Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing Term Paper

Community Oriented and Problem Oriented Policing - Term Paper Example The police department must relate well with the community in order for COP to work. COP involves a firm commitment to necessities and values of the citizen input (1). Problem Oriented Policing (POP) is a policing approach where discrete police business pieces are subjected to microscopic examination hoping that what has been freshly learnt concerning each problem will result in the discovery of more effective strategies for dealing with them. POP values new responses, which are naturally preventive, that are independent of the criminal justice system. It also values the engagement of other public agencies, the private sector and community when their engagement has significant potentials of reducing the problem. Its commitment is related to the implementation of new strategies, full evaluation of its effectiveness, and then reporting the results to other police agencies, in a way that is beneficial to them. As well as help in building of a knowledge body that further supports police p rofessionalization (2). COP has three key components: community partnership, organizational transformation and problem solving. Comparisons between Community Policing and Problem Oriented Policies Historically, COP and POP were considered to be similar. In as much as they overlap in practice and philosophy, they also differ in the way they are performed in problem solving. First, the primary emphasis of community oriented policing is community engagement in the process of policing while in POP, solving problems within the police mandate. Community and police always collaborate in COP, while in POP collaboration is determined based on the prevailing situation; problem by problem. In problem analysis, POP gives first priority to thorough analysis which is only encouraged which is less significant to community collaboration in COP. Enforcement of criminal law is also preferred in POP, while COP prefers responses that collaborate with the community. However, unlike my supervisor, I beli eve that the role of police and community organization and mobilization is only advocated when the problem being addressed is warranted in POP while COP strongly emphasizes the police role. Adoption of the Community Oriented Policing In the late 1960s, there was increased tension between police and communities, especially the communities that were minority. Studies were conducted to determine the problem and it was found that a large number of minority African Americans negatively perceived the police. 3 say that the Michigan movement of 1960 wanted the relationship between police and people much closer. Louis Radelet brought a closer attention to COP so as to solve the problem (4). In 1996, he founded the National Institute on Police and Community Relations, where leaders discussed common problems between themselves. Increasing crime rate and ineffective conventional police methods also triggered the adoption of COP (5). Concerns about riots, racial conflicts, demonstration of civi l rights and political protests confronted the police (5). There was need to research on how such problems could be peacefully solved. There was also increased fear that overwhelmed the public, making them avoid shopping centers, parks, neighborhoods, and public transport (3). According to the research findings and recommendations, it was found that such problems cou

Global Warming Fact or Fiction Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Fact or Fiction Essay Throughout their history, humans have witnessed all the environmental imbalances they have created in the world. The unstoppable technological advances of the world have greatly contributed to the enhancement of economic progress and improvement of the quality of life. However, the phenomenal growth of the economy and the increase of the standards of living are achieved at the expense of environmental destruction that is pressing the contemporary society. Hence, as human beings are the ones responsible for taking care of and preserving nature, they should impose certain limitations in their attempts to acquire economic progress in order to protect the environment. The pivotal change in the composition of the earth’s atmospheric condition gave birth to the term global warming, leaving the whole world unnerved of the damages it is currently causing and will continue to cause. However, we should consider if global warming is true or a mere product of our imagination. Some scientists argue that what we are experiencing right now is a natural occurrence and is a part of the earths climate cycle. Theorists believed that the earth is currently undergoing climate cycle, wherein the planet cools then heats up. Scientists pointed out that 75 million years ago, the earth experienced ten degrees higher than todays temperature, but still, life was sustained. On the other hand, there is a strong evidence that global warming is not a natural phenomenon but is a result of human activities. Global warming is progressing at a rapid pace, with its damaging effects leading the world more and more to its destruction (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, this paper aims to present information that supports the claim that global warming is a fact and is threatening human life. Global warming is considered as the worst dilemma faced by humans as a result of their constant neglect of the environment. Global warming developed through the increased emissions of the noxious greenhouse gases resulting in an increase on the temperature of the earths surface (SciDev. Net). Global warming renders a variety of changes that affects the environment and the quality of life. As a result of humankind’s neglect and carelessness, the Earth is now experiencing extreme shifts in temperature which result in heat waves, irregular weather conditions, and rapid unfreezing of icecaps and glaciers located at the two opposite poles of the earth. As the ice caps and glaciers melt, the sea level rises, resulting in occurrences of coastal flooding. Causes of Global Warming The main cause of global warming is the widespread emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are the natural blanket of the Earth located in the atmosphere. It traps some of the light to keep the surface warmer. Over the century, the Earths surface temperature increased by . 5 degrees Celsius and it was believed that this was due to the increased on the concentration of the main greenhouse gases, which are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorocarbons (Hopwood and Cohen). The natural phenomenon was named â€Å"greenhouse effect† because it has a similar effect created by the glass panes of a greenhouse. The greenhouse traps the heat inside preventing large amounts of heat to go outside. The greenhouse gases selectively transmit infrared rays emitted by the sun. It traps some of the waves and permits some to travel in space. The greenhouse gases then bounce the infrared rays back on the lower atmosphere causing the increase in temperature (Hopwood and Cohen). Carbon dioxide is one of the main components of the greenhouse gases. It is produced and emitted in the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is emitted when humans exhale, when fossil fuels burn for energy, and through the deforestation of the planet (Hopwood and Cohen). The release of carbon dioxide is a biological function among humans and other animals which have a similar respiratory system. Fossil fuels are formed through the decay of the plants and animals a thousand years ago. People utilize these fossil fuels in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas to create a supply of electricity, to heat their homes, and to run their cars. The fossil fuels contain carbon which, when burned, mixes with oxygen, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide (Hopwood and Cohen). Other greenhouse gases accumulate in the earths atmosphere due to the negligence of people. As they continue to strive for economic progress, they reinforce the causes of the environmental dilemma that can lead the planet to its destruction (Hopwood and Cohen). Deforestation is another cause of the production of carbon dioxide. Deforestation occurs though logging for lumber, pulpwood and fuel wood. Another factor contributing on deforestation is farming new land, which involves developing forests into farmlands and pastures. Deforestation takes away trees that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The less number of trees in the forest, the less carbon dioxide will be processed and made available in the atmosphere (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, global warming is caused by humans unstoppable emission of noxious gases on the earths atmosphere and the denuding of forests. At present, the status of global warming is progressing, rendering detrimental effects to the planet and its inhabitants. Effects of Global Warming The increase of the amount of greenhouse gases present in the earths atmosphere has negative implications on the earths environmental mechanism. These effects only signify the existence of the environmental dilemma. Due to global warming, the planet is experiencing imbalances our environmental processes. The earth is suffering from heat waves, sudden unusual shifts in weather, and changes in precipitation patterns. The odd patterns of precipitation reinforced by the rise of the sea level result in coastal flooding and take away the land where people live. This circumstance induces migration, causing the population of the inland cities to escalate (â€Å"Global Warming: Early Warning Signs†). Global warming also has a direct effect on our earths hydrosphere. The increase in temperature contributes to the rise of sea level. The rise of the earths waters results from the expansion of water due to heating and the melting of glaciers and ice caps in the North and South poles (Raper and Braithwaite 311). Global warming also affects the daily lives and lifestyle of the people. It also causes a chain of events that raises extreme concern from environmentalists who are anticipating the worst scenarios resulting from this environmental issue (Hopwood and Cohen). Global warming renders both negative and positive effects in our agriculture. As for its benefits to agriculture, global warming helps to increase food production. Since one of the determinants of agriculture is climate, it is suggested that heating is better than cooling. Moreover, carbon dioxide is one of the essential factors needed by plants in making their own food. As the temperature rises, more farmlands will be available on the poles and the length of the growing season will be prolong. However, extreme rise in the temperature will cause drought that affects our crops. Extremely hot temperatures also prevent some of the crops to be planted due to the adherence of the climate (Hopwood and Cohen). Global warming also raises various health concerns. One of the most obvious effects on health is directly through heat. As the temperature of the earth continues to increase, more people will suffer from heatstroke, heart ailments, and other illnesses exacerbated by heat (Hopwood and Cohen). In addition to this, it was stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that climate change develops a wide array of adverse effects on human health, resulting in significant loss of human lives. As temperature increases at the earth’s poles, pests and insects migrate toward these areas. Some of these insects and pests carry diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, which could lead to an increase in the number of cases documented each year (Hopwood and Cohen). Thus, if the current situation will not be addressed, global warming is foreseen to create a chain of negative implications such as the spread of diseases, occurrence of droughts and fires, heavy rainfall, flora and fauna range shift, and population changes (â€Å"Global Warming: Early Warning Signs†). Conclusion The environment is continuously violated and destructed as people strive to achieve industrialization, economic progress, and improvement of the quality of human life. As a result, global warming has emerged as an alarming dilemma that stems from our negligence and exploitation of the earth’s natural resources. Thus, global warming is not a product of our imagination but a product of our continued destruction of the environment. Global warming is brought about by the escalated concentration of greenhouse gases, causing the earths temperature to increase as the gases trap infrared waves and bounce them back to the earth. The increased concentration of the greenhouse gases result from the neglectful emission of components that comprise the noxious greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide, the main component of the greenhouse gases, accumulates in the atmosphere as the amount of carbon dioxide recycled is reduced. Deforestation is one of the causes of the increased in the concentration of the harmful gases on the earths atmosphere. Global warming brings about various effects on the environment, human health, and people’s lifestyle. Although global warming has some advantages, such as prolonging the growing (of plants) season, it produces more negative implications. For instance, it can cause the spread of various diseases, the occurrence of droughts and wildfires, the unusual patterns of precipitation, and considerable shifts on the flora and fauna distribution. The sad truth is that global warming exists and continues to progress as we constantly neglect our environment. The current rate of its development causes concerns to arise, and the effects we are currently experiencing are proof of its threatening presence. Hence, as global warming continues to threaten human lives, attention and action are extremely needed not only to resolve the growing problems caused by global warming, but also to prevent further damages to the planet and its inhabitants. Works Cited Global Warming: Early Warning Signs. 1999.Retrieved May 8 2008 from http://www. climatehotmap. org/. Hopwood, Nick and Jordan Cohen. â€Å"Greenhouse Gases and Society. † University of Michigan. 1998. 18 July 2008 http://www. umich. edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse. htm. Raper, Sarah C. B, and Roger J. Braithwaite. â€Å"Low Sea Level Rise Projection from Mountain Glaciers Icecaps under Global Warming. † Nature 439 (19 January 2006): 311-313. SciDev. Net. â€Å"Global Warming. † Climate Change and Energy. 2008. May 8 2008 http://www. scidev. net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions/climate-change/g/.

E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage

E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage 1.0 Introduction The Internet plays an important role as it is revolutionizing the way in which business is conducted around the world. In new millennium with the emergence of electronic system, organizations are strained to shift their operation from traditional way to e-business had lead clear increase in global competition which threaten existing businesses and modernize business practices. Apart from that, technology is consider an integrate part of any business as technology can contribute to economic growth, increases productivity and quality of products as well as increases competitive advantages of industrial sectors. Besides, the developing of technology is in an increasing pace and dramatically changes business models in business sector. In such competitive environment resulted from globalization, firms must create more dynamic strategy over their competitor to survive in the business sector. Due to competition from various companies has increased as advancements in technology; it has broken down the traditional barriers to entry the market. Therefore, at the ever changing world, procurement process has been transformed into strategic resources. The use of new technology in procurement has provided substantial benefits. However, some organizations are exploiting competitive advantage through mergers, acquisitions, supply and distribution channel imptovements (Hamel and Prahalad 1994), as cited in Longenecker and Ariss (2002). 2.0 Research Objective To determine that whether e-procurement can achieve competitive advantage To investigate whether total quality management can achieve competitive advantage To examining whether implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can help to achieve further competitive advantage. 3.0 Research Questions Does e-procurement results in competitive advantage? Does total quality management results in competitive advantage? Does implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can help to achieve further competitive advantage? 4.0 Hypotheses E-Procurement can result in competitive advantage. Total quality management can result in competitive advantage. Implementation of e-procurement in total quality management can provide further competitive advantage. Literature Review 5.0 E-Procurement and Competitive Advantage 5.1 Conceptualization of E-Procurement Nowadays, the evolution of e-procurement is becoming more successively and interested on a global scale. According to Min and Galle (2003), e-procurement is defined as business-to-business purchasing practice that utilizes electronic commerce to identify potential sources of supply, to purchase goods and services, to transfer payment, and to interact with suppliers (as cited in Pearcy and Giunipero 2008, p.26). Besides that, electronic procurement consists of e-Maintenance Repair Operate (MRO), web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), e-sourcing, e-tendering, e-auctioning, e-exchanges and e-informing (Min and Galle 2001; Knudsen 2003; Walker and Harland 2008). Apart from that, an Aberdeen Group (2001) found that e-procurement technologies are divided into 2 categories: direct procurement and indirect procurement (cited in Angeles and Nath 2007). Direct procurement is the purchase of high volume raw materials that used in the manufacturing process of a finished product (Harrigan et al. 2008). Whereas indirect procurement is the purchase of maintenance, materials and operation goods that are not directly involved in the production process such as office supplies, personal computers and advertising (Bof and Previtali 2007). Apart from that, procurement process involves a complex series of events which allows a firm to more from the basic need to reaching a final purchase decision through technical specification and potential supplier evaluation (Robinson et al. 1967, cited in Osmonbekov et al. 2002). Hence, many firms in diverse industries adopt the strategy of e-procurement and focus on restructuring the entire order-to-delivery process rath er than specific task in order to improve the efficiency of purchasing or supply management function as well as reduce operation costs of organization. 5.2 Conceptualization of Competitive Advantage The achievement of sustainable competitive advantage has long been the goal of companies and organizations. However, due to the rapid change in the global environment, researchers from various backgrounds have come up with their own different perspectives to identify definition of competitive advantage. In traditional industry, the importance of industry structure and market position plays significant roles to achieve competitive advantage (Porter 1980, cited in Ma 1999; Passemard and Kleiner 2000). According to Pfeffer and Vega (1991), the conceptualization of competitive advantage can be described as organizational practice, resource and asset that used to improve an organizations competitive position in the marketplace (as cited in Longenecker and Ariss 2002). Porter (1985) further description on competitive advantage grows out of the firms unique ability in creating superior customer value (as cited in Ma 2002, p.525). However, recently, Rindova and Fombrun (1999), state that competitive advantage is built on relationship and not an exchanges sustained social interactions in impressions which may affect future behaviors (cited in Tzokas and Saren 2004). 5.3 Competitive strategies in E-Procurement E-procurement has been seen to have the potential to play a pivotal role in a firms endeavours to create a competitive cost advantage that lasts for many years, hence grounding sustainable competitive advantage (Bloomberg et al. 2002, p. 14) cited in (Pires and Stanton 2005). In order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, company should concern on the implementation of organizational business strategy in area of e-procurement. However, if the organization fails to apply a successful strategy, it will result in loss of business productivity and competitiveness which will undermine the long-term performance of the organization. Apart from that, a firm can enhance its market position and competitive strength by developing procurement strategy. Below are the competitive strategies which e-procurement can achieve competitive advantage: 5.3.1 Cost Reduction The reduction of purchasing cost has been recognized as one of the most significant purposes in procurement (Collis and Montgomery 1995), since the average manufacturing firm spends half of its sales revenue on the purchase of materials (cited in Ordanini and Rubera 2008). Furthermore, research shows that by using e-procurement can achieve cost saving which average reduction in purchase price of 17 per cent (Bartezzaghi and Ronchi 2005, cited as Harrigan et al. 2008). Additionally, by implementing e-procurement in an organization, it can help us to reduce purchase price of materials and costs that related to internal workflow of activities such as equipment and labour costs. With the use of electronic procurement, transactions can be proceed through HTML, EDI, e-mail and Internet which can eliminate the usage paper requisition for placing order, invoice as well as receipt (Sarkis et al. 2004). Additionally, Companies using e-procurement have reported savings up to 42% in purchasing t ransaction cost associated with less paperwork, which translates into fewer mistakes and more efficient purchasing process (Davila et al. 2002). 5.3.2 Efficiency Maximization E-procurement can improve the efficiency of the process which order fulfillment time can shortened up to 80 per cent (Minahan 2001, cited in Harrigan et al. 2008) as well as reduced the inventory levels (Min and Galle 2003). Thus, e-procurement has impact on the purchasing cycle time and delivery time. In order to achieve high quality performance, mostly organizations has seen the benefits of applying new technologies in its manufacturing processes because it can manufacture in a high volume production without any concerns in regards to cost. The investment in advanced equipment has enabled the company to achieve a high level of process capability that could not achieve by manual processes. Due to there are many repetitive and complicated tasks that machines can do which human being cannot do it. According to Bof and Previtali (2007), electronic procurement can accelerated the flow of important information between buyers and suppliers as well as elimination of transaction errors by transform the way of purchasing raw material from traditional methods to online. Currently, the use of internet serve as a foundation of data flow for strategic manufacturing purpose in e-procurement such as using barcodes in firms to manage the raw material. As the workflow automatically routes information through the purchasing process without re-keying all the date, user can use it easily and with a minimal error. According to Smith and Correa (2005), they stated that by using e-business can lead to highly accurate information gathering though proper database via internet and it enable to indentify each product moving throughout supply chain. Apart from that, the information that recorded in the system are stored in a real-time fashion, therefore, users can acquire an accurate tracking in supply chain compared with the traditional manual methods. Therefore the adoption of e-procurement will improve efficiency that can strengthen competitive advantage in firms and industries. In general, firms should adopt the e-procurement strategies to achieve competitive advantage among the competitors. For instance, firms need to learn the management practices which are reduce production costs by elimination waste and achieving higher efficiency to capture the attention of the suppliers. 6.0 Total Quality Management and Competitive Advantage 6.1 Conceptualization of Total Quality Management (TQM) Since 1980s, TQM has been regarded as one of the competitive strategies for firm to improve their competitive advantage and has widely implemented throughout the world (Kuei et al. 2001; Brah et al. 2002; Rad 2006). Besides that, TQM has been widely regarded as rational structure and scientific tools for the improvement of quality as well as improve competitive advantage (Sun 2000; Li et al. 2002). There is no universally agreed definition on TQM as many researchers have their own beliefs and prejudices towards the term (Martinez-Lorente 1998; Sun 2000; Psychogios and Priporas 2007; KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008). However, the definition provided by researchers is more like vague descriptions than definitions and contain terms as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a philosophy, which à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬?, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ an approach for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬? (KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008). As just an example, Rad (2006) defines TQM as a philosophy which provides a template for success to an organization through customer satisfaction. On the other hand, in recent years, a tendency toward agreement on a system perspective of TQM has been suggested. One such definition is from Hellsten and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ (2000), who define TQM as a continuously evolving management system consisting of core values, methodologies and tools, the aim of which is to increase external and internal customer satisfaction with a reduced amount of resources (cited in KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ et al. 2008, p. 121). The definition provided by Hellsten and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶ (2000) is stated clearly as it consists of three components which are interdependent and supporting each of the values to sustaining a culture based on a kernel of core values. 6.2 Competitive strategies in TQM In order to compete with the increasingly of competitors, it has forced organizations find ways to reduce costs while maintaining customer satisfaction and making continuous improvement to the products. Since 1980, TQM has been recognized as a way to achieve goal by establishing a quality-based culture for improving customer satisfaction. Apart from that, TQM has been widely recognized as one of the most competitive weapon, if implemented successfully, provides a competitive advantage for organizations through quality (Martins and Toledo 2000; Beskese and Cebeci 2001; Prajogo and Sohal 2004). In order to achieve the goals of organization, they should implementing successful TQM strategies. 6.2.1 Quality Focus Currently, TQM have become a key focus for organizations as it considers as tools for improvement quality. According to Mandel et al. (2000), he noted that the implication of quality as a factor of international planning. Quality improvement refers to the efforts on increasing effectiveness and efficiency in order to satisfy customer expectations (Talha 2004). Organizations must plan the strategic to implement quality improvement planning into their business plan. If the organization has emphasized quality as an important strategic, this will leads to higher sales and operating profits as well as improve the competitive positions of the firm as the customers will pay more to quality products that satisfy them. Also, nowadays customers are become more sophisticated, continuous improvement in product quality is essential to satisfy their needs. Therefore, once the organizations satisfy the requirements of customer, items are producing according to specifications, it will minimizing defective items and the cost of rework (Khan 2003). Yet, TQM will increase the organizations competitive advantage because they concentrated on the improvements to offer superior quality of products to its customers (Martins and Toledo 2000). Hence, quality improvement is essential for the very survival of a company to achieve competitive advantage. 6.2.2 Customer Focus Customers have their expectations towards an organization which they patronize. If the expectations are not met, they will get dissatisfied and stop patronizing the organization; hence customer satisfaction is one of the important elements to attain competitive advantage. According to Bergman and Klefsjo (2003), satisfied customer are loyal customers and loyal customers are profitable customers and profitable customers make lucrative businesses and happy owners (cited in Bergquist et al. 2005, p. 312). However, customers are usually irrational. In order to develop their potential quality, companies need to develop the strategies on customer focus. Generally, customer focus means as the activities of the companies are intended to benefit the customer but the customer is seen from the companies own perspective (Lagrosen 2001, p.350). Organizations should make an effort to gain information regarding the needs and wants of the customer rather than always focus on the companies view of product and its features. 6.2.3 Process Focus The goal of process management is to zeroing down the defective and failures rate as well as reduce process variation by building quality into the production process which can reduced cost. According to Ou et al. (n.d.), inferior quality manufacturing process will increase high scrap rate and rework rate which will lead to use more resource to produce qualified products. Therefore, firms should concern on process management to avoid the occurrences of unnecessary costs such as waste costs by finding quality problems immediately. TQM implementation can directly increasing firms quality performance by improving manufacturing process, has indirect effects on increasing customer satisfaction as well as the reputation of firms. By reducing unnecessary waste cost such as waste of production, avoidable process and waste of defects, firms can put into practice of lean production. According to Womack and Jones (1996), lean production has its origin in philosophy of achieving improvements in most economical ways with special focus on reducing waste (cited in Dahlgaard and Dahlgaard-Park 2006, p. 264). For instance, firm can designing the production process and giving orders and instructions to the workers. The improvement of manufacturing efficiency will improve customers satisfaction and eventually the companys financial performance. 6.3 Adoption of e-Procurement in Total Quality Management to achieve Competitive Advantage There is no clearly evidence shows that the adoption of e-procurement in total quality management can achieve further competitive advantage, however it can be shows that the ways of both e-procurement and TQM are almost using same strategies to achieve competitive advantage. 6.3.1 Business-to-business (B2B) E-procurement E-procurement is defined as the use of information technologies to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) purchase transactions for materials and services (Wu et al. 2007, cited in Walker and Harland 2008). With the development of B2B e-procurement, the traditional method of business are replaced by the electronically transactions. Besides that, BCB e-procurement can help TQM in achieving competitive advantage. 6.3.1.1 Cost Minimization Application of e-procurement practices into total quality management is beneficial as it can improve facilitation of efficient and cost-effective trading routes to conduct business. According to Harrigan et al. (2008), e-procurement can reduce purchasing costs by amending the way raw materials are purchasing from traditional methods to online ordering. With the implementation of e-procurement, transactions can be proceed via e-mail, electronic data interchange, fax which can directly eliminate paper usage such as invoice, receipts as well as paper catalogs. However, Turban et al. (2006) argues that systematic procurement transactions tend to waste time on non-value-adding activities such as handling errors in ordering and invoicing, data entry which often time consuming and costly to trace (cited in Aboelmaged 2009). 6.3.1.2 Efficiency Maximization Apart from the cost reductions arising from transactional, e-procurement can also contribute to efficient purchasing process in many ways. As earlier mention, TQM have been emphasized that its main focus is improving products quality, therefore it may be less paying attention on giving maximize efficiency. Consequently, by implementation e-procurement in TQM can achieve maximum efficiency. It is obvious that e-procurement greatly helps improve communication with suppliers providing access to the information 24 hours a day. Therefore, the system availability can makes it easier for businesses to receive order from the supplier and summit an order. By providing greater access, firms can reduce the purchasing cycle time and improved performance between buyers and suppliers. According to Choudhury et al. (1998), repetition in the procurement system will increase the efficiency and result in a higher level of electronic integration between buyers and suppliers (cited in Walker and Harland 2008). 6.3.1.3 Methods of B2B e-procurement Previously, most of the organizations are using traditional modes of communication such as phone, fax, memo and face-to-face. However, through evolution of the technologies, organizations can improve the speed in business transactions through the utilization of the B2B e-procurement methods: 1. Reverse Auctions. A reverse e-auction is a form of the electronic data communication which provides a forum wherein several suppliers compete online for contracts offered by a customer (Tassabehji et al. 2006). Due to no human intervention along with computerized accessible format, it can help both parties gain form less paperwork, shorted cycle times for circulation requesters for quotations, faster responses to potential bidders and reduced transaction costs (Plouffe et al. 2001). 2. Lean procurement. Lean procurement generally imply on small quantity of products purchased frequently from few suppliers, who deliver the items in exact quantities at the specific time and place (Wilson and Roy 2009). It also further noted that lean procurement unlike the traditional purchasing system such as TQM where the price considerations, suppliers are evaluated through the reliability, behaviors, performance as well as price. Based on the traditional purchasing system, the relationship between buyers and suppliers are based on the long-term trust and commitment. 3. Internet. Through internet, companies have ability to speed up the business transactions through a faster way as it allows companies to pay invoices and payment electronically. Besides that, the use of internet through videoconferencing provides a visual contract which allows companies communicate with the suppliers (Samaniego 2006). 7.0 Theoretical Framework Competitive Advantage E-Procurement Total Quality Management 8.0 Research Methods 8.1 Explanatory My research is about the ways of e-procurement and total quality management in achieving competitive advantage of organizations. In the literature review, I am explaining the relationship between e-procurement and competitive advantage as well as total quality management and competitive advantage; therefore my research is an explanatory study. According to Saunders et al. (2009), explanatory study is known as causal study which is emphasizes on explaining the relationships between variables. 8.2 Research Philosophy The research philosophy that I adopt in the literature review is epistemology. Epistemology concerns what constitutes acceptable knowledge in a field of study (Saunders et al, 2009, p. 112). This research will be mostly exploring the strategies of how e-procurement and TQM to achieve competitive advantage. Besides that, although many successful cases that shows that e-procurement and TQM can provide competitive advantage to an organization. However, I may not be able to know that e-procurement and TQM can achieve competitive advantage. Therefore, I a going to do this research to find out how e-procurement and TQM can help an organization achieve competitive advantage. Furthermore, the fact that it is an explanatory study also makes this research epistemology. Both the cause and the effect are known under an explanatory effect. In this research, I will acts as a positivist. A positivist will prefer working with an observable social reality and that the end products of such research can be law-like generalizations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientists (Remenyi et al., 1998, p. 32, as cited in Saunders et al., 2009, p. 113). Therefore, I will only based on the quantifiable observations which I can see, hear and touch to develop hypotheses. 8.3 Approach Deductive approach is an approach of working from more general idea to a more specific idea and also known as waterfall approach and therefore, conclusion follows logically from the premises (Gill Johnson, 2010). My research will utilize deductive approach since the theory and hypothesis have been created at the starting of the research. Besides that, the research itself is an observation to further confirm the relationship between e-procurement, TQM and competitive advantage as well as allows me to test and confirm my hypothesis. 8.4 Method The research measurements used in this study will be mixture of qualitative and quantitative factors. A quantitative research aims at determining the relationship between one thing and another (Denzin Lincon, 2005). A qualitative research is used to address research questions that require explanation or understanding of social phenomena and their contexts (Ritchie and Lewis, 2003). In this research, I will more focus on quantitative research instead of qualitative research. By using quantitative research, I can find out the following data: 1. The percentage of organizations which are successfully achieving competitive advantage after adoption of either e-procurement, TQM, or both. 2. The percentage of organizations which adopt neither e-procurement nor TQM, but have achieved competitive advantage. Besides that, I plan to apply structured questionnaire and interview which form by structured questions and answers. Structured interviews use questionnaires based on standardized set of questions which can be result more accurate and credible data. Although quantitative research is the main focus in this research, qualitative research is still under consideration towards these issues. Under qualitative methods, I will be using semi-structured and in-depth questionnaire and interview. A semi-structured questionnaire or interview is where the questions are structured but the answers are left unstructured. However, in-depth questionnaire or interview is where both the questions and answers are unstructured. Therefore, my research choice is Mixed Methods whereby both quantitative and qualitative methods are being considered. 8.5 Strategies The strategies that can be implemented in conducting this research are survey. Survey is a research strategy that involves the structured collection of data from a sizeable population (Saunders et al., 2009). The reason for choosing survey as my strategy is survey allows me to collect the quantitative data which I can analyze quantitatively using statistics. By using survey, I can easily calculate the percentage of increase in profits after implementing e-procurement and TQM. Through the survey, questionnaire will be given. Structured questionnaires bring convenience for me when carrying out the percentage calculation. Another strategy that can be implemented is archival research which makes use of administrative records and documents as the principal source of data (Saunders et al., 2009). In this research, archival research can used to identify the companies in the past that have been successful in achieving e-procurement and TQM and changing effects that has led to their success. 8.6 Sampling Sampling techniques are used to define the target population by keeping with the objectives of the study. Hence, sampling methods are techniques for collecting sub-volumes from larger volume of target population (Groves et al., 2010). Sample selection will be done on a random basis to avoid selection bias. In this research, the sampling method that will be use is stratified random sampling. Stratified random sampling is a modification of random sampling in which you divide the population into two or more relevant strata based on one or a number of attributes (Saunders et al., 2009, p. 228). I will divide all companies in Malaysia into 4 groups which are companies that implement e-procurement, companies that implement TQM, companies that implement both e-procurement and TQM as well as companies that do not implement both e-procurement and TQM. In this case, companies will be selected using random sampling. Besides that, 50 questionnaires will be distributed randomly to every company. 8.7 Time Horizon In terms of time horizon, my research will be considered as cross-sectional study. Cross-sectional study refers to data gathered only once over a period of time. Since this research must complete within 1 month, I am not be able to analyze the development of e-procurement in future. Therefore, my research will more focus on the e-procurement of e-procurement nowadays and explain the relationship between every variable. Besides that, this research typically deals with historical data, hence the necessity to get results frequently is comparatively low as the industry conditions will not change rapidly. 8.8 Possible Result For the hypothesis of this research to be true, it must be supported by the fact that adoption of e-procurement in TQM can provide further competitive advantage. Besides that, the results of the survey as well as archival research should show that the companies that implement neither e-procurement nor TQM can achieve competitive advantage. However, if the result of this research shows that the adoption of e-procurement in TQM does not achieve competitive advantage then the hypothesis of the research will be proven false. 9.0 Conclusion Based on reading of literature, I can suggest that hypothesis of this research paper is accepted. It clearly shows that e-procurement and TQM on business can achieve and sustaining competitive advantage in business world nowadays. The development of e-procurement does give a huge impact on business management will continuing technological revolution provides a number of challenges for firms today. An efficient e-procurement should implement competitive strategies to achieve competitive advantage as well as enhance market position in market. Besides that, a further competitive advantage can be gained by implementing e-procurement in TQM. Hence, it can be concluded that adoption of both e-procurement and TQM can bring organization to achieve further competitive advantage. However, in practice, TQM benefits are not easy to achieve. Many organizations and companies have difficulties in implementing TQM due to lack of consistent senior management commitment, superficial knowledge of imple menters of TQM as well as lack of strategic plan for change. In other words, TQM can have a dramatic impact on an organization. (4258 words) 10.0 References Aberdeen Group. (2001). Best Practices in e-Procurement: The Abridged Report. Aberdeen Group, Boston, MA. Cited in Angeles, R. and Nath, R. (2007). Business-to-business e-procurement: success factors and challenges to implementation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 104-115. Aboelmaged, M.G. (2009). Predicting e-procurement adoption in a developing country. Industrial Management and Data Systems. Vol. 110, No. 3, pp. 392-414. Angeles, R. and Nath, R. (2007). Business-to-business e-procurement: success factors and challenges to implementation. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 104-115. Bartezzaghi, E. and Ronchi, S. (2005). E-sourcing in a buyer-operator-seller perspective: benefits and criticalities. Production Planning and Control. Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 405-412. Cited in Harrigan, P.O., Boyd, M.M., Ramsey, E. and Ibbotson, P. (2008). The development of e-procurement within the ICT manufacturing industry in Ireland. Management Decision. Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 481-500. Bergman, B. and KlefsjÃÆ' ¶, B. (2003). Quality from Customer Needs to Customer Satisfaction. (2nd edn). Studentlitteratur, Lund. Cited in Bergquist, B., Fredriksson, M. and Svensson, M. (2005). TQM: terrific quality marvel or tragic quality malpractice?. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 309-321. Bergquist, B., Fredriksson, M. and Svensson, M. (2005). TQM: terrific quality marvel or tragic quality malpractice?. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 309-321. Beskese, A. and Cebeci, U. (2001). Total quality management and ISO 9000 applications in Turkey. The TQM Magazine. Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 69-73. Bloomberg, D., S. LeMay and J. Hanna. (2002). Logistics. Prentice Hall. Cited in Pires, G.D. and Stanton, J. (2005). A research framework for the electronic procurement adoption process: Drawing from Australian evidence. Journal of Global Business and Technology. Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 12-20. Bof, F. and Previtali, P. (2007). Organisational Pre-Conditions for e-Procurement in Governments: the Italian Experience in Public Health Care Sector. The Electronic Journal of e-Government. Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 1-10. Brah, S.A., Tee, S.S.L. and Rao, B.M. (2002). Relationship between TQM and performance of Singapore companies. International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management. Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 356-379. Choudhury, V., Hartzel, K. and Kosynski, B. (1998). Uses and consequences of electronic markets: an empirical investigation in the aircraft

History of aspirin :: essays research papers fc

History Of Aspirin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aspirin is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world.. For centuries people throughout the world. Aspirin was discovered about 3500 years ago.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A collection of 877 medicinal recipes, The Ebers papyrus, before Christ, from the middle of the second millennium had been bought during the last century from an Egyptian street vendor by Georg Ebers, a German Egyptologist Georg. He recommended an infusion of dried myrtle leaves for rheumatic and back pain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More than a thousand years later the father of all doctors, Hippocrates of Kos, prescribed a juice extracted from the bark of the willow tree for labor pains and also for fever and pain. The active substance in this juice, which does in fact ease pain, is what we know today as salicylic acid. Being derived from the Latin word for willow, its name gives a clue as to its origin : Salix. It is now known that it is precisely salicylic acid that is contained in the myrtle leaves which the Egyptians used to treat and relieve pain.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advantages of Aspirin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aspirin helps relieve pain from headaches and arthritis, and reduces fever from infections. It also reduces inflammation due to illness or injury. The drug interferes with blood clotting, and thus it is useful in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and other disorders that involve blood clots.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disadvantages/Hazards of Aspirin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aspirin is a relatively safe drug when taken as recommended. But it can be irritating to the stomach lining and cause some stomach bleeding. A few people, are allergic to aspirin and can become very sick if they take it. Aspirin should not be given to children with chicken pox or influenza. Reyes Syndrome is a serious condition that can be caused if used during the conditions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Related Careers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  - Dispensing Facilities - Retail Outlets - Institutions - Manufacturing - Pharmacy Technicians Recruiting Firms - Research and Academia - Temporary Placement Firms - Wholesalers/Distributors   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Environmental Issues   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  EPA findings concluded that groundwater and soil at the site are contaminated with pharmaceuticals. Also, the EPA concluded that people who drink or come in contact with the water from the wells tapping the aquifer may be at risk. The company is required to complete immediate cleanup which includes installation of replacement wells, 22 groundwater monitoring wells and a fiberglass reinforced concrete pad around the tank area to prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground. In addition, vacuum extraction wells will be employed to withdraw carbon tetrachloride from the soil.

College and Dear Esteemed Members

Dear Esteemed Members of the Admissions Committee:I am submitting a letter of petition for readmission for the Fall 2011 term. I was dismissed from the university in 2005 for poor academic performance. Upon my entrance into the university I have always been very studious which has led me to excel academically throughout the years. When I began my studies at — I was ignorant of so many things. I didnt really pick up on college regulations and penalties comfortably until my sophomore year. It was then when I learned that I unfortunately didnt drop a class I thought I had dropped. I learned my lesson and became very familiar with the college catalog at that point. During my enrollment at —-, I truly tried my best but it was not good enough. I was devastated to see how I was performing when I knew I was capable of doing better. I graduated 3rd in my class with a 4. 2 on a 4 scale. I had never performed so poorly, EVER! As depressing as this was for me I never gave up. I kept striving for better results but in the end I had to face reality. When I was dismissed from the university I blamed myself for my failures. I was too proud to admit that there were underlying causes that led to such a poor performance on my behalf. When there are problems in my life I usually find ways to deal with them without making them known. Ive re-evaluated the situation and have come to the conclusion that I was in denial of the issues my medical condition was causing me. I am a type 1 diabetic which was not under its best control during my enrollment. I never wanted to admit that it was causing me problems but I realize that it needs to be known and I should not be ashamed of it. My health caused me to be in an uncontrollable state of drowsiness constantly. On some occasions it required hospitalization. There were times I woke up on my floor confused and out of touch with reality. The hospital became my second home. It seemed as if I wasnt at school or the dormitory I was in the hospital. During lectures, tests, and study sessions I fought to stay awake but I did not always win. I studied every chance I was given because I knew it wouldnt be long before my immune system got the best of me. Ill never forget one instance where I wanted to stay awake so desperately to study for finals I took 2 NoDoz pills (400mg of caffeine) and fell asleep almost instantly. Despite all my attempts to persevere, I still didnt want to accept that my diabetes was hindering my studies. Since dismissal I realized that I needed to make a drastic change not just for scholastic purposes but for my overall wellbeing. I teamed up with a dietitian, joined a workout program, and started on an insulin pump. Ive seen and felt a dramatic improvement in my health condition. I no longer encounter any of the issues I did while in college. I have also taken a couple of courses at a community college. For the most part Ive been working to gain experience in my field of study. I would like to be given another chance to prove the magnitude of my academics. My diabetes has maintained great control for a long time now. I am confident that it will remain that way. Im not far from graduation and my hunger for it couldnt be any stronger than it is now. I will send weekly progress reports if I must just to show how sincere I am. I have formulated a personal DARS report as a guidance tool to graduation. I have 45 hours left to complete. My plan is to take 2-3 courses each semester up until graduation. Following that plan will allow me to graduate in the spring of 2013. Included in this letter you will find medical records, transcripts from courses I have taken outside of ——, and other documents supporting this letter. Records-explanation of records (This is not part of the letter but what I will provide with letter)A1C levels; how they can affect ones stateIntensive care unit for kidney infectionHospital visit datesDietician datesCurrent A1C (Average for diabetic blood sugar levels)Letter from exercise programsLetter of recommendation from employers showing work ethicIdk if all the things I will include with the letter are necessary. Should I add or subtract anything? Also most colleges want you to attend another college for a year with a show of progression. I have only completed 16hrs since dismissal. I did four 4hr classes and received 3 A's and a C. Do u think I'll be readmitted on these grounds

Rate of return

Depending on the facts and circumstances involved In a particular research and development arrangement, true payments by the entity to the other parties ostensibly for royalties or to purchase the partnership's interests in or to obtain the exclusive rights to the research and development results might actually be any of the following: * a. The settlement of a borrowing ; b. The purchase price of an asset * c. The royalties for the use of an asset.The financial reporting of an entity that is a party to a research and development arrangement should represent faithfully what It purports to represent and should not subordinate substance to form. † Without specific guidance and this as a launching point we need to look at this transaction and really see what's going on. From the agreement presented in the case this Is what I have been able to cull out of the extreme ambiguity.The first piece of the agreement we should comb over Is the future royalties to be received by PIE from the sales of an established Pharmacy drug for a defined period of time. An established drug in the market has reasonably estimable future cash flows. I. E†¦ Pilfer could predict with reasonably certainty sales of Vicarage this year. Thus, PIE Is constructively lending Pharmacy money now, with repayment of the borrowing coming in the form of royalties for a defined period of time.Lending money with recurring repayments of that principal over a defined period of time is essentially a bond. That Is also what Is going on here. The question is how much is PIE lending Pharmacy? If we accept that the future royalties associated with Pharmacy existing drug are reasonably estimable and for a defined period of time, we can do some math and discount the future cash flows and apply an appropriate return for similar debt Instruments' cash flows to arrive at exactly how much of Pep's money to Pharmacy Is constructive lending.The number we arrive at for the constructive lending would be recorded as a note receivable (or more specific verbiage could be used) for PIE and a payable for Pharmacy in the form of a royalty payable to satisfy lending obligation. Now, as Pharmacy proceeds with their best efforts in developing drug X, and the amount of cumulative cash PIE has Infused Into Pharmacy at each threshold exceeds the amount previously quantified as constructive lending we have a new situation. The money is no longer lending, so what is it?ACS 730-20-25-8 states: â€Å"To the extent Tanat ten Atlanta rills escalate Walt n ten research Ana development NAS Eden transferred because repayment of any of the funds provided by the other parties depends solely on the results of the research and development having future economic benefit, the entity shall account for its obligation as a contract to perform research and development for others. † If we look from Pep's point of view, they inserted the future royalties of the existing drug into the agreement as a guaranteed retur n of some of their invested capital.We can assume the PEE fund isn't incompetent and understand that up to a certain investment point, presumably to the same dollar amount of expected cash flows from the existing drug royalties they are entitled to, they can't say that a return on investment drug X is more likely than not. However, once they start giving their incremental investments beyond the constructive lending amount we quantified earlier I think it is safe to say PIE sees a return on drug X as probable. So, PIE would need to record any cash sent to Pharmacy beyond the constructive lending amount as an investment, Just as any other investment is recorded.They would need to be wary of impairment, perhaps, more so than other forms of investment, but this is strictly now an investment in Pharmacy. For Pharmacy, as stated in ACS 730-20-25-8 above, now has an obligation to perform research and development in the amount of any cash provided by PIE in excess of the constructive lendin g portion of the agreement. As we saw in ACS 730-20-05-9 at the top of this analysis of the agreement, there is an extreme amount of supposition involved in these types of R&D agreements and the code says they need to be accounted for with the substance of the transaction above the form.I believe the aforementioned constructive lending portion and investment portion of the agreement satisfy the substance of the arrangement best under the circumstances presented. Also, the code itself seems to recognize its lack of ability to clearly delineate the proper accounting treatment and throws us a nice blanket piece of code to ensure the proper disclosure of the agreement in the form of 730-20-50-1 stating, â€Å"An entity that under the provisions of this Subtopic accounts for its obligation under research and development arrangement as a contract to perform research and development for others shall disclose both of the following: * a.The terms of significant agreements under the research and development arrangement (including royalty arrangements, purchase provisions, license agreements, and commitments to provide additional funding) as of the date of each balance sheet presented * b. The amount of compensation earned and costs incurred under such contracts for each period for which an income statement is presented. † This Just means the agreement needs to be disclosed on both ends.