Saturday, August 31, 2019

An Overview of eLogistcs

Essay on overview of e-logistcs . 1. Introduction With e-commerce, the rapidly unfolding and modern logistics is increasingly due to develop in depth the concept of e-logistics . I refers to the use of electronic means, in particular the use of internet technology to complete the entire process of logistics coordination, control and management. The purpose of e-logistics is in the logistics organization,electronic transactions, services,management, logistics business activities,so quickly and easily achieve the speed of logistics, safe , reliable and low cost.Traditional logistics generally refers to products manufactured after the packaging, transportation, handling , storage . [pic] (Fig 1) E-logistics can also be referred to as logistics electronic logistics information , I refers to the use of electronic means , in particular the use of Internet technology to complete the entire process of logistics coordination , control and management, and all the middle of the front end from t he network to the final client process services. The most notable feature is the application of a variety of software and the integration of logistics services .The purpose of e-logistics is the logistics organization , electronic transactions, services , management and logistics business activities quickly and easily in order to achieve the speed, safely, reliable and low cost. [pic] To compare. The main features of e-logistics is the integration of front-end services and back-end services . Many dealers are faced with the problem of the combination of front-end customer order management, customer relationship management and back-end inventory management , warehousing management and transportation management . differences between e-logistics and traditional logistics e-logistics and traditional logistics’ biggest difference is in the information use. In traditional logistics, the information in different member or different departments . The information transparency, timelin ess and low cost. E-logistics advantage is internet technology to form a comprehensive logistics information management system. [pic] By comparison. The E-logistics specialization , especially in information processing technology, to really uses’ the integrated value of the logistics information .Transparency of information enabling customers to their own logistics information processing according to the needs of their own personalized anytime, anywhere . The continuity of logistics information to further optimize the development of the logistics of the enterprise . 4. example 7 – Eleven convenience store is now the world's largest retail network operators and is recognized as a model of convenience stores in the world.In addition to its advanced management and brand marketing to support its rapid development , another important factor is the strong rear logistics support system. 7-11 is a shop in the high-density concentration of the specific area strategies and centr alized logistics program . This program each year save 10% of the original price of goods costs. 7-11 chain is generally only 100 – 200 square meters size, has provide 2000 – 3000 kinds of food . There are food from different suppliers. Each food shortage or surplus .Transport and storage requirements are also different . at any time according to the different needs of the customer can adjust the variety of goods , all the requirements of high demands to the logistics chain. Regional centralization strategy is relatively concentrated in a certain area to open more stores and shops to be in this region reach a certain number , and then gradually extended to build stores in areas . The distribution center has a computer network distribution system, connected with suppliers and 7-11 stores .In order to ensure constant goods distribution centers will generally retain about four days of inventory based on past experience . At the same time , the center's computer system rec eive periodic inventory report every day for various shops and goods report . The distribution center focus of these reports analysis , and finally form a picture of the orders issued to different vendors , computer network to the provider , the supplier will be scheduled within center delivery of goods . -11 distribution centers in receipt of all goods , respectively, packaged goods to various shops , waiting to be sent,The next morning, the delivery vehicle will be filed out from the distribution center , select road delivery to shops in their area . The entire distribution process daily cycle. 7-11 can keep track of goods in transit , inventory, goods , and other data , additional information on the financial information and suppliers can grip into the hands of these data are crucial for a retail business . -11 currently has achieved worldwide at different temperatures with the distribution system, and set a different distribution of temperature for different categories of goods. In addition to the distribution equipment , food distribution time and frequency will have different requirements . For food there are special requirements , such as ice cream , 7- 11 bypass distribution centers, delivery vehicles early in the evening three times directly from the manufacturer, the door pulled the various shops .Implemented for the general commodities 7-11 is the distribution system three times a day , 3:00 am to 7:00 distribution the day before the evening production of food products in general , from 8:00 am to 11:00 distribution the night before the production of special foods such as milk , fresh vegetables also belong , 15:00 to 6:00 the morning of delivery the same day the production of food , such day , the distribution frequency of three times to ensure the store does not stock the same time , to ensure the freshness of food .In order to ensure that the supplier of each store ‘s foolproof , distribution center , a special distribution system and the d istribution of three times a day with . Each store will be met at any time some special cases resulting in out of stock , and then only to an emergency call to the distribution center , distribution center will be the safety stock to store emergency delivery, safety stock have been exhausted , the center turned to supply emergency cargo , and sent to the shortage of shops in the hands for the first time . -11 have been able to give full play to the characteristics and advantages of the e-logistics , they are able to in-depth understanding of marketing strategies. 5. convlusion Through research I found that the electronic logistics in Europe and the United States and Japan and South Korea and other developed economies has been more widely used, particularly , with the development of electronic commerce , e-logistics development trend . Third-party logistics development in this direction .

Friday, August 30, 2019

Macpac

Introduction: Strategy is concerned with an organisations basic directions for the future,its purpose,ambition,resources and how it interacts with the world in which it operates(Lynch. R,p5 2003),thus it can be seen that there area number of techniques or ways in which the company can use these to achieve its goals and objectives,the purpose of this case study is to study the techniques used by MacPac to achieve its growth /achievement,the reasons for the losses suffered by MacPac and the steps taken to address these losses as well as an insight of MacPac’s current situation.Reasons for MacPac’s initial international success Macpac Attained a lot of success after the year of its establishment especially in the international markets, thereare a number of reason for MacPac international success, these can be summarized as: One of the basic reasons for MacPac’s international success was there Value Added or differentiated strategy ,According to which a company seeks to provide products or services unique or different from those of competitors ,The value added by the uniqueness of the product may allow the firm to charge a premium price for it(Johnson.G,Scholes. K, p322 2002). Macpac provided products which were unique than its competitors with high quality but with high price, Macpac followed this strategy to target those tampers to whom quality meant everything even though the price was high. Another Reason for MacPac’s initial international success was its Resource strategy: According to which recourses of any organisation include human resource skills, investment and capital (Lynch.R,p9 3rd ed),MacPac introduced communication audit within its organisation to develop a highly communicative environment and thus increasing its efficiency, it introduced high performance appraisalwithin itsorganisation, MacPac, with the recruitment of productivity consultants the production started to go smoothly and with reduction of labor cost from 25% to 14%, MacPac introduced the concept of profit sharing and introduced team building and performance as team.MacPac’s initial success can also be attributed to its Total Quality Management, Total Quality Management Deals with maintaining a particular standard for quality. MacPac always focused on quality, quality was their main objective they believed in total quality management, they provided products of high quality which were never before introduced by any other organisation, no other organisation focused so much on total quality management as MacPac did, MacPac did not believe in marketing but believed that it had to be true to its quality.Macpac also increased its quality by introducing accounting processes and computer systems. MacPac also introduced product refinements within its organisation leading to high quality products which no one else could match at that time. Unique Resources: Uniqueresources are the resources which critically underpin competitive advantage, t his unique recourses in case of MacPac was its location in new Zealand, new Zealand was considered heaven for adventure sports at that time and MacPac gears were made in consideration of the terrains of the new Zealand, which set a standard in itself for outdoor gear.Knowledge: Knowledge is the awareness ,consciousness or familiarity gained by experience or learning(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p150). Being a keen tamper himselfMacintyre had the experience of what a keep tamper wants. Critical Success Factor: are those product features that are particularly valued bya group of customers and where the organisation must excel to outperform competition(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p150),the critical success factor in case of Macintyre was the quality and design of its products.Product Development: It is where organisation delivers modifies or new products to the existing market (Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,2002,p368) Joint Development: when two or more organisations share resources and activitie s to pursue a strategy(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p378). Merging with wilderness meant that it was the first brand to offer wide range of products under one name. Market Development: when the organisation offers new products in new markets(Jhonson. G,Scholes.K 2002 p370) , MacPac was also successful because it followed a strict Selling Strategy to its customers, it started to sell its product direct to the retailers and removing the agents and it redesigned itself for particular markets, removing agents meant that MacPaccould now get in touch directly with the retailers and get information regarding customers likes and dislikes and as such producing according to that Macpac also followed Focus Strategy in which a company focuses on a particular segment of buyers within an industry (p205 3rd ed),MacPac mainly focused on hardcore and keen tampers who only wanted the best outdoor equipment for outdoor activities, the buyers who could trust MacPac gear when they were on outdoor adventur es. Macpac greatly believed in Innovation andDesign was completely dedicated to innovations and new designs leading to new products and development in the existing of the existing product which greatly contributed to its success internationally as with innovation it was able to manufacture products which were new to the customers and they were more then willing to buy them as they had never seen those products before.Macpac also educated his customers with Catalogue’s which displayed all the MacPac’s products, and giving the customers a wide range to choose from, These catalogue’s were placed in retail stores which sold MacPac products Reasons For the losses MacPac incurred during 2001-2005 Macpac although Did Great during the initial years and succeed in establishing it brand internationally,it suffered huge losses during the years 2001-2005 the main reasons for the losses that MacPac incurred during this phase can be explained using PESTFramework PEST analysis identifies environmental factors into 4 major types, Political, Economical, Social, Technological. (Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,p82 1993) Political: One of the main reason for MacPac’s loss was the event of 9/11.MacPac’s sales dropped rapidly, because American economy trembled due to this and as America was the financial hub of the world, every other economy faced the same situation as a result the value for new Zealand dollar decreased considerably resulting in the decreased exports of MacPac, also the event of 9/11 some how brought the whole economy into a financialcrunch and as such demand for products decreased and people spend very less which had obvious effect on MacPac. Political: Post 9/11 the political situation trembled all over the world and as such there was political in stability which had obvious effects on MacPac’s process and contributed to its loss. Government were now more concerned about the safety of the people and the people too preferred their o wn safety. Going out seemed to be less safe as such contributed to MacPac’s loss Social: Post 9/11 the behavior of the people had changed people now had a different attitude towards outdoor activities and the industry was changing from hardcore outdoor activities towards more softer activities and were more focused on fashion, later the fashion part ook over and people now stopped doing adventurous activities and preferred to stay at their homes as a result less people bought Outdoor Adventure Equipment, all this had a great effect on MacPac’s progress and as a result it suffered losses. Economical: With the event of 9/11 the attitude of people had some how changed people now were not ready to pay for high quality costly products but preferred Low quality and elite products, MacPac which always considered quality as their objective and had high quality products could not cope up with the change as such had to suffer losses. Technological: with the shift in peopleâ€⠄¢s behavior from hardcore to soft and finally fashion oriented, required new technology which MacPac did not have and may be one of the reasons for its loss.Other reasons: The main reason for MacPac’s loss during 2001-2005 was their low Budgeting strategy and could not tackle changing trend of the people, It had low logistic management, and were less automated. Critical Issues That Macpac Is facing: Although With the introduction of the New Business Model Macpac has got on the track and recovered from the losses it suffered in 2001-2005, thecompany still faces a greater number of issues which the company has to address, the issues that MacPac faces now can be summarized as under Threat Of entry Threat of entry to an industry will depend on the extend to which there are barriers to entry (Johnson. G,Scholes. K,1997,p108).As it is seen that MacPac entered the outdoor equipment industry easily and without much trouble showing that there was probably no barriers or less Barriers to enter this industry, as such showing that anybody could enter the industry posing a serious issue for Macpac. Also aswith the increase in globalizationnew Manufacturers can now enter any industry and as such can enter will the outdoor equipment industryaswell, posing a serious problem to MacPac Threat Of substitutes: The availability of substitute’s can place a ceiling on the price of a companies product and reduce its attractiveness(Johnson. G,Scholes. K,1997,p109), and with the outdoor equipment industry growing and newer and newer manufacturers entering into the market and producing products of their own which will be sometimes cheaper then the MacPac or even better then the MacPac.MacPac will have to address this issue andit is a serious problem for it Competitive Rivalry: The most competitive condition are those in which the entry is likely, substitutes ,threats and buyer supplier exercise power/Control and as the current outdoor equipment industry in increasing in t he number of competitors there is increase in the number of substitute’s available to the buyer creating rivalry between MacPac and its competitors to sell their products more,Macpac’s competitors will often find ways to outrun Macpac by offering better benefits to buyers or else reducing the prices of their products,which will be harmful to MacPac. Thus creating a issue which MacPac faces now. Maintaining Level Of Quality:With the outsourcing to Asia Macpac faces the problem of maintain the quality of their products, as the main idea of MacPac to outsource to Asia was to reduce the cost andMacPacbelieves that the buyers can never know where the product is made, as such he has to make to has to maintain the quality of its product to the quality and the standard of the products manufactured in new Zealand and USA,if MacPac Fails to maintain the quality standard then it will lose it brand image which will result in losing customers. Outsourcing: outsourcing occurs when a n organisation decides to buy in products and services that were previously produced in-home(Jhonson. G,Scholes. k,2002,p450),but outsourcing requires managers to be more competent at maintaining the performance ,they suppliers or distributer need to educated regularly about the organizational goals ,priorties and standards,thus increasing the cost without the guarantee that the supplier will full understand what was taught to him,thus putting the image and resources of the company at risk.Resource Management: With MacPac becoming from just a New Zealand Company to a global one it will require effective management of its resources as well as Finance/wealth Management. MacPac’s Business Model: After suffering huge losses during 2001-2005, MacPac had to redesign its business structure in order to avoid any further losses but they did this not ahead enough, had they developed this model before chances are that they would have avoided the losses which they suffered during 2001-20 05. Macpac developed a business model that stabilized their position and saved them from suffering any further losses. MacPac changed their business model to a formal structure.Formal Structure: A formal structure is based on the primary activities that have to be undertaken by an organisation such as production, finance and accounting, marketing ,human resource and information management(Johnson G Scholes. k 2002 p 422) Financial Control: In financial control the role of the center is to set financial targets, allocate resources, appraise performance and intervene or correct poor performance(Jhonson. G,Scholes. K 2002 p448),Macpac also introduced finance management strategy and did not pay until the finished goods were supplied and as such did not have the burden of surplus stock kept as final goods, Macpac basically introduced a finance management strategy which saved them cost and other expenditure incurred previously.Human Resource Management:organisations which successfully man ages change are those which have integrated their human resource management policies with their strategies (Jhonson. G,Scholes. K,1993 p416). Macpac developed a new resource strategy and started to recruited people who love outdoor activities and as well used MacPac’s products as a result they brought an un inevitable expertise, it helped MacPac to spend less on the training of its employees as they already new a lot about it products, MacPac also hired a new CEO who could Created a strategy that could get MacPac out of loss. Technology/Information management: Knowledge creation and information managementare issues at the front of managers minds as a potential source of improved competitiveness. (Jhonson. G, Scholes. k, 2002,p490).MacPac also stared to send the designs electronically as such reducing its overall cost that were not covered in previous business model,MacPac also used automatic machinery and increased its workforce The Main change was to shift the attention from innovation and design but to introduce a wide range of products Logistics Strategy Before 2001 MacPac had not focused on logistic management but in the new business model they designed a strategy to manage and increase its logistics, and as such MacPac increased its logistic staff from 0 to 3 persons MacPac also introduced sales strategy by increasing its sales force to double to reduce its chances of loss again and thus increase it sales MacPac also introduced the budgeting strategy in its new business model and revises its current bonus system Increased offshoring to become a global company Macpac also sought supplier’s recommendations and that of its competitors too; RecommendationsIt is seen that MacPac faced a number of problems after its establishment, these problems occurred especially when MacPac entered international market, and it continued to suffer losses even after the implementation of the new business model which only worked after few years of its implementati on. Companyas such for a company like Macpac which experienced many difficulties and issues, the following recommendations are given. 1. In aspect to marketing proper marketing should have been done and proper research should have been done, forecasting of the market should also been done, and all the aspects of starting a business should been taken into considerationdevising any strategy or plan. 2. Proper Budgeting and financing strategy should have been adopted to meet the requirements of the organisation and at proper times 3.Proper allocation of resources should have been done, along with proper market research been done so that the company could read the market trends and adjust accordingly. The organisation should have been more flexible and more goals oriented 4. Goal and objectives of the organisation should have been clearly set forward with clear objective of what the company needed from its employees and where it wanted to be after a particular period of time 4. Consider the use of strategic management. One of the advantages of strategic management is it enables a firm to proficiently identify how a certain organisation should deploy its resources in the environment and adapts the organisation to satisfy the long-term objectives of the firm. It is important to note that strategic management deals with several time spans.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 30

Economics - Essay Example were considered â€Å"too-large-to-fail† (reference?)because of the substantial public interest involved in their continued operation, and thus it was generally taken for granted that government will bail them out. Coupled with this is the â€Å"shift towards more self-regulatory rules that permitted US investment banks to increase leverage and reduce diversification under pressure of competition† (Coffee, 2009, p.1). No reference â€Å"functional regulators† or is there no need to? GAO is the source of the phrase. Its inclusion within the same sentence as having expressed the idea, then followed by another citation at the end of the paragraph, are sufficient. A concern expressed by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) is that while the different activities were allowed within the same bank, they remained subject to â€Å"functional regulators† (***reference***)where federal authorities (such as the SEC or CFTC) had jurisdiction over specific financial products or services. This resulted in multiple regulators overseeing different business lines within a single institution, and obscured the lines demarcating their areas and making regulation more difficult (US GAO, 2009). Should Clarification on Dodd be made? Or there is no need to? Well, this is the only bill currently passing Congres. Having to clarify it will waste wordcount which we don’t have. I’ll just replace Dodd with the word â€Å"proposed†. In the US, the origin of the 2008 subprime market crisis, reforms being sought are incorporated in the Dodd(?)banking reform bill that has been passed by the House of Representatives and which is being considered in the Senate. is there grammar correct on the following? Yes, these are parts of an enumeration. We could put them as bulleted phrases, but some profs don’t want the paragraph form disturbed in the case of essays, so they don’t want bulleting. Reference for Keynesian and Hayek ? Keynesian and Hayek are staple cornerstone theories, named

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Kerala tourism board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kerala tourism board - Essay Example India, was a tourism destination well known for taj mahal, fatehpur sakri of agra, the Rajasthan palaces as these attractions were maintained to partially towards enthralling the tourist who comes to India. Tourists started searching for something different other than this conventional heritage destinations and Kerala tourism board has shown an alternative for this cause with their vibrant features showcasing Kerala in par with Bali of Indonesia. "We placed less emphasis on comfort, more on environment, experiencing local culture, cuisine, cuisine, history and the way of life of local people" says Jose Dominic ,M.D ,KTDC .The statement was an applied absolutely in practical and due to this uniqueness it was placed at a distinctive level in the tourism map of the world. Taj group of hotels, the "CGH earth2" was instrumental in giving tourism in Kerala a corporate look. It mobilized the business travelers to choose Kerala as a viable destination for both business and leisure. Thus taj group of hotels played in promoting tourism in Kerala .The stark communications pvt ltd; a thiruvananthapuram based communication agency was successful in promoting Kerala as an important tourist destination. The stark communications adopted a variety of marketing mix and actively projected Kerala in various international tourism fairs and campaigns.2Weakness Red tapism and bureaucracy. Lack Integration between various government departments. Lack of adequate infrastructure. Lack of night life. Beverage costs are high. Lack of proper air connectivity. Lack of proper waste management systems. Lack of professional expertise High service charges. Lack of good shopping facilities at tourist attractions. Lack of train connectivity. India being a democratic country, the bureaucracy existed in every part of the governance in most of the states. The developments initiation and implementation is an uphill task the file has to fallow a long hierarchy in various departments. By the time the project initiates the investments costs rises. The service charges on various facilities like river cruises, the accommodation were high. There is no adequate connectivity through train routes as the train route is concentrated along the major cities but not to the tourist destinations in specific. Night life can be seen in five stat hotels only in selected destinations, as this option was not provided due it relevance to eruption of violence at night time .Kerala is not well connected through air route, international tourists has to land at the metro cities like Chennai ,Mumbai ,Delhi. The excise duties are very enough than the other neighboring states Opportunities Heritage tourism: Vast

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Discuss the contention that rural spaces in the global north have Essay

Discuss the contention that rural spaces in the global north have become landscapes of consumption, rather than traditional landscapes of production - Essay Example duction thesis with reference to the concrete background of the wider changes taking place in the rural spaces of the global north in general and the countryside of the UK in particular. The means livelihood of the rural population in the developed world has substantially altered by the forces of globalisation and corresponding integration of the world economy. The migration of the urban workers who are however embedded in the urban lifestyles and cultures, to the rural areas is one of the primary factors that bring consumerist culture into the countryside. Cloke et.al asserts that â€Å"consumption demands are the driving force of change in the countryside and its rural economy† (Cloke et.al. 2006. p.125). Also, the market for rural amenity products has strengthened in an unprecedented manner along with the global intensification of the market network which is intensified by the free market policies of the governments in the Global North. Traditionally, agriculture has been the stronghold of the rural economy even in the advanced countries. Even in countries like the UK, agriculture and related businesses was the mainstay of the rural economy. However, the reality is that, historically speaking, rural economy was not constituted by agriculture alone as it is misconceived by many. A variety of economic functions had been taking place on the rural spaces for time immemorial. From 18th century onwards, Woods (2005) indicates that urban wealth and capital has been exported to rural areas, which is capable of altering the rural geography in a high pace. Landowners in the rural areas used to use their land for non-agricultural purposes such as hunting, entertainment and timber sale. The particularities of the World War II situation were the factors that laid heavy impact on the agricultural production in the rural areas. The amenity lobby too emerged following the profound changes brought about by World War II. The fact is that productive jobs have paved way for

Monday, August 26, 2019

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Employment Law - Essay Example Theopopolous. In addition the respondent has failed to abide by the statutory requirements pertinent to employment conduct and employment termination procedures. Originally, discrimination under the RRA 1976 can be committed in three ways: direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimisation. The primary distinction among the three is that in direct discrimination it is the respondent which treats the complainant comparatively less than the others by reason of the latter’s racial or ethnic origin, in indirect discrimination, it is the condition or requirement which becomes the tool of discrimination because such condition cannot be complied with by the complainant by reason of his racial or ethnical custom and beliefs, and in victimisation, the discrimination occurs after the complainant has filed a case of discrimination or done any other previous act testifying or informing others of such discriminatory practices by the employer (Race Relations Act 19976). In 2003 however, the RRA 1976 was amended to include another category – harassment – now integrated into the law as Section 3A. The said section states: The case of Gravell v London Borough of Bexley, [2007] UKEAT 0587_06_0203 which treats of racial discrimination in employment through harassment finds parallelism in the present case. The case was an appeal for a review of a part of a decision of the lower employment tribunal which struck out two specific allegations of the complainant: first, the policy of the respondent employer not to challenge racist comments, and; second, the failure of the respondent employer to correct the racial harassments made by her co-employer through test messages even though she specifically brought them to its attention. The lower tribunal’s rationale for its decision was that the allegations did not have much chance of success in the light of the obiter dictum made by the House of Lords in the case of Pearce v The Governing Body

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Provide Information about Shadowing Experience of a Nurse Practitioner Essay

Provide Information about Shadowing Experience of a Nurse Practitioner in a Primary Care Physician Office - Essay Example This paper will explain the shadowing experience of a nurse practitioner in a primary care physician’s office. The care provided by nurse practitioners significantly varies from one country to another. The Pearson Report contains all the duties that are supposed to be performed by nurse practitioners. Further analysis also proves that nurse practitioners can perform several duties in different institutions including health centers, nursing homes, unique clinics and learning institutions (Buppert, 2003). Furthermore, nurse practitioners are licensed after completing the practitioner’s program. Advancements in the discipline of nursing began in the mid-20th century. Research asserts that most of the changes in the field of nursing were implemented in this era. The office of primary care was set up in order to improve the accessibility, availability and value of care to individuals of a certain area. The primary care offices are liable for supplying primary care providers in various countries. In most states, the primary care unit has established a work plan that is designed to augment the supply of primary care physicians in order to meet the health care requirements. This work plan also entails the training programs which are employed in primary care, the primary care shadowing program and elective chances in primary care. The work plan also deals with the development of incentives for primary care. Such incentives include increasing the salaries of the primary care specialists and loan repayment factors (Buppert, 2003). Most health care companies prefer nurse practitioners who have significant physician assistant shadowing. Most health care experts usually undergo a shadowing experience which involves primary care. According to statistics in different countries, majority of patients originate from low and middle income populations. For example, in South Africa, most of the patients originate from the middle-class individuals; therefore, the primar y care centers in such regions employ many health care professionals (Buppert, 2003). In the past, health care students mostly participated in various projects, which were considered as voluntary actions (Buppert, 2003). These projects were executed because the profession of nursing practitioners is regulated by the country. In the recent past, it was reported that there is a shortage of primary care physicians in most of the health centers globally. In fact, most individuals developed the idea of substituting the primary care providers with nurse practitioners. To some extent, the nurses are able to act as substitutes for primary care providers since, they are quite learned. The primary care givers are responsible for the provision of several functions in health care. Some of the tasks performed by the primary care givers include; accessing the medical needs of the patients and comprehensive care of patients. Primary care physicians account to around 50% of the annual office visits that are made by physicians (Wexler, 2010). In fact, the primary care physicians are the only individuals who are able to provide proper health care that addresses a majority of the patients. This form of care has substantially yielded sustained partnership within community members and patients. Utilization of the primary care services has also reduced mortality and morbidity rates. These factors prove that primary care serv

Saturday, August 24, 2019

One of the Major EA Frameworks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

One of the Major EA Frameworks - Essay Example to the Zachman Framework is that the same composite issue or item can be explained for diverse reasons in diverse ways using diverse types of descriptions. These descriptions can be for instance textual or graphical (Goldberg, 2008). The Zachman Framework gives the thirty six essential categories for wholly describing everything; especially complex issues such as manufactured products like appliances, constructed structures like buildings and enterprises like the associations and all of its technologies, people and goals. The framework gives six diverse transformations of a theoretical thought, not growing in factors, but transforming from six diverse views. It permits diverse individuals to look at similar issues from diverse views. This sets a holistic perspective of the atmosphere, a vital capability illustrated in the framework design (Goldberg, 2008). In 2001, the Zachman Framework was employed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA). The required methodology in all aspects of the VA enterprises varied from data, business processes, location, technical, personnel and perspective requirements. At the beginning of the 21st century, the Department of Veterans Affairs planned to execute an architectural project fully based on the Zachman Framework. In 2001, this Framework was used as a reference replica to commence the enterprise architectural planning. Somewhere in between, the Veterans Affair Zachman Framework Portal was created. In addition, the Veterans Affair Framework Portal is still in use as a reference replica for instance in the determination of EA information collected from various businesses and project source documents (Donald 2008). The Zachman Framework has vastly been used as a means of providing structures for Information... This paper researches on Zachman Framework and explains its strengths and weaknesses. The researcher of this essay also includes the framework’s purpose, scope, principles, and the kinds of structures it uses, as appropriate to the framework. The essay also aims to include at least two examples of organizations that have used the framework and briefly discuss them. Views give the mechanism of obtaining information concerning the relationships that are vital in the architecture. Methods state the individuals who organize and gather information. They build the views in a means that helps guarantee the accuracy, integrity and completeness. Experience and training sustains the application of tools and use of varying methods. The Zachman Framework is an EA framework for enterprise architecture. It provides an official and greatly planned way of presenting and defining an enterprise. It has two dimensional sorting matrix based on the connection of six communication phrases. These ph rases are what, why, when, where, how and who with six rows with an agreement to rectify changes. The Zachman Framework is not a methodology. This is because it does not entail any specified process or method of collection, management, or using the data that it explains. This framework is named after its designer John Zachman, who developed the impression in the 80s at IBM. By applying the Zachman Framework to Service Oriented Architecture, the SO architect creates a framework for accepting the connection among the diverse elements of a successful SOA.

Implement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Implement - Assignment Example The facilitators will be two so that one can compliment in the absence of the other. The facilitators should be either a professors or associates and below the merit cannot be allowed to perform the facilitation process. The description on the place and the time the event should take place is critical for the planning process. The lesson should take place in the lecture halls during their respective time in the timetables. Each module should be facilitated concerning the daily stipulations in order to provide equal time for other subjects. The scheduling of all the modules with respect to one another allows for the effective functionality of all the facilitators to avert the possible clashes. The venues might clash due to the scheduling of two nodules at one venue at the same time. The course is named module number of identification and the module name are essential. The course prerequisite demands an understanding of the previous connections to the module. The facilitator should fill the form to confirm the understanding on the pre requisite to the targeted knowledge. The teachers should assume the students dockets to realize the essence of administering their services in serious modes. The teachers thinking in the students perspectives would be capable of providing the services as per the student demands. The students would require the service delivery that fosters greater understanding amongst them. The teachers should also imitate the facilitators’ purposes. The assumption of the facilitator tasks would imply the employment of the facilitators techniques. The facilitators would always employ the technique of tackling the questions as raised by the students. The immediate answers on the inquiries by the students assist in creating a credible flow of ideas amongst the students. Therefore, the students can obtain distinct understanding because they

Friday, August 23, 2019

Discussion #4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion #4 - Assignment Example Rather, many fugitives using the underground railroad had to travel by foot from one safe house to the another until they reached a free states. The fugitives faced great dangers from the slave catchers and their masters. If they were caught using the underground railroad, they would have been subjected to the worst punishment including being killed. Also the fugitives often had to travel without food. The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 also posed problems for these fugitives since they could forced to return to their master even if they were living in a free state. Despite this, slaves continued to use the underground railroad to escape. This lessened the control and power the slave masters had over their slaves. Also many of the slaves who were again to gain freedom returned to the become the voice of the oppressed. They actively protested against slavery and pressed for the abolition of slavery. These slavery were able to gain the sympathy of many white Americans who joined in with the protest to give more weight to the cause. The Underground Railroad eventually freed enough slaves to begin a civil unrest movement in the United States. It was the white Americans, seeing the conditions of the slaves, who pushed the civil war in the country. The Underground Railroad also helped in the abolition of slavery because it allowed the protestors to come together and work as a group. This group, over the course of time, became more optimistic towards the cause. By helping free thousands of slaves each year, this group was able to gain strength and fight more actively for the abolition of slavery. Also the underground railroad was responsible for the establishment of many anti-slavery organizations including the American Anti-Slavery Society. These society kept the spirit of anti-slavery active amongst its members through different publications including essays, poems and even illustrations. Many of the slaves who gained freedom also actively began their

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Various Definitions of Hegemony and Pax Americana Essay Example for Free

Various Definitions of Hegemony and Pax Americana Essay The politics of hegemony is an important area of political science. During the Pax Americana period – that is, after WWII – the United States is known to have helped the world establish economic order (Samuelson, 2006, p. A31). Moreover, the U. S. is known to have assisted other countries with economic aid and in reconstruction efforts, for example, with the well-known Marshall Plan (Hogan, 1989, p. 1-25). Heardon (2002) describes the United States as an architect of a new world order during the Second World War. Hence, it is important to comprehend the power of the U. S. in the light of various definitions of hegemony. The word, ‘hegemony,’ is known to have its roots in the Greek verb, â€Å"hegeisthai,† meaning â€Å"to lead† (â€Å"What is Hegemony,† 2007). In the ancient Greek civilization the term applied to leaders that were able to influence and exert a tremendous amount of control over groups of people. The hegemons had to be supported by at least one dominant group so as to keep the common people from rebelling against established leaders (â€Å"What is Hegemony†). Watson (2002) refers to two meanings of hegemony in International Relations: â€Å"One has to do with the distribution of power in a system. Not merely military force, but also technical and financial strength. The other meaning is the dominance of a particular idea or set of assumptions, such as economic liberalism and globalization (p. 1). † Certainly the second definition of hegemony in International Relations cannot be applied to a country that influences other countries, for example, the United States since the beginning of the Pax Americana period. The first definition of hegemony in International Relations, on the other hand, may aptly describe the power of the British Empire in the mid-nineteenth century, and of the United States during the period known as Pax Americana (Pigman, 1997, p. 186). Watson writes that the first definition is a â€Å"material condition† enabling a â€Å"great power, or a group of powers, or the great powers in a system acting collectively, to bring such great pressures and inducements to bear that most other states lose some of their freedom of action de facto, though not de jure (p. 1). † Also according to the author, the Western world’s hegemony in our times, and especially that of the United States, has aimed to alter the â€Å"internal behaviour† of other countries as well as societies (Watson, p. 1). The implications of change of â€Å"internal behaviour† induced by powerful countries combine the two definitions of hegemony in International Relations (Watson, p. 1). As an example, if the Western world, and especially the United States, manages to convert a large number of countries into believers in economic liberalism as well as globalization – these ideas proposed by hegemonic societies would be considered the dominant ones. Likewise, the Western world has its own ideas about human rights in addition the environment and the â€Å"standards of civilization,† which happen to be prominent today seeing that the world media is by and large controlled by the Western civilization (Watson, p. 1). All the same, the world at large has not adopted these ideas as their own, which suggests that the second definition of hegemony in International Relations cannot really be applied in our time. According to Ferguson (2003), hegemony of the United States during the period referred to as Pax Americana was based on four pillars. The first pillar was entirely economic, as the economy of the United States outperformed most of its competitors in the twentieth century. The second pillar of U. S. hegemony related to the country’s â€Å"power to advance multilateral, mutually balanced tariff reductions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (later the World Trade Organization) (Ferguson). † During the Kennedy Round negotiations of 1967, reductions in tariffs were achieved mainly due to pressures from the United States (Beck, 1970, p. 33-36). Pressures were exerted through â€Å"conditionality,† that is, the terms that the International Monetary Fund, based in Washington D. C. , applied to grant loans (Ferguson). The third pillar of U. S. hegemony may be understood by the way the U. S. dollar was presented by the U. S. government as a â€Å"key currency,† both â€Å"before and after the breakdown of the Bretton Woods institutions (Ferguson). † This allowed the U. S. to be â€Å"less restrained† than other nations as far as foreign investment and strategic policymaking were concerned (Ferguson). Subsequently, the world experienced the hegemony of the U. S. dollar, granting extensive privileges unto the United States (Ferguson; Paul, 2006). The fourth pillar, according to Ferguson, was the maintenance of hegemony by the United States through its ability to formally constitute an â€Å"alliance of states† – in other words, NATO – which was committed to the â€Å"containment of two rival superpowers (Ferguson). † In fact, the chief responsibility assumed by NATO has been to secure Europe and the United States against military attacks (â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions,† 2008). If we were to believe that Pax Americana continues to this day, the conventional definition of hegemony in International Relations is enough to help us understand the period since 1945. After all, the United States has maintained its leadership position among the countries of the world by using its military power as well as economic and technological strength, despite the fact that its use of military force has been disapproved by many nations. (The very meaning of ‘Pax’ is ‘Peace’). Furthermore, even the recession of 2008 has not given the world a new leader dethroning the United States. Noam Chomsky believes that the current recession is not expected to end U. S. hegemony in any case (Rattansi, 2008). All the same, Antonio Gramsci’s definition of hegemony cannot explain the position of the U. S. from 1945 to 2008, seeing that this definition may only describe a leading nation that is respected by the subordinate groups for all its decisions (â€Å"Hegemony in Gramsci’s Original Prison Notebooks†). The fact that the United States’ decisions during the Vietnam War were not supported by the American public and the world at large confirm Wallerstein’s (2002) hypothesis that Pax Americana must have ended during the Vietnam War. Foster McChesney (2004) write that the end of the Vietnam War was the time when the mask of the American Empire was lifted. The period called Pax Americana was â€Å"revealed as imperialism pure and simple (Foster McChesney). † This is because the president of the United States could no longer explain the foreign policy of his nation as based on the â€Å"liberation of man† and the â€Å"survival of liberty (Foster McChesney). † Hence, Gramsci’s definition of Pax Americana may only explain the period between 1945 and the Vietnam War, when the United States was considered a helper and facilitator rather than a hostile imperialist nation. According to Gramsci, hegemony refers to political power flowing from moral, intellectual and political leadership as well as consensus or authority instead of military force. Thus, a ruling class may form as well as maintain hegemony in a civil society by the creation of political and cultural consensus using political parties, unions, media, schools, the church, and various other kinds of voluntary organizations that exercise hegemony over social groups in addition to â€Å"allied classes (Hainsworth, 2000). † These organizations of persons, the media, as well as information that flows from them control the behaviour and thinking of the people by presenting them with â€Å"dominant ideologies,† thereby creating â€Å"a state of domination (Hainsworth). † Moreover, the leading class may hold greater power over the people than the government, according to Gramsci. Besides, all decisions made by the leading class must be democratic in nature. In particular, the subordinate groups should agree with the leading class in matters of economic development as well as legislation, seeing that the people are significantly affected by decisions in these areas. The leading class is allowed by the people to use force against hostile groups. Just the same the force used by the leading class should not exceed the consent of the people (â€Å"Hegemony in Gramsci’s Original Prison Notebooks†). The work of the United States during the period, 1945 to the Vietnam War, may definitely be understood in the light of Gramsci’s definition of hegemony. U. S. financiers and corporations along with the U. S. government formed the leading class, with the financiers and corporations playing a major role and the government simply voicing their interests through new plans and negotiations with the rest of the world. The role played by the U. S. government on behalf of the ruling class, that is, the financiers and corporations, is comparable to the present role of the media. All the same, it is obvious that the functions of the United States during Pax Americana – if it is believed to be the period, 1945-Vietnam War – were entirely democratic. As a matter of fact, the ideologies of the United States during this period were almost entirely accepted by the rest of the world. The U. S. continued to foster enmity with the Soviet Union. Even so, the subordinate groups did not disagree with this stance of the United States. As the U. S. promoted anticommunist ideologies, subordinate classes preferred them to communist ideologies. Thus, the United States had managed to dominate almost the entire world with its moral, intellectual, and political ideologies. References Beck, R. H. (1970). The Changing Structure of Europe: Economic, Social, and Political Trends. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Ferguson, N. (2003, Sep-Oct). Hegemony or Empire? Foreign Affairs. Foster, J. B. , McChesney, R. W. (2004, Sep). The American Empire: Pax Americana or Pox Americana. Monthly Review. Frequently Asked Questions. (2008, Jun 11). North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Retrieved Dec 10, 2008, from http://www. nato. int/issues/faq/index. html. Hainsworth, S. (2000, May 17). Gramsci’s Hegemony Theory and the Ideological Role of the Mass Media. Retrieved Dec 10, 2008, from http://www. cultsock. ndirect. co. uk/MUHome/cshtml/contributions/gramsci2. html. Hearden, P. J. (2002). Architects of Globalism: Building a New World Order during World War II. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. Hegemony in Gramsci’s Original Prison Notebooks. Retrieved Dec 10, 2008, from http://socserv2. mcmaster. ca/soc/courses/soc2r3/gramsci/gramheg. htm.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The concept of technical and allocative efficiency

The concept of technical and allocative efficiency Technical Efficiency- Basic Concept The term Technical Efficiency was first used by M. J. Farrell in 1957 in his seminal paper and differentiated and disaggregated economic efficiency into two components i.e. technical efficiency and allocative efficiency. Coelli et al. (1999) define technical efficiency as the maximum achievable output from a given set of inputs and existing technology (Coelli, Rao, Battese, 1999). It has been also defined as the ratio of actual output and potential output of a farm unit i.e. In this sense TE refers to the manner in which the inputs or production resources are used. By this definition it is more closely associated with the techniques of framing or understanding of technology and deals with the behavior of how to produce an optimal level of production regardless of input-output price ratio. Hence, technical efficiency is also equivalent to Agronomic Efficiency. The concept of technical and allocative efficiency can be explained by the help of Figure 2.1 illustrated by Kalirajan and Shand (1999). Theoretically, we assume that all units of production (firm or land) operate at potential frontier production function i.e. the points along the curve FF. Any level of inefficiency with respect to this production function will be purely allocative. The reason may be that the producer has no income to buy inputs or is not willing to spend more for the marginal amount of inputs. Now suppose if the firm operates at point B by using I1 inputs and getting Y1 output. At this point the firm is both technically and allocatively efficient with a maximum profit of à Ã¢â€š ¬1. When the firm operates at Point-A with I2 level of inputs producing Y2 output points, earning à Ã¢â€š ¬2 amount of profit. At this point the firm is technically efficient as it is operating at FF but it is inefficient allocatively. It can improve its profit by à Ã¢â€š ¬2/à Ã¢â€š ¬1 amount. But on real grounds, the units of production operate at less than the level of its potential frontier. The reasons are differe nt technical, socio-economic, bio-physical, organizational and other unknown factors (Ahmed et al., 2002; Ajibefun, 2008; Ozkan et al. (2009)). Thus the firm operates at its actual production function AA below the potential frontier FF. Let us suppose it operates at point C with I2 amount of inputs and producing Y3 yield and earning à Ã¢â€š ¬3 profits. At this point the firm is neither technically nor allocatively efficient. It could maximize its profit to à Ã¢â€š ¬4 levels by operating at point D utilizing I3 inputs and producing Y4 outputs. But on real grounds, the units of production operate at less than the level of its potential frontier. The reasons are different technical, socio-economic, bio-physical, organizational and other unknown factors ( Ahmed et al., 2002; Ajibefun, 2008; Ozkan et al. 2009). Thus the firm operates at its actual production function AA below the potential frontier FF. Let us suppose it operates at point C with I2 amount of inputs and producing Y3 yield and earning à Ã¢â€š ¬3 profits. At this point the firm is neither technically nor allocatively efficient. It could maximize its profit to à Ã¢â€š ¬4 levels by operating at point D utilizing I3 inputs and producing Y4 outputs. Thus it is quite clear from Figure 2.1 that economic inefficiency is composed of two components of technical and allocative inefficiency. The total loss of the firm in profit terms operating at point C is à Ã¢â€š ¬1-à Ã¢â€š ¬3. Within this loss, à Ã¢â€š ¬3-à Ã¢â€š ¬2 and à Ã¢â€š ¬1-à Ã¢â€š ¬2 are the technical and allocative inefficiency losses respectively. The efficiency scenarios in these models explain three reasons of farmers attributes as discussed by Ellis (1988); Farmers desire to maximize profit with less input levels given by yield gap (Y0 Y3). Such behavior is referred as profit maximization behavior. Second reason may be the lack of correct allocation of inputs given by (Y3 Y2), and Farmers failure of operating in the most efficient production function (Y3 Y3). This gap represents technical inefficiency level, and Farmers behavior to reduce his risk instead of maximizing profit. . . . Technical Efficiency- History / Evolution Farrell (1957) is known as the pioneer of efficiency literature when the frontier production model developed by him, in one of his seminal papers, decomposed economic efficiency into two components; i.e. technical and allocative efficiency. He defined TE as the ability of a firm to produce maximum output given a set of inputs under existing technology. Stated differently, technical inefficiency is the failure of attaining the maximum possible level of production given existing resources and technology (Bravo-Ureta Pinheiro, 1993). The adoption of new technologies after green revolution for enhancing farm output has acknowledged special attention as a means to accelerate agriculture development after Schultzs hypothesis that conventional agriculture was fully efficient (Schultz, 1964). The growth performance is not only determined by such technological innovations but also by the efficient management and utilization of such technologies. The importance of efficiency measures as a me ans of nurturing productivity a considerable amount of literature is found focusing on agriculture (Bravo-Ureta Pinheiro, 1993). The efficiency analysis of units of agriculture inputs (land, labour, fertilizer etc.) has always been the focus of a number of studies since early 1960s. Most of the studies have supported Schultzs efficient but poor hypothesis. Theodore Shultz stated this hypothesis in 1964 that The traditional agriculture is fully efficient in the allocation of inputs under an existing technology. The combination of crops being grown, the depth and number of cultivation, time of planting, fertilizing, watering and harvesting, the combination of tools, draft animals and equipment are all made with a fine regard for marginal costs. (Schultz, 1964) Sahota (1968) based on his and many others have supported Schultzs hypothesis in their empirical works. Based on his study in Indian agriculture, Sahota (1968) concludes that the bulk of the evidences appear to support the hypothesis that the resources available to conventional Indian farmers have been, by and large, efficiently allocated (Sahota, 1968). A large number of frontier models were developed based on Farrells work which was than classified into parametric and non-parametric types. Aigner Chu (1968) were the initiators of deterministic parametric approach. They estimated a deterministic production frontier of a Cobb-Douglas type through linear and quadratic programming techniques. Timmer (1971) further developed this procedure by introducing a probabilistic production frontier model. He estimated a series of production frontiers by dropping extreme observations at each stage until the rate of change of parameter estimates stabilizes. These estimators had undefined statistical properties. Another class of frontier models was proposed by Afriat in 1972 known as statistical production frontiers. According to Afriats (1972) model, technical efficiency is a one-sided disturbance term with some explicit assumptions and frontier is estimated by method of maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). On the other hand if the disturbances are based on no a-priori assumptions, then corrected least squares (COLS) method is used to estimate the production frontier by just shifting the frontier upwards covering all negative disturbance terms. In 1977, Aigner et al. (Aigner, Lovell, Schmidt, 1977), and Meeusen and Broeck (1977) independently developed stochastic frontier production model in which the error term was decomposed into two components. A one-sided positive component reflecting inefficiency and a two-sided error component covering measurement errors and the random effects, which are not in control of the producer. Under this model the frontier could be could be estimated either by COLS or MLE. But in 1980, Greene found that the MLE are more efficient than COLS as the former method makes use of special statistical distributions for the disturbance terms e.g. exponential, half-normal or gamma distribution (Greene, 1980). Another mathematical programming method was developed by Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes (CCR) in 1978 which was a generalized form of Farrells (1957) method in terms of multi-input and multi-output vectors. Their method is well known as Data Envelopment Analysis or DEA. But their approach of measuring efficiency confounds the true technical efficiency score with uncontrollable noise (Charnes, Cooper, Rhodes, 1978). Further developments in DEA were incorporated by Varian in 1985. He brought improvements in DEA by treating the deviations as having stochastic characteristics and split them into two components of technical efficiency and random noise (Varian, 1985). The Free Disposal Hull (FDH) model, introduced by Deprins et al. (1984), was originally designed as an alternate to DEA models. In FDH approach only strong (free) disposability of inputs and outputs is assumed by relaxing the convexity assumptions of DEA models. FDH models were initially treated as DEA models under variable returns to scale (VRS). The FDH models are traditionally represented as mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problems. Further extensions in production frontier estimation are multi-equation models based on production, utility, cost or profit function specifications. Such extensions include the work of Kumbhakar (1987); Battese, Coelli and Colby (1989). In the decade of 1990s, the literature on TE expanded with the growing use of Z-variables in the application of Stochastic Frontier Approach (SFA). Previously, researchers used auxiliary or two-step regression on a set of socioeconomic, institutional and policy variables, so-called Z-variates to observe the effect of such variables on TE scores. A new method proposed by Wang and Schmidt allows a one-step procedure for calculation of TE and inspect effects of such Z-variables (Wang Schmidt, 2002). Kalirajan and Obwona (1994) suggested another approach for modeling production behavior and technical efficiency of any production unit, known as Stochastic Varying Coefficient Frontier Approach or SVFA. Under this method, like DEA, the potential output is estimated by allowing TE to vary by each individual input. Thus it makes comparison between firms performances easier in a sample of firms. It also facilitates to identify a benchmark of an excellent performing firm in terms of best practice in a sample (Kalirajan Shand, 1999). A recent approach, different from other sampling theory models, is Bayesian Approach (BA). The approach treats the uncertainty concerning which sampling method to use by mixing over a number of competing a-priori inefficiency distributions with a-posteriori model probabilities as weights. This approach overcomes the criticism of imposing a-priori distributions on disturbance term as in SFA. But in Bayesian Approach, like SFA, the potential output to estimate TE varies over all inputs taken together. It also differentiates random effects and fixed effects issue for panel data (Kalirajan Shand, 1999). Developmetns are being made on the methods to make them more, efficient, flexible, easily computable and more policy oriented. Especially Bayesian and FDH approaches need more modifications and specifications. Efficiency Studies in Developing Countries Agriculture and Associated Factors Here we cite some literature on efficiency estimates in agriculture sector of some developing countries with our main focus being on Pakistan. The findings regarding average efficiency scores and their relationship between different factors are summarized in the following paragraphs. Shapiro (1983) examined TE of Tanzanian cotton farmers using a Cobb-Douglas production frontier. His findings yielded an average TE of 66 percent leading rejection of Schultzs (1964) hypothesis. Balbase and Grabowski (1985) invested TE in Nepalese agriculture. His findings yielded 84 percent and 67 percent TE scores for rice and maize farms respectively. His analysis showed that nutrient levels, farmers education and income were significant factors influencing TE. Kalirajan and Shand (1985) examined TE of paddy farms in Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Their study proved non-formal education as significant positive factor in enhancing efficiency levels of farmers. Ali and Flinn (1989) have used a modified trans-log stochastic profit frontier to investigate profit efficiency of Basmati rice farms in Pakistan. They identify education, credit, late application of fertilizer and water shortage as key factors in profit losses. Ali and Chaudhary (1990) estimated efficiency for 220 farmers in Pakistani Punjab. According to his findings the average technical, allocative and economic efficiency were 84%, 61% and 51% respectively. Hussain (1991) analyzed efficiency in Punjab province of Pakistan. His results showed a TE score ranging from 80 percent for rice region and 87 percent for sugarcane region. Bravo-Ureta and Evenson (1994) analyzed efficiency for 101 cassava and 87 cotton farmers from Eastern Paraguay. His findings showed 58%, 70% and 41% technical, allocative and economic efficiency scores respectively for cotton farmers. Whereas the corresponding figure for cassava growers were 59%, 89% and 52% respectively. His results evidenced farmers age, education, farm size, extension contacts and credit availability as significant factors influencing efficiency level of farmers. Another study conducted by Ali, Parikh and Shah (1994) in NWF province of Pakistan by using both behavioral and stochastic cost frontier functions. Among socioeconomic variables, farmers age, farm size, land fragmentation and subsistency were showing significant influence on inefficiency levels. Ahmed et al. (2002) have analyzed TE of wheat growers in three provinces of Pakistan using a stochastic frontier production approach. The results yielded on average 32 percent losses due to technical inefficiency. The variables of age, education, extension services, farm to market distance, farm size, and credit availability had significant influence on efficiency levels of farmers in the provinces. He also found that wheat farmers in Punjab were technically more efficient (70%) than their counterparts in Sindh (66%) and NWFP (63%). Tenants were technically more efficient than the owners and owner-cum-tenants. Dhungana et al. (2004) have used Data Envelopment Analysis approach to examine efficiency of Nepalese rice Farmers. The results revealed that 76, 87 and 66 percent technical, allocative and economic efficiency levels were achieved by farmers. The factors contributing in inefficiency were excessive use of input resources, farmers level of risk attitude, managers age and gender, education and family labour endowment. Hassan and Ahmed (2005) examined TE of wheat growers in a mixed farming system of Punjab province in Pakistan using a C-D production function. The mean TE was recorded about 94 percent. The key influencing factors of efficiency were education, timely cultivation of crops, credit availability, sowing patterns and water availability. Bashir and Khan (2005) have conducted an efficiency analysis of 200 wheat farms in Northern region of Pakistan. They found high variation in yields of sample farms showing an average allocative efficiency of 72 percent in the study area. Farmers awareness, education level, farm size and level of fertilizer used were significant factors depriving farmers to achieve their optimum level of profits. Lambarraa et al. (2006) examined TE and productivity growth in the Spanish Olive sector. They found that farmers age, farm location; tenure regimes of land and organic nature of farming techniques affect significantly the level of efficiency. Mari and Lohano (2007) have analyzed TE of onion, tomato and chili farms in Sindh province of Pakistan. The mean TE was found to be 83 percent, 74 percent and 59 percent for chili, tomato and onion farms respectively. A detailed study on TE of Russian agriculture has been conducted by Brock et al. (2007). They found interesting results under three organizational farming regime; i.e. peasant farming, large corporate farming and household plots. The TE rankings were highest for household plots (81%) followed by corporate farms (74%) and peasant farms (70%). The peasant farms were least efficient. Analyzing efficiency of Nigerian food crops, Ajibefun (2008) has applied both SFA and DEA approach. He found only slight variation in average TE computed by both methods, i.e. 68 percent by SFA and 65 percent by DEA. Significant influencing factors were farmers age and education level. Kilic et al. (2009) have investigated TE of hazelnut production in Samson province of Turkey. Their study showed an average efficiency of 73.5 percent. Farmers education level and farm fragmentation were found as significant factor determining TE. A very recent work by Monchuk et al. (2010) on TE in Chinas agriculture reveals that heavy industrialization and large percentage of rural labour force in agriculture sector tend to reduce TE. He suggests that air and water pollution have negative effects on agriculture production; and growth of non-primary agriculture may lead to efficient use of labour resources. Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency There are various socioeconomic, infrastructural, institutional and policy factors that tend to influence technical efficiency of farmers, thereby depriving them from achieving a potential output from their available resources. Identification and probable solutions of such factors had been the focus of researchers and policy makers through decades. A summary table of the work of different researchers showing TE of different crops and significant factors affecting level of TE is given in Table 2.1 Yield Gap Yield gap is the difference between the yields of the experimental station by researchers and yield from farmers plot. According to Gomez (1977), yield gap appears in two ways (see Figure 2.2); The yield gap between maximum yield of research station and potential farm yield. This gap emerges into the system due to the environmental factors (climate, rainfall, humidity, sunlight etc) and non-transferable technology to farmers fields from the research station. Second type of yield gap is the difference between potential farm yields to that of the actual farm yield gained by the farmer. This difference arises from the different biological and socio-economic factors. This study of these gaps is particularly important in the context of research and arises some questions that whether the research methodologies, technologies, environment, equipments and capital costs utilized at research station are appropriate to farmers field conditions? Whether the recommended technology is complete? Whether this can address or takes into consideration the less favorable socioeconomic, bio-physical and environmental conditions of rain-fed and resource-poor marginalized farmers (Dahal, 1996)? The process of estimating technical efficiency gaps should be taken in a systematic and realistic way. It is necessary to consider the farmers specific farm trials rather than the trials conducted at the research stations. Role of Marketing in Rural Economy Farmers consider themselves as price takers and think that they have no control over prices and are bound to accept whatever the price is offered. They do not know how to capture new markets nor how market demand and buyers preferences are changing and which products are to grow to gain more profit from their produce. Farmers generally have knowledge and skills in agriculture production techniques but marketing needs new skills, techniques and sources of information. Farmers armed with newest business and marketing skills will have better profit margins (Dixie, 2005). Rural businesses include input suppliers, product buyers, transporters, storage companies, processing companies and wholesalers. These intermediaries are often believed to exploit farmers and making unfair profits. Although they try to maximize their profit yet it is to accept that without these intermediaries farmers would not be able to link with input and output markets and neither they would be able to sell their produce. Role of Marketing in Consumer welfare As farmers desire is to receive higher prices, consumers desire to pay lower prices. Farmers want to be paid as much share of consumer price as possible. These two conflicting goals balance when there is an efficient and low-cost marketing chain. Consumers preferences are constantly developing particularly in the case of horticulture crops. They need a marketing system that can respond to their changing demands and tastes. The marketing system should supply the volumes, variety and quality products that consumers demand. Fruits Marketing System in Pakistan (Aujla et al) Marketing includes a series of inter-connected activities involved in the flow of products and services from the point of production to the point of consumption at a profit. An efficient marketing system guarantees sustained agricultural growth as it affects both producers income and consumers welfare (Aujla, Abbas, Mahmood, Saadullah, 2007). The marketing of fruits in the Pakistan is supply based. Once a producer brings his produce to the market, the prices are decided by large traders at the spot such that he is bound to accept the prevailing prices. Most of the times the producers have to dispose off their commodities at throwaway prices (Hanif, Khan, Nauman, 2004). Several factors influence the efficiency of fruit marketing that include high perishability, seasonality, low quality, uneven prices and location of the products, the physical handling of produce and the institutional arrangements for facilitating these activities. The existing marketing system in Pakistan consists of assembly, wholesale and terminal markets, which are briefly discussed below: Assembly Markets Assembly markets are situated close to horticulture farm gate, generally situated in small towns or sub-districts, where farmers bring their major portion of marketable surplus for sale to the shopkeepers, traders and retailers present in these markets. Most of the transactions in assembly markets involve small quantities of produce. Traders in assembly markets are not approved by any government agency, although in some cases town committees charge an entry fee from traders. Usually, these traders maintain no systematic record of transactions. The price formation is simple and based on direct negotiation between the traders and the farmers. Because the quantities involve small bulks the farmers may not mind small price differentials. Wholesale Markets Wholesale markets are essential components of any marketing system, especially for horticulture crops because these markets provide farmers effective and profitable marketing outlets for their products. Adequately located, sized and managed wholesale markets serve as a basic instrument for promoting competition and help to improve consumers health and food quality control (FAO, 2001). Wholesale markets in Pakistan are usually located in a district town or a major sub-division town. These markets are the main assembly centers for the fruit and vegetable surplus of surrounding areas. These markets have better transportation, storage, communication and working conditions than those in the assembly markets. The example of wholesale market in Balochistan is that of Quetta, where the surplus fruit produce of nearby districts are supplied. Wholesale markets have permanent auction floors and offices built by traders (commission agent) who hold an official permit for their activities. Each trader has sufficient space in the market to store produce for a few days or for longer periods at a nominal charge. Traders keep records of their daily transactions and report them to the Market Committee. Market participants in wholesale markets including commission agents, wholesalers, retailers, shopkeepers and weighing men are also registered and licensed by Market Committees. Intro duction of these measures have resulted in some improvements in these markets. Commission agents in wholesale market, charged 8 to 10 percent commission on the sale revenue (Hussain Abid, 2005). The major players in the wholesale market are commission agents, wholesalers, retailers and shopkeepers. Terminal Markets Terminal markets are generally situated in large urban centers. Most of the marketable surplus of agricultural commodities is ultimately routed to these markets. The Karachi market is one of the best examples of this kind of market in Pakistan. Foreign trade is another reason for the flow of the marketable surplus to this market. Traders in terminal markets are usually wholesalers who supply agricultural products to firms, industries and exporters. The majority of traders are buying agents, who buy from other wholesale markets through their agents or directly when the produce is brought there from other regions. This market is well equipped with traders who are well established and mostly depending on supplies from growers and other wholesale markets. They have access to all modern facilities for approaching their agents in lower level markets. Many traders have their own trucking companies. Telephone and telegraph services are easily available for them. Fruit Marketing Channels in Pakistan Khushk and Smith 1996 Khushk and Smith (1996) have done a nice and detailed study of fruit marketing channels in Pakistan by concentrating particularly on mango production in Sindh province. According to them, agricultural marketing channels refer to the outlets or routes through which commodities pass to reach final consumers. As produce moves along the marketing chain, its price increases because of opportunity cost incurred by each intermediary (Dixie, 2005). The existing fruit marketing channels in Pakistan by à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. are presented in Figure . . . . . Figure 2.3 Marketing Channels for Fruits in Pakistan The marketing channels functionaries common in the country are; Producer The fruit growing farmers are dispersed geographically in the country. Majority of producer sell the harvesting rights of their orchards to contractors at the flowering or in hanging fruits stage because they do not want to be involved in marketing complications. Also the farmers do not do not want to take the risk of price and income variation due to perishability, quality damage, and price seasonality. In addition, Khushk and Smith (1996) found another important reason reported by farmers is the lack of knowledge of marketing. commission agents are biased towards farmers than contractors and do not want to transfer market price information to farmers or provide them other facilities, like informal credits, transportation or information access at the market-place. By this way commission agents control the supply, demand and prices of market (Khushk Smith, 1996; Ali, 2004; Aujla, Abbas, Mahmood, Saadullah, 2007). Contractor The contractor plays a main role in the marketing of fruits. He has close contacts with commission agents in the wholesale and terminal markets. While contracting an orchard, the contractor estimates its yield and considers the expected costs to be incurred for supervision, labour, transportation, and marketing. Khushk and Smith (1996) report that more than 95 percent of mango contractors in Sindh province of Pakistan obtained loans from commission agents to pay the initial installments to the mango farmers and to pay an advance for labour and packing material. Once a contractor receives loan from commission agent, he is obliged to supply the produce to that commission agent. Commission Agent Commission agents act as a link between contractors in the field and wholesalers or retailers at wholesale market. They usually have their own transport companies and have offices and staff at wholesale markets of big cities, equipped with all communication facilities. They maintain contacts with market committees, market associations, wholesalers and retailers and influence the prices in fruit markets of Pakistan (Ali, 2004). Wholesaler Wholesalers perform their business in wholesale or terminal markets of the country. They do business with large quantities of farm products and deal in several commodities like vegetables, fruits and other agricultural produce within interregional markets and also supply produce to processing industries, exporters, and retailers according to their demand. They maintain contacts with commission agents in wholesale markets and retailers in the local area. Wholesaler usually purchase fruit from the commission agents at open auction and sell in smaller quantities to the retailers and consumers. They mostly buy from the commission agents on a credit basis, and about one week after selling that quantity, they pay the commission agents. Some wholesalers also act as commission agents (Khushk Smith, 1996; Ali, 2004; Zulfiqar, Khan, Bashir, 2005). Retailer Market activities come to end with the retailers. They buy and sell small quantities according to the demand of consumers in the area. A small number of fruit retailers occupy small shops in the main fruit markets or in the town. Moreover, a number of retailers are found standing at focal places of a town, particularly railway stations, bus stands, vicinity of courts, schools, and hospitals. Among fruit retailers there is a high degree of competition. Retailers buy fruit from the wholesalers on a 24-48 hour credit basis (Khushk Smith, 1996; Ali, 2004; Zulfiqar, Khan, Bashir, 2005). Importance of Market functionaries / Intermediaries Although a heavy literature is found on exploitative behavior of market intermediaries towards agriculture producers, especially in developing countries such as Pandit et al. (2005) Aujla et al. (2007), Khushk and Smith (1996) and many others, yet their role cannot be ignored (Dixie, 2005). It is often mis-understood how important traders are in taking agriculture produce from farm to the market. Their importance becomes more critical in case of fruits which are highly perishable in nature and need quick supply. The more dynamic the fruit trading sector leads greater competition among traders and greater volumes of produce taken out of rural farm lands resulting, ultimately, high income returns to the farming community. Farmers Selling directly to consumers does mean higher profits but also greater risks. Market traders accept that risk such as non-payments, price decrease and marketing and handling losses (Khushk Smith, 1996). Therefore the intermediaries should be encouraged, not criticized (Dixie, 2005; Pokhrel, 2005). Marketing Margin Analysis Marketing margins or farm-to-retail price spread are some functions of differences between farm-gate prices and retail prices, intended to measure the opportunity cost of providing marketing services including buying, grading, packing, transporting, storage, and processing (Khushk Smith, 1996; Wohlgenant, 2001). The prices paid to the rural sellers at farm-gate are much lower. But as the product moves along the production-marketing chain, its price increases such that the retailers achieve the highest price (see Figure 2.3). The farm-to-retail price spread of fruits in Pakistan is con

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Child Cognitive Development

Child Cognitive Development INTRODUCTION Jean Piaget looked at the concept of cognitive development from a biological angle. To him, adaptation and organization are the key principles in the human’s intellect and growth. He argued that human beings always strive to have a state of balance in their mind. Adaptation comes about when the child experiences cognitive disability, that is, the situation what the child sees the world as expected and what she or he is undergoing. The child therefore buys new information and integrates with the already existing one. Piaget calls this accommodation. This comes about when the acquired new information doesn’t fit well into the already existing structures. For instance, a child coming across a squirrel for the first time and discovers that it differs with the rabbit. He/she therefore come up with another representation of a squirrel. The mind has to have some form of information organization hence scheme is the basic structure. In a child’s development, play is an important aspect to consider. This is because ideas and concepts are learned and also, there is an enhancement of language, motor skills and social life through play. To Piaget, there are four major stages that are involved in cognitive development. Firstly, we have sensorimotor period that occurs between Zero to two years. At this stage, the child as he interacts with the environment creates sets of concepts and the operations of the reality. There is an engagement in motor movements starting with early reflexes and proceeding towards intentional actions. In most cases, these actions are trial and error. It’s through their actions that children learn that their behaviors have effects on the environment. Their actions become sophisticated as they develop hence becoming deliberate. For example, a child grasps a rattle paper in place in his hand, this can be compared to the older child who picks up and shakes a rattle to make noise. The pretend stage in most cases starts at the age of eight months. At this level, the child can act out actions and roles of an adult and some familiar events. At three or four, the skills become symbolic; the child can substitute objects for instance, a child’ feeds ‘a doll using a toy bottle. On the other hand, the older child feeds the baby using a wooden block in pretence that the block acts as the baby bottle. This level provides a good foundation for the child play as the child gets his/her own experience. Preoperational period is the second stage and it occurs between the ages of two to seven years. The child can not still abstractly conceptualize. He needs touchable situations. At the age of around three or four, constructive play interests the child. Here he or she can manipulate materials and objects in their different worlds and come up with an end product such as sand houses, clay cows sand mountains and so on. As he develops skills in manipulation of materials and objects, they sharpen his skills in thought expressions, ideas and concepts. At the mastery play level, there is the demonstration of the skilled Moto movements and there is full engagement in forms of imagination or pretend play at the same time. Children easily move about with their environment and are more confident in their actions. There is running and jumping over obstacles on a playground as they pretend to be the cartoon superhero’s. This occurs at around four to five years as encounter new play challenges and experiences. At the age of five, they develop interest in games that have two or more sides and have rules; this is because the thinking is becoming more logical. At this level, they begin to realize activities like Red Rover, Peter Says, and rule games won’t not work unless it is followed by everyone. This level involves competition and definition of criteria that establish winners. The third stage is the concrete operation that which occurs between the ages of seven years to eleven years. As the physical experience goes up, he starts conceptualizing, logically creating structures that explain the physical experience around him. At this point, he can now solve abstract problems for instance; equations on arithmetic can be solved not only with objects but with numbers. The last stage is the formal operations that occur between the ages of eleven to fifteen years. The cognitive structure at this point has developed and is like that of an adult. He is able to conceptualize and reason. At all developmental stages, there is an interaction of the child with his environment using the so far constructed mental maps. The experience fits easily if it’s the repeated one into the cognitive structure so that the state of equilibrium is maintained. He looses equilibrium if the experience is new or different. He therefore adjusts his cognitive structure in a way to accommodate the new conditions. However, different scholars also have done researches on role of play in child development. This was perhaps the development of Piaget, s theory of learning. Mc Cune Zanes, 2001argued that infants and toddlers do involve themselves in activities that in most cases stimulate their senses and lead to the development of the motor skills. These children actively explore their capabilities by using simple non directional and repetetitios plays. To them, as infants play on their own and alone, the toddlers play with or besides other children. Sometimes, they are within speaking distance but make minimal or not communicate at all. Given a situation of two or three children playing with similar toys might pursue totally different activities. Each concentrates on his or her own needs, a reflection of egocentric behaviors with no concept of rules. Such play therefore contributes the Childs growing ability to be able to pay attention and to the total development of physical, social and intellec tual growth.(Piaget,1962) At primary grades, they play formal and informal games together for example hide and seek, computer games, jump rope amongst others. In this kind of plays, there is development of physical prowess, refinement of social skills, building of concepts such as completion and there is also the enhancement of coordination. Moreover, these games also enable children to do demonstrations of their skills, abilities and talents to themselves and to others. They do these through coded messages, riddles and game numbers.(Eifermann,1971) Children’s play becomes more organized and more structured at childhood and early adolescent. At this stage, their passion for orderly thinking is seen in the games with rules and the organization of the sporting events. Winning to them is paramount as they begin to conceptualize and internalize that winning is as a result of following rules. At this age, sports are important. As social awareness grows in the child, the attention shifts from the family to the peer group. At this point, their energies are channeled to youth groups, team sports and clubs. As they do role taking and playing in those organizations, they get to understand how they can best fit in the societal systems. (Hughes, 1999) Fromberg (2002) argues that new information among children can be owned by playing with the same information. When there is interactive balance of facts gaining and acquisition of skills by the culture and information making owned by someone, then there in learning. This cycle enables children their environment better. (Fromberg, 2002, Mc Williams, 1998).Personal meaning comes about when there is active play. When there is perception of events by children as personally relevant, their neural connectivity of situations, skills and ideas is taken to their long-term memory.(Jensen,1999) adds that intrinsic motivation is by play and play contexts that is brought about by positive motivations . For instance, curiosity improves motivation which in turn facilitates learning and performance simply by focusing on the attention of the learner. Threats, panic, stress as negative emotions detract from motivation. According to Pieget, learning is effective when there are positive motivators. There children are free to participate and play when they are relaxed and free from any kind of stress. A toddler who is threatened will shy off and therefore will not participate in any kind of information flow. Pieget’s psychological approach to the to the study therefore lays a lot of emphasis to the full understanding of the children as we attempt to bring them up. This calls for understanding the stage at which the child is at, the environment and the emotional CONCLUSION Jean Pieget holds that, development precedes learning that is, it is activated by cognitive problems. All in all, Jean Piaget’s contribution was a milestone in the fields of both the natural and social sciences. People through his theories have been able to understand intrinsically both development of their children in all stages and shaping them to be good and responsible adults. By understanding the development of the child at every stage, it becomes easy for the parent to provide the necessary support to the child and be able to monitor his or her development. Moreover, it’s through Jean’s contribution that educators have adopted different modes of communication. Having looked at the development of the child at every stage, it becomes easy for the communicator to package his or her information that is relevant to the receiver. For example, a five year old child will lean better if he or she is involved in the kind of game plays. A communicator to achieve this will employ the same communicative tool. Curriculum development in different institutions has also been a Piegets contribution. A primary school for instance has got a wider range of pupils. Their programs definitely will not be the same right from intra and extracurricular activities. There are those best for the lower classes where the juniors enjoy playing and the senior one with their own special program. Ways of communicating to different audiences for instance the idea of play in the cognitive development. His idea has also been used to develop both the intra and extra curriculum activities for the different institutions. REFERENCES Bredekamp, Sue, and Carol Copple. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1997. Ensen, E. (1999). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Deve Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.lopment. Fromberg, D. P. (2002). Play and meaning in early childhood education. Boston: Allyn Bac Hughes, F. (1999). Children, play, and development (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn Bacon McCune, L., Zanes, M. (2001). Learning, attention, and play. In S. Golbeck (Ed.), Psychological perspectives on early childhood education (pp. 92-106). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Diary of A Teenage Girl. Becoming Me :: essays research papers

Diary of A Teenage Girl. Becoming Me Title Page: On the cover of Diary of a Teenage Girl, Becoming Me there is a girl with long silky brown hair. I get the impression that she is sad or lost because she is twirling her hair in between her fingers. Her head could possibly be tilted down in a depressed motion. I think her hands are the only thing visible because the author is trying to set of the mood of th young girl, and I think this is shown by the twirling of the hair between the fingers. Publication Data: Carlson, Melody. Diary of a Teenage Girl, Becoming Me. (United States of America, Multonomach Publishers, 2000) Setting: The setting is the time and place of a narratives actions. The setting in this novel is New Jersey. Three specific details of this setting are: a.) Caitlin and her family live in a small, narrow duplex with 3 bedrooms and one bathroom; b.) their house is central New Jersey and located next to a large park; c.) the house is a light brown with cream coloured shutters and has two large doors in the front. Caitlin and her family live in the duplex with one other family although the duplex has three floors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Living central allows Caitlin and her family easy access to school, church and work. She is able to attend track and field after school and hang out with her friends at the local diner. Caitlin learns more about herself by adventuring out into New Jersey and going to youth group as much as possible, learning more about God. Plot: Plot is a series of incidents which provide a solid framework for the development of a narratives conflict. Conflict is a struggle between two opposing forces. The main conflict in this novel is man vs himself. Caitlin struggles to find her true self and learn more about her religion. She makes many choices through out he novel that will impact her life forever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The conflict begins when Caitlin starts being more adventurous and starts going to parties and hanging out with the wrong crowd that she thinks are the cool kids. She meets new people that aren’t her true friends and aren’t good people. These people try and get her to do thing’s that she really doesn’t want to do and she makes the right choice in saying â€Å"No.† She immediately goes into a room where she can’t be pressured and decides not to hang out with those people anymore.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Speaker identification and verification over short distance telephone l

SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION OVER SHORT DISTANCE TELEPHONE LINES USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS Ganesh K Venayagamoorthy, Narend Sunderpersadh, and Theophilus N Andrew gkumar@ieee.org sundern@telkom.co.za theo@wpo.mlsultan.ac.za Electronic Engineering Department, M L Sultan Technikon, P O Box 1334, Durban, South Africa. ABSTRACT Crime and corruption have become rampant today in our society and countless money is lost each year due to white collar crime, fraud, and embezzlement. This paper presents a technique of an ongoing work to combat white-collar crime in telephone transactions by identifying and verifying speakers using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). Results are presented to show the potential of this technique. 1. INTRODUCTION Several countries today are facing rampant crime and corruption. Countless money is lost each year due to white collar crime, fraud, and embezzlement. In today’s complex economic times, businesses and individuals are both falling victims to these devastating crimes. Employees embezzle funds or steal goods from their employers, then disappear or hide behind legal issues. Individuals can easily become helpless victims of identity theft, stock schemes and other scams that rob them of their money White collar crime occurs in the gray area where the criminal law ends and civil law begins. Victims of white collar crimes are faced with navigating a daunting legal maze in order to effect some sort of resolution or recovery. Law enforcement is often too focused on combating â€Å"street crime† or does not have the expertise to investigate and prosecute sophisticated fraudulent acts. Even if criminal prosecution is pursued, a criminal conviction does not mean that the victims of fraud are able to recover their losses. They have to rely on th criminal courts awarding restitution after the conviction and by then the perpetrator has disposed of or hidde most of the assets available for recovery. From the civil law perspective, resolution and recovery can just be a difficult as pursuing criminal prosecution. Perpetrators of white collar crime are often difficult to locate and served with civil process. Once the perpetrators have been located and served, proof must be provided that the fraudulent act occurred and recovery/damages are needed. This usually takes a lengthy legal fight, which often can cost the victim more money than t... ...phone speech†, IEEE Signal Processing Letters, vol. 2 no. 3 March 1995, pp. 46 - 48. [2] J.M.Naik, L.P.Netsch, G.R.Doddington, â€Å"Speaker verification over long distance telephone lines†, Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP), 23-26 May 1989, pp. 524 - 527. [3] A.L.Mcilraith, H.C.Card, â€Å"Birdsong Recognition Using Backpropagation and Multivariate Statistics†, Proceedings of IEEE Trans on Signal Processing, vol. 45, no. 11, November 1997. [4] G.K.Venayagamoorthy, V.Moonasar, K.Sandrasegaran, â€Å"Voice Recognition Using Neural Networks†, Proceedings of IEEE South African Symposium on Communications and Signal Processing (COMSIG 98), 7-8 September 1998, pp. 29 - 32. [5] V.Moonasar, G.K.Venayagamoorthy, â€Å"Speaker identification using a combination of different parameters as feature inputs to an artificial neural network classifier†, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of IEEE Africon 99 conference, Cape Town, 29 September – 2 October 99. [6] H.Demuth, M.Beale, MATLAB Neural Network Toolbox User’s Guide, The Maths Works Inc., 1996. [7] T.Kohonen, Self-organizing and associate memory Spring Verlag, Berlin, third edition, 1989.