ECommerce Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ECommerce - Dissertation Example The second part will develop e-marketing strategies for the organization illustrating the best fit and marketing mix for the organization. The third part would find solution projected at the problems faced and thereby design and develop the strategies highlighted. The next part of the report would consider the budget for the projects and subsequent allocations. Lastly, legal and ethical issues related to the projected are also required to be given importance. Identification of Problems and Prioritization This part of the report discussed the problems that are currently being faced by the company and that would be faced in the setup and implementation of the new center in Birmingham. The IT Academy in its new center intends to open systems wherein they could offer on-line course enrolment and the prospective students could pay the fees online. They need to develop and highly efficient enquiry and student query system that addresses the queries if the student and that had an in-build F AQ section to address frequently asked questions by the students. An uploading and downloading system needs to be developed online at the company website wherein teachers and staff could upload their notes and assignment and students could upload their papers and download notes uploaded. IT Academy for promoting its newly set campus also needs appropriate e-Marketing strategies to continuously promote the academy and the courses offered by it. The e-Marketing techniques when implemented should reflect the strong brand name of the academy and its fundamental power of delivering student courses. The company, at some point of time in future also intends to use advanced technology for delivering its courses to the students. It intends to deliver live lectures with the help of wireless networks so that it could deliver lectures globally at any point of time. This will help the academy to build its brand presence globally and irrespective of the location of the student. But as discussed e arlier, for all this to happen IT academy needs to revamp its network with the help of e-commerce technologies and advertise with the help of e-marketing strategies. For solving the problems and meeting the requirements intended by the academy a proper prioritization plan is required by the company. The prioritizations plan describes how the problem solving approach would be determined and which problem is primary and would be solved first. Prioritization of activities is done primarily on the basis of priority of requirements and linking of activities. In my report developing a proper ecommerce model which is linked to the business model of the IT academy is the prior activity. This is because every other activity is basically linked to the success of this activity. This would act as a base of offering on-line courses and also payment of feed online. This will also build an online system that could handle online queries of the student. Also, based on the effectiveness of ecommerce of IT Academy successful e-marketing strategies could be implemented. So revamping of the e-commerce technology in IT Academic will be priority in my report. E-marketing Strategies After

Public School vs Private School Essay Example for Free

Public School vs Private School Essay Education can be considered one of the most important decisions parents make for their children. Why? Because education lays the foundation to future success in life, I personally understood this concept early on in life. My parents from as far back as I can remember taught me the value of having an education. I can still remember my mom preaching to my younger brother and me about how the only thing an individual cannot take away from another individual is the knowledge gained in this world. Now many years later I find myself in the same position as many parents when it comes to education. I have to make the decision whether or not to send my child to public school or a private institution. How do public schools and private schools compare? And is there much of a difference? Admission standards for public schools and private schools are similar in comparison when it comes to placement testing and reviewing previous transcripts from other institutions. Public schools unlike private schools are required by law to accept individual as long as the individual is attending a school in the district that they live in. Admission to a private school is not regulated by law and is up to the digression of the school administrators and if the requirements were met by the individual. Because private schools are more selective in their admission process parents tend to base part of their decision on the reputation. Private schools of good reputation are challenging to get accepted into because of the prominent level of competition at the admissions level. Curriculum is a major influence on a parent’s decision whether or not to send their child to private or public school. In both private and public schools cover basic subjects such as English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. By law public schools must follow state curriculum standards, which the schools are subject to state standardize academic testing. Whereas private school has much more freedom in their curriculum simply because they are not require to teach only basic subjects and are not subjected to state standardize testing. Private schools do subject the students to test but only based on comprehension and proficiency rather than retention. Since private schools have freedom in their curriculum, the schools have the opportunity to provide specialized courses and independent study to the students. Cost is the deal breaker in the decision on whether or not to send a child to private school or public school. In both public school and private school a financial investment is made in a child. But the best way to cut the cost especially if the affordability of attending private school is out of the question is to send your child to public school. Public Schools are financially supported by the property taxes in the local area alongside funding from state and federal government. Unlike public schools, private schools do not receive support from property taxes. The way private schools receive funding is through fundraising, the tuition from the student body, and in some cases partial government funding. Because of the lack of state and federal assistance the average tuition cost in the United States according to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is roughly $17,000 to $50,000 a year. To offset the high cost of tuition parents should seek out financial aid, financi ng, and payment plans with the private institution. The decision to place a child into a public school or a private school is not a decision that should be made overnight there is a lot to consider, most importantly the child. As a parent it is imperative to re-evaluate the child before placing the child in school because the child has to be placed in a school that is the right fit. Placing a child that thrives in a smaller group setting or enjoys one on one time I would personally consider private school as an option. If the child enjoys a larger group setting placing the child in public school will be right fit too. Overall the affordability of public school is more reasonable and the flexibility of curriculum of a private school is things can be negotiated when making the final decision. As a parent I know that the child best interest is always in the forefront whether I decide on a public school or private school.

Symbols and Symbolism Essay - Characters as Symbols in The Great Gatsby

Characters as Symbols in The Great Gatsby   Ã‚  Ã‚   People hold different things to be symbolic. Dove and peace, a rose and love; they are simple things yet widely symbolic. Symbolism is commonly used in literature to change or deepen meanings or instill a different meaning to the mind of the readers. The reader is forced to think, make connections, and succeed in adding a new meaning to the novel. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses symbolism in the form of his characters and to develop the theme, the corruption of the American Dream.    All of the characters are symbolic of different classes in American society, from the richest to the poorest. Through the characters, Fitzgerald characterizes all the hopes and dreams of people living during the Jazz Age. As is typical of humans, none of the characters are satisfied with what they have. Each character wants more than what they are getting out of life. Tom and Daisy Buchanan represent "old money"; they seem to have it all: wealth, place in high society, a family, and all the advantages that come with being wealthy. On the surface they appear to be what the American Dream is all about; however, they are both dissatisfied with their lives, themselves, and each other. They are a classic example of the Dream's corruption because in spite of all they have, they are still seeking the true luxuries that each person wants from life: love, peace, and true happiness. Both Tom and Daisy are indifferent to the suffering hopes and dreams of all those around them. "They were careless people....they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money...and let other people clean up their mess" (Fitzgerald 188). A clear example of their careless... ...ife were for all the wrong reasons. It is here that he really begins to appreciate Gatsby and the purity of his dream. In Nick's opinion, Gatsby is "worth the whole damn bunch put together" (Fitgerald 162). Nick offers insight into a world in which the true American Dream is all but extinct.    Fitzgerald successfully used his characters as symbols to develop the corruption of the American Dream. Individually, the characters are symbolic of the various classes in American society; collectively they represent the dissatisfaction of achieving the American Dream. Each class defines the Dream differently, but the material aspects are all the same. The American Dream is increasingly corrupt; and it is harder to find individuals who realize its true meaning.    Work Cited Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. London: Penguin Books, 1990.   

Benjamin Franklin Essay

Benjamin Franklin is a notable figure in American history and perhaps one of the most recognizable in name and appearance. Franklin was one of the most important people during the early years of the nation because of his involvement with the Declaration of Independence and the diplomatic and political advances he made during his life as a citizen of the new United States of America. Known for his curious mind, Franklin is also remembered for his many scientific contributions to the field of Physics. While many people would say that George Washington is the father of this country, there is a good argument that Benjamin Franklin should hold the title in the history books. Why? Because he is the only founding father to have signed the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution, and it is these three documents as a whole that created the United States as its own nation apart from Great Britain and established its place in the world. Without his ability to be diplomat, his political sense, and his scientific advancements, the United States would have likely never become the nation that it is today and for this reason, Franklin is destined to have a place in American history. Benjamin Franklin was, for all intents and purposes, first and foremost a shrewd and successful politician. During his political life he accomplished a great deal of important things. One of the most notable of Franklin’s political dealings was his absolute disapproval of the Stamp Act and he was at the head of the effort to have it repealed by Parliament. He was appointed by the Continental Congress to the committee that would draft the Declaration of Independence and was in fact the person that edited it. In his later years, he was part of the committee that created the United States’ Constitution and was single-handedly able to help the unhappy delegates come to a compromise and helped, through an impassioned speech, get them to sign it. In his last years he was also known for being a dedicated abolitionist and spent a great deal of political energy asserting this cause. Throughout his life, his writings and activism helped establish the United States as an American nation. In fact, he is credited with having inventing the idea of an American nation. As a diplomat, Benjamin Franklin was well-liked and received by other nations because of his friendly nature, his intelligent conversation, and his ability to connect with people on a different level. His most notable diplomatic accomplishment was the Treaty of Paris, which helped establish the United States as a separate and equal nation. Franklin was well-liked by the French because he was able to quickly understand the customs of the people and used his ability to negotiate over the dinner table to effectively make connections with the French. Throughout his life, Franklin would be known as an accomplished diplomat for the United States. As a scientist, Franklin’s accomplishments are well known by Americans. Franklin was an inventor who enjoyed trying out new ideas and coming up with new scientific ideas. Among his inventions were the lightening rod, the glass harmonica, and bifocal glasses. His experiments with electricity were among his most well-known and became important contributions to Physics. He also founded the American Philosophical Society, where men of science would get together and discuss their inventions and scientific research. Throughout his life, his greatest love would be science and his study of electricity. Benjamin Franklin is perhaps the most important of the founding fathers because his contributions to the country went far beyond simply serving as president or fighting in a war. Franklin was able to use his ability to work with others, be diplomatic, and his intelligence to help create the nation that he envisioned. He not only helped the United States break away from England, but was there to help the American people gain status in the world at large and to help create the Constitution that would be the foundation of American society. His accomplishments in science and his founding of the American Philosophical Society helped bring science and culture to a fledgling nation that was trying to find its own way. For this he will always be remembered as the Father of the country. Bibliography â€Å"Benjamin Franklin. † Wikipedia. 29 Jan. 2007 .

Lewis and Rostow

Outline the theories of Lewis and Rostow and discuss their relevance in analysing the problems of development in LDC’s In the 1950’s, the two most prominent economists of the Western school were Arthur Lewis and Walt W. Rostow. Their theories had a significant impact on the policies of Western governments regarding development in LDC’s. Arthur Lewis claimed he was a classical economist because he disagreed with the neo-classical school. He argued that the neo-classical assumption of full employment is incorrect in the long-run, and that they therefore had no long-term perspective on development.However, Lewis has been categorised by other economists such as Hollis B. Chenery, as a Structuralist. This is because his famous ‘two-sector model’ focuses in the mechanisms through which LDC’s can change their economic infrastructure from an agricultural to a more modern industrial one. 1 The emphasise on internal modes of production and reform of dom estic infrastructure is a distinguishing feature of the Structuralists. In the mid 1950’s Lewis, in his essay ‘Economic Development with unlimited supply of Labour’ put forward his theory of underdevelopment.He begins with the assumption that the economy of the LDC’s could be split into two sectors; the traditional sector, which is agrarian, and characterised by subsistence wages and a surplus of labour. Lewis referred to this as ‘disguised unemployment’. Because of the large labour force in the traditional sector, much of it unused, this results in zero marginal labour productivity. Wages are therefore kept at subsistence levels, which causes wages in the modern sector to be set at subsistence level. The modern sector is characterised as a highly productive, urban, industrial sector.Lewis argues that surplus labour in the traditional sector can be gradually transferred to the modern sector with no loss to productivity because of the zero marg inal productivity of labour in agriculture. To encourage the flow of labour from the traditional to the modern sector Lewis allows for a 30% differential in income. Once the modern sector reaches full employment output is increased. The increase is determined by the rate of investment and capital accumulation (this is assuming that excess profits are re-invested).Thus the demand for labour will once again increase and with the 30% premium over traditional sector wages, supply curve of labour from the traditional to modern sector is perfectly elastic. The ‘two-sector’ model of development demonstrates the process of labour transfer and the growth of employment and production in the modern sector. The top right diagram represents production in the traditional sector. Total product (TPA) is the function of variable labour (LA), fixed capital (KA) and traditional technology (tA): TPA = f (LA, KA, tA).In the bottom right diagram we have the average and marginal product of la bour curves, which are derived from the total product curve in the diagram directly above it. There are two assumptions made; firstly, the marginal product of labour is zero (MpLA at LA), hence there is surplus labour. Secondly, wages are divided equally in the traditional sector so it is the average, and not the marginal product of labour determines the real wage. 2 ? The diagram on the top left represents production in the modern sector.Again, the total product (TPM) in this sector is a function of the variable input labour (LM), a given capital input (KM), and modern technology (tM): TPM = f (LM, KM, tM). The model demonstrates that at if labour is at L1, and capital stock at KM1, then output will be TPM1. Lewis allows for the re-investment of excess profits in the modern sector, which will increase capital stock from KM1 to KM2 and then to KM3. This results in an increase in the demand for labour (from L1, to L2, then L3), and an increase in output for the sector (from TPM1, to TPM2, and then TPM3).We can see also that the total product curves rise in accordance to the increase in capital stock and labour. The process by which capital stock and total product will increase is demonstrated in the bottom left diagram. WA is the subsistence wage level offered by the traditional sector. With a 30% premium over the traditional wage rate, wages for the modern sector is at WM. Lewis assumes that the supply of labour is perfectly elastic and will remain so throughout the development process, hence the horizontal labour supply curve.Employers will hire at this wage rate without the possibility of wages rising. Because capital stock (KM1) is fixed in the initial stage of growth, demand curve for labour is determined by labours declining marginal product3, the negatively sloped curve D1 (KM1). Employers in the modern sector are assumed to hire to where the marginal physical product of labour is equal to the real wage, so employment will be at L1. Area OWMFL1 represent s wages for this sector, and profits are shown by area WMD1F. Lewis assumes that these profits will be re-invested, so the capital stock now increases from KM1 to KM2.This will increase total product in the modern sector, inducing higher demand for labour. The new equilibrium is now at point G with L2 workers in the bottom left diagram. The same process will once again occur, increasing capital stock to KM3, total product of labour to TPM(KM3), and employment in the modern sector to L3. According to the Lewis hypothesis, this process will continue until all surplus labour is absorbed into the new modern sector. The declining labour to land ratio will increase the marginal productivity of labour above zero, causing the labour supply curves to become positively sloped.So wages and employment will continue to grow, and the domestic structure of the economy is changed, allowing for the growth of a modern, urban, industrial sector. The Lewis two-sector model draws on the experience of ec onomic development in the West, but he makes a number of key assumptions that are not plausible to developing countries in this day and age. Firstly, Lewis assumes that the increase in employment in the modern sector is proportional to its rate of profit. (This is on a further assumption that all profits are infact re-invested).In reality it is a common trend for Trans-National Companies (TNC’s) to employ increasing levels of capital and technology, while keeping labour at the same level. Lewis also assumes that there is surplus labour in agriculture and full employment in the modern sector. This is infact untrue, and the opposite is more common in most LDC’s. Also, research suggests that unemployment is not as high as Lewis estimated (around 50%) but is more accurately around the 5% mark. The assumption of an infinitely elastic labour has also been subject to criticism.Empirically labour will experience some rise in wages, so the labour supply curve will not remain fl at. Lewis makes some politically incorrect assumptions. He argues that farmers will get richer during the development process due to an increasing demand for food from a growing urban population. He suggests that farmers should be taxed and the money should be invested in urban areas. So he advocated the taxing of people on subsistence wage levels, to help the capitalist class! He also advocated the curbing of trade union power during evelopment, and to protect the growth of the capitalists using tariffs (this was undoubtedly very unpopular with the Marxists). The two-sector model emphasises the need to increase money supply in order to kick-start the development process. We know that in the real world this could lead to inflation, speculation and balance of payment problems. Lewis does acknowledge these possibilities in his article, but he does not explain how the loans themselves can be bad. He places a high degree of importance on a capitalist class who would bring about an outfl ow of profits, but does not explain from where the new class will emerge.Despite all of these flaws in the two-sector model, Lewis was nonetheless awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics for his endeavours. In 1960, the US economist and historian Walt Whitman Rostow published his paper ‘The Stages of Economic Development’. He claimed he was providing an alternative to the Marxist view of history, and thus gave his paper the subtitle; ‘a non-communist manifesto’. Rostow analysed the process of development in the West and concludes that it is possible to distinguish development into stages; and all societies can be categorised into one of the five stages he distinguishes.In order to develop LDC’s are required to progress through these stages. The five stages are as follows: The traditional society, transitional (or preconditions to take-off), take-off, maturity and high-mass consumption. 4 A traditional society is the most basic form of society. It does little more than economically survive. Production is used for self-consumption and there is no trade. It would usually have a ceiling on production due to limitations of science and backward production practices. There is generally a high proportion of the workforce in agriculture (>75%), little social change, and large divisions of wealth. In the transition stage agriculture will begin to prevail, mainly due to foreign interests. Rostow argues that the level of investment must be raised to at least 10% of national income, ensuring self-sustaining growth. The bulk of investment should be spent on infrastructure, like transport and communication if society is to progress to the next stage. He states that society must also be willing to operate closer to factory principles and the division of labour, and a new elite must emerge that will drive the factory process. It is generally accepted that entrepreneurs usually appear in commerce.Rostow and others acknowledge that society may be i n this stage for centuries. To propel society from transition to take-off growth must become self-sustaining. Rostow predicts that investment must rise in excess of 10% of national income in order to guarantee adequate levels of future savings and investment. 6 What is significant in this stage is the emergence of major export industries (what Rostow calls ‘leading growth sectors’). In the US and Russia this would have been the grain industry, in Britain the textiles industry, in Sweden, timber etc.So the industry itself differs from country to country, and Rostow makes clear that LDC’s do not have to produce the same goods as developed nations in order to ‘take-off’. In the stage of maturity society will apply a wide range of new technology to most of its resources. In this period a nation will grow confident and exert itself. It will also have to make a choice at this point as to what it should spend its new found wealth on. Either to move towards high-mass consumption, to build a welfare state, or to meet imperialist ends.The stage of high-mass consumption, Rostow argues, applies only to the US, as at the time of writing (1956) no other society had achieved this. Based on his theory Rostow, Rosenstein and Rodon came up with a 5-year plan for LDC’s following the Western ideology of development. The 5-year plans were largely unsuccessful, not to mention controversial. At the height of the cold war the US funded any tin-pot dictator who was not allied with the USSR, under the guise of aid for development. There are several issues in Rostows theory that has received criticism.Firstly, he negates the multiplier process, and refers to it as ‘backward lineage’. He also ignores foreign exchange constraints, like the cost of importing machinery. His single minded pursuit of capital has led to ‘wide elephant’ projects by the UN, which have caused a lot of damage to the environment and brought very litt le benefit to LDC’s. Also, concentration on capital intensive goods makes things worse. It deprives consumption, gives rise to demand, which makes increases in demand for capital goods inevitable. Simon Kuznets points out that there is no distinction between stages 2 and 3, and also 3 and 4.The characteristics that Rostow distinguishes are not unique to those phases. For example, the changes that occur during transition also seem to occur during take-off. In Kuznets own words: â€Å"It seems to me that Rostow defines these social phenomena as a complex that produces the effect he wishes to explain and then treats his identification as if it were a meaningful identification†7 The main problem with Rostow’s theory is his political bias. This is not surprising if we take into account the historical and political conditions in which the theory was created (the cold war, McCarthyism).Rostow wanted to provide a Western, capitalist ideology of development. The neo-Marx ists point out that LDC’s are very different from each other, and we cannot ignore the historical context in which they were created as Rostow does. The centuries of colonialism still have an effect on LDC’s today and to ignore this is wrong. The neo-Marxists argue that the History of LDC’s is littered with aborted ‘take-offs’ and ‘crash landings’, which have left them with distorted development and dependency. Both Lewis and Rostow tend to indicate that development is a purely domestic issue, and that obstacles to growth are all internal.They emphasise on savings and investment, and do not take into account the many external forces that can stimulate or hinder growth, such as political and economic pressure from TNC’s and the WTO. They make no attempt to explain ideas suggested by the Prebisch-Singer thesis, or to reconcile Emmanuel’s theory of ‘Unequal Exchange’. Overall, both economists imply that growth an d development are solely in the hands of the developing countries, trivialising the dominance and significance of the West in the development process.