Business to Business E Commerce Free Essay Example, 6500 words

The e-procuring process can be useful for auctioning, tendering, vendor management and control management; and thus it would help companies to drive product cost down. Irrespective of the size and area of business, all profit, non-profit, and governmental organizations can get benefited from the B2B process. As Schneider (2008, pp. 228-229) states, organizations can incorporate their business activities with other organizations or governmental initiatives by promoting B2B e-commerce process. The system is not only feasible for big firms but also to small scale industries. The advanced form of groupware facilitates companies visual collaboration, group projects, and decision making which will subsequently enhance an organization s productivity, performance, and total quality management. E-procurement will help small business groups to monitor both inventory purchase and cost reduction. Furthermore, it will improve the interaction between business groups irrespective of their distance . Some other advantages of B2B method are a) Selling and buying process between companies becomes simple; b) Enables easy anticipation of demands; c) Gives detailed information of capital flow; d) Promotes centralized control; e) Easy settlement of payments and disputes; f) Fast approval of the sale and invoicing However, in order to avoid flaws, small companies with weaker economic background must develop e-procurement in a cautious way when they come to system selection, implementation, and maintenance because the expense is generally unaffordable to such segments. We will write a custom essay sample on Business to Business E Commerce or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now A simple example would best illustrate how two companies perform their business deal exclusively on the web. It resembles the conventional form of outlets that sell already manufactured products of various companies directly to customers. The only difference is that customers view products on the web and further choose what they require, place an order, pay bills using credit cards or other methods. The purchased products will reach the customer by mail or courier.

Argumentative Essay On Gun Control - 1252 Words

Gun Control As Gene Autry once said â€Å"‘a gun like any other object that grants power is neither good nor evil but reliant on the one who holds it.’† Common gun control proposals do not and will not solve the issues we currently have in America in regards to gun deaths. Gun control has been a national debate since the 80’s, and for the most part, nothing has changed because there are still people dying from guns being used incorrectly. There have been many proposals made to control guns and regulate them, but none prove to be effective. â€Å" If someone is shooting at you, it is better to shoot back than to cower and pray† (Goldberg 25). The biggest reason general gun restrictions, gun-free zones, and background checks will not†¦show more content†¦If someone wants to kill, they will find a will and a way to do it. Banning and keeping guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens has more drawbacks and is not supported by police. Eliminating or restricting guns used for self-defense does not make American citizens safer. As of 2016, one in 23 Americans is at risk of being murdered in some form, not just murdered with a gun. When debating guns, it should be acknowledged that guns, in the hands of qualified, trained individuals, prevent crimes and improve public safety. The vast majority of law enforcement believes legally armed citizens are critical in reducing crime. A national survey of current and retired law enforcement officials has showed that most officers do not believe gun control would work and having more trained, armed citizens would be more beneficial at reducing and preventing crime. Gun bans create more helplessness by disarming citizens who are legally carrying a gun. According to the Government Accountability Office, the number of Concealed Carry Permits has surged to ro ughly eight million, and the amount of gun related violence has gone down during that same period. â€Å" Concealed carry permit holders commit crimes at a lower rate than the rest of the general US population† (Winkler 35). â€Å" People who seek to obtain permits are likely toShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay Gun Control1410 Words   |  6 Pages English 101 Argumentative/Persuasive Essay 4/12/2013 Word Count 1,255 Readability 12.3 There are new proposed gun control laws in the aftermath of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut that occurred on December 14th, 2012. This incident claimed the lives of twenty 1st graders and six adults and has set the government in motion to try to prevent future acts of violence by strengthening gun control laws in the United StatesRead MoreGun Control : Argumentative Essay Essay1702 Words   |  7 Pages100 3 November, 2014 Gun Control: Argumentative Essay The gun control debate is a good example that justifies the common known mantra that history will always repeat itself. Gun control is a regulation put forward with an aim of managing the purchase and ownership of firearms with the main aim being to reduce the criminal and unsafe use of firearms. The gun control measures involve strategies such as registration of firearms aimed at restricting the ownership of guns by people proved to beRead MoreArgumentative Essay : Gun Control Essay1000 Words   |  4 Pages Argumentative Essay: Gun Control in America â€Å"The second amendment of The United States Bill of Rights is my concealed weapons permit, period.†- Ted Nugent. Saving lives one by one starts with limiting the purchase, sale, and use of guns in America. According to Alexander Lee, the political and social debate over the question of how much gun control is appropriate and it has been regularly discussed within the last decade. Shootings such as Sandy Hook, and Tucson shootings have raised the government’sRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control1153 Words   |  5 PagesIn an editorial published in the Vidette Online titled â€Å"We Need Gun Control Now More Than Ever,† the editorial board takes on the topic of the need for stricter gun control. The editorial board reports that if gun control isn’t more strictly enforced it will only create more mass shootings. They make the point that if there was stricter gun control many people would still be living, but their lives have been cut short because of mass shootings. The editorial board is correct when they go on to sayRead MoreArgumentative Gun Control Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesArgumentative Gun Control Paper The issue of Gun Control has been on the minds of humans for hundreds of years. How do we protect ourselves and our loved ones? How do we keep such a dangerous weapon out of the hands of the wrong person? Inside the Second Amendment we are granted the right to Bear Arms. Having that amendment gives each person the ability to carry a weapon if they choose, so how can we control who should or shouldn’t carry? According to an article evaluated from KovandizicRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control1397 Words   |  6 Pagesto the United States Constitution protects the right of the people to bear arms and was adopted on December 15, 1791, as part of the first ten amendments located in the Bill of Rights. Since then there have been many attempts to create stricter gun control legislation and this leads to the argument whether or not this is an attack on the 2nd  Amendment? The Bill of Rights amendments adds to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and  rights. The Second Amendment was originally basedRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control757 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is gun control? Who is affected by gun control? Why should someone care about gun control? Imagine going to a concert with your friends and family, you guys are laughing and having a good time when all of a sudden someone starts shooting up the place. Are you thinking to yourself if guns were banned this wouldnt have happened? Or are you wishing you had a gun to protect everyone from what is happening? Gun Control has been an issue since the beginning of time, there are some people who thinkRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control715 Words   |  3 Pagescourse you can expect an ongoing political conversation on how to prevent attacks like this. During the attack, Paddock used what is called a â€Å"bump stock,† on many of his guns, making his gunsâ €™ rapid fire, like an automatic gun, which is what made it so easy for him to open fire and attack so many. After the tragic event, a gun control organization looked into the device that helped aid Paddock in his attack and decided they would sue the makers for making it so accessible, and other reasons. WashingtonRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control1610 Words   |  7 PagesGun Control Although gun control laws are made to prevent violent outcomes, the influence which laws carry are the complete opposite to what one would think. Ever since the ratification of the Second Amendment, the debate on gun control has become a very heated topic. There is one side that believes that guns should be banned in order to stop any future tragedies from occurring. On the other hand, there is another side that believes guns are our cherished right to own and we should be allowed toRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Gun Control1006 Words   |  5 PagesGun control in the United States is a very controversial topic in today’s political society, leaving the nation divided into two sides with two strongly opinionated beliefs. This all started with the increase in the amount of mass shootings and an overall increase in gun violence. The two sides consist of the liberal point of view and the conservative point of view. The liberals believe that the availability of firearms to the pe ople in the country is a major issue, and that the U.S. government is

Disturbed characters free essay sample

Explore the ways disturbed characters are presented in Macbeth and my last Duchess. Disturbed is a dreadfully intense and powerful word, which can unfortunately be used, to describe Lady Macbeth and the Duke. The two characters are both disturbed in their own unique ways. Lady Macbeth can be portrayed as disturbed because of her constant desire, to terminate her feminine, weak traits. However, the Duke could be considered to be a disturbed character, because of the fact that he murders his Duchess, for an exceedingly minute reason. There are many reasons why these two characters were anomalous for their context. The Duke existed in Renaissance Italy, where there was a very strong belief of capitalism, therefore including upper and lower classes. Using the context, it is very clear to spot out an irregular pattern within ‘My Last Duchess’. The Duke presents this irregular pattern, by speaking in a polite manor to the lower class envoy. For a typical upper class citizen, it was very conventional to show aggression towards lower class citizens. However, the duke, an upper class citizen, does not show any signs of aggression towards the envoy. The Duke displays a clear sign of contradiction towards the context of his time, which could link to his sense of unstableness. However, there are possible reasons for why the Duke spoke to the envoy in a polite manor. One reason is because he was imagining the whole conversation, and was just trying to express his feelings. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth had a completely different motive, for why she did not fit within her context. In Shakespearian times, women were not treated equally, when in contrast to men. Women were owned by their husbands, and were obligated to obey every command. Also, women naturally did not posses ambitions. According to the context, Lady Macbeth was also in conflict with it. This is because, she looked for power over her husband, and she manipulated Macbeth by the means of her femininity, to carry out the intentions which lead her to insanity. Furthermore, Lady Macbeth owned an enormous amount of aspiration. Shakespeare uses very specific techniques to describe Lady Macbeth. One language technique that he uses is an oxymoron. Shakespeare enforces this language technique within the character of Lady Macbeth, when she is mildly opening herself up to Macbeth. ‘Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.’ When Lady Macbeth is first introduced, she is reading Macbeths letter. Shortly after reading the letter, Lady Macbeth suddenly  commences into an evil character. From this point, the audience understands that she is one of the key features that will aid the story to progress. When Lady Macbeth opens herself up to Macbeth in act 1 scene 7, it is clear that she does not want to quell all of her emotions and thoughts, as well as the fact that she shares a particular bond of love with Macbeth. As a result, telling Macbeth about one of her main characteristics. Using an oxymoron, could help the audience understand the true personality of Lady Macbeth. Another technique that Shakespeare uses, are rhetorical questions. ‘Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?’ Lady Macbeth uses many rhetorical questions within the play, in order to persuade Macbeth, for the main purpose of becoming an almighty king. This therefore, links to the insanity that creates the disturbed mentality within Lady Macbeth. However, it could be argued that Lady Macbeth ultimately loves Macbeth, for that reason, she bullies him, for the greater good. Although Lady Macbeth is persuading Macbeth, externally, the words she says are deeply derogative. ‘Was the hope drunk?’ Lady Macbeth also questions his manhood. ‘And live a coward in thine own esteem.’ ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’. Because Macbeth is seen by most others, as a valiant and honourable man, he does not understand why Lady Macbeth thinks of him differently. Therefore, when Macbeth’s manhood is questioned, it is noticeable that he cannot conceal his emotions, as a result, trying to prove Lady Macbeth wrong. Because Lady Macbeth uses many forms of persuasive techniques and language, it is lucid to see that she is very determined to fulfil her dreams. A final language technique that Shakespeare uses is repetition. ‘Come, come, come, come’ ‘To bed, to bed’. At this point in the play, Lady Macbeth has succumbed to her guilt; consequently, she has become psychotically insane. Lady Macbeth creates a strong spell of horror, with her final monologue. She repeats words more than once, to deepen her level of emotions. When Lady Macbeth repeats the words ‘To bed’ she is presented as a fatigued, old woman, who has given up on her dreary life. Using repetition within Lady Macbeths monologue creates a more stressful emotion that the audience could sympathize with. There are several scenes with Lady Macbeth communicating via a soliloquy. ‘Come, you spirits that tends on mortal thoughts unsex me here, and fill me from crown to toe top-full of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood.’ When Lady Macbeth  performs her soliloquy, it is possible for the audience to realise that she means her words, and she is very cunning. Stating this, I can therefore conclude that soliloquies of Lady Macbeth are used by her to show that she wants to be at the highest amount of secrecy. Personification is also used by Shakespeare. ‘Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’ Lady Macbeth personifies the word ‘flower’ with her human looks. The serpent that Lady Macbeth talks about is described as her true personality. Even though Lady Macbeth sees the ‘serpent’ as her mental saviour, she does not realise that this ‘saviour’ leads her to death. Robert Browning also uses very specific techniques to describe the disturbed Duke. Overall, the poem is within the hands of a dramatic monologue. This means that there is only one person speaking throughout the poem, in this case, the Duke. The fact that the poem is overly a monologue, can create a disturbing vibe. This is because; the Duke has total control over the poem, which allows him to be very possessive. Also, looking physically at the poem, it is perceptible to see that the duke could have been seeing an imaginary envoy. One reason for this statement, could be the fact that the Duke speaks in a polite manor to the envoy, when in actuality, envoys were not of the right social class to be communicated to politely. The audience can see the monologue in two different ways. The first way, is to see it as just a monologue of the Duke, trying to express his feelings. However, the second possible way that the audience could see the monologue as is of a Duke, who possesses enough authority and power to control a whole poem, and interpret it into a dramatic monologue. Another technique that Browning uses is lists. It is very noticeable that the Duke has been deeply wounded by the activities and actions of his last duchess. This could be a reason for why the Duke became disturbed. As a result, the Duke regurgitates a lot of his sentences with many different examples of the duchess’s faults. ‘A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad, too easily impressed; she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere. Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast, the dropping of the daylight in the West, the bough of cherries some officious fool broke in the orchard for her’ this quote shows that the Duke is giving numerous amounts of examples, of how the duchess would create the feeling of jealousy within him. For the audience, using lists can help render an image of how the duchess would behave, and  why the Duke became exceedingly jealous, and partly psychotic. At the very start of the poem, the Duke looks at the duchess. ‘That’s my last duchess on the wall, looking as if she were alive.’ Browning has used a simile within the first sentence. The simile that Browning uses, suggests that the Duke is feeling partially guilty, and knew her cause of death. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the Duke was involved with the death of the duchess. Shakespeare and Browning both enforce completely different structures, to present characters. When Lady Macbeth is performing her monologues, her lines are very long, and flow calmly like water. ‘They met me in the day of success: and I have learned by the perfectest report, they have more in them then mortal knowledge. When I burn in desire to question them further, they made themselves air, into which they vanished.’ However, when Lady Macbeth is speaking to her husband, she is very aggressive, and does not let Macbeth speak. ‘But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and well not fail.’ Browning however creates a different type of structure, when the Duke is speaking. His words constantly rhyme, with rhyming couplets. ‘That piece of wonder, now: Fra Pandolf’s hands worked busily a day, and there she stands.’ Furthermore, the poem is structured in an iambic pentameter. The definition of this type of structure is when there are constant beats, such as a heartbeat, that has one lower base and one higher. This type of structure suits this poem, for the reason that there is only one man speaking, which can create an isolated feeling. In addition, Browning uses enjambment to split up his sentences, therefore, camouflaging the rhyming couplets. This creates an overloaded effect over the audience, which can discombobulate them. The themes in Macbeth are overly dark, obscure, and petrifying, because of the fact that most of the play commenced in the night. This could have been one of the many possible reasons why Lady Macbeth could not live with herself, therefore, committing suicide. However, the poem, ‘my last duchess’, can arguably contain a whole range of themes. One possible theme that could be presented within my last duchess is luminosity and bliss. I think this because the Duke speaks with a very polite posture, to the lower class envoy, and to a majority of the audience, it could sound very sincere, yet deceiving. There are numerous amounts of double meanings that come to mind, when analysing ‘My last  duchess’. For example, the Duke states, ‘I gave commands and all smiles stopped together’ This quote means that the Duke has arranged for assassins, to have the duchess murdered, therefore, all of her smiles physically would have stopped. The other meaning for this quote is that the Duke gave orders, to murder the duchess; as a result, everyone around the duchess, such as family and friends, stopped smiling. There are also many double meanings that Lady Macbeth uses. ‘These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad.’ This quote, from act 2 scene 2, is actually saying that y ou should not think about the murdering of King Duncan so deeply, because we will become mad. However, Lady Macbeth uses an example of euphemism, by taking out words, which could immediately accuse the couple, of murdering King Duncan. A possible reason for this is because she is paranoid, as a result, talking in a type of code, in order to communicate with Macbeth. In conclusion, I believe that the two disturbed characters, Lady Macbeth and the Duke, are very diverse to one another, for the main reason that they are both set in completely different time periods. However, Lady Macbeth rendered a less disturbing character, than the Duke, because of the fact, that she succumbed to her guilty, female side, therefore committing suicide. Whereas, the Duke did not commit suicide, but carried on living proudly, and not giving up to his inner guilt or feelings, as a result, suffering from pride.

Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment Essay Example

Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment Paper His analysis identifies the fundamental changes in the nature and role of strategic planning over the past two decades. In response to the difficulties faced in tumultuous and unpredictable environments, he notes that strategic planning processes have become more informal, less staff driven, and more decentralized and strategic plans have become less specific, more goal focused, and shorter term. According to Grant, the role of strategic planning systems within company management has changed too as it has become less about detailed planning and more a method for organization and performance managing. Through interviews with company personnel, he came up with three trends common to all eight companies: shortening time horizons, a shift from detailed planning to strategic direction, and increased emphasis on performance planning (Grant 2003, p. 508). Despite the successful change of strategic planning systems to unstable environments, the study shows the effectiveness of companies strategic planning may also have deteriorated. Evidence of this includes the limited impacts of strategic planning processes on the quality of strategic decisions and little proof that the systems were actually beneficial to strategic innovation. Critical Article Review The company have chosen for my critical article review is Royal Dutch Shell. Using Grants data on Shells strategic planning practices during the late asss, will examine how the key points of the paper relate to the company and reflect upon the companys strategy implementation since then. Royal Dutch Shell, commonly known as Shell, is an Anglo-Dutch multinational oil and gas corporation founded in 1907 (Shell, 2013). Shell was the largest oil and gas corporation in 1996 with sales revenue topping SSL 2. 8 billion and approximately 101 ,OHO employees (Grant 2003, p. 497). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Planning in a Turbulent Environment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer While Shell has since Allen to the second largest company in the world in terms of revenue (after Complexion), it continues to rank as one of the worlds most valuable companies. The Emergence Of a New Strategic planning process While the planning systems of the 1 sass and asss were highly formalized, these systems had become far more informal by 1996-97 as there was less emphasis on written documentation and formal presentations, and more emphasis on open discussion (Grant 2003, p. 507). At the same time, strategic plans became less concerned with detailed planning and placed greater emphasis on more broadly defined goals. To communicate and guide their strategies, companies created mission and vision statements that helped establish long-term strategic objectives. In addition, increased emphasis was placed on performance planning as strategic plans shifted their focus away from forecasts and more towards financial and operational performance targets. As companies became more concerned with performance goals, the role of short and medium planning in the strategic planning process grew as well. Because Shell is a multinational and multitudinous operation, the company has chosen to use a strategy statement instead of a mission statement. Taken directly from the companys website, Shells strategy is listed below: Our strategy to generate profitable growth remains to drive forward with our investment programmer, to deliver sustainable growth and provide competitive returns to shareholders, while helping to meet global energy demand in a responsible way (Shell, 2013). As noted in Grants paper, this statement is indicative of strategic plannings shift to broad strategic direction. Rather than focus on lengthy programs of action, resource deployments, and commitments to specific projects, Shells strategy concentrates on financial and operational performance targets. One of the biggest challenges Shell faces is integrating shorter performance targets with longer-term performance goals. With this in mind, the company developed short-term profit targets that were consistent with building a longer-term competitive advantage. In its upstream strategy, the company focuses on finding new oil and gas reserves and developing major value- adding projects. For 2013, Shell summarizes its upstream strategy in three main points: 1) profitable growth and price upside, 2) greater than 80% Of total capital spending, and 3) sustained exploration investment (Shell, 2013). With its downstream strategy, its focus is on sustaining cash generation from its current assets and investments in growth markets. Shell lists stable capital employed, fewer refineries, and more concentrated marketing positions as its downstream goals for 2013 (Shell, 2013). Today, the common strategic planning objectives referred to in Grants paper-?financial targets, operating targets, safety and environment objectives, strategic mileposts, and capital expenditure limits-?are still relevant, as highlighted in Shells strategic plan (Grant 2003, p. 509). While Grant listed financial targets as being the top rarity for oil companies at the time, their priorities are starting to change. As climate change continues to cast a shadow on the global energy industry, companies like Shell are promising to meet global energy demand in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way. Shell is committed to improving energy efficiency in its own operations, helping customers manage their own energy demands, and continuing to invest in new technologies that increase efficiency and reduce emissions in oil and gas production (Shell, 2013). The Shift to Scenario Planning As the accuracy of macroeconomic and arrest forecasts declined abruptly during the asss, the dangers of using medium-term forecasts as the foundation for corporate plans were exposed. During this time, companies reduced their forecasting efforts and downsized or even eliminated their economist staff in an attempt to better deal with changing market circumstances. In place of forecasts, many external analysts began using scenario planning. With scenario planning companies were able to replace single-point forecasts with alternative scenarios of the future which allowed decision-makers to be more aware of and responsive to changing market circumstances. Scenario planning has been at the heart of Shells business for over four decades. Since work began on the first Shell Scenarios document in 1972, scenario planning has helped Shell prepare for many eventualities and maintain business stability through even the most chaotic of times (Shell, 2013). Of the eight companies surveyed, Grant found Shell to be the only one to base its entire strategic planning process on scenario analyses. Shell is so keen on scenario planning that its analysts list this planning process as the main reason for the companys success over the past few decades. Considered by many to be the most important innovator with geared to scenario planning, the Shell Scenarios methodology has been adopted by many different companies and organizations worldwide. With Shells support, the Singapore Government starting implementing scenario planning in 1991 (Shell, 2013). Today, scenario planning is a central part of the Governments annual strategic planning process. Shells latest scenarios, Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050, help us think about the future of energy. Using two scenarios to look at the different ways it may develop, Shell will be better equipped to fulfill its goal of providing energy in responsible ways and helping TTS customers and investors as best it can. In the first scenario, called Scramble, little thought is given to more efficient energy use until supplies are scarce. Similarly, greenhouse gas emissions are not genuinely addressed until there is drastic climate change. In the second scenario, known as Blueprints, local communities start to tackle the challenges of environmental pollution, economic development, and energy security. Using techniques such as a carbon tax, a price is given to a critical mass of emissions which spawns a huge economic stimulus to the development of clean energy technologies. This scenario old result in lower carbon dioxide emissions.