Thursday, October 31, 2019

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assignment 3 - Essay Example However, the mode of electronic commerce also brings and invites many kinds of problems both for the customers and vendors. Some of such problems faced by dot-com companies are listed under: Technical problems This is one of the significant problem faced on the part of both customers and vendors in making payment through online sites. The technical problems develop a kind of resistance among both customers and vendors in using e-commerce sites for purchasing goods and services. Some of the common technical problems faced by the customers and vendors relate to system failure, case of amount debited twice, late processing of payments, failure to provide notifications, etc. All these technical issues and problems have been faced by the companies in real sense. For instance, in the year 2012, around 12 million NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland have faced the freezing issue of their salaried accounts. The technical fault and problem has resulted the computer system to freeze the salaried accounts unnecessarily (Bidgoli 20-25). This case of freezing of salaried accounts prevented the large customer base from making online payment through their salary accounts. Likewise, system failure and late processing of payments also prevents the customers from getting up-to-date balance and payment status. In some instances, it has also been noticed that customers are fined for late payment due to the system failure or any other technical difficulty. The technical problem relates to failure of the system to show updated payment status also creates difficulty for vendors in forwarding the request of debiting or crediting accounts. It is due to reason that vendors can direct the banking channels to debit or credit the customer account on the basis of latest updated information of their accounts. But, system failure and technical problems creates difficulty for the vendors in assessing and tracking updated status and proceeding payment accordingly. Difficulty related to payment pr oviders The wide popularity and emergence of large number of e-commerce sites have also increased proportion of payment providers simultaneously. The availability of large number of payment providers created difficulty for the vendors and customers in selecting appropriate and authentic payment provider. There are various cases demonstrating fraudulent payment done by service suppliers. The instances of fraudulent cases pose a question on the trust and authenticity of payment providers. The world of e-commerce has also witnessed the difficulty faced by the vendors and customers in cancelling the transaction and processing payment remittance. The cancellation of transaction by the mutual agreement of customers and vendors also made the issue unsolved for many days. It happens due to long time taken by the payment providers in forwarding the payment back to the customers. This practice of payment providers of forwarding payment with excessive delay spoiled the trust and authenticity o f online payment mechanism. It has also been identified that vendors and customers need to install multi-currency support system

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Thesis Enrollment Essay Example for Free

Thesis Enrollment Essay I.Introduction The system design project, Enrollment System that will provide the needed and storing information in a faster, more convenient way by storing file of the student enrollees in a computer system that will lessen the effort of faculty staff in storing files of each student every now and then. This will also serve as information especially for the irregular students, freshmen, transferee, and professor in able to get access in course, subject, professor, and student enrollees. This information here can be viewed in just a second without worrying that a single file is lost. The idea behind a enrollment system is not a new concept. As student enrollees increase every year, enrollment procedure become harder to deal. This will only serve to increase the problem facing enrollment that provides more easy way in enrolling. This will also be a big help to all the enrollment staff especially under the computer department because they are the one who are entitled to touch and read the information from here. It will help our institution to have another system that will upgrade the enrollment processes so as to meet the quality that our institutions are trying to meet. Today, the use of technology has been an effective tool on improving such kind of enrollment system. In this study, the use of Visual Basic 6.0 and database will help to improve the efficiency of the enrollment in the Caloocan High School. II. Statement of the Problem Caloocan High School is having problem in the enrollment process because of its current system which is manual with a generic enrollment system which is not compatible with the school’s requirements. III. Background of the Study The discovery of the computer was the great function of modernity for different application to make work easier, more capable, and more adaptable for the humanity. It has brought a new level of knowledge that became the new standard in the industry. It made the school works more efficient for students and provided path to communicate to entire earth. Nowadays, computer based system is commonly used by every company and institution and one of this is the computerized enrollment system. Computerize Enrollment System is the must have system in a school. It is a convenient way of storing and retrieving information of a student that provides easier way of enrolling. Caloocan High School is one of the public schools that used a manual method for enrollment system. Computerized enrollment system is now used by the universities, colleges and other establishments. The group decided to create an enrollment system to lessen the workload of the registrar and staffs and provide accurate information of students when necessary. Computerized enrollment system is very useful for both the firm and students because it rather give an effective and efficient approach for both the students and schools IV. PURPOSE The purpose of the Computerized Enrollment system is that they can enroll easier and faster than using a manual process to enrolled. V. TITLE Computerized Enrollment System for Caloocan high Shool

Sunday, October 27, 2019

PC World: SWOT and PEST Analysis

PC World: SWOT and PEST Analysis SWOT analysis is a famous technique that has been used for decades now to analyse the four major factors of an organisation namely strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This helps in better analysing any organisation, when conducting a strategic analysis often analysts also use it as a stepping stone for their analysis. It is not only an analysis of the organisation itself but rather it is a more deep analysis of the market and all business activities related to the organisation  [1]. The SWOT analysis is known as a strategic planning tool and it has featured in business text since 1972, but no one knows who originally invented SWOT analysis. Today it can be found almost in every textbook on strategy, marketing and any other business disciplines. There have been many studies that were conducting in different business schools and some of the famous ones even conducted in Harvard are backed up by Micheal Porter, Ansoff and writers such as Philip Kotler. Their studies have lead to the conclusion that SWOT be the tool to better understand the strategic fit between an organisations strategies and the environment in which it competes. This is also a good tool to analyse such organisations which on the face have been delivering profits but are either declining or are losing market share. For example doing analysis of organisation such as Yahoo would be a good idea which is a profitable venture but is loosing its market heavily to Google (Adams, 2005). Importance of SWOT Analysis An organization can take the best advantage of the environmental opportunities if it can utilize the resources available to the organizations up to the optimum level. The person in charge of designing the strategy who is also called the strategic leader of the organisation using SWOT can keep his head right over deciding whether the opportunity that is arising is good enough with the matched weaknesses and strengths of the organisation  [2]. Keeping this in mind one needs to keep his/her head right about one thing that whenever they are analysing to pursue an opportunity always point out the related weaknesses and strengths, maybe a priority SWOT analysis can also be a very good idea. A real opportunity can only be identified if the opportunity has a strategic fit between the environmental conditions and the resources that the organization possess  [3]. SWOT might not be the only perfect tool for strategic analysis while there have been greater criticism on SWOT. The reason being that people consider it to be very easy and based on that people just do it just like that without giving proper thought on the ideas behind a strength/weakness or an opportunity/threat. While doing SWOT one tends to ignore many other factors such as the financial factors and in this case other strategic tools can be more important; But even though SWOT holds its own importance (De Witt and Meyer, 1998). The main model consists of two inherently different types of evaluations: Internal evaluation External evaluation Internal Evaluation (S)trengths Strengths are the good and the power parts of the organisations. They explain what the organisation is good at. This is not only on the organisational level but all wide. This explains the organisations strength in terms of customers, suppliers, utilisation of resources etc. Usually when conducting a strength analysis it is important to consider that strength is something at which the organisation is not only good at but also better than its competition. It provides them the competitive edge in comparison to their competition. This is one ability at which they are very good at  [4]. When describing strength companies tend to be ignorant about things such as CRM (customer relationship management), or SCM (Supply chain management) but they can also be considered as strengths if they are effective and contribute to the profit financially or non financially. (W)eaknesses A weakness is defined as a deficiency in an individual and this same fits to an organisation as well where weakness of an organisation explains something at which they arent good at. Organisational weaknesses are areas where they are not good against their competition. Now they can be areas of great strength at one time but then later lost to the competition due to not being taken care of. Its necessary that the customer point of view is brought into consideration rather than conduction the weakness analysis of only the organisation. Its hard to admit the areas where one is not good at and in this case organisations need to admit but often this doesnt happen. External Evaluation (O)pportunities Opportunity is just like a term in an individuals life similar when it comes to trhe organisation but the scope of opportunity is bigger, the opportunities that come to the organisation are everywhere in every nook and corner its just that they need to realise it and use it with the current set of resources. Opportunities are also related to trends that the organization has been seeing in the past, they can also be buying behaviours. They can also come in by identifying a particular market segment which was not being looked after before but is now being looked after very carefully  [5]. Finally some opportunities come from the external environment and acting on the right time is the most important agenda. (T)hreats Threats can be organisation relate and the ones that are not in this case the threats are being considered the ones related to the organisation. Now the threats can also be seen as the opportunities that were not grabbed and later turned onto threats. Threat is a unfavourable situation in which the organisation doesnt want to see itself. Few threats can be the entrance of new competitors, slow market growth, increased bargaining power of key buyers or suppliers, technological changes etc. PEST Analysis Macro environment comes in as the new driving force in the industry where the macro environment tends to play a major role in the entire effort of competition. The business environment is just like a moving film and it is necessary to track down any changes that are happening around the business. The organisational related factors that [play a part in the macro environment need to be brought under consideration. Its nessecary to bring in a number of key vital factors into account that can influence different areas of the organisation, these areas can be supply related demand related and even directly related to the legal issues of the firm  [6]. 1993 The radical and ongoing changes occurring in society create an uncertain environment and have an impact on the function of the whole organization (Tsiakkiros, 2002). To make a strong environmental analysis PEST has proven to be the best technique and such a technique that looks deeply into the pores of the business and extracts out inf ormation related to different areas of the macro environment. A pest analysis not only needs to identify the factors that can affect the political, technological, legal and environmental issues but it is also an analysis that is used to create a relation among things. The analysis sees and examines the impact of these factors and their affect ion one another and then the combined affect on the organisation. The results can be used to perform various tasks such as understanding the future strategy, exploring the future opportunities in the environment  [7]. Further explanation of each of the factors that count is a pest analysis is as follows: (P)olitical Political factors include legal and regulatory factors like elections, employment law, consumer protection, environmental regulations, industry-specific regulations, competitive regulations, inter-country relationships / attitudes, war, terrorism, political trends, governmental leadership, taxes, and government structures  [8]. (E)conomic Economic factor includes factors like taxation, government spending levels, disposable income, job growth/unemployment, exchange rates, tariffs, inflation, consumer confidence index, import/export ratios, and production levels  [9]. (S)ocial Social factors include factors like demographics (age, gender, race, family size, etc.), lifestyle changes, population shifts, trends, fads, diversity, Immigration laws, health, living standards, housing trends, fashion, attitudes to work, leisure activities, occupations, and earning capacity. (T)echnological Technological factors include inventions, new discoveries, research, energy uses/ sources/ fuels, communications, rates of obsolescence, health (pharmaceutical, equipment, etc.),manufacturing advancements , information technology, internet, transportation, bio-tech, genetics, waste removal/recycling etc. Selected Company (PC WORLD) Brief Introduction of Selected Company The selected company PC World is part of the electronic retailer giant DSGi Plc. DSG international is one of Europes leading specialist electrical retailing groups. It operates a multi-channel approach to electrical retailing. More than 100 million customers shop in-store and online every year with DSGi (DSGi, 2010). The business of DSGi can be divided into three major categories: PC World is Britains largest specialist chain of computing superstores. The superstores offer more than 5,000 product lines including extensive ranges of PCs, laptops, printers, software, peripherals and accessories from the major brands, as well as many PC World exclusive products. In-store PC Clinics offer on the spot advice and service. Component Centres offer a one-stop shop for customers with advanced technical knowledge, providing a vast choice of PC components and upgrade products at competitive prices. In 2007, PC World won Retail Weeks Product Innovation of the Year award, for its Data Recovery service. Every PC World store has an in-store business centre staffed by experienced business specialists. They offer local companies face-to-face help and advice with choosing the best IT solutions. There are 157 stores in the UK and 10 in the Republic of Ireland. (PC World, 2010) SWOT Analysis of PC WORLD (S)trengths Strong high street presence Multi channel approach Strong distribution channels Huge base of domestic customers (W)eaknesses Employees integrity Fewer customer focus (O)pportunities New mega stores 2012 Olympics Apples growth in European markets Growth in the IT Gadget Industry (T)hreats Slow economic growth Negative customer perception Threat of new competitors Falling market share (S)trengths DSG has a very strong high street presence. In any big retail park or high street we can easily find either a PC World , Currys or Currys Digital. Moreover it has a multi channel approach: retail stores, e-commerce and B2B. There are very strong distribution channels of PC World. Just for an example the whole of Apple products distribution is done via the distribution channels of DSGi. There is a very strong base of domestic customers in UK for PC World as a brand which serves as one of the most vital strengths of PC World. (W)eaknesses PC World has history of strong incentive based pay schemes. The employees get heavy commission based on sales. Initially it did work out to work pretty well. But the employees do take it to their advantage. The results is unsatisfied customers who are miss sold. This also leads to the next weakness which fewer focus on customer needs. The focus is more on sales and KPIs, hence the customers benefit are overshadowed by the sales KPIs. (O)pportunities The idea of new two in one Currys PC World Mega stores is very appealing. Customer get more choice in terms of products and services under one roof. The Olympics 2012 is one occasion on which almost every single business is relying as an opportunity for growth and profitability and PC World can also take advantage of this Global event. Apple products are getting global attention and likewise in Europe as well. PC World controls the entire distribution of APPLE products in UK Europe. This can serve as a very strong strategic alliance and PC World can be benefited out of this. A very recent example was the launch of IPAD. PC World was given a head start of 60 days from APPLE for selling IPADs in their stores. The IT Gadget sectors are seeing a very drastic increase and PC Worlds main offerings are these gadgets and IT products and services. (T)hreats The first and the most crucial threat is the negative perception of the customers. As highlighted in the weaknesses sales and KPIs are given preference over customers benefits due to the traditional structure of PC World. It is also evident by the comment of DSGis CEO John Brawett. The biggest challenge for us is to change the perception of our customers. In recent times PC World has seen falling shares part of the fact can be attributed to the recession but customers negative perception has also affected. There are new competitors coming into the market like BEST BUY, ARGOS and John LEWIS are offering extensive IT Solutions as well. PEST Analysis of PC WORLD (P)olitical UK has seen a very recent change in the political structure. Due to the economic downturn the investors are not very confident specially the foreign investors. The Govt. Is making the efforts to reassure the foreign investors, but the cap put on the international immigrants served as a big threat to the foreign investors. Mr David Camerons visit to India was an attempt to promote the trading relationship with India. The share price of the company reflects this fact. The company share price slumped from 36p to 21p in just 3-4 months time (DSGi, 2010). The political factors are in favour of the company. (E)conomic The UK economy is seeing a very slow growth and some experts have shown the danger of a double dip recession. The new Govt. has raised the taxes in order to boost the economy but the economy is still growing at a very slow rate. The economic factors are not in favour of the company. In 2008 the overdraft limit of the company was reduced from 4.5 million to 2.5 million. The consequences were seen as 300 employees from the head office were made redundant. (S)ocial The socio-cultural factors are a mix of both good and bad. The markets love the new innovative products: IPAD made record sales in the Apples history followed by a successful launch of IPHONE 4. PC World controls the distribution of APPLE products throughout Europe and APPLE products are becoming increasingly popular and famous in the European markets. On the other hand the negative customer perception is a big threat to the PC WORLDs growth. Hence there is a mix of social factors affecting the external environment of PC WORLD. (T)echnological PC Worlds tagline is bringing life to technology. PC World is always at the fore fronts in the process of introducing new technologies to the UK markets. PC World was the only retailer except APPLEs retail stores to stock the IPAD for 60 days after the launch. The challenge for the organization is to keep up with the rate of change in technology, because the technology changes at a very rapid rate.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essays --

Dear Sir/Madame, It is with much pleasure that I submit my application for a Master’s Degree Programme in â€Å"Healh and Business† starting in September 2014 at University of Eastern Finland. As for my educational background, I obtained from Highest Medical School â€Å"Aieti† on a faculty of medicine where I completed all courses in English. Currently I work as an interpreter/translator at United Water Supply Company of Georgia. I have also taught Histology to first-year international students at Petre Shotadze Medical Academy. Medicine is a tradition in my family. My great grandparents, grandparents, parents, even godfather and godmother are doctors. This is a path that I am passionate about and while being part of it, I am surrounded by amicable environment. I decided to follow the footsteps but accomplish the goal in a different manner. I would like to engage myself in activity where I would have a chance to combine and link medicine to business - the mix that explores the framework for medical management systems. While doing internship in Chemotherapy department of Klaipeda Medical Center in Lithuania, each day proposed challenging but fascinating discovery. Themes connected to organization of the hospital and service delivered to patients was especially engaging. I had read and learnt about various methods about organizing and providing service to patients but I was still thrilled as it was my first time when I actually had to perform everything myself. At the start, I encountered a lot of failures but thanks to persistence and determination I grasped the procedure and became one of best students. As a result, having participated in diverse conferences and congresses related to medicine, health management and development, I would l... ...n insurance, health and government regulations and parallel its model to ones of developed countries, propose/suggest solutions to abate the adversity of medical system. As for my financing plan for studies, I have savings specially designed for my further studies. Since the University of Eastern Finland is tuition-free, with the help of my savings from work remuneration, family and a sponsor I will be able to cover all living costs. I am interested to live in a shared apartment first of all it is more affordable and it will be easier to live with other students as it helps to overcome cultural shock while living in a foreign country. Sharing a roof with other students is also beneficial to learn more about the hosting or other countries and their culture. Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to your acceptance. Sincerely, Nino Tevzadze

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Polar Bears Warming Up to Climate Change Essay

The way the earth’s climate has been changing is a very hot topic among scientists today.   Some believe it to be caused by the earth’s natural geothermal development and part of the normal change that the planet should be undergoing. Others contradict these claims by saying that man’s own inventions and improper use of fossil fuels has been aggravating the natural thermal changes.   Environmentalists further urge the general public to act towards helping preserve earth because man’s activities are not only lessening human survival but of his co-planetary habitants as well. Polar Bears’ Hierarchy in the Arctic Kingdom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Polar bears are known to be the world’s largest land predator. (Briggs, 2003, par. 9) Adult females normally weigh 330 to 550 pounds but males can be as heavy as 775 to 1500 pounds. (Polar Bears International, 2008, par. 4)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Polar bears, as can be shown in the Food Chain Model below, are on top of the food chain in the arctic regions and feed on ringed seals and walruses. Polar Bear Beluga   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ringed Seal  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thick-Billed Murres  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Walrus Bowheaded Whale  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arctic Cod  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arctic Tern Zooplankton Source: Assignment Discovery School Lesson Plan, p. 3 Phytoplankton   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although humans have taken it upon themselves to care for their environment, sharing responsibility is not always easy. There used to be concerns between Norway and Russia, as to who should be responsible for the care of the Ursus maritimus or polar bear since they can be found in both countries.   A study made by Mette Mauritzen (2002) and her colleagues used satellite telemetry to obtain data from 105 female polar bears over a dozen of years and the results showed that the different subpopulations in the different locations are all part of one continuous polar bear population.   This means that both countries need to share management responsibility for the species. Global Warming and the Arctic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many scientists are saying that the current state of global warming is too fast.   Some say that it will only take around 50 years before the ice in the Arctic will melt while others say it may take around 100 years.   The length of time is irrelevant because the urgency of combating global warming can truly be seen with its predicted and already on-going effects. According to NASA Engineer Josefino C. Comiso (2003), his satellite observations show that the twenty year trend in situ surface temperature is eight times larger than the 100 year trend which means that the sea is warming much faster than normal. He also presumes that by the year 2050, the ice lying over the continental shelf would be displaced into the polar basin. Polar Bears and Global Warming   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to an article written by Eric Chivian (2001) entitled Environment and health:   Species loss and ecosystem disruption — the implications for human health,   global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and the negative results of other man-made activities threaten biodiversity, but it is the degradation, reduction and fragmentation of habitats that is the greatest threat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to a very extensive study made by Andrew Derocher, Nicholas Lunn and Ian Stirling (2004) entitled Polar Bears in a Warming Climate, factors such as the decreasing area of Arctic Sea Ice, lessened multiyear ice, timing of ice formation or break-up, denning, movements of the bears on the sea ice, quantity of prey, human-polar bear interactions and pollution all combine to threaten the survival of the species. Arctic Sea Ice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to the IUCN/ Species Survival Commission Polar Bear Specialist Group (2002, pp. 21-35), polar bears have been able to occupy sea ice habitats throughout the Arctic with its population estimated at 21,500 to 25,000. Arctic Sea Ice are used by polar bears to transport themselves over the water to prey on seals.   Lessening the number of arctic ice would greatly affect the food resource of the species. Lessened Multiyear Ice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to a previous report by Comiso (2002b cited in Derocher, 2004) the ice cover in the Arctic is already declining at the rate of 9% every ten years; which means that the ice may be all gone in just one hundred years. Since polar bears are fully dependent on their icy habitat, losing the ice can lead to their extinction. Timing of Ice Formation and its Break Up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the basic things that will be affected by global warming would be the cycle of break-up and freezing of the annual ice in the arctic.   Some scientists believe that global warming affects the cycle by making the ice break up earlier annually while delaying its freeze. In Canada’s Western Hudson Bay, the annual ice break-up is observed to be occurring about 2.5 weeks earlier than 3 decades ago. (Stirling, et.al. cited in Derocher, 2004) This is important because when the ice breaks sooner, the polar bears have shortened time to feed on seals which can greatly affect the conditions of their bodies throughout the year.   Their bodies would not have been able to get enough of the fat they would need for their four-month fast.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to other studies previously done by Derocher and Stirling (1995b cited in Derocher, 2004), adult polar bears lose around .85 to .90 kilograms of body mass daily during fasts.   With the abrupt breaking of ice that would end feeding period earlier and the delayed freezing, polar bears will lose their weight abnormally due to the longer time they need to fast. Although it may seem trivial, this has a significant effect on the pregnant polar bears.   If these female pregnant polar bears fall beyond 189 kilograms of weight due to the long fasting period, chances of delivering the cub become nil. Denning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Female polar bears have favorite places to den. To reach these places, the ice cycles should be regular to be able to help these bears reach their destinations on time. Also, with the ice melting and making the area farther to swim to, it is becoming difficult for polar bears to reach their favorite locations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are some subspecies that do may not be particular with their den locations because they are able to den on drifting multiyear ice.   These polar bears are currently able to raise the cubs well.   However, with global warming affecting the multiyear ice, these bears may have to be on the floating ice longer than necessary which means more energy wasted.   This can also be detrimental to the cubs which are not yet fully developed and equipped to weather the weary conditions. If this happens, then global warming will affect the population because of the cubs that can be lost due to the conditions mentioned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For polar bear populations that prefer to go back to their maternity dens, another problem that could threaten their natural activity would be that while the planet warms, the flora and fauna in the area would also be drier making these prone to fire.   Warmer dens with fire-risks are not suitable for pregnant polar bears and their cubs. Movements of Polar Bears on the Sea Ice   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of warmer sea temperatures and an increase in sea winds due to global warming, sea ice will thin easily and this may cause this major transportation for polar bears to become unstable or drift faster. If it moves much faster, the species would need to spend more energy in reaching their preferred locations. Although polar bears love to swim, using too much energy can also cause poor health and reproduction for the polar bears. Observations also note that polar bears move to land when sea ice quantity goes below half of its normal number. This could be because more energy is spent moving on top of drifting ice compared to walking on solid icy ground. A decrease in the number of sea ice drifting also lessens the opportunities to hunt for more prey. Availability of Prey   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A decrease in sea ice has its effects on the productivity of seals, which are the main food of polar bears.   Seals rely on sea ice for their maternity activities, lessening the quantity of sea ice drifting due to global warming will also lessen the population of seals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were observations in 1979 that warmer temperatures and rain resulted to the easy uncovering of seal pup lairs that made it thrice easier for polar bears to catch them. (Hammil and Smith, 1991 cited in Derocher, 2004) If this can become a trend wherein in warmer temperatures will cause the earlier onset of rain which will wash away the protection of seal pups, then, it is also possible that the population of ringed seals will decline as newborns are given less chances of survival.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Polar bears rely on sea ice to be able to catch seals.   Lessening the number of sea ice would also decrease its opportunities to catch the prey.   Very few polar bears have been observed to have enough ability to catch its prey in open waters. The species may have more luck in getting their food when walrus or seals are hauled out on terrestrial habitats but only few individuals of the species are known to have this ability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another aspect that needs to be discussed is the way the polar bears eat their prey.   The adult male polar bears prefer the blubber of their prey and usually leave much of the protein behind (Stirling and McEwan, 1975 cited in Derocher, 2004) for younger polar bears who are not yet good in catching prey.   With global warming altering the food sources and the way polar bears spend their energy, there will likely be less left-over food for the younger generations of cubs to eat which can decrease the population size. Human Bear Interactions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   So far, human and polar bear interactions have been relatively few because of the difference of habitat these species share.   However, if global warming will cause the ice to melt and lessen the current quantity of food, the bears may have to wander nearer human dwellings for their own chances of survival. However, this can be fatal for both species because humans may have to get rid of the polar bear for protection or else the bear will consider the human its prey.   More human interaction will also increase the polar bears’ exposure to pollutants which can affect its population. Remediation Program   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Polar bears have been under the protection of the different governments their habitats are found.   There are already laws in place to ban hunting except for scientific purposes and changes in marine transportation routes to lessen the pollution that can endanger the species.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, global warming is still an issue that can be better addressed by the public.   Although more and more advocates have been trying their best to cause enough awareness about the problem of greenhouse gases, a good remediation program for the polar bears would be dependent on a good program against global warming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The greenhouse effect of global warming is said to be caused by methane and carbon dioxide which form a layer in the atmosphere.   This layer keeps the heat being produced within the earth from going out of the planet under normal atmospheric circumstances. Carbon dioxide is a natural gas humans and animals excrete when they process oxygen while methane is released into the atmosphere when the earth is being dug up.   Polluted air from vehicles are also carbon dioxide emissions that hasten the greenhouse effect.   There are other sources of global warming such as the destruction of the ozone layer due to man’s use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), over population while decreasing tropical rain forests, etc.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To help stunt the detrimental effects of global warming, people and governments must put aside financial gains and demerits because not only do the polar bears need to survive but man as well. There are already many programs being done by different environmentalists like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Humane Society of the United States and International fund for Animal Welfare to help lessen the threats on polar bear survival.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Global warming has already been addressed world-wide and one of the agreements that had never been fully implemented is the Kyoto Protocol.   Many countries including the United States and United Kingdom have signed and agreed to the terms of the bargain wherein the member governments will bring down their carbon dioxide emissions to levels safer for humans and other creatures alike.   According to the treaty, these nations would also exchange technologies that could help reverse the problems of global warming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, the U.S. and other countries failed to implement it and continue to bypass the promises made during the planning of this pact.   Therefore, I believe that remediation programs are already in place but these need the sincerity of governments, especially the ones powerful economically, to succeed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Beyond government efforts, individuals can truly help force governments to fulfill their environmental obligations by lobbying for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and other environmental issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2006,   Julius Kenneth Ningu and his colleagues made a report on how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was creating negative effects on Mexico’s environment. According to the report, the country had good environmental policies in place and the government was strict in implementing it until the agreement forced it into an economic crisis.   In just a few years, the government had to relax on its environmental policies to enable private corporations to weather the economic crisis and for the country to be able to meet the standards of the agreement.   By â€Å"2002, the costs of environmental degradation amounted to 65,934 million dollars but the expenses made to protect the environment was only 3,473 million dollars.† Governments must therefore also be forced to put into place stricter laws that would protect the environment (not only of their own country but of the countries they deal with for capital g rowth).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lessening use of fossil fuel is a must and the public must support the new inventions being made that would help decrease the problem of global warming. Spending more money on machines that produce cleaner air may be more expensive but worthwhile in terms of survival. Scientific Debates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Polar bears are very cool in their own habitat and naà ¯ve to how scientists continually debate on whether they are going towards extinction or not. Some believe that climate change will not pose substantial problems with polar bear species survival while a relevant population in the scientific community believes that the melting of the ice in these mammals’ habitat will threaten their existence. The U.S. Senate has already debunked the idea that polar bears are going towards extinction because of reports that the polar bear population is at its highest peak as of the current years and that research already shows that the species can was able to withstand the interglacial   period which was much warmer . (US Senate, 2008) Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The survival of polar bears may not be a big issue as of the moment because it can actually be true that they can survive even worse temperatures.   However, global warming is not just an issue worth noting for polar bear survival but for human existence as well.   Governments must find the will to implement the laws that they already know are correct to be able to help all humans survive.   It is only through the sincere will of strong and economically stable governments that a cool change can really be met. References Assignment Discovery School   Lesson Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/pdf/biomes_wildarctic/biomes_wildarc   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   tic.pdf. Briggs, H. (2003). Polar Bear ‘Extinct Within 100 Years.’ BBC News, Science/Nature. Retrieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   April 2, 2008 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2642773.stm. Chivian, E. (2001). Environment and health: 7. Species loss and ecosystem disruption — the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   implications for human health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 164 (3). 365-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   369. Comiso, J. (2003). Warming Trends in the Arctic from Clear Sky Satellite Observations. Journal   of Climate, Vol. (21), pp. 3498-3510. Derocher, A., Lunn, N.J. and Stirling, I. (2004). Polar Bears in a Warming Climate. Integrative   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and Comparative Biology 2004 44(2),163-176. IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group. (2002) In N. J. Lunn, S. Schliebe, and E. W. Born   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (eds.), Polar bears: Proceedings of the 13th Working Meeting of the IUCN Polar Bear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K. Mauritzen, M., Derocher, A.E., Wiig, O., Belikov, S.E., Boltunov, A.N., Hansen, E., et.al.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2002). Using satellite telemetry to define spatial population structure in polar bears in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the Norwegian and western Russian Arctic. Journal of Applied Ecology 39 (1) , 79–90. Ningu, J.K., Jacome, J.T., Silva Gomez, S.E. and Aviles, R.P. (2006). The Effects of North   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   America Free Trade Agreement on Mexican Environmental Policy (1994-2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American Journal of Environmental Sciences Vol. 2(1). Pp. 5-8. Polar Bears International. (2008). About the Polar Bear. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/bear-facts/about-the-polar-bear/ U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. (2008). U.S. Senate Report Debunks Polar Bear Extinction Fears. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from http://epw.senate.gov/public/ index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Facts&ContentRecord_id=cb2faa9c-802a-23ad-4bcc- 29bb94ceb993.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Most Important Soft Skill You Might Not Be Developing

The Most Important Soft Skill You Might Not Be Developing The most important skill people  attempting to address the â€Å"skills gap† tend to miss is actually problem solving! Employees: Improve Your Skills!As many as 77%   of employers are determining their new hires based on soft skills like problem solving, communication, and ethics. They know that without these kinds of skills, on-the-job training is more difficult for managers  and colleagues alike.If you are good at problem-solving, then you know how to learn independently- you’ll improve and develop as an employee no matter what context you’re working in. When you get frustrated, you turn that into motivation to find the answer instead of giving up. You know how to maintain  your problem-solving â€Å"muscles† so that they that kick in whenever the going gets tough.In order to improve your abilities, Tim Murphy, founder of ApplyMate, recommends exercise books that give you brainteasers or word problems to solve- these are  low stakes opportuniti es to build your skill set.Employers:  Find and Nurture  this Important SkillAs an employer, Pomeroy recommends developing screening protocols for job applicants, like  tests that ask prospective hires to solve real problems they’re likely to face on the job. Hiring managers  could even build in a collaborative component by asking them to talk through issues with current employees.If you’re looking at your current employees and noticing crucial deficits, consider offering employee training with personal coaches or monthly professional development presentations. You can give your employees agency to identify and address their own areas for improvement. In addition, allowing them to give presentations in groups or alone will build their sense of self-sufficiency. Prioritize problem solving, and you’ll cultivate a workforce that knows how to work together and independently; eventually they’ll solve problems before they happen.How to Identify and Trai n the Skill That Matters MostRead More at TalentCulture World of Work