understanding that this is not an exhaustive list, Heinekens main risks are described below, including the mitigation measures. Risks concerning the Heineken brand and Company reputation, economic downturn, volatility of input costs, exchange and interest rates, availability and cost of capital and increasing legislation (such as alcohol excise duties and anti-trust) affecting the business are considered the most significant risks. The main Company risks have been discussed with the full Supervisory Board. Attractiveness of beer category under pressure Heineken has many operations in mature beer markets where the attractiveness of the beer category is being challenged by other beverage categories. Consumers may also change behaviour following the rise of discount brands and retailers following the recession. In these markets, especially, the on-trade channel is under pressure, which makes adjustments to the cost base unavoidable. Heineken is relatively highly geared to mature markets since their acquisition of Scottish Newcastle. Management focus is on product innovation, portfolio management and costeffectiveness in order to secure market position and profitability. Pressure on alcohol An increasingly negative perception in society towards alcohol and more specifically alcohol abuse could prompt legislators to take restrictive measures including restrictions, on such things as commercial freedom and increased government tax. This perception is fed by critical coverage in the media. Further restrictions of our commercial freedom to promote and sell our products could lead to a decrease in brand equity and potentially in sales and damage the industry in general. Heineken actively participates in the EU Forum on Alcohol and Health and delivered its commitments in the area of consumer information, alcohol consumption at the workplace and commercial communication. In 2009, Heineken continued to work on establishing effective self-regulation in the EU together with the Brewers of Europe. Volatility of input costs Pricing strategies are top priority in all of our markets. This includes assessments of customer, consumer and competitor responses based on different pricing scenarios, which will have different outcomes market by market. In principle, we will pass on increased input costs impacting volume. During the second half of 2008, commodity markets rapidly declined following the world economic climate and remained depressed for most of 2009. In addition, the run of several years poor harvests in key grain and hop markets has reversed and world grain stocks are recovering. Economic downturn The economic crisis has impacted our regular business activities and performance, in particular in consumer spending and solvency. However, the business impact differed across our regions and operations. Local management has assessed the risk exposure following Group instructions and is taking action to mitigate any higher than usual risks. Intensified and continuous focus is being given in the areas of customers (managing trade receivables and loans) and suppliers (financial position of critical suppliers). Also, management attention is given to our relationships with banks (see capital availability risk) and insurance companies (credit worthiness (re)insurance companies). Regional Management and involved Group functions oversee the effectiveness of management analysis and action, supported by input from Internal Auditors. Financial risks Currency risk Heineken operates internationally and reports in euros, which has proven to be a very strong currency over the past few years. Currency fluctuations, relating to the US dollar, South African rand, Polish zloty and, to a lesser extent, the British pound could materially affect overall Company results, considering the size of exports from the eurozone to mainly the USA and South Africa. Heineken has a clear policy on hedging transactional exchange risks, which postpones the impact on financial results. Translation exchange risks are hedged to a limited extent. In 2009, operating results of Operating Companies in countries with currencies that devaluated versus the euro are translated into euro at lower rates. Since the Group attracts funding and pays interest in these currencies as well, the impact of devaluations of such currencies like the Russian rouble, British pound and Polish zloty on our results is mitigated to a certain extent. In addition, Heineken strengthened its risk manage ment regarding the monitoring and managing of currency and interest positions. Capital availability The Company has a strong focus on cash generation to reduce its debt levels and to improve its financing ratios. The Company has a clear focus on ensuring sufficient access to capital markets to refinance maturing debt obligations and to finance long-term growth. The Company aims to further fine-tune the maturity profile of its long-term debts. Financing strategies are under continuous evaluation. Terms and conditions of additional refinancing may be impacted by the changing credit market conditions. Strong cost and cash management and strong controls over investment proposals are in place to ensure effective and efficient allocation of financial resources. Litigation Due to increasing legislation there is an increased possibility of non-compliance. Additionally, more supervision by regulators and the growing claim culture may potentially increase the impact of non-compliance, both financially and on the reputation of the Company. Each half year, all majority-owned companies formally report outstanding claims and litigations against the Company in excess of EUR 1 million to Group Legal Affairs, including an assessment of the amounts to be provided for. There may be current risks that do not have a significant impact on the business but which could at a later stage develop into a material impact on the Companys business. The Companys risk management systems are focused on timely discovery of such risks.   SWOT Analysis (S)trengths Heineken has very different brands in thirteen markets. It is a global brand and established itself in international strategy The company have purchased a lot of national breweries. There is Recognition of bottle (Green bottle) dispenses and different  instruments such as (Mini keg) (W)eaknesses Heineken has a conservative and safe play culture. The company had  struggled to obtain larger Breweries. Young Beer drinkers dont prefer Heineken Prices are costly when compared to domestic market such as $10 would  be for six packs and in the domestic market it is $7 for six packs. (T)hreats Government restriction to drunken driving laws. High competition in the beer industry to increase the market share. Joint ventures and acquisition of other companies which tend to become  larger than Heineken. (O)pportunities The trends of the society changing to consumption of healthy beer with  low calories. In Asia and Russian there is increase in population which the company is  having high market share. In the U.S industry a particular segment the Hispanic are growing  tremendously Porters Five Forces of Competition Threat of substitutes: Very little technical composition of beers The growing segment of wine industry Threats of new Entry: An investment amount of $250 million dollars to build 4 million barrel brewery There is risky entry since there is no alternative use of breweries Top positions have not been cracked by new entrants Bargaining power of buyers No true brand loyal to any particular brand The Demand for the major competitor brand Budweiser is Inelastic Bargaining power of suppliers There were fewer amounts of Brewers and larger plants. High cost of production due to rise in price of products such as grains glass and  aluminium. There were many number of buying supplier of input (Wheat field). Rivalry Between established competitors During 1947 Heineken established itself in top 5 acquired 19% of the market in  U.S. During 2001 Heineken was included in top 5 and generated 87% of the U.S  market share. The beer industry is very highly competitive industry due to this reason many  brewers leave the industry. Main Competitors for Heineken Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Anheuser-Busch, Inc.is 100 percent owned by the holding company Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. The company mostly focuses on domestic beer sales, 75% of its total revenue, 4% from international beer sales, 15% from packaging, and 6% fromentertainment. Corporate level strategy At the corporate level, Anheuser-Busch pursues the dominant vertical business strategy. All ratios (specialization, related and vertical) are well above 70%. The company focuses mainly, but not exclusively, on beer production and is heavily vertically integrated, which sets it apart from most of its main competitors. Value Drivers Anheuser-Busch ranked first in the category quality of products and services. The company also won the first rank in the overall category Beverage Industry. Strength challenges and weakness Anheuser-Busch derives most of its market strength from its overwhelming scale and scope economies. The king of beers uniquely transforms this strength into several unrivalled competitive advantages, including cost efficiencies, exclusive relationships with many of its wholesalers, a dominant presence at the retail level, advertising efficiency and pricing power. A-B is growth limited because the company is operating above 95% production capacity, which already presents seasonal challenges. The overwhelming success of the past decades could potentially lead to complacency among ABs employees and distributors. SAB MILLER PLC SABMiller has brewing operations in more than 40 countries spanning four continents. The company is the second largest brewer in the world by volume and one of the largest Coca- Cola bottlers and distributors of Cokes carbonated soft drinks outside the U.S.79 The primary brands in the U.S. markets are Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, Fosters and Pilsner Urquell, and Henry Weinhards and Leinenkugels. Other U.S. brands include Icehouse, Old English 800, High Life, Milwaukees Best, Mickeys Malt Liquor and a non-alcoholic beer called Sharps. Corporate Level Strategy The SABMiller corporate level strategy is a dominant linked  corporations strategy. The stated corporate level strategy is to optimize and expand its existing positions through acquisition and to seek value-adding opportunities to enhance its position as a global brewer. SABMiller business level strategy is to serve the mass markets for beer and soft drinks with broad differentiation as perceived by consumers. Value Drivers A primary value driver of SABMiller is its brand recognition. The Miller Genuine Draft  and Miller Light brands, for example, have a long established brand equity that drives their  respective sales. Strength and weakness SABMiller has strong brand leadership and it continues to develop new brands through partnerships. The strategy of diversification across currencies and geography makes the company relatively immune to regional changes in beer consumption, tastes, growth trends, and currency fluctuations. The Miller Brewing acquisition required significant management attention and a large investment on the part of SABMiller that will continue to affect profitability over the next two to three years. Coors Aldoph Coors Company was founded in 1872. Coors was family owned until 1975 when  the company first became public. The Coors family continues to be involved in the company  with nine of its members working for the firm.95 All of Coors brewing and packing facilities are currently U.S. based, having divested a brewery in Zaragoza, Spain in 2000.96 Its largest facility, in Golden Colorado, has the ability to produce 20 million barrels of beer in a year and is considered the largest brewing facility in the world. Corporate Level Strategies Coors current corporate strategies focus on improving  operational efficiencies and expansion through acquisition. Coors seeks to grow its markets  regionally. This is evident through its Carling acquisition and its current regional appeal in the U.S. All of Coors revenues come from the sale and distribution of beer and malt beverages. Value Drivers Coors is improving its brewing operations by investing in supply chain management systems, joint ventures with packaging companies and plant upgrades. Strength and weakness Coors has never wavered in its dedication to maintain their access-based position in the market. Its success has been attributed to latching onto a market trend toward health conscious consumers and developing and executing a focused strategy. The companys weakness is in establishing the correct cost basis for their strategy. Coors has the highest COGS per barrel compared to its peers. Further growth may be limited unless the  company seeks global expansion. As of today, Coors is not participating in the fastest growing global geography, China. CORONA AND LABATT Corona beer, a brand of Grupo Modelo de Mexico, and Labatt, a brand of Labatt USA,  are the major competitors to Heineken. In addition to the individual brands of Corona,  Grupo Modelo also owns Pacifico and Modelo Especial. Labatt USA has strong brands with  additional products such as Rolling Rock, and is the distributor of Tecate and Dos Equis. Both companies participated in the beer industry consolidation. Anheuser Busch has increased ownership of Grupo Modelo to 51% after an initial investment of 13% in 1993. Corporate level Strategies The corporate level strategy of Labatt USA is dominant  linked, serving various niche markets throughout the country. Labatts large portfolio of  specialty beers serves different niche markets with widely divergent geographic strengths. Grupo Modelo pursues a dominant linked strategy, however its limited brands serve only  smaller niche group. Both companies focus on the specialty beer market by controlling  manufacturing and distribution channels through vertical integration. Business level strategies. Labatt USAs and Grupo Modelos business strategies are  product differentiation. Both companies emphasize the quality of their products and their  abilities to satisfy customers. Value Drivers The primary value driver for Grupo Modelo and Labatt is their individual brand equity. Corona has been a staple in Mexico since the early 1900s. Many of the brands in Labatt USAs stable, such as Bass and Lowenbrau have been around for centuries. Since Grupo Modelo focuses on only 5 brands with huge production volume, it is able to  exploit manufacturing and production scale and scope economies as cost drivers. Strength and weakness Labatt and Grupo Modelo enjoy strong brand leadership, while Labatt has additional advantages due to its relationship with Interbrew and FEMSA that allows brand  expansion. Regression Analysis Heineken NV Heineken Holding NV Anheuser-Busch InBev Carlsberg A/S Group Modelo SAB de CV SAB Miller PLC Molson Coors Brewing Co.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Web-Based Tool for PowerPoint

Web-Based Tool for PowerPoint According to Ellen, Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation program that helps us create presentations slides and then present it on the computer or projection screen. Nowadays, the use of Microsoft PowerPoint in universities is increasing dramatically. Almost every lecturers and students use presentation slides for teaching and learning. Lecturers can create a presentation slide easily with important notes inside the slide without have to print out the notes for students. Furthermore, lecturers can share their presentation slides to the students by upload the slides to the E-Learning. Students can download and read it or share it with others. Problem arises when some of the lecturers or students want to share or reuse some learning object such as picture, video or sound inside the PowerPoint slides. They have to search and view each of the PowerPoint slides in order to locate the learning objects. Hence, a web based tool, Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the method to solve this issue. Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint is a web based tool which the users have to access to internet in order to use the tool. This tool can extract various format of PowerPoint such as ppt, pptx, ppsx, pptm. Futhermore, this tool can extract learning object with various format such as jpg, png, gif, flv, wmv, mov, mp3, wma /.wav. Problem Background Microsoft PowerPoint is widely used in schools and universities. PowerPoint slides that had created were used by lecturers or students for teaching and learning. It is difficult for users to share or reuse a particular learning object that in format of Microsoft PowerPoint. As a result, users have to search and view each of the presentation slides in order to share or reuse the materials. In addition, most of the users have to store the whole presentation slides in order to save a particular learning object. This make the users faced some difficulties to reuse or share the learning object such as a picture or video. Hence, a complete tool needs to be develops in order to overcome these issues. Purpose The purpose of this project is to develop a web based tool that will extract the learning object that in various formats from Microsoft PowerPoint presentation slides. Objective The objectives of this project are: Develop a web based tool for the users to extract the learning object into separated format from Microsoft PowerPoint presentation slides. Develop an interface for the web based tool to let the users search and browse the learning object after perform the extraction. Scope The scopes of this project are: The web based tool is designed for students and lecturers in universities or school. This tool will run in a server and every user can access it by log in to the webpage. This tool supports several types of Microsoft PowerPoint format such as ppt, pptx, ppsx, pptm. This tool can extract learning object with various format such as jpg, png, gif, flv, wmv, mov, mp3, wma, wav. Significance of Project This tool can give convenient for its users by extract the presentation slides automatically. Users can share or reuse the learning object easily by using the extraction tool to extract the object from presentation slides. In addition, users can search for the learning object without open and view each of the presentation slides after perform the extraction. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction Microsoft PowerPoint is the leader of all in presentation programs compare to Corel Presentation or Apples Key-note. (Emily, 2007). People all around the world use presentation slides every day. Bulleted text, graphics, video, sound or animated slides are major content of a presentation slides. We can embed images, videos or sound by using Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) technology. Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), is a Microsoft Windows feature that combines various application data into one compound document. (Thomas and Krishnan, 2002). According to Peter (2010), it is a medium for bringing programs beside Microsoft PowerPoint into the mix without leaving Microsoft PowerPoint. 2.2 Research on the Existing Tool or Method It is necessary to analyze all the current tool or current methods that exist in the internet in order to develop a complete Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint. There are one similar standalone application and a method on how to extract learning object are found for analysis study. The standalone application will be discussed in Section 2.2.1 while the method on how to extract learning object will be discussed in Section 2.2.2. 2.2.1 PowerPoint Image Extractor V1.2 PowerPoint Image Extractor V1.2 is a freeware. It can be downloaded at http://alainlecomte.free.fr/Download.htm#PPImageExtractor. This application can extract pictures and wave files from Microsoft PowerPoint and slideshow that in format of .ppt and .pps. After perform the extraction, the image files and wave files will be separate in a different folder by the application. This standalone application will run under Windows environment such as Windows NT/XP/Vista/7. Below are the screenshot of the application. Figure2.1.JPG Figure 2.1 Screenshot of PowerPoint Image Extractor V1.2 2.2.2 Extract Images and Sound from Microsoft PowerPoint All of these methods are written at pptfaq (2010). There are different methods to extract presentation files that created in different version of Microsoft PowerPoint such as in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 or Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 through 2003. There are several steps in order to extract images or sounds from Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 with file extension in PPTX, PPSX, PPTM, PPSM, POTX, or POTM. Firstly, right click the presentation slides and choose rename. Then, add .zip to the end of the file name and it will look similar like this type of format: myfile.ppts.zip. After that, double click the zip file to open it in windows explorer. There is a folder name PPT, double click the folder and the images or sounds will be kept in media folder. Drag and drop the media folder to anywhere in your hard drive to save the objects. Finally, by right click the presentation file and delete the .zip extension to open it with Microsoft PowerPoint. The method to extract presentation files created by Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, 2003 and 2007 are the same. Firstly, double click to open the presentation slides. Then, click Office button and click Save As other format. In the dialog box, make sure the type of save as are save in web page (*.htm, *.html). Finally, choose a place to save it and then close the presentation slides. Microsoft PowerPoint will create a single file and in the mean times will create another folder. Inside the created folder, there are whole bunch of files. The embedded images or sounds files will be among of the files. Justification of Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint Learning Object Extraction is developed as web based tool to improve the current standalone application and methods by adding more supported format of presentation slides. In addition, this web based tool will extract learning object with several format such as jpg, png, gif, flv, wmv, mov, mp3, wma, wav. This tool will run in a server and require the users to upload the presentation slides to the server and extraction of learning object will be performed at the same time. Therefore, the current application and methods are studied for implementation of Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint in order to achieve the goal. 2.4 Research on Current Technology There are several options to choose for web development such as HTML for static web pages, JSP and ASP.NET for dynamic web pages. The most appropriate language use on the development of Learning Object Extraction for Microsoft PowerPoint is either JSP or ASP.NET. 2.4.1 Research on Java Server Pages Technology The use of Java Server Pages has grown rapidly since after the introduced of The Java 2 Platform. Many web developers choose to use JSP to build e-commerce system, dynamic websites and web services. A JSP can compile into servlet and servlet can act as a middleware to read and sent data between client and server. (Marty and Larry, 2009). Web service will make use of servlets container such as Apache Tomcat and then execute numerous of code that define by the developer in order to perform the complete web pages. 2.4.2 Research on Active Server Pages Dot NET Technology ASP is a technology that enables web developer to build dynamic and interactive Web pages quickly and easily. We could include VBScript or JScript code commands in the ASP to be executed on the Web server before the page was sent to the users browser. ASP used script between and percentage sign to control server-side behavior. (Bill et al, 2010). Developer can firstly build an ASP page with only HTML static page and then can define own code to make the ASP page dynamically. Justification for Choosing JSP as the Coding Language JSP technology adheres to the Write Once, Run Anywhere philosophy of the Java architecture. (Sun Microsystems, 1999). JSP technology can be run in any operating systems that support Java such as Unix/Linux, Mac OS or others. Compared to ASP, JSP is more popular and tool used to create JSP web pages is also free of charge. Apart from that some of the component such as JavaBeans can be reused for others web pages. This can help the developer to complete the web development more faster due to the flexibility of Java technology.

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Software Patents Must be Eliminated :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Software Patents Must be Eliminated Software patents threaten to devastate America's computer industry. Patents granted in the past decade are now being used to attack companies such as the Lotus Development Corporation for selling programs that they have independently developed. Soon new companies will often be barred from the software arena--most major programs will require licenses for dozens of patents, and this will make them infeasible. This problem has only one solution: software patents must be eliminated. The Patent System and Computer Programs The framers of the United States Constitution established the patent system so that inventors would have an incentive to share their inventions with the general public. In exchange for divulging an invention, the patent grants the inventor a 17 year monopoly on its use. The patent holder can license others to use the invention, but may also refuse to do so. Independent reinvention of the same technique by others does not give them the right to use it. Patents do not cover specific systems: instead, they cover particular techniques that can be used to build systems, or particular features that systems can offer. Once a technique or feature is patented, it may not be used in a system without the permission of the patent-holder--even if it is implemented in a different way. Since a computer program typically uses many techniques and provides many features, it can infringe many patents at once. Until recently, patents were not used in the software field. Software developers copyrighted individual programs or made them trade secrets. Copyright was traditionally understood to cover the implementation details of a particular program; it did not cover the features of the program, or the general methods used. And trade secrecy, by definition, could not prohibit any development work by someone who did not know the secret. On this basis, software development was extremely profitable, and received considerable investment, without any prohibition on independent software development. But this scheme of things is no more. A change in U.S. government policy in the early 1980's stimulated a flood of applications. Now many have been approved, and the rate is accelerating. Many programmers are unaware of the change and do not appreciate the magnitude of its effects. Today the lawsuits are just beginning. Absurd Patents The Patent Office and the courts have had a difficult time with computer software. The Patent Office refused until recently to hire Computer Science graduates as examiners, and in any case does not offer competitive salaries for the field.

King Solomon Essays -- essays research papers

There are many famous individuals through the history who made great impact on our lives. We can go on and on to list them all but for my topic I would like to choose one of the wisest person who ever lived is king Solomon. During his era the Israel kingdom achieved a lot of success in trading, expansion and fair judgment. Also Solomon regarded as an author of high skill and remarkable output. The writings that have been attributed to him are the biblical Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the later Psalms of Solomon. The book of Proverbs expresses the conclusion of the will of man. Together, the books of Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes give us the understanding of the soul of man. In Psalms you have the emotional nature, which is one part of the soul function. Ecclesiastes deals with the function of the mind, the search of man reason throughout the earth, analyzing, evaluating, weighing and concluding. But in the book of Proverbs we have the appeal to the will of man and the conclusion of the will. Therefore, this book is all about the things man should decide, the choices of life. This is beautifully set before us in the introduction to the book. We all know that education is not only the key for our success and good life but also expansion of knowledge and information. â€Å"To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the saying of understanding, to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity; to the youth kn...

Monday, September 2, 2019

Finance Project

Note: Below are some of the topics of projects for example only. You may visit the organization and the guide (Manager from the particular Organization may suggest you some suitable topic related to the Organization) Suggested topics are Projects topics for MBA but are not limited to: Sl. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Project Topics PROJECT TOPICS FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT A study of performance appraisal / performance management system in XYZ organization Assessment of role stress amongst the employees of XYZ organization Job satisfaction survey at XYZ organization Competency mapping in an organization Training effectiveness in an organization Study of organizational culture OCTAPACE profile. Motivational analysis of organization A comparative study of team effectives in an organization: Team effectiveness assessment measure. A study of Compensation Management System A detailed study of promotion and reward policy of organization A study of quality of work life in an organization. Mapping training need of employees: Training Need Analysis PROJECT TOPICS RELATED TO MARKETING Formulation of Marketing Strategies to Improve Market Share of LG Microwave Ovens Improving the Effectiveness & Efficiency of Operations at Cox & Kings India Ltd. Demand Forecasting for Orion-ERP Package for ICICI Infotech in Bangalore, based on Small & Medium Enterprises. Developing a Service Delivery Model to bridge the gap between services expected & provided by ICICI Home Loans. Strategies for Increasing the Occupancy Rate of the Taj West End Hotel, Bangalore A Market Feasibility Study for New X-ray Machines from Wipro-GE Medical Systems Distribution Mapping & Dealer Satisfaction Survey for Nokia Mobile Phones. A Study of Marketing Strategies & Distribution Channels in North Karnataka for Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd. A Study to improve Awareness level of Triraksha Welfare Scheme among farmers for Tractors & Farm Equipment Ltd A Study to increase Penetration Level & Brand Loyalty among existing consumers of Samsung India Electronics Ltd. 3 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 PROJECTS TOPICS RELATED TO FINANCE The study on Indian Financial System post liberalization The impact of Global recession on Information Technology sector in India The impact of recent global economic slump on Indian capital market A comparative study of bancassurance products in banks A Compara tive study of Equity linked Savings Schemes floated by domestic Mutual fund players. A Comparative Study of cost of capital in Automobile /Steel/Pharma/Finance industry A comparative study of Finance performance of banks using various ratios. Profitability and Operational Efficiency of Public Sector banks Profitability and Operational Efficiency of banks in India A study of working capital management in small scale industries The scope of Microfinance in Indian context. Financial Inclusion- The scope and effect in Indian economy Rural banking in India Dematerialization – The scope and effect. The future of Investment banks in the post Lehman Brothers era PROJECTS TOPICS RELATED TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS Role of software agents as a collaborative tool-Ecommerce Hospital Management System-Database Approach, Mangala hospital, Hassan Automation of Banking database, XYZ Bank. Automation of Customer Relation Database, A SAP Product A study on Electronic data storage- Steel factory, Mumbai A webpage design using JAVA-Google page Projects topics for MBA – Project Management Application of Project Management Processes to the Global Product Development System TRIZ applied in Product Development Project Prioritization. Project Cost Estimation Virtual Project Management Continuous Business Process Improvement (CBPI) Force Field Analysis Information Risk Management SEI – CMM & ISO Certification Recent Revolutions in Project Management Modern Trends in Project Management Perception Knowledge Management in Project Management Project Management Application Softwares Project Risk Management Project Administration Project Feasibility Studies Importance of Human Resource Management in Project Management. Projects topics for MBA – Operations Management Concepts and Techniques related to materials management 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 Computer and Quantitative models used in formulating managerial problems. Concepts and Techniques of Value Analysis to effectively control costs. Deterministic and Stochastic inventory models. Just In Time Production. Logistics Management. Project Scheduling. Manufacturing strategy. Site and Location Analysis. Application of Quantitative Analysis and Computers for managerial decision making in operations problems. A study on tools and techniques (e. g. , CPM and PERT) developed to aid the planning, scheduling, and control of projects. Quality issues related to enhancing customer satisfaction (both internal and external) to ensure long-term customer loyalty. Ethical Issues in Operations Management Studies and conclusions of McGregor, Maslow, Herzburg, Likert, Aggyris, and Blake on Operations Management Behavioral Science. The use of material and supply chain management in manufacturing and service organizations to reduce inventory levels while providing adequate service to customers. Problems encountered in planning, operating, and controlling production of goods and services Tools in project management A study on the methods of planning, organizing, and controlling maintenance. A study on Production and inventory control, procurement, distribution, and their interrelationships. A study on Total Quality Management, human resources, finance and accounting, information systems, and their interrelationships Investigation into computerized production technology Study on Plant layout design depending on type of production system. Flexible Manufacturing Systems Computer Integrated Manufacturing Workforce Management Work study, Method Study and Time Study Modern Trends in Project Management

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Science and Society

Science and Society Is life fact or fiction? One could look at science and society in the same manner. Meaning that there is an ideal subject, one subject could be the truth and one could be deception. Science, in my opinion, is the truth. For example, science is based on facts and numbers and figures, these never deter from the truth if correctly applied in their own fields of study. The term for society states that it is a group of people who shape their lives in aggregated and patterned ways that distinguish their group from other groups.Society can take a number of shapes and forms and it is never the same in any place in the world, politics and economy differ yet society is unified as a whole in the larger spectrum. Lewis Thomas (â€Å"Alchemy†), George Orwell (â€Å"What Is Science? †), Carl Sagan (â€Å"Why We Need to Understand Science†), and Lawrence Krauss (â€Å"School Boards Want to ‘Teach to the Controversy. ’ What Controversy? † have different points of views in each of their understandings of science and society, yet one thing that sticks out in their essays as a related is that society in some way, shape, or form should be informed and open to more knowledge of the sciences.Carl Sagan’s’ (â€Å"Why We Need to Understand Science†) was one of my favorite pieces due to the fact that he did in his own opinions and views yet what stuck out in my mind is that he added data and facts into his piece. I believe his piece best describes science as his primary term because he is trying to get people to understand the importance of why society should look at science this way and why. People like numbers because they are either comforting or they make people realize something that was never really thought of before because it wasn’t as solid or tangible in their minds.He wrote his delved more into the root of the problem with society and science on both aspects. He also concluded with a sug gestion to the solution of the problem of our society’s lack of knowledge in science. Sagan preaches his point and is very to the point in all aspects of his writing although it wasn’t as logical as the other essays I think the emotion he put into his piece was what won me over because of the passion of wanted to get his point across to the readers is usually the same difference of what gets people interested in the knowledge of science.Lewis Thomas (â€Å"Alchemy†), primarily states in his essay that of the work of alchemists. He indicates that their seemingly todays silly work of trying to turn metal into gold or their secret society of alchemist did not go wasted. They actually set a lot of today’s sciences up for advancement and great lengths of achievement. Thomas made a clear and concise history of the Alchemists such as the origins being traced back to the ancient time of the Arabic, Latin, and Greek.He added the meaning of the work that Alchemists were trying to achieve such as there only being one particle in the universe that was the true meaning of existence in all shapes or forms. He also argued to downfalls of the Alchemist such as the time they spent on dead ends in their pursuit of science, all the writing and work they proposed that was written in secretive language, the bans of their work due to it being related to black magic.Yet, in many positive aspects the Alchemists did pave the way for other sciences to be studied successfully, such as physics or chemistry. This got people interested and helped to spur conversation, debate, and helped bring questions to one another to spur thought. On a very low level this work did get science in society started yet it was only amongst the scientist community. None of the work can be understood by people of normal or medial knowledge.Yet again on could argue that among certain interested parties for instance student, the subject of alchemy could be seen as an interesting subje ct, therefore the student would want to read about alchemist and then possibly see what the fuss is about and want to take a look at what works interested alchemist and would try to learn to study aspects of their work such as physics and chemistry in a broad sense. Thomas does make certain valid points yet the downfall is that this type of science would not be relatable to the masses it is above their heads.This type of science in society can almost always be only attainable to those in the field of science and only reel in a few of outsiders in society. George Orwell (â€Å"What Is Science? †), writes and essay of very profound aspects of science. For instance his piece he defines what science is and also argues the differences between sciences in my opinion for his readers to get both sides of what he is trying to describe so one can form an opinion of their own.This is the point he is trying to get across to his readers, to be able for one to form his own opinion about sc ience. Therefore they are learning and gain knowledge of the subject of science in some way shape or form. I agree with many facts of Orwell’s piece, for instance he states that anyone educated can describe to you what science may mean to them whether it’s a specific or broad term. Does the knowledge of science make one smarter than the next, not necessarily?Vice versa in the sense that someone who was less knowledgeable on science then became knowledgeable could have less intelligence about the subject than â€Å"an illiterate peasant†, or that this knowledge may do more harm than good. After this seemingly contradictory argument he contradicts himself more by stating that society should be educated in science to be able to grasp the concept of being able to possess a â€Å"rational, skeptical, experimental habit of mind. This to me means that one should have a firm grasp on the knowledge of science and be able to carry a conversation of facts data and look at science in broad and insightful aspects. I don’t think this work is as strong as Carl Sagan’s work because he is trying to please the masses and preach about two things at the same time which I feel is untruthful because he is trying to reel in a larger crowd so to speak, which I lost interest in. Lawrence Krauss (â€Å"School Boards Want to ‘Teach to the Controversy. What Controversy? †) describes how schools across the board should teach other methods of science in order for one to search for their own truth or the whole truth of their meaning of science. He relates his main subject on religion vs. science and how the church and science is constantly arguing about the fact of who is right and who is wrong about evolution, in depth the Big Bang theory or that every human is genetically related from the first organism.As interesting as Krauss’s point about science were I found his points to more centered only around the church and sciences point of view in the matter, I only dismissed it because it didn’t relate to the masses and it was a very limited piece to give readers much knowledge beyond what was stated and I could not personally gather anything out of it for my own purposes other than the ending quote which if he wrote around this subject I probably would have chosen it, To search thoroughly for the truth involves a searching of souls as well as of spectra. Then again souls are not an indefinite thing, science because it is based on facts and numbers, so in theory this does not make sense and is weaker than Carl Sagan’s piece in general because it does not really evoke thought to the reader. I think the most relatable thing between all the pieces was that amongst specific likeminded people there will always be debate and conclusions will be drawn based on their facts and that these certain societies can communicate efficiently with each other. On a larger scale society as a whole should learn more about science in order to attain basic understanding of knowledge of science.Personally I think that basic understanding of the knowledge of science is attainable and should be learned amongst society because education in America is lacking while others are racing ahead in almost every aspect of education, reading, writing, math, and science. Education should be important to everyone for the simple fact that science has gotten our society to the point it is today. Some aspects may be good and some bad for instance the good may include being able to function in an advanced society with buildings and cars, advancements in medicine allowing humans to live longer and healthier.Yet again with our advancement we also have made negative aspects for ourselves such as being able to genetically mass produce beef that goes into fast food restaurants all over the country that has made 70% of Americans obese, or the fact that because of our advancement in medicine which allow most humans to live longe r or cure them from most ailments, natural selection has come to a stop and has allowed the weaker of humans to spawn and created other like humans.I envision that I would prefer to live in a world with science rather than a primitive society, my answer is pure and simple there is nothing profound about it, this world with science is what I am used to and I wouldn’t want to change this.Perhaps in a positive light I would want to change science to further advancement science as we know it, for example finding a cure for cancer, or better yet finding out what in the brain or body creates mental illness or to add or subtract DNA from fetuses in order to create a â€Å"perfect† human one free from disease. I believe my ideas towards science would actually better society because it would benefits them in ways that would make them possibly more interest in science due to the controversy and debates it may cause.